Saturday, 10. January 2009, 10:15:08
fun, The Forbidden City, Z-train, travel
...
December 20, 2008
I shall skip one day and continue to the third day when we were leaving for Beijing by train, at around 7:30pm. Actually, the day before this one was basically just a nothing-day...except maybe the fact that Lala went to get a new haircut by the hair salon just across the street where Jane and I spent 2-3 hours just sitting there, taking some random pictures and pretty much just looking out for Lala's hair 
Okay, so why was it a nothing-day? Well, Joyce, Niki, and Alddon went to attend their economic workshop, only three of us left in the apartment and cant go anywhere new since Joyce, Niki, Alddon did not want to miss out on anything. Anyway, after Lala had her haircut + rebond, we went back to the apartment then got on the subway and headed to the Shanghai Railway Station to get train tickets then to East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street again and spent the rest of the day there By the time we got home, it was almost 11:00pm, due to some transportation difficulties, that the MTR line 4 was closed and we had to take line 8 and back to line 2 to get to Nanpu Station (our stop) -_-
Okay, so back to the third day 
It was a normal day, sunny and a bit cold. We didn't do much in the morning, just packed up our stuff to get ready to leave for Beijing that night. So the plan was that Joyce, Niki, and Alddon were supposed to come back to the apartment by 5pm or so, but when I called them and asked were they were, they told me they're still in the conference room xD Then I panicked, I was like "What? Are you serious? the train leaves 7:30pm and it takes some time to get to the train station with our amount of luggage, and then we have to hover around the big station to find the right platform. Please come home as soon as possible." and they were whispering "We cant, it would be very disrespectful to the speaker if we leave in the middle of his lecture, but we'll get out as soon as possible." In the end, I told them to just get a cab and go to the train station directly, while Jane, Lala, and I take care of all the luggages and meet up at the train station. Lucky we got a van taxi to take us there, or we'd not have fit in one taxi haha The funny thing about this whole "event" was that we actually had 4 groups of people meeting up at the station at the same time, not to mention that we're almost late for the train (there was like 30 mins left for us to get to the platform). First group, its Valle and Eric, they got to the train station the earliest and waited at the entrance, so no problem finding them. Second group, Rain and his friend who helped him get to the right place; he saw me as soon as we arrived at the entrance, so no problem as well. Third and fourth group was my group, and Joyce's group, we also saw each other at the carpark area, where we hired porters to help with the luggage and help us find the platform. WHEW! That was close! hahaha (but the porter fee was damn expensive -_- we had no choice, or the train's gonna leave us lol) and I forgot to mention that all this time, my phone never stopped ringing, I was on the phone almost all of the time, talking with 3 groups of people waiting to meet up...xD It was chaos that turned out well in the end 
After much running and hovering, we finally got to the train with 15 mins left to spare before it departs for Shanghai. Hmmm the train looks really nice It was actually the first time that I took a long haul train ride. Our trip to Beijing took around 11 hours. We had to sleep in the train overnight at the small cabins (but still clean and comfy). So we had our dinner also at the train, there was a small "cafeteria" that serves meals. The food was oily and tastes weird...but oh well, we'll wait till we get to Beijing to get some more decent food hehe That night in the cabin, we played a few rounds of card games, called the Heartattack It was so much fun! So Valle, having only played it for the first time, always lost, and Rain, who sat farthest to the table, also lost several rounds (imagine 8 of us squeezed in a small 4-person cabin while Eric stayed in his cabin comfortably and peacefully reading his book, as the rest of us almost wrestled ourselves to death) During this "violent" card game, some hands were brutally slapped, like that of Joyce's (thanks to Rain), and two of my precious cards was damaged (folded at the corner) 
