eeveeinbeijing

 It's our last day in Beijing! This is what I want to do:

1.) Take the bus to the city.
2.) Run around and get lost in the city.
3.) Find my way out of the city.
4.) Take the bus home.

And maybe in between, I'll take the subway. In that way, I can experience Beijing as a bus taker and the lost. Wouldn't that be cool?

Instead, the oldies will go shopping and i will go with them. 

*** By the way, I found my engagement ring. Or rather, Yassy found them.

 it's our last full day in Beijing tomorrow.
Oooh, i just love being in another city.
How may times do you get to be in a very very fascinating city?
It's so different.
Fascinating different.

oh darn,
i lost my engagement ring.
i bought 2 new ones however.
:) 

 Im planning to go on an adventure tomorrow. Take the bus to the city, go to Tiananmen Square, get lost, maybe try the subway at rush hour, find a bus stop where I could take the bus to the street corner nearest to Tio Pao's posh village residence. I call it an adventure since ... well, I only have 10 chinese phrases. I guess when I was in Sydney, I was confident that when I get lost, I'd always find myself somewhere where people speak in English, which is NOT the case here in China. And traveling on Beijing road is no joke. They've got too many roads. I don't have a streetguide like I did in Sydney. 

Let's see if i have the guts to

a) ask permission
b) go for it

I talked to tita Rina tonight to go for it with me. I hope she and tio Perok are game enough. It would be so cool.

***
We've got two days left here in Beijing. I can't tell if i hope that would stretch to its maximum because I'm inlove with the place or because I don't want to go back to reality yet, that is, the wedding prep, the videos, all the reminders, sweldo, etc, etc. But i do love Beijing. Or maybe the vacation. Or maybe, I'm just SO fascinated by newness. In whatever way they show, i go.
 

 Today, three tinderas told tita Rina that she was a tough buyer. Indeed, she brought down the price of 500++ yuan for a pair of boots to 110. And another pair (for Maica), to 140. One saleslady, in clear exasperation said, "You lady, so beautiful but so tough!" Haha. After we bought from this stall of boots and moved away, a pair of backpacking European friends approached and haggled a 600yuan pair of boots down to 550yuan! Instantly, tio Perok, tita Rina and I were torn. On one side, we want to be compassionate to our fellow travelers and teach them the right way to do it. On the other side, we want to be fair to the salesladies who gave us really good prices. The second side won.

Today was basically all shopping. I was hoping for Tiananmen Square but tio Perok, who originally wanted to go with me, said it's ok not to after all. We went to Joy City to buy this necklace for men that's in fad. For 300-400 yuan, it's supposed to bring positive energy. Huwaaatttttt! It's the same as what Richard Gomez is wearing. It's a Chinese thing I'm sure.

The Joy City brings no joy actually. Everything is expensive. It's funny how tita Chona categorizes malls by "Ahhh, that one, no haggling. But that one is ok!" Hehehehe... Of course, the no-haggling zones are no-zones. Tita Rina and I were fascinated however by its escalator that starts at the first floor and goes all the way up to the fourth floor. It was very steep. We wanted to try it but we were in a hurry! Arghhh! Instead, we created a remembrance in a frame, ignoring the stares of passers-by.

*** Dinner and Decathlon break ***

Decathlon is a French brand sports megastore that sells quality products for any sport imaginable at favorable prices. Tio Perok and tita Rina, forever on a pledge to be more sporty, went on a shopping frenzy. They might have to play badminton, go biking, mountaineering and travel more if not for the want of the activity, but to make use of what they bought. I bought blue jelly shoes for the water at 69 yuan. I wanted to buy thermal jacket for only 49 yuan (around Php 350) but i freakin' didn't buy it. 

So anyway, earlier today, i made a lot of interesting buys at the Yashow Market. Somehow, in all the pleasure that this travel has given me, I don't feel like buying for myself everything I have so much strong inclinations to buy. What i didn't resist splurging on were (surprise! surprise!) books (at the fake bookstore -- or street corner book stall that tito Pao told me about). I bought 3 for myself, one for Bieni and one for Kyra as requested by tita Rina:

Jack Kerouac's On the Road - classic, as its summary claim and all the things/reviews/reference I've read about/on Jack Kerouac
Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita - another classic
Augusten Burroughs' Running w/ Scissors - recommended by Ida Mae

To be honest, I don't feel so bad about the splurge. I've never seen these books at the National Bookstore or even at Fully Booked. So excited to get started! They're my first fake books ever. Ha!

The little things I bought for myself are a pair of brown leggings, a Chinese-inspired wallet and gosh, that's it. I bought myself and treated everyone to ice cream at Cold Stone, an American ice cream franchise that Chloe and Yassy have been raving about.

