21 December 2011

China #16, 17,18: homesick, fOrg meat and blood relationships

Day 18. It's been almost 3 weeks since I've last been in Sydney. Not too long of a time span, but I'm starting to miss home lots, especially when I see all the fun I'm missing out via Facebook news feed! Stupid facebook. Maybe that's one of the reasons fb is banned here, so people won't see what they're missing out on, lol. I knowwwwww, I should be enjoying what I have now- all the time in the world and no obligations whatsoever. However, even nothingness has its limits...

Okay okay I'm exaggerating. I haven't been doing nothing, my family drove down to Quanzhou yesterday to visit some relatives and then we went to this aweeeesomeeeee revolving buffet for dinner. SO MUCH FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited. They had everything, from sashimi to ice cream to coconut juice to 'delicious fOrg meat' to deer to loads of cakes and the list goes on.

                                      

                                       


  
                                   
                                   
                                  
Weirdest translation ever. Blood relationship?!

The only downside is the after-buffet-bloating and feeling like the purple balloon girl from charlie and the chocolate factory, the one who blew up like her chewing gum...

But the turning platform (with our table on it ) made it hard to find where i was sitting every time i went to get food cause the platform would turn (imagine 2 circles one inside the other, and the bigger one turns while the smaller one is fixed). So anyway, I ate too much and felt like my stomach was ripping open, but it was worth it. :)


My favourite part! This is all the cake i took heehghehehe, one of each flavour, but ATE TOO MUCH CAKEEEEEE x_x and icecream, durian, vanilla, taro, green tea, strawberry.... <3 

Apart from that I haven't been doing much, I went to the bike repair shop to fix my bike! I broke the brake :( I have much admiration for the bike fixers, they're so clever!!


Here's  random chicken video from our place, lol.


oh and early merry christmas!






WITH ruv, from shloweeeyy

15 December 2011

China #15: spastic dreams

I slept terribly last night, plagued by nightmares of sharks, human-sharks, cinemas, riots and fighting for bargains with Marie and Kahyi in QVB. An overall very violent experience, perhaps I have some kind of suppressed anger bubbling inside me. So anyway, my dreams went something like this:

I was heading to work but ended up watching a movie instead. So it was a huge cinema, quite nice, a little bit like the theatres I went to in Beijing. Then all of a sudden people run in screaming there had been shark attacks! And lots of them... So everybody panicked and ran to the beach (which was right outside the cinema) to find the sharks. I found one, and it looked like the shark from jaws, but then again all sharks look like the shark from jaws..




After that my brain skipped a few scenes and it turns out that the shark was actually a half human! He was a local who had been missing for 1000 years, and he could morph into a shark whenever he wanted to, but he could also attack as a human... Kind of like in vampire diaries how they turn monstrous and grow fangs when they're about to feed.




So then after that he was chasing me and trying to eat me, I got so scared I woke up.
It was still dark, so I fell asleep again and dreamt that Sydney was in chaos, everyone went crazy and started smashing shops, but funnily they still lined up to buy stuff...(but at a discounted price ). I was with Marie and ky and we were excited by the bargains lol, but then my shoelaces came undone and I had to do them up so I fell behind and lost Marie and ky in the crowd :( but then I found them again at subway !! And everyone was getting really cheap food but when it was my turn the girl said that her boss just came in so it was normal price again, disappointed I bought a hotdog.

HAHAHA.

Then i woke up and felt really hungry so I went to have some breakfast lol.



 No he wasn't my breakfast.. nor was he in my dream, I saw him on tv the other night and it reminded me of my high school boycrushes so I just included him in for fun hehe. He's too feminine though, his skin is nicer than mine :(







14 December 2011

China # 10, 11, 13

I didnt realize I skipped #10 and # 11, I skipped 13 on purpose though, no wonder the days went by so quickly lol. So I went to get my hair washed tonight (cause I'm lazy and I don't like to wash my own hair anymore...) and they used a ginger shampoo. IT FREAKING BURRNT!! Lol it was soo hot. The guy who was washing my hair took my breath away... Literally.

He was massaging my head and at some points he pressed so hard I felt my brain convulsing and I couldn't breathe for a millisecond. The massage was really weird... He reached under my head and his fingers went into my shirt and down between my shoulder blades. Anyway, overall hair wash experience...weird.... If you like a burning sensation on your scalp and forehead and neck and ears and face then wash your hair with ginger shampoo! If you like getting your back shampooed then come get a hair wash in china lol. I also got my hair trimmed last night ... I asked for a trim and no layering and specifically NOT to have my hair curve into my face- I ended up with a half fringe and somewhat layering because he thought it was more '3D', wth?  Apparently un-layered hair is for old ladies.

