Hey All,
Finally got the photo thing working...here is a link to photobucket and my China album so far!
http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/h397/hrjones86/?albumview=slideshow
Enjoy!
HJ xx
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
I think I'm turning Japa....I mean Chinese ;)
Wow! Two and a half weeks can seem like a lifetime! I feel like I have been here for years! Cangzhou is becoming so familiar and now I have my very own bicycle complete with a basket and all! There is no stopping me now! I have even gotten pretty savvy with the traffic and am blending in with the locals…kinda! I still get the constant stares and attempts at their minimal English use! But it has been great. I am really starting to enjoy it despite the completely different world that it is and sometimes I even forget I am in China until a motorised rickshaw nearly sideswipes me, or someone spits on the ground, or a little kid uses the public bathroom….that would be any outdoor spot available! Haha! They even have special little slits in the back of their little pants for easy access! It is hilarious! Only in China!
I have found myself definitely gaining more confidence. I am more willing to venture out into the city with each and every day! Tomorrow I will conquer the grocery store by myself (I have had a couple of visits accompanied by one of my teacher assistants) and my friend Kasey and I will try the restaurant tomorrow night by ourselves also! It will be interesting. We went for a big bike ride after school today and made our way around the plethora of street carts and deadly traffic to check out the canal/river thing that Cangzhou has got going on! The city is really big into just hanging out outside…wether it kids riding their bikes, teenagers doing crazy breakdancing in the park (who were very excited to get our attention), random jumping castles and live singing….it seems that everyone just likes to hang around outside. The sun was out today and it was a gorgeous warm spring day (which also means I got a hot shower tonight….score! Still getting used to timing my showers according to the weather. Last nights shower was tepid at the most - not even enough to steam the windows up - but was definitely a necessity as my hair was about a week overdue to be washed) unlike the last couple of days where torrential, freezing rain was the flavour of the day. I didn't realise the north of China would be so temperamental with its weather….but looks like it is! So a bike ride was definitely in order!
I have had my bike for about three days and love it to bits! It is definitely going to make my stay far more enjoyable as I get to venture further on the bike than on foot! And it's a quick escape if I don't feel comfortable in a certain area!
I am working far less hours than I did when I first got here as I was supposed to be replacing a teacher whose visa wasn't happening for him…but turns out he is all good to stay and after a few touch and go moments with the embassy, Tomas is here to stay. So he has taken his classes back - that I grew to love so quickly - and I have opened up a couple of new ones! But only a few. The kids are so little and so gorgeous. I am just head over heels for these kids and this school! Even the naughty ones - they probably are some of my favs! So I am working less but will still get paid the same so I am happy! I will open up some more classes soon, we just need some more good Chinese teacher assistants.
Kasey is another new teacher from Colorado, USA. She is a great girl with a very adventurous spirit. She is here for a year too and has the goal to learn Chinese. She is always up to try anything and has hit the ground running with her adventures around Cangzhou. She is always so positive. Love her spirit. So she is gonna be a good one to have around. She isn't living with me…she is living with our boss so I am here in this big old apartment by myself still! But all good….all the more hot water for me! Haha! Oh...and we start Chinese lessons tomorrow...eeek!!
I attempted cooking the other day! Complete disaster! I didn't have the essentials like garlic and ginger so I got stuck with the most bland meal I have ever tasted! Chinese cooking is so different. They cook 5 or 6 very simple, tasty dishes and share them on the table. But unfortunately that style doesn't work for one so I am going to have to get creative. I am going to venture down to the market tomorrow to see what ingredients I can muster up to start cooking some decent meals! Up until now I have been eating 2 minute noodles and dinners out at restaurants. But this lifestyle has earned me the name Ms. Noodles. So we will have to do something about that!
Anyway, it was Easter Sunday today and there was not a Hot Cross Bun or Choccy Bunny in sight and that was very sad as emails from my fellow Aussies indicated there was definitely a plentiful supply where they were! I am sure everyone is off camping and celebrating as they all do over Easter and combined with Anzac day - you guys have a sweet sweet deal over there! So HAPPY EASTER to all my friends and family!! Enjoy your day off tomorrow!
