3/2/12
We Managed to get our luggage after 5 months down to 2 suit cases, one manbag (computer bag) one backpack, and one Coles bag no Walmart bag full of Walmart food for the 14 hr over night train trip to Guangzhou. Struggling to the train station within walking distance of our hotel ( I didn't say anything about the weight) we managed to find the train number. At this point a lady in a red vest babbled something in Chinese over and over again. We figured out it was something to do with our luggage and we did see guys with red vest outside the station with luggage trolleys but she did not have a luggage trolley. We decide she was legit and decided to trust what ever she wanted to do. OH did i say there was a cost verbilized , there is always a cost , 30¥ about $5.
Whatever she wanted to do with our luggage that was well overweight for a plane we thought we would go for it BUT stay fairly close to her as to keep an eye on it. After telling her hao de.( Yes OK ) she snatched both suit cases , we were struggling pulling one each and forced her way through the crowds as Chinese people do But she was an expert. Rolling suit cases in each hand (Wayne's was extra heavy , he had bought MORE books) she headed for the platform.
As you know train travellers you have to go up or down to reach a platform number. It was Up this time, Wayne and I still struggling to catch up with her she lifted Wayne's suitcase with an all mighty grunt onto her shoulder picked up my suit case and proceeded to haul these two heavy cases up the flight of steps. There is not many ramps for suit cases at chinese train stations and if there is only one ramp for people going up the steps and the same ramp for people coming down the steps AND the stairs are so steep you have to push it down the ramp to hold onto it , NOT drag in behind you because it runs away from you. Travel tip 101 when travelling in china.
This amazing women got to the top well before me struggling with a mere backpack and the all important Walmart food bag ( dinner , breakfast and snacks).
She then pushed her way to the carriage , points to us to show our tickets to the conductor and took our baggage to the cabin area and placed in into position beneath the beds. Wonder Women . Wayne gave me his manbag to hold while he got out his wallet and we decided she got us onto the train so efficiently and quickly she was given ¥50 . She was sooooo happy and so were we. If you havent travelled by train before especially at spring festival time you will not understand the pushing and shoving that goes on for the best spot on the luggage rack for your suit cases.
This ¥50 has to be the best ¥50 we have ever spent on our travels here in China.
PS a photo was impossible she moved to quickly and two many people to navigate.
Next stop.....Guangzhou train station then taxi to Guangzhou airport for flight to KL
Hangzhou Study Tour 2011-2012
Saturday 4 February 2012
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Our last few days in China
Monday morning 30th January we handed over the keys to our apartment to a lovely young couple Melanie and Brian from America. They had been living in the cold university dormitories for a few months. They were very appreciative of our offer to take over our apartment having an open ended stay in China.They will be sharing with a friend of theirs they met on campus Kath who at present is holidaying back in London. Mel and Brian were thrilled with their find as we left most things in the apartment for them. There was no trouble with the landlord as she was happy not to have searched for another tenant. All in all everyone was happy and we will keep in touch to see how their adventure and studies go.
After saying our goodbyes to Melanie at the gate we caught a taxi to the train station for a 7hour trip to xiamen for a 4 day climatization holiday (it is warmer in xiamen) before heading to Guangzhou for a flight home on Friday/Saturday. Our ebike was also sold the day before we left to another American friend who's own push bike was stolen recently. Tricia you have gone up In the world of bikes. I never rode that bike but it was pretty cruisy being the passenger. Safe travels Tricia ans Ali and on our very handy ebike.
1/2/12
Today we visited a Chengqu earth building we have wanted to go to this area for a while. We took a four hour bus trip 180klm from Xiamen and had an amazing day for about $23 with lunch and entry fee included. This village has a history of three hundred years and a building style common to the Hakka people found in the south of China.These houses in this village are unique in style and sometimes referred to as Tulou buildings ( often round in shape) and were inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2008. One of the buildings we saw , in it's day had over 400 rooms, housed 80families totalling over 600 people living in this building , dubbed the "the king of the round buildings".
