Today we decided to do something most people would associate Texas with.... a visit to the good ol' fashioned cowboy ranch, y'all know what I'm sayin?
Sadly, the weather today is not really the perfect weather to there, cos it had been showering during the night, so it's still wet and muddy everywhere. And it's still pretty cloudy. Nevertheless, we decided to go rather than stay at home and watch the food channel (again). Oh I forgot to mention that my brother is obsessed with cooking since probably about 4 years ago, and nowadays all he watch on tv is the food channel. It's kinda funny cos when we were little, I was always the one who watches mom cooks in the kitchen, and he never had any interest in cooking at all. At some period of time, he even ordered me to make him instant noodle if he wanted it. I guess people change. Let's just hope it's for the better.
Anyways, the ranch is called George Ranch Historical Park, and located about 40 minutes drive from Houston. When we got there, the parking lot was empty, there were just 1 or 2 other cars there. So I got a pretty bad feeling about it. After we got in and took the tour, well, my intuition was right. To me, it's a pretty run down ranch.... nothing much to see. The highlight of the tour was probably the house that the famiy lived in in the 1800s. It's a beautiful house, very Victorian style. Other than that, there was a small hut with a fireplace, a blacksmith (which is naturally dirty.... not really my kind of place). I was expecting like a cowboy show or something, but nothing like that.
So after a little while my parents started to get bored and hungry, so we went for a Texas kind of lunch..... BBQ!!! The place is called Swinging Doors in Richmond, Texas. Apparently it's a pretty famous BBQ place. It's been there since 1973, and they even sell T-shirts and their own special BBQ sauce. The food was good, especially the potato salad and coleslaw. But.... the other day my brother took us to another BBQ place near his place, and I like the pork ribs there better.
As usual, now everybody's taking a nap, so I'm gonna listen to some chinese songs to brush up on my mandarin hahaha.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Houston Rockets, 加油！！！
So as mentioned before, I went to watch a basketball game.... it's Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks, to be exact. Houston Rockets is home to Yao Ming, the famous NBA player. But unfortunately he didn't play tonight.... maybe he went home to celebrate the holidays hahaha.
The game was held at the Toyota Center in Houston, so obviously the atmosphere was all about Houston Rockets. There's a lot of Rockets fans wearing red and white, but no Hawks fans in sight. Everybody was supporting for the Rockets, including the announcer guy..... it's kinda funny actually. When the Hawks score, he would just say "Jo..... Johnson....". But when the Rockets score, he goes "Trrraaaacccyyy McccGrrraaady!!!!". Hmm.... it would make better sense if I can add the sound effects haha.
The star of the show was obviously Tracy McGrady, better known as T-Mac. He is good!! But sadly he was injured (in the ****, if you know what i mean) during the 3rd period, so he was replaced. In the end, obviously the Rockets won by about 30 points (I didn't remember the exact score).
Before the game I was expecting to be quite bored, cos I don't really like basketball. But it turned out to be a fun and pleasant experience. Being there on the actual stadium really makes a difference. The atmosphere was just great. And there are lots of entertainment too, during timeouts and breaks.
So now I appreciate basketball more, but it's still won't be enough to make me buy a ticket to watch a game. But hey, if anyone wants company to watch a game, give me the ticket and I'll come with you! :)
The game was held at the Toyota Center in Houston, so obviously the atmosphere was all about Houston Rockets. There's a lot of Rockets fans wearing red and white, but no Hawks fans in sight. Everybody was supporting for the Rockets, including the announcer guy..... it's kinda funny actually. When the Hawks score, he would just say "Jo..... Johnson....". But when the Rockets score, he goes "Trrraaaacccyyy McccGrrraaady!!!!". Hmm.... it would make better sense if I can add the sound effects haha.
The star of the show was obviously Tracy McGrady, better known as T-Mac. He is good!! But sadly he was injured (in the ****, if you know what i mean) during the 3rd period, so he was replaced. In the end, obviously the Rockets won by about 30 points (I didn't remember the exact score).
Before the game I was expecting to be quite bored, cos I don't really like basketball. But it turned out to be a fun and pleasant experience. Being there on the actual stadium really makes a difference. The atmosphere was just great. And there are lots of entertainment too, during timeouts and breaks.
So now I appreciate basketball more, but it's still won't be enough to make me buy a ticket to watch a game. But hey, if anyone wants company to watch a game, give me the ticket and I'll come with you! :)
Houston chronicles
So now i have been in Houston for almost a week, i guess. Don't really keep track of time hahaha.... btw here's some pics of where I'm staying.
As I've said before, there's nothing much to do around here, so what have I been doing for the past few days? What else but.... go to the mall! Hahaha.... well, there's a really big mall in Houston called The Galleria, and we've been there 3 times, i think. Bought a lot of stuff... not just for me, but Mom and Dad got some good finds too. So, everyone's happy :)
And finally I've met Sarah Slavoff, my future sister-in-law. She's 23 years old, is a Bulgarian-Irish mix, but was born and grew up in USA (New Jersey, to be exact). She's doing her PhD in MIT (biochemistry, if I'm not mistaken), where she met my brother. She just started, so she have about 4 more years to go. She's a really nice person.... smart (obviously), and likes to smile and giggles a lot hahaha. Oh, and she is tall, even taller than my brother by about 1/2 inch, I think.
I also met her father and brother (they names are both Steve, so including me, we have 3 Steves). They came to Houston to watch a football game..... New Jersey vs. Kansas State (btw New Jersey won).
They are also very nice people. Big Steve (Mr. Slavoff) is a math teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Steve #2 is majoring in History (and a possible future in Political Science). He reminds me of Seth Cohen from The O.C. The short black curly hair, the long face, the way he talks and jokes...... the only difference is that Steve wears glasses.
This morning we had a little tour to where my brother is working now..... Schlumberger. They are in the oil mining industries. The place that I went to is a big complex called the Schlumberger Sugar Land Campus. They even have a pond with fountain inside the complex for people to relax.
This evening we're gonna do something quite different..... watch an NBA game! I don't follow basketball (at all), but I guess it won't hurt haha. And it's supposedly very good because it's the Houston Rockets (Yao Ming is in that team).
OK then, I'm gonna take a nap now.
