This is an interesting text-greeting that I had been meaning to put up.  Was sent to me during Chinese New Year:

 

新年好！恭祝你家庭大興，生活昌平，事業朝陽，愛情懷柔，萬壽延慶，財富豐台，心胸海澱，文采通州，事事順義！

 

Thought that was creative and very Beijing.

 

Enjoy!

In my never-ending quest for perfect habitation, my search has brought me to the slightly more expensive, but infinitely superior Chaoyangmen area.  The new place is in a re-done hutong area that has done a suprisingly good job of retaining the original feel of the community (it helps that many of the current residents lived there before the re-construction). 

 

My roommate (more him than me) and I found a place in Nangongjiangying #3 (南弓匠营3号楼) which literally means the "south bowmakers camp" and is, precisely as the name suggests, where bowmakers used to live.  I have to admit that the attractiveness of the apartment did increase because of the name.  To the west, just across Chaonei Xiaojie there are a good amount of "real" hutongs that I do believe are protected....at least until the Olympics. 

 

All in all a good move.  Welcome to all who may pass by my door to enter and sit on the floor (or the couch...but that didn't rhyme with door...and this is Asia afterall).

有过了很长一段时间才有机会写一个blog! 工作很顺利，天天学习新的东西 - 若是继续下去的话就好。除了工作以外，我还在努力於开拓生活的其他方面，上上个月我跟北京的国际节日合唱团(TM)audition，被收了，并在经过好几场排练和自练，上个周末12/6终于在位于故宫西南隅的中山音乐堂参加了Handel的Messiah。站在台上现在对我来说变得越来越容易了，虽然还有一些顾虑，但我能够看到我自己在成长、在适应，这是我所想要到台上去的原因。现在有及回到上海去再上一次台，或许这次就更有兴趣了，也可以圆满大家的心愿，在中国成为电视上的人物了。嗬嗬！

 

等着看。。。

My blog writing had trailed off when things started getting complicated...after I left Beida, looking for work, going back to the States and then moving across town after finding my new job.  I have been here for about three months now at Hollyhigh International (www.hollyhigh.cn) and it is quite the experience.  I never thought that I would end up at an investment bank, but all the same, here I am and learning quite a lot.  The work is varied and interesting, but somewhat overwhelming considering that I really did not have any experience in the field.  But things are going well and now that my life is settling down (although I will be moving again this week) I can sit down and write a little bit about what I'm up to.

 

I have to be honest and say that I have made a concious decision to make sure my social life did not suffer with the onslaught of a high-pressure job.  I have tried (and succeeded) to keep meeting up for dinners, stay active in the alumni group and I have even joined the Beijing International Festival Choir (www.beijingifc.org) and if anyone is in Beijing on December 2nd, be sure to come and see our Messiah concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall!  This past weekend was my first experience with the choir and it was very nice.  I helped out backstage and got to know a bunch of the crew, all fantastic people.  Sunday I had a little meeting about a small "learning club" for local chinese kids and chinese kids who grew up abroad.  Interesting stuff, but still a lot of kinks to work out.  Then in the afternoon I met up with my friends from BTV (you may remember the contest I was in this past Chinese New Year) and did a show on foreigners working in Beijing.  I'm not sure when it will be on, but I'll be sure to make an announcement on my blog as soon as I do. 

 

All in all, Chaoyang has been a little too healthy for my social life and I have slowly been accumulating a sleep deficit, which I hope to pay off during the upcoming National Day holiday.  Although I shall take a couple days and head over to Tianjin to see Zhang Xinyuan and here new little boy.  Also, to get away from Beijing for just a little while.  It will feel good.  Next trip is to Shanghai.  Not sure when....November?  Burrrr!!! 

On my short 3-stop bus ride from home to work I have begun to see another side of Beijing different from that of Beida.  There are still the regular hang-abouts roaming the early morning streets, but unlike Beida, professionals (also known in Japan as buzinesu-man and in China [via Taiwan] as 上班族) are added into the mix along with all of the peripheral services that go along with them.  There are the 北京早餐 or Beijing Breakfast stands that go with every bus stop along Chaoyang Park Road South, the volunteer bus stop wardens with their yellow shirts and red flags, making sure that people don't get run over and that the buses stop at the right places...and then there are the rollerbladers. 

