Weekend in Beijing

On Friday, Rachel, Melissa and I took Spring Airlines at 10pm to Beijing. This was my first time with this airline and I guess it's a typical budget airline but much better than the standard in Europe. The flight was around 2.5 hours, during which it was something different to experience the air hostess leading exercise routines in the aisle.

We arrived in Beijing around 12.30am and took a taxi to the Ibis hotel. The man at the desk saw 3 adults and told us we would have to pay an extra 40RMB a night because the family room was for 2 adults and 1 child. I really had never heard of such a thing!

The Ibis is very standard, no fuss hotel. The bathroom is more like a porta-loo thing but the shower is pretty powerful. Toiletries are included, slippers, towels. However, rooms are small and don't have cupboard or tables. There is a tv and heating/air con. Breakfast buffet costs 30RMB but don't expect much western food.

We were picked up at the hotel and driven to the ski resort which was about an hour away from the hotel. The roads seemed very small and dangerous but somehow we made it in one piece. It was so cold! In total we paid 500RMB which included a deposit, ski boots and ski rentals, locker, entrance free.

When arriving in the ski resort we were greeted by a long line of ski instructors who came to help us with the procedure of picking skis etc. When we finally got ready and headed outside I felt so nervous! It suddenly became very real that I would actually have to ski and not just play in the snow. With all the instructors watching and nobody giving any tips or explanations, the next thing I knew I was falling down the slope and landing on my back! It happened so fast I was totally dazed. After being helped up and my hat handed back to me I tried once again and I fell over. I was so scared and even 3 instructors offered a hand to help me up I was tempted to just give up and go inside and wait. But one of the instructors said he would give me lessons for 200RMB so after A LOT of persuasion, I finally agreed.

The instructor was very nice and I got to practice my Chinese with him. Listening to instructions in Chinese was a challenge though. So he taught me where to place the ski poles, how to take big steps, how to stop, how to fall down. I practiced stopping a lot but I end up going at such a speed my instructor had to catch me! The hour went by fast and I managed 3 times up the ski slope.

We then went to have lunch in the Greenhouse restaurant which felt more like a jungle. Food was reasonably priced and we had our own room. It seemed each room was themed. We then head back to the van and were driven back to the hotel where we showered and got ready for a duck dinner!

We met Rachel's friend and we spent a long time trying to get a taxi. It was freezing cold outside in the night and unfortunately the metro by our hotel wasn't working this day. With no luck we went to the Novotel and managed to get a taxi. Beijing taxi's are really different and hard to see in the night. Shanghai taxi's have green signs on the roof you can easily see from a distance but there isn't any in Beijing, only a small red light under the driver's mirror.

The restaurant was called Da Dong and most famous for Beijing duck. It was a huge restaurant and even the front entrance if you were waiting for a table you could have tea and even oysters! The duck was really good and presentation of food was amazing. Apart from having pancakes, there was another kind of bread (like pita) which were toasted and could be opened to fit the duck in. It was something different but I'd stick with pancakes! Also like many restaurants the pancakes got cold quick, unlike in Quanjuede where they have a special plate that keeps the pancakes moist and hot.

After dinner we had to walk a long way to an open metro station to go to the Olympic area. Unfortunately we missed the last train and had to take a fake taxi to the place. There seem to be many of these and he hides his red light. There was also one with a taxi sign above and he removes it when he has a passenger.

The Olympic roads were closed as it was so late and the buildings didn't have lights on which was a shame. We then took a taxi back to the hotel and finally took a rest.

Sunday

We had breakfast again in the hotel and today the metro was working so we went to the Temple of Heaven. We were able to use a student card to get a discount. The park surrounding the temple was full of people all busy with different things. Some people singing, dancing, playing cards, dominos, knitting. The temple in the middle you couldn't go inside but you could peek inside. There is a museum which gives the process for sacrifice. There are also a few other temples around.

Afterwards we headed to the Summer Palace where you are constantly harassed by people trying to sell cheap tickets. It was very frustrating as they actually kept following you. We stopped in McDonalds for a quick lunch before we went to the palace. Again we could use the student card for a discount. The palace is huge and we spent a few hours here. The lake had frozen over and many people were climbing onto it. I felt too scared but my friends did it so I waited for them.

Then we headed back to where the hotel is but as we were early we stopped at the shopping centre and found a chocolate and coffee place which is a Korean brand called De Chocolate. It was really tasty! Nice chocolate is so hard to come by in China. We went to the hotel and picked up our luggage and took a taxi to the airport. This time we flew with Shanghai Airlines which was much nicer and they even gave us some food during the flight.

The weekend was tiring but really amazing to experience. I'm not sure I'd go back to Beijing in the winter though! Now I'm scared about going to Harbin in January!

Trip to Huangshan

Having to get up at 5am was hard but me and my friends made it to People's Square by 6.15am and the bus left around 7am. We booked the trip through CITS and paid around 1300RMB in total which included an upgraded hotel room. There is a cheaper option at around 800RMB (for the room only) which involves sharing a room with 12 strangers and one bathroom so we opted for a bit more comfort.

