Beijing Trip Day 4

164 days in Shanghai (10/02/08)

Woke up to pack our things and by the time we were ready, it was 10.30am already. Left our luggage at the lobby and went to 天坛, the temple where the emperor prays。

There was a performance today and as usual, it was some boring Chinese Act. Had a 2^nd look at the place and I became the tour guide for the day.

Reading the guide book and recalling what the tour guide told me the last time I was here, I gave the rest a very fast tour.

After that, it was to Silk Street, a place that is similar to Qipu Rd in Shanghai. Did some shopping there, bought some wallets and bags and the guys were to bored to continue shopping.

Went to Wang Fu Jing again as Jie Ying wants to get Fu Ling Bing for her family and her Shanghai’s colleagues. Slacked at this drink store while waiting for Jia Wei’s friend to come.

Wanted to go back to the hotel, get our luggage and head off to eat steamboat but as time restricted, we went to one of the restaurant opposite the apartment and settled dinner there.

All the food came quite slowly and when it was 6.10pm, we thought that one of our dishes is not here yet and decided to cancel the order. Then we realized that we didn’t even order that dish cox we ordered another one instead. ARGH!!! Stupid!!

Headed off to the airport, checked in and all of us got super separated seats.

Reached back Shanghai and back home.

Oh, today is the 4^th day of Chinese New Year and there are still a lot of people playing with fire works and fire crackers.

Esp when it was near 12am, when the chinese have the saying that during the 5^th day of Chinese New Year, it is the time to lure the god of fortune out, there were a lot of fire works and fire crackers around and the whole area is damn noisy. Fire works are very nice but fire crackers are just plain irritating.

And I guess I have seen too much fire works that I won’t feel so ‘WOW’ anymore when I see it in Singapore the next time.

Beijing Trip Day 3

163 days in Shanghai (12/02/08)

Woke up at 7.30am to get ready to meet our driver at 8.45am and all of us started slacking until about 8.20am, when Jie Ying on HP and realized that the driver actually messaged her informing us the change of time (meet @ 8.30am, the timing Yu Hong requested the previous day but the driver said that he couldn’t make it at first)

All of us started rushing, changing our clothes (winter time so we have got a lot of layers to wear), preparing to go out.

Set off to the Great Wall of China and we went to 幕天玉, one of the more famous tourist sites of the Great Walll.

Had a 1½ hour car ride there and we bought students tickets =)

Took the cable car up and started with the Great Wall Climb. The scenery is so much nicer then the one I went to last year and the weather was just so right. Clear sunny blue sky. Just the weather for outdoor activities,.

Took lots of dangerous photos where we started to climb on the walls to take nicer shots, standing at dangerous spots just to get a nicer view and etc.

By the time we finished out Great Wall hike and crazy photographings, it was near to 2.30pm already. Had a quick lunch at the foot of the Great Wall (just a bowl full of noodles when it is supposed to be minced meat noodles) and headed off to Summer Palace, 颐和园.

Took us another hour to reach there, bought our tickets and this time, there were a lot of tour guides asking us if we want them to explain the history and etc to us.

When we were at the entrance, the fee of the tour guide was RMB 30per person and we rejected all of them. Then when we went in, the tour guide rate drops to RMB50 for the group and we bargained till RMB20 for the group.

So, this lady guide started bringing us around Summer Palace, telling us some of the history about the place and I am so not interested in it.

Walked to this Kun Ning Lake, which takes up almost half of Summer Palace and the entire lake was frozen. A lot of people were walking on the ice and when we want to go to the lake and play, the lady guide didn’t want to allow us as she wants to finish off her guide as soon as possible.

And as all of us weren’t very interested in what she was saying, the tour ended shortly and we heading off to the frozen lake.

We were supposed to walk straight to the entrance that we came from but Yu Hong want to take a look at the bridge right opposite the entrance. So, all of us headed there and by that time, it was near 6pm and the sky was dark and no one else was on the lake except the four of us.

And since it was freezing cold, both jie Ying and I can’t wait to get out of that icy lake. Searched for the stairs back up to the pathway but couldn’t find any and by that time, there were totally no one in the lake and people are starting to shout for us to get out.

Saw this small little platform and the only way that link up to the platform was a pile of ices; not sure if they were stable a not but confirm they are slippery.

Yu Hong tried climbing up first but got stuck halfway. Lucky there were this few people that walked past and offered to help us. They pulled Yu Hong up to the platform and went off as he said tat we can settle on our own.

So, I was the next to climb and that piece of ice was sure slippery. I almost slipped and fall into the crazily cold lake.

Before I can even get myself ready and stabilized myself, Yu Hong and Jia Wei kept on pushing me and all the energy I have was to start laughing and grab on to Yu Hong’s leg like a tree trunk.

Not long later, all of us managed to climb up to the platform. Called the driver and asked him to drive us to紫玉饭店 for dinner. Angeline and Kelvin strongly recommended us to this place to try out their Beijing Duck.

