Alissa and China

Hey Everyone,

Well I have left China and am about to be in Japan. I think it is time for you to here about all the great things I did during my six days in China. For the first day in China, I had no plans so Alex, Joanne, Kevin, the academic dean Mike, and I walked around Kowloon and Hong Kong. Kowloon is across a short waterway from Hong Kong and it is where the ship docked. It was very interesting because in order to enter the port from the ship, we had to walk through a massive mall. It seems like a great way to attract shoppers. We walked around for an hour or two on the Kowloon side because Alex was trying to find a camera for hopefully a cheaper price. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful and will have to wait until he is back in the U.S. to buy a camera. After these couple of hours, we took the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island. The first thing we did over their was pick up our airline tickets for Beijing and then we went to lunch. For lunch, we tried to find a good dim sum restaurant for us to try. As we walked down the street we saw a restaurant sign for the second or third floor of this building, but the sign was not lit up. We were first a little scared to go up to see what it was, but once we got there, it was full of locals and the food looked amazing. We then ordered several dishes, which were all delicious. I had some corn chicken soup, a crispy noodle dish with vegetables, as well as some interesting vegetable spring rolls that had a very interesting outer consistency. It was all great and I was so full by the time I left. After lunch, we walked around Hong Kong through some of the local food markets and shops, and then we returned to the ship via the Star Ferry. That night after dinner on the ship, we went back out into Kowloon to see where we would be able to get taxis the next morning and then we watched the city light show. Every night in Hong Kong there is a light show along the waterfront, so as we sat on the Kowloon side we were able to enjoy the amazing lights with the music. It was so much fun! Well later that night, back on the ship, a few of us had a little celebration for Sheryl’s 21st birthday, which was going to be the next day. We enjoyed cookies and sang her happy birthday. It was very nice and I think she appreciated it. Well this ended the night since we all had an early next morning.

The next morning I woke up at about 5:30 to get ready to go to the airport to go to Beijing. On arrival at the airport we were informed that our plane was 2 ½ hours delayed and would be leaving at 11:00 instead of 8:30. Once we checked in and went through security, we had some breakfast. I had Burger King, which was very good since I haven’t had it in a very long time. As we were eating breakfast we realized that throughout the airport there was free internet. It was amazing and I got to check all my mail and even talk on AIM for about 2 hours. It was so much fun since I haven’t really been able to just be on the internet with no restrictions since I left home. Well after all the fun on the internet it was finally time to catch the plane for our 3 ½ hour flight to Beijing. On the flight, I did some homework and relaxed. We were even served food, which included a chicken dish with rice, and then for dessert we got an individual cup of Hagen Daas chocolate ice cream. The food was so good and it is nice actually being served food on flights since it is no longer customary in the U.S.. On the plane, we also had to fill out customs forms as well as a health form. In China if you have any symptoms of being sick, they will quarantine you and you will not be allowed into the country. Once we landed, we had to turn in these forms and walk through a thermometer, which monitored our body temperature to make sure we didn’t have a temperature. It was very strange. At the airport, there was a driver waiting to pick us up to take us to the home of the family where we would be staying. As we were driving, there was tons of pollen in the air because all of the cotton wood trees were in bloom. It almost looked as if it were snowing. On arrival at the home, we noticed a massive sign in front of the home that welcomed us all there. This sign was probably ten or fifteen feet in length. It was very funny and we later found out that when the measurements were being given for what the sign was supposed to be it was accidentally given in centimeters instead of millimeters. As you can see this could pose a big problem. Anyways it was fun being welcomed in such a huge way. As we entered the home, we were given chips and salsa, which we haven’t had in a long time and we quickly scarfed them down. After talking for a little while at the home, Chris took us to the school where he and Linda work in Beijing. The school is for all international students and it is for grades K through 12. The school was absolutely gorgeous and had so many amenities. For example, the school had recently spent a million dollars on the playground. As you can imagine it would be amazing. Supposedly, the same guy who painted and worked on the temple of heaven worked on designing this playground. Well after this tour of the school, we went to a local bar, where the teachers from the school go, for a few drinks. We then continued to a Chinese restaurant that had very good food. It is interesting at all the restaurants there is such a variety of foods that are all different, but all good. After dinner, we returned to the house and then Chris, Alex and I were shown to the apartment where we were going to stay at. Chris and Linda said that the apartment was small, so I was expecting a room with beds laid out for us, but when we got their it was a full apartment with two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. It was very nice. Chris and Linda even provided snacks for us in the apartment. That night we watched a little t.v., went on the internet again because we connected to someone’s wireless, and then went to sleep.