 

Not along my route, but at the end, in front of Junwangfu (the palace that I work at, which was moved from Xisi in the west of the old city), there are always rollerbladers, and quite good ones at that.  There are old ones, young ones, ones with helmets and ones without.  They go in circles around the central ring or up and down the ramps at the small platform on the side of the park.  I'd never taken China as a place for rollerblading, but I am becoming more and more convinced that China is a place of lasting fads, and I say lasting because there are just enough people (because of the sheer number of the whole) who remain interested that the fad does not entirely fade away.   I see rollerblading as one of these, added to the list of outdoor ballroom dancing, outdoor pingpong and other outdoorly visible activities. 

 

Interesting.

My friend gave me this on MSN one day and I think that it must be one of the coolest things that I've ever seen.  It makes you realize just how many people are in this ever-smaller world of ours and the limitless possibilities that make up the human experience. 

 

 

 

 Enjoy and Learn!

 

-Josh

This last trip back home to the US makes me realize that I am just at the beginning of a yo-yo like existance.  I have this queezy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I will be bouncing back and for the from one place to another forever.  Of course, I've chosen this and know what I've gotten myself in for and I secretly enjoy it, but still, it is a torn life. 

 

Going between New York and Florida when I was young was oft refered to as having the "best of both worlds" and that is also true with China.  But that was when I was young.  My very mobile life is in conflict with establishing any kind of stable base from which to begin a life.  God forbid I should have any kind of relationship going on.  It would be over before it started.  But that is another story.

 

However, be that as it may, this opportunity to go back to the States and see home once again and recharge my batteries (and be reassured that there is a place in the world where things do stay the same) has been a great one and I am ever grateful to my "students" for funding my latest jaunt.  I do hope that they will read this and practice their English a bit! 

 

New York City was as it ever was: a city.  They are all the same to me on a macro scale (of course little things are very different in the details) and New York this time simply reaffirmed that.  I was really unimpressed.  I do not enjoy the noise and annonymity of large cities, impersonal and unapproachable by definition.  But I have to say that I gained a new appreciation for Central Park this time.  That large of a green space, striking that big of a contrast between the forest of concrete and the forest of trees, is simply amazing.  Walking in the Rambles I truly felt like I was out somewhere back home like Grimes Glen or back in my own woods.  I couldn't see a thing that resembled so-called "civilization."  But then in about five minutes I was back on the edge of the city that looked like a cliff rising to the sky from a sea of green. 

 

Of course the trip back home was nice.  And the expectation as we drove the 6+ hours from the City to Naples made it all the more wonderful.  We stopped in Corning on the way up and spent about 2 hours rummaging around the craft and kitsch stores that line Market Street, which the girls loved (the two guys that were with us had to go back to China early for work stuff).  They were very impressed with the small-town uniqueness of Upstate.  Once we got to Naples, and got them situated in their rooms at the newly rennovated (though not quite finished) Maxfield Inn, I made my way back up County Road 36 to the same old Feather Street.  Driving up to my old house in a car by myself kind of felt like a real "homecoming"...not being picked up at the airport or transported around.  I came myself, back home. 

 

Of course things were the same and the sauce was cooking on the stove, ready for our dinner that night that I would bring our guests to.  They really liked the food...despite it not being Chinese ;)  I, of course, ate far too much and made sure that it would last me.  The unfortunate thing is that we only had time for one meal of sauce and noodles...next time 吧。Apple pie and cookies were also on the menu while I was at home, completing the culinary experience of the homecoming.  Entirely enjoyable.  I still have to make sure that I make sauce here.  I'm just too lazy I guess. 

 

This time coming back to China, however, I was a little apprehensive.  Knowing that I had job searches waiting for me and other issues to deal with (water damage costs, translations, etc.) did not make my return entirely welcoming, but at the same time, when I arrived at my apartment, it did seem like home.  Familiar things, smells and people are what make home home and China definitely has those.  I suppose that I can accept two homes, but it is also difficult.  Not sure I really want to, but it seems that I have no choice.  Just have to make the best I guess!

