Judy had a crown on one of her teeth come loose Friday afternoon.  She called the dentist, and they scheduled an appointment for her this afternoon.  We taxi together.  The last time she tried to find the dentist, she had a difficult time finding the building, and then the office inside the building was also hard to find.  It’s in the same building where I get my haircut, so I tag along to make sure she arrives without incident.

Once she’s settled in the office, I walk down the street to the Marriott to swim.  It’s been over a week since I last swam, and I’m not exactly looking forward to it.  This is “embassy row”, so as I walk by the French embassy, I notice a Chinese guy, in plainclothes, leaning up against the fence.  He seems to be watching the street pretty intently.  As I get closer, I hear a radio crackle, and see a walkie hanging on his hip.  At the gate for the French embassy, the Chinese military guard (there’s one or more at the entrance to each embassy) has a radio, and I can hear it’s the same channel as the plainclothes guy I passed as I approached.

Further down the street, near the American Embassy, I pass another Chinese passerby, intently watching an armored truck cruising the area.  He’s wearing a gray sweatsuit.  Across the street, I notice two other guys, also in gray sweatsuits, standing at either end of the American Embassy (as well as the Chinese military guard).  They outwardly look nonchalant, but with closer scrutiny, I can see they’re not taking their eyes off the street.  I’m obviously curious.  Maybe the new American Ambassador, Baucus, is out riding bikes, or is going for a neighborhood walk or run.  Or maybe the plainclothes guys are making sure no one tries to defect into one of the embassies (I’ve got a big imagination).

I can’t wait around to find out what might be going on.  The swimming pool is waiting.  After the swim, I head home.  Judy and I arrive about the same time.  It’s a gorgeous afternoon, so we walk around the apartment complex taking in the sights.  It’s spring in Beijing and things are beginning to bloom.