Pingyao stories
Where do I start?
Headed to Pingyao with Kathrin, Charles and Fabienne. We took the over nite train, and arrived at 5:21am (precisley- the trains are ON TIME). Dropped our luggage off and headed out site seeing (before the sun was up) and saw the most amazing things. The little market things were opening up, old men were doing kungfu type moves in front of their shops, ladies were sweeping in front of their homes, a donkey was parked on a corner... I'm starting to like mornings more and more. Pingyao is a small city (you can walk around the perimeter in about 2 hrs) so it is just made up of these little cobble stone/ dirt streets.
We headed out of the city walls, and off to Shuanglin Si, a temple 6 km outside of town. It wasnt the best walk but I did have a nice chat with Charles. Fabienne and Kathrin were the speed walkers- i have become quite the stroller, let me tell you.
The temple was very interesting- a bunch of sculpture students were working there so it was great to see their reproductions too.
Took a rickshaw motor bike thing back into town. We packed 9 people on where 6 would've been slightly cramped back home. We thought that since there were more people it would be cheaper than the original price we had haggled but it was the same- AND he wanted to charge us MORE (the other 4 were chinese girls) when the others were going further than we were! Wow that did not go over well. And on top of everything, he let us off at the bus station, where people hang out with nothing to do, so within 10 seconds we had about 8 men circled around us listening to what was going on. Finally the girls just decided to split the fare with us and we all paid the same. The driver didnt budge. (Strangely, we saw him later in the day and he waved at us and yelled Hello! I'm just never gonna understand).
K & C went off to see some courtyards some place and F and I just hung around Pingyao checking out the markets (I want a little red book) and walking the streets.
We ended up sitting on a porch type thing to relax and enjoy the people walking by, and it turned out to belong to a woman who was home. She put her cats out for us to play with. Then came to fill our water bottles. Then sat with us for a bit. Then she brought us some cookies she had made. And a bible. Then an apple each. Her friends also came over to chat. they were amazed at Fabienne's nose ring. They asked how she could blow her nose- only ppl here don't use kleenex they just block one nostril and blow- so it was quite funny to explain that we use kleenex and its fine. That was a big laugh. Kleenex! It was a great afternoon. we shared our tomatoes, and almonds, and when some kids came around we broke out the M&Ms. (You can see Pingua's photo -and others- on my yahoo site)
We were supposed to meet K and C to walk the wall at 3pm but they didn't show so we decided to go alone. Another story:
We went to an entrance to get up the wall. (This wall is one of the only complete ones left, so it would have been interesting to actually get up there. ) The woman said we couldn't get in and pointed in a direction. We followed her suggestion thru back alleys, mud pits, garbage, you name it, but didn't find what she sent us for. Asked a man and he also pointed us in some direction, I don't think anyone really knows where anything is ever. Instead of saying 'Don't know' or 'Sorry' they point 'Over there'. Anyways, after F tried to climb the wall (she pretty much did it) we got to another entrance. No go. Finally ppl on the wall yelled down to us 'Hello!' (it goes on everywhere) and we asked where they got on. Finally: the ticket booth.
"there is no ticket to get on to the wall"
"but there are ppl up there"
"yes, you buy a ticket for 120 that is good for all the museums in pingyao and entrance to the wall"
"but we have been here for 3 days and seen all the museums- we just want to get on the wall" (yes we lie sometimes)
"sorry you can not"
"but we will pay you, you don't want the money? 20?"
"no you can not"
So we left there very frustrated. But still determined. Went to the actual entrance where ppl with tickets got in. F offered him 15, then 20 RMB but he really didn't like that.
Finally some guy approached us and says if we pay him 30RMB he will take us up the wall in his rickshaw. What the hell right? It has already been almost 2 hrs we've been trying... So we get in and he takes us in the opposite direction- away from the wall. So I ask him where and he just points 'Over there' so we laugh, take photos and enjoy the ride thru the city- away from the wall.
Finally he brings us up this little alley (I don't think we could be any more IN THE MIDDLE of the city) and he points to this museum house... we tried to find the wall to point to but it wasnt even in sight! Anyhow, this old woman comes out and shows us a photo of stairs and points 'Over there'. Like, we can walk up her stairs and get to the top of a wall or something. So we started to walk away saying we dont want. He followed us for a bit, but I think we all knew this was completely ridiculous, including himself. Oh, and we didn't pay. Just for the record.
