Eric's Beijing Diary

Back in Beihai. Flew in last night from Beijing. Don't tell anyone, but I accidentally stole the safety instructions from the Airbuss 320 when we changed planes in Changsha. It somehow got stuck between the pages of the International Herald Tribune that I had stuffed in the chair pocket and grabbed quickly as I was leaving. I don't feel to bad, though. Last year, someone from the airline stole my paper. It was one of those deals where we didn't actually change planes--we just landed in Changsha to drop off and pick up passengers. I had gotten off the plane for a few minutes, and when I got back, my paper was gone. Some over-zealous clean freak had thrown it away.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, except that when I got to Beihai, I forgot to pick up my checked baggage. It was kinda embarrassing, because it is quite a drive from the airport out to the college, and I didn't discover I had left it until we were carrying my stuff into my apartment. The guy who picked me up was very cheerful about it. He immediately took me back to the airport, which, unfortunately, was closed by that time. So, we had to go out there this morning and get it. Disgusting. If I added up all the time I have wasted in my life going back to get something that I have forgotten the first time...I don't even want to think about it.

In other news, I started a podcast. The first program features some friendly folks from the English Corner discussing the question, "What do Chinese people believe?"

For those of you who may not be too familiar with podcasting, there are three ways to deal with podcasts:

1. You can listen online directly.

2. You can download the .mp3 file to your hard drive.

3. You can install free podcasting software which will manage the download(s) for you.

If you have a fast internet connection, and don't want to store the files, the first option might be best for you. If you don't have a very good connection, or you want to transfer the .mp3 to an Ipod or .mp3 player, you could chose the second option. If you listen to a number of podcasts (as I do), you may want to consider the third option, because you don't have to go to the web site for each podcast and download the file. Your podcasting software will visit the web sites for the podcasts you have subscribed to, check for the latest program for each podcast, and download it automatically.

Labels: Christianity, Confucius, Religion