I don't remember what time it was that we went to sleep...I think it was around 12:00 or so...after everyone got tired and the excitement gone down a bit
By 5:30am, my phone alarm rang, and I woke up to start preparing for the arrival of the train, that is an hour after. Yes, it took some time to get everyone in the cabin (4 per cabin) to wake up, especially Joyce and Lala...and well, my boots too, always hard to maneuver and get them on We woke up the others after we're done and then just sat there and waited for the train to arrive. Actually before that, we walked around a lot, and on our way, I saw some snow by the train cart connection area, informed Niki and he got really really excited haha he was like "SNOW! SNOW!!!!" and started scooping them up Despite the dirty snow, no words can describe his excitement xD We looked out the window and there was also snow, apparently there had been snowfall the night before we arrived in Beijing. So the train arrived promptly at around 6:40am, and we all felt the piercing cold, even while we're still inside the train. Uh oh....I wonder how cold it's gonna be outside? The moment I stepped out the train, the wind was so strong I couldn't even stand straight! It's not just the wind, the COLD, the real COLD was terrible....I was like "Oh man, I dont know how I can stand 3 days of this cold in Beijing." Oh well, we followed the crowd and got out the station (after some luggage delays, once again) and the weather was even worse! It was still dark outside, and the train station looked deserted...and I can't see where the cabs are lined up O_o Joyce and I walked around to look for the taxi stand, while the others huddled close and waited...we couldnt find any! Gladly, a guy approached us and asked if we wanted to rent a van, since there are 9 of us with so many suitcases...so Joyce and I went to check out his van and asked the others to follow. We got in the van after a while and it felt like heaven inside Not that it looks like a limousine or something, but its a lot less cold inside haha Then everyone was amazed when they saw that the driver is a woman She told me that it wasnt that cold the day before, like maybe around 5C...so we're just really unfortunate xD After 10-15 mins ride, we finally got to the hotel - Beijing Taiwan Hotel (I translated it myself ). It was the first time I'd been to this hotel, my dad booked the rooms for us. For the price it offered, the place was actually nice 
The rooms were clean and okay, with the exception of Valle's and Eric's room. Their's was a lot bigger than ours haha The location was good, it only takes us about 5 mins of walk to get to the WangFuJing pedestrian shopping street and commercial district, its also not very far from The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.
We moved in our warm and cozy rooms and some of us just fell asleep... We were all very tired, I suppose..hehe We havent made plans for the day, but we knew we had to start touring, so we dont waste the day. The bellboy told us that it would be nice to go to the Great Wall, before the snow melts away. I inquired at the reservation desk and the lady told me that we might have to rent a van since there are 9 of us, it would be a lot more convenient. The van however was expensive, costs 1000RMB per day. We had a voting whether to go that day, or the next day, and majority decided that we go the next day, so we opted to The Forbidden City instead The fun has just yet to begin hahaha Stay tuned for my next post 
Friday, 9. January 2009, 18:47:38
The Bund, East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street, Shanghai
We were confident, very confident
“Hey! Its not so cold here, yet I was thinking I might freeze to death.” I remember someone said something similar to that...while we went down the apartment on our first night, to have dinner, and later stayed in a coffee shop for some dessert in this café called U.B.C.