These antique mountain villages are attracting the whole world. The tourists visiting today were an indication of the interest in Chinese traditional cultural spirit and atmosphere recognized by countless visitors.The construction and restoration to make the round houses accessible to the public is astounding. This amazing place is definatly worth the round trip from Xiamen or better still an overnight stay to take in more than one village.
Earthen dwelling of the Hakka people.
Fujian province
In Yongding one can still find the Earthen Dwellings of the Hakka people. The unadorned tu lou are either round or square, and huge (10-17 metres high and were designed as a fortress and apartment building in one. The structures typically had only one entranceway and no windows at ground level. Each floor served a different function - the first hosts a well and livestock, the second is for food storage and the third and higher floors contain living spaces for several hundred people.
Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scenes of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses. The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).
Hakkas' unique houses - Tu lou ( earthen buildings of Hakkas )
The Hakka who settled in Fujian province developed unique architectural buildings called tu lou, literally meaning "earthen structures". Because they were latecomers to the area, Hakka set up homes in often undesirable mountainous regions and were subject to attack from bandits and marauders.
What is special for the earthen round buildings:
• Natural beauty of the colour of the earth wall and interior wood structure
• Unique and original architecture: unadorned, huge (10-17metres high ) and in different shape (square, round and oval and quinquangular) with different rings of round houses within.
• Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scence of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses
• The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).
Www.hakkatulou.com
After saying our goodbyes to Melanie at the gate we caught a taxi to the train station for a 7hour trip to xiamen for a 4 day climatization holiday (it is warmer in xiamen) before heading to Guangzhou for a flight home on Friday/Saturday. Our ebike was also sold the day before we left to another American friend who's own push bike was stolen recently. Tricia you have gone up In the world of bikes. I never rode that bike but it was pretty cruisy being the passenger. Safe travels Tricia ans Ali and on our very handy ebike.
1/2/12
Today we visited a Chengqu earth building we have wanted to go to this area for a while. We took a four hour bus trip 180klm from Xiamen and had an amazing day for about $23 with lunch and entry fee included. This village has a history of three hundred years and a building style common to the Hakka people found in the south of China.These houses in this village are unique in style and sometimes referred to as Tulou buildings ( often round in shape) and were inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2008. One of the buildings we saw , in it's day had over 400 rooms, housed 80families totalling over 600 people living in this building , dubbed the "the king of the round buildings".
These antique mountain villages are attracting the whole world. The tourists visiting today were an indication of the interest in Chinese traditional cultural spirit and atmosphere recognized by countless visitors.The construction and restoration to make the round houses accessible to the public is astounding. This amazing place is definatly worth the round trip from Xiamen or better still an overnight stay to take in more than one village.
Earthen dwelling of the Hakka people.
Fujian province
In Yongding one can still find the Earthen Dwellings of the Hakka people. The unadorned tu lou are either round or square, and huge (10-17 metres high and were designed as a fortress and apartment building in one. The structures typically had only one entranceway and no windows at ground level. Each floor served a different function - the first hosts a well and livestock, the second is for food storage and the third and higher floors contain living spaces for several hundred people.
Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scenes of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses. The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).
Hakkas' unique houses - Tu lou ( earthen buildings of Hakkas )
The Hakka who settled in Fujian province developed unique architectural buildings called tu lou, literally meaning "earthen structures". Because they were latecomers to the area, Hakka set up homes in often undesirable mountainous regions and were subject to attack from bandits and marauders.
What is special for the earthen round buildings:
• Natural beauty of the colour of the earth wall and interior wood structure
• Unique and original architecture: unadorned, huge (10-17metres high ) and in different shape (square, round and oval and quinquangular) with different rings of round houses within.
• Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scence of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses
• The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).
Www.hakkatulou.com
Saturday 28 January 2012
My Last day in Hangzhou
My Last day in Hangzhou
Sunday 29th January off to Xiamen tomorrow
I have not got enough paper to write down my experiences in china.