As I've said before, there's nothing much to do around here, so what have I been doing for the past few days? What else but.... go to the mall! Hahaha.... well, there's a really big mall in Houston called The Galleria, and we've been there 3 times, i think. Bought a lot of stuff... not just for me, but Mom and Dad got some good finds too. So, everyone's happy :)
And finally I've met Sarah Slavoff, my future sister-in-law. She's 23 years old, is a Bulgarian-Irish mix, but was born and grew up in USA (New Jersey, to be exact). She's doing her PhD in MIT (biochemistry, if I'm not mistaken), where she met my brother. She just started, so she have about 4 more years to go. She's a really nice person.... smart (obviously), and likes to smile and giggles a lot hahaha. Oh, and she is tall, even taller than my brother by about 1/2 inch, I think.
I also met her father and brother (they names are both Steve, so including me, we have 3 Steves). They came to Houston to watch a football game..... New Jersey vs. Kansas State (btw New Jersey won).
They are also very nice people. Big Steve (Mr. Slavoff) is a math teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Steve #2 is majoring in History (and a possible future in Political Science). He reminds me of Seth Cohen from The O.C. The short black curly hair, the long face, the way he talks and jokes...... the only difference is that Steve wears glasses.
This morning we had a little tour to where my brother is working now..... Schlumberger. They are in the oil mining industries. The place that I went to is a big complex called the Schlumberger Sugar Land Campus. They even have a pond with fountain inside the complex for people to relax.
This evening we're gonna do something quite different..... watch an NBA game! I don't follow basketball (at all), but I guess it won't hurt haha. And it's supposedly very good because it's the Houston Rockets (Yao Ming is in that team).
OK then, I'm gonna take a nap now.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Additional notes on NYC (1)
Hey..... as of now I am already in Houston with my brother and parents. Before I tell you all about Houston, there are some things that I haven't written about NYC.
First.. the food. One of the memorable one is the Swedish meatballs at Smorgas. They are very very good..... I've had swedish meatballs before (at IKEA), and they were also good, but it's nothing compared to this one. These ones are... fantastic hahaha.
The other thing that I forgot to mention is we went to the Serendipity 3 Cafe, which was made famous by the movie of the same name (starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale).... anyone remember that movie? Well, at least we tried to go there, but it was a very small place and there were lots of people queueing up outside just to get a seat, so in the end we decided that it was not worth it. Instead we went to Bloomingdale's which is just right across the street. But I didn't get anything there.
So..... yesterday before I flew to Houston, I managed to visit the UN complex. But strangely the flags were not erected on the poles, which I don't really know why, except that maybe because it was a Saturday.
Then we went for lunch nearby at a random chinese place that we chose, but the food there was not very good.
Afterwards was the flight to Houston. Actually I was a bit late going to the airport... my flight was at 4.30, but I only managed to get to the airport by 3.20. There were lots of people in the airport, but everything went smoothly and I managed to get to the plane on time. One interesting thing is during check-in time, I was just presented with a touch-screen machine and then I have to find my reservation myself and complete the check-in process myself. Afterwards the boarding pass will automatically be printed out, and then I finally get to interact with a human being for the baggage. Well, that's America for you.... everything is changing so rapidly.... the technology is being applied everywhere.
Today my brother decided to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu, because my parents never had one. So we roasted a turkey, made some stuffings and roast potatoes. There's lots of things to be done, and it took quite some time, but it was good. It's actually quite fun to do it, but not everyday haha.
So I guess now that I'm Houston I don't really have much to do...... I mean Houston is not really a touristy place.... there's not really much attractions here. The city itself is big (the 4th biggest city in the US), everything is kinda mixed up together here, in the sense that you can have residential buildings right next to a factory. And the public transportation is not really good.. they don't even have a subway system. I don't know.... I haven't really see the downtown yet. Maybe I'll change my mind later. I mean, I'm a big city boy :)
Okie dokie, as of right now my parents AND my brother are all taking a nap, so I guess I'll just flick through some TV or read something.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
NYC Day 4 (Stefan and The Producers)
The day started with Marcos finally agreeing to go to the World Trade Centre site. Actually you can't really see anything there, just some memorial photos. They are doing construction on the site, but nothing visible yet :(
Afterwards we went for lunch at Little Italy.... yummy! Quite authentic.... I guess in NYC you can get any food you want....
What's the next must-do thing on the list? What else but watch a Broadway show!! So after lunch we queued up for the discounted tickets. At first we wanted to watch RENT, but Felix say he watched the movie and it's quite boring. The next option was Tarzan, but there wasn't any discounted tickets. So in the end we settled for "The Producers". I didn't really have any expectations, because I didn't really know anything about the storyline or anything. All I know that it has been made into a movie before, and I've heard about it before.
Turns out that it starred Tony Danza and Roger Bart (you might remember him from Desperate Housewives.... the crazy pharmacist George Williams). The performances were terrific, and the storyline was also very good.... I really enjoyed the show, but unfortunately I was feeling quite sick (signs of flu) yesterday, probably because it was raining yesterday afternoon. So I was very very sleepy during the show. I even doze off for a few times during the show haha.
Oh btw before the show we had dinner at...... where else but Pong Sri hahaha.
Anyways, I gotta pack for Houston now. Till next time!
Friday, December 22, 2006
NYC - Day 3 (Determination of Jamba)
We wanted to start the day early, but as expected by the time we were ready it was already around 9.30. So first we took the subway to have dim sum at Chinatown. Afterwards we went for the "must-do, must-see" thing for tourist : Liberty Island. Overall, the trip was good because the weather was very nice and sunny. The only downside to the trip was the long queue, probably because of the numerous security checks where they ask you to take off lots of things, including belts and scarves. After Liberty it was off to Ellis Island as the ferry stops there too. Marcos had NO interest at all towards Liberty, but he really really wanted to go to Ellis Island, because it was featured in the movie "Hitch". But when we got there, turns out that we can only go to the museum and nowhere else on the tiny island. Well, we (me and Felix) kinda expected that but Marcos didn't believe us haha. Anyway, in the end we were right.
After Ellis, took the subway back to the Chinatown area for a very late lunch (well, dinner). Ate the usual roast pork/bbq pork/roast duck combo plus fried rice and some kind of noodle. The food was good and cheap (for US standard).
