Rested and refreshed, we’re ready for new week. Judy has a choir performance Thursday evening at the Beijing Capital Renaissance. It’s the annual tree-lighting ceremony for the hotel. Making sure everything is in place and ready to go (buses, lists, notes, etc.) will occupy most of her free time this week.

I spent my time this afternoon looking for a “Table Tennis Boutique”, and an indoor table tennis club. It’s cold today, right around freezing, and the wind is blowing, so it’s the first time this year I’ve regretted being outside. I saw the boutique and the club listed on my Apple Maps app. I couldn’t find the shop. It’s probably closed and gone away. I found the table tennis club, but it was outdoors. It was another of the local park table tennis areas. It’s an enclosed area, but not covered, so the wind is knocked down a little, but it’s still really cold, and no one is playing.

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped in at the local tea market. I drop by every couple of months. They are eager for me to try their different teas. There is a lot of culture surrounding the tasting and selling of tea. I enjoy watching the numerous steps and traditions involved in brewing and drinking the tea.

Back at the apartment, I tried to stay out of Lilly’s way while she finished cleaning. Later, after she left, as I was putting some things away in the back room, the door opened and Judy came running in, in a flurry. She starts asking for cash. It turned out she had walked out of school and climbed in a taxi, without her purse, containing her money, and her phone. She had her school bag with the computer and iPod, but no cash, and no way to call me, or tell the driver. When she pulled up to the apartment building, she tried to explain to the driver what had happened (I wish I could have witnessed that). She convinced him to wait, ran to our apartment building, up the elevator, grabbed the money, back down the elevator, and back out to the taxi. He had waited, and received a sizable tip for his patience. Judy was still gasping for breath when she finally got back to the apartment. This was a first!!!! It’s probably her biggest fear in China,…..stuck in a taxi, with no money, and no ability to communicate with the driver, or anyone else.