We have had 4 lots of visitors stay with us over the past five months.
Les and Valmai. .... Wayne's brother and wife
Sheila Overton...... My mother
Chanelle and Adam ...our daughter and fiancé
Denise Duboulay.... Chris friend.
I hope their experience of china was as amazing as ours. They all said that china was not what they expected.
We tried to show them all a diverse china. Les and Valmai came at an extremely busy time in China so it was a learning curve for us too Never again will I travel in national week . Even though it was an experience it was one I really don't want to happen again. We took in too much too quickly with 1 billion others.
Mums visit taught us alot about Chinese hospitals, seeing as she was unwell and in hospital for 5 days. So she was thrown into the culture on a different level. She has plenty of stories to tell about her adventure. It also was a pre run for my unexpected day surgery. We knew what to do and where to go and I was able to have a day op within 3days of diagnosis. All went smoothly and we couldn't fault the care at the Sir RunRun International hospital.
Chanelle and Adam's trip was very short. They came to Hangzhou for 3 days then we all went to Shanghai for the Aussie new year for 2 days after that we helped them board a train to Xian. We did heaps of exploring in their short time with us and enjoyed their company immensely. Adam wore a winter hat and gloves for the first time and Chanelle learnt to bye subway tickets at the enormous stations in Shanghai.
Denise came for two weeks and everything was Amazing, with being a fairly new traveller she adapted to the food, culture and language with an open mind.
I loved having her with us even if Wayne did say we never shut up. I had some serious English to let out.
My stay has been quite different than I imagined. After many interviews for a job that wouldn't interfere with our travel plans I managed to volunteer at a school that I could see from our apartment window. There I made many friends and became recognized around this community. Many a time walking for pleasure I came across locals that would say, "Ni hao "laoshi" hello teacher.
I did dancing lessons at the beginning of our stay until it got to cold to get out of bed and thoroughly enjoyed the music, company and exercise.
With NO Chinese language I have done really well. I now can recognize some words and even some characters. I managed to go to the markets by myself , get into taxi's and give instructions, (charades comes in very handy). I also managed to take many a bus to various places. I think we have walked most streets in Hangzhou sometimes I would get a little disorientated, but that's a girly thing. I know where all the best toilets are .... ie clean western style with paper.
This university in Hangzhou is an international university I cannot tell you how many people I have met from all over the world. My Facebook is looking quite diverse.
The culture here is very different. Being an independent thinker, a wife and a mother of three very independent children and a grandmother of children being raised with the same independentsy it is very, very hard for me to get my head around this culture.
My time here with Wayne has been great. His chinese has improved , there was not many times he got frustrated with the language (iPod came in handy a couple of times) . He has also taught me alot about this country some good, some not so good. whether I agree or disagree with the way things are done around here it makes no difference. It is the CHINESE WAY and most of the time I don't know if they know what and why they are doing things but it is how it has been done in china and has been DONE the same for many years .It is THEIR WAY . When you think you have it figured out you haven't IT IS CHINESE LOGIC it is just the way it has to be here.
My thoughts are with the internet and technology and so many young people travelling and westerners visiting China this has to have an effect on the future generations.
Ps I have not cooked or put domestic duties to the fore front for five months.
My time here has been very relaxing and I cannot count the number of foot massages we have had. We have eaten at one or two restaurants most days and sent many boxes home with valuable stuff for me. Wayne has looked after our interests and spoilt me very much. To balance university and holidaying has been tricky at times but he managed to do it in style.
To everyone reading this, go easy on me when I get home. I am going to have reverse culture shock I know it. It is going to take me awhile to ease back into western culture and I am going to love it...........
2012 Year of the Dragon
Get ready for the great dragon baby boom
ALTHOUGH dragons may scare some people, many young Chinese couples are determined to have a child this year despite pressures their offspring may face in coming years.
A doctor in Hong Kong expects a 5 percent rise in births in the Year of the Dragon. Shanghai is expecting 180,000 dragon babies this year.