Well, I’ll tell you what’s this confidence is all about The next day, we braved the cold wind with hands trembling inside our coat pockets and teeth close to chattering, got to the subway station (after much asking and walking, when it was only 5-mins away, just around the corner ) and took our first subway ride in Shanghai to arrive at the East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street Ah this place, brings back so many memories, from when I once walked the same streets six years ago So much has changed, it has a lot more skyscrapers in the surrounding now and new luxurious-looking department stores and restaurants, brimming with life and always of course never without the usually big shopping crowd, even on weekdays Damn, people here are rich! Amidst all of this, the freeze we felt had been increasing steadily as the sun starts to set, while the darkness slowly enveloped the sky…but even so, the East Nanjing Road did not seem to be the least bit affected, with the shopping crowd getting bigger and bigger. Then I remembered again once upon a night six years ago, the unmistakably colorful, feisty neon sign boards lighting up the whole area, making it one of the most beautiful spots in downtown Shanghai; always so inviting and misleading that you think its still early Time spent there really flies by quickly, before you even realize, its already 22:00 at night and stores are already closing
All right, back to the topic, our first aim is to get some new clothes, find some good deals and prepare ourselves for Beijing It seems like every store is on sale, by that I mean big big discounts We went in Giordano, it says “Buy 500, get 150 off!” or something like “Buy 2 get 30% off!” These were all new arrivals, new clothes for the season, so we were all like “WOW!” Checked out this one, tried out that one, nope, none seems to look good or practical enough...ah well, next store it is so there, we went in to almost all the stores in the whole shopping street, also the malls Okay so finally, I cant stand it anymore, my hands were literally numb and if I don’t do something it’s gonna come off anytime in a snap , so when we went into a mall and saw this stall selling leather and suede gloves, I was so happy My first buy of the day, a pair of leather gloves, which proved to be really useful throughout my whole trip On the other hand, my friends went crazy on trying out shirts and jackets, because they were all very nice and cheap hehe so at the end of the day, most of us were satisfied...except Niki (Nikole) who keeps complaining of his aching feet coz he was wearing brand new chucks on a winter day
Strike one, COLD, UNEXPECTED weather When the night came, we were all shivering from the strong wing that never seems to get tired of blowing...=( We quickened our footsteps and headed to The Bund, to see the night view of the Pearl of Orient It was a long walk, but when we finally arrived, it felt good We took some pictures, walked around a bit and decided that we should find a restaurant for dinner. Earlier that day, I’d already called up Valle and made arrangements with him to meet up for dinner, but since we can no longer stand the killing cold, we thought we should just find a place and wait for Valle and Eric to come.
We found this very nice Chinese restaurant with a cute neon purple sign that says “New Bund Restaurant” and a very inviting interior...hmm I think it looks fancy outside The waitress told us they cook traditional Shanghai cuisine, so we thought why not give it a try. We occupied the big round table with eight seats somewhat enclosed in “bars” separating us from the other smaller tables, sat down, and checked out the menu while we waited for the guests to come. During this time, it got kinda awkward when the waitress was standing beside us all the time, waiting for us to order, even after we told her that we’re waiting for someone. She’s also trying her best to recommend dishes, despite my friends who were talking to her with English that she can’t understand. I was surprised how they got to communicate…or maybe it was some miscommunication that ended up with us having some really weird dishes later on? Hahaha Ah well, we chatted a bit while Niki went to his sleep (like what he does most of the time throughout the whole 11-day trip)...perhaps the chucks has exhausted much of his energy, added with the comfort his furry Eskimo jacket provided him together with the warm, cozy atmosphere inside the restaurant, its hard not to fall asleep, you agree? Well,I totally understand haha
In a while, I got a call from Valle, telling me that they’d just got off the subway and was heading our way. They didnt have much problem finding the place. After 10-15 mins, they entered the restaurant like super stars walking on the red carpet HAHA Why did I say that? Well, waiters and waitresses were trailing behind them when they walked in, all of them busy asking them for seats needed and such (and the carpet was indeed red) LOL Anyway, after 7 long months, its really nice finally seeing Valle again and as for his brother, Eric, my first impression was “Oops! A twin? How come Valle never told me?” So I introduced my friends to Valle, and Valle introduced Eric to us and so of course, I always had to miss out something or make a careless mistake right? so I was like “So Valle, this is Niki, Alddon, the twins, Jane and Joyce.” and I totally missed out the part “and everyone, this is Valle” Lol Ah well...whats done is done, and my friends already knew Valle’s name beforehand anyway…(I guess that’s why I missed out that part hmm)
