3 Days Before Beijing

Saturday is edging closer and I'm still not packed yet. It is a slow process, trying to think of what to pack for six months. Well, most of my clothes are laid out on the floor next to my luggage so hopefully I will have everything ready to go tonight.

Anyway, this morning started out with about six simultaneous Skype calls and Windows Messenger messages from people in China. iTalki is great and all for practicing Chinese with native speakers, but this event was probably the craziest experience of my life thus far. It is incredible how many people want to practice their English with me. After talking with Chinese college students for a few days, it seems to me they only studying in their free time. One important thing I have learned from iTalki is that the Chinese wake up earlier and go to bed earlier than most Americans. At around 10:30am (10:30pm Chinese time) almost everyone said they had to go to sleep. The other day I was online at 7:00pm (7am their time) and I already had a message on Skype waiting for me. Most of the kids I was talking with were in college, so they were around my age.

One last thing to mention. Everyone seems to be talking about the great underground rock scene in China, especially in Beijing. The more that I've heard, the more psyched I'm getting. Yesterday my friend Charlie told me about the most famous Chinese rock musician, Cui Jian, who happens to have grown up in Beijing. He is the legendary Chinese artist that broke away from traditional styles and incorporated a Western influences into his music. Old Cui is known as "The Father of Chinese Rock." I can tell you now that I'm already a big fan. In my view he is a cross between Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen. What do you think he sounds like? Decide for yourself:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=l8UPST1ZKSw&mode=related&search=