Maternity wards in Shanghai's hospitals were crowded during the Chinese New Year holiday.
At the 10th People's Hospital, more than 40 babies were born during the first five days of the lunar New Year. Medical workers were forced to put extra beds in every maternity ward to accommodate the new mothers and babies.
Zhou Wen said her son's birth in the Year of the Dragon was a surprise. "He was due about a week before the New Year. I think he'll bring us good luck, as the dragon is a symbol of wisdom and bravery."
Zhou and her husband named the child Wang Zhoulin, with "lin" meaning "dragon." The same character has been given to several other "dragon babies" born at the same hospital.
In Beijing, every bed at the city's Maternity Hospital has been booked through August. The hospital has decided to limit expectant mothers to 1,000 every month in order to ensure space in the delivery room when their babies are due.
Li Jing, an expectant mother in Jinan, eastern Shandong Province, is already fed up with having to wait several hours for a prenatal check.
"I sort of 'planned' for the baby to be born in the Year of the Dragon, because the whole family believes a dragon baby is auspicious," said Li, who is due in April.
"But so many dragon babies are due this year. It will be hard for them to enter kindergartens and schools in a couple of years," she said.
Li has good reason to worry, as all the recent baby booms, which happened in 2000, the last Year of the Dragon, the auspicious year of the "Golden Pig" in 2007 and in 2008, the year China hosted the Olympics, were followed by shortages in resources ranging from available delivery room beds to openings at kindergartens and primary schools.
Jinan-based office worker Yang Qin remembered having to offer "deal sweeteners" to a kindergarten chief, and then to a primary school principal, to secure a place for her daughter, who was born in 2000.
In Beijing, some "Olympic babies" have been waiting to enter kindergarten, despite the government's efforts over the past two years to open more kindergartens.
A doctor in Hong Kong expects a 5 percent rise in births in the Year of the Dragon. Shanghai is expecting 180,000 dragon babies this year.
Maternity wards in Shanghai's hospitals were crowded during the Chinese New Year holiday.
At the 10th People's Hospital, more than 40 babies were born during the first five days of the lunar New Year. Medical workers were forced to put extra beds in every maternity ward to accommodate the new mothers and babies.
Zhou Wen said her son's birth in the Year of the Dragon was a surprise. "He was due about a week before the New Year. I think he'll bring us good luck, as the dragon is a symbol of wisdom and bravery."
Zhou and her husband named the child Wang Zhoulin, with "lin" meaning "dragon." The same character has been given to several other "dragon babies" born at the same hospital.
In Beijing, every bed at the city's Maternity Hospital has been booked through August. The hospital has decided to limit expectant mothers to 1,000 every month in order to ensure space in the delivery room when their babies are due.
Li Jing, an expectant mother in Jinan, eastern Shandong Province, is already fed up with having to wait several hours for a prenatal check.
"I sort of 'planned' for the baby to be born in the Year of the Dragon, because the whole family believes a dragon baby is auspicious," said Li, who is due in April.
"But so many dragon babies are due this year. It will be hard for them to enter kindergartens and schools in a couple of years," she said.
Li has good reason to worry, as all the recent baby booms, which happened in 2000, the last Year of the Dragon, the auspicious year of the "Golden Pig" in 2007 and in 2008, the year China hosted the Olympics, were followed by shortages in resources ranging from available delivery room beds to openings at kindergartens and primary schools.
Jinan-based office worker Yang Qin remembered having to offer "deal sweeteners" to a kindergarten chief, and then to a primary school principal, to secure a place for her daughter, who was born in 2000.
In Beijing, some "Olympic babies" have been waiting to enter kindergarten, despite the government's efforts over the past two years to open more kindergartens.
from Shanghai Daily
Friday 6 January 2012
Surviving in Hangzhou with no Chinese language skills.
I found this interesting blog recently ,written by Michelle Chu in My Beijing Survival Diary and it portrayed our stay here in Hangzhou so well I thought it worth reposting.
