This is really a test to see if I can post fine. Blogspot blogs have been blocked in China in the past, and in fact were last time I was here. The difference this time is that Blogger is also blocked, and must similarly be accessed through a proxy--I neglected to get a VPN this year, it would have been $40 well spent 8 months ago, but with GLadder I don't really feel it's necessary.
I'm very, very close (one class, two papers and an exam) from being finished first semester. It's good times living with Andrew again.
Quote of the day, from an article David Moser linked by Pinyin Info:
Whatever the reason they started, every single person who has undertaken to study Chinese sooner or later asks themselves 'Why in the world am I doing this?' Those who can still remember their original goals will wisely abandon the attempt then and there, since nothing could be worth all that tedious struggle. Those who merely say 'I've come this far -- I can't stop now' will have some chance of succeeding, since they have the kind of mindless doggedness and lack of sensible overall perspective that it takes.
I am really happy to be out from under the 'Great Firewall' of China. I put that in quotes because it's possible to circumvent the wall, and it doesn't block everything sensitive or everything that it's designed to prevent, regardless of using proxies or not.
Anyway, I was reading wikinews and started across this story. While I find it ridiculous that someone would try such a sketchy method of stowing/secretly emigrating to another country, but am surprised to learn people have tried this over 60 times.
In other news, Taipei is great. I've been going to the gym, met up with a lot of old friends, and I'm going to get my HP book tomorrow... cost me like $19 no taxes without preorder discount (I preordered but didn't have to leave a deposit). The Canadian dollar definitely rocks the New Taiwan Dollar nowadays.