Next stop.... SOHO. We walked along Chinatown to SOHO, because it was quite near. It's an area that reminds me of Chapel St in Melbourne, but much much bigger. Rather than just a street, it's actually quite big, covering a few blocks. Over there, I bought 2 pants... the first was DKNY (how appropriate, buying DKNY in NY). Of course, it was on SALE, otherwise I would not have bought it. The other pair was from GUESS.... very cheap because it was also on SALE haha.
Then a little bit later, Marcos started to lose his spirit because he haven't had Jamba Juice for the whole day. So we asked if there is any juice place nearby. Then the salesgirl said yes, but the directions were not very clear. So we got a little lost for quite a while, but with determination, everything can be found. In the end, we found the Jamba Juice place, and immediately after Jamba, Marcos is back!!!
Anyways, will continue later because I need to take a shower now. See ya.
After Ellis, took the subway back to the Chinatown area for a very late lunch (well, dinner). Ate the usual roast pork/bbq pork/roast duck combo plus fried rice and some kind of noodle. The food was good and cheap (for US standard).
Next stop.... SOHO. We walked along Chinatown to SOHO, because it was quite near. It's an area that reminds me of Chapel St in Melbourne, but much much bigger. Rather than just a street, it's actually quite big, covering a few blocks. Over there, I bought 2 pants... the first was DKNY (how appropriate, buying DKNY in NY). Of course, it was on SALE, otherwise I would not have bought it. The other pair was from GUESS.... very cheap because it was also on SALE haha.
Then a little bit later, Marcos started to lose his spirit because he haven't had Jamba Juice for the whole day. So we asked if there is any juice place nearby. Then the salesgirl said yes, but the directions were not very clear. So we got a little lost for quite a while, but with determination, everything can be found. In the end, we found the Jamba Juice place, and immediately after Jamba, Marcos is back!!!
Anyways, will continue later because I need to take a shower now. See ya.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
US Trip (1)
Here's the first part of (hopefully) my US trip blog haha. Anyway, first of all, the flight. I got lucky.... I got an aisle seat (the middle section), and there's nobody sitting beside me. But unfortunately now the armrest can't be pulled up because now the food tray is not at the back of the seat anymore, but it is inside the armrest. But still, I got a little extra room and one extra pillow haha. The flight itself is good (Singapore Airlines, of course). I managed to catch a few movies during the flight: Little Miss Sunshine, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and The Last Holiday. All tree are just so-so, not very good. I also watched 6 episodes of Two and a Half Men... those are funny :) Maybe I will start downloading it once I got back.
Then after 18 hours I finally arrive in NY. No trouble during immigration, but my luggage was searched, probably because the stuff that I brought for my friend. Then I waited for the shuttle bus for about 20 minutes in the cold (well, not as cold as beijing, but still... the wind is quite strong here). Got to the hotel safely, then went for dinner with Marcos (my friend) and Felix (his high school friend who I haven't met before, but he's cool).
We didn't really know where to go, so we just kinda walked to the direction of Times Square. Then after passing by numerous restaurants, we decided to went in to "The Delta Grill". The food was very nice, and we had a bottle of wine. After dinner, Marcos (and I think Felix too) were a bit high already (probably because they didn't have as much 'training' as me hahaha). So anyways, we walked around the city and took some pictures. Which reminds me.... must post pictures as soon as possible. By the time we went back, it was already around 12.30. Then finally I took a shower, and passed out on the bed.
Oh, the hotel itself is very nice. It's called Roosevelt Hotel, and we got a free upgrade to a deluxe room, so there is 2 double bed. Very comfortable :)
This morning I was the first to woke up at around 8. That's probably because my body haven't really adjusted to the time yet. Then we had breakfast at a coffee shop near the hotel. Afterwards we went to Macy's (supposedly the largest store in the world). Today they are having a special "One Day Sale". Once I went inside, it keeps reminding me of MYER in Melbourne. The interior design and the way they put the things are just very very similar. I didn't buy anything there, cos the problem with SALEs are there are usually no more small or medium size. Then we had lunch at Pong Sri (thai food, apparently is Marcos' favorite place to eat at NY). After lunch we walked up and down 5th Avenue for shopping. We bought lots of things.... will post details later.
Dinner was at a place called "Smorgas". Good food, but the service there sucks. And now here I am, feeling really sleepy and writing this blog. So, I'll keep posting in the next few days, so keep your eyes open.
Then after 18 hours I finally arrive in NY. No trouble during immigration, but my luggage was searched, probably because the stuff that I brought for my friend. Then I waited for the shuttle bus for about 20 minutes in the cold (well, not as cold as beijing, but still... the wind is quite strong here). Got to the hotel safely, then went for dinner with Marcos (my friend) and Felix (his high school friend who I haven't met before, but he's cool).
We didn't really know where to go, so we just kinda walked to the direction of Times Square. Then after passing by numerous restaurants, we decided to went in to "The Delta Grill". The food was very nice, and we had a bottle of wine. After dinner, Marcos (and I think Felix too) were a bit high already (probably because they didn't have as much 'training' as me hahaha). So anyways, we walked around the city and took some pictures. Which reminds me.... must post pictures as soon as possible. By the time we went back, it was already around 12.30. Then finally I took a shower, and passed out on the bed.
Oh, the hotel itself is very nice. It's called Roosevelt Hotel, and we got a free upgrade to a deluxe room, so there is 2 double bed. Very comfortable :)
This morning I was the first to woke up at around 8. That's probably because my body haven't really adjusted to the time yet. Then we had breakfast at a coffee shop near the hotel. Afterwards we went to Macy's (supposedly the largest store in the world). Today they are having a special "One Day Sale". Once I went inside, it keeps reminding me of MYER in Melbourne. The interior design and the way they put the things are just very very similar. I didn't buy anything there, cos the problem with SALEs are there are usually no more small or medium size. Then we had lunch at Pong Sri (thai food, apparently is Marcos' favorite place to eat at NY). After lunch we walked up and down 5th Avenue for shopping. We bought lots of things.... will post details later.
Dinner was at a place called "Smorgas". Good food, but the service there sucks. And now here I am, feeling really sleepy and writing this blog. So, I'll keep posting in the next few days, so keep your eyes open.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Here we go....