Feat of the week: I unblocked my toilet today! Haha! Thanks to my uncle or plumber brother or someone who once told me to get a good old trusty coathanger and go to town - that fix 'er up good and proper! Success!! I am learning a thing or two over here!
Lots of thinking about India is happening at the moment! I have lots of time on my hands and a constant internet connection so researching is pretty much a daily occurrence. If anyone has any tips or ideas let me know…my friend Vanessa and I are throwing ideas back and forth and I have locked in dates with a couple of NGO's that I will be doing some volunteer work with. Very excited!! VERY!!
Anyway, love to you all! Miss you all incredibly!
HJ xx
P.S. If anyone has suggestions for sharing photos...please let me know.Can't upload here...dodgy version...no facebook...most websites are blocked here! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
I have found myself definitely gaining more confidence. I am more willing to venture out into the city with each and every day! Tomorrow I will conquer the grocery store by myself (I have had a couple of visits accompanied by one of my teacher assistants) and my friend Kasey and I will try the restaurant tomorrow night by ourselves also! It will be interesting. We went for a big bike ride after school today and made our way around the plethora of street carts and deadly traffic to check out the canal/river thing that Cangzhou has got going on! The city is really big into just hanging out outside…wether it kids riding their bikes, teenagers doing crazy breakdancing in the park (who were very excited to get our attention), random jumping castles and live singing….it seems that everyone just likes to hang around outside. The sun was out today and it was a gorgeous warm spring day (which also means I got a hot shower tonight….score! Still getting used to timing my showers according to the weather. Last nights shower was tepid at the most - not even enough to steam the windows up - but was definitely a necessity as my hair was about a week overdue to be washed) unlike the last couple of days where torrential, freezing rain was the flavour of the day. I didn't realise the north of China would be so temperamental with its weather….but looks like it is! So a bike ride was definitely in order!
I have had my bike for about three days and love it to bits! It is definitely going to make my stay far more enjoyable as I get to venture further on the bike than on foot! And it's a quick escape if I don't feel comfortable in a certain area!
I am working far less hours than I did when I first got here as I was supposed to be replacing a teacher whose visa wasn't happening for him…but turns out he is all good to stay and after a few touch and go moments with the embassy, Tomas is here to stay. So he has taken his classes back - that I grew to love so quickly - and I have opened up a couple of new ones! But only a few. The kids are so little and so gorgeous. I am just head over heels for these kids and this school! Even the naughty ones - they probably are some of my favs! So I am working less but will still get paid the same so I am happy! I will open up some more classes soon, we just need some more good Chinese teacher assistants.
Kasey is another new teacher from Colorado, USA. She is a great girl with a very adventurous spirit. She is here for a year too and has the goal to learn Chinese. She is always up to try anything and has hit the ground running with her adventures around Cangzhou. She is always so positive. Love her spirit. So she is gonna be a good one to have around. She isn't living with me…she is living with our boss so I am here in this big old apartment by myself still! But all good….all the more hot water for me! Haha! Oh...and we start Chinese lessons tomorrow...eeek!!
I attempted cooking the other day! Complete disaster! I didn't have the essentials like garlic and ginger so I got stuck with the most bland meal I have ever tasted! Chinese cooking is so different. They cook 5 or 6 very simple, tasty dishes and share them on the table. But unfortunately that style doesn't work for one so I am going to have to get creative. I am going to venture down to the market tomorrow to see what ingredients I can muster up to start cooking some decent meals! Up until now I have been eating 2 minute noodles and dinners out at restaurants. But this lifestyle has earned me the name Ms. Noodles. So we will have to do something about that!
Anyway, it was Easter Sunday today and there was not a Hot Cross Bun or Choccy Bunny in sight and that was very sad as emails from my fellow Aussies indicated there was definitely a plentiful supply where they were! I am sure everyone is off camping and celebrating as they all do over Easter and combined with Anzac day - you guys have a sweet sweet deal over there! So HAPPY EASTER to all my friends and family!! Enjoy your day off tomorrow!