Jia Wei’s friend joined us and when it was only supposed to be one of them, it turned out to be 4 of them joining us.

So the table turns out that we became the minority like from they join us for dinner, it has became we join them for dinner -_-.

After diner, it was back to the hotel to slack and we went out again to 天安门for some night shots.

Spend some time along the streets taking photos and we ended up in Wang Fu Jing’s MacDonald’s again.

Then there was this 2 young boys that started talking to us asking where are we from and etc. Guess they are from some orphanage and the care taker brought them out for dinner. Yea, it was late at night and they brought 2 10 years old boys out for super.

These boys are quite cute and it seems that they have a sad family background. Chatted with them for a while before heading back home to rest.

Beijing Trip Day 2

162 days in Shanghai (8/02/08)

Woke up at 6.30am to get ready to leave the house at 9am but in the end, we slacked till 9.30am before heading off to the Forbidden City,故宫.

Reached there and thought that since it was the 2^nd day of Chinese New Year, there shouldn’t be many people there but who knows, there were more people then usual I guess; at least more people compared to the last time I was there.

Spend the whole morning exploring around and took lots of photo. Everyone there told us that when you are in the Forbidden City, 70% of the time should be listening to the history and 30% seeing the palace.

But we were there 100% viewing the palace and taking photos =)

After Forbidden City, we walked all the way to 王府井 for lunch at Macdonald’s. Wanted to go to the Beijing Zoo to see Panda after lunch but since it was 3pm by then and the Zoo closes at 5pm, we decided to go to the Olympic Stadium to look at the ‘鸟朝’ and Swimming Pool，水地方.

And unknowingly, we took a 黑车there which cost us RMB90 (when I think it should cost us less then RMB30 -_-)

The Olympic Stadium was near one of the expressway and since it is still not open to the public, there were a lot of people along the expressway taking photos of the stadium.

The whole stadium was fenced up and no one is supposed to enter. And from what Yu Hong knows, the swimming pool is actually opened to the public already.

So being not satisfied of being cheated by the driver and not able to enter the stadium, Yu Hong finds all ways and means to enter it

He tried to unwire the fence but they were too tight then Jia Wei found this fence with just one truck tyre blocking it (remove the tyre and there will be a hole to get into the stadium).

They pushed the tyre away then all of us went in. A lot of passengers saw us and followed us into the stadium.

Walked down towards the swimming pool and realized that there is actually another fence that restricts people from entering. And this time, the fences are connected (like those fence that surround schools) and Yu Hong wanted to use a ladder to climb into the swimming pool.

Walked around and after figuring, we decided to lift up the bottom part of the fence upwards so that there will be a small space for us to crawl in. After hesitating and looking out for security guards, all of us entered the swimming pool boundary.. yea, after much climbing and crawling….

Wanted to enter the swimming pool and was stopped by this part time security guard. The whole conversation was like this

‘你们不可以进去里面’

‘为什么？我们看了新闻，他们说这里以经开放了。’

‘是吗？没有啊。他们骗你们的啦。’(with at smirk on the face)

‘骗我们？哪里可能啊？是新闻啊。 那里可能会骗人？’

‘可是你们真的不可以进去。新闻真的骗你们啦。’

‘我不管啦。外面好冷 我先进去了。’

‘真的不可以啦。你们是怎样进来的？’

‘走进来的啦。用脚走的 要不然爬进来的吗？’

‘是吗？可是你们不可以进啊。今天只有搞卫生的员工才可以进来。’

‘不管了。进去咯。外面好冷！’

Then we went into the swimming pool and we only managed to see one of the Olympic pools there. The part time security guard went in with us trying to stop us.

‘让我们拍一张照片就好了啦。’

‘不可以啦。快点走 你看那里还有很多报案。走啦走啦。’

‘好好好。我们就拍一张好了。你跟我们一起拍吧。’

‘不好不好。上面有摄影头。。。快拍就走吧。’

‘好的。一二三。Okie! Let’s go’

So in the end, the part time security guard had no choice but to take the photo with us too =) and we managed to see the pool too, although I think that is not the main swimming pool used.

Went out and we started to take a lot of photos. Even when the other security guards saw us, they didn’t bother about us. Maybe it’s because we are inside already and they thought that we are some staffs or media (coz of Yu Hong’s SLR camera).

Yu Hong said that we might be the fist Singaporean that took photos with the Olympic stadium =) cool huh!?!

Took plenty of photos then headed to 王府井 to try out this dumpling store that Denis recommended.

It was beside this church and the night scenery of that church is just damn. Look around the area and found a few dumpling stores there so we just went to one of it and yea.. the dumplings are good and cheap.

Sister called me and the entire family is at home eating steamboat, having their Chinese New Year gathering…

After dinner was back to the apartment and rest.

Beijing Trip Day 1

161 days in Shanghai (7/02/08)

I woke up at 5.30am to get ready for out Beijing trip. Leave the house by 7.45am and took a cab down to Pudong Airport.

