I recently visited Detroit. Okay, perhaps it was the Detroit of China, but upon arriving in Tianjin I promptly wrote that I did not like the city. Having decided to travel the past weekend, I chose Tianjin mostly (99 % mostly) because it was close and convenient. The lady on the bus I asked for a hotel recommendation, a native, asked me several times why I was visiting Tianjin. She wanted to know what there is to see, in case she had somehow missed it in 30 years there.

So prepared for failure, I immediately looked up the expatriate magazine for all the hip happenings. I found three choices: foreign student night at the Cozy Club, a dance club, and College Student Night at a coffee shop. I chose the coffee shop, and discovered that it was an English corner. This means that Chinese, with shockingly good English, materialize from the woodwork and then proceed to practice on you, the foreigner. This also means you are a prize possession, which I was lucky enough to use wisely.

By the end of the night, two cute twin sisters (okay, cousins) were more than delighted to take me around the city on Saturday and I was lucky enough to be invited to an American family's house for dinner and my favorite game in the world, Settlers of Catan. They say you know these sort of people (chrstns) by their love, and let me tell you, I was loved. By the end of Saturday, I was actually depressed to leave China's Motor City.

Sorry, once again, no pictures. Soon. I promise.