Day 21: So its been 3 weeks since leaving home, thought id just write a quick update on my general feelings on traveling and life abroad.

I feel that the pace has slowed down and im finding my own rythm here in the far east. Ive made Sitting on the city wall hostel my basecamp, booked it for 10 nights or so, so im 5 minutes away from the forbidden city still and just about as central as can be. People here are coming and going during my stay so theres been some fun times conversing with strangers from all around the globe. Forinstance, i met a man (called him the jedi) who had stories that could and did blow your mind. This guy has been to every country in the world except 2 (North Korea & Albania), climbed every one of the major summits on each continent and is the second person in history to have reached to North Pole, the peak at Mt.Everest & the South Pole. He used to work as a tour guide back in the day so his job was taking people to places he thought would make good travel destiantions. The only time someone ever had better stories than him was when he took Sir Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong to the north pole on an expedition and Neil goes "yeah i landed on the moon". Meeental! I could go on and on with this guys stories but its just.too.much.

Ive discovered some really good ways to pass time here in Beijing. Ive been borrowing one of the hostel bikes for the past week (yesterday i even offered to clean it up, did that + tightened the breakes, fixed the seat and pumped up the tires!) so instead of taking the subway ive been peddeling through the madness and dodging cars and other bikes, such good fun! Yesterday i was cycling around the Forbidden City, sunglasses on, ipod on listening to hip-hop, had a proper surreal moment then like "woahh" this is my thursday afternoon! Next to cycling Ive been down the hutong just about every morning at the ping-pong tables/ excersize yard doing various gymnastics and pullups etc (getting in shape for the beaches in thailand!) and the other day i met a swedish couple, had a good conversation in swedish with them (hah) and they ended up giving me a free set of table-tennis paddles and a ball! Im having so much FREE fun in china:D Speaking of free fun, went to lunch at a little chinese place i found biking around, i thought i was the only gringo in the joint but across from me was an older american lady, she waved me over and we shared lunch. Had a really good chat with her about traveling and work, life in the states and back home in norway and she ended up paying for my lunch! another free meal! check.

This is a few nights ago now but i need to mention going with a group at the hostel to the Beijing Flying Acrobats Show. Oh.My.God. these guys were incredible! never seen anything like it. Had the best seats in the house at a price of about 135kr, and during the next hour and half I witnessed 13 girls on one bicycle doing hand stands and the most insane stunts ive seen on a bike, ever. Little chinese men defying gravity on a spinning hamster wheel 10 meters up in the air. Ill be posting pictures and maybe even a video when i get the chance. Chinese internet is still not letting me upload pictures (takes maybe 10 minutes to do one photo!) so give me time.

Going for pork buns in the hutong later for dinner (5yuan for 10!) so im living cheap and still having fun at my own pace. Im getting better at using my email so if you fancy an email, my one is [email protected] and ill hit you up for a good ol chat:D

Matt