What will likely be the nicest day all summer

Today was one of those days in Beijing that makes you jealous of people that lived here twenty years ago, when 250 blue-sky days actually meant the sky was blue most of the time. A thunderstorm yesterday washed away the pollution and humidity, making it hard to stay inside and work. So we didn't, and instead took an extended lunch break strolling through the Old Summer Palace, where our office is located. The company has five annual passes to the park, but that's easily extended to 20 people by entering the park and passing the tickets back through the fence to our office. I'm also told it's pretty easy to hop the fence around the corner from where we work.

 A pretty comfortable working environment if I do say so.

I don't know if I previously had fairly lame coworkers in Beijing, or if the ones I'm working with now are anomalies, but these folks are some of the biggest drinkers I've spent time with since college. Most surprising are the women, who more than keep up the guys in the office. My previous experience in China is that most women beg off even a small glass of beer. The girl on the left in the picture below is a total enabler, while the one one the right got very drunk and spent about half and hour trying to puke in the bathroom, without success. These dinners seem to be a semi-weekly event.

I'm rapidly earning a reputation as a big drinker, which is pretty easy considering how weak Chinese beer is. Apparently previous Berkeley interns have set a precedent (probably undergrads), but from what I've heard they haven't held their alcohol as well as I have so far (again, probably undergrads).

A good natured after work meal quickly devolves after returning to the office.