Off to Beijing... again

Hola! Since my classes won't start until Oct. 15, I've decided to go to Beijing for a couple of weeks. Actually, I have to attend a classmate's wedding.. as best man. I'm not that anxious to go because this will be my third trip to Beijing in the three months since I left for good in June - why not go somewhere I've never visited before? Also, I've had a lot of expenses this month (e.g. rental deposit) and anticipate more settling-related expenditures (e.g. buying a refrigerator) and some one-time costs (e.g. signing up for swimming and tennis lessons).

I didn't expect my friend to ask me to be best man at his wedding. Actually, he chose me by default since he couldn't manage to get any of his friends from Canada to attend his Beijing ceremony. Actually, he asked me while I was still living in Beijing, and before I made the decision to come to Hong Kong. My friend Helen told me that I should only be best man three times in my life; any more than three times and I may be condemned to a lifetime of bachelorhood. I'd hate to tell some of my closest friends that I can't be their best man because I've filled my quota. Don't worry, Keith, I'll save one for you, but that's if you want me for the job. Still, this is the sort of request I can't bring myself to refuse. Besides, this guy and his fiancee were both very good to me during my year in Beijing, e.g. she invited me to her parents' home to celebrate Chinese New Year. But to be honest, the reason I don't feel too close to this couple, both of them former classmates, is because our friendship seems to be one with courtesy, but no sincerity. In other words, they say all the right things and do all the right things, but I still don't feel comfortable with them. I tell them what I think and how I feel 100% of the time, but they only seem to reveal their thoughts and feelings 25% of the time. Should I blame him for trying to be a gentleman and her for trying to be a lady? It goes without saying that they don't know about my blog and they don't receive my ranting emails. Hmm.. I guess I don't tell them 100% after all.

By the way, every single one of my friends in China has been unable to access this site there. I guess this means I won't be updating this site until I get back on the 20th. Don't click on links from anonymous comments; do a quick mouseover to see the URL, or right-click and look at "properties" first, if you choose to do so.