I'm so glad it is over

"What's over?" you ask? These last 2 weeks. Everybody that knows me (which probably includes you, since I don't think many strangers read this blog) knows that I love to multi-task and always keep a hectic schedule. Keeping a hectic schedule is what keeps me going, because if I ever slow down I will probably just crash. Well, these last 2 weeks have been a little too hectic even for me.

Here's just a rundown of the big items:

• Finish up winter quarter at DU, which meant writing 4 papers, delivering a group presentation, and taking 2 finals.


• Finish up a Debian Telco release at work. Of course there were problems along the way, and in order to do this it meant staying at work until 2am and coming back at 7am the night before I had to take my finals.


• Had a team outing at Dave & Buster's


• Took last Friday off to go snowboarding (awesome powder!)


• Went to Austin for the weekend


• Prepared for my trip to Shanghai

You get the idea. It has been absolutely nuts around here. I am so ready to get on the plane and just crash for 14 hours. Plus, Morris emailed me the address of his house in Chinese, but I don't have the right fonts on my computer or something because gmail just showed a bunch of question marks. It is going to be fun trying to explain to a Shanghai cabbie that he needs to call Morris' cell phone for directions.

This is my first trip to China, and anywhere in Asia for that matter. I have no idea what I'm going to be doing there. I didn't spend much time researching touristy things to do because I'm staying with a local and didn't know how much touristy time I would be having. I can always research it there anyway. Here's my flight itinerary:

• (Flight) 16 - 17 March 2006: Denver (DEN) to Shanghai (PVG)
  
  
  
  • Leg 1: Denver (DEN) to San Francisco (SFO)
    
    
    
    • United Airlines Flight 315
    
    
    • Departs Denver 10:28am
    
    
    • Arrives San Francisco 12:05pm
  
  
  • Leg 2: San Francisco (SFO) to Shanghai (PVG)
    
    
    
    • United Airlines Flight 857
    
    
    • Departs San Francisco 2:12 pm
    
    
    • Arrives Shanghai 17 March 2006 7:30pm


• (Flight) 25 March 2006: Shanghai (PVG) to San Francisco (SFO)
  
  
  
  • United Airlines Flight 858
  
  
  • Departs Shanghai 1:45pm
  
  
  • Arrives San Francisco 8:18am


• (Event) 25 March 2006 Whiskies of the World


• (Flight) 26 March 2006: San Francisco (SFO) to Denver (DEN)
  
  
  
  • United Airlines Flight 526
  
  
  • Departs San Francisco 2:07pm
  
  
  • Arrives Denver 5:30pm

I'll probably buy lots of stuff there, because it is supposedly pretty cheap. Specifically I'm looking for custom made business suits, and maybe some camping gear. Perhaps I'll buy so much stuff that I need to get another suitcase as well. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to hanging out in a city which has been described by several people as being "just like Manhattan, only much bigger and busier".

Did you know that when you go to China you have to request a Visa in advance? They must do some extensive background checking or something like that which causes them to not be able to issue visas at the airport when you arrive. It just felt weird having to ship my passport off to a travel agent in Chicago whose sole purpose it was to walk the passport down to the Consulate and turn in my visa application on my behalf. Although, I have to say that their visa is a whole page out of my passport and is much cooler looking than the wussy little stamps you get in the EU countries.

Be sure to check back here for photos from China over the next week. This is my spring break and I expect to be partying like a rock star in 1999.