Speaking of the Olympics....

Hey Sabz.. do you swim?

Of course.  It's a survival skill.

Oh wow...coooooool pics Tiger! I'm nuts over sunsets...that's amazing.

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Purplepens, I hate the smog and sandy storms in Beijing like everybody else, but I'm pretty sure it happened to be in one of the worst smoggy days when you were in Beijing last winter.  They government has spent billions of dollars working on the environment in Beijing in the past few years, and the number of days with blue sky are gradually increasing year by year.  I don't anticipate miracle would happen in just a year to make Beijing as clean as Shanghai, not to mention as most of the cities in the US, but fortunately the air in Beijing summers aren't so bad.  Last summer we had a good number of really clean days in Beijing and from my window I can see crystal clear hill-lines in the distance and beautiful sunset - reminding me of the amazing views at New England where I spent my college life.

Attached are three photos I shot from my window using a point-and-shot digital camera.
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Thank you for the photos. I'm encouraged. It wasn't just a day, it was an entire week during the winter when coal-burning was at its height. Breathing hurt. On the train to Xi'an, I had a mild asthma attack. For that reason, I decided to focus my career/education in the south. I'm so happy to see that China is facing the pollution issue. It's very important. Now I know that I'll be okay in Beijing!

....am hoping the olympics will go on without hitches coz its.. kind of many people are wishing something goes wrong so as to heap verbal attacks on our fellow chinese...all the best china! but am hopng the chinese would cut out that part of asking everyone where they are from b4 asking someones name, a few days ago i was clubbing with my chinese buddy and i left for the gents and on coming back..i  found a jovial chinese guy who just shouted over the music.....where are you from...!  even b4 i was close enough...i enjoyed pulling him close and whispering .....the gents....boy did he try to search for that country.. but twas fun...hope the olympics rock............but long distance races u can give me the medals i keep for kenya...3000meters and anything long distance! ....byth way tiger are you into rock climbing? am a fanatic of such stuff n hard mountain biking cart racing/scuba diving/boxing n stuff..if so where do you do your stuff at..?

byth way tiger are you into rock climbing? am a fanatic of such stuff n hard mountain biking cart racing/scuba diving/boxing n stuff..if so where do you do your stuff at..?

Hey Ninja Assasin,

It was just a light game on an outward bound I went to last summer - rolling down the rope from the 100-ft-high dam.  Wasn't scary at all, and was fun.  I'm not a rock climber or cliff hanger (maybe one day I'd like to try), but I am attracted to activities of some adventurous nature.  I once hiked in the 16000-ft-high mountain close to the border of Tibet in the snow storm and almost got lost. 

There are not that many places like that in China especially around urban areas in the east, but west China has many good resources to explore - if the "adventure" market is big enough to support such businesses.  Have you found any place in China where you can satisfy your desire of adventure yet, Ninja? 

Cheers,
Tiger

hey tiger....i have not really found a place yet where i can indulge myself in this stuff, but i once signed up for a mountain bike/hike tour to the great wall when i was staying in beijing...usually i plan 4 myself little montain bike rides from my place in guangzhou and ride up to baiyun airport and sometimes past it when i have the energy and time... also i have a place where we box a little down here but the other sports i have not  located a place yet..

cheers to u too.