It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen! All these little girls singing something but performing on stage was hilarious. What was even better was that their performance was simultaneously shown on this huge screen over the square.

It was easily the highlight of the day!

We then returned to the hostel for a four hour nap in the afternoon. I was able to get the correct stomach medicine while we were out and so I was feeling better when I awoke. In fact, I think I am going to send this medicine to BP because I am thoroughly convinced that a few hundred of these capsules will stop the oil leak in the gulf (that's how good and fast this worked).

Eric and I decided to skip the hot pot and I instead ate something generic at the hostel. We then wanted to see how the Chinese party and so we went to '88', a nightclub fairly close to the hostel. They know how to have a good time! There was a male singer that would stand up on stages located throughout the club. I have no idea what he was singing but he had a great voice. We left shortly after arriving because of the smoke and how loud it was. It was nice to go to a club though and see how the younger folks have fun. Jack Daniels is huge here. They were drinking a concoction of tea mixed with JD while playing a dice game. I never figured out the dice game but I did figure out that the ones losing were getting hammered. Every time they lost, they drank a 4-6 oz glass of this stuff. My stomach turned watching them drink this like water. There are a few Chinese that must not be feeling well today! I didn't think of bringing my camera and I am now very disappointed that I didn't. We will hit another club in the next few days and I will be sure to capture some 'Chinese Fun' and post it here.

More tomorrow...

written by  akstoltzy on May 30, 2010 from Shenzhen, China
from the travel blog: China
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Just as an FYI, FB is completely off limits here in China. I am receiving many notes from my gmail account saying that people are posting on my wall but I can't access the site. There are back doors for access but I'm not interested in doing that. I am having my sister access my account to let everyone know.

I know many people are looking based on the counter I put on that I can see but you can't. I just want to say I appreciate those looking as well as the comments. Even if you look and don't comment I find that pretty cool. While I enjoy reading the comments, everyone has a life. If you have the time, then feel free. Just enjoy. I'll do my best to keep it light, add some of my sick humor, and capture some serious stuff as well. Whatever happens here happens. That's the joy of this adventure. I have no idea what will happen next! This place is awesome and I hope others will find this trip through my eyes and damaged mind exciting enough to make their own plans to visit.

Oh yeah, one more thing.

written by  akstoltzy on May 29, 2010 from Shenzhen, China
from the travel blog: China
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It's called Unotel Inn and only costs about $30 a night. Here is the room:

Here are the wall switches:

I know.... you're saying who the heck cares about wall switches. Well, I do! Especially in China. On the far left, you see my room key. Until you put your room key into the slot, you have no electricity. As soon as I leave here for a walk or for lunch, everything turns off because I need the room key for the door lock. Talk about a great money-saver with energy....

I still have my big bag over at Hostel Hell but I will get that in a little while and officially check out. I have to do that because in China, foreigners are not allowed to be in two places at one time. I am now officially registered here AND still at the other place. I have a few hours still to go but no need to press my luck.

I went to lunch today at a very busy but very good restaurant. They were kind enough to serve me with a spoon instead of chopsticks but of course, trying to blend in, I said, 'bu shi bu shi (no no), qing gei wo (please bring me) and then I made the sign for chopsticks by tapping my index finger on my thumb over and over. Chopsticks is way too hard to say. She laughed and took the spoon away. Well, as the French woman I met in Beijing would say, SHIT! I should have taken the spoon, too. I didn't realize how soupy the meal was underneath. So, I just drank it at the end like you would when you finish a bowl of cereal. Everyone else does it that way here but I still am not used to doing that in public. Anyway, for about $2.50, here is my lunch:

My glass of watermelon juice did not show up on my picture download but it was quite good.

Here are a few views from my room:

If you look closely, you can really see how the modern is built right next to the dilapidated. It's such an interesting clash that I don't think the pictures can really show the true dichotomy.

That's all for now. I'm heading out to buy some shirts, eat more food for cheap, and figure out how to get to Hong Kong tomorrow. It is considered a Special Administrative Region which means passports are needed and border patrols exist. If you don't hear from me in two days, turn on CNN and call the US Embassy! At least call the embassy for me. Please?

Yi hui'er jian (ee hoo are jee u n) - See You Later

It's harder to say than it looks because of the tones. When I say it, I may be saying see you on my monkey's couch. Who knows!

written by  akstoltzy on May 28, 2010 from Shenzhen, China
from the travel blog: China
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The rest of this blog is a mixture of personal journal and blogging. The thoughts are my own so if you don't agree that's ok. I only ask that you be as open to my thoughts as I am to any comments you leave. there is no right or wrong, just what is. Thanks!