Right now I am using a public terminal in Changi airport as I am waiting fot my flight to NY. Since my last post, I have enjoyed my last week in Beijing, managed to pack all my stuff in 2 suitcases, left China and arrived safely in Singapore on Saturday night.
The weather has been crazy everywhere I go.... my flight from Beijing to Singapore was delayed for 2 hours because of strong winds, and ever since I got to Singapore it has been pouring rain like there's no tomorrow. But it stopped raining when I got to the airport about 1 hour ago, so hopefully there will be no more delay.
I also managed to meet up with Lorraine (my former classmae) yesterday as she was here for an interview. Singapore is packed with shoppers everywhere. It's amazing how many people can go shopping on a Monday afternoon. I mean, don't they have to work or something? But then again, maybe it's because of the holiday season.
I also watched 2 movies : The Holiday and Casino Royale. Both are good.... especially 007. But both are quite a long movie.... when you think about it, movies ARE getting longer and longer these days.
Anyways, I'm off to walk around Changi airport..... who knows I might just start my shopping early hahaha.
The weather has been crazy everywhere I go.... my flight from Beijing to Singapore was delayed for 2 hours because of strong winds, and ever since I got to Singapore it has been pouring rain like there's no tomorrow. But it stopped raining when I got to the airport about 1 hour ago, so hopefully there will be no more delay.
I also managed to meet up with Lorraine (my former classmae) yesterday as she was here for an interview. Singapore is packed with shoppers everywhere. It's amazing how many people can go shopping on a Monday afternoon. I mean, don't they have to work or something? But then again, maybe it's because of the holiday season.
I also watched 2 movies : The Holiday and Casino Royale. Both are good.... especially 007. But both are quite a long movie.... when you think about it, movies ARE getting longer and longer these days.
Anyways, I'm off to walk around Changi airport..... who knows I might just start my shopping early hahaha.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Goodbye Beijing
Yes, after not writing for soooo long, so many things have happened, but nothing really interesting to mention here. Anyways, now my study here is finished, and next Saturday I will be leaving Beijing (China) for good.
Actually, exams already finished by last week and I have been doing practically nothing since then haha. Oh yeah, by the way, I got the highest score in class (again) for 综合 and 听力 class. Nothing to be really proud of, cos b4 the exam I've already got some tips from my friends who have been studying here before.
Some of my friends already left during these few days..... miss you all :(
So, what exactly have I learnt during my stay here? I really feel that I've grown in so many ways.... not only did my Chinese level improve tremendously, but I also met lots of interesting people, and made lots of friends (and some not so friendly ones haha) along the way. Had lots of new experiences, did some crazy things here and there..... but I think that my time is done here. I've done everything that need to be done, and I'm ready to move on.
Next stop..... reality. But thankfully I'm still gonna have one last excuse to take a break..... I will be going to New York and Houston on Dec 19, and spending Christmas and New Year there with my family. I will finally meet my future sister-in-law.
Oh, yesterday I downloaded the new All Saints album, and as I was hearing the songs, I don't know why, but they lyrics are so appropriate for my situation right now. In the song 'Scar', there was 'long are the days and lonely are the nights', which reflects my current situation. And then, in the song 'Rock Steady', they sang 'I got my bags packed baby and I'm ready to go, look at my eyes rock steady and I promise you more'. Hahaha.... what a coincidence.
OK then, that's about all that I want to say for now. I guess now that I have lots of free time I will try to post more often. Ciao.
Actually, exams already finished by last week and I have been doing practically nothing since then haha. Oh yeah, by the way, I got the highest score in class (again) for 综合 and 听力 class. Nothing to be really proud of, cos b4 the exam I've already got some tips from my friends who have been studying here before.
Some of my friends already left during these few days..... miss you all :(
So, what exactly have I learnt during my stay here? I really feel that I've grown in so many ways.... not only did my Chinese level improve tremendously, but I also met lots of interesting people, and made lots of friends (and some not so friendly ones haha) along the way. Had lots of new experiences, did some crazy things here and there..... but I think that my time is done here. I've done everything that need to be done, and I'm ready to move on.
Next stop..... reality. But thankfully I'm still gonna have one last excuse to take a break..... I will be going to New York and Houston on Dec 19, and spending Christmas and New Year there with my family. I will finally meet my future sister-in-law.
Oh, yesterday I downloaded the new All Saints album, and as I was hearing the songs, I don't know why, but they lyrics are so appropriate for my situation right now. In the song 'Scar', there was 'long are the days and lonely are the nights', which reflects my current situation. And then, in the song 'Rock Steady', they sang 'I got my bags packed baby and I'm ready to go, look at my eyes rock steady and I promise you more'. Hahaha.... what a coincidence.
OK then, that's about all that I want to say for now. I guess now that I have lots of free time I will try to post more often. Ciao.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Bungee jumping (in CHINA!!!!)
Finally..... I've done something that I've always wanted for a very long time..... bungee jumping!!! Yayy! And I did it in China... hahaha... how brave am I? :P
The place is called 龙庆峡 (Long Qing Xia). It's about 2 hours from Beijing, and it is on the same way to the 八达玲 (Ba Da Ling) Great Wall. So last Saturday 10 of us went to BaDaLing first.... but we were lazy to climb (and we have to be quick cos we wanted to go to LongQingXia also), so we took the cable car up, and slide down.
After BaDaLing, it was off to LongQingXia. Over there is basically a river flowing along gorges. So it was like a mini GuiLin haha.
Anyway, the jump itself..... only 3 of us are brave enough to jump..... my friend went first... I was second. It cost only 150RMB (compared to maybe 150 dollars in NZ). But I don't think that it was very safe...... well, what do you expect? It's china....
So, just before the jump, when I was looking down to the water, I still feel OK. I thought that I was gonna jump myself.... so I was preparing myself first.... then suddenly the man pushed me, so I was a bit surprised. The feeling was...... indescribable.... it was amazing..... scary, exciting, confusing...... all mixed. I couldn't really tell which way is up and which way is down hahaha. Until now I can still replay the jump in my mind and feel the excitement again :)
So.... if there is another chance.... I will definitely do it again :D. Right now I feel like I can do anything hahaha.....
