I hope you like the new layout. I just had so much to show you that the regular blog format just wasn't working out for me.

The Internet has been great to us, hasn't it. What I love most about it, is that it has allowed me to work no matter where I am in the world. How, because that means you can contact me any time no matter where I am! Use this form to send me a message and rest assured it will get to me as quickly as possible. Talk to you soon!

This year I decided to stay in Shenzhen for the Spring Festival. Since this is a migrant city, it was practically deserted for this, the most important national holiday of the year; where everyone tries their best to get home to their families. Although quieter than in a place like Beijing, there were still some places you could see people preparing.

Last year, I was in Los Angeles in January and saw the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular advertised in my hometown. I was in the middle of trying to absorb as much about China as I could so I decided to attent. Maybe I'm spoiled or maybe I'm jaded, but the show just wasn't what I expected...

I thought you might like to see what Santa looks like here at a popular restaurant/bar area, heavily frequented by foreigners, called Sea World. It's in an area called Shekou in Shenzhen near Hong Kong. And yes, that is a very big beer in his hand.

I recently made a new friend here in Shenzhen who is from Xian and I was inspired to finally post some pictures I have from there. Like so many cities in China, Xi'an is very beautiful, has some great food, and some very interesting places to see. One of the most famous attractions of Xi'an are the terracotta warriors. I do have many more photos and some videos that I will try to post later, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these.

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!