Don't complain.

I went out for a really great dinner with two of the most recent Portland arrivals (Lis and Dani), Cal (of sing-along fame) and Marci on Saturday night and had one of the best meals in recent memory--really fresh, spicy Thai food. Afterwards we went outside to the garden bar for a nightcap, which is where we found these two:

Does this count as sleeping together on the first date?

This wouldn't be so alarming if this couple was a) not on a date, b) homeless or c) really drunk. But they didn't appear to be any of the above. Just tired. Or really boring. It was hard to tell. In my un-subtle attempts to get a photo, I did manage to wake them up. They can thank me at the wedding toast.

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Final update.

In perhaps the least inspiring storyline of this blog, I feel compelled to update you all on the construction site near my office. So, here you go. A cement wall has gone up in recent days...or rather, recent nights. During the day, the workers sleep shirtless on mats in the alley to avoid the heat, which really only makes sense. It's damn hot.

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I'll miss you, Element Fresh.

It's Monday afternoon, which means I have less than two days before hopping a plane for a Thailand and then home. Wherever that is. I feel like I've been gone a thousand years. In a lot of ways, this trip has been one of the best I've ever taken. I've met great people, seen a lot of the country, laughed, done some good work and just generally learned a lot. I've also semi-lost my mind, so that's good too.

Ah, China.