A negative post- quick rant- nothing to see here.
Just a little rant here for yall- most of it is negative so don't feel you have to read on. I just want to try and be as true as possible to my experience (and feelings and thoughts) while here.
I just want you to know that this is the most disgusting place I have ever been to in my life. Beijing is really not bad- I went out to some more obscure places this week so I can say- holy cow. Thing si I want to say before all of this, that when you get to some of these sites, not the spitting, nor smoking, nor hawking, or anything else for that matter, spoils how beautiful some of these places are. And I have just started. Its going to get better. Also, I need to point out that there is a lot of coal mining (and use) in this country so it does produce tons of pollution hence, coughing, hawking, and spitting. But oy vey.
There is spitting going on everywhere; the bus, the train, the street, from cars, you name it. And the hawking (you know that gross sound you make before spitting but amplified 30 times) it is truly disgusting (remember the coal). But it goes on everywhere. Can you imagine being in a restaurant and not only has the guy next to you lit up a cigarette, but he starts to hawk at the top of his lungs as well? Well, come to China and you will experience it every day. Its truly fascinating.
And the smoking.. everywhere. and they dont open windows. On an air conditioned train (where you can not open the windows) they smoke like chimneys- on buses, public private you name it, smoking without opening the windows.. restaurants.. everywhere. Its supposedly getting better bc there are non smoking sections in restaurants, but that is in Beijing.. most of this doesnt fully apply to Beijing..
Kids don't wear diapers here- they just have split pants. This makes sense bc diapers are such a waste and arent biodegradable so fine, but the kids are just going where ever. its gross.. even though its kids, its still pee.. or whatever.
Oh and the garbage. have I told you about the garbage? Its everywhere. There is no system to take it away. So granted in Canad we do the same thing, only we put the garbage somwhere no one has to look at it. Here its just collected in small piles and sometimes its burnt.... outside ppls stores or homes, they sometimes burn small piles of garbage- thats always interesting to see. I have actually gotten quite used to the smell- I just find it astonishing that there isnt more of an effort to clean things up. Mind you there is a pretty efficient recycling program in the works- ppl are constantly going thru garbages to find the plastic bottles or glass bottles in them to re use them.. paper and cardboard also. I dont really know what happens to it but at least its not being thrown on the side of the road. And the other day in Pingyao, we were having a beer on a table outside and this lady kept coming by trying to get us to finish our beer faster so she could take the glass bottle.. very efficient.
The people, well, they are also different. They seem to have such stern faces, but then, all you have to do is smile at them (which is against my nature i know) and they beam back the most beautiful smile..
But then, can you even imagine a situation like this.... we asked to be upgraded (bupiaow) on a train from seat to sleeper.. and the conductor started talking and i didnt understand so i walked away. Then about 10 min later he walks by, smiles and says we should follow him. We do (thinking we are getting upgraded- bc he did the intl sign for sleeping) and we follow him. He brings us to the car where all the guards are and tells us to sit down and we can sleep there. Where, directly across from us, there are 2 guards (about 25 years old) just sitting there staring at us. Not hostile, nor sexual, just staring, like we were some type of very odd looking bug. But they don't stop. Really. You look back right at them, and its like a little staring contest until you smile. When you smile its like they then acknowledge that you are a human and they shouldnt be staring directly at you. But then, they still do it, but just when they think you are not looking. And everyone does this. Everywhere (not in Beijing). They bring their kids up and say hullo hullo hullo. they look at us as we sit in the train station, on a bus, at any point in the day, when i am out in public, i promise you there is SOMEONE staring at me. Its quite unnerving. But its still not such a bother cause they are just doing it cause they are curious... so it makes it ok, almost, you know?
Ok all this being said, I need to acknowledge the fact that I am a very spoiled north american brat. This is a beautiful country. Astonishingly beautiful. And as for the spitting, coughing, etc etc.. during the cultural revolution, no one wanted to stand out- they all wanted to be proletariats, blend in with the crowd- a no one, with nothing.. so some of these behaviors may stem from this- either way there is a plan to try and clean up this stuff- the olympics ARE coming in 2008! There was even a sign on the train- No Spitting, No Throwing litter on the ground, and No smoking. Perhaps, perhaps...