Over-all it was a good day. I'm sorry to say but Mita's been fretting about airplane baggage and all, it's kinda sunshine-zipzapping
:)

 
livejournal doesn't make posting photos easy so i can only post little at a time.
above was taken at the train. it's cooool train. we stayed in a cabin for four, with two bunk beds and a cute coffee table. oh wait, i already described this is one of my Away from Wifi series.
 
the second photo was taken from the south wall of the VERY ENCHANTING WALLED CITY of Xi'an. Will post more soon. Kids pillow fighting while on Chinese lessons for Ate Ivi break.

new words:

tuo siao tien -- how much?
fu yan -- waitress
ping schwe -- water
ni hao ma -- how are you?
wo han haw -- im good
china li -- where is...

On the train to Xi'an

 

We are on the train to Xi'an! The facade of the Beijing West Railway Station  is among the MOST ENCHANTING i've ever seen, but it sucks because we never got to take photos. By naming it the Most Enchanting, i'm not stretching the worth of anything here. The facade is reminiscent of the temples at the Forbidden City. The roof design is the same but the building radiates a different glow, as in clearly different glow. Im still enchanted by the memory of it. I think I won't ever get over the fact that I don't have a picture memory of it.

 

Anyway, that's the update for now. We are just hanging out in our cabin, tinkering with our laptops -- tita Rina is copying photos from Tio Pao & my memory cards, tito Pao is editing photos and I'm pretending there's a wifi and finishing a post! 

 

A while ago, tita Rina dared me to ask our neighboring cabin mates if they know where the outlets are in the room. They suggested i carry the camera charger i wanted to plug in and wave it at them. I said, "Ok, I'll just greet 'Ni Hao' first." They told me to just wave it, no need for me to speak up. But i insisted, 'Let me use my Chinese!'" Haha so i did. The lady at the next cabin and the next are very warm. I give them my "Ni hao!" and "Poo Hai Isu!" and we're momentary friends!

 

*** My bed (upper bunk) in the train does not have a window view. I was hoping for window view so i can wake up to a view of the countryside. We arrive at Xi'an around 8 am tomorrow! Best part, this trip has been taken care of Mamita. Cool yeah?!?

If you want to see China in the present, go to Beijing.
If you want to see China in a few years, go to Hongkong or Shanghai.
If you want to see China in the past, go to Xi'an.

** It was also Chenchen who introduced us to the "happy room" (comfort room). 

 We're back from Xi'an. We took a little time around the dining table downstairs deciding where to go tomorrow. I voted for Tiananmen Square. Though my ankles are a bit weary of walking and i'm a little drowsy tonight to even imagine getting up by 7 tomorrow, I'd rather turn a blind eye to the discomfort than missing what could be my only chance to see this very historical place. We actually passed by it yesterday but there were too many people walking towards it. Tito Pao guessed it's for a Mao-worship session since Mao after all is revered here in China. People filled the pedestrian lanes in droves. The country is on a national day since October 1; as a result, the people are out and about. 

Tomorrow, we plan to finally step on the square, which tita Chona said, is all we really need to do. So we're off tomorrow to the square and for the rest of the day: shopping. You know what i'm so excited about? This bookstore tito Pao said sells fake books. FAKE BOOKs. I own fake cds and fake dvds. I want to own fake books as well. haha Tito Pao said they sell for more than 50% less than the original, first-hand books here in China. Hopefully, i'll go tomorrow.

There are so many stories to tell. When it comes to the most enchanting places I've ever seen, it's Boljoon that i always mention, specifically the entrance to the town after the curve. We turn this curve and the first we see is the World Heritage site enlisted Church. Well I think i found its match, in enchantingness, or even better. MUST BE SO MUCH BETTER. The walled city of Xi'an.

But im not telling anything tonight since i'm really sleepy. Early wake up call tomorrow again.

:)

 Ni Hao -- hello!
Toi pucci -- Sorry!
Pu Hao Si -- Excuse Me!
Sie sie -- Thank you!

** As much as possible, i dont want to say hello! Sorry! Excuse me! Thank you! But their versions in Chinese :)

 I don't understand why the Forbidden City is not as highly recognized as the Great Wall of China. Is it that the Great Wall of China is 3000++ miles long and that it's logistically more difficult to build a structure on top of a mountain? Or that it was built and died for by more people in such distressing circumstances?!? I did not check so I will ask, is it because at the time of its creation, the technology that made it possible was deemed out of this world? Do not mistake me, I was bowled over by the Great Wall. I just think that the Forbidden City deserves as much recognition and mention. Symmetry was the theme of the construction, from the front all the way to the last temple (pardon me for skipping names; i suck at them. in fact, tito Pao paid for an audio tour guide and assigned me to do the listening and relaying of information but i couldn't catch up so i passed it to tio Perok). The small details were not taken for granted. The ceilings, the rooftops were gorgeous. There is a design in all details, even in those that any person would normally ignore. It was just breath taking. Yeah, no exaggeration.

