Hmmm....Just Cottonwood Pollen?

I arrived in Beijing on Monday afternoon at the new airport terminal. While customs was a mess, due to not enough lines for the three 747s arriving at the same time, and the epic journey from the far end to baggage claim on the tram, it was pretty cool to see the fancy new airport. Plus I noticed the duty free shopping on the way home should be pretty nice!

It is odd to be back here again so soon, and it's starting to seem like old hat to have meetings, then sit and send a bunch of emails to set up more meetings. Plus, it's great to see the friends and eat the good food on a regular basis. I had my interview today, for those who are wondering, and though my jetlag wreaked havoc on my brain at the beginning (who knew they would ask me specific Chinese policy questions???), I did enjoy talking to all four of the interviewers over the course of the hour and fifteen minutes I was at the company. I have been told that they will likely make a decision by the end of the week, so this may all come together (or not) very quickly. Kind of daunting, but I guess I have been working towards this for a while.

On the "will I really live here" front, I thought I would share this lovely image of Beijing with all of you:


And no, this is not rain, nor fog, nor a result of the (massive) amount of cottonwood pollen in the air. It is what you all think ladies and gentleman...like Los Angeles on a bad day in the 1980s. It does make you wonder what the long-term effects of this kind of air will do to a person, and whether several years here will have any consequences from a health perspective. That being said, it is most definitely a priority of the government to fix this huge issue, and hopefully they have the power to do so for all our sakes...