YuanMingYuan

Once the world's largest gardens, the YuanMingYuan park, just to the north of BeiDa campus is a pleasant place to walk, read, sit and sometimes take pictures. My most recent trip yielded this experimental photograph, which serves a second purpose as proof that I'm still alive. Like many historical relics in China, the sign outside laments the fact that everything is now in disarray, thanks to the ruthless invasion of British and French forces in 1860. I admit I don't really feel sorry for them.

A new column appeared in yesterday's Tufts Daily. If you missed it, check it out here. It's about taking the bus.

Funny thing: I went to play soccer today in one of the neverending games on campus. I found another loner, a Chinese student, and we scouted the three matches currently in progress, looking for the one best suited for a pair of newcomers. "I think this game would be better than that one," he said, "What do you think?"

"What about this other one," I asked, pointing to the third game, which he had ignored.

"Oh," he replied, "They're Koreans."