After the Forbidden City, we went to the Temple of Heaven. From the entrance, the first magnificent structure that can be seen is the altar for Good Harvest. It was MAGNIFICENT. I cant stop staring at it and taking pictures of it. Anyway, more on it later.

We are on our way to Xi'an, another Chinese province famous for the Terracotta warriors that four local farmers discovered in the late1970s. 
Maica and Iana are all raves about it so now Im excited. We're taking the 9 pm train and coming back here in Beijing, the plane tomorrow!

Ni Hao!


I actually gained a new respect for the color red and blue today because of the temples and halls that filled 

I took this photo in a moving car. I think this was after our lunch (first siomai in Beijing!) at this restaurant called (!) Alpha & Omega at the Pinnacle. Alpha & Omega. I don't understand either. It's really difficult if service men and women don't understand even the most basic of English. Tito Pao asked for soy sauce, then for soy, then for sauce, then gave up. The service lady walked away not knowing what to get her customer. But it was a good restaurant. Had my first siomai in the land where it originated from. We had plain siomai and it was very good even without the black sauce I'm used to back in the Philippines. Let me stress that. Back in the Philippines, I wouldn't eat siomai without black sauce. Yesterday, I ate siomai without sauce and it's good. We also had radish cake which is like potato hash. Yassy ordered sweet and sour pork which I have to say is the best i've tasted. 

And oh yeah, I'm abusing my little knowledge of eating chopsticks. It's always a mess but i insist. :)

BTW, Weeping Willow trees remind of one of my fave movies of all time, My Girl 1. Here's the poem Vada read in her poetry class after the death of her best friend, Thomas Jay. 

Weeping willow,

With your tears running down.

Why do you always weep and frown?

Is it because he left you one day?

Is it because he could not stay?

On your branches he would swing,

Do you long for the happiness,

That day would bring?

He found shelter in your shade,

You thought his laughter would never fade.

Weeping willow stop your tears,

For there is something to calm your fears.

You think death has ripped you forever apart,

But I know he’ll always be in your heart.

"Chloe, for whom did they build the Great Wall of China?"

"For the people of China, to protect them from invaders!"

"No! They built it for tourists! Look at all the people who are here at the Great Wall!"

"What?!?! Noooooooo! Before, tourists are called invaders!"

*** An ordinary conversation between sensible father and smarter daughter. 

 Yesterday, at the market in Mutianyu Great Wall, I bought Mao's little Red Book, not because I've been wanting to read one but because it's a famous piece of publication, and I felt wanting to get one from where it's from. I'm OA like that. Hehe and also that, I've started somewhat a trend in traveling in which I have to buy a book from every place I visit. Indeed, when I went to Australia, I bought with me I think 5 books (among those, Bill Bryson's brilliant Down Under, a travel journal about Australia!). When I went to Vigan, I bought 2 books. So, you get the point. I thought, "Maybe this is the only book I can buy." Tio Pao said bookstores in China are so expensive so he actually had some brought from the Philippines. He mentioned though about a bookstore that sells fake books, like fake DVDs. He said it's always good copy; the front cover almost a mirror to the original one. Just think good DVD, except that it's a book. Wahhh, have to get one of those. I've never really heard of a fake book, you know. Maybe just photocopied books.

So that little Red book i bought for 20 yuan, down from 50 yuan. My very first purchase, and I succeeded at haggling for 30 yuan discount. Whoohoo!!! Tita Rina taught me to always always give your price and do not abide by theirs. If they won't take it, slowly walk away. If they follow you, then that means your price is OK. But if they don't follow you, that means your price is ridiculously low. 

Tita Rina was eyeing dried walnuts with sesame seeds that sold for 15 yuan for a small bag. She haggled it down to 5 yuan but the saleslady wouldn't budge, 10 yuan final. Tita Rina walked away, assuming the lady would follow her, but the lady didn't. Since tita Rina was really craving for some, she went back. She said "You're not supposed to cave, but this is a rare case." She really wanted some walnuts with sesame seeds. HAHA!

I also bought 5 porcelian bracelets (porcelain, i think) for 10 yuan each. I was able to haggle for 10 yuan discount. Whoohoo!

Ok, this is it for now. Have to hit the shower!

 Guess what i was SUPER SURPRISED but happy at the same time to see in droves here in Beijing? Willow trees!
Somehow, I'm very fascinated by them. 

Anyway, more stories and photos to follow. It's 1:31 and i have to sleep. For tomorrow, we're going to the Forbidden City (oh schrap, wanted to read about it!!!) then will take the evening train to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors in the evening. Ooooh!