The place is called 龙庆峡 (Long Qing Xia). It's about 2 hours from Beijing, and it is on the same way to the 八达玲 (Ba Da Ling) Great Wall. So last Saturday 10 of us went to BaDaLing first.... but we were lazy to climb (and we have to be quick cos we wanted to go to LongQingXia also), so we took the cable car up, and slide down.
After BaDaLing, it was off to LongQingXia. Over there is basically a river flowing along gorges. So it was like a mini GuiLin haha.
Anyway, the jump itself..... only 3 of us are brave enough to jump..... my friend went first... I was second. It cost only 150RMB (compared to maybe 150 dollars in NZ). But I don't think that it was very safe...... well, what do you expect? It's china....
So, just before the jump, when I was looking down to the water, I still feel OK. I thought that I was gonna jump myself.... so I was preparing myself first.... then suddenly the man pushed me, so I was a bit surprised. The feeling was...... indescribable.... it was amazing..... scary, exciting, confusing...... all mixed. I couldn't really tell which way is up and which way is down hahaha. Until now I can still replay the jump in my mind and feel the excitement again :)
So.... if there is another chance.... I will definitely do it again :D. Right now I feel like I can do anything hahaha.....
Sunday, October 15, 2006
random updates
Hey.... haven't been writing for a while, so here's some interesting things that happened:
First week of October was basically a holiday, cos it's Oct 1st is China Independence Day. During the holidays, me and my friends went for a 3 day trip to a place called 野三坡 (Ye San Po). It's about 3 hours ride by train from Beijing. We knew this place from an Indo publication called "IKAN". Anyways, over there we did some trekking and water rafting. We also visited a place called 百里峡 (Bai Li Xia). It's a huge area in the mountains where you can see gorges, waterfalls, and mountains. Overall, it's a very pleasant experience :)
Next interesting occasion was Edy's birthday last Monday. We went to a Thai restaurant called Banana Leaf. The food there is good, and the interesting thing about this restaurant is that they have a group of performers who sings, dance, and have fun with the guest. Some of the performers are "queens" and they make fun of the male guests. Luckily Edy was the birthday boy, so he was the main target haha.
Then.... last Wednesday was the first class outing. First we went to dinner at a hotpot restaurant with the teachers. I was quiet surprised that the teachers immediately agree to come when we asked them to. One of them even brought her 4 yrs old son. After dinner, some of us go on to Bar Pepper (a bar near school) for some drinks. Had some drinks, but I didn't get drunk this time, just enough to make me feel good :) But of course, the next day me and Tzan skipped the first and second period of class haha.
Yesterday we join a local tour for a trip to the Great Wall. We got cheated. There's one section of the Great Wall that is famous, called 八达玲 (Badaling). They told us that we were going there when we paid for the tour. Turns out that we went to a very small section of the Great Wall...... it's still called Badaling, but not the famous section where they have cable cars and slides. This section sucks..... it's very short, and the steps are very high, so it's quite difficult to climb.
Now..... I've been quite sick since Friday. First it was cough, then sore throat, and now plus flu. So.... have been sleeping a lot these few days. Don't even know if I'm going to class tomorrow.
All righty then.... am going to bed now. Stefan.... out.
First week of October was basically a holiday, cos it's Oct 1st is China Independence Day. During the holidays, me and my friends went for a 3 day trip to a place called 野三坡 (Ye San Po). It's about 3 hours ride by train from Beijing. We knew this place from an Indo publication called "IKAN". Anyways, over there we did some trekking and water rafting. We also visited a place called 百里峡 (Bai Li Xia). It's a huge area in the mountains where you can see gorges, waterfalls, and mountains. Overall, it's a very pleasant experience :)
Next interesting occasion was Edy's birthday last Monday. We went to a Thai restaurant called Banana Leaf. The food there is good, and the interesting thing about this restaurant is that they have a group of performers who sings, dance, and have fun with the guest. Some of the performers are "queens" and they make fun of the male guests. Luckily Edy was the birthday boy, so he was the main target haha.
Then.... last Wednesday was the first class outing. First we went to dinner at a hotpot restaurant with the teachers. I was quiet surprised that the teachers immediately agree to come when we asked them to. One of them even brought her 4 yrs old son. After dinner, some of us go on to Bar Pepper (a bar near school) for some drinks. Had some drinks, but I didn't get drunk this time, just enough to make me feel good :) But of course, the next day me and Tzan skipped the first and second period of class haha.
Yesterday we join a local tour for a trip to the Great Wall. We got cheated. There's one section of the Great Wall that is famous, called 八达玲 (Badaling). They told us that we were going there when we paid for the tour. Turns out that we went to a very small section of the Great Wall...... it's still called Badaling, but not the famous section where they have cable cars and slides. This section sucks..... it's very short, and the steps are very high, so it's quite difficult to climb.
Now..... I've been quite sick since Friday. First it was cough, then sore throat, and now plus flu. So.... have been sleeping a lot these few days. Don't even know if I'm going to class tomorrow.
All righty then.... am going to bed now. Stefan.... out.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
first assignment
Hey.... this is my first assignment for this semester..... for those of you who can't read chinese characters, basicallly the topic is "my hobby".
