The Rest...

So I have kind my blog unattended for a few days, well actually the whole rest of my trip, but heres the highlights of the rest of the trip…

DAY 7
After my slightly scary experience at the silk market on my first day in Beijing, today Dad organised for Zhang Wei (his driver) to take me to a different market called “ya show” one where they can’t pull or push you and if they do they get reported to the market authority. Once we arrived I thought that Zhang Wei would just stay with the car or go do something else, but to my surprise he came with me. It was really good to practice my Chinese with him. I feel like my Chinese is getting better so hopefully it will continue to get better.

In the Afternoon I decided to go exploring and try and find a little market just past a department store called Lan Dao that mum had told me about. On the way to the market I got a little bit lost so I had to ring mum all the way in Australia to get directions, but eventually I found it, and it was also pleased to find that the market had a great DVD shop.

DAY 8
Today Dad and I started the day with a walk to a fancy new department store where we went to my new favourite bakery “Paris Baguette” and had some breakfast, I had a cup of “hong cha” or English breakfast tea with my breakfast but when I asked for some milk for my tea they looked at me like I was an idiot and then gave me these little tiny milks for my tea.

After our walk Dad went to dinner with some of his work friends. One of Dad’s mates cooked us an amazing dinner which started with an entrée of king prawns and then a lovely main of baked salmon, it tasted so great, seriously I was a little bit worried about it all but it was fantastic. However I had never shelled a prawn before (hence why it was no.24 on my list) but because I was at some else’s home and I didn’t want to embarrass my Dad I had to just do it, so with one careful I on Dad I managed to shell my first, second and third prawns.

DAY 9
Today I went to church with Dad, on the way I had to defend myself in the car because now I could understand what Dad was saying about me to Zhang Wei (one week in Beijing has definitely done me well). I actually enjoyed going to Dad’s church a lot more than I thought I would, I knew it was a little more traditional then I was used to but I actually really enjoyed it was nice to have something familiar after a week in such an unfamiliar place.

After church Dad and I went on one of his famous Sunday walks, we walked all the way to a lake called Hou hai and then to Tian A Men square and then home again, stopping at a Dumpling restaurant for tea, in total we walked 27km…which just in case you were wondering is a really long way.

DAY 10
Today I was on my own, well dad was just a work, but it was up to me to entertain myself for the day, so I decided to go back to the little market past lan dao that mum had told me about and have lunch at the Paris baguette and read. It was very relaxing and lovely. So after a shop I walked home and went to the gym and then went out for Dinner with Dad.

For dinner Dad took me to an Indian restaurant, as he had made it his priority to knock as many thing off my list as he could and that was number 20. I was a little worried about having Indian because I don’t really like spicy foods, but it was on the list and we were there so…we had Indian. While we were ordering our meals Dad spoke to the lady in Chinese and said that he liked spicy things and she suggested as dish, all which I understood, so as our meals kept coming out I kept asking him which one was the spicy one and he kept assuring me that it was still coming and kept putting more food on to my plate, which I ate and kept asking why it was soooo hot and why I felt like my mouth was going to explode, the whole time Dad just tole me how weak I was but then after we had finished he admitted that the whole time I had been eating this really hot dish and yes it did have some kick! So there you go now I have had Indian in its finest form.

DAY 11
Today was my first “tourist” day, at 9am Zhang Wei picked me up and drove me to the Forbidden City. I love the Forbidden City and even though I had been there twice before I still found it just as interesting as the first time I went. I find Chinese History so interesting, I think it is because there is so much of it and it is so different from Australia’s of even England’s for that matter. It’s full of corruption and scandal, but also culture, tradition and wealth, it’s seriously great. I know that it’s probably weird to like a history that much but I do and I know that I am not even close to knowing half of it. It was also good to go today with my own little audio tour and without Dave and Dustin telling me they were bored and cold and wanted to go back to the hotel.