If I ever thought I was challenged in N.A., I was absolutely kidding myself. I am so happy I am doing this trip- along with learning about different cultures and people, I am learning so much about myself, and the limits I thought I had, have been pushed so much further. I can't explain this any more- I am just so thankful for this experience.
Summer Palace, the first loss, and some Hutong knowledge
Thanks for all the comments guys- I'm so happy to know ppl are reading and checking out my photos.
So Wed, Fabienne, Charles and I decided on an outing (Charles played hooky..) We took the subway to Yuyuantan park (and got lost) then found a place that has boats that go to the Summer Palace (when it was too hot in the city the emperors would go relax at this place). Because I had read somewhere that some Empress (Cixi) would take a boat to the summer palace, I wanted to also do it in style. It was about an hours boat ride to get there along a little canal the whole way. Men were fishing all over the place, some were swimming. We were the only 3 on the boat- it was great (although it was raining just a bit). We got to the Summer Palace, but I am so fussy I wanted to go to the OLD Summer Palace, not the new one, so we took a bus, then we walked. and walked. and walked. Fab kept asking people along the way and they just kept pointing "over there" so we thought we would eventually hit it. We did, at 4:15. It closes at 5. Anhow, we went in, walked around, it really is beautiful... we didn't manage to get to any 'big tourist attraction' but it was still great to wander in the peace and quiet.
Then Fab realised she had lost her little purse. We walked (very quickly) back to the place where it wouldve been and it wasn't there. Then some lady is pointing at Fab and saying things (we don't understand) but she s smiling so we follow her. We are brought to some men, who bring us to a small room, and we don't know what we are doing there. We are about to leave because it seems the person that may have the purse is the woman who has left, when this guy pulls out the purse- and it looks like all the cards are gone. So Fab leaves to get the woman and I am left with these guys (so that I can keep an eye on the purse). Charles is all over the place at this point. So I just make intelligent converstaion with these officials (ya right) while I am waiting for Fab to get back. Meanwhile, the guy is opening all the zippers on the purse, and pfinally pulls out the 200 yuan she had in there (and i'm thinking 'why would someone steal the cards and not the money') and this guy opens another zipper with all her cards in it.
So Charles goes to get Fabienne before she karate kicks this woman.
But no problem, the woman is walking back with Fab and everyone is smiling (i dont understand). I tell her everything is there- she tries to give the woman some money but the woman wont take it- and we are off.
Took a taxi home as we were all knackered and got home for a great dinner with C, P & J.
Yesterday, Fab and I went to wander among the hutongs. This is something that there are tours of, and its a huge part of Beijing, but I felt very uncomfortable going through it. Let me explain.
These hutongs are like little villages where many many people (used to) live. They seem kinda gross and grungy at first, and you may think that from some of the photos, but they are really very beautiful. People hang out in the doorways, walk down the street to the market for their supper, laundry is hung out to dry all over the place, kids are running from home to home... it's very cozy.
These places are all being torn down to make way for modern structures like apt buildings/ condos.. and the people living in them are given a tiny sum of money to find another place to stay.. the compensation usually stinks. The main problem is that many of these people not only live in these hutong places, they also run businesses from them. So you are not only tearing down their home, but their livelihood as well.
I had planned to check them out earlier in my travels, but the ones that are very close to us are in a horrible state. There are huge billboards all along the street proclaiming the amazingness of the buildings that are to go up, but just behind and thru little holes, you can see people trying to get by with their small business and fight for their homes. Where one little hutong home is standing, there may be one on either side that has already been destroyed. Or they may be slated to be destroyed, with a huge white 'chai' mark on it: 'Destroy'.
I have put up some photos on yahoo you can browse so you can see these beautiful and endangered living spaces.
Itinerary (ish) and Classified ad
Well, Fabienne is finally here! The adventure has started!
Just to give you a bit of an idea of where we will (possibly) be going-
This weekend we are going to Pingyao- we leave Friday night for an over nite train and will stay around Pingyao til Wed ish..
Then Sat we leave with Chantal, Phil and Jess for Xiahe (which is supposed to be more Tibet than Tibet- very excited) and we will probably extend our stay there on our own til about mid- late Oct.
After that, back to Beijing to pick up Fab's visa and off South- after a hike on the Great Wall, which I am so psyched to do...
