Thanks for the comments, guys.
Originally Posted by jpatokal
And surely you tried the okonomiyaki at some point?
Yes, I did (see post #5; as predicted, I butchered the spelling).
As for all the political stuff, I've learned over time that it's best to avoid debating sensitive issues with friends, especially when widespread death and disease are involved. Even the Taiwan-China issue, in which case, I find the local party line completely unfathomable, I've come to learn is a very bad conversation topic almost everywhere in China.
Off topic, I just arrived in Beijing courtesy of the 7:28 Z train (my friends are flying up as I write this because they think the opportunity cost of missing a Friday night is too high) and the weather is fabulous.
ual744777sta: I'm sorry you didn't score that op-up. I thought your odds were very good.