Lazy Susan

From Top to Bottom: Dumplings for lunch in this hole-in-the-wall restaurant near the Bell and Drum Towers, Buffet Lunch, Street Food (It’s like caramelized santols on a stick.), Dinner in this traditional Chinese restaurant we found on the street (Most of it were spicy.), and of course Peking Duck (it’s pronounced as peeking)! Just wanted to share something about the food we ate in Beijing. Everyone told us to try Peking duck so of course we did and of course with the cucumber sticks and the special sauce! Reminded me of pritson which I absolutely love as well! The other dishes all remind me of the food we ate in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Spicy but really good. Photos by Kathleen

I ❤ BJ

Jade Museum (where we saw how jade is refined and were taught how to inspect real jade), Tiananmen Square (which seriously reminds me of Luneta), Beijing New World Shopping Center (after Kathleen and I got separated in the subway), Rickshaw (after Summer Palace), Bird’s Nest (with  other exchange students), Minzuyuan Road (near our hotel), with our tour guide whose name I forgot. So sad.. November 17-20, 2011. I love this city!

Day and Night

Yomahegong Lamma Temple and Summer Palace, Beijing. November 19, 2011. Photo album post! Lamma Temple at day and Summer Palace at night. We went to these places after Temple of Heaven. That day was very very cold. the Yonghegong Lamma Temple was nice and it had plenty of temples (again), and as you can see some of it resemble the ones in Temple of Heaven. As for Summer Palace, that was interesting. We were running out of time and we were supposed to meet some friends inside. It was almost night time and it was getting pretty dark but we went in anyway. The Summer Palace is impossible to finish in an hour, I think it’s also impossible to finish in half a day but still we tried and took pictures like crazy,  running around the place and looking for stuff to pose on. Haha. Varsity picture takers. The place was still beautiful even if we only got to see a small part of it. Someone told me always leave something to do for next time you come back. So, I’m coming back for you in the future Summer Palace!

Tea Time

Qing Shan Ju Tea House, Beijing, China. November 18, 2011. This tea house is located at the East Gate of the Temple of Heaven. Part of our tour was to attend a tea ceremony in this place where they show you how to properly prepare and drink tea, teach you about the specific benefits of each tea and, the best part, let you taste the teas for free. (The catch, of course, is they will try and convince you to buy tea at the end of the ceremony. Since the one preparing our tea was so nice, we decided to buy one can of lychee tea which came with two peepee babies!)

I’ve only been a fan of tea a few months before I left because my mom suddenly wanted to eat in Teriyaki Boy all the time and we would always ask for the house tea. I know it just tastes like water with a little hint of something, but still it was pretty nice. I got even more used to it in HK, of course, since they serve free tea in almost all restaurants there. It’s also fascinating how I’ve seen my classmates bring their special tumblers with the container for the tea bag inside. I guess the market for tea drinkers is that significant. Haha. I’ve also seen tea served from different things: from a simple plastic pitcher, from actual teapots and my favorite: from a small bowl with the tea, then the waiter pours hot water into it then you have to cover it then quickly pour it into your teacup. It was challenging but was cool – seemed a pretty authentic way of drinking tea. So, with my growing appreciation for tea (also milk tea), I was pretty excited for this tea ceremony. (Plus, the fact that it’s free made it a lot more fun, unlike our friends Eric and Sander who paid 500 yuan for a tea ceremony.)

Tea Ceremony. I feel bad now for forgetting the name of our teacher. She was sooo nice. That’s good marketing skills people! So, she taught us how to drink tea. It sucks because I forgot most of it. I know we have a video for it but I can’t find it now. I just remember that the tea was in the taller cup first then poured into the small round one (please correct me if I’m wrong). What I can’t forget though is that after the tall cup is emptied, we were instructed to smell it then roll the thing on our faces for a quick hot massage. It may sound ridiculous but it felt pretty good. Then, you drink from the small circular cup; holding it with your three fingers, the ring finger supporting the bottom and the pink finger pointed upwards. Classic. Then you should finish the tea within three sips representing, health, something and longevity. My memory sucks, I’m sorry.