Surviving in China Without Speaking Chinese
Some expats come to China to learn the culture and language. They take Mandarin courses in school, learn about China’s extensive history, and come ready to be immersed in a Chinese environment. And then there are other expats who think that the Chinese culture is intriguing, and take off on a plane to the land of the unknown, no preparation needed, so they think.
From my firsthand observation, it is, in fact, possible to survive Beijing without speaking a word of Mandarin. My roommate is the perfect example. She has been here ten months and barely speaks any Chinese. Yet she is able to get around, take taxis to different places around Beijing, order food, and get delivery from the nearby supermarket. Is it because China’s education has improved exponentially, so that suddenly every Chinese citizen knows how to speak fluent English? Or is it because my roommate has a tiny Chinese leprechaun living in her ear, translating everything for her everywhere she goes? The answer, as you may be surprised to find out, is none of the above. The reason why my English-speaking only roommate can survive in the Chinese world is the reason why so many of us get ahead in jobs we’re significantly unqualified for: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
Tip #1: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And who you know is preferably a Chinese speaker.
I’ve found that a lot of meals with expats are spent in bars, lounges, cafes, pizza parlors, etc. You get the picture. Places that cater to English-speaking customers. Which means that at least one person in that restaurant will be able to speak decent, if not comprehensible, English. That solves the food problem. What if you want a midnight snack but don’t walk to walk to the nearby supermarket (which delivers for free)? For this situation, and others, I would suggest living with someone who speaks Chinese, ideally a local. Hopefully this person is laid back and doesn’t mind calling for you every once in a while.
Tip #2: For local food, picture menus are your best friend.
While hanging out with some American friends yesterday, one friend mentioned that when she first arrived in Beijing, she wouldn’t eat at a local Chinese restaurant unless it had pictures to accompany its menu. I totally understand. Even if the menu has English, but no pictures, who knows what you’re getting when you order the “Chicken Slaps the Random Flower Sop.” If you’re tired of eating all Western food in a country with so many varieties of Chinese food, eating like a local is definitely possible without speaking like a local. I would suggest learning basic Chinese (like, a Chinese kid starting to talk basic). 这个“zhe ge” means “This one.” So all you have to do is point at the dishes you want and say “zhe ge.” Over time, you’ll discover which dishes are your favorites, and if you learn how to say a few dishes in Chinese, you’ll always have something to fall back on whether or not the menu has pictures.
Tip #3: Save text messages of important locations in Chinese.
From what I’ve seen of the expat life, routine can tend to look something like this: work, Sanlitun, home, repeat (during weekdays), Wudaokou, home, Sanlitun, home, repeat (weekends). Not to say that it’s every expat’s routine. But places like Sanlitun and Wudaokou are definitely well-frequented by foreigners. So why not get your Chinese-literate friend to text 三里屯 “san li tun” and 五道口 “wu dao kou,” or other places you go quite often, in Chinese? Then, all you have to do is show it to the taxi driver! No language exchange needed. Another option is if you’re going to a specific restaurant, call the restaurant when you’re in the taxi and have them speak directly to the driver.
While I don’t condone finding a way to survive in China without learning any of the language at all, these are just a few tips for those who find themselves overwhelmed in a foreign country.
