My roommate ran the (it turned out to be) 10K today. I went to meet him at the finish, but I got in a Beijing taxi. I feel that was my real mistake. I pointed on a map, and the driver took me to the proper street, but not the place. I kept telling him that I wanted to go to the Olympic center, but he told me that the whole area was the Olympic center. Thus, I wandered about lost for over an hour until I found the route. Then I found that it dead ended for the spectators, so I had to get lost and find myself again to get anywhere. Roomie called me and told me he was finished, and I told him I was still walking to get there. About 20 minutes later I met up with him, and we proceeded to not get a taxi for a good 30 more minutes. Finally, we got a taxi and went home. Interestingly, I think I probably walked as much as he ran today, and I did it in nice shoes, so now I've got pretty pretty blisters, whereas he's just sore from running. It's poetic, right?

I suppose it could have been avoided if I'd just gone with him this morning and not been sleep greedy. Too bad.

Today, for whatever reason, I feel really strange. I feel worn down physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I'm realizing how much I value touch, and that in this place you don't get much of that unless you're shoving your way on or off the subway. I'm also realizing that this place is (at least to me) really disjointed and spiritually inaccessible. At least, I mean, I can't communicate with anyone very well, and those who might be great as far as connection are in a way lease accessible because I've known them such a short time, and there is little trust yet. I don't mean this of my established friends, but of those at the international meetings. It seems awkward like a blind date. Perhaps I'm so afraid of awkwardness that I'm prevented from being dynamic.

I've been meaning to send a special hello to Ms. Jane. I thought I did the other day, but I'm told I didn't, and I can't really look. Well, I could, but I don't want to go through the channels. So, hello! I think about you a lot, and I look forward to having a Mexican Night when I get back, diet or no. Very much love.

This has been a rough week in many ways, and I really don't need to disclose that online. Just kind of rough and dirty. Sad, really. If life was all puppies and cottoncandy, though, I guess there'd be no need to ever do anything. No need to change or grow or learn. As a side note, puppies are cute, but their milk teeth are horribly pointy and sharp.

I watched The Pianist today. I didn't like it much. I actually started telling the computer to make the movie end, which it can't do because it's a computer and has no volition. The movie was kind of boring and violent at the same time. I also saw Perfume last night. It was odd. There was more nudity than there should have been, though it was about a guy killing women for their scent, which is kind of weird to begin with. It wasn't sexual, though. I don't know. I can't recommend the movie, but it was interesting. And not as long and boring as The Pianist. I would recommend Crash, though, except the language is (realistically) strong. It made my face leak a few times. It's good if you can get past the preachiness of the beginning couple scenes.

Time to go use a non-Western toilet. Fun!

T