Yesterday we went out to lunch with Alex Ionescu (and Klainerman and the whole gang). We found out that at one of the cafeterias, they have a booth just for Islamic food (right next to the one for vegetarians). Telling that to Klainerman made him rather happy (kosher rules and Islamic dietary restrictions bear certain resemblances).

They invited Ionescu to show him around, but he was too jet-lagged to pick up on the offer.

In the afternoon, the Chinese hosts took Klainerman mountain climbing, and I tagged along, since it is usually a Good Idea to engage in long discussions with one's advisor. We went to XiangShan, or Fragrant Hill Park, and climbed that roughly 2300 steps to its 557m summit. It took us roughly 50 minutes each way (up and down). (Klainerman is in much better shape than I am. He was saying how he went slowly up because he wasn't wearing proper climbing gear, all the while I could barely keep up with him.) On the way up, due to all the exertion, we stayed mostly quiet. On the way down, we were a lot more chatty. We discussed "Important stuff" like Newman-Penrose formalism, and what he is working on with Ionescu, and what he expects us to do.

There were more discussions (this time with Pin also) after we got back, but I am afraid that Pin and I were both too jetlagged to get the full benefits of it.

A much more mundane week should start today, what with it being a Monday and all. I've picked up a habit of getting a meat bun and soymilk for breakfast (only 2RMB!). Woke up a a much more reasonable hour this morning. I think I am adjusting well, and the food definitely agrees with me.

Well, I should get back to work.

(PS. To those reading on livejournal, it seems that LJ is firewalled from China, so I cannot read any comments or post any comments [easily... I could jump through hoops, but don't really feel like it]. This post is sent to LJ via a double-posting feature I coded into my blogOhm software.)