The Muslim Quarter in Kunming, China made the Project for Public Space's list of their "<a href="http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/november2004/november2004_neighborhoods" title="Project for Public Spaces (PPS) - Placemaking for Communities - The 20 Best Neighborhoods in North America">favorite neighborhoods abroad</a>", published in November of 2004.  Funny, seeing as how most of the buildings  in the Muslim Quarter were either torn down or spraypainted with large "<span title="chāi" class="info">拆</span>" characters ("take apart, dismantle" according to Wenlin) when I visited this summer.

--There's nothing outstanding about <a href="http://www.sinosplice.com/~chabuduo/index.php?p=16" title="Selfish dirtman.">Chabuduo's most recent post</a> (unlike, say, <a href="http://www.sinosplice.com/~aperifle/2004_11_01_archive.html#110142563188340404" title="How The Tables Have Turned">Ape Rifles's latest</a>), but the first line made me smile in recognition because it pretty much describes, oh, about 90% of my life these days:

<quote>I was sitting on the number 38 bus today, I actually scored a seat for once.</quote>

Yup, pretty much.