Today is my last full day in Beijing. My original plan was to stay four more weeks, then take a ferry to either Japan or Korea to travel around for a while, and then return back to China to travel more. My new plan is to return home to Michigan and stay there until September, and then fly to Japan (3-4 weeks), ferry to Korea(2 weeks), and ferry to China, where I will continue my 4 weeks of Chinese classes in Beijing before travelling around the rest of the country for a little while (until Dec or Jan). This new plan is more expensive, but I think returning home will give me more time to prepare for these countries and maybe make a better trip. Delaying will also allow me to visit in cooler weather and I can get a break from the heat and humidity here this summer. I’ll be able to avoid the summer crowds too. Plus I don’t think this family here really likes me, so maybe when I return I can stay with a different one. I’m able to postpone my home stay and classes for no charge.
I depart Beijing tomorrow (July 18) at 3:45PM. Flight no. Continental 88.
I arrive in Detroit tomorrow (July 18) at 10:14PM. Flight no. Continental 2917.
Update: Today was the hottest day yet. Very humid and I spent two hours on crowded buses to drop off my textbook at the language center. Then I make it back home and the family says lets go see the Transformers movie in a cinema right across the street from where I just traveled to. So back to the bus and we found that we couldn’t see the film since it was sold out (other than late night showings). Then we go to Wal-Mart and stand in line for what seems like a half hour to buy $1 in food. And then we eat at a cheap restaurant, but the family won’t pay for my portion, even though the guy running the homestay says they are supposed to when we eat together. When we get home we notice we’re out of drinking water. I like to say that all I ask for is clean air and clean water, but both can sometimes be hard to come in China. A good reminder of why I should get back home.