Have I posted this one before? Who knows. I’m starving and itchy all over.

Sure enough, I already screwed up my “countdown” on its first day! The photo I used yesterday has been blogged before, so I had to replace it with a similar one.

To make up for that, here are two from Beijing. I’m not even sure why I’m doing this.

Pimp my ride

Suan nai (literally “sour milk”), but really just a ubiquitous tasty yogurt drink

I’d like to start filling entries with drawings but I can’t since I don’t have a scanner. It’d take forever to get things converted. My big backlog includes some stuff from college (frightening).

I’d like to write about recent activities and what’s on my mind, but I don’t really have time right now. I can divulge however that I’ve been on a DVD-watching roll, thanks to the library (mostly old flicks).

Whatever the case, I don’t want to neglect this thing, so I thought maybe I could do a daily entry as part of a countdown to my fall trip.

I leave for Korea, Japan, and Taiwan on September 3. My itinerary is in that order. I’ll be abroad for about 18 days. It’ll be another bittersweet solo trip. I’m grateful that it’s happening, but anxious. When I think about my travels alone two years ago, I get strange, vivid feelings of nervousness and joy. It was a rewarding and challenging experience. Thankfully, I have a host in Seoul and Peggy will of course take care of me in Taipei (yay). But Japan will truly test my character.

So anyway, each daily countdown entry will be a pic from my China albums. The hardest part will be digging up photos I haven’t already blogged about during my time there (since I almost broke the internets with my stupidly staggering long entries). Yikes.

To inaugurate this commemorative countdown series, here you go. A scene from a basement food court in a mall in WangFuJing, I believe. A stunning display of bites. How do you choose?

How awful that I’ve not updated in so long. Spammers have taken advantage of my absence and wasted no time in infesting my entries with hundreds of obnoxious spammy comments. Ugh.

Lots has gone on. For now, a pic of me (just call me “greasy bangs”) and Peg with the most excellent Park Chan Wook. <3 <3 <3 He was a real sweetheart, kind of goofy and sincere. Incongruous with the mastermind you'd expect behind all those intense, effed up movies. We have a small collection of pictures with Asian (American) male "celebrities," and you can bet yer bottom that this prized pic is included.

ps – his latest, Thirst, isn’t that great. But still worth watching, of course