我最近又有望再现于电视上了！是个主持人的角色，但导演说我的名字太难记，让我起一个既好听又好记的匿名，想争取大家的意见看看最了解我的人能不能想起一个适合我的名字！无条件、无限制！

 

谢谢！！

 

 

跟某些朋友相比，我的生活就像一个没完没了的大假，但这五一还是要做大一点。原本的计划是跟苍蝇铭、大舅（后来Felix也入队了，但后来又退了）在上海或杭州一带骑单车游玩江南，但因为大舅回美国开会、费力克思在南京苦读，而张殷铭因为工作的加重不能玩得那么投入，所以计划完全变样了。不过，到现在还是最精彩的一次旅游之一。

 

29号到上海，跟一大帮人吃本帮菜，也当然有“文明可爱”的上海代表金诗薇操作，吃的很好，聊得很久，总算是生日过了，而且过的很开心。晚上大聚会跟我一直以为回国的Dave Dorson居然在我生的那一天有他回国的聚会！

 

30号开始有点奇怪，上一天一个人晃晃悠悠的走在上海街头上又累又热，所以跟张总经理找了任务，果然一直忙得要命的他还有空练吉他问我能不能给他买guitar pick，而布置这个任务的时候用的都是英文，到了吉他店，忽然发现我不知道怎么说guitar pick，只好解释说我到的是“弹吉他的那个小片”，店主一开始有点不清楚要的是什么东西，后来大悟道：“噢！你要的是皮克！”  晕。。。 后来发现我上一天买的东西和Felix送我的《留德十年》一书赖在The Spot。因为时间还算比较充足就找了找公车坐，但走来走去发现我已经走到了人民公园，就上车到The Portman，顺利夺回了东西。下午吃了还算不错的新加坡粿条，就出发到杭州。车上我跟YM交换MP3听，还是我大收获，但大部分还是我自己的音乐！

 

1号爬山一天，15公里，三座山，终在西湖边上的葛岭看杭州的暮色。 有几次我真的迷醉了，龙井周边的绿油油的山坡、一排一排的小茶树、北有江南有湖，好想回去做那边的一个小富农。虽然这一天是收获最大的，但无言以喻这样的美，自然真是神奇。

 

2号 == 今天我感觉应该叫“杭州日”。做的都是杭州人喜欢做的事情：喝茶、打牌、吃饭。中午和YM的朋友在美院附近的地方闲了四个小时。一边吃饭，一边打牌，一边反复的讨论新的游戏规则，最终让了我赢14块钱，不知道是被动的赢还是被动的赢，但总算一生中赢的最大一把。刚好回到大学路坐车去跟“叔叔”的朋友吃饭（长辈称呼的问题一直困扰着我。。。我们叫uncle应该是亲叔叔，但这便叫Mr. Zhang就不对了还是“叔叔”吧。）摆了一大桌，11个人，男女老少皆有，很热闹，而是我被叫“小谭”次数最多的一次晚饭。大概喝了八大瓶啤酒，连续不断的干干干。。。都把我灌醉了。这也是一种热情。后来，吃饱喝饱，全体撤散，后来到南山路，最后在酒吧跑了几个小时（详情请见http://spaces.msn.com/maohunwan） 我这里就不多写了。总算topped off在那里就回家。

 

3号这一天YM泡了一天家，反反复复的朝拜“白瓷神”，下午出发到长途汽车站买票，只有4点多的车了，所以就回到他们家的车道钱塘江的江边观汐。多听了叔叔讲年轻时每年到这边横泳钱塘江比赛，现在污染多了，但还算比较好的水，只是游泳恐怕不太好。半小时又上路了回到北站，告别时，还带着醉意的YM跟我说“那我就不送你了”，动不了了。就这样告别了还在向往着的杭州、准备深入上次潜入的扬州城。 === 到了扬州已经快十点，见了高峥的父母和祖父母，拜访完我们就出征过夜生活。夜市已经关了，茶楼也没什么有意思的活动了，所以就到避风塘吧。吃吃吃，喝喝喝，乐乐乐，跟高峥侃了一会两个人突然累了，说明天还得早起呢。

