As I’m waiting to get the Internet reconnected in our homestay—it’s a thunder and lightning storm, so the Internet disconnected itself—I am wondering what I can do without the Internet. My computer tells me I have access to an excellent connection, but in China, there are always caveats to excellent connections.

Jeff and I are continuing to plow ahead with IENGO meetings, because this is where my contacts are. Although I’ve made connections with the people who organized the green buildings for the Olympics, and we’re in the process of setting up a meeting with people who are concerned with carbon trading and with environmental law. Also the person who runs our “homestay” is planning to develop his facilities, and he has talked about the government subsidies that are available to development if it’s in a “green” way. Including this in the film may be too anecdotal though.

Also we are starting to look to post-production, and–if this Internet ever gets straightened out—I am finally having a chance to check out some video editors who were recommended to me when I was working in Boston.

I had two hours of work to do on the computer scheduled today, and I’m going to get about 20 minutes worth of work done and 80 minutes of frustration due to this thunder storm. If I didn’t have a huge project to get done, I would enjoy being affected by the weather in this way. O.K. now The Man is coming to fix the problem. Perfect. Mei wenti.

Jeff just predicted that the last week of this trip might be full of all the things we’ve pushed off until this point and meeting with the people who we have not connected with yet. He said that the next week will get busier. Jeff is taking a break this morning and going to buy cheap Chinese clothes with our cook—who we’ve become great friends with—and I’m having dinner with my second grade teacher (!) and her daughter tonight. We need to take breaths like this I guess.