We have to exit China by Dec 6 (my visa) so we will probably spend until then in the southern provinces (it'll really only be a month) and then we will cross the border into Northern Thailand. We will spend a bit of time in the North and then have to be in Bangkok by Dec 24 to meet C, P, J for xmas- stay in Bangkok for a week- and then down to Koh Samui (island in Thailand) for New Years. We will spend a bit of time around there and then, well, that's where we've gotten to for now-
Amazing that our plans packed up so quickly. At first I thought a year would be sucha long time- and I know some people back home thought so too- but it will go by soo quickly. I'll be home before I know it. I have plans until mid January, and that will already have been 4 months since I left!!
Oh, ya here is my classified ad for a traveling buddy- Fabienne will probably go back to planting trees next June, maybe even beg of May, so I will either head back to Beijing then, and maybe home (boooo) or if anyone wants to meet me then I am game for anything (my wallet allows).
So email me if anyone plans on being in the area in April, May, June of next year... hike the Himalayas? trek in Tibet? Singapore slings in Singapore? Whaddaya say?
What a great weekend!! (Non tourist blog)
Non touristy- I love it.
Went to Tian Tan Saturday morning with Chantal, Phil and Jessye. Another gorgeous temple in the middle of the city. Such a contrast to the loud, polluted rest of the place. I think my favorite part of the parks is the excercise 'room'. Ok, it's not a room, but they have tons of excercise equipment for people to play with- it's very cool- and what's better is that people actually use it! Mainly it seems to be older people but that's even better!
We lounged around for abit- then went ot get lunch at the most stressful restaurant in the universe. People shout constantly, it's huge, and packed. You tell them how many you are, he yells to the back of the restaurant , then someone there yells back, you have to yell to order, oy. I have never felt so stressed eating as that day. But it's all about the experiences huh? Chantal said when she was in China years ago, they used to have you stand behind ppl that were eating and when they finished you had to fight with everyone else to get the seat. Now that is stress.
Saturday nite I went to a concert; the " Beijing Pop Festival". Chantal introduced me to a couple of Canadians working at the embassy and they invited me to tag along. I had already heard about the concert (i do love Common) but would never have attempted attending alone. So the line up included Common, the Stone Roses' Ian Brown, Derrick May (DJ) and Lex (US hip hop), along with some Chinese and Taiwanese bands. (we missed all- except for one, but I couldn't tell you their name for the life of me)
First off, walking through the gates with 10 beer cans was a little sketch. Melanie carried the bag and the police told her she wasn't allowed, so she looked at the other police(man/boy) and said " ok?ok?ok?" and they let her bring it in. Probably figured it was easier than trying to take beer away from the white girls.
We found a fantastic place to relax on the grass and listened. We were 5 in all; Melanie (Vancouver), Stefanie (Toronto), and their friends Catherine (Germany) and Charles (England). Great to chat with them, as they have all traveled quite abit and had some good suggestions.
The concert was great- at one point Charles and I lost everyone else and realized they had probably snuck to the vip- which is really just in front of the stage- so he grabbed my hand and just pulled me thru the police and we were right at the stage- I am such a wimp sometimes. So had agreat time dancing to Common and when it was over we went out to the ex pat district type of place.
It may sound strange but I found it very similar to Costa Rica. Everyone was standing on the street drinking their beer.. there were very few Chinese around. (Sidebar: you know how bars' bathrooms get very disgusting by the middle of the night- well think of the damage that can be done in a squat toilet- I don't wish that on anyone!!!)
Afterwards, we went to a little restaurant and had meat on sticks. (I had bread on sticks).
The best part was being out with people who got on without the language- they just kept trying and eventually someone would understand what they were trying to say. It made me realise I don't have to master the language before trying to order rice, I just have to get out there and try it. I feel much better now ;)
Sunday was also very interesting- in a completely different (sober) way.
Chantal went to buy some reading glasses (they only cost about 15$ here- send me your prescriptions in Chinese and I'll get them filled- I'm thinking about getting a couple funky ones before coming home they're so cheap!! Then we went to this place called the Dirt Market, where you can buy ANYTHING you want. We were there a little late so apparently it wasn't as crazy as usual, but wow, there was so much stuff!!
Then Sunday nite, Phil (and his family) was invited to this reception at Soong Ching-Ling's
http://www.maoming.homestead.com/SoonChingLing.html) ) It is said of the 3 Soong sisters, one loved money, one loved power and the last loved China. (Theres a movie about them, too.) The eldest sister, Ai ling married a very rich man who helped to fund many political movements in his time. Ching ling married Sun Yat sen and carried on his dream of uniting for a Communist China. Mai ling married Chian Kai shek who headed the movement against Ching ling's communist China and eventually took over Taiwan (oh boy my history is a disaster- please read the links above- they offer so much more interesting and correct info).