 

4号 == 假期一直睡过十一点的高峥，一大早就起了，还催我早点洗澡出发。。。还要赶早茶呢！扬州的早茶她说一般是六点开始，我还以为是那种香港的早茶（自从早上七点直到下午两点都可以去）。。。。。先待续。。。房子进水了，脑子也进水了。 --------  继续 == 早茶时在一个什么地方（请高高补充一下）我都忘了，但很漂亮，在护城河边上，也就是御码头的旁边。只不过我们因为晚到需要等40多分钟才能坐下点菜，站在两桌人的中间看谁先吃完，好似两只大鹫准备扑过去抢占位置，但我们最后坐下之时，已经是唯一一对尚未就做的饭客。。。郁闷。但东西确实很不错，三丁包终于吃到了。。。mmmmmm 后来就开始走路了，先到爷爷家拿墨镜和其他东西，就从小巷钻来钻去，看到了幼年的高峥烧断晾衣线的地方、幼稚园（最终毕业的那个）、小学、初中、高中，都很不错，就感觉是small town的那样。中途留意的唯一个景点是个园，我其实不太爱看人群挨肩挤来挤去的地方，所以在五一期间一个景点应该算是够了的。整个院子都很美，但只是没有看到一个卧室，都好像是迎客厅。。。下午的热把我们两个冒汗的累人从何园大门回到市中心“文昌阁”旁边的一个茶楼坐了整个下午，爽！后来饿了，回到家里附近的一个中式快餐店吃本地小吃“饺面”以当我的生日长寿面，还有一个巨大的五丁包！饱！

 

回高峥家里拿了背包，即告别全家而去。高峥可爱的妈妈欣然跟我们随行到火车站“观光”，我就直接上车了，充满着谢意和旅游的累的我离开候车厅之前，回头看了一下高峥和他母亲的背后，忽然感觉回家的幸福。

久违的Max终于回到中国了。Well, I guess "Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China" but at least back to Beijing.  Our lovable tyrant of a director and eccentric Englishman finally did make it to the Northern Capital, but unfortunately for only a short time. 

 

His comerade in arms, the Big Fu, in cooperation with yours truly, arranged for a meeting of the Beijing-branch of the HNC clique to meet at the Hakka House in Houhai.  Being soonly (that's not a word btw) out of a job and watching money where I can (I am going to Hangzhou for the May holiday), I took two buses from Beida all the way to Lotus Lane...1.5 hrs.  And who do I meet but my fellow conspirators walking to our arranged meeting place.  We timely entered our appointed baojian and sat down with tea and talk.  However, it seems that for most of our other 同学, Labor Day will be a 名副其实的 holiday.  Our 7:00 reservation turned out to be 8:00 for the rest of our 10 person group. 

 

After a fantastic meal (88折 thx to 饭桶网), magnanimously financed by the visitor himself, in truly un-Chinese style, we set out for a leisurely walk along the banks of Qianhai in search of the No Name bar.  Now, for those not in the know, the No Name does have a name, which is in point of fact No Name.  With the combined efforts of Max's hearing of the bar, Yuan Mingfu's knowledge of the place and my directions, we finally made our way.  A Chimay and 2 hours later, with work looming over me the next day we separated and each went our own ways.  Diliya and I back to Haidian, Max and Yuan down to Chongwen...along with Jin and Wang...and the rest to their respective corners of this megalopolis of a Jing.

 

 

Never have I had a birthday full of so much change.  28 years of my life have been full and absolutely without regret, but the lack of direction in my life is beginning to get to me.  I love being in China and there are things here that I am able to do that I would never be able to do back home because of the expense.  The only problem is that there are so many opportunities.  Decisions have always be tough for me because I am the kind of person who wants everything and afraid that if I choose one path, that I will miss the other.  So, where some people tend to have a clear vision into the distant future - career, marriage, kids, retirement...I do not.  I know that I want these things, but I also want the things that will be taken from me if I should one day have such a life - spontenaity, freedom, choice. 