It took around 6-7 hours to arrive at Huangshan town where we were taken into a local restaurant and given lunch. We had to learn to eat very quickly because people grabbed food so fast we barely had time! Also the restaurants out here tend to not have any heating and the waiters and waitresses all wear coats. The food was pretty good, typical Chinese dishes. There was a small shop attached where we were encouraged to buy supplies and a torch.

We were then split into two smaller buses to be driven up to the mountain which took about 30 minutes from the town. From here we were given our entrance and cable car tickets and went up the mountain. The view was amazing and I was so grateful the weather was clear. When we arrived up the mountain and given walking sticks, rain coats and a map. In total there must have been around 30-40 people, everyone in their own group.

Climbing a mountain in China is very different because there are stairs and it's all paved. There are staff members who can carry you in a special chair or carry your luggage for around 500RMB depending on the distance. Bottles of water then start to cost 10RMB which is incredibly steep compared to the usual 1.2RMB in most stores.

The altitude and the cold air made it a little difficult to breathe and we walked for about 90 minutes quite casually and were actually the end group. We kept stopping to take photos and admire the view. A few times the tour guide called us to find out where we were so we picked up the pace. We walked past a staff member and asked how far it was to the hotel and he told us 30 minutes so we were relieved. When we caught up to the tour guide and asked him he told us we hadn't even started to climb the mountain! I nearly cried! Already I was so tired...

When we asked him how much longer he wouldn't give us a time which wasn't a good sign. So we kept going and around 5pm the sun started to go down. At one point we were faced into going down a dark tunnel stairs and had to start using the torch. It was scary and my stupid mind started thinking Blair Witch whilst I was walking with the torch.

The view was amazing and you didn't notice the cold so much because you were walking a lot. By the last 20 minutes I was so tired I ended up climbing up on my hands and knees. When we finally reached the hotel it was such a relief I just wanted to sleep!

The hotel wasn't too bad but you had to keep in mind it was very old and there are only 5 hotels at Huangshan. The room had two single beds, a shower, toilet, tv, telephone, heater and kettle. The room also had slippers, cups, towels. However, the hot water is only available until 10pm and doesn't turn on until 6am the next day. There is a massage room in the hotel but when we tried to go there they told us we were too late so after dinner we had an early night.

The cupboards also have extra coats but we were a little wary about how "clean" they probably were. Already we had been warned by the travel agent the bedsheets might not be cleaned very often.

We got up by 5.30am and headed out 6am to the most beautiful sight. It looked like something out of a painting. The mist settled over the mountains like snow, it was so thick and the sun started coming up so we followed the crowd of people about 15 minutes from where the hotel was and saw a huge amount of people gathered on the peak. I was in too much pain to climb much higher so we just stayed where we were to take photos.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to be there, it feels like a dream. It made that 4 hour climb all worthwhile. I was so happy to experience this in my lifetime.

We stayed out until breakfast which was at 7.30am. Breakfast was porridge, cakes, bread, eggs, a little plain. We then had some free time until 10am so we went out to take photos and explore a bit. We went to the cable car and headed back down the mountain and to the bus where we were taken to another restaurant for some lunch before we headed back to Shanghai.

 

Padlocks you can get engraved to attach on the bridge

Top Marques (luxury expo)

My friend invited me to the Top Marques expo which is "The Most Exclusive Luxury Show in Asia". It was at the Shanghai Exhibition hall which I'd seen from the flyover but didn't know what it was until today! It is a very Western styled building with tall spires, like a church.

Security was very tight and scalpers were constantly getting chased out of the place. There was mostly cars, watches and jewellery and a whole section for property and even a stand for private jets! All very expensive and fancy but an experience I wouldn't have again so thought I'd just visit anyway.

It didn't take more than an hour to walk the two floors and so afterwards me and my friends walked over to the Shanghai Centre to eat at Crepes & Co. We then stole the wifi from Starbucks to buy cinema tickets for 44RMB to see some shark movie in 3D.

We walked along West Nanjing Road and spent some time in the Japanese department store before taking the metro towards Zhongshan Park. The cinema was located in a place a bit further than here so we took a taxi and found the reason for cheap tickets was the cinema was very old and in an awkward location. This brand of cinema is called 17.5 and is very run-down.

The movie was called Shark Bait or something and was very predictable. The 3D though was pretty good, not like a lot of movies where the 3D is added in and feels out of place.

A week of food, drinks, shopping and live music

Last week had been rather busy, mostly seeing my Indonesian friend before she left back to her home country. It feels rather sad that in Shanghai people come and go so quickly but I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have met so many different people.

We went to have dim sum on Sunday after my HSK 4 exam. We went to Lynn's on Xikang Lu which is a modern Shanghainese restaurant and does an 88RMB dim sum buffet. It is quite reasonable price and food. Afterwards we slowly walked up to the indoor market on Nanjing Xi Lu which is the plaza where you can find all the fake brands.

I had been before last time I was here but I was on my own and rather scared so to be here with my confident friends was a completly different experience. We were led through one shop's hidden back door to a "cupboard" where they sell glasses and fake Ray Bans etc, then further in a "cupboard" is full of fake rolex watches and LV handbags, Prada etc. The amount of foreigners they brought into here was crazy.

