Beijing

Strange to think I'll be in the middle of Beijing in five days. It has been exactly 10 years since I've been there. In 1995, I flew to Beijing from Japan to meet up with my parents and grandparents at the Swissotel. After a few days of touring with them, I rented a bike and set off on my own through the mazes of the hutongs (alleyways) without a map nor an idea of where I was going or what I was doing.

From what my colleagues in Beijing say, the city has become unrecognizable even to them. The largest McDonalds in the world has been demolished to make way for more development--modern housing, and more Starbucks, Outback Steakhouses, and Baskin and Robbins I'm sure.

The pennylane productions production crew is readying digital equipment, acquiring the necessary power plugs, travel guidebooks (Lonely Planet, as always) phrase books, and powering up the Gameboy. I look forward to breakfasts of youtiao and douzhi, and revisiting Wangfujing Dajie, but not jet lag.

I bought the homeopathic remedy "No Jet Lag," www.nojetlag.com which requires I take a tab before the flight, every two hours during the flight, and one more upon arrival. Hopefully it will help me crossing over all the time zones, but there's no mention of any help with cramped limbs, irritability, and general disorientation.

For now, Cappy and I are looking forward to a few nights under the stars, Sunday French toast and instant coffee with Luna, Joannie, Jack, and Erika, campfire stories, s'mores, sunflower seeds, hikes, and reconnecting with the o-musubi folks. Though at this point, it's less of an o-musubi group as it is an o-platelunch bunch : )