Osama ben Parker And Other Fugitives

We Found Osama!
He's hiding in Haidian district of Beijing. I previously thought that Peter Parker was Spider-man's alter ego. Courtney spotted him shortly after she, Cheryl, and I ate lunch yesterday. I had a vegetarian pizza which, I am quite thankful, was devoid of silicates.

After lunch, we went to the Lotus Centre to buy various things. Just before we left, we saw a machine making little fried cakes (for lack of a better term in English). It's more elaborate than the similar ones I've seen in Dragon City at Spadina and Dundas: this thing's like a small assembly line. Batter is injected into the moulds, and the cakes / non-waffles are moved in a counter-clockwise fashion. By they return to the person tending the machine, they are cooked to perfection.

Interesting Sign
Is anyone able to tell me why I think that this sign is cool? Ali knows why, but that's because I told him yesterday approximately an hour after I shot this pic.

Fast-Food Mania!
I went to Ali's part of town again yesterday in order to meet him for DQ Blizzards (he had Oreo, I had Green Tea Max), and I decided to walk again. This time, I snapped a number of photos to give those of you who've never been to Beijing an idea of what kinds of fast-food joints you'll find.

This, I think it goes without saying, is Domino's.

Here's evidence of the Legend Of The Golden Arches.

This one needs a little explanation. This is a direct competitor to McDonald's but, instead of being represented by a happy clown wearing grease-paint, this chain is represented by a not-so-happy Little Dragon who's gonna take you out 'cuz his True Kung Fu is better than yours.

I haven't yet investigated this one. I'll do so when I get a chance.

Farewell, My Friend
My roommate, Caspar, returned to his home in Switzerland yesterday. He studied here throughout a month in order to supplement his already-incredibly-good Mandarin. I would have had a much more difficult first-week here without his help. He's quite talented, intelligent, and friendly, and I'm glad that he was my roommate, even if only for a week. His presence shall be sorely missed. (He's the one on the left.)

Update On Tests

In case you were wondering, I didn't have to pay for the medical retesting; it's covered in my scholarship. Because of my result on the HSK, I'll be placed in Elementary Level 2. What that means, I'll learn on the morrow.