Writing this post from Xi An, surrounded by people playing counter strike and everquest again. And WC3. Greg, here is where all those people that kick your ass at three in the morning live. Video games and blogging. Seven kinds of toothpaste in the store today and people scarfing up Passats and BMWs like there's no tomorrow. Somebody should remind this country it's communist. Or maybe I just don't understand what that means anymore. Matt and I were talking about that the other day. How could words like "free market" and "communism" fit together?

There are huge gaps here, everywhere. Between the people and the government, the rich and the poor, individuals and the group. But all of it is 180 degrees from Japan. Every day I see a near fist fight. People yell into their cell phones from any location. People laugh, hold hands, joke in the streets on the job, act like humans. I really kind of like this place, it has its attractions. Not the least of which is the feeling of new growth and freedom that everyone expresses here in theitr every interaction. This place is the next.

Lets see. A brief run down of places. Beijing. Said goodbye to Jeremy over a dinner of Beijing duck, and after a tour of the new artist's area of town. Converted cold war and Gropius architecture now housing the young and hip, and home to an exploding arts scene. Night train to Datung, where I wrote from last. The caves were amazing, but the town was horrible. Pollution here, in every town so far, has been thicker than three day old instant oatmeal. And even less healthy.

Rolled into Xi An the other day on the night train, and have been enjoying the town so far quite a bit. We leave tomorrow for Kunming down south. Last night we hit the Muslim quarter's night market for some really unbelievable stall food. Vendors grilled lamb kibabs on long metal skewers to be served on toasted garlic and rosemary bread, while we filled metal baskets with god knows what to be boiled in a spicy hotpot. All this and 25 cent beer. Xi An is strange for this blend of Muslim and Chinese cultures, although Matt told me that Marco Polo found groups of isolated converted Jews living here on his travels.

We finished the night off by celebrating a fellow traveler's birthday at the one plus one club to some of the worst trance music I've ever heard. It's really cool to see all these people rocking out though, it's apparent it's not exactly embedded in their culture.

OK, must go. Write again soon. I didn't even get to the teracotta warriors!