pollution and singing

you know, ever since i got my cold my voice seems to have been permanently altered. i think it's a combination of the pollution and the cold; my voice sounds a little like i've smoked a lot. it's been about a week since i got better and i still have my different voice (in all reality, it probably doesn't sound that different), so i'm starting to wonder just how permanent it is.

everybody is leaving or splitting up today - i'm no exception, as i'll be leaving in fifteen minutes to go meet jessica at her hotel. i'm a little paranoid that the taxi driver will have no idea where the hotel is, but luckily it's located near a ring road, so it will be hopefully easy to find. i must confess that i'm a little sad to see everyone go, after our urban design boot camp. i'm happy to see the boot go, but less so the camp. at the same time, i'd give anything to be at home in cambridge right now, with friends i haven't seen in weeks - is this what it will be like if i move away from cambridge to a new city where i don't know anyone? suffice it to say i'll at least be moving to a place where i can figure out more of the language. despite the fact that i'm not going home yet, i know there are a lot of things in this city i haven't seen, and i'm getting increasingly excited about seeing friends here in beijing before i leave.

i'm not sad to be moving out of my room, though. i miss hot showers - our hot water has been out for about a week because they have to fix the hot water pipes. the dorm is constructed pretty cheaply - you can build anything here, but there's always the question of how long it will actually stand up. our internet ended yesterday, but for some reason, mine has stayed, so i've been in demand for my internet cafe abilities. in a few minutes, the computer's getting packed up, so i'll wrap this up - there will be plenty of time to write more (i know i've been lax on the updates of places i've been to! i promise to write more soon.) in the next week or so. if you want anything from china, now's your last chance! and somebody remind me to buy locks for my stuff before i go to the hostel and take the train back up to shanghai...