After we finished shopping we went to have chicken in a clay hot pot in a very small restaurant near where I live. For 5 of us we paid only 30RMB each (£3!). The food was good and the service lovely, run by a husband and wife who are very kind.

 

I'm not sure why but the weather got really strange last week and the pollution got so bad that I'd read news online that we were being advised to not even go outside. For a while I couldn't even see outside my window! Luckily it cleared up after a day and things went back to normal.

 

On Tuesday night my friends and I went to Hai Di Lao on Beijing Lu. I didn't know but apparently you can ask for a free apron (one per group). The service is great as always and you can get your nails done, shoes polished, play cards, board games, make origami birds and stars etc as you wait. 

 

I went back to Nana's Green Tea for some lunch after class one day and thought to try something new. The Hokkaido noodles in carbonara sauce was really nice, like carbonara soup!

On Friday night my classmates invited me out to the House of Blues and Jazz located near The Bund on Fuzhou Lu. It was 50RMB cover charge to enter and was soon packed and the band started playing at 10pm. Drinks are expensive here but service isn't as bad as the reviews I'd read are. The bar felt very American/Irish and I quite enjoyed listening to jazz. I was so tired though so afterwards I didn't stay too long.

Very social week and my birthday ^^

My new classmates invited me out to join them. I had no idea what would happen but I was told to meet at the university gate at 8pm. So me and another classmate walked together and in total 8 of us met up. We took a taxi to Shouning Lu which is near People's Square and I'd been before but only walked through. It can be a little intimidating to walk down this street. It is full of small eateries and outdoor bbq's, with seafood and skewers etc.

One friend had been here many times and took us into one where we sat upstairs. He then went to choose the food for us and ordered bottles and bottles of beer. He also taught us how to eat these crayfish. The restaurant gives you a silver tray to put the shells and bits in, plastic gloves, plastic cups, tissues. We had scallops, whelks, crayfish, oysters, chicken, beef, lamb skewers. In total we paid about 100RMB each which included all the drinks and another friend joined us mid-way.

We then got into a taxi to Hongmei Lu (Laowai Jie) where we went to Vegas Bar and played drinking games with dice, pool and table football until about 1am. It was really good fun and I feel closer to my classmates now.

 

On Friday my old classmates held a small party for three of us whose birthday it was and two friend's who are leaving Shanghai to go back home. We ate shabu shabu (Japanese hotpot) which was really good and a buffet style so we could order as much as we wanted. They surprised me with a cake too which was so sweet of them! It was apparently from a very famous Japanese bakery and chocolate (perfect for me!). Afterwards we went to Camel Bar nearby and had drinks and met a few more friends there. The kitchen also gave us some free pizza. All in all it was really fun and I always love days where anything can happen. 

 

 

Cats, Mr Bean Cafe, Science Museum and the rest...

So the rest of the week long holiday included seeing Cats at the Lyric Theatre at People's Square with two of my classmates. I had seen Cats before in London many many years ago and remember the stage being very small and circular but this stage was a normal one and our seats were up near the back despite it being "mid-range" at 380RMB. Also I'd tried many times to buy tickets and each time told it was sold out so it was very disappointing that being the last date of the show there were many empty seats.

The show was entirely in Chinese with subtitles up in Chinese which was a real challenge. Also it was quite interactive with cats coming into the audience and even during the interval there were cats rolling around the floor of the theatre! It was hard to follow the musical but it was a good experience. It was annoying though that the couple sitting behind us decided to move in front of us as there were empty seats and then spend most of the time surfing the internet on the smartphone which was so distracting! I find it annoying when they can't spend a few hours to enjoy a show without the internet.

 

One day I took a trip to Pudong to Huami Lu and went to the Mr Bean Cafe. It was so quiet and empty and also very expensive. A drink cost almost 50RMB. But the place was nice, lots of Mr Bean stuff and playing episodes on the projector. The location was so strange though at the basement. Also the shopping centre where it is located doesn't even seem to be finished. 

Across the way is the Kerry's Centre which is another shopping centre with many eating places and linked to the hotel. 

 

Another day I went to the Science Museum in Pudong. Entry is 60RMB for an adult and you can buy tickets to see 3D and 4D movies. As I was on my own the guy offered me the last 4D ticket of the day. However the showing wasn't until 1pm so I had lots of time on my own. Also since it was the holidays it was so busy there! 

They have many sections so animals, robots, human body etc. Standard science museum. It is a beautiful piece of architecture and many scenes from Kung Fu Dunk were filmed here. The centre has a big dome which is where the 4D cinema is located. 

As with most things in China there is no sense of safety and with so many people it felt even worse. I went to one exhibit which was designed like an eco-system and ended up queuing just to climb up stairs and find it was like a one way system where even if you wanted to get out you couldn't! So in the end just had to put up with it and pray we were near the exit. 

There was a rubiks cube solving robot which managed it in 2 minutes, a piano playing robot too. Also there was an area which was very interactive so you could (if there wasn't so many people!) play with exhibits.