Feat of the week: I unblocked my toilet today! Haha! Thanks to my uncle or plumber brother or someone who once told me to get a good old trusty coathanger and go to town - that fix 'er up good and proper! Success!! I am learning a thing or two over here!
Lots of thinking about India is happening at the moment! I have lots of time on my hands and a constant internet connection so researching is pretty much a daily occurrence. If anyone has any tips or ideas let me know…my friend Vanessa and I are throwing ideas back and forth and I have locked in dates with a couple of NGO's that I will be doing some volunteer work with. Very excited!! VERY!!
Anyway, love to you all! Miss you all incredibly!
HJ xx
P.S. If anyone has suggestions for sharing photos...please let me know.Can't upload here...dodgy version...no facebook...most websites are blocked here! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Hello CHINA.....
Hello China!!! Wow. I am here. This is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and reflect on what has happened in the last week! It's all a bit surreal but also a massive slap in the face of my new reality.
It took me 5 flights and a train ride to get from my last holiday destination in Rome to Cangzhou, China. It was crazy and hectic. With minutes to spare in Prague to catch my flight, going to the wrong airport in Shanghai (who lands you at one international and expects you to take off from another across the city? Haha), delays to get to Beijing to meet my school, and taking the wrong direction on the train a million times - I finally made it to Cangzhou. Exhausted. But never-the-less there was more action in store. I was greeted at the station by my new Language School family who were so excited to meet me, feed me, carry my bags and overwhelm me with details of my new life. They are so lovely though and I am very blessed to have been placed in a school that is so caring and loving.
I arrived at my new apartment expecting some run down, shabby Chinese hut from the communist era. But instead I found myself in a pretty sweet two bedroom with all new furniture and appliances AND a western toilet. I was definitely shocked but appreciative. It has its drawbacks…like the weakest water pressure in the world and water heated by the sun….so you can only shower if it has been a sunny day. A kitchen that is far from inviting…but a bit of work will get it in better shape. Oh, and the bench comes up to about my knees! Haha! Just the perfect size for the Chinese!! But all in all it is a pretty sweet place and I am very appreciative for the effort my boss has gone to to make it comfortable.
I started teaching straight away!! The very next day I was thrown in the deep end. The previous teacher's visa isn't right at the moment so he can't teach but he did give me a quick run down and assisted with the classroom management. Since then his visa has been fixed and he will be staying so we will most likely share classes. And there is a waiting list of about 100 kids to join the school so we will have more than enough classes to take care of. The kids are amazing. I am in love with them already! They are so crazy and energetic but also typically Chinese in the fact they learn what they have been taught. I teach kids from young as 3 to as old as 14. It is unbelievable. I also teach at night and on weekends only which means these kids are studying at school and then coming to language school after and school on weekends. They are such hard workers. That is to be said about every Chinese person I have met. They are workaholics. So busy just getting by.
Someone said the other day the reason they do it is there is so much competition for jobs that if they don't, someone else will. So they work themselves to the bone seven days a week and that is life.
As for me, I am quite lucky in the fact I only teach every week night (except Tuesday - day off) and on the weekends all weekend. So I have every weekday off and that will be a blessing when it comes time to start my study again. I won't know what to do. I have never had so much time on my hands to concentrate on uni. So I am pretty stoked about that. But I feel kind of lazy in comparison to the Chinese.
I have been so lucky in that I have three Chinese teacher assistants that help me pretty much to live. If I need anything or to go anywhere they are there to help me out. Until I am confident enough to make it on my own out there they just get on there little electric bikes and come see me. Right now, the language barrier is the hardest thing so they are there to translate for me when needed.
Cangzhou is far from beautiful. It is a small developed city but it is just buildings and a dirty exterior. There is no nature or things of interest. However, it is fascinating and the culture is amazing.
