Confucious said "Why don't you come to China and do a Borders type story here?" Thanks Confucious, otherwise known as Rick Dunagan, a habitual expat, biker, and GM executive-type. Rick supplied the idea, the encouragement, and the Chang Jiang motorcycle. He is now experiencing culture shock back here in the U.S.A.

When I first visited China Jim Bryant let me ride his Chang Jiang motorcycle around Bejing, out in the countryside, and on a camping trip to the Great Wall. Jim is the owner of the Subway sandwich franchise in Beijing. He's also keeping track of Rick's motorcycle, since Rick and his family have moved back to the U.S.A., until I get there to ride it away.

The first person Rick introduced me to in China was Teresa Howes, the U.S. Embassy's Agricultural Attache. I arrived at her apartment at 3 in the morning and didn't meet her until two days later, when I woke up. Then she showed me around town. Imagine, two American women driving Chinese motorcycles around Beijing. The capital city might be international but it's not yet THAT international. Once we got out into the countryside she had to stop and ask all the farmers how the crops were doing. She is the agricultural attache, after all.

The expat gang in Beijing are an adventurous bunch. We rode in grand style to the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling, walked up the mountain and pitched our tents right on the wall. I was all agape but hey, they'd been there done that a few times already. Not that they weren't impressed when the full moon rose over Mongolia. In addition to Rick and Judy Dunagan, Teresa Howes, and Jim Bryant, these are John and Susan Shuck, Knox and Judy Johnstone, Ursula and Walter and the Jiangs, a Chinese couple who owns a great adventure travel supply shop in Beijing.