After I had finished exploring I had to catch a taxi back to the apartment so that I would be at my Chinese lesson, so I left the forbidden city and started looking for a taxi, but because the forbidden city backs on the Tian ‘A men city getting a taxi outside is actually quite difficult so with the help of an English speaking students and 2 policemen I finally found a taxi and jumped in. I told the taxi driver where I wanted to go and he agreed and started driving, but then after about 5 minutes he pulled over and told me that he didn’t know and kicked me out of the taxi. So I was in the middle of Beijing, not really sure where I was standing on the side of the road a little panicked and now running late and needing a new taxi. Eventually I found a new taxi and checked and double checked that he new where to go before he left and he did and so he took me home.

DAY 12
Today started with another Chinese lesson and then I was once again left to my own devices, so once again I headed down to the market past lan dao, this time to swap over some DVDs and then to have lunch and finish my book at the Paris baguette. Not too exciting, but relaxing!

DAY 13
Day 13 also started with a Chinese lesson however after my lesson today when Zhang Wei took my teacher home he also took me with him and we drove to the airport because Mum was flying in and we needed to pick her up. The trip out the airport was when I realised that my language had gotten much better as I spent the whole trip in and most of the time at the airport speaking in Chinese with Zhang wei. Although he spoke slower than he normally would with me it was still a bit of confidence booster. In the afternoon, I took mum to a local Chinese restaurant then that night we went out for tea with dad and some of his work friends to a Japanese restaurant where I was able to cross off another thing from my list (no. 22) as I tried real sushi for the first time. It is nice to have mum around as it gives me a friend to hang out with while Dad is at work.

DAY 14
Today mum and I had a big shopping Day, we started at a Russian market which was very different to lots of the other markets. The atmosphere is a little tenser and the things that they sell are a little different, the shop assistants also try to speak to you in either Russian or Chinese which is weird. We didn’t stay there long because it is also different in that all the little stalls are covered and to look at what they have you have to actually go in you can’t just look from the isle like you do in the other markets. Then we headed to ya show and did a bit more shopping before we went to our Lunch date with two of the wives of Dad’s work mates, Elaine and Phoebe. We had lunch at a place called Lotus Peak a buddist vegertarian restaurant. The food was really yummy but it was all made of to fu but none of it tasted like it, we had tofu sausages and a dish called shark slice and cones made out of seaweed. Very different but very yummy. After lunch Elaine’s driver took us home and mum and I had a little rest while we waited for Dad to come home. When Dad came home we went out for tea at the place.

DAY 15
Today Dad, Mum and I went to the great wall. Zhang wei drove us out to a place called Jin Shan Ling from which we started out 10km hike to a town called Si Ma Tai along an unrestored part of the wall. The walk was intense as it was constantly up or down but rarely flat and as it had not been restored lots of the stones were lose and you had to go quite slowly. Because it was also in winter it was cold and there were also patches of ice on the path. So between sections of strenuous climbing and almost dying of exhaustion I did get to have a look at the amazing scenery and it seriously was amazing. It was also very cool to be on a part of the wall that had not yet been restored so it was all original and naturally falling apart. Once we finally made it to Si Ma Tai (4 hours later) we found Zhang Wei and drove to our dinner destination, my favourite restaurant in the whole world… Da Dong. Da Dong is a peaking duck restaurant which seriously is the best in the world, if you are ever in Beijing I highly recommend it.

DAY 16
Today being a Sunday we started the day at church and then went on one of Dad’s massive Sunday walks. Today we again walked to lake Ho Hai on the way we stopped for lunch at McDonalds then we walked to a shopping place called Wong fu Jin. After a not very nice shopping experience and feeling a little tired we got Zhang wei to pick us up and talk us to Dad’s favourite dumpling restaurant for tea at which I had another interesting dish that actually tasted pretty good…hairy gourd and shredded jellyfish. After dinner, on the way home we stoped and got a foot massage which I was a little worried about because I have very very very ticklish feet, but it was actually quite relaxing and much cheaper than it is in Australia.

DAY 17

Today Mum and I had another big shopping day, this time we started at the Pearl market, which turned out to be a great market to shop at with heaps of bargains, from there we went to China’s Ikea because Dad needed a new bookshelf. At Ikea we had Swedish meatballs for lunch because Ikea in china is exactly the same as it is I guess everywhere else in the world, well at least the same as it is in Australia, but everything is written in Chinese and Swedish rather than in English and Swedish.