posted by Christine
Christine is not giving herslef enough credit because she actually knows many chinese words, for example
你好 nihao hello
浙江大学 zhejiang daxue - uni
西溪路 xixi lu 玉古路 yugu lu （ street names where we live）
小心 xiaoxin take care
对 dui yes
多少 duoshao how much
没有 meiyou dont have
不要 buyao dont want
真的 zhende really？
斤 jin half kilo
牛奶 nuinai milk
苹果 pingguo apple
不喜欢 bu xihuan dont like
五楼 wu lou fifth floor （ the lift tells
her this every day）
一二三四五六七八九是 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
这个 zhe ge this one
两个 lian ge two （ of these）
其肉 qirou （ chicken meat）
牛肉 nuirou （ beef）
红茶 hongcha （ tea ）
后门 houmen back gate of uni
谢谢你 xie xie ni thank you
红色 hongse red
蓝色 lanse blue
黑色 heise black
with these basic words and much laughter along with many hand gestures ( not those ones!! ) Christine is able to communicate very well
Christine is not giving herslef enough credit because she actually knows many chinese words, for example
你好 nihao hello
浙江大学 zhejiang daxue - uni
西溪路 xixi lu 玉古路 yugu lu （ street names where we live）
小心 xiaoxin take care
对 dui yes
多少 duoshao how much
没有 meiyou dont have
不要 buyao dont want
真的 zhende really？
斤 jin half kilo
牛奶 nuinai milk
苹果 pingguo apple
不喜欢 bu xihuan dont like
五楼 wu lou fifth floor （ the lift tells
her this every day）
一二三四五六七八九是 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
这个 zhe ge this one
两个 lian ge two （ of these）
其肉 qirou （ chicken meat）
牛肉 nuirou （ beef）
红茶 hongcha （ tea ）
后门 houmen back gate of uni
谢谢你 xie xie ni thank you
红色 hongse red
蓝色 lanse blue
黑色 heise black
with these basic words and much laughter along with many hand gestures ( not those ones!! ) Christine is able to communicate very well
Wednesday 4 January 2012
Adam and Chanelle's short visit to Hangzhou and Shanghai
Tuesday 27th December..... arrived 10.35 pm
Wednesday 28 th December
After a quick breakfast we walked our visitors to our local market via the local park to buy some leg warmers followed by a scenic walk through the university to a ticket office to get train tickets to Shanghai and Xian. The ticket line was very long so decided to go via the bakery and buy a cream puff and coffee. Priorities
An hour or so later they were treated to the canteen food for lunch at Uni to see the process of feeding the hoards. Wayne then went to class at 1pm and I took them on the bus to have a look at the West Lake, after footing it for a while we then paid for a ride in an E.car. ( a large golf buggy) for the next hour circling the beautiful West Lake.
Star bucks was next on our list , NO Adams list and decided to catch the crowded bus home in the early evening coldness. For dinner tonight we thought we would give them a cultural experience and take them over the road to our favorite outdoor local BBQ trolley. They were a hit with our local friends everyone one commenting on how pretty Chanelle was , of course I told them she takes after her mumma in my limited Chinese which they thought was very funny.
Back across the road again for Coffee and hot chocolate with our chinese friend Jingli in a civilized cafe after subjecting them to the fresh air. Early nite.
Thursday 29th December. 2011
Walked and had breakfast at a street vendor early, Wayne woke us up because he had a class at 8am then we caught a taxi to the Linjing temple . Not so easy when the guide (me) leaves the Chinese instructions at home. Anyway with ME knowing the way and Adam's praying hands indicating the Temple we arrived easily.
After taking many beautiful photos and taking in the serenity of the temple grounds we were off to the China tea museum by taxi. Luckily it was right next to the restaurant that we were going to for lunch,I had a menu in my bag to show the taxi driver and managed to get the taxi to go a little further past the restaurant to the museum for the tea tasting. The tasting took about 35 min then a short walk to The Green Tea Restauarant where we met Wayne and Rebecca ( who by the way can speak to a taxi drivers in Chinese ) for lunch.
One of the restaurant's signature dishes is Bread Temptation. Hot bread, cold ice cream!!!!!
We caught the bus back to the apartment because 5 people don't fit in a taxi to re - dress for the outdoor evenings event. About 4.30 caught a bus to buy the tickets for the nights performance on the lake then a taxi to a well known market for a few hours. Where Adam and Chanelle bought a cosy winter hat. A taxi back to the night performance on the lake, a star bucks coffee then Chanelle and I got out our Nanna blankets for the outside performance. Spectacular sight "Impressions on West Lake".
