Diary June 27, 2010

Author: Cody Lewis

We didn't do much today, mostly just rested and reviewed digital logic design (boolean algebra, gates, combinational and sequential logic) in preparation for the next week. For some of today's content, here is an except from an email discussing the traffic:

Also of note is the high chance of getting hit by a car. We rented some bikes to get around, since public transportation is crowded and slow, and everything is really far apart. Pretty much everywhere, cars consider traffic signals and signs to be more of a suggestion than a law, and are happy to cruise full speed at a pedestrian or a bicyclist and suppose that they will get out of the way. It's rather insane, and sometime I'm going to go out to an intersection (any will do) and video one cycle of the lights and count how many near-fatalities occur.

Everyone here rides a bike, and it's the main form of transportation. Surprisingly, they don't really consider security for bicycles to be that important. If they lock a bike at all, it is usually just locking a tire so that it doesn't turn. Since everybody's bike is about the same terrible and rusted single speed, it seems to work as a system. On the other hand, the bike routes are very nice and well paved, so it's easy to quickly get from A to B by bike, although most people don't peddle very fast.

	Movie Special! Click on the link to watch a short clip mash about transportation in Beijing. Notice during the one setting with the back to back buses: they all have the same number!
	Cody reviewing digital design on the"whiteboard" (paper taped to the back of a window).
	Blim getting a haircut.

//Calender