Anyways, this dinner was at Ching ling's home (which is now a museum). There were a bunch of little acts (mainly children) but there were also 2 acts by Tibetans (an attempt to say everything is great between China and Tibet). One of them was this trio of Tibetan sisters, and when they were done the Vietnamese Ambassador walked up to the stage bc he wanted them to sing a certain song- they didn't know it, so he got up on stage and sang it with them doing the backup- too funny!!
All this to say, just read about the Soong sisters. They were all amazing in their own right and contributed so much to the country. It helped me put a little more of the history into perspective.
Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
Today was my first day out ON MY OWN. I'm having a huge problem with not being able to communicate- I can't even put this into words (haha)- but I am trying to get over it. I think I will get a tutor next week even for just an hour or 2 to build up my confidence.
So I took a cab to Tiananmen Square and upon exiting the cab had some guy try to sell me postcards- then a book- then more postcards. I have decided to not buy a thing from people who approach me- they are supremely annoying. Anyways, he followed me for a bit, explaining the history of the Forbidden City, and then brought me to an art shop... always something- the calligraphy really is amazing but I think I will wait until I am slightly more experienced before buying A THING without a fixed price! (BTW you have to bargain EVERYTHING here- what a hassle- and I am really really bad at bargaining. In English.) Anyways finally get to Tiananmen Square. Tian = Heaven, An= Peace, Men= gate. First thing you notice is the HUGE picture of Mao- amazing really- then when you take a second to look across the street you notice Tiananmen square (which can hold 1 million people!!!) and the gargantuan buildings around it. Everything is huge and gorgeous.
I walked in thru The Gate of Heavenly Peace (ya ok) and continued through a couple of gates until I reached the entrance to the Forbidden City. It cost 60 RMB to get in and I got the audio tour for 40RMB. This place is huge. It was the home of 2 dynasties of emperors and was off limits for 500 years (hence the name). I wandered for about 4 hrs... And I didn't even begin to see the whole thing.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jsfoisy/my_photos (for photos)
I crossed over to Tiananmen Square when I was done- unfortunately it was a hazy day (like so many others) so I didn't get the best shots or view of it. It's just amazing to think of the demonstrations that have happened in the square- the amount of people it can hold, and has held, and the tanks rolling across it to get rid of them.
All in all a very touristy day.
So on the way back I decided to take the bus because it cost me 3$ to get there in a taxi and that's not in my budget (I'm not kidding) and the bus is only 15 cents. I thought I got on the right bus. Ah well, I rode it to the end of the line and then took it back, but this time I asked the bus guy to tell me which bus to take and he didn't know so he went around to all the ppl on the bus with my embassy card asking them which bus I should take- very nice really. (Oh ya the bus- it's quite interesting really. First off they are sooo crowded, always. You get on and there is this person that circulates and collects your fare from you, you don't pay as you get on). So eventually I get on the correct bus, and the bus person tells me where to get off. But I am still lost. Flagged a cab and got home.
The end ;)
Finally, a university graduate...
Well, it's done. Everything. It's very strange because I have been in school full time for the past 2 yrs (summers included) so I have always been in the middle of doing smthg, or having to get smthg done. But, not anymore- everything is finished!
And what better way to celebrate having graduated than to go to kindergarten with Jess!! A type of show and tell if you will- I got to help the teacher out at her international school- What an amazing place- kids from all over the world. In her class of 15 there were kids from Canada, USA, Korea, Holland, Finland and China. The class is taught in English but they have Chinese class, like we would have had French class.
Good times- to tell you the truth I spent most of the day in the library reading stories to Jess and whichever random kid decided to plop down next to us.
So much for crossing the street.. today I biked!
Last night, Phil and I walked to this little place about 5 min away and got our feet massaged- ahh good times.. They also give you a back massage while your feet are soaking in the rose petal water but that hurt- he was very tough! The foot massage was great though, and I highly recommend it :)
Today Chantal wanted to buy a new bike because hers was stolen last week- she got a grey one and I got a blue one (yay! I felt like I was 5 again) and we rode around to a park (it's quite amazing- even just some random park is 500 years old)- We left early so as not to get stuck in traffic- I think I did surprisingly well and perhaps Friday I will venture out (with paper done) on bike to Tiananmen Square.