Friday 30th December 2011
Wayne went to uni in the morning at 8am so we decided to walk to my school and be entertained by the daily ritual of the very small students doing their exercises to music which lasted about 15 min. We then climbed on a bus for a short ride to Yellow Dragon Cave.
Where we took many more lovely photos after a quick visit to Walmart and Mcdonalds and a short walk back to the apartment. After grabbing our bags and meeting up with Wayne we managed to hail a taxi and set off for the fast train to Shanghai.
Arriving at Shanghai station in the afternoon we then caught the subway to our hotel. The evening was spent just taking in the enormity and the colour of Nanjing road the main shopping road in Shanghai. By the way it is said there could be as many as 1 million visitors on any Saturday or Sunday.
This was proven on New Years Day. Never seen so many people in one place at the same time. The temperature for your info was 5 degrees that evening. There is a huge temperature gauge for all to see in the mall.
Saturday 31st December 2011
Off to the World Trade Finance centre for a sky walk. Wayne and I had been there before so we shopped and had coffee in the tower while Adam and Chanelle walked the walk 100 floors above ground level. We then proceeded to walk to Yuyuan gardens a huge market set in what used to be the old city. Gorgeous buildings lots of atmosphere and plenty of things to buy especially Chinese new year decorations. RED EVERYWHERE.
We wondered back to the hotel about 4ish and rested before the new years evening. 7pm Walked to our restaurant on the very famous and very busy Bund. Taking In the lights , huge crowds and the atmosphere.
"M" on the Bund our restaurant by the way was booked 6 months ago for the best position on new years eve ,it was amazing on the 7th floor overlooking absolutely everything that was going on AWESOME.Staggered home about 1pm and met Adam and Chanelle The next morning for a late breakfast at Costa coffee where we used wifi to send our New Year Happies.
Sunday 1st January 2012
We decided we had enough time to see the Chinese expo sight and caught the train a few stops to take in more of a taste of China.
The Chinese Pavilion was hosting an art exhibition so most of it was out of bounds so we bought tickets to see the Saudi Arabia exhibition which when the expo was on last year the lines were 4 hours long. No waiting today , straight in once we figured out where and how to buy tickets. Spectacular, it was an IMAX theatre which was set in a sphere (globe shape) you were on a slow moving curved escalator inside the sphere and the image was moving quite fast. Travel sickness hit and My eyes were closed the faster the image on the sphere moved.
Back to Nanjing road on the train and headed for Haagen Daz an ice cream experience. We shared an ice cream fondue YUM. About 7 degrees outside but the weather isn't an issue with ice cream.
We escorted Adam and Chanelle to the main train station about 7pm where we said our goodbyes they then caught the over night train to Xian for 3 day onto Beijing before they headed for a warmer part of the world Vietnam.
What a great time we had showing them around China in the few days we had with them we covered alot of cultural experiences at a relaxing pace. Bon Voy Age and we will see them in a month.
Posted by Chris
Wednesday 28 th December
After a quick breakfast we walked our visitors to our local market via the local park to buy some leg warmers followed by a scenic walk through the university to a ticket office to get train tickets to Shanghai and Xian. The ticket line was very long so decided to go via the bakery and buy a cream puff and coffee. Priorities
An hour or so later they were treated to the canteen food for lunch at Uni to see the process of feeding the hoards. Wayne then went to class at 1pm and I took them on the bus to have a look at the West Lake, after footing it for a while we then paid for a ride in an E.car. ( a large golf buggy) for the next hour circling the beautiful West Lake.
Star bucks was next on our list , NO Adams list and decided to catch the crowded bus home in the early evening coldness. For dinner tonight we thought we would give them a cultural experience and take them over the road to our favorite outdoor local BBQ trolley. They were a hit with our local friends everyone one commenting on how pretty Chanelle was , of course I told them she takes after her mumma in my limited Chinese which they thought was very funny.