She also said that teas should be served from clay pots because the pots absorb the taste and makes teas in the future better tasting. She also showed us two cute things: a) peepee boy, a clay baby figuring which you immerse in cold water for a while, then you pull it out, pour boiling water on it then the baby pees b) this flower, which of course I forgot. It starts out as a green ball and then after immersing it in water, it opens up into a beautiful flower. (Seriously, they got good marketing strategies there!)

We got to taste four types of tea: a) Ginseng Oolong Tea which (according to their brochure) is good for memory, energy and kidney health b) Lychee Black Tea good for anemia and an upset stomach c) Jasmine Tea good for eyes and liver (stuffing Jasmine tea in pillows is also apparently good for headaches and sleeping problems and d) Fruit Tea which is good for digestion and which you could also just eat on its own (minus the water and everything).

Play. I loved this part of the tour. These are those things I really want to try out and experience. Aside from taking pictures and checking out the sights, I wanna do things like this. Like in the famous Move-Eat- Play videos (found in vimeo), my favorite really is Play. There’s so much to learn in this world. My favorite part was when he tried out glass blowing, pizza making and flamenco dancing (well, I think it was Flamenco.) I’m still trying to figure out how to travel and do those things at the same time, especially if you’re broke and have limited days in a certain place. Mmm. Suggestions? I hope you learned something, even just a little since I didn’t really get to explain the tea ceremony properly anyway. At least I tried. Hoho.

I think, life is a series of trade-offs.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China. November 19, 2011. I didn’t know about this place until I arrived in Hong Kong. Apparently, this place was also built in the 1400s! The place is huge and there’s a park inside it. The temples where beautiful and so intricately designed. It deserved a photo album post.

Trivia. The circular building (which is the most photographed structure inside the complex I think) is called the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. According to wikipedia (again), it was built originally with just wood and no nails but wad destroyed so it was rebuilt. The one in the last two pictures are part of the Circular Mound Altar. It was usually used to pray for rain during drought and the structure and the smoothness of the altar cause the voices on this platform to be amplified. The emperor’s prayers would then be loud in the center of the altar, making his prayers heard by the heavens. Pretty cool. (Learning from wiki. ) Just to add, there’s another place that has an Echo Wall, where (from the name), when you talk on one side of the circular wall, you can clearly hear it on another point in the wall. Geometry physics stuff but still pretty awesome.

In love with the old

Bei-freaking-jing, babyyy!!! The highlight of my exchange experience, no not really. I’m not sure what the highlight is now. I’ve been blessed with so many experiences there. But still, when I left for Hong Kong, I could not wait to go to Beijing! Treasures in my heart. ❤

Juyongguan Great Wall, Beijing, China. November 18, 2011. I have been imagining myself walking on The Great Wall since I heard somewhere that it’s the only structure on Earth that can be seen from the moon. How awesome is that? To have something built in the old old days with no high tech machines, and ending up with something that massive and that resilient is something to marvel about, I think. That’s why inside the car (we had a car because our tour was awesome), I felt like Rapunzel waiting in the boat before the ‘floating lights’ appeared. Oo, cheesy ako. But, honestly, I was thinking what if it’s not as awesome as I’ve always imagined it to be? And with my imagination and excitement, it would be quite challenging to match. But as we drove nearer and nearer making the stone formations more visible, I was so in awe of everything that I saw. The thing is indeed looong and I couldn’t see the end of it (which should have been the case given the facts but still). My mind went blank for a while as I stared at the magnificent thing we were approaching.

I was extremely happy to see the place – but in a different way. I was happy that I was there and it looks exactly like what I’ve seen on the web and that I know I am standing on something historic. But I didn’t immediately feel the, um, “spirit” of the place as I expected (I can’t find a word to describe what I’m trying to say, so I settled with spirit. Haha.) The place was packed with people and for safety reasons, while climbing I was more concerned to look down on where I was stepping instead of looking around.The steps were not uniform, some were high, some narrow, some too wide. It was exhausting. I thought walking around Hong Kong would be enough training for it but I was wrong. I kept saying, just keep climbing til we reach this ‘tower’ but  no matter how high I climbed up, it still looked very far. So, Kathleen and I gave up somewhere along the middle, found a peaceful spot and took our pictures. This was where I appreciated it the most. I was just standing near the wall and looked out. It had a great view. It wasn’t the best view in the world (I think) but what makes it great is that wherever you looked, you could still see the wall spiraling towards someplace we were too tired to reach.