我的爱好
有一句话：“人的一生要经历童年，少年，青年，中年，和老年五个阶段”。到现在，我只经过三个阶段。在每个阶段我有不同的爱好。
童年的时候，我跟我的父母和哥哥住在一起。他们对我太关心，因此我变成了一个又害羞，又内向的小孩儿。他们说什么，我就做什么。那时我没有什么特别的爱好，有的是比较无聊的爱好，比如说玩游戏机，看（漫画／可迷），看电视等等。
“青春期”的时候，我最大的爱好就是大吃大喝。而且，我不喜欢做运动。所以，那时候我变成很胖，体重是80多公斤，我的脸真的好像月饼。
1998年，高中毕业以后，我去新加玻上大学。这是第一次我离家。刚到的时候我有点儿害怕，什么事情都得自己解决。幸好，我住在宿舍，所以很快就交了很多朋友。我们有什么困难都互相帮助。受他们的影响，我的性格和爱好慢慢改变了。我开始喜欢做运动，特别是游泳和打羽毛球。上大学的时候，我也学会怎么潜水，那真是个忘不了的经验。没想到水面下的风景那么好看。虽然到现在我只潜过三次水，但是潜水却成为了我的另一个爱好。
我还有两个没经过的阶段。谁知道，我还能有别的爱好呢？
我的爱好
有一句话：“人的一生要经历童年，少年，青年，中年，和老年五个阶段”。到现在，我只经过三个阶段。在每个阶段我有不同的爱好。
童年的时候，我跟我的父母和哥哥住在一起。他们对我太关心，因此我变成了一个又害羞，又内向的小孩儿。他们说什么，我就做什么。那时我没有什么特别的爱好，有的是比较无聊的爱好，比如说玩游戏机，看（漫画／可迷），看电视等等。
“青春期”的时候，我最大的爱好就是大吃大喝。而且，我不喜欢做运动。所以，那时候我变成很胖，体重是80多公斤，我的脸真的好像月饼。
1998年，高中毕业以后，我去新加玻上大学。这是第一次我离家。刚到的时候我有点儿害怕，什么事情都得自己解决。幸好，我住在宿舍，所以很快就交了很多朋友。我们有什么困难都互相帮助。受他们的影响，我的性格和爱好慢慢改变了。我开始喜欢做运动，特别是游泳和打羽毛球。上大学的时候，我也学会怎么潜水，那真是个忘不了的经验。没想到水面下的风景那么好看。虽然到现在我只潜过三次水，但是潜水却成为了我的另一个爱好。
我还有两个没经过的阶段。谁知道，我还能有别的爱好呢？
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Banquet movie review
Today I went to Wangfujing (something like the Orchard Rd of Beijing) to watch the new movie "The Banquet". It is a chinese movie, starring Zhang Zi Yi (and some other actors and actresses that I don't know). At first me and my friends are just too confident, and we were going to watch the movie even tough it's all in chinese. But fortunately, they do have english subtitles :)
Anyway, I think it is a good movie. The story is old times china, emperors and empresses, fighting, treachery, poison.... all the usual stuff. The makers of this movie really went all out for the setting..... I am really impressed with the locations, and the palace, and the ENORMOUS bathtub haha. The fighting is also very good.
The only bad thing about this movie is that the pace is sooo slow. They all speak very slowly, like they are learning chinese. But still, the words they are using are not practical and not for daily use. Even my friend who is in E class said that he wouldn't understand if there was no subtitles.
Overall, I give this movie 3 out of 5, because of the slowness. Otherwise it would be 4 out of 5.
Anyway, I think it is a good movie. The story is old times china, emperors and empresses, fighting, treachery, poison.... all the usual stuff. The makers of this movie really went all out for the setting..... I am really impressed with the locations, and the palace, and the ENORMOUS bathtub haha. The fighting is also very good.
The only bad thing about this movie is that the pace is sooo slow. They all speak very slowly, like they are learning chinese. But still, the words they are using are not practical and not for daily use. Even my friend who is in E class said that he wouldn't understand if there was no subtitles.
Overall, I give this movie 3 out of 5, because of the slowness. Otherwise it would be 4 out of 5.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Craziest night of my life
Actually, this story is a little embarassing to tell, but hey, whatever....
Last Saturday, I went out with Tzan, Ricky and Lorraine to a club called Suzie Wong's. Over there we met up with Tzan's friends. I've been here once last semester when Andrej (my former classmate) was leaving China. It was fine at first.... we ordered a bottle of Chivas 12 yrs, and some green tea to mix it with. After we finished the first bottle, I was feeling a bit high already, but I was still fine, just a bit tipsy.... then they ordered a 2nd bottle, and I remember me saying "What? Another bottle? Shit!!!"
And then we went to the dance floor, and suddenly I don't remember what happened next. Until now, I can only remember bits and pieces.... so it was dance floor - blank - Lorraine saying goodbye - blank - me sitting in a cab (front seat), opening the window and threw up - cab stopping - blank - me throwing up some more in my toilet with tzan and ricky helping me - me putting the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, closing the curtain, and go to bed.
The next day I woke up around 10am, and I found my shirt and jeans on the floor. Then I met up with Tzan for lunch, and finally I know what really happened. So, what really happened was : they didn't even realize that I was gone.... they said that I looked and acted fine.... I just stand there, drinking some more, and I can still talk normally. Then around 2.30 Ricky wanted to go home. Tzan said that at first he still want to stay, but I talked to him, and finally the 3 of us went home together. I was the one who choose the cab, sit in front and tell the taxi driver where to go. I swear I don't remember a thing about this. Then in the middle of the journey, suddenly I opened the window and threw up. That's the point when they realize that I was drunk. And then, some more amazing thing happened.... when we got to our place and the taxi stopped, they settle the cab fare.... and the driver asked them to wipe some of my puke that landed on the door. So while they were wiping and arguing with the driver, they said that suddenly I was gone.... I left them and walked all the way to my room by myself. Amazing, huh?? I don't remember a thing about getting out of the cab and walking home. Then later they went to my room and I opened the door for them.... then I threw up in my toilet. After that, I said I was fine, and finally they left me to sleep.
Until now, I still can't believe this happened to me!! I mean, me! I'm supposed to have a naturally high tolerance for alcohol.... I NEVER EVER got drunk before. On some occasions I've had one too many drinks, but I can still remember what happened. Now it's just..... BLANK.
So there you go..... I think definitely the craziest night of my life. I guess this is just one of those things that you just have to go through/experience at least once in your life :P
Last Saturday, I went out with Tzan, Ricky and Lorraine to a club called Suzie Wong's. Over there we met up with Tzan's friends. I've been here once last semester when Andrej (my former classmate) was leaving China. It was fine at first.... we ordered a bottle of Chivas 12 yrs, and some green tea to mix it with. After we finished the first bottle, I was feeling a bit high already, but I was still fine, just a bit tipsy.... then they ordered a 2nd bottle, and I remember me saying "What? Another bottle? Shit!!!"
And then we went to the dance floor, and suddenly I don't remember what happened next. Until now, I can only remember bits and pieces.... so it was dance floor - blank - Lorraine saying goodbye - blank - me sitting in a cab (front seat), opening the window and threw up - cab stopping - blank - me throwing up some more in my toilet with tzan and ricky helping me - me putting the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, closing the curtain, and go to bed.
