Four cheerleaders, Three gals to France, Two Skidmore sightings, One Saratogian, and 180 million suitcases

Four New England Patriots Cheerleaders:

Caitlin recently interviewed the Manager for Chinese Development for the New England Patriots. He told us that the New England Patriots Cheerleaders were in town (they rotate 4 who travel) and they were going to be at the same sports bar Caitlin interviewed for her Beijing Sports Bars story. So there I was, drinking beer and chatting up cheerleaders. We even got signed pictures, haha. oh my. Two of the four were from New Hampshire, so we had a nice granite state chat--discussing the primary and the recent snow storms.


Three Rhodes gals to France

Our Uncle, Aunt and Cousins are amazingly generous and gave us their Marriott certificate to stay in France for Chinese New Year! Mama Rhodes is meeting us there. (Papa Rhodes's body isn't quite up for the flight). We are leaving on Saturday. I wonder if the country is prepared to experience their first croissant-cheese-chocolate- wine shortage. hahaha. If I have not doubled in size upon my return to Beijing, I will have failed. hahaha.

Two Skidmore Sightings

Sighting 1: A few weeks ago we were out having dinner and I saw this man wearing a Skidmore shirt. I definitely did a tripe-take. Then I bounded over to him and his friends. Turns out, he was not a Skiddy. Apparently our soccer team was in Beijing in September. He and his friend helped show them around and they gave him a T-shirt. He and his friends (I think they were all Australian) were amused by how excited I was to see someone wearing a Skiddy shirt.

Sighting 2: Around Christmas I was watching the news and they closed with a clip of 42nd Street musical-- the show recently performed here in Beijing. All of the sudden, dancing across the TV screen was my freshman year floor mate, Phil Labella. I would not have believed my eyes but last I heard he was touring with CATS. (Such a talented fellow.) The news anchor said tickets were almost sold out already and so began my fervent quest for tickets. It was quite the Odyssey, ending in my first scalping purchase which I like to think I bargained down successfully. Phil was amazing! He was featured several times, I could not have been more proud. I was sitting in the audience with a huge smile on my face the whole time. Then I got to pounce on Phil backstage.


One Saratogain

At the gym yesterday this girl was two lockers away from me, saw me wearing my "Upstate NY/VT" shirt (my Team in Training Marathon jersey) and goes, "Are you from Upstate NY?" I asked her where she was from, thinking she might be from Buffalo or Syracuse. She's from SARATOGA. I just about fell over. She's been in China for two years doing something carbon related. Can you believe it, two Saratogains, two gym lockers away from each other in Beijing!

180 million suitcases

It's Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and presently, we're experiencing the world's largest annual movement of people. Cay and I joke that it seems like we've seen a sizable portion of this movement. Most of the people we see--and there are lots of people to see-- are carrying gifts and suitcases. About 180 million people travel during Chinese New Year (more than the population of Russia). We are going to brave the airport tomorrow, will keep you posted about France!