In Beijing...

Hello from Beijing!

 

I've been here now for ~3days now but havne't updated my 'occassional travel blog' for several reasons... one of them being that i haven't been allowed out (i'll get to that...), the other is cuz this keyboard is a bit too weird for my taste.  The keyboard is missing buttons for 'enter' and '6' - i had to push this 3mm wide nipple-like-contraption for me to enter that number.  also, missing the 'enter' key is extremely annoying as it is used more often than u realize!!!  this keyboard also has M & N switched, and the H key constantly gets stuck!!!  i've adapted over the past few days... altho I can't wait for to see my cousin so he can somehow set up my laptop to access the internet so i can type using a fully functional keyboard!!! 

 

So, Beijing...

I hated this place last time i was here.  why?  cuz i was almost decapitated and then run over by 2 taxis and a big green bus.  that was in 2002.  and guess what?  they're STILL flying kites here in the middle of the road!!!  that was one of the first things i noticed on the way from the airport to home.  i was not impressed...

 

But let's talk about the trip here first. 

So, i had a greeeeat seat on the plane - 19C on a Boeing 777.  there was no one in front of me, so i can stretch out my legs.  also, the last row of business class is 17, so i was right behind them.  ... but haven't no seat in front of me also meant i had no tv in front of me - it was in my seat and it was hard to pull it out.  i had to ask 3 flight attendants to help.  BUT i could see the cockpit from my seat!!  through business and first class of course....

Anywho... what was interesting on my plane was that a 22yo man who sat in 20B, right behind me, got a FEVER mid-flight!!  actually no, he BOARDED with a fever and the fever only got worse.  After taking a couple of Tylenol's, his fever was down to 39!!!  omg!  so all of this was reported to the chinese authorities, of course... and just prior to landing, the captain told us that because of this, we were not allowed to go to a normal gate to disembark the aircraft... instead, we had to land in a 'holding area'... after we landed, about 10 ppl in those hazmat-types of uniforms came onboard and started talking to dude behind me.  EVERYONE started taking pictures!  including everyone in business and first class, who actually got up, took out their cameras, and starting snapping away, flash and all!!!... and i think i'm IN everyone's pictures!!!!  hahahaaa!  i couldn't get any good ones cuz they were so close to me and i felt weird about getting up, stepping back, snapping a picture, and sitting back down.  :P 

after they were done with the sick boy and took him away, they started talking to the girl in 19D - yes, right beside me, but across the aisle.  why? cuz she VOMITED into the aisle!  FUN TIMES eh!!!!!  .... they didn't lead her away like they did the boy tho.  ... eventually, they came and measured my temperature twice, and then checked over all of my paper work.... an hour later, we were finally allowed to get off the plane and board a bus to get into the actual airport... *sigh* ...

Throughout all of this, no one ever said anything about quanratining me.  they did mark my 'health form' with a star tho - they did that to everyone who sat around fever boy & vomit girl.  however, when i got home, my AUNT decided to quarantine me!!  basically, i'm not allowed to go out.  and its not like i can sneak out cuz 1) no key to get back, 2) have no clue where the hell i am, 3) have no money, 4) have no clue where i am.  anyway... so that's why i haven't updated, cuz i haven't done anything!!!!!

 

last nigt however, i was allowed out of my cage.  YAY!  finally!  some time away from the cat and the dog that shed way way too much hair!!  (they also named the cat after me, so often, it gets very very confusing....) 

We went to a grocery store last night - yay.  i got a popsicle.  it tasted disgusting. 

Then we took the 128 bus to Tiananmen square.  this, right after my SF cousin warned me not to go there for fear of the "tiananmen square massacre" 20yr anniversary.  .... but we went anyway.  and nothing was going on... i think cuz there must've been at least 500 cops within the 1km area of the square.  about 100 of them were literally lined up in a row, right in front of the gate with Mao's picture on it... the line stretched out for like 500m...

 

anywho.  so yes, that was my trip so far. 

 

the only other things i can say about beijing is that its changed a lot since the last time i was here.  It's cleaner, and the people are much more polite!!  i haven't been stepped on or spat on yet!  YAY!!!  or maybe that's just cuz i haven't been out during normal hours yet...  we'll see what happens next week.

 

The bad things about Beijing still include the fact that ppl here have 1) a staring problem (especially at my cleavage - i can't help it!!!!), and 2) have a 'personal space' issue in that they don't respect it, AT ALL.  even when there's plenty of room just half a step away... my aunt thought they were trying to rob me.  :S

 

the other bad thing about beijing (cf. shanghai) is that the food here absolutely and totally SUCKS!!!!!!!  and i thought the food in HK was bad!  actually, i just the food in HK was too expensive for what they actually give u, not that it tasted bad.  Beijing food is cheap, but it tastes like crap.  :(  i've been complaining to my jiejie in shanghai.  she said she'll take me out for delicious food again when i get there.  :D  i can't wait!!!!!!!! 

 

that's the end of this boring entry.

 

oh, and we still have no clue what's going on for our "research" here.  they actually told us not to contact them for a few days, cuz they don't know if we have swine flu.  why do they suspect that?  cuz we're from Canada.  yes, all 30million Canadians have swine flu.  yes indeedy.  of course that makes sense and of course that totally warrants the paranoia that is here.  *sigh*