Good luck in Beijing.

Oh NO!! Xinjiang will feel more lonely without you. Your map made me feel nervous when I saw how surrounded it seems... I hope you don't know something I don't know.... My fingers are crossed for stability in Urumqi.

What about your dream to build a nan pizza oven? Are you just going to let that die? Sad :(

Welcome back to the 'Jing...check your lungs at the door.

@ouyang: Yes, it looks like the nan pizza over will be joining other failed plans like the swimming pool filled with Coca-Cola and the permanent lightning bolt.

Welcome to Beijing.

I'll miss your Korla-view, but I look forward to your discoveries about Beijing.
Good luck with the new job.

This map represents the American wet dream of how to divide and separate China into small and tiny pieces, so that Sinitic people will be easier to managed like the Arabs are being handled in their 100 kingdoms.

^ Dude I know it sounds dishearting, but the PRC overnment and our atitude have also in one way or another contribute to this problem.

In term the government gives the wrong treatment in term of seeking unity in the country (i know expection to one child policy and automanic point to job and school sounds fantasic, but living in north america as a minority for six years i can tell you thats is not what a minority need) .

and the many way, we still emotionally cannot get rid of the "non Han people are barbarics" concept....

In terms of paradise on earth, I think Xinjiang fits the definition much more than Beijing, but Beijing has a ton of great culture and interesting people to explore and have fun with. Enjoy your fresh apricots and clean air while you still can, and good luck on your move.

Man, don't go. We've already got a ton of bloggers in Beijing and Shanghai, but you're the only one we've got out there in .... whatever. If you're bored, get an addiction.

Well, I have to say, your blog makes me laugh for your peerless sympathy to Chinese ethnical minorities.

Yeah, yeah, getting sympathy from the white is the universal rule. In the colonial age, sympathy from white women; nowadays, sympathy from even white guys. When China in general was poor, sympathy was from sinologists and left wing intellectuals. When China becomes wealthier, your sympathy goes to the poor (but culturally rich) minorities. Don't tell me you are different from these expats. You are just jealous.

I wonder, what make you qualified to generously give out your sympathy to others, as if it is for free. What are you trying to show here? Your moral superiority or your sensitive Western consciousness? What make you believe that Chinese minority cultures are precious just because they are backward and poor?

As an obese American from California, you seems have no interest to show your sympathy to Hispanic immmigrants as well as Blacks. Your transnational passion to Chinese minorities almost makes me believe you are the one inherit the real spirit of Internationale. It almost makes me to believe that you a communist and forget you are just a creep democrat who voted for Billary.

Of course, I have a small penis, so feel free to disregard my nonsensical ranting.

As a Chinese Tibetan in the USA, I want to tell you, I don't like this new verion of Orientalism. Fu'ck yourself, if you have too much on sale.

@ZO: "obese American?" compared to some local he might seem a bit over fed but calling name is totally uncalled for...

@michael: what's going to happen to your sun-dried tomato business?

@cthl: He deserves that. He is helping the West, making Chinese Han people to hate Tibetans. He is trying to be another Jeremiah Wright, besides he is not even a Tibetan.
Most fu'cking white pigs want an independent Tibet not only because they want a weaker China but also because they want to preserve a backward Tibetan culture to show how modern they are.

Hey ZO, this is a time for weeping and gnashing of teeth. Your going a little heavy on the teeth there.

I hope you don't move for another 5 months. I have been reading your blog in preparation for my move to Xinjiang and now that I'm here I need it more than ever. It has always been entertaining and informative.

Good, good... Yeeeessss... *twiddles fingers*

Soon the Xinjiang blogosphere will be MINE!

@ZO: I'm trying to prove both my moral superiority and my sensitive Western consciousness. And, yes, part of what makes some minorities in China interesting is that they are "backward and poor", as you put it.

And how am I making Chinese people hate the Tibetans or Uyghurs?

@OpkeHessip: Not so fast, buddy! I'm still the brand-name Xinjiang blog in this hemisphere. But I'm glad somebody will still be blogging from 'outside the mouth'.