Something that really bothers me is how I get followed around in shops, like hello personal space pleaseeeeeeee! And then I feel all uncomfortable when I leave without buying anything and they stare at me as I walk away...some lady pushed me today :( so I glared at her and then walked into her real hard and didn't look back HEHE.  I hate going into shops alone cause it is SO awkward. I have also become desensitized to car and bike horns, they beep at everything. I went for a walk by myself today and some crazy lady on a huge bike nearly ran me over lol, she sped out of nowhere and started beeping like crazy as she swerved away. I've also realized that I'm not allowed to look left and right like a normal person when I'm crossing the road otherwise I will look too much like an outsider- like I did today- and then strange men with cigarettes on bikes will approach me and ask if I need a lift somewhere... like hell I'd get on his bike.  T_T

I also bought a bottle of juice today, and it wasn't till I finished it that I read the used by date was '2010.06.26' lol! Ahhhh. During my spare time I play my aunt's piano and I'm also trying to play my dad's old guitar! It really hurts ze fingers ya :( Hope you're having fun working in Hong Kong Vanessaaaaaaaaaaa  a a a a a a aa a :)


<3 chloe

12 December 2011

China #14: nostalgia

Spending some time here is bringing back a lot of bittersweet memories. I visited my grandparents old house, the one where i grew up in, it hasn't changed much but it feels so empty and hollow now because nobody lives there anymore since the architecture is too old and no longer 'safe'. I took some photos, but unfortunately I still haven't been able to override the great firewall problem on my laptop so I'll have to share them later. I barely recognize the streets and people, i don't have many (any) friends here lol. :( it's really nice spending this time with my family though. Strange enough I feel right at home, its great not caring about my manners. When I dislike somebody here I just stand and glare. >=| It feels really good to be rude and asian and not be judged, lol..

What have I been up to? Not much, sick and tired, all I really want to do is talk to you guys, but the crappy network connections make it really hard. Vanessa why are we both sick at the same time? I'm feeling hot and can't breathe through my nose ,lol. The stress of the final weeks are catching up with us I think... I wanted to bake today. So I went hunting for ingredients, they don't have anything ! No icing sugar, no butter, no cream... Oh and i have no oven, well a tiny toaster one but that doesn't count, lol.

Ooh Marie I dreamt of u last night! We were in our school uniforms walking to school from kogarah station and I was late so u were waiting for me and then we were both late for maths in period one. It feels like a lifetime ago since we actually went to school. :(

Some random pics.

Chloe

10 December 2011

China #12: so chinaaaa

My immune system has finally given up :( Nose is running awaaaay. So im back in my hometown. The people here are so different to Australia. Nobody likes to smile ... Everyone hates their job so customer service is terrible , everyone is SOO loud...and I'm passive smoking everywhere!!! There's no such thing as a no smoking zone... People smoke at home, in the elevators, on the streets, in restaurants, in the toilets ...... Everywhere. I was at my cousins wedding lunch the other day and people gave out cigarettes as gifts, so the whole table behind us started smoking.

Anyway, today I went mandarin picking in the mountains. The view was so nice, cept it was difficult climbing up the hillsides to reach the mandarins. I tripped on some soil lol, but happy I'm still alive!


Chloe

08 December 2011

China #9: up in the clouds

I feel like I'm looking at one of my site models when I'm in the plane hehe.

07 December 2011

China #8: ciao Beijing !

Interesting fact for today: if one gets married in the morning in Beijing, it is their first marriage. If its an afternoon ceremony then it is a second or third or fourth...

Today marks one week since I left Sydney, it's gone by so quickly ! 7 days of indulgent eating is going to catch up with me soon.

And so my journey in beijing comes to an end with clear skies and a table full of dumplings. We spent this morning visiting the birds nest and eating lunch at a dumpling restaurant.
What's your favorite time of the day? Mines LUNCH TIMEEEEEeEEE!!!!!!!! Everyday I look forward to lunch, I get so happy when we have a nice lunch. X)

Spent the afternoon in Tian Jin, a small town near Beijing. The people there are apparently very friendly, but the infrastructure isn't as developed as the major cities. For dinner we had hotpot, I felt like there wasn't enough food though ... :( and the restaurant was quite grubby x.x one of the waiters got bored waitering so he just spat where he stood... About 1.5 meters from
our table, that turned me off right away lol.

Overall, this has been a pretty good week! I like the pace of the schedule and having things planned out for me, always having something to do. I want to go on more of these tours next year!! :D

What's next? Going back home to see my granny tomorrow!! <3 I'll be staying in fujian for the rest of the time, visiting Xiamen inbetween. There's not much to do in my hometown... Except eat. This could be my last blog post for a while due to lack of wifi and social website access, so I bid you all a happy holiday! Email me of you need me! I'll check every few days hehe.

