Forget the Olympics...

...China itself is where it's at.

In this country the sheer volume of civilization is something truly astonishing. The Wenzhou Airport lies a good distance from the city center, but all along the road into town are high-rise apartments and suburbs with no boundaries. So many that I feel like this city alone could house all the people in the state of Oregon - though how long before the proximity with each other would drive us Western people insane I don't presume to judge.

The first day I arrived in Wenzhou (Saturday) my teacher, colleague and host Julie took me to buy some essentials for my apartment as well as some underwear and a T-shirt until my luggage arrives.
After my shopping was done (at the THIRD Wal-Mart-like store (hisssssss) that I've been to this week), we went to a department store where Julie's husband (Mr. Mu) tried on some Playboy(c) brand sandals. While sitting with Mr. Mu I had an "Adrian Monk moment" when I looked at a wall of sandals and saw that one of the labels (among perhaps forty) was upside down.
(For added effect I even cocked my head to the side and winced like Tony Shaloub).
While Julie sat with her husband and he continued to try on sandals I got up, went over to the wall, pulled out the label and reinserted it right-side up.

...it's good to hang on to some of your obsessive qualities even when you're this far from home. It's a small part of you that doesn't change.