Back across the road again for Coffee and hot chocolate with our chinese friend Jingli in a civilized cafe after subjecting them to the fresh air. Early nite.
Thursday 29th December. 2011
Walked and had breakfast at a street vendor early, Wayne woke us up because he had a class at 8am then we caught a taxi to the Linjing temple . Not so easy when the guide (me) leaves the Chinese instructions at home. Anyway with ME knowing the way and Adam's praying hands indicating the Temple we arrived easily.
After taking many beautiful photos and taking in the serenity of the temple grounds we were off to the China tea museum by taxi. Luckily it was right next to the restaurant that we were going to for lunch,I had a menu in my bag to show the taxi driver and managed to get the taxi to go a little further past the restaurant to the museum for the tea tasting. The tasting took about 35 min then a short walk to The Green Tea Restauarant where we met Wayne and Rebecca ( who by the way can speak to a taxi drivers in Chinese ) for lunch.
One of the restaurant's signature dishes is Bread Temptation. Hot bread, cold ice cream!!!!!
We caught the bus back to the apartment because 5 people don't fit in a taxi to re - dress for the outdoor evenings event. About 4.30 caught a bus to buy the tickets for the nights performance on the lake then a taxi to a well known market for a few hours. Where Adam and Chanelle bought a cosy winter hat. A taxi back to the night performance on the lake, a star bucks coffee then Chanelle and I got out our Nanna blankets for the outside performance. Spectacular sight "Impressions on West Lake".
Friday 30th December 2011
Wayne went to uni in the morning at 8am so we decided to walk to my school and be entertained by the daily ritual of the very small students doing their exercises to music which lasted about 15 min. We then climbed on a bus for a short ride to Yellow Dragon Cave.
Where we took many more lovely photos after a quick visit to Walmart and Mcdonalds and a short walk back to the apartment. After grabbing our bags and meeting up with Wayne we managed to hail a taxi and set off for the fast train to Shanghai.
Arriving at Shanghai station in the afternoon we then caught the subway to our hotel. The evening was spent just taking in the enormity and the colour of Nanjing road the main shopping road in Shanghai. By the way it is said there could be as many as 1 million visitors on any Saturday or Sunday.
This was proven on New Years Day. Never seen so many people in one place at the same time. The temperature for your info was 5 degrees that evening. There is a huge temperature gauge for all to see in the mall.
Saturday 31st December 2011
We wondered back to the hotel about 4ish and rested before the new years evening. 7pm Walked to our restaurant on the very famous and very busy Bund. Taking In the lights , huge crowds and the atmosphere.
"M" on the Bund our restaurant by the way was booked 6 months ago for the best position on new years eve ,it was amazing on the 7th floor overlooking absolutely everything that was going on AWESOME.Staggered home about 1pm and met Adam and Chanelle The next morning for a late breakfast at Costa coffee where we used wifi to send our New Year Happies.
Sunday 1st January 2012
We decided we had enough time to see the Chinese expo sight and caught the train a few stops to take in more of a taste of China.
The Chinese Pavilion was hosting an art exhibition so most of it was out of bounds so we bought tickets to see the Saudi Arabia exhibition which when the expo was on last year the lines were 4 hours long. No waiting today , straight in once we figured out where and how to buy tickets. Spectacular, it was an IMAX theatre which was set in a sphere (globe shape) you were on a slow moving curved escalator inside the sphere and the image was moving quite fast. Travel sickness hit and My eyes were closed the faster the image on the sphere moved.
Back to Nanjing road on the train and headed for Haagen Daz an ice cream experience. We shared an ice cream fondue YUM. About 7 degrees outside but the weather isn't an issue with ice cream.
We escorted Adam and Chanelle to the main train station about 7pm where we said our goodbyes they then caught the over night train to Xian for 3 day onto Beijing before they headed for a warmer part of the world Vietnam.
What a great time we had showing them around China in the few days we had with them we covered alot of cultural experiences at a relaxing pace. Bon Voy Age and we will see them in a month.
Posted by Chris
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