You must be wondering “Uhm...where’s Lala?” hahaha She cant be missing in action, can she? Yeah, she never does. After a few minutes, she made her grand entrance (She was in the washroom when Valle and Eric came ) So she started talking, or should I say, interrogating Eric? “So where are you from?” “Why did you come here?” blabla lol so cute Everyone was quiet, its like “SHHHHH, Lala’s talking.” haha Later on, Joyce and Alddon were talking about what to order, so they were put in charge of our dinner. I dont know whats good in Shanghainese food either, so I had nothing to recommend Thanks to Joyce and Alddon, we all got to tryout some really weird food, and nice ones too of course
Quote of the day: “In eating dumplings, you never know what’s inside.“—Eric
I’ve never heard of anyone talking about dumplings like this haha Probably coz I’m too accustomed to eating dumplings, I dont really doubt what the fillings are Its funny to hear such a comment, but was nevertheless very true Then Valle excused himself to go to the washroom, came back, and said “Hey, the toilet looks more like a pet shop to me.” And I never noticed that until he mentioned about it xD Oh well, I think the Chinese are mostly very superstitious, and they would stop at nothing just to be able to make sure they have a complete set of the lucky gods, statues, plants, and animals all present in their stores. I don’t think they care that these things might actually repel each other and end up worse instead of helping out the store? Lol It is only a matter of time before this restaurant adds in the Arowana (the big dragon like fish with two whiskers) to its collection hmm
Anyway, what was I talking about? See, the thing about me is I get easily sidetracked hehe oh right, so we talked and talked and laughed a lot. The thing is, all this time, the one smiley face waiter and the friendly waitress were standing beside our tables, listening to us convers...how can that be? they dont understand English, I’m pretty sure the girl told me she cant, as well as the guy, but why did they laugh whenever we laugh? and why did they never seem to have to service the other customers? Ah well, I have a pretty good guess why. The fact that the super stars were also sitting on the same table as we did makes a big difference...hmm could it be that? Anyway, after getting tired of being watched like a hawk (by the service people), we finally decided to take a walk and maybe go somewhere else, it got really windy outside xD Who knows how much restraint I’ve put on to keep myself from jumping up and down just to get warm haha It’s the first time I’ve experienced such a kind of piercing cold. Even back when we were in Norway and scooping up snow to pitch at my Dad, it was nothing like the cold in Shanghai (and later on, Beijing) @_@
Moving on, after Lala finished buying some more souvenirs in the shop just outside the restaurant, we passed by some statue with everyone trying to get a picture with it, so naturally, we would have to get one with it too (that’s how much we love to take pictures and follow what other people do…*sarcastic*) Okay, done! We crossed the street, and noticed some people were left behind, and I’m pretty sure you all know who it is right? Yes, Lala was taking a picture with her hands held high above her head (as if she’s holding something), creating an illusion in the photo that she’s actually holding the big crown on top of a 5-star hotel haha such creativity, where else do you get to see it? xD Ah well, next stop is the lion king statue outside a bank. I don’t remember very clearly, but I think it was me who suggested that Valle take a photo of him kissing the lion statue, then he said I should be the one to do that, but knowing me, I’d of course pass the task onto someone I knew I have a sure shot on, so I said “Lala, would you want to come and take a picture of you kissing the lion statue? Since you’re The Queen…” and she was like “Yeah, sure!” went up there and posed, with so much enthusiasm and energy, and I was thinking “Hell, where did she get her energy from, after a long day of walk and shivering? Gosh, I’m impressed.” Hahaha I wish I could post the picture here, but Opera does not seem to be working well with photo resizing…so maybe next time
Continuing our endless walk, I decided the hell with my pride and “excellent” sense of direction, I forced myself to take out my handy Shanghai street map and whoala! we’d passed the East Nanjing main street and is heading to some other smaller streets. Oops! Panic…almost hehe Gladly Eric and Valle knew the way, that saved us much time After a while, we finally got back to the ever-so-festive pedestrian shopping street We passed by Häagen Dazs and decided to settle in there, partly to avoid the cold, and also to rest our poor feet and to get ourselves some good desserts. Yes, to think that its so cold outside, and that we’re the ones who’d been complaining all the time, who’d believe that it was me who actually suggested that we go in there? Haha but the atmosphere was so inviting and I thought it would probably be warm inside, so it should be fine to get some ice cream Oh in case I failed to mention, I love sweets hehe
After taking forever to make up our minds and order, with the waiter coming to our table more than several times intending to take our orders, we finally made our mind and pointed at what we want. Everyone ordered ice cream, except Eric and Niki, who ordered coffee. The ice cream was great!!! (as is always expected of Häagen Dazs) but this time around there’s a little twist to the feeling of being inside the store and eating ice cream, while its freezing cold outside. It was as if the thin wall of glass had created a different dimension inside and outside. We sat and talked for almost a full hour, finished our desserts in less than half an hour , then we all got a bit puzzled when the waiter sent us the bill, when we hadn’t asked for it yet. He told us that they close at 11:00pm, so that means we would have to leave soon. Ah well, no where else to go then, so we took cabs and went our separate ways outside Häagen Dazs, then home. We’re all so tired, so we just went right to sleep.