The train is approximately 18 carriages long (not including the engine cars). I am in what is known as a 'hard-sleeper'. This means that the carriage I am in has six bunks per compartment, three on each side. I am now typing from the top (cheapest) bunk. Here are two shots I took earlier:

It cost me about $65 USD or 420 Yuan. Anyway, the carriage has ten compartments which means there are 60 people in this carriage. Everyone is speaking Chinese so I am completely alone on this leg of my adventure. It will take 23 hours to get to where I am going so I have developed a mindset of patience and lots of reading. I have earplugs but will wait until they turn the lights out at 10 to put them in. I have two reading lights so I should be fine.

I am very glad that I have developed patience and tolerance over the past years of working in Alaska. I need all of what I have learned for this trip. The smoking is outrageous (350 million smokers here). So, everywhere you go there is cigarette smoke. There is no smoking in the carriages but some still do while others follow the rules where there is smoking allowed between the carriages. The smoke still filters into where I am so it feels like I am traveling in a bar. I was watching an English-language program and they said that by next year China will start a ban on smoking in public places. Unfortunately, it is one year too late for me. I'll be very happy to get to a city that has less pollution than Beijing (Shenzhen; not Hong Kong). Actually, it will improve 1000% when I get off this train!

It's 9:00 PM Wednesday evening here so that would make it 8:00 AM Wednesday morning in Chicago. I am going to start reading and save the power on the computer. I will write more later.

OK, it is 4:45 PM on Thursday. I have found out we are a little over two hours late so now we will not arrive until 9:30 PM. I slept relatively well which was surprising. Three Benadryl doesn't hurt, either. I was reading last night and a message came over the intercom that said..... how the heck do I know, I don't speak Chinese. However, I figured out five minutes later that it probably said that the lights would be turning off in five minutes. That was at 9:55 PM. So, in the dark, I started feeling around for my bag so I could get my reading light. Took a little while but I finally got it. I read for another hour or so and then slept in spurts of a few hours each. The train is smooth and pretty quiet. The only bad thing was the smoking. But, you get used to it sort of. Being on the top bunk, I think most of the smoke gathers there so with the fans it took a little while to disperse. With the pictures above, you can see the layout of the train. I finished an entire book today before taking an afternoon siesta for an hour or so. While I walking to the 'bathroom', a man (bottom right in the top picture) asked me in English if I would like to try some Chinese 'tea'. I figured it was some type of alcohol but when I smelled it I couldn't really tell. It is a form of respect when a Chinese person offers something of their own to a foreigner. I didn't want to be disresoectful so I mustered some instant courage, said a Hail Mary faster than a nun, and hoped for the best. It smelled like licorice. In any case, I took a swig. HOLY SHMOLY! It's been 15 minutes and my throat and stomach are still feeling the heat. I don't know what it was but it was fairly strong and did taste like black licorice. He calls me 'friend' and so we have practiced a little Chinese and English together. There are four different tones in Chinese. Using the wrong tone can change the entire meaning of the sentence/word. For instance, the word 'ma'. With one tone, the word will mean 'excuse me'. With another, it will mean 'will you kiss me'. Another and I think it means 'horse'. So, as you can see, one must be careful when learning the language! I have been laughed at quite a bit which is fine. I learned to laugh at myself a long time ago. But when I finally get the tone and the correct sound out and they give me a thumbs up or shake their heads adamantly up and down, it is quite rewarding. There are many sounds that are in Chinese that we do not have in English. Trying to make the correct sound is like gymnastics training for the tongue. I also think that because I am the world's worst singer, I am having more trouble with the tones than maybe someone who is not tone-deaf would have. My teacher yesterday before I left was a guy from Norway named Reinger (Ranger). I mentioned him yesterday. In case you didn't read that post, he has been here 3 months and is in a Chinese immersion language class at the University of Beijing. The class is six hours a day, M-F. I envy those that can speak other languages. We in America are not forced to take other languages as part of our curriculum in elementary and high school. I think that is a mistake but I am sure that will change in time. The world is becoming too intertwined with all the technology advancements and trade so I hope that languages such as Spanish, French or Latin (which are very close to each other), and even Chinese are introduced as compulsory. Not all mind you but at least two of the three. I only say Chinese not because I am here but because of their burgeoning economy and their rapid rise in status in the world in general.