The next day I woke up around 10am, and I found my shirt and jeans on the floor. Then I met up with Tzan for lunch, and finally I know what really happened. So, what really happened was : they didn't even realize that I was gone.... they said that I looked and acted fine.... I just stand there, drinking some more, and I can still talk normally. Then around 2.30 Ricky wanted to go home. Tzan said that at first he still want to stay, but I talked to him, and finally the 3 of us went home together. I was the one who choose the cab, sit in front and tell the taxi driver where to go. I swear I don't remember a thing about this. Then in the middle of the journey, suddenly I opened the window and threw up. That's the point when they realize that I was drunk. And then, some more amazing thing happened.... when we got to our place and the taxi stopped, they settle the cab fare.... and the driver asked them to wipe some of my puke that landed on the door. So while they were wiping and arguing with the driver, they said that suddenly I was gone.... I left them and walked all the way to my room by myself. Amazing, huh?? I don't remember a thing about getting out of the cab and walking home. Then later they went to my room and I opened the door for them.... then I threw up in my toilet. After that, I said I was fine, and finally they left me to sleep.
Until now, I still can't believe this happened to me!! I mean, me! I'm supposed to have a naturally high tolerance for alcohol.... I NEVER EVER got drunk before. On some occasions I've had one too many drinks, but I can still remember what happened. Now it's just..... BLANK.
So there you go..... I think definitely the craziest night of my life. I guess this is just one of those things that you just have to go through/experience at least once in your life :P
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Should I? Should I not?
Well, that seems to be the theme for today..... it first started when class ended and it was lunchtime. As usual, Epun called me, and that's the first options that I have to make today. Should I take his call or not? In the end, I decided to do my good deed of the day and picked up the phone, and as expected, he joined us for lunch. Actually, he didn't say or do anything, but his presence is just annoying.
The second dilemma came at badminton time. There's this new guy.... Rey brought him to play badminton with us. His real name is Tommy, but we call him King Kong (behind his back, of course). His badminton skill is waaaay above us, and he plays very hard, without mercy, lots of smashes and running around. So the question is: should we keep him in our group? After some discussion about the issue, it turns out that the others also feel uncomfortable playing with him. So.... Marvin will talk to Rey and hopefully he will be gone by next week.
Actually..... interesting story about him.... he said that he studied politics in UNSW, Sydney. During his 3rd year, he wrote 'something' in his thesis that is deemed inappropriate.... and so he was kicked out. That's why he's here now. Well, I never really liked the way he talks too, so.... whatever.
Third issue was the trip to Badaling Great Wall with Fonny and her mom. Fonny was my uni friend, and she just came to Beijing last week with her mom to study at QingHua uni. I was the one who picked them up from the airport and helped her through registration etc. Now she wanted to go to the Great Wall, and they wanted to join a local tour for a day trip there. I asked my friends to come but they all are busy this weekend, so if I go, it will only be me, Fonny, and her mom. So in the end I decided to not join them, and probably go with my friends next week, because what matters is who you go with, not where you go (trust me, I have had some bad experiences.....)
Now, last and most important issue that I still haven't decide what to do. During dinner, inevitably Epun joined us. Actually, I swear it's just like dejavu, cos now (after the summer holiday) he's back to bothering us again! So during dinner I accidentally blurt out about the possibility of Great Wall trip, and also what we are going to do during the one week break in October. And as usual he's like "Wherever you go, I go with you". And he emphasize it over and over again, like "don't forget to contact me" or "i haven't go to there either". Now I feel like a walking time bomb..... I can blow anytime now. I mean, for God's sake, how dumb can you be?? If ALL your friends are not picking up your call (not just once, twice, but everyday), it means that they don't like you and they want you to stop bothering them, you dumbass!!!! Do I really have to spell it out for you? I swear, sometimes I just want to scream at him in front of everyone else. Other times I just want to staple things to his head. Gosh.... what did I do to deserve this??? I know I'm a sinner, but is it really that bad that I have to go through this?
So, the final dilemma is : "Should I tell him that I don't like him and want him out of my life, cut him off, and end our friendship (well, it never really started, but that's not the point)?". I mean, I don't really need him in my life. But I fear that my other friends might not like this and see me as a mean person. Really, just how good and patient should I be?
The second dilemma came at badminton time. There's this new guy.... Rey brought him to play badminton with us. His real name is Tommy, but we call him King Kong (behind his back, of course). His badminton skill is waaaay above us, and he plays very hard, without mercy, lots of smashes and running around. So the question is: should we keep him in our group? After some discussion about the issue, it turns out that the others also feel uncomfortable playing with him. So.... Marvin will talk to Rey and hopefully he will be gone by next week.
Actually..... interesting story about him.... he said that he studied politics in UNSW, Sydney. During his 3rd year, he wrote 'something' in his thesis that is deemed inappropriate.... and so he was kicked out. That's why he's here now. Well, I never really liked the way he talks too, so.... whatever.
Third issue was the trip to Badaling Great Wall with Fonny and her mom. Fonny was my uni friend, and she just came to Beijing last week with her mom to study at QingHua uni. I was the one who picked them up from the airport and helped her through registration etc. Now she wanted to go to the Great Wall, and they wanted to join a local tour for a day trip there. I asked my friends to come but they all are busy this weekend, so if I go, it will only be me, Fonny, and her mom. So in the end I decided to not join them, and probably go with my friends next week, because what matters is who you go with, not where you go (trust me, I have had some bad experiences.....)
Now, last and most important issue that I still haven't decide what to do. During dinner, inevitably Epun joined us. Actually, I swear it's just like dejavu, cos now (after the summer holiday) he's back to bothering us again! So during dinner I accidentally blurt out about the possibility of Great Wall trip, and also what we are going to do during the one week break in October. And as usual he's like "Wherever you go, I go with you". And he emphasize it over and over again, like "don't forget to contact me" or "i haven't go to there either". Now I feel like a walking time bomb..... I can blow anytime now. I mean, for God's sake, how dumb can you be?? If ALL your friends are not picking up your call (not just once, twice, but everyday), it means that they don't like you and they want you to stop bothering them, you dumbass!!!! Do I really have to spell it out for you? I swear, sometimes I just want to scream at him in front of everyone else. Other times I just want to staple things to his head. Gosh.... what did I do to deserve this??? I know I'm a sinner, but is it really that bad that I have to go through this?
