Drivel Starved Nation,

I arrived in Nanjing about 10 days ago, the jet lag is the cause of uncertainty.

Last Monday was the ribbon cutting for the new Bridge City Center… besides myself, there were 4-5 other ribbon cutters. I have never participated in an event like this so it was all overwhelming. The ribbon cutting scissors were cool however;

The new center is really world class, part museum and part giant dumpling restuarant where you watch tool makers make tools through large glass windows.

For two days I trained approximately 10 people how to assemble both the HP-9 Block Plane and the new HP-12 Dual Angle Bench Plane. It really went well. Here we are reviewing each tool makers plane for flatness on a granite surface plate. All of these planes were flat to within 20 microns. This is just incredibly cool.

I had planned on this post being much longer but the internet speed in my hotel is really bad, so I will give a complete update IF I get home…

Call me stupid, or arrogant, or both, or more, but last night I ran into some interesting guys who convinced me to play Mahjong — for money.

Somehow I gambled away my passport, my pants and my shoes. I have no way of getting on a plane so I have improvised by hiring this lady to get me out of here before the monsoons hit. I am wearing banana leaf pants.

So far the waters are calm.

And slow.

—Still Your Tool Potentate