What will become of the Blog's name? Will you take the Xinjiang point of view that Beijing is the Opposite End of China?

@ZO: Dude...

Note to Woo, it might be a comforting thought to you that Americans want to slice up China but you are deluding yourself. Americans have no interest in harming China but we are tired of your aggression toward Tibet, Xinjiang and Taiwan. Why do you feel a need to invade neighbors? This is a human rights issue - the right to self-determination. It's not about being anti-Chinese. We aren't.

Note to ZO, man, you are exhibiting some ugly racism - you should be ashamed.

Back on topic, Michael, we are really going to miss your keen observations about Xinjiang. You've done a great job! I hope you get to know the Uyghur community in Beijing and let us know what that's like.

Note to Jay, it might be a comforting thought to you that Americans wanted to slice up Mexico but you are deluding yourself. Americans have already sliced Mexico but we are tired of your aggression toward California, Spain, Iraq, Iran and all over the world. Why do you feel a need to invade even not neighbors? This is a human rights issue - the right to self-determination of Black and hispanic people. It's not about being anti-American. We aren't.

I'm trying to prove both my moral superiority and my sensitive Western consciousness after my fellow people have
successfully reduced Native Indians population
to a non-threat number in the name of our all merciful powerful god.

I was therefore after decades not having to kill with my hands any more for lack of threats transformed into benevolent and merciful human god And, yes, part of what makes some minorities in China interesting is that they are "backward and poor", but they must meet the criteria of
being seducible to become a damper for the new arising threat.

And how am I making Chinese people hate the Tibetans or Uyghurs? By generalizing Tibetans doing the bad thing to han Chinese when the han Chinese were talking about a few Dalai supporters under CIA instigation had done the damage.

Native Indians, Tibetans and Mongolians are all brothers whose ancesters were Siberians.

As a Tibetan, I feel very sorry for the fate of our brothers in America.

T_T: The end of a great era. I will be missing your first hand report about where is "in the middle of nowhere."

Hope the move goes well:)

Bollocks to Beijing and your new job! Come move to Taiwan! You'll love it here - it's a radically under appreciated gem of a place - a you won't have to use a proxy server again.

I don't think anyone would pay me enough to move to Beijing. Not that it's really any worse than Shenzhen (except I can always quickly escape to Hong Kong and Macau). Good luck out there.

You've done some damn good blogging by Xinjiang. Congratulations on the new job in Beijing! I'm sure you'll scope out other "opposite" corners of the world, too.

@Mike,

Your writing is great. It's so true. I love these "human god" goo. I've saved your post. Loving it.

Michael: I've always enjoyed your blog, and will miss its take on Xinjiang life. After living in the sticks of Yunnan for a while, its great to get a smart, insightful take on life in the Middle Kingdom, even if (and likely because) it was from another corner.

Also, I hope Beijing is just what you're hoping for. It won't take you long to get the flatbread or Yangrouchuan that you need there in the capital. Be sure to keep your fans up-to-date on life in BJ.

@Huaxia: What do you mean by "'human god' goo"?

Heck. I just found this site a few weeks ago, and now you're going to wind up changing it. Ah well, change is constant. Have a good move, and don't miss a post.

OK, never mind, I got that.

'human god' means I just washed my bloody hands,
and started to chant a sutra for about years,
then I was enlightened to be a all merciful creature with all my sin vanished.

Isn't such a creature called mortal god?

I drop in to your blog from time to time and have been hugely entertained and enlightened with your writing, stories, audio/visual treats and point of view. I will miss the stories from Korla and the Other End of China, but eagerly look forward to hearing your views from Beijing.
I find your blog wonderfully colourful, fascinating and even-tempered. I am learning there is much to love about China through you. Someday I hope to visit in person, before I am too old to enjoy it.
My cousin is your old room-mate Lincoln, so you were a nice connection to him in an unknown distant place from where I sit in Toronto.
Good luck in Beijing! I'll drop in from time to time.