 

Today is my last day at the CCER.  Beida has been my China home for so long that I feel sort of like a kid going off to college, leaving home for the first time.  China is, of course, not my own country despite my being very comfortable living here, and sometimes the prospect of going out into the world beyond Beida is daunting.  Walking through campus is like nothing else.  That is one of the things I'll miss the most.  I am also spoiled by the office environment here.  Perhaps I'm in need of a hard, demanding boss that will push me to realize my full potential, but I do think that this is much more enjoyable.

 

Digressing.....the May holiday will be a great time for me to recollect my thoughts and prepare for what comes after.  All the best to everyone and enjoy your Labor Day!

今天从南京回来，“月退” 还是酸疼疼的，但脚倒是没有问题了。Wall walk后还是挺有成就感，虽然我开始的地方不是跟大家一起（我做了周五晚上的火车，七点半到南京就赶到玄武门了），但我仅仅漏掉了最先两个小时，八点正式 “参征”。其实，十二小时中的十个小时还算坚持，而且我觉得我很值得。以下就一步一步介绍我们的 “万步行” 大活动。

 

我是从火车站作了南京开不久的新地铁，真得很不错，标示、地图乃至广告牌都具有香港地铁的清爽与现代的感觉（其实，甚至字体也都一样，包括每站的毛笔字的站名），从火车站经过耳目熟悉的 “新模范马路”、“玄武门”，终于到达鼓楼站，下车，打车，直奔中心门口，把东西扔到前台后面，就回到出租车。原前往的解放门在途中改成了玄武门因为Robert“龙头”Daly跑得快一些，已经差不多到了玄武门了。到了雄伟的玄武门就下车开始找，都没有找到，原以为是走在城墙上面，而一位保安老爷子说需要回到解放门才能上墙，郁闷。不过，幸好往回走的时候刚好碰上了Robert和两个同学（一个本届的、一个下一届的）。又转回来了，走到了一个卖兰花的小花市场就开始做指路志愿者了，叫大家“往厕所走”。这一段其实非常漂亮（照片后加），是一片年轻的松林，地上是一片湿地，长着绿油油的小草，透视无数的树身间看到了灰色的城墙，其凹凸不平的墙身讲着数百年的故事。

 

这片漂亮的湖墙之间的公园走到头了以后，我们开始走野路了，通过一片荒地（值得提出的是南京的荒地还是长着绿草的），就上了一个小山坡，然后进入了另一个小公园，原来也是城垣的一部分，现在长着松乔。不久，下去了到居民区的小巷里面，便到了大马路边上，此后大部分城墙都见不到了，但我们还是沿着护城河走，可惜护城河在这段已经变成了臭得卷鼻毛的污沟。

 

好累啊     待续。。。

终于决定无论如何去参加Nanjing的Wall Walk。虽然本来就很想参加，但一直在徘徊。徘徊的原因也就是既然是一个我很想参加的活动，但这样连续不断的南北长跑已经开始令本人疲惫不堪了。我每次到上海去都很高兴能见到我所有的朋友，但有一个part of me是想选一个周末什么都不做，留在家里看电视、练吉他、享受北京短暂的春季。不过，我不是这样的人，结果还是不能错过这个好机会。

 

所以，还是继续矛盾着 “固定” 和 “流动” 生活，总会有一天我会停下来。具体什么时候到南京还不知道，要不是周五晚上就是周六早上然后跟大家catch up！

Well, as all of you will probably know, I went to Shanghai over the weekend (arrived Friday) to attend the HNC career day.  As I am a pretty much an introvert, I met a few people, but not those that I had expected to meet.  But I was grateful to meet the people I did and have found some new ideas for my future work/life.  Saturday in Shanghai was great, filled with lots of walking (龍華寺) and lots of good food (お刺身) and lots of drink (お酒).  I also got to see quite a lot of the south of the city and peruse the celebrated literary troves of ChinaVest's offices. 

