Hong Kong Airport – yay non blocked internet!

First of all, I wanna apologize to those I have said I’d update my blog very often to.  China has wordpress blocked and the internet at my aunt’s place is too shitty for me to remote and upload gazillion things.  So now since I’m sitting at the Hong Kong airport waiting for my next flight to Tokyo I have access to the internet (I should say the FULL internet) once again.  haha

Anyways since I’m at the airport and the net isn’t exactly the fastest I won’t upload everything I have, I’ll just put a few teaser up for now until I have more time and better internet.

oooo, almost forgot about my next tip.

Tip #3:  Do not eat western food in China. I had steak in one of the busiest shopping area in Beijing, oh man, I don’t think I have tasted steak any worst than that before. lol

Teasers:

JiuZhaiGuo – SiChuan

JiuZhaiGou, SiChuan

HuangLong, SiChuan

HuangLong, SiChuan

HuangLong, SiChuan

HuangLong, SiChuan

HaiLuoGou, SiChuan

China 2009 – Day 02 July 27th

Day 02 of my trip to China:  Tianjin

I realize that during my post yesterday I forgot to write some stuff I found interesting.  I mean I am jet lagged and all plus being  disoriented from sleeping all day haha.

The cities here has so many cars.  They are all real nice cars like Audi, Toyota, VW and etc.  I didn’t realize how much China has developed.  One thing I wasn’t too use to at first was that honking.  Normally it’s quite rude to honk at someone in Canada, but over here honking is considered normal.  It’s a way of letting others know you are there.  It is kinda neat in my opinion but just a bit noisy on the road.  On my way to Tianjin from Beijing yesterday we were driving on a new highway.  It looked just like the highways we have in Canada with the exception of Chinese signs.  There are more interesting things in my pictures I’ll be sharing but lets get to today’s tip first.

Tip #2 in China:  Always leave the Do No Disturb sign on your hotel room if you don’t want random people knocking on your door.  A guy knocked on my door yesterday asking me if I wanted to buy 20 oz of Whiskey.  I was sleeping when he woke me up.  After being disoriented and told him that I didn’t want it I fell back on to my bed only to realize he was actually speaking English to me haha.

Picture time:

First Hotel I stayed in – There is this remote in my room which controls everything in the room. I thought it was pretty cool not having to move at all.

First Hotel I stayed in – This feature in the room is really energy efficient. When you come in the room you slide the card in, it will turn on the lights. When you leave the room you slide out your room card it will automatically shut off all the lights for you.

July 27 Breakfast – This is something I been longing for years. It is made out of Tofu and some other soy product plus a little bit of spice. Yummmmmmy!

July 27 Breakfast – This is an egg boiled with tea bags.

July 27 Breakfast – With such yummy breakfast like this, who wouldn’t wanna wake up at 7am to eat it? haha btw the chinese donut you see there on the right taste nothing like the ones in Canada, it’s so much better here.

First Cell phone – This cell phone is actually really neat. It takes 2 sim cards. It has 2 call buttons so you know which number to call from. Instead of carrying 2 phones, you can just carry 1 phone with 2 sim cards. Business people must love this feature.

China 2009 – Day 01 July 26th

I just wanna advice everyone that if you intend on taking a plane that is going to be more than 5 hours, I strongly recommend you to take an aisle seat.  I had a window seat with 2 more passengers to my left which made my bladder very unhappy because I felt bad waking up the other 2 people beside me.  The air is so dry in the air that you just need water.

Day 1 of my Trip to China: Beijing –> Tianjin

My home city is Tianjin which is a city about 1.5 hour drive from Beijing.  This is where I’m writing this blog.  My aunt told me to stay inside for 3 days in case I get sick so I’m stuck in front of my laptop in the hotel room for 3 days.  Guess it’s good chance for me to figure out how to get around all the blocked websites in China.  haha btw my blog is actually blocked in China.  Do you wonder how I’m actually updating this??  My good friend Matt contributed to  our small hacking here. lol

Can I tell you that it feels a little weird seeing Chinese words everywhere and Chinese people everywhere?  I know that sounds a bit weird haha.

Tip #1 in China:  DO NOT TIP ANYONE lol

Lets share the pictures I took.

