My chickens are beginning to come home to roost. I may have sublet my apartment. I don’t want to do it sight unseen (on everyone’s part) so I have agreed to wait until August 12 or 13 to meet the two women who want it. I’ve been getting a lot of response from people who want it immediately–it will be OK with me if immediately is October 1, so I figure I can afford to wait.

I received a packet of information and a bunch of emails from CCS and I’m busy working on my China trip. In addition to forms to fill out, money to send them, info about health insurance  and getting my visa, they sent me a reading list. One of the books is filled with dry facts and statistics, one I read before and one I’m really enjoying: China Wakes by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn, a very personal look at China. I’ve read a number of books that weren’t on the reading list: two by Peter Hessler, more personal observations of China, Legacies, by Betty Bao Lord, and several books of Chinese art history. Most of the books paint a somewhat grim picture of China, and with all the stuff going on because of the Olympics, I’m beginning to wonder why I’m doing this. Don’t worry, I won’t back out. But it’s certainly giving me a lot to think about.

It looks like I will certainly find out how the Chinese live. CCS has two floors of an apartment building and I’ll be sharing a room with three others. I don’t really mind; the important thing is how far away the toilet is.

I am flying from here to China on a frequent flier ticket, but I still have to figure out how I’ll get from Shanghai to Xian. Buying the ticket online looks very expensive. The guidebooks say you can get tickets easily and inexpensively in China. It makes me a little nervous to wait. I have to see if one of my Chinese friends can help me with this.