So, the final dilemma is : "Should I tell him that I don't like him and want him out of my life, cut him off, and end our friendship (well, it never really started, but that's not the point)?". I mean, I don't really need him in my life. But I fear that my other friends might not like this and see me as a mean person. Really, just how good and patient should I be?
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
New semester, new class
Yup, I'm now officially in C class.... more specifically, C19. On the first day as usual I came quite early and like previous semester, went to help the teacher to take the books. The first classmate that I met was a Korean girl.... her name is Ricky (chinese name : Jin Min Cheng). She's very friendly, and very conversant in chinese. Turns out that she studied broadcasting before, so she also has a very good command of English.
During these 3 days, some of my classmates come and go, cause we're still allowed to change class. Up to now, the statistics is:
Indons : Adel, Kristin, Grace, and me
Malaysia : Lorraine and the class clown Yong Tzan (can't believe we're classmates again). He wasn't supposed to be in my class but he moved as soon as he heard that there's 13 girls and only 3 guys hahaha.
Korean : Ricky and 1 other girl
3 Jap girls
1 Brit guy, 1 Aussie farm boy, 1 Italian chick (Alesia), 1 Philippines dude (Brad, who is actually a chef!), 2 Romanian girls, 2 Kazaksthani (Dinara and orange head chick).
So far it's been good..... much more advanced chinese than before, but everybody's seems to be coping well. But I find that the pace is quite slow.... but I'm glad that I'm not taking intensive course anymore, cos now I have more time to do other things (such as taking a nap hahaha). But seriously, I've joined the gym, and I went there just now. Quite a small place, but better than nothing.
All righty then.... I'll keep y'all posted with interesting things that happen in class :)
During these 3 days, some of my classmates come and go, cause we're still allowed to change class. Up to now, the statistics is:
Indons : Adel, Kristin, Grace, and me
Malaysia : Lorraine and the class clown Yong Tzan (can't believe we're classmates again). He wasn't supposed to be in my class but he moved as soon as he heard that there's 13 girls and only 3 guys hahaha.
Korean : Ricky and 1 other girl
3 Jap girls
1 Brit guy, 1 Aussie farm boy, 1 Italian chick (Alesia), 1 Philippines dude (Brad, who is actually a chef!), 2 Romanian girls, 2 Kazaksthani (Dinara and orange head chick).
So far it's been good..... much more advanced chinese than before, but everybody's seems to be coping well. But I find that the pace is quite slow.... but I'm glad that I'm not taking intensive course anymore, cos now I have more time to do other things (such as taking a nap hahaha). But seriously, I've joined the gym, and I went there just now. Quite a small place, but better than nothing.
All righty then.... I'll keep y'all posted with interesting things that happen in class :)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Beijing Stories - first week
Hey hey hey..... I'm back!!! Don't know why but suddenly i just feel the need to start writing my blog again.... well, probably cos I have nothing to do and I have lots of stories and reviews to tell haha. So here we go....
I've been back to Beijing for about a week now. Lots of things have been happening in this week. Met some old friends (good ones and annoying ones), and met some new ones as well. This morning was the placement test for the new class. Since I'm taking regular course now, so the test is quite different from last time. Basically they give the han zi (chinese characters) and I'm supposed to write the pin yin. I knew about this from my friends before the test, but they told me that I don't need to write the sheng diao. But surprise surprise, this morning the teacher told me that I need to write the sheng diao!! So.... I made up most of them haha. But all in all, I think I should pass for C class. Let's just see tomorrow.
This afternoon I played badminton with the old gang, plus some new faces. Surprisingly Rey (my high school friend who just came here a few days ago) played quite well. I really enjoy playing badminton here. It's fun and it makes me healthy too haha.
Anyways, just now my parents called me, and they told me that they are planning to visit my brother this christmas, and they want me to come with them (yay!). But I don't think there's gonna be snow in Houston.... I'm really hoping that I can go to NY too. We'll see later.
One more thing that they said to me, which makes me laugh but quite angry at the same time. They told me "Don't get caught up by bad influences! Don't play mahjong too often! We don't want you to become a gambler! You've seen some real life examples of how gamblers end up!". On one hand, its kinda funny cos I only played occasionally and never with any bet. We just have nothing better to do, and I find it fun to play mahjong. But on the other hand I'm sooooo angry with them cos they really treat me like a little kid. I mean, for God's sake, I'm 26!! I know, and I can decide for myself, what is right and what is wrong. Gosh, this is one of the reasons that I don't really feel to tell them anything about my life anymore. They just don't get it, and always end up assuming the wrong things.
OK then, I think that's enough complaining for now haha. Now, on to the reviews.....
I've been back to Beijing for about a week now. Lots of things have been happening in this week. Met some old friends (good ones and annoying ones), and met some new ones as well. This morning was the placement test for the new class. Since I'm taking regular course now, so the test is quite different from last time. Basically they give the han zi (chinese characters) and I'm supposed to write the pin yin. I knew about this from my friends before the test, but they told me that I don't need to write the sheng diao. But surprise surprise, this morning the teacher told me that I need to write the sheng diao!! So.... I made up most of them haha. But all in all, I think I should pass for C class. Let's just see tomorrow.
This afternoon I played badminton with the old gang, plus some new faces. Surprisingly Rey (my high school friend who just came here a few days ago) played quite well. I really enjoy playing badminton here. It's fun and it makes me healthy too haha.
Anyways, just now my parents called me, and they told me that they are planning to visit my brother this christmas, and they want me to come with them (yay!). But I don't think there's gonna be snow in Houston.... I'm really hoping that I can go to NY too. We'll see later.
One more thing that they said to me, which makes me laugh but quite angry at the same time. They told me "Don't get caught up by bad influences! Don't play mahjong too often! We don't want you to become a gambler! You've seen some real life examples of how gamblers end up!". On one hand, its kinda funny cos I only played occasionally and never with any bet. We just have nothing better to do, and I find it fun to play mahjong. But on the other hand I'm sooooo angry with them cos they really treat me like a little kid. I mean, for God's sake, I'm 26!! I know, and I can decide for myself, what is right and what is wrong. Gosh, this is one of the reasons that I don't really feel to tell them anything about my life anymore. They just don't get it, and always end up assuming the wrong things.
OK then, I think that's enough complaining for now haha. Now, on to the reviews.....
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