I'll keep you posted-
Oh and this weekend we are heading out to the Wall so stay tuned for new photos...
Terracotta Army
Woah. We took a taxi out to the terracotta army early in the morning to beat the crowds. Ya right.
Ok, I'll try to explain a little about the "8th wonder of the world", but you can check this out :
http://www.goworldtravel.com/ex/aspx/articleGuid.{542E0FE7-5C2C-43BC-8B5D-EADDC2C5682F}/xe/article.htm for much more detailed info.
First we drove past the emperor Qin's tomb. He ruled over 2000 years ago, and united China, standardised the currency and the written script. He is the reason this was all built. Normally, when an emperor died, his army was buried with him, but this emperor chose to have a terracotta army sculpted to buried with him - I believe this is in accordance with a dream he had. So about 1.5 km past the mound where the emperor was buried is the site where the warriors are being excavated- so logically, one would figure the area between the mound and where the warriors were found also holds warriors- bc why would you build your army so far away from your burial spot, right? So this was the first thing that amazed me- as you look out among the fields, you can just imagine the thousands of warriors buried below.
There are at least 3 buildings that hold everything- and everything is very well manitained- the are large expanses of grass (that you cant walk on) and the view of the mountains is gorgeous. We watched a movie explaining everything first- then went to check out the warriors. (Importantly, the movie explained that Emperor Qin was a tyrannical leader and after his death a rebellion broke out, so the warriors were raided for their weapons and part of the site was burnt- also, eventually the wood that held the earth up over them rotted and crushed much of the rest of the army)
The first view you get of the army is quite amazing as it's head on- but the problem is, everyone is trying to get a photo and trying to pose and just all in all squishing everyone else. Got out of there very quickly, and headed over to the side where you could see much more and not be crowded over.
All their faces were different, as were their poses, girths, height- it was absolutely amazing. 20o0 years old.
You get to see the sites where they are still excavating and that's pretty interesting too- although when we were there I think the archaeologists were on lunch :)
The amount of people around was amazing. Of course this is one of the most visited places in all of China, so it is expected.
Check out the review I pasted above- it does a much better job explaining the history surrounding the terracotta army and Xi'an.
And my photos are at
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jsfoisy/my_photos
Crossing the street
We got in very early Monday morning so Jess didn't have to go to school, and we got to spend the day together! We were going to spend the day out and about learning Chinese and seeing the sites, but we got a little lazy and watched Scooby Doo in the morning instead. When we did venture out we decided on Starbucks. (I'm not kidding). So we walked along the (very dirty) canal, where people were fishing and just hanging out, which was great. We chatted about the trees and I got quizzed on my Chinese- (I can say numbers up to 10, sorry, hello, thank you, goodbye, that, this, and I can understand a little bit.. ) Then we got to this 5 lane street that we had to cross. No prob for Jess while I am freaking out! She's just going on with some story and I have to tell her that I really have to concentrate to get us across the street.. Oy. Thing is it's not just crazy drivers coming from all directions, you also have to watch the bikes! So needless to say, we got across the street(s) no problem, but I think I had to hold Jess' hand way more than SHE had to hold MINE!
Oh ya, I wanted to tell you smthg about the streets: I don't understand them. At first i thought, well, theres a little street off of the main 3 lanes so it must be for bikes only, but then there are people that walk along it and then I almost got hit by a type of police car (still don't have the authorities all down pat) on it, so it's not just for bikes and people. THEN i saw a car driving down it going in the opposite direction- The roads are definitely crazy here- I saw a street light yesterday and I think that was the first one I've seen! But somehow, everyone seems to get through the intersections no problem.. sometimes I think we may make things more difficult than they need to be. Like squat toilets for example...
