A Year Older

It's time for me to update the "Who is Mark?" tab on the side of my blog. I am no longer 25 years-old. Yesterday was my 26th birthday.

Unfortunately, the proxy server I'm using to update this blog isn't equipped to let me edit that box. Oh well. I'll take care of that eventually.

I had a very satisfying birthday yesterday. Ate lunch with Qian and her parents. Rested in the afternoon. And then ate pizza, went to Xi'an's best bar (Park Qin), and then my favorite dance club (1+1) with my closest friends at night. A really great day in all facets.

Outside of my personal life and more in terms of what's going on with this blog, I still lament that Blogspot is down and I'm not going about my normal blogging activities. I think a slowing down on here might be a good thing in a way though.

I'd gotten so used to updating this blog every day that I think I was beginning to "lose sight of the forest for the trees." I'm afraid that I was getting so wrapped up in the daily minutiae of China's news, that I was losing some grips with the reality of what is really going on in this fascinating country.

The whole point of "Mark's China Blog" is to have a unique view on China and what's going on inside the country. Having a small break from my daily trawling of Google News for interesting nuggets on China will be good for me and my blog in the long-run, I think.

Right now, I'm just taking things easy and am enjoying life as much as possible in Xi'an (allergies and hay fever aside).

Bear with me as I figure out what exactly I'm doing with this blog as it remains blocked in the Middle Kingdom. Hopefully in the end I get through this latest blocking refreshed and as sharp as ever.