Thanks for that piece of nostalgia, anacapamalibu. What struck me in reading that post (of mine) is that my approach really hasn't changed a great deal during the course of the past 12 years. Sure, we don't talk about CITS much at all any more, booking flights is easier these days, and the HSR network has come online during this time frame, but China itself is really the same beast now as it was then.

I'm somewhat surprised that I find myself coming to this conclusion because China really does change FAST (e.g. "dog years" is a common analogy). For example, Beijing completely reinvented itself cosmetically between 2001 and 2008, and Shanghai underwent a similar transformation a decade earlier. And, back then, we were rich, and the Chinese were poor; the tables have turned in a major way.

In any event, I liked China then, and I continue to appreciate it now. Being part of this community has also been a pleasure throughout.