But I digress. (more on squat toilets later- I promise)
Tai Chi
So in Sept '04, 44 North Koreans jumped the fence at the Canadian embassy and were sheltered in a large conference room for about 3 months- Ok well, it's not THAT large- I couldn't believe 44 ppl lived in it for 3 months... you can check out the news stories below
http://www.familycare.org/network/p01_article18.htmhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/200307_china19.htmlNow, more importantly, (not at all really but ..) Chantal and I did Tai Chi tonite in that very same room. We were 6 ppl and an instructor and it was fantastic- you see people doing it all over the place so it was something that I was very interested in learning when Chantal mentioned they were offering a course. (Its the very slow and fluid movement type of martial art ?? Its very beautifula dn peaceful to watch- and I will take anything peaceful at this point)
The whole course was in Chinese but occasionally someone would try to help me by translating what the instructor was saying but really I just watched her and copied what she was doing- I learned a couple more words too.. (Interesting side bar- we were all in work out clothes and running shoes etc etc and the instructor was this older woman in dress pants (you know polyester) and a button shirt.. we are so silly)
Hi.
OK, just to make something clear, I am not backpacking. Not yet anyways. For now travel involves my (fantastically patient and well behaved) sister: 5 years old. I think she has her own frquent flyer number she has traveled so much... :)
We took the over night train to Xi'an Friday nite. We were in soft sleeper- which is like first class- where you are in a closed off (tiny) room with 4 bunks. We even ventured out to find the hard sleeper- which would be a lot less cushy- but it turned out that the whole train was soft sleeper- packed with foreign tours (Remember now I am the foreigner). So we went to sleep early and got in to Xian about 8 after an 11 hour train ride.
So getting out of th bus station was, umm, interesting. People trying to carry your bags, take you on tours, take you anywhere- and they are all looking at you and saying Hello! waving stuff at you. I can not even begin to describe it- you have to push through to get away from them.
There are guys that stand around offering taxis to you so Phil ended up talking to a guy who offered to take us to our hotel for 50Renminbi (about 7$)- when we waited in the taxi Q it ended up costing only 10 Renminbi (and thats rounding up fotr the tip!)
So we stayed in this beautiful hotel right near the DRum tower and the Bell tower, in the middle of the city. Thats a photo of the view- the drum tower- and yes, thats a McDonalds.
Oops- gotta go- more to come- I'm uploading my pics now so you can check them out at the yahoo address if you like- i'll tell you all about the mosque and the terra cotta army later-
More photos- if you wish
I have set up a place to upload my photos-
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jsfoisy/my_photosI am pretty sure you can just go there and check them out- I will try to continue to do this but when I hit the road I don't know how often I will be able to..
I will also try to keep putting a couple of photos in my blogs, but if you want to see everything I am taking go to the above address...
Beijing
Well, I'm here. I passed out around 7:30pm after putting my little sister Jessye to bed- Chantal and Phil had to go to some dinner. I actually passed out before putting Jess to bed but i did wake up to read her a bed time story- what a good sister! :)
I slept 12 hrs (thanks to the melatonin- apparently it helps jet lag) and left the house with Chantal around 8:30am. We took the subway ($0.50) to the Lama temple ($3.50) and hung out there for a couple of hours.. there was a Buddha that was 55 ft high- apparently it is the most renowned Lama temple outside of Tibet.. It was huge-
Then we went to a Confucius temple- it was so peaceful compared to the very busy city streets- we took a cab backand Chantal left for work- I have a couple of hours before Jess gets home and we go swimming at the Embassy so I will get to work on my papers...
on the way...
(Me and cutie Chuck at the airport)
( Beijing from the plane- i'll set up another site with all my photos and post it here as soon as i get to it)
I love flying. Or, well, I used to love flying before I spent 13 hrs on a flight. I think I can tolerate 7 hrs. That's it. Then I start to go crazy.
So yes, Ray, there is a direct flight from Toronto to China. We flew straight up over St James Bay and over the North pole then down over Siberia and into China (I may have missed some places along the way- they played Miss Congeniality 2).
(photo above)I left Chuck at the airport at 7:15am (almost the last person on the plane) and got into T.O. around 9. Flight to Beijing was delayed by 4 hrs (BOOOO). BUT, they did offer a 50$ credit with Air Canada over the next year- no use to me- and no, Mom, it's not transferable :)
So, it was daylight for a very long time- from 7am in Montreal- straight thru the 13 hr flight to Beijing and then still for about 4 hrs after getting in to China. I'm pretty sure my circadian rythm is ALL messed up by now.
So, I'll be spending the next couple of weeks in Beijing- but I am off to Xian this weekend, to check out the Terracotta(sp) warriors- among other things.. I will post when I get back
So far this is my first entry. I hope you will check in every once in a while to see where this adventure will take me..
