It dawned on me this morning what driving (being driven) around this area reminds me of.  It’s basically like the Mad Max movies.  Every possible vehicle with wheels, carrying all manner of cargo, in a total free-for-all.  The only differences are: there aren’t any obvious weapons; and, there’s less visible body art and piercing.

 

It’s been rainy and sort of cold the last two days, which is basically fine since we’re spending them in the factory.  Progress at the factory is slow, but seemingly in a forward direction.

 

This morning I put two laundry bags by my hotel room door for pickup.  Counting my travel day, I’ve been here now for 11 days, and am on my next-to-last change of clothes.  Supposedly, the laundry will be done by the time I return to my room.  I must also make an intermediate payment on my hotel bill, since it has exceeded 5,000RMB (about $625, including breakfast every day and dinner most days, two rounds of room service — all for less than what I will spend for just a room during 4 nights in Tokyo).

 

Today’s lunch at the factory featured a dish with chicken and some sort of slender stick-like green vegetable.  I don’t know what they were, but it was delicious.  Also, they have a little convenience store here at the factory, and I’ve been introduced to an ice cream treat shaped like a corn cob on a stick.  It’s wrapped in some sort of outer layer that smells and tastes basically exactly like Corn Pops.  I love Corn Pops, so I like this thing.  

 

Still, I am looking forward to home.  5 days to go in China.

 

Rain.