Guangzhou Wrap Up

I've tried to write this blog with a very simple presupposition: The
fact that I'm in China is not in and of itself, noteworthy. To that
end, I've tried to share things that I felt were of general interest,
or perhaps had nuggets of potentially enlightening observations about
cultural differences, or failing all else, were just funny.

The last few days in Guangzhou were extremely fun, but sadly, not much
has risen above the general fray to be “blog-worthy," as they pretty
much just demonstrate the already obvious fact that - "Pete is in
China."

Sure I may have taken a walk in the middle of a raging Typhoon
(buddies Josh and Mark pictured),

Gotten my head massaged within an inch of my life (I may have actually
lost a years worth of education during this session)

Played Foosball with some delighted and giggling Chinese store clerks:

and visited a Chinese art museum,

but the overall significance of these events is minimal, other than
that my internal stress meter has been slowly but steadily declining
as the week rolls on.

Really the most interesting and satisfying thing in the last week has
been getting to know the people. This week has proved the general
rule that the easiest way to coalesce a diverse group into a cohesive
and friendly unit is to put them in a situation where their
similarities are far more apparent than their weaknesses. A cliche?
Perhaps, but if you're criticizing this blog at that level then your
expectations are too high!

Miss you all back home, and I'll report back on a very interesting
first day in Beijing soon. Here's my new friend Fiona and I prepping
for Beijing on the bus ride to the airport. First person to comment
with an observation of what's wrong with this picture gets a prize.

Pete