So my dreams for that place didn’t exactly jive with what I actually experienced but it was perfectly okay. Maybe this is one of those place (for me) which is most appreciated by taking a step back. It was perfect just enjoying what I was standing on, leaning on, and the view of what I’ve walked on and what I didn’t get to walk on. I guess it emphasized even more that this awesome structure is massive; which I know everyone knows but it was something I wanted to see it to believe it – and, most importantly, to bask in the feeling of seeing it.

Trivia. Apparently the Great Wall cannot be seen on the moon and is just a common misconception (but still it’s awesome). The Juyyongguan section is the nearest part of the Great Wall to Beijing and is one of the three greatest passes of the Great Wall (kinabaloo.com). Some tours offer trips to the untouched sections of The Great Wall with less people and of course the original stones and all. I would have loved to go there but our tour did not permit us and we had limited time (that one’s much farther I heard and you had to hike to reach it). Next time, baby, next time.

Forbidden City, Beijing, China. November 18, 2011. We visited The Forbidden City the same day. At this point, I was already pretty tired going through all the places but was still pretty excited. This would be another check in my list, after all. I wasn’t excited for this as I was for The Great Wall though. I’ve always thought the temples looked a lot like other temples in China whenever I saw pictures of it. But the size of the place was again overwhelming and unexpected. I thought when we entered this main square, I was already looking at the whole of it. I was so wrong. Apparently, it went on and on through the temples I could see from that plaza. So maybe my surprise came because of my lack of information on the place but I guess this worked to my advantage. I enjoyed the Forbidden City, maybe even more than the Great Wall. This is so ironic since we only got to see a small part of it and we spent a lot less time here than in the great wall. I guess what got me was when our tour guide said that the floor has never been renovated. These were the exact same stones since it was built – which was in the 1400s! 

That really fascinated me. After hearing that, I just stared at what I was walking on and imagined Chinese people walking on the exact same spots six centuries ago. Amazing. I think I fell in love with those stones more than anything that I saw in Beijing. The buildings in the Forbidden City were obviously repainted and all but those stones… so awesome. I sound strange now but doesn’t that give you goosebumps? It definitely gave me a lot. So again, life has surprised me by giving me the feeling I hoped for in the Great Wall, in the Forbidden City – and in its stones at that! Haha. Now, I’m even more convinced I should go back to the great wall just to see the un-restored part. I wonder, now, how that would feel.

Trivia. Forbidden City is called Forbidden City because no one was allowed to enter or leave the place without the emperor’s consent. It has 980 buildings and is the world’s largest surviving palace complex. Also, the layout of the complex as well as small details such as the roofs, are designed according to philosophical and religious principles. Interesting. (All from wikipedia, do not kill me.)

The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.