The next morning we awoke to go to the Great Wall. On the way to the wall, we stopped at a little restaurant run by the school and had some hot chocolate and other drinks. We then continued the last little bit to the wall. At the wall, we took a cable car up and then walked down a good section of it. The wall is absolutely amazing. It is huge and goes for miles and miles. Supposedly, it is 4000 miles in total length. Either way you look when you are on it you can just see it keep going along the mountainside. After walking along the wall for a little while, we approached the part of the wall where we would descend. One of the ways to go down the wall is on a toboggan, which was small individual sled like things, where you sit on it and then go down a long windy slide. It was so much fun! I think I was kind of going slow though because I couldn’t see anyone in front of me and there were like five or six people lined up behind me. Oh well, I didn’t feel like tipping over and falling down the mountainside. I enjoyed myself at the slower pace. After enjoying the wall for a couple hours, we returned to the Schoolhouse restaurant to have lunch. For lunch, I had an amazing cheeseburger with mushrooms and fries. It was so good because it had been a while since I had had a burger. After lunch, we stopped at a furniture store that had beautiful antiques, but it was all overpriced. We then went to the market to get some groceries. At the market, a video store was also attached. At the store, they had the movie Because I Said So, which I had really wanted to see, but it came out after I left home. I have yet to watch it, but I hope the DVD works well. That night we went back to the house to have dinner, which consisted of barbecue chicken, and some Chinese dishes that their chef had cooked for them. The barbecue chicken was so delicious! Later that night, we all walked to the next compound over to get foot rubs, which consisted of a massage of our necks, backs, feet, and legs. It was so relaxing and for an hour, it only cost like $8. After the foot rubs, we walked back to the compound and we went to our apartment. At the apartment, we watched American Idol, which was very strange. We got to watch the result show, and it was apparent that it was an up to date show. Well after American Idol, I went to sleep to be prepared for the next day.

The next morning we awoke and our first stop of the day was to Tiananmen Square, which was the site of a brutal massacre not too long ago. At the square, we saw a huge sign that has a countdown for the Beijing Olympics. One interesting thing about the Chinese that was noticed at the square, is that instead of diapers for little kids, they instead have slits in their pants so that they can just squat to go to the bathroom. Everywhere you go, you see the little butts of the kids hanging out. At one point even, someone handed their baby over to Alex and from a distance I could see him holding the baby and the little butt sticking out on his arm. It was very funny. Once we left the square, we walked across the street to the Forbidden City. At the city, we got an audio guide that explained each section and building of the city as we walked through it. The only bad thing about the city is that a lot of it was under construction, but we could still see how amazing it was. In the city, there was even a Starbucks, which seemed very strange and out of place, since this city is so old and has great importance. After we walked through the city, we walked to a park and then were picked up by our driver to go to lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant. The food there was delicious, and after we were satisfied, we went out to catch a tour through a small town, that shows how many people used to live and still live in in China. We first got to visit a local home and talked with some locals in their home. We learned a little about the Chinese culture from this family. As we left the home, as we were walking through the alley of homes there was a movie being filmed. After we passed this we continued to a park where we went into a teahouse and learned about some teas, how to drink them, and then tasted them as well. After we left this park, we finished our ride around the town and then went back to our driver. We then went to a hotel to meet up with Chris, since he had to work all day. At the hotel, we enjoyed some snacks, before we left for an acrobat performance. The acrobat performance was amazing and so entertaining. The things and ways these acrobats could use their bodies was incredible. They could bend into the most unnatural positions. It was difficult to watch without cringing and feeling pain in your body. We bought a DVD there so if you want to see what I am talking about I can show you when I return. After the performance, we went to a restaurant to have dinner, with the specialty of the night Peking Duck. Of course, I did not try it, but all the other food was delicious. It was funny, at the restaurant we were given our own private room and there was even a bathroom attached to the room. Well after dinner, we returned to the house and went to sleep.

The next day was all about shopping. We first went to the Dirt Market for about two hours. There were tons of aisles of Chinese arts and stuff to buy. After this market, we went to lunch at a local noodle restaurant. This place was absolutely packed with locals, and the food was great. After lunch, we went to the Temple of Heaven, which was beautiful. At the temple, there was a park around it that was gorgeous. An interesting thing at this temple is an echo wall. If you stand on what side and say something, it will echo to another person on the other side. Unfortunately, we were unable to try this out because there were too many people at the temple. As we were leaving the temple, a bunch of teenagers came up to us and asked to take a picture with us. It was great to see how they were so interested in us. After visiting the temple, we went to the Pearl Market, which was a huge shopping area. After this, we went to another shopping place that had a lot of clothes. It was called the silk market. By the end of all this I was shopped out, and we went back to the house. That night we ordered pizza for dinner, and Kelly and I made brownies for dessert. It was so much fun baking for the first time since I left. That night I worked on a little homework, relaxed and then went to sleep.

The next morning began very early because our flight to Qindao left at 7:55 am. The flight was only about an hour and when we arrived in Qindao, we took a cab to the port. We then had to walk about 10 minutes to where the ship was docked, and then put all of our stuff in our cabins. After this, Alex and I ate lunch on the ship and then we took a cab to the shopping part of Qindao. All we wanted to do was get some groceries so we went into a Walmart Supercenter, which was so much different then a Walmart at home. It was two stories, and had a whole produce and food section. Anyways after getting groceries, we returned to the ship because we both had papers to write, so this was the end of our stay in China.

Once again, this has been a long entry, but 6 days is a long time, when you are trying to see all a country has to offer.

I love and miss you all! One more big port to go!
Alissa