beijing

What I originally wrote was some commentary about how I can read Chinese almost as badly as I can read Japanese due to the large overlap in writing systems. Also the fact that both of their currencies are sometimes written with a Y is causing me much confusion (I've misunderestimated prices several times today -- I keep thinking things that cost 100Y ~= 15USD ~= 10 GBP actually only cost 100Y ~= 1USD = 0.60GBP. doh!)

I've signed up for a walking tour along (part of) the Great Wall, leaving early tomorrow morning and getting back in the evening. There's an "are you lame?" tick-box that luckily no one has marked (it seems if you do this, you get put near the end of the route and only have to walk a little way).

Bloke here who was squatting in the Moscow hostel a couple of months ago at the time i met him -- he's managed to get all the way here starting with no money, which I find quite impressive.

phone finds GSM networks but shows 'forbidden'. maybe buy yet another number (according to remote observations, my +7 number no longer works, which doesn't surprise me -- the balance display always said it would only last until about the 15th of June)