THURSDAY, 1/1/15
It’s a new year in Beijing! We woke up several times during the night as we began to struggle with a messed up sleep cycle. When we finally began to move around, we read the news about the tragedy in Shanghai. Apparently there was a big New Years celebration going on in the area near the CCTV building that was cancelled just before midnight, after they heard the news from Shanghai. A light show at the Olympic Park went ahead as scheduled.
Judy began the tedious job of unpacking while I went out to Metro to buy some groceries and supplies. We mixed our activities with an occasional nap. We have several days to make the jet lag adjustment before we start work.
FRIDAY, 1/2/15
I wish there was something new and exciting to discuss, but mostly we’re still adjusting to our time zone. The fourteen hours difference is a challenge. I’ve just come to accept that it takes me 8 to 10 days to fully adjust. That’s about how long it took me to adjust when we travelled to the US. I remember waking up on the 10th day and realizing that I finally felt “right”. Before that, I just felt “washed out” most of the time. Since I have a pretty defined coffee (caffeine) schedule, it wasn’t unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night, with a “lack of caffeine” headache.
I did make a trip over to the police station to register our return from our trip to the US. Anytime we leave China, we’re expected to check-in at the police station when we return. It used to be an “anxious” moment for me when I had to go, but it’s become a routine part of life in Beijing.
Judy began to suffer from cabin fever, so she headed out to Sanlitun for a visit to Lily Nails for some important relaxation therapy. When she got back we ordered a pizza delivery from Gung Ho Pizza. They also had a nice Caesar salad. We enjoyed a fun evening of food, and some new “Major Crimes” episodes Courtney added to our media hard drive while we were in the US.