It does seem like a long day is it? From the moment we left home, took the subway, till we met up with the incredible “Twins”, had dinner and dessert after, then went home Certainly, it was also a wordy post for me haha When inspiration hits…oh well, sorry folks! I’ll try to shorten it a bit next time, but no promises
Monday, 5. January 2009, 14:04:39
bullet train, Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, MagLev train
We arrived in Shanghai at about 4:00pm in the afternoon, walked to the enormous luggage claim area to get our suitcases, and then out to the waiting area just to see one of the biggest crowd I haven't seen for years. Its overwhelming Compared to the airport in Copenhagen, Shanghai's airport is like in another dimension. People waiting, people coming out, people walking around, its just "WOW!"
So the first unfortunate event of the day happened. Two of my friends didnt come out the exit after the other four of us are out. I almost freaked out, since we'd been waiting outside for almost half an hour, and still no sign of them. Then finally, after much searching and waiting, I saw them both slowly walking towards the exit, came out, and told us that they were sort of "detained." I was surprised, coz when the others and I went out, the officers didnt even as much give us at look, but instead notice these two other friends? Weird...I'm just glad nothing happened, since they only had their luggage checked...
So moving on, we walked and walked around the gigantic Pudong International Airport, following the signs and such, until we finally got to the MagLev train ticket booth, bought our tickets, and got on the train, FINALLY! So the interior looked a bit like an airplane, only with wider window panes of course, and narrower isles...but its really nice I have been waiting for this moment for so long...and when it finally took off, slowly accelerating until it reached its highest speed at 431km/hr, it was like flying We were all so amazed, we oo-ed and ah-ed and took a pic of the speedmeter. I watched the cars and buses beside get left behind by the train, and the surrounding buildings and houses speeding by so fast, I was really awed Then after a while, the train slowly decelarated again, until we reached LongYang station after 8 wholesome minutes Yup, its that fast, when a normal taxi ride would take around 40 mins. I just want to say that if you wanna feel the thrill of overspeeding, without having to pay for a fine, then you should most probably try out this MagLev It offers you the speed that no normal cars, not even most race cars, can provide Most of all, you got nothing to lose, well except a couple of bucks (40RMB single trip, if you can present a plane ticket), but its totally worth it Until now, I still couldnt forget how awesome that 8-minute ride was You really have to experience it yourself haha
We got off the LongYang station, took two cabs (since there are 6 of us with like 10 luggages), and headed to the apartment I'd rented a few days before our arrival. The first cab that left was able to find its way smoothly, and reach the apartment in about 10 mins, but our cab driver was a bit lost and took us to the wrong place I had no choice but to ask the driver to call the apartment personnel and ask him to talk with her directly. That's when we finally got to the apartment, hauled in our big suitcases, and paid our rent. The apartment was awesome! 100% likeness to the pictures I saw online My friends and I loved it, great place, close to subway and supermarkets and restaurants So we relaxed a bit, talked, and then settled in for the night at last! Whooh! What a day! hahaha but it was really great though It made me realize that we have 10 more days ahead, waiting for us to explore and face even more challenges
Alright, enough for my endless story, I'll call it an end to this post for now and stay tuned for the next event I hope you liked this one, and many many more to come
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