From there we went and drove past the new Olympic stadium the “bird’s nest” it’s a pretty amazing and I am sure it will be the perfect spot for an Olympic ceremony, which is lucky I guess. Then we headed home and dropped mum off and then Zhang Wei and I went off to Karaoke…which is number 55 just in case you were wondering!

Karaoke was something else that I was really looking forward to doing, but also really worried about but it was sooooooooo much fun, seriously one of the highlights of my trip. Of course what made it a little more interesting was that Zhang Wei sang in Chinese and I sang in English. But it was so much fun and I think that I will need to explore some Karaoke some where in Oz.

DAY 18
Day 18 was my last full Day in Beijing, so after one last Chinese lesson and a little wait for Dad’s bookshelf to arrive, mum and I hit the shops again, going back to Ya show for one last shop. When we had brought more than we could carry, Zhang Wei took us to another department store so that I could buy a webcam, then we went home and got ready to go out for our final dinner. For dinner we met Dad’s work mates at a restaurant called the China Lounge for a good quality Chinese meal before I headed home. I am actually a little sad about leaving china and all that it has to offer. I really like speaking in a second language and the culture of china and I think I will be sad to leave it behind. But I can always come back…one day.

DAY 19
This morning I went and had breakfast at the Kerry Centre, a hotel near Dad’s apartment, with mum, dad and Zhang Wei. After eating myself silly I went home and packed, which was actually surprising hard to do, 1. because I had way too much stuff and 2. because I didn’t really want to go, I like it in China, I know that there are lots of great things to go home to, but China is very different and I had quite had enough yet, but off to the airport we went and after a few tears, Zhang Wei and Mum watched we go through the doors and head back to the land down under. My flight home was relatively uneventful despite the massive amounts of hand luggage I had…my backpack, a shopping bag, my laptop and my giant eeyore! Now I am home safe and sound and enjoying the change of weather from cold cold Beijing to sunny Melbourne, but I am already starting to plan my trip back to china, I don’t know when I will go, but I will…you’ll see.

So before I finally go, I just want to say thanks to Dad for everything, my trip to china was fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Thanks a bunch, love ya lots.

DAY 5

Today was my first full day in Beijing. I started the morning with a Chinese lesson to refresh my memory, during which I found out just rusty my Chinese is, but hopefully it will get better the longer I stay. I had forgotten how complicated the language is. I know that I know lots of words, but at the moment they are still stuck in my head where I can't find them. My Chinese teacher is very lovely and patient and I really enjoyed just having her there to talk to and to practice with.

In the afternoon i decided that is was about time that I ventured out of Dad's apartment and went for a little explore, so that's what I did. I walked to a place called "the place" and then checked out the silk market as well. At the place, Jake had told me there was a giant TV screen, so after walking through the whole complex I couldn't find it, i turned around and saw what I thought was the TV, which was huge, but then later I found out that the whole roof of the complex is a giant TV, so I felt pretty stupid for not seeing it and Dad and Zhang Wei (Dad's Driver) thought it was very funny.

For dinner Dad and I went to a great Dumpling house where I ate this very strange fruit, in fact I don't even know what it is called which means I can cross number 76 of my list. If anyone know what its called I would really like to know, the fruit is white with lots if little black seeds and tastes like a bit like a cross between kiwi fruit and cantaloupe. Dad seems to think you can get it in Queensland, but I am lost...actually I just looked it up on Google and its called Dragon Fruit, so there you go.

Psalm 119:37 "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word"

DAY 6

Today I woke up and it was raining in Beijing, which is very strange but kinda cool because it doesn't happen very often. Apparently it even snowed in the mountains which doesn't really surprise me because today it was also freezing cold.

My day started with another Chinese lesson, which thankfully went better than yesterday, I think that my Chinese is slowly coming back which is good, because I have decided that I would really like to be much better at Chinese than I am currently. I think that it would be really great to have a second language that actually worked, rather than one the stops and stalls all the time. So when Zhang Wei and I went out this afternoon to get a guitars, i was able to practice my Chinese more with him, which was heaps of fun.

