Random Update

This has been an exciting but stressful time for the kev. Work is at a pivotal point, when critical mistakes can mean disaster but due diligence will be rewarded with certain success. Last year was all about laying the groundwork for new projects and developing better relationships with our vendors. But now we are launching all those new projects, some 0f which are 9 months in the making. It's exciting indeed, but requires longer hours and a lot of foresight. In the end, i know we're going to get there and this journey has been a great learning experience.

In other news, Ace and i just finished our second week of Chinese classes. I can already feel a stronger connection with the language. I have all this vocabulary floating around in my head from a year of living here, but no sense of how to put it all together. This is pushing me to focus and build something concrete from my experience so far. It's an amazing feeling, i can feel light bulbs flick on with every class. Sometimes i'll have three or four "a-ha!" moments in one class. The teaching method is interesting too. They teach by telling stories, so the sentences and grammar i'm learning always have context. Then i learn to tell the story back to the teacher. There's minimal homework, just a list of words that came up that class, which i can easily review on my subway ride to work. It's forcing me to speak and feel comfortable with it. My pronunciation and listening comprehension are both improving greatly, and it's a good feeling.

Ace also got a new (read: better!) job at Joe's school. She starts next Monday and is really excited about it for many reasons, which i'm sure she'll talk about in her new blog. Oh, she's starting a blog of her own, so look for that in the near future.

Frisbee is in full swing now, as China Nationals approaches. Last year was spectacular and this time around is going to be far more exciting and organized. Who will be this years national champions in the Chinese division? Will it be...

• Air Kazak, the defending champs led by Happy Rat?
• 2008 second place finisher Tianjin Speed, now with Sandy (arguably the most dominant woman in China) and Beijing's very own Shen, who's been remarkable lately?
• Newcomers Shenzhen or Hong Kong, both with some fantastic talent?

It's always incredible to see the sport grow year after year in a country that's relatively new to the sport. I'll be playing with Big Brother's Sexy squad and am pumped for some competitive Ultimate this weekend. There' s sure to be many stories to share next week, and i'll do my best to convey the thrills of the weekend.

~Kev