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing – Ok notice the square on the bottom right? That is where the power outlet, but my window seat didn’t have it.

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

On the Plane to Beijing

Beijing Airport – This is where I had to hand in the health form and they check your temperature hahaha. Notice how the girl there wears mask?

Beijing Airport

Beijing Airport

Beijing Airport

Beijing Airport – Custom. I had to line up at the foreigners booth :(

Beijing Airport – I had to take this train looking like thing from the landing area to the custom

Beijing Airport – I had to take this train looking like thing from the landing area to the custom

First hotel I stayed in

First hotel I stayed in

First hotel I stayed in

First hotel I stayed in

First hotel I stayed in

First hotel I stayed in

Food my aunt bought

This is the food my aunt bought for me. It was sooooo good, for the msot part, it is a veggie dish with tofu in it and a lilttle spicy.

RCMP PARE and My Last 13 Hours

01:30am Saturday, July 25th 2009

After trying to pack my stuff for the past 2 nights I have decided that I never wanna pack again for my entire life.  Now I’m sitting infront of my computer trying to decide if I should sleep and what time I should sleep as I will be having jet lag once I get to China.  Oh I almost forgot the main reason why I wanted to write in my blog today.  I PASSED MY RCMP PHYSICAL TEST!!! After 7 weeks of training 5 days a week, I finally passed the test.  Happy happy I am.  The recruiters even gave me an RCMP shirt for passing which now belongs to my proud parents.  haha

Ok now back to what I was saying about packing.  I have been on week long conferences and I have packed for myself before, but that was an entire different case of story.  I use to plan out what I’m wearing everyday so I know exactly what I’m bringing.  But how are you suppose to plan that out for 8 weeks without even knowing what the weather will be like.  So I started putting clothe in, taking clothe out, and being forced to take more out by the Rosa Nazi :p Anyways I realize I really don’t have much to pack.  Most of the spaces in my suit cases were taken up by the gifts my parents wanted to give to people.  You know what that means?  I have plenty of space to fulfill my bad shopping habit muhahahaha lol

Anyways my flight is in about 13 hours, should I sleep?  When should I sleep.  I’m trying to think of the time difference over there and start sleeping at their time already but this is hard.  I love sleeping, having to force myself to stay up or wake up early is like torture lol.  Ok anyways I feel like I’m babbling and not saying anything interesting so let me share a picture instead.

West Lake – HangZhou

If you think I’m there already then you are wrong.  I just wanted to share some pictures of the one place I must go visit during my stay there.  It’s a beautiful lake surrounded with peaks from three sides.  What attracts me the most for this place are the tea houses around there.  They are amazing from what I hear so once I get there I will get some real pictures

2 More Weeks

How can I say this.  Let’s see.  I’M GOING HOME!!!!!!!  YAY!!!

haha, 13 more days.  Then I will be on that Air Canada 77w plane flying home.  It’s been 14 years since I have been home.  Funny enough, even though I have been in Canada for 14 years, and holding a Canadian Citizenship, I have never truly considered this country home.  Now I can finally say I’m going home.  I can finally say TADAIMA!!!!!!

So why I’m I writing this post?  I’m not quite sure, maybe I wanted to have a intro to my upcoming China/Japan tour blog.  I will be recording my entire trip as I go on this website.  Those of you who read my blog please check back often

Well it’s not right for me to make a post without a picture.  Somehow it just feels wrong.  I have graduated last month from college, so let’s share a photo from my convocation.  (The sad part is my post secondary education road is not over…)

It may not look like it but the blue thing is a gown LOL  yes the one in blue is meeeeee.

Summer Music

Ok I feel the need of sharing couple songs with everyone.  These 2 songs are by a Japanese duo group called Kimaguren (キマグレン).  Their music fully expresses their passion for their music.  It’s also a very chilled and happy tune for the Summer.  I have attached YouTube videos below.  Hope you all enjoy it.

Kimaguren is a pop/reggae duo that comes from Zushi, Kanagawa.  They formed in May 2005, and later debuted in 2006 with the indies single Omoi Omoi.  They debuted in 2008 under Universal with the single Aenai Uta.  They are most known for their song LIFE, which was used as the au Smart Sports CM song. — Wiki.theppn

Members:
Iseki (Iseki Yasumasa / 井関靖将) – Vocals, acoustic guitar, music
Kurei (Kurei Yuuki / 榑井勇輝) – Vocals, lyrics.