Then this evening I went across to the gym, which is also known as the Alexander club, and went for a swim. Little did I know that this particular gym is quite fancy so when I go tomorrow I will be a little more prepared so that I can soak up all its luxury. I guess today sounds pretty boring, but I actually had a great day, I really like being in china and being able to try new things and practice my Chinese, its also been really relaxing, which has been a nice way to wind down after such a busy semester!

Psalm 19:3 "There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."

Ocean Park, The Peak and Beijing

DAY 3

Well today we headed out to another theme park, this one not as well known as Disneyland, but still fantastic. Today’s theme park was called “Ocean Park” and was a theme park based around the ocean and all it has to offer, a little bit like Seaworld, but with more rides that weren’t quite in the in the same squeaky clean condition. The park was built on the side of one the mountains on Hong Kong Island, which meant that the whole park was on split levels with large out door escalators separating each level and to get there dad and I had to navigate our way through 3 different train lines (including the Disneyland line complete with Mickey mouse train) and a bus, which we managed to do quite well, even if I do say so myself.

At Ocean Park dad and I (as white tourists) were defiantly much more of a minority than we were at Disneyland, but it made it all the more exciting. We decided that we didn’t really need to do any of the animal stuff and that we would just stick to the rides. We went on everything from the flying swing (pretty much just a glorified park swing) to the Abyss (one of those giant drop/tower of terror type rides). And apart from being afraid that the rides might break underneath us, sending us plummeting into the South China Sea, all the rides were great, a little scary but not too bad, that was until the Abyss. I convinced myself that it would be fine, but as Dad and I climbed in the tower, I suddenly realised that I did not at all trust this Hong Kong workman ship and that I was going to die, so as I sat at the top repeating to no one “oh my goodness, oh my goodness” I was the most scared I had been, probably ever and as we started to free fall down over 20 storeys I screamed louder than I ever have and then broke into this hysterical laughter as I realised that I would be ok. Dad and the guy on the other side of me found it quite amusing though.

During the afternoon at the park we also went and saw some giant Panda’s which were very exciting! They are very cute, just liked the stuffed toys, but bigger, and slower. Just before we left the park we decided that we would go on one more ride, the raging river, which left me soaking wet and walking like I had wet my pants, probably not my best idea.

That night after a quick stop at a very fancy shopping centre for some starbucks and some books, Dad and I rode the peak train to the peak of the mountain on Hong Kong Island to see the city skyline, which was amazing. At the top we went outside to the terrace where there was a little jazz band, where the horn player wasn’t playing your regular kind of horn, but one of those ones that your see in the Swiss alps, and she was pretty good, but not quite as good as the view, that was amazing. Seriously Hong Kong is an amazing place, so much stuff in such a little area, it’s incredible and everything is so steep I am not really sure how it all stands so straight. Just before we headed back to the hotel Dad and I got a gelati from geno’s gelati just because we could.

On the trip back to the hotel, via all the trains, we got attacked by a giant piece of hair on the train floor which was soooooo gross, but very funny and by the time we got back to the hotel I was exhausted but very thankful for the amazing day that I had had.

Gensis 1:21 "So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good."

DAY 4

This morning Dad and I had to get up super early to get a 6:20am taxi out to the airport to catch a flight to Beijing. Once we got to the airport I must admit I looked pretty silly walking through the airport with my suitcase, laptop bag, backpack and giant Eeyore toy. Once we were all checked in we went and had breakfast and then went and sat in the Dragon Air lounge until our flight. The flight wasn’t too bad, but I was sitting next to a very grumpy and unfriendly British man, because the flight was full so Dad and I couldn’t sit together. However, some how (must be because I am so tall) I was sitting in the seat with the emergency exit so I had lots of leg room, which was nice.

Once we got to Beijing, we lined up for what felt like hours to get through immigration, and then met Zhang Wei, Dad’s driver, who took us back to Dad’s Appartment, where he got ready and went off to work, and I settled into my new home for the next two weeks. After a bit of TV I went for a little walt to the local supermarket were I made the most exciting food discovery ever…you can still get Pop Tarts in China, so naturally that’s what I had for lunch!