 Have I mentioned that FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and BLOGGER are all banned in China? Yes, they are. I first learned of this when Bianca Gonzales posted it in her Twitter. Now, I'm experiencing it. Tito Pao in fact had to hack his way to Facebook to get access to it. I asked tito Pao if that doesn't bother the people of China and he said, "Nganu, mamatay ang tao kung dili maka-Facebook?" So sarcastic but characteristic of him. But i wasn't only asking about Facebook. I was asking about the general idea of social media being blocked by the Chinese government. He further noted that CNN, the news channel, is allowed in China but the news are filtered first before shown to the people. He said that the Chinese government don't really care what comes out of China's underground news agency as it cares about what comes in and will trigger people to rebel, as if they are not rebelling enough. Tito Pao talked about this like he deems it's perfectly normal. That it's what China needs to control its population of 1 billion. He said that China is still communist in many ways but Capitalist with its economy. It is an advantage. This breeds in the Chinese people love for the country like no other he's encountered, he said. "If you ask anybody on the street if they'd die for China, they'd say yes." He said that in China (but I guess he was really talking about Beijing in particular), nation comes before family. NATION over values. And yes, that's perfectly normal. He blames the Filipino ties-that-bind as one significant root of the slow or no progress at all of the Philippines. I cannot reconcile the tito Pao that talks this way and the tito Pao who is as devoted to his family as any husband and father i see back in the Philippines. 

This only appeared to me later and not during our conversation, which is very unfortunate, but what tito Pao just told me -- about the Chinese government controlling the information that comes in -- is kind of parallel to "The Animal Farm" by George Orwell and well, North Korea. In the Animal Farm, Napoleon was able to control his fellow animals in the farm because of false and fabricated words, and the animals didn't care enough to check the outside world if what's happening in their farm is normal. In North Korea, well we know what's happening there. 

Anyway, have to stop this. Suddenly, I felt paranoia. What if this blog gets somebody's attention?

*** Culturally however, I am amazed. Beijing is amazing. They rhyme!

"Everything you'll ever need is here in Beijing. But home is still Manila."

Ikea is a crazy place. It makes me want to build my own home, or get my own apartment. As in, NOW NA. 

After dinner tonight, our most gracious hostess tita Chona brought all of us (Mita, tita Rina, me, Yassy and Chloe) to Ikea while the boys (tito Pao & tio Perok) watched an international tennis game between a Chinaman and a European -- about w/c tito Pao said, "Well, we'll only really be shouting along with the crowd, 'Chongku Chayo!' which means literally: 'China, add gas!' and figuratively 'China, Go!'". 

As it turned out, tonight's a busy day for the Beijing branch of the Swedish home, furniture and lifestyle megastore since 1) it's a holiday and 2) there's a big sale. It's an organized mess. Organized because as I saw it, the people were moving about in the same direction. A mess because there were too many people. But it wasn't an annoying kind of mess or that sort. It actually felt like Christmas, except that there are no Christmas lights and ornaments.

Mamita of course went on a frenzy. I only bought 2 items -- for mother. One a crocheted rack for scarves and what-nots and 6 pieces of simple yet elite plastic glasses which I'm sure would pass mother's taste. There were others I wanted to buy but decided not to at the last minute -- one a cool lampshade for pops and then LOUD RED, heart-shaped cutting boards. Anyway, tita Rina and I are planning to go back on our last day. I love it there!

There are still a lot of stories. I don't think I can catch up so I'll let the pictures do the talking. For now, I have this. 
This is among my favorite photos taken today, this particular one by tita Rina. Sorry i didn't make the effort to rotate it. But yeah, that's a part of the lengthy (what an understatement) Great Wall of China behind me.

SPECTACULAR.

Back from the village "far" park. It's gorgeous there. There's also a "near" park that's smaller. The kids - Chloe & Yassy - have categorized them based on their distance from their gorgeous home. Well, in the case of the village where their house is, it is safe for me to generalize that everything is gorgeous. EVERYTHING. I don't even have to step out of the house to see gorgeous. But I want to. The weather is good outside. It's sunny, but the air is cold as the aircon at low cool setting. There are well-defined and clean sidewalks that we can walk on without looking left and right for wayward drivers. The cars are mandated to drive slowly. There is security everywhere, composed of thin Chinese men that look young and fresh out of college, or high school, whichever they were able to afford to finish. I saw a woman just this afternoon. They look crisp in their blue uniforms, a stand out color in the sea of orange and beige that color all the houses in this posh village. And they ride their bikes. Among the coolest things I find of worth to note is how many people prefer getting to places in bikes. And they don't have new, modern bikes. These are rusty, silver, metal bikes, with a basket in front. You see them parked in many everywhere, even in the midst of malls that sell Cartier, etc etc. It is so cool.

Anyway, have to go. Dinner and out.