LIFE

君のいない世界 (Kimi no Inai Sekai)

If you are liking their music please visit their website @ www.kimaguren.com

Of course a picture is necessary

Hot, Flat and Crowded

It’s been few months since I wrote in this blog.  One, I’ve been lazy.  Two, I can’t think of what to write in here.  Three, ok here is the reality, I forgot I had a blog. haha

I’m writing today to recommend one of my current readings and favorite author.  The book is named Hot, Flat and Crowded.  It is written by Thomas L. Friedman.

I’m not sure if you have read his previous books.  His books include From Beirut to Jerusalam (1989), The Lexus and the Olive Tree (1999), Longitude and Attitude (2002), The World is Flat (2005) and the current Hot, Flat and Crowded (2008).  Mr. Friedman is a columnist for the New York Times foreign affairs.  He is also the winner of the Pulitzer Prize three times.  Ok enough about him.  Let me just briefly tell you about the book.

First of all, I feel the need of explaining to you what the title means.  Hot. This is easy to understand.  Global warming.  Our planet is getting hotter and more hotter.  Flat. Globalization is what he meant here, not the earth is getting physically flat for those who are thinking that.  What he meant by flat is that now more and more people are living the American style in our world, where as 10 to 20 years ago it’s only the Americans and very few other country who have the American living style.  Thanks to globalization and the internet, our living style and standard curve is getting more flatter through out the world.  Crowded. This is also self explanatory.  Our population growth has been tremendous.  Take my life time be an example.  In 1983, our world population was 4.69 billion.  Now in 2009, our population is 6.92 billion.  The population grew another 50% during the 25 years I have lived.

Now this book is about global warming, but it is not one of those books which tell you our earth is getting hot.  It talks about how America can become the world leader once again by taking different initiatives in green.  The U.S. turned Code Red after 9/11 incident.  There are metal detectors after metal detectors at the border.  Anyone with a physical feature even resembles a little bit with the Iraq or Afghanistan culture gets pulled aside at borders.  Foreign consulates turned from a welcoming place to 10 feet tall high fence prisons.  Even though some of the American diplomats survived until today thanks to these walls, but Friedman talked about how American needs to become that country which gives people hope and people coming here putting their hope into the country.  The book states that American needs to go from Code Red to Code Green.  By going Code Green, American can once again by the leader of the world.  Friedman talks about how America can achieve this goal in his own opinion, although he mentioned that the U.S. is not ready for these changes in resources nor mentally.

This is definitely an interesting book to read.  Especially if you are already a Friedman fan.  And if you are reading this and you are from Sheridan College, the book is on sale for 30% off at the book store!!!  Go get it!

Finally my own Skull Candy

woot, after so many days of searching online, offline, midline, across the line… ok maybe not that many lines.  I finally own my very first Skull Candy.

This baby is fashion and music all-in-one!

She is one sexy baby!!!

Still playing with the lighting of my phone to get the picture right

:) please ignore my messy bed

Feeling good.

Office Studies :p

I finally loaded the pictures I had from my phone to my laptop so I thought I’d share my cute office pics.  Those two are my very hyper friends hahaha

Please ignore the messy desks… lol

Lara is working hard, Larry is creepy peeky

Lara is so happy for me to take picture of her

Really happy aren't I?

Beyond – 海闊天空 (Boundless Ocean Vast Sky)

As I am extremely sick at home and bored out of my mind, I decided to randomly search the internet.  I came across this music video which brought back some old memories of the band Beyond.  Thought I should share it with whoever reads my blog.  Hope Ka Kui finds peace and everything he hopes for in heaven.

Beyond was a rock band from Hong Kong founded in 1983 (yay my birth year).  Their music has always identified with the people as they reflected social issues, pursuit of dreams, politics and peace.  Wong Ka Kui, leader vocalist of the band died in 1993 from an accident while filming.  He was known for his musical talents as well as his unique and powerful voice.  Ka Kui composed approximately 90% of Beyond’s music.  His songs often address humanity and social issues such as injustice, war and peace, racism, poverty, family and pursuit of dream.

Wong Ka Kui – 黃家駒