Other than that today has been a very quiet one, just kind of getting used to my new, quite foreign surrounds, but I am looking forward to my time here, hopefully I will improve my Chinese a little and get some confidence and go for a little explore.

So there you go, thats the journey so far. Now that I am in Beijing, I think that the blogs will probably be shorter but hopefully more regular so that I don't make you sit down and read for ages...thanks for listening so far...Oh and before I go, I should also just say Happy Birthday to Kirsten, sorry I am not there to party with you, but hope you had a great day!

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Flying Solo

So for the next 3 weeks I am in China spending some time with my Dad, so my blogs will kinda be a travel blog for just a little while, because surely something funny is bound to happen if I talk for long enough, it will also let you know that I am still alive and I am hopefully having fun.

At the moment I am sitting in Hong Kong international airport in the dragon air lounge, using their free Internet so I thought I would take the opportunity to post my first two days....

DAY 1
Well this morning, bright and early, at 6am I left home and headed towards the airport and while I have travelled overseas before I was very nervous, excited and scared about what today might bring because I have never done anything like this on my own. Every other time I have travelled I have been with some one who knew exactly what they were doing, but not today because once I walked through the doors at Melbourne airport I was on my own until I met Dad in Hong Kong.

Everything went according to plan though which was nice, except for the fact that as we were booking in Dave happened to mention that I go to the toilet a lot so I should sit in the isle, which was fine, but not only did I have an isle seat but I was the seat right in front of the toilet, so I spent most of the flight trapped in my seat by the queue for the loo. I also had the security guard play a little trick on me as I walked through the doors at Melbourne airport, as he had me convinced that he needed to use my laptop to check his emails, so I felt like a bit of a twit while I waited to board my flight. Apart from the toilet line and the flight being 9hours, it went off with out a hitch, I sat next to the coach for an Australian TaiJing team (some kind of martial arts thing) but he was sick, and he had that sick person smell, and he kept passing wind, which did get a little disgusting, but what can you do? At least he was friendly!

Once I navigated my self through Hong Kong customs I waited to meet Dad, which after a little bit of confusion I did, then Dad and I headed out to our hotel, none other than the Disneyland Hollywood Hotel, which means I have now crossed no.27 off my list because I had never been outside Hong Kong's airport, so it’s a place I had never been. We had a lovely dinner, and explored some of the hotel grounds which were all very exciting because everything is just soooooo Disney. On our way back up to our room we meet goofy in the foyer which was very exciting! So there you go…that’s Day 1! I don’t think all my blogs will be this big, but we will see, it’s probably better reading if they aren’t! Tomorrow Dad and I are off to Disney land WOO HOO!

Mark 5:36 "Don't be afraid, just believe"

DAY 2

Wow Disneyland, what can I say it’s amazing, it’s perfectly Disney, everything about it, every last detail has something Disney on it, and I tell you what I love it! We started the day at a restaurant in the hotel were I enjoyed some pancakes, hash browns, and Mickey Mouse waffles. Once I was very full, Dad and I headed out to Disneyland.

The day was full of the good old Disney magic, we went on everything from space mountain (which was made so much better with Dad’s screaming before the ride had began) to the story of winnie the pooh. Being in Hong Kong I was convinced that all the characters in the streets of Disneyland would be Asian, but I was a little disappointed when all the characters around the park were the ones that required head pieces, like Mickey and Buzz, and the first few in the parade that didn’t have giant heads were just hired white people, but my wishes were finally answered when I saw Alice from Wonderland (yes the from was on purpose, because she wasn’t in wonderland she was in Disneyland), because it was an Asian women, and I must say it did look kind of funny.

Dad and I had a great time, and of course I did some very silly things too… I couldn't drive the little autopia Honda cars which are designed for 10year olds, I head butted the space mountain cart after getting my arms stuck in the safety bar when getting my sunglasses out of the little pocket at the end of the ride, almost falling out of my Mad Hatters tea cup as we span it ridiculously fast and running through “main street USA” to get a giant stuffed Eeyore.

After watching the fireworks show Dad and I walked back to the hotel and kicked off our shoes to rest our very tired feet. I must admit though I was very sad to leave the park behind, because who knows when I will be back again…and nothing beats the magic of Disney.

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"