 

I left Shanghai on Sunday morning (missing my 8:44 train only to get on the 9:00 one that was late by half and hour and went to Nanjing West instead of Nanjing Station), but that was actually a good thing.  By going to Nanjing West I got to see parts of the city that I hadn't seen before and wish I had.  We took Zhongshan Road all the way along, which passed through "Bailing the River Gate" (挹江門), then by what apparently used to be the original Republic of China administrative section where many of the buildings looked similar to those inside Beida; about two or three stories tall with Chinese roofs but a very typical western style layout; but all in all done in a very tasteful way.  I have to say I remain an ardent fan of Republican Era architecture.  Great stuff.  Which, reminds me that I didn't get to go to 1912 Street where they've restored some period buildings and made a bit of an entertainment district something akin to Shanghai's Xintiandi.

 

HNC has also changed.  Once I got out of the cab and looked at the tower being built behind the center I had known, the first thing that came to my mind was that "it's pink."  The stark contrast to the yellow and green of the main building was a bit much for the eyes at first, but the fact that the neon pink (Felix's comment about which will ever remain in my memory) was still showing made the effect a bit worse than it would have been.  Upon closer inspection, the new building will really be something.  Three stories of glass that will encase the library should make for a dramatic studying environment with plenty of natural light...my fav.  The apartments above will be quite roomy and I know where I'll be staying when I visit Nanjing!  The other great part is the expansion of green space in the "well" of the Center...that space between the buildings that lets you escape the hustle and bustle of Shanghai and Beijing Roads (appropriately named). 

 

The best part, however, was being greeted by so many familiar faces.  Felix and Jonathan were there right off and welcomed me in...Felix even had a charger for my energy deficient mobile phone...and Jonathan was a great source of insight and information in my work/life search.  Japanese for lunch was excellent, if not for the Panda Rolls, then for the feisty and entertaining service.  Then after a nice rest and walk around the construction site (seeing the destruction of Jinyin Street) was a bit depressing...Laodifang relegated to a literal "hole in the wall" and diguo nowhere to be found.  However, the ladies at the xiaomaibu were the same as ever and took me back to late nights sitting on the steps wasting time with my friends (i.e. living).  To top off the night, Robert invited us for a pancake and beer dinner...a strange combination? No!!  There was real maple syrup....ahhh....  Once again, Robert's experience and insight were also invaluable and gave me some food for thought that I hadn't even tried before...quite tasty.  However, my time was fleeting and I had to make my way to the train station.

 

Now, I had rather horrible memories of Nanjing Station as the last time I went, the new station was under construction and the original station looked like it had gotten a 1-2 upper cut and cross in the last Station Fight...a complete mess.  So, when I took the brand new metro line from Gulou to Nanjing Station, I was already in awe, but when  I arrived at the station itself, I felt like I arrived in the 22nd century.  It was like walking into one of those models that you see of space-age buildings that never get built.  But this one was there.  The whole thing was steel and glass, spotless, with a huge square in front extending all the way to the banks of Xuanwu Lake, upon which the moon sparkled.  I walked out onto the square and just gazed at the golden-yellow 南京站 calligraphy above the station (not the best I'd seen, but hey...), took a couple pictures and went into the "soft-seat waiting room" and progressed immediately and unimpeded (or rushed) to the platform.  All 8 platforms were contained under one gigantic roof open to the outside, which reminded me of a modern version of what I had seen at Liverpool Station in London.  The space was simply huge.  Taking the direct "Z" trains is always a pleasure, but these had individual televisions with earphones, which I had not expected.  However, an afterthought was how these modernizations were really in a way westernizations, taking away the (admittedly) annoying, but (sometimes) endearing conversations with fellow passengers making their way, some for the first time, to far away places.  But everything changes and for quite some time, I am sure that the hard-sleeper and hard-seat will remain a bastion of conversational culture that I can visit should the mood strike.