Just Go with It

Shenzhen and Guangzhou Trip Back Stories a) That red carpet is seriously everywhere. Dong says it’s the same carpet they have in his house (he’s Chinese but grew up in Austria), we saw the same carpet in the elevator and later on in Beijing as well. b) Streets of Shenzhen c) Bar hopping until we found a place without an entrance fee. The bar was pretty cool, we were the only ones actually dancing at first, so we eventually took the stage. Haha. d) Taking the train to Guangzhou and then to our friends’ apartment. Funny story # 1: So it was a last minute twist in our non-existent plan that we stay with our friends. Aside from the fact that their apartment was really nice, spacious and clean (and free!), we found out that night that our trip buddies booked the hostel in Guangzhou for the wrong night. The hostel was full but the hostel owner was generous enough to offer his house to them for free. He also advised them where to go and what to do in Guangzhou. They said he’s a pretty cool guy. I guess we were all pretty lucky that night. e) the dumpling restaurant near our friends’ apartment. It was so cheap and I really loved it. I hope I get to eat those again someday (I really loved them, just saying). f) Before sleeping, Bernice and Kevin toured us outside their apartment which happened to be just right next to the Pearl River. We stared at the river while comparing experiences we had so far. Then we walked on these stones on the floor which was supposed to be really soothing but it hurt my feet instead.  They said, it’s a bad sign if you get hurt on these things. Hohnoes. g) We toured a bit in their university, National Sun Yat-Sen University. I liked their campus because it had plenty of trees and you got everything inside it. h) Guangzhou train single journey ticket. It’s cool that it looks like a coin. Swipe to enter then drop in the slot to exit. i) Street performers near Shamian Island j) hotpot lunch in front of the church. It was a hotpot weekend since we ate the same in Shenzhen as well but this one was way cheaper and the food tasted great k) Taking the train back to Shenzhen (where we can take the Hong Kong MTR) Funny story # 2: We missed the last train leaving for Shenzhen that Sunday night, so we had no choice but to stay an extra night with our friends (Seriously, we owe them big time). There was a taxi who offered us a ride to Shenzhen for a pretty high price so we said no. Later, we found ourselves in the middle of a group of angry drivers with their vans behind them. The taxi driver went out of the cab and talked to these angry drivers while the other angry drivers opened our trunk. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding. We didn’t want to take the special ride to Shenzhen and supposedly the taxi driver had to pay these angry drivers something. It was very, um, disturbing at that time but of course now, I can just look back and laugh at it. Well, what can I say, I guess this weekend really did turn out to be an adventure. Definitely one to remember!

“In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call “The Physics of the Quest.” A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.” -Eat Pray Love (I love this book and I wrote about it before. I love it.)

Rainbow Lights

Pearl River Cruise, Shamian Island, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China. October 16, 2011. Third day of our weekend adventure. How great is it to have friends scattered all over the world during JTA semester? Awesooome. We met up with Bernice, Kevin and Giselle in Guangzhou! Again, thank you friends, for showing us around! The ferry gave us a wonderful view of the river and the surrounding buildings. We ended up on Shamian Island which is a pretty place where many prenuptial shoots were taking place. Supposedly, it’s modeled after European buildings and streets. The place was cute with the colors and the old-looking buildings. It reminded me of my little dollhouses that together formed a village before. We walked to the Cathedral after where our friends went to hear Mass. The cathedral was beautiful and very strict. I had to wear a scarf over my dress and a wrap-around skirt because I was too exposed apparently. Haha. Then at night, we went to the Canton Tower which again was really pretty with the colorful changing lights. Inside the tower, there were museums and some restaurants. The view from the top was incredible and the skyline at night was perfect. Guangzhou is a beautiful city and I really thought we would be coming back there in December but my finals schedule didn’t agree. Haha. But still, I hope to get back there someday, I know there’s more to be seen. Yaay, hopes and dreams.

The heart has its reasons, which reason cannot know.

Close Enough

Window of the World, Shenzhen, China. October 15, 2011. Sorry for the photodump but I just wanted to feature the place well and these pictures don’t even cover half of what could be seen in the park. In fact, I (with Kathleen, Dong and Bernie) didn’t even get to see the whole place. Such a shame we didn’t have enough time to go through every sight there. But still, as Bernie would put it, we had a blast! Haha. The place is called Window of the World for a reason. It’s filled with many many replicas of tourist spots found across the globe. There were miniature temples and palaces as well as life-sized replicas of famous gardens and buildings. There was a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower as well as a skating+snowboarding+skiing place made to experience the alps. There were also the pyramids and the windmills of Holland…and much much more. I know I sound like a home shopping commercial now but I do think the place lived up to its name. It gave me a taste of the wonder I would feel if I do get to go to these places. It does let people peek into what the world has to offer. And for that, this place is definitely one of my favorites. Unexpected trips really do turn out to be the best ones. And so, world, I’m ready to be amazed even more. Bring it.

The world is a book and those who do not travel, read only one page. – St. Augustine of Hippo