Yikes! Apparently a student at the university I taught at last year was arrested (yes, arrested) for running an internet pornography site.

As usual, the China Daily identified the person only by his surname, Xie, so I have no idea if this could be one of my students. I doubt it, but you never know...

University student sentenced for web porn

(P.S. Thanks, Patrick, for sending me the link)

Ah, the joys of unemployment. I have had nothing to do but update my personal web site (and apply to jobs). I would love it if my two readers (yes, you, Joan and Merrie) would take a look and gave me some feedback on the new design. I have my resume, clips, photos and a tiny bit of China info on it.

www.christinamnelson.com

Well, this is it. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 6 am for Pu Dong Airport. I will actually arrive in San Francisco earlier than my plane leaves. I have a feeling that will be only the beginning of the bizzare things I will encounter back home.

I'm always interested in religious images like this one. To me, it looks so similar to paintings you would see in a European church built in the middle ages. This photo was taken at the Pelkor Chode, the buddhist monastery in Gyantse.

I really needed a shower when we left Everest Base camp, and couldn't wait to get to our next destination, Gyantse, a nine-hour drive away.

Little did I know that almost the entire town of Gyantse had been torn up. We had heard a few comments from travelers that Gyantse was a "mess," but we didn't realize that meant that all roads had been dug up, and that recent rains had turned the town into a mud pit.

This story about Qingdao, home of everyone's favorite Chinese beer, is the perfect example of why no one should ever travel in China in July. This is what Jiuzhaigou was like when I was there.

Look at the Sea of People (Actually, It's a Chinese Beach), New York Times, July 30, 2004

On the path to base camp, Everest's snowy peaks are nowhere to be seen.

By day three of our adventures in Tibet, the four of us arrived near the base of Mt. Qomolangma, the awkward Tibetan name of the mountain we all know as Mt. Everest. Although Sakya was at 4,200 meters above sea level (13,860 feet) and we had already adjusted a bit, my three travel companions and I were definitely feeling the altitude at the Rongpu Monastery at 4,900 meters (16,170 feet). Rongpu, known for being the world's highest monastery, is approximately 8 km from base camp.

Below is my diary entry from the day we returned, after two nights at Rongpu -- or what I like to think of as "Everest lite."

Three Tibetan women and their children on the road from Lhasa to Shigatse.

The monk guarding the doorway to the meeting hall at Sakya Monastery gestured for us to enter. I was somewhat reluctant -- everyone inside was barefoot and wearing a crimson robe, chanting something we could not understand.

But Judy and I, and our two travel companions we met back in Lhasa -- Valeria and Jacqueline -- entered the dark hall anyway. The monks sitting on their raised benches covered with Tibetan carpets gestured to us that we should walk around the room clockwise to view the buddha statues and interior decorations.

Some stiffled giggles or quickly turned away as we walked through their evening session. I felt like an intruder, but no one really seemed to mind to have four Western women parade around the meeting hall -- it seemed we were part of the night's entertainment.

This is a little bit old, but it's an good background piece on one of the places I traveled to this summer -- Xinjiang province -- by a New York Times correspondent. The photos are also great.

China's Wild West

Pictured above is one of many stunning waterfalls at Jiuzhaigou.

After a few days of reflection on my tour to Jiuzhaigou, a nature reserve and national park in northern Sichuan province, I have decided that the best way to explain my experience is with a tour itinerary. Not just any regular old tour itinerary, but an itinerary of what actually happened.

Although it feels like I haven't slept for days, Judy and I have been running all over Lhasa today. We arrived at noon, after getting up for our flight at 4 am.

The first sight you see when you enter Lhasa is a lot of white-tile Chinese architecture. It's actually sort of depressing.

But then suddenly our bus turned a corner and the Potala Palace came into view. Although surrounded by Chinese style one-story stores, there isn't much that can take away from the amazing sight of the red and white palace.