Eric's Beijing Diary

Took Sunshine to the airport today. She is going to U.C. Berkeley for a seven or eight week summer session. I have mixed feelings about these sessions, because they are quite expensive, but I think it will be a great opportunity. Students tend to take courses they have some familiarity with so that they can concentrate on learning English in the context of a subject that is largely review. Not Tara. She picked the most difficult class she could find. She definitely has her work cut out for her.

On the way back, I stopped by IKEA. There is only one in Beijing, and it is not close to where I live, so I generally only stop by there when I am going to the airport for some reason. It's pretty easy to stop on the way back, and then there is a city bus that comes pretty close to the North Gate. I picked up a little gizmo that takes the core out of an apple, and cuts it into slices. Cool. I like apples, but I don't eat them as often as I should, because they are so messy. I hate getting apple juice all over my beard, my tie, my shirt, to say nothing of my hands. Or my glasses. It's just not worth it. But this little gizmo is easy. And it only takes a second. Does the whole job in one swift chop. I shouldn't waste so much time talking about something so trivial, I guess, but it does appeal to the engineer side of me. Simple and useful. Doesn't work that well for peaches, though. Starts out good, but the follow through is a little messy.