Power to the People

After all the trouble I went to in order to get power adapters for my laptop, it turns out to have been unnecessary. The power outlets in the apartment are very promiscuous - they have many holes, and can take many types of plug. It seems that if you're from Australia, New Zealand, America, or continental Europe, you'll be fine. If you're from New Zealand or Australia you won't even need a transformer, since the voltage here is in the 230 volt range; many power adaptors these days can take a range of voltages, though.

I went for a medical exam today - you have to get one within ten days of arriving in China. There were lots of tests - a blood test, something with electrodes (heart rate test, at least, maybe more?), blood pressure, ultrasound, and an x-ray. It's probably the most thorough check-up I've ever had.

Last time I gave you the view at night; here's the view from my apartment during the day:


It's pretty typical for it to be overcast. It's barely let up since I've been here - only a little rain one evening, but perpetual cloud cover. There's also a lot of smog, which you can't really tell apart from the cloud - but that's why you can't see very far in either picture. Here, during the day, is the tower that shoots lasers at night (along with several others):