Reached there an hour earlier, e-checked in and had KFC breakfast.

Went through the boarding gate and we have got to take a bus down to the airplane. It was quite cool cox it was my first time taking a bus before boarding a plane. Heard from Yu Hong normally budget airlines are all like that. Got to take a bus down to the aeroplane.

The moment I went on the plane and reached my seat, I went off to lala land; all of us were so damn tired cox we slept quite late the previous night.

And although it is only a 2 hour plane ride, Air China still served us breakfast. Their service is also quite good, much better then China Eastern =)

Reached Beijing, took a bus down to the terminal and get our luggage. Once we went out of the terminal, there was this driver that asked if we wanted a ride and we started bargaining the price from RMB160 to RMB100.

Was quite surprised that along the way to the apartment, there wasn’t any sight of snow. The driver told us that Beijing only snowed a few times this year and it was all those small ones. All the snow has already melted. =(

(Thought that the main purpose of coming to Beijing is to see snow.. and I get to see it in Shanghai rather then in Beijing…)

Reached the service apartment and realized that the place is actually quite near. We reached there in 30mins and wanted to bargain more with the driver. But Jia Wei just gave him RMB100 when we alighted.

Went to the check in at the counter and something happen that almost freaked me out. The counter got to photocopy our passports as reference and they asked me and Yu Hong why we didn’t have our passport stamp at the immigrant counter.

So, without the stamp that shows that we leave Shanghai and come to Beijing, it actually means that we are illegal immigrants to Beijing.

Then while I was thinking if the immigrant person actually stamped on my passport, Yu Hong said that within domestic flights, stamps are actually not required as we travelled to HangZhou, Suzhou and ZhouZhuang without the use of our passport. So we have got our 180 days visa on China is actually sufficient.

Only then I got relieved and the front desk person also agreed with it. Phew!

Reached the apartment and it has got a living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms (one with a queen size bed, the other have got a single bed) and one bathroom. Snatched our rooms and slacked for the rest of the afternoon watching tv and sleeping.

Went out at about 5pm for dinner at this tofu restaurant (found in the map) and headed to 王府井 after that for night window shopping and night views. Tried out some of the road side food and ate mac ice cream in the –degree temperature out there.

We walked for awhile till about 9.15pm before taking a cab back to the apartment.

Chinese New Year Eve!

160 days in Shanghai (6/02/08)

Plan for the day was to leave the house at 9.30am to Qipu road for more shopping for Jie Ying and Jia Wei.

In the end, all of us work up late and we left the house at 10.45am instead.

Took the cab down and shopping starts. And I hate shopping for shoes first coz it is damn hard to find anything that I will like and all the prices they code are just too unreasonable to bargain.

In the end, I didn’t get to buy my boots (wanted to buy the same black boots that look like those army one as the one I had have spoiled (turn into crocodile) but got myself a bag handbag, 2 small sling bag and 4 wallets. (Most of them are for friends. Hehe)

Jie Ying and Jia Wei got quite some stuffs too.

We cab down to 八佰伴after shopping for lunch at this Japanese restaurant. They went back home after lunch and I took a small scroll around the area before heading back home.

Went to 家德了to buy some ingredients for the Laksa we are going to have later tonight. Chinese New Year Eve eating Laksa.. hmm not interesting huh. Haha

Haiz.. this is the first time in my 20 years not having my reunion dinner with my family. This feeling is so weird.. like I totally don’t feel the new year mood!! I DON’T LIKE IT!!!

Anw, I am going to Beijing tmr and time is going to past very fast. Not long later, I will be back in SIN with the super killing weather. (Joanne just called and remind me to enjoy every single bit of coldness in China coz SIN is crazily hot and stuffy!)

Reached home, slacked a while and started using the internet. And it has been very long since I went online and chat with people. Haha

I used the internet, chatted with sis, dad and some other friends before getting ready for dinner. Sis and dad actually asked me if I have got a webcam so that they can conference with me and let me see what they are eating -_-.

After dinner, although we can hear the noise of the crackers at home, we can’t see it so we decided to go down to the neighborhood and light up the remaining crackers that Kelvin leave for us.

When we reached downstairs, all the fire crackers that everyone else are lighting up is damn nice and big that we didn’t even want to light up ours.

But well, anyway the crackers and fireworks are all damn nice. Nicer then those that Kelvin bought. It’s like during national day what we saw at the stadium. And over here, the fire crackers and fire works are just right in front of you.

In Singapore, everyone got to go to a certain place and wait for a certain time until they can get to see those fireworks. Over here, everywhere I go or turn to, I get to see it. And it is just damn beautiful.

And it wasn’t expensive buying those fire crackers. RMB100 plus to get a small one and up to RMB 1000 plus to get those really huge and nice one.

Went back home after that, did some last min packing then went off to bed. Got to wake up at 5am to get ready to go to the airport for our Beijing trip =)

Think the next time I will blog will be when I am back in SIN. Or hopefully when I come back from Beijing. =)