The TRAFFIC is amazing. No wonder we think Asians are bad drivers…because THEY ARE!! The traffic doesn't adhere to ANY rules….they just honk their horn all the time and cut in where they see fit. It is each taxi driver, moped rider, bicycle rider for themselves. Crossing the road has become a skill I have mastered very quickly. But I am pretty lucky because I am western they usually just slow down to stare or stop out of respect and I quickly make my escape! :)
I am definitely the local circus attraction. Every one wants a ticket to the show. There are barely any westerners in Cangzhou and western influence is very minimal. Not to mention the lack of English speakers. So reactions vary from mean stares (I interpret them as mean, my TA's told me they are just shocked), to double takes with teenage boys excitedly shouting and nearly crashing their bikes, to people doubling back to come stare at me, to people gathering their friends whispering "shhhh…foreigner", to men trying their best attempts at "hello, how are you, you are very beautiful". It is quite entertaining now and I just go with it! I am usually with another Chinese person so it is fine.
My boss, Shi Shi, has taken me to a weeks worth of dinners and lunches to show me off to her friends. It is hilarious as they are older and only speak Chinese but for some reason I don't mind just sitting there eating the amazing food and listening to their Chinese babble. It is somewhat soothing. I don't have to concentrate on anything, just what I am eating. Which brings me to food. The food here is AMAZING!! I am not sure what the Chinese were thinking bringing that takeaway crap we call Chinese food to Australia. It is nothing like the fatty, greasy, oily stuff you get in a plastic container. It is the freshest, tastiest food I have ever encountered. There is so many different things they eat (although I have to be careful as they do actually eat EVERYTHING) and so many ways to cook it. One of my first encounters was a buffet at a hotel. I was in Chinese food heaven! But unfortunately I think I overdid it in Europe. I just can't seem to eat that much anymore. The first word I learnt here was 'wabola' - which means "full" haha! I think they try and stuff you like a turkey so you are ready for xmas dinner. I have no idea how they fit so much food in those tiny bodies but they seem to out eat me every time.
I have also learnt that street cart food is scrumptious. If you look beyond the lack of hygiene, the taste is sensational and I have had a couple of things from the carts.
Yesterday I had to go on a six hour roundtrip to get a medical for my Z Visa application. This visa will make it far easier to get in and out of the country when I go to Dubai and India at the end of the year and want to come back. At first I wasn't sure if I would but I think that after an adjustment period, it will be fine. It will be ideal to come back here because of all the benefits it has for study and my bosses contacts that will help me to be able to do some travel in China. I hadn't really though about travel in China itself but there is so much to see so I might as well make the most of it. So we are going to set up the visa application so that I can come back for another six months which will take me to July next year before I head off to south east asia to do some travel there. Anyway, the medical was crazy…so many tests. I have never had to do anything like it. But I survived to tell the story even if I did have to bare most body parts! Haha!
My boss is buying me a gym pass which will be great. Get back into that fitness after a year of concentrating on uni and this trip and lacking the motivation to work out. I will have plenty of time on my hands here to get it all back again! :} I must learn how to cook Chinese food also. I can't read the names of ingredients so so far I have just eaten out.
So this is China. I can't believe I am actually here after all the planning and talk.
I have an American girl coming this week which will be nice….a comfort to the poor western girl all by herself at the moment. Hopefully she will be in the other room in my apartment also so we can figure out this crazy place together.
I don't regret the decision to come one bit. I have so much to learn about myself and people and China. There are many adventures to be had. A couple of times I have thought "what the hell am I doing? Life in Australia is soooooo easy compared to this." But life in Australia didn't give me the experiences I was looking for. This does. And apart from a couple of meltdowns…such as no shower for three days because I had no hot water….it hasn't been that bad!
Now that I don't have facebook access I am dying to here how everyone is! I love getting your emails. So hit me up with an update…. hrjones86@yahoo.com.au
Miss you all….definitely miss Australia.
Love to you all…
HJ xx
It took me 5 flights and a train ride to get from my last holiday destination in Rome to Cangzhou, China. It was crazy and hectic. With minutes to spare in Prague to catch my flight, going to the wrong airport in Shanghai (who lands you at one international and expects you to take off from another across the city? Haha), delays to get to Beijing to meet my school, and taking the wrong direction on the train a million times - I finally made it to Cangzhou. Exhausted. But never-the-less there was more action in store. I was greeted at the station by my new Language School family who were so excited to meet me, feed me, carry my bags and overwhelm me with details of my new life. They are so lovely though and I am very blessed to have been placed in a school that is so caring and loving.
