step in Beijing

Yup, finally, here is the Beijing post :)

Well, I am actually finding a hard time on how to post this. If summarize it too short, there isnt much detail. If make it too long, will make the post boring. So, stay with me ya, I am trying my best.

My journey to Beijing started by overslept :( Luckily I got my driver calling me to wake me up at 5.35am in the morning, which is the time i supposed to meet him. Realizing that I am late, I was forced to used my long concealed superman speeding bullet ability... okokok... i am exaggerating :p

image from allposters.com

Anyhow, I took shower, shaved, changed, last checked on my luggage and then wooshed down, all within 10mins. I suprise myself too >_<

It is bit off to start the journey like that. But I still manage to reach the airport at 6am, flight was at 8am. I later checked in my luggage and then started the long thirsty waiting journey to Beijing, with transit in Bangkok. Why thirsty? Because liquid is not allowed in the flight cabin and I couldnt locate any water dispenser around since I am not familiar with airport layout.

Transit @ Bangkok Airport

At 4.30pm, I touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport, but only managed to get out of the airport an hour later, long queues at custom and luggage retrieving. At 5.30pm, it was already dark and misty, quite cold too. I took taxi to my hotel, greeted by my customers over there, took dinner with them and had a short discussion on the itinery.

Some 1st day random,

• The Chinese drive on the right side of the road, like in US, cant really get used to it at first
• Truly experienced the Chinese culture of ordering a lot so that not to mistreated the guest. At dinner, I tried to eat everything on the table for not to waste the food, but the customer asked whether enough or not, wanting to order more for me, oops...
• I have been asked a few times on the same question by the customers "where your ancestor from in China?” linking or trying to understand why I am so tall *_*
• trying to sign-in into blogspot, only to realized that it is blocked. Quite irritating as I was addicted to blogging
• static! static! static! I hate static! I got zapped a few times on my first day there. But got used to it days later

The subsequent days there, I spend majority of my time indoor working. As you know, this is a business trip, not a leisure trip :(

Out of 7days there, I worked for 6days. In addition to that, I am not working in an office or a meeting room. I am working in the living room of my hotel room. The customer managed to setup the workstations at there and come visit me early in the morning until late at night >_<

About work, the customer did ask a lot of questions. Felt as if like student asking lecturer many many weird questions during class, remind me of the university days, kinda funny too to be reminded about this.

And probably because I stayed indoor too much, coupled with the very dry indoor heater air, I fell sick on the 3rd day there. I got fever and very bad sore throat, although I drank a lot of water. My nose started to bleed too, and rashes all over my legs and arms. Finishes all the panadols I brought there. Got felt better a bit occasionally. I can say that I have truly experienced the fact that a person really misses home when he/she got sick in the foreign land.

Anyhow, all these obstacles didn't deter my excitement for being there. Always looking forward to the last day I am there, for it because last day will be my half a day trip to "tian an men" square :)

On the very last day, which is Sunday too, i woke up very early at 6am, and started my journey to "tian an men" square to watch the highly recommended flag raising ceremony.

I reach the square at 7am, and already a lot of people over there. After the flag raising, probably I am not that patriotic even in my own country, doest really felt anything interesting, but there are at least a few thousand of people at the square, all tourists. Security at the square was very tight too. Police, plain cloth police and "gong an" are seen every where. All bags are screened before entering the square.

My supposed half day trip at the square have been shorten to 2 hrs for many reasons. Every buildings/entrance has beeline queues all the time. Tourist keep on pouring into the square, probably I have chosen a wrong day to visit the square during weekend. It is freezing cold too with the wind blowing, my face felt as if it is a piece of frozen meat. Nature called too but I could not find a toilet and the "gong an" keep pointing me to the wrong direction. At the end, I given up and took a taxi back to hotel, without visiting the "forbidden city", kinda sad for not able to do so.

Anyhow, in the evening, I started my journey back to Malaysia, with transit again at Bangkok, only this time stayed over night at Bangkok. And probably because the sudden change of weather, my nose bleed getting worst when i was in Bangkok that night. I was afraid that I would be very sick until the next day where I would have to give up wondering around Bangkok. But gladly I felt better again the next morning. I walk around the city, to the latest shopping mall in town - CentralWorld, bought a nike like dry fit shirt there, at 295baht only. I spend an hour there before walking back, tried the thai massage, then again went to airport. I reach Penang on xmas eve night at 10.30pm. Was glad to be home at that time :)

ok, photo time. But many photos dont have me in it, because I am holding the camera, consequences of traveling alone :p

some random photos taken on the way visiting another customer






Super duper sweet potato, as sweet as honey

Believe it or not, it is a one stick of noodle

Walking back to hotel after lunch, temperature is like around 2C

must try "dong lai shun" lamb steamboat. Best!!!

Best Scholar Porridge in town. Got ice porridge, got sweet porridge etc. I dined there twice.

View from my room

On the way to Carrefour @ "dongguanchun"

Traffics in Beijing

Cycling still a plenty in China


It is a huge basement Carrefour

And it is very crowded, even when it is still weekday

Very creative to put the snacks along the escalator

Peking Roast Duck in vacum package, bought one back :)

High-end luxury lifestyle store

Nice posters, love it :)

Beijing Olympic Store, can be found in many places. Spent quite a fortune in this shop.

Hawkers. Dont really dare to try the food as my imune system not ready for China germs :p

Funny reminder

me @ tian an men square at 7am

Advantage of being tall is able to get a good view above :)

Morning Beijing!

The flag has been raised!

More people...

Hordes of tourists...

Some sceneries shot

Me face is frozen although packed like a dumpling, couldnt smile *_*

Marching. left... left... left right left...

Empty street in the Sunday morning.

Counting down...

Crossing...

byebye forbidden city, come visit you next time...

Some beijing city shots from taxi ride

Beijing map @ bus stop. It has many circles of highways

Where i stayed

me @ Beijing Capital International Airport

walk around Bangkok in the next morning

Very nicely decorated and huge CentralWorld

Thai loves their king a lot and very sincere devotees

Kids studying using PC at stall

Cool taxi

Lots of billboards in the city. btw, I just notice the Petronas symbol today

me @ Suvarnabhumi Airport

Well, that's about it for my business trip to Beijing end of last year. For more photos, you can click on this and this :)

All in all, it was an eye opening trip. Looking forward for more if there are chances. However, there are a few things that I wish to try when I was there, but circumstances didnt allow. I havent tried the SzeChuan dishes, havent seen the Great Wall of China and havent went into the Forbidden City yet. Will have to postphone them for future then :)