Eric's Beijing Diary

Found a coffee bar near the new Bridge Cafe that closed down a few weeks ago. Good place to study, but the name of this place is a bit distracting. It's called, "Ten Years After." Every time I come in here, I find myself thinking about what I was doing ten years ago. And could I have anticipated then that I would be sitting here at Ten Years After ten years after? And what will I be doing ten years after? Lucky me, the manager here recognized me. She was a waitress at Sculpting in Time four years ago, so she gave me a VIP card for this place right off the bat. Cool. That's good for a 15% discount. We'll see how it goes, but I think this is going to be a good place to study. The Bridge Cafe gets a little crowded in the evening sometimes. In other news, I should let you know that Dialogue has a new internet interface. It has been available as an online video for some time, but the old GUI was really buggy. It had a tendency to crash, and when it did, you couldn't pick up where you left off; you had to start over. This one buffers ahead of the data stream, so breakups are not as frequent. It really works quite well. Not all of these programs are thrilling. Some of them are boring. But there is lots of information in these shows--understanding, of course, that they would be of most interest to those who have a distinct interest in China. Go to this site and watch one once in awhile. Downsize the browser so that you can do your other work while you are watching. It's a good, time-efficient way to stay informed.