LEAVING CHINA, and speaking chinese

Ok, it's been a while. I've thought about writing but I've been a bit busy and frazzled. I've been trying to get my visa extended but no dice. The only way would be complicated and too expensive, so I've got to go back to .... (I hesitate to call it home because every day when I say "home" I mean the apartment I'm in now, so this is also my home).... america? The US? "the states"? The United States of America. You get the idea.

I tried showing Olympic tickets, doesn't matter. There are too many people, and too many foreigners in Beijing for the government's comfort. It's a shame. Why am I here? Because I like it here. I don't like everything about China of course, but I'm one of the people who's here because I'm curious about it and want to know what it's like to live here. I'm learning chinese, I like learning about the history, culture, etc. There are foreigners who've been here YEARS and can't speak chinese and don't want to and are just counting the days until they go home. They don't like the food, the people, the manners & habits. They're living in their own little bubble trying to pretend it's not china.... THEY should leave, not me.
:(
ANYWAY...
I've been eating out a lot lately. Tomorrow I'll go to an Indian buffet with a friend and his girlfriend, and I'll give them a gift certificate to a restaurant I won't be able to use. I have a lot of stuff to get rid of.
I sold my bike to Grace (woman whose job it was to help me get settled at first but even after I left that job we remained friends)... she gave me 50kuai today and said keep using the bike til I leave, just give it to her the last day or whenever. That was good. I have a girl coming over friday to look through my books and kitchenware.


SPEAKING CHINESE
Had my longest chat ever with the doorguard and elevator lady (see earthquake post in May for their pictures). It felt good. My chinese isn't great, but when I'm familiar with the topic and they're patient and don't mind repeating, I can hold up my end up well enough to survive a little chat. Makes me feel good. I learned another language. A completely-opposite-from-english language. I hated languages in school but now when I look at french or spanish I think, "Wow, that looks so easy, the people learning that are so lucky."

I have to find people wherever I'll live who speak chinese and are willing to. I have an idea. In the US, there's a phenomenon of middle aged chinese people settling down then bringing their parents to america later. These older chinese parents may not speak english or even want to. So maybe I can hang out with them. Take them shopping or to a park and chat, or help them with english if they want, 50/50. Maybe.

That's going to be one of the worst parts, I think. Not hearing chinese, no chance to use it. I'm dreading that.