Hopefully the weather clears up for you guys so you can go and play, but don't forget to be sunsafe!! :)

With lots of love,
Chloe e e e e. e e e. e e


06 December 2011

China #7: the giant freezer

Interesting fact for today: the emperor had many 'little wives' who he would sleep with all days of the month except on the 9th 19th and 29th, those days were reserved for the queen because '9' was the royal number. These women were only allowed to stay 2hours, then they had to leave. They had to approach the king on the bed from the feet upwards, if they crawled too fast they were deemed too desperate, and if they crawled too slow they were lethargic and boring, lol !

Second last day of the tour. We spent it in cheng de, a beautiful town about 2.5 hours north of Beijing. It is freezing there, the lakes are frozen over. Dodgy hotel stay last night. It was '4 stars' apparently, but it had no toilet paper and dirty sheets, a leaky bathtub (or toilet) and the room smelt real funky. But I was thankful anyway, seeing how many people have to freeze on the streets at night.

So today we mainly visited temples and stuff. It's all getting a little repetitive and boring... The bad thing about being part of a tour group is that you cant leave when you want to or stay longer if it's fun, everything is so timed. Nevertheless , the scenery was so nice, so pretty! China really is a beautiful country, ( the parts that aren't crowded with people and skyscrapers).

Can't wait to sleep zzzzzzzzzz x_x anyone know how to make yourself look older? Somebody asked if my brother and I were twins today o_O! Aaaaahhhhh :(

<3 Chloe


China #6: Chinese traditions

Interesting fact for today: do you know why wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand? The reason is because your heart is on the left side of your body, and the vein that runs through your fourth finger is also the vein that pumps blood to your heart- so it is believed that when you get married, your heart belongs to your other half and so the ring is used as a cap to secure that bond. Not sure if this is a Chinese tradition but I found it very interesting :) .

Im sick of people thinking im 14! T.T This morning we visited a traditional Chinese medicine center where we got a free herbal foot bath and massage. The guy saw me and said, "sorry kids not allowed". >:( my dad laughed and told him I was no kid... Anyway, my masseuse told me as he was rubbing vaseline like gel on my foot (it was really awkward at first) that I don't do enough exercise so my blood doesn't flow very fast- therefore bad circulation and cold hands!

Lunch was fun today. Instead of our usual stop at a restaurant, we were kindly welcomed into the house of a friendly old couple where they cooked a banquet for us. This was just to give us an 'authentic' Beijing experience, so kind of them though up let a group of strangers into their home! (they get reimbursed any expenses by the government.)

Okay I'm on the bus now on the way to a town on the outskirt of Beijing - 'Cheng De'. Apparently it's gonna be -15 degrees there tonight :( 2hr bus tide ahead, no toilet stop and I really have to pee! yikes.

I miss the warmth of the sun! Argh this gloomy weather is bringing down my mood. Making me feel homesick >:( I miss all my friends and I want to upload Marie's video :( YouTube disabled the sound! Anybody know how to fix that? I don't have the original file with me here :(

So that's all for today. It's super foggy and cold. Hope tomorrow will bring more smiles,

Love Chloe, who misses you.

04 December 2011

China #5: the emperors garden

Interesting fact for today: the emperors mother 'tai ho' never brushed her teeth and so she had really bad breath, especially in the mornings, so every morning she would rinse her mouth with really strong green tea to disinfect. Her breakfast was a bowl of milk- human milk- I KNOW RIGHT?!? YUCKKK!! She had about ten women who would milk a bowl of breast milk each morning, and then the best bowl would get picked.

Today we visited a silk factory and a pearl harvesting place where we saw pearls get harvested from an oyster. Did you know that a small oyster about 5 years old produces about 30 small pearls? And also, oysters need to be at least 10 years old to produce pearls big enough for jewellery.

Later, we visited 'Yu he yuan', the emperors garden. He gave this garden as a gift to his mother for her birthday. It is so beautiful inside, big enough to house a small town. It was so nice looking at all the architecture and imagining the ancient people standing where I stood and seeing what I saw. The buildings are amazing! So detailed and beautiful. Everything is very well preserved- even the furniture and detailing, but there has been lots of restoration work so it's not all original.

So anyway, this afternoon we went to a factory outlet - a tourist hotspot with lots of vulnerable white people lol. One of the shop keepers was trying to secure a customer with flattery, an overused method here, so she shouted out after a European couple; "hey beautiful lady !! Come buy some shit! " (she meant shirt).

I think I'm still jetlagged, it's 7 but it feels like its 11 lol. Hope you're all well over the seas. Starting to miss Sydney..

Love from chloe, who has eaten too much dinner.

P.s photos later!