We've had a place for a while (a week) and Kristin gave me a hair cut.  That's the big news I've got for now.  I'm not too sure which I like more but I'm leaning more toward the dynamic multi-length multi-layered haircut.  It's something to behold. 

I suppose I ought to keep off the hair subject and focus on something else.  Fine,  I'll write about China.  It has changed a lot in a year.  The cities are more crowded than before, a result of the slowing economy.  Farmers that no longer have work have come to cities in search of just that.  With crowds come more trash and traffic which is something that Kunming was relatively free from in the past. (In China terms)  It's interesting to see the changes knowing how things were before.

Perhaps the most interesting change is the prevalence of Chinese Christians.  It could be that I have simply run into more Christian on this visit because of contacts and "coincidence", but I don't think that is the case, that's now how things work.  There is a growth, especially among the women, which is easily understood given an individual knows about gender preferences and treatment in China.  We've learned quite a bit about rights to gather and worship, rules for how many people can attend a "meeting", and private versus public display of religion.  I'll not write out a critical assessment on on the subject (which would please me more than it ought) and so end the topic here with the concluding thought that it is a  pleasure seeing the growth.

We didn't do much blog or email at first because we were staying with a friend and either traveling or looking for places to live.  It was a mild strain on our new marriage but I think it was/is good.  (Note. Excuse the prevailing "I."  I forget that I am now "we")

As it is, it humors me that we found our first place to call our own one month to the day we got married and that, in China.  I doubt anyone that knows me is in the least surprised.

Our apartment is new, and it is fortunate that everything in our apartment is also new because the condition of used Chinese apartments range in quality and cleanliness from a Chinese prison to a Chinese petting zoo where all the animals smoked two packs of cigarets a day.  If the reader lacks in imagination to conjure up in their imagination what would rightly justify how bad rented places get, I/we will gladly provide pictures.  Speaking of which, I'm going to stop writing and let the Monster post some.