Being here has been such an experience and it has only been a week. The dichotomy between the haves and have nots, poverty and growing middle class, modern/advanced infrastructure and archaic mud huts, and modern energy (solar and wind power) versus coal burning and incredible pollution makes this country so fascinating. The younger people here between university age and about 40 are mostly very polite towards me. They offer me drink (the above example), a seat to chat and to have the opportunity to practice their English while teaching me Chinese, as well as asking many questions about what it is like to live in America and what it is like to travel all over the world tells me they have either come a long way in less than a generation or our history books have some facts slanted. Probably a combination of both. After all, history is usually written (fact or not) by the victors. For instance, the other night I was sitting alone at an outside restaurant finishing a monstrous meal that cost me less than $2. I started talking with two men next to me. The elderly man who was with his son expressed his gratitude to the US for helping to save most of his relatives' lives during World War II. Unfortunately, his parents and grandparents along with some others were taken one night from their house by Japanese soldiers and were never seen again. He said if it hadn't been for the Americans, the Japanese would have continued their atrocities against their people and everyone in their village including his family would have been killed. I didn't have to know Chinese to see by the look on his face and the tear in his eye the disdain he still feels towards the Japanese. I didn't know what to say to him except to thank him for being so kind. I wanted on the inside so badly to take a picture of this man with his hunchback, wrinkled and weathered face, and arthritic fingers but thought that might be disrespectful. I found out later that I had chosen correctly.

I would have liked to have taken more pictures through the windows here on the train as I have traveled but between the dirty windows and the speed with which we are traveling, the pictures are blurred. The countryside is full of mountains (no snow caps) and sharp instead of rolling hills. Every square inch of available ground space seems to be used for growing rice and some other types of food. The housing is mostly brick and anywhere between one and four stories average. The number of units in each I can't really tell however it seems as if they range from single-dwelling up to more than ten separate apartments. It's cloudy down this way and they have been receiving record rainfall. If it stays this way, I will travel to Chongqing earlier than expected and then back to Beijing earlier as well. There is still much to see in Beijing.

We pull into the station in about 90 minutes. It will be Thursday morning your time so hopefully you will have a chance to read and comment. Let me know if there are things that you would like me to take pictures of. I won't guarantee anything but I'll do what I can.

As it turns out, I couldn't post this until today, Friday. The next note explains why.

written by  akstoltzy on May 27, 2010 from Shenzhen, China
from the travel blog: China
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As I was getting ready to leave the hostel, I took a picture of some of the workers and a Dutch young man named Reinger (pronounced Ranger). Here is one of the pictures:

Cindy is second from left. She is a very friendly young lady that works eight hours a day, seven days a week. I will now stop complaining about my schedule. The other workers also work those kinds of hours. They have not had vacations in two years! Reinger tried to teach me some Chinese as well. He has traveled to many countries and is now in China studying the language six hours a day, five days a week in an immersion program for foreigners. Very smart guy. Speaks nine languages, four quite well and five where he can communicate effectively enough to travel anywhere in the that particular country.

Here is Christina:

I headed to the train station. This is the Beijing West Train Station. It is massive! The picture shows only the front and what is above ground. Even still, I couldn't get the whole thing within my frame. Underground is like a separate city with enough shops and food to keep you going all day.

There must have been tens of thousands of people underground. This was one of the big boards they have inside so you can find your train.

More on the trip in my next post.

written by  akstoltzy on May 26, 2010 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China
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Below is where the government offices are mostly located. I think Hillary and Geitner are inside as I type this discussing trade and commerce.

Here I am standing in front of the People's Monument:

I haven't screened the pics so hopefully they are clear enough.

From Tian'amen Square, you can look across the street to see the Forbidden City. Here's a shot from across the street:

When the military would have their parades, Mao would be seated above his picture. To the right and left (I didn't take pictures) are many boxes where the other government officials and dignitaries would be seated. Today, they still have parades (I think they are on Oct 1 every year to celebrate when Mao came into power in 1949) and so the street is closed off to traffic and the military marches in front of the building.

The picture below is of the White Pagoda:

This next picture is of a monument built for one of the dynasties:

After I left this park is when the real odyssey began. The map I have is not to scale and so with some bends in the roads I was following I ended up doing two 360 degree walks, each of which was approximately 2 miles. I was so disappointed when at the end of each one I found myself to be one block further east then when I had started. The blog I left last night was at the end of my second 360.

I eventually made it back to the hostel at about 5:30. When I got back here, I ate and talked with some folks I have met here. Here's the picture:

The gal at the bar is Christina. She has been teaching me Chinese and I have been teaching her American Sign Language. She's a much faster learner than I!

So now, I will not post any more until Friday (Thursday your time). I leave in a little while for Hong Kong/Shenzhen. I'll take a 'T' train which is quite fast. Nevertheless, it will take 23 hours to get there. I have the top bunk in a hard sleeper. Hard just means a thinner matress and more bunk-mates. There will be 6 in my cabin. Who knows who they will be but I'll find out shortly. I'll take pics of the train, the ride, and then the hostel where I will be staying. I don't get in until 7:40 tomorrow night so if I am not beat, I'll download, with luck, pics and try and blog. I'll be checking email, too, so you can always write there as well if you don't want to leave comments here.

