Eric's Beijing Diary

Sitting here in the Waterstone Cafe. Kind of a dungeon of a place near the South Gate, but the wireless connection here is tops, and it is usually quiet. Not tonight. They're showing a movie called, "Scent of a Woman." It's not what you think--it's actually a good movie--about how attitude overcomes handicap, etc. Saw it in a truck stop once. Only then the preppies weren't speaking perfect Mandarin.

Went to McDonald's after church yesterday with some nice folks from Miami. David and his wife are originally from India, but now live in Florida. David is a professor at the University of Miami. He shares my interest in the problem of rural education in China. I am have been looking for a way to do something about this problem, and I am going to be taking a trip to Gansu Province this summer to see what can be done in that area. David and his wife are currently building a school in India. David and I talked about his interest in doing the same kind of thing in China. He is here to speak at a conference, but his interests go deeper--like me, he really wants to get his arms around the problem of rural education. Grandiose to even think about it, but every worthy mission starts with a dream. Funny how people of like mind cross your path just when you're wondering if anyone else feels the way you do.