今天的北京是世界上最理想的地方了。可能是北京的天气一般比较极端，所以遇到如此理想完美的一天更觉得理想和完美。今天一醒来躺在床上感觉非常舒服，一开始也不想起来，但当我看到窗外碧蓝的天和微亮的东方太阳升起的光线，就有一个矛盾：继续躺在床上舒服着，还是起来享受精美的一天。既然要上班，我选了后者，也不会后悔！

 

出门还以为会有点冷，所以带了手套，但已感觉到那种清凉而不冷的空气吹过我的脸，就知道不会需要了，一扔就放在车筐里了。路上依然有许多人和车，但我不得不继续看我头顶方的那片深海的蓝，差一点被撞了两次。进了校园以后，当然更完美了，一封回家的信寄完了，继续往北骑，一过北大的“民主路”就进入了北大皇家园林般的校区，虽然树上叶子还没长出来，尚处于萌芽阶段，但“花树”都茂盛无比，远处一团一团、近见一朵一朵的粉红闪过了我的眼界，骑过未名湖添上了水面映出来反光。到了办公室，我本来就很欣赏的朗润园变得更完美了，不但有建筑的赤、绿、金、灰等艳丽的色样，又加上了天上的水晶蓝。耳朵也没有被拒绝享受这个美好的天，风声鸟语环绕四周，人们高兴的心情感叹着，更让我的心愉悦勃勃的。

 

还有一个小小的惊喜。虽然不得不进入办公室坐下来开始办公，但阳光一直在陪伴着我，在我旁边的档柜上闪亮着，透过我们办公室东面的小花窗的阳光不时地被窗外风摇的竹子半遮了，好似影戏，动作比较模糊但依然非常迷人。

找工作的首则谢绝来自甘维珍公司。次则乃来自耶礼协会的关于他们 Hong Kong Office 的 Director position。老故事：经验不足，目前的位置需要具有三到五年相关经验的人来添。我自己也可以感觉到经验不足，对公司的事业范围了解得不够、知识集中于学术方面。可惜，我人本来有点心急，一下子就要看到结果，而且要的当然是好的结果。再说，因为还款的问题不能浪费时间去实习，现在只好自投于河、或泳或溺（sink or swim 的自创中文版！），只要有个公司愿意冒险，让我试图去“泳”就可以了。

 

这样的结果也是可以想象的，刚刚毕业也需要累积经验，但所困惑着我的问题是如何去累积。看看吧。还有机会呢。。。请继续关注下次的报道。

今天去了一個以變成我最喜歡的餐廳，重慶的，也應該算比較正宗。。。至少比較好吃，而且就在我家旁邊！很方便。雖然在左岸工社的二樓，但還是有一定的老重慶的氣味了，鋼樑之間突出木拱與灰瓦，桌椅也算是比較具有當地特色的，服務也出於意外。最好吃的幾道菜也可以說是四川、重慶典型的佳餚，一個是麻婆豆腐，比我上次吃的要少辣一些，但豆豉賦予了除了麻、辣兩個味道之外的異味。二是豆豉鯪魚茄子煲，又吃到了豆豉了，我的最愛，但這道菜還有另一套味道使它可口無比。三就是核桃酥泥，泥多於酥使得這個菜更好吃，稍偏甜，但保持核桃的小苦，特別。最後一道就是本店的蔥油餅。我以往吃的蔥油餅都是扁的，而且很飽福的，不過這次不一樣了，五個蔥油餅好像被吹的像氣球一樣大，輕而稍微鹹，剛好當洽了主食的角色，很棒！

 

很容易找到，任何人來到北京，我都會帶他們到這個地方 （我還有很多菜沒嘗呢！）。在京的各位，當你們來到偏遠的北大唱歌就聚在那裡吧。

This is a restaurant that I went to the other night with a British friend of mine who was in town.  There isn't really much around Xizhimen, so I was surprised to find this place.  It is located about 300m north of Line 2 Xizhimen Station Exit B and can be found by following the access road along the 2nd RR, then turning right onto 樺皮廠胡同.  It's hard to miss as the outside has been done up with a typical jiangnan facade.

 

The food is quite good, if small portions, and the ambiance is also not bad ...very "jiangnan."  They also have several private rooms off to the side.  12% discount on Fantong (but the address on fantong is not accurate.  Follow my directions.)

 

Happy eating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very cool dictionary that is organized by the "alphabet" of Cangjie....the mythical creator of Chinese Characters.  I'm still not sure how to use it, but it is very interesting and very complete.

 

 

Enjoy!!

 

Josh