I'm doing great! My feet are a bit sore from walking so far yesterday in some pretty lusy sandals but all in all I am great.

Until tomorrow....

written by  akstoltzy on May 25, 2010 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China
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After the tombs, we drove way up into the mountains so we could do a 5K walk to the wall.

NO SMOKING ALLOWED:

Once we got to the top, the views were pretty awesome.

There was a couple taking wedding photos.

The Wall was nice to see. Contrary to what has been said in the past, you CAN'T see The Great Wall from space. However, it is massively long (I think greater than 2000 miles if my conversion is correct.

What I found was so neat on the way back was this still-used aquaduct.

We stopped for lunch and ate like we hadn't eaten in a week. Here is most of our group:

It's amazing that more accidents don't happen or people get run over. Driving here is an accident waiting to happen! Probably more accurate would be Darwinian: Survival of the Fittest!

Our last stop of the day was to a silk shop. They took us through the process of the silkworm life-cycle, how they get the silk, and then how they weave and dye to make some pretty nice clothing, sheets, and so forth. The picture here shows the walkway over the main road. Pretty fancy I'd say!

The next picture I just had to take.

Today, I go to Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. It's hotter than Hades today so I am going to take the metro-train instead of walking. Should be an experience. I'll try my best to get today's activities posted tonight. More likely, I will do so tomorrow due to how long it takes to upload pictures.
Later.

written by  akstoltzy on May 24, 2010 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China
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The people that work here at 1 Hai Inn are very nice. They speak English and have helped to get us either plane (for Eric) or train (for me) tickets.

When we got through customs in China we had to hop on a tram. The airport is absolutely HUGE. The tram, like all the trains and buses, are very crowded. Eric and I were the last two on the tram and as soon as we entered the doors began to close. Eric decided it was a good time to grab the overhead bar to prevent him from falling. Unfortunately, a little Chinese woman was standing there and her face got in the way of his hand. So, in China for 10 minutes, Eric has proceeded to knock a cute woman right in the eye with a right cross. So, welcome to China!

We took a cab from the airport to the hostel. They have lanes here that have the obligatory markings but which no one follows. It is amazing that more cars do not have dents and scratches.

I slept much longer than Eric but that isn't surprising. I slept roughly 14 hours straight. Eric didn't sleep as long as he was busy in the middle of the night trying to watch Chinese television. There is also an English speaking channel that is like a CNN but is mostly Chinese news. Apparently, I snore because Eric couldn't hear the tv. I think he is delusional. Who knows what the truth really is but all I know is that I don't snore.

I brought a map with us of downtown Beijing when we went on our hike. However, as we were about to find out, it was not to scale. We figured we would walk today and get an idea of what the city was like on a weekend. To give you an idea, think of downtown Chicago on a Saturday but with 4-5 times as many people. This city is huge. Our first stop was to the Lama Temple which is right behind us here at the hostel. You'd have to be Bhuddist to really appreciate it. No pictures in the buildings were allowed so these are the only two. This one shows the actual layout.

After the Temple, we thought we would try to blend in with the crowds. However, we stuck out like sore thumbs no matter how hard we tried. We walked a total of close to roughly 17 km (based on a map that WAS to scale). For all you metrically impaired, that's a little more than 10 miles. It's also about 85 degrees here so I'm feeling a little stinky right now. We found the only Irish-owned bar/restaurant in Beijing called Paddy's something or other. We stopped there for lunch and water. LOTS of water! We met a couple of people from the states that work for Microsoft that have lived here for a while. The guy we met was obnoxious. Knows way too much and can speak a little Chinese so he's pretty impressed with himself. The lady was nice and actually gave me some tips for the next few days on where to hang out, what to watch for in relation to scams, and so forth.
We walked down a street that is known as 'Ghost Town'. Read about it here:

I didn't take many pictures because there was nothing that seemed 'picturable'. Eric has left this morning and so I am going to go out and explore the city in another direction. I'm going to try and find the Bell and Drum towers. I have no idea what they represent. However, they will probably be torn down as part of the city's rejuvination projects. I'll try and post more pictures tonight (it's Sunday now).

We left at a little after 11 AM and got back to our hostel at 5. My feet hurt, I stink, and I'm hungry. I am glad to see that the Hawks won AGAIN! 3-0 with the next two at the United Center. Looking good Hawks fans!

That's all for now. More tonight or tomorrow.

written by  akstoltzy on May 22, 2010 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China
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