Surreal

...is speeding into China over the border from Hong Kong, making 3 stops along the way for customs/passport checks and finding yourself jammed in a van with 7 Chinese folks, all loudly talking non-stop on their cellphones while a mix of old (tar paper shacks; people on odd motorized contraptions carrying half their family and 40 pound bags of everything) and new (32 floor towers everywhere) pass by the window. The car is weaving in and out of traffic lanes, crazily honking at anything in our way, while traveling at about 75 mph, and some cars come down the wrong side of the road simply because they missed the turn. As Hong Kong turns into China, driving switches from the left to the right side of the road. I still have no idea how people can make that switch so easily. I'm terrified to drive in left-side driving countries, if only because 22 yr driving habits die hard and I'd go the wrong way straight to my death.

Remind me: How did I get here again?

(Interestingly enough, I can post to my blog, but can't read a single thing on a blogspot.com, or wordpress site from here in China. Today's lesson? One should not take the right to freedom of speech lightly.

Also: there are constant rolling power shortages because of the high demand in this part of the country for juice. We were scheduled to print tonight until 8 pm but have to shut it down 3 hours early, as the plant's backup generator cannot supply enough to support all of the presses. The government apparently calls the plant about 4 hours before this happens to tell them. This must be maddening for scheduling purposes)