Upcoming Travel Schedule

Update (2/16/06): My friend in BJ said he was able to get on to the AOL site, so it seems that they’re AOK!

For my LA trip last week, I rented a car from SFO. While picking up the rental car, the guy directed me to this bright red car (economy size, of course). He asked if I was planning on touring around the city. I told him I was taking a little road trip. He said, “In this car???” Haha. Hey, you can’t beat the price of $14/day.

Yep, went to Santa Barbara and LA in that tiny body capsule. Every time a car passed me, I had to hold the steering wheel tight.

Here’s my travel lineup for the next week:

February 17-20: Santa Cruz. Going to WCC for the first time. I’ve heard lots of good things about it, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m setting up a booth, leading a small group, and serving as a ministry consultant. Quite different from how I’ve spent this weekend in the past 4 years at the high school snow trip, but a no-rest weekend as usual.

February 21: Castro Valley. Good thing it’s local, but it’s the night before I leave for my next trip out of town.

February 22: Long Beach. Last night, I got an email from them asking me to speak, because their speaker had to back out last minute. This morning, they said they found someone. Good, I’m off the hook. So I’m just doing a 10-15 minute presentation there, but it’ll be the first time I’m doing it alone, without my partner-in-crime.

February 24: San Diego. We’re doing an entire feature at a church there, message and all.

That’s it for next week. I need to remember to wear my watch. I realized that I cannot rely on my cell phone for the time any more. When you’re meeting with people, it’s hard to check the time discreetly if you only have your cell phone. Watches are much easier to sneak a peek at.

Need help with:

1. Safety as I travel
2. Protection from sickness and other “unseen” stuff
3. Words when I present and meet with people

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I tried to get on to Google’s Chinese site, but it redirects to the regular homepage at google.com. Hmm. Anyone getting that? Maybe Google has finally given in to the pressure of all the media criticizing its business relations with the nanny.

Maybe not. Check out the American version is filled with some pictures of some strange person admiring a group of parked tanks (I found similar results using Google for other NATO member nations). The other version displays fewer results, all of the images are of happy and healthy people posing together, smiling and having fun in front of the Imperial Palace Grounds. Hmm.

Looks like AOL has a new Chinese-language portal. Seems that the search engine on this portal is uncensored, but I’m not sure if it’s been blocked from within. I should find out when I get there.

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A chat I had with my friend in Arizona while watching pairs figure-skating:

lilwong: THEY GOT SILVER!!!!!!!!
lilwong: yay!!!!!!!! :)
me: whoa
me: wow, are you chearing for china?
lilwong: dude, its in the blood
lilwong: it’s just natural