I have to admit, when it comes to China, and what I was to expect when I arrived there for hte first time in July 2006, I was completely ignorant and naive. Although I have met many Chinese people in my life, both American-born and China natives, that were just as Westernized as anyone else I knew, I for some reason, was expecting to go back in time, to a place where everyone rode around on bicycles, were pulled by rickshaws, fanned themselves with painted Chinese fans and wore the typical grey Mao Zedong suits. Boy was I surprised!

I am not really sure what it is, but I have a bad habit of loosing it when I get close to the end of my trips. I am less than two weeks from heading home and today I finally blew up on a poor cab driver. In my defense, I had been playing it cool for what I consider far too long when it comes to cab drivers trying to rip me off...