I arrived at my new apartment expecting some run down, shabby Chinese hut from the communist era. But instead I found myself in a pretty sweet two bedroom with all new furniture and appliances AND a western toilet. I was definitely shocked but appreciative. It has its drawbacks…like the weakest water pressure in the world and water heated by the sun….so you can only shower if it has been a sunny day. A kitchen that is far from inviting…but a bit of work will get it in better shape. Oh, and the bench comes up to about my knees! Haha! Just the perfect size for the Chinese!! But all in all it is a pretty sweet place and I am very appreciative for the effort my boss has gone to to make it comfortable.
I started teaching straight away!! The very next day I was thrown in the deep end. The previous teacher's visa isn't right at the moment so he can't teach but he did give me a quick run down and assisted with the classroom management. Since then his visa has been fixed and he will be staying so we will most likely share classes. And there is a waiting list of about 100 kids to join the school so we will have more than enough classes to take care of. The kids are amazing. I am in love with them already! They are so crazy and energetic but also typically Chinese in the fact they learn what they have been taught. I teach kids from young as 3 to as old as 14. It is unbelievable. I also teach at night and on weekends only which means these kids are studying at school and then coming to language school after and school on weekends. They are such hard workers. That is to be said about every Chinese person I have met. They are workaholics. So busy just getting by.
Someone said the other day the reason they do it is there is so much competition for jobs that if they don't, someone else will. So they work themselves to the bone seven days a week and that is life.
As for me, I am quite lucky in the fact I only teach every week night (except Tuesday - day off) and on the weekends all weekend. So I have every weekday off and that will be a blessing when it comes time to start my study again. I won't know what to do. I have never had so much time on my hands to concentrate on uni. So I am pretty stoked about that. But I feel kind of lazy in comparison to the Chinese.
I have been so lucky in that I have three Chinese teacher assistants that help me pretty much to live. If I need anything or to go anywhere they are there to help me out. Until I am confident enough to make it on my own out there they just get on there little electric bikes and come see me. Right now, the language barrier is the hardest thing so they are there to translate for me when needed.
Cangzhou is far from beautiful. It is a small developed city but it is just buildings and a dirty exterior. There is no nature or things of interest. However, it is fascinating and the culture is amazing.
The TRAFFIC is amazing. No wonder we think Asians are bad drivers…because THEY ARE!! The traffic doesn't adhere to ANY rules….they just honk their horn all the time and cut in where they see fit. It is each taxi driver, moped rider, bicycle rider for themselves. Crossing the road has become a skill I have mastered very quickly. But I am pretty lucky because I am western they usually just slow down to stare or stop out of respect and I quickly make my escape! :)
I am definitely the local circus attraction. Every one wants a ticket to the show. There are barely any westerners in Cangzhou and western influence is very minimal. Not to mention the lack of English speakers. So reactions vary from mean stares (I interpret them as mean, my TA's told me they are just shocked), to double takes with teenage boys excitedly shouting and nearly crashing their bikes, to people doubling back to come stare at me, to people gathering their friends whispering "shhhh…foreigner", to men trying their best attempts at "hello, how are you, you are very beautiful". It is quite entertaining now and I just go with it! I am usually with another Chinese person so it is fine.
My boss, Shi Shi, has taken me to a weeks worth of dinners and lunches to show me off to her friends. It is hilarious as they are older and only speak Chinese but for some reason I don't mind just sitting there eating the amazing food and listening to their Chinese babble. It is somewhat soothing. I don't have to concentrate on anything, just what I am eating. Which brings me to food. The food here is AMAZING!! I am not sure what the Chinese were thinking bringing that takeaway crap we call Chinese food to Australia. It is nothing like the fatty, greasy, oily stuff you get in a plastic container. It is the freshest, tastiest food I have ever encountered. There is so many different things they eat (although I have to be careful as they do actually eat EVERYTHING) and so many ways to cook it. One of my first encounters was a buffet at a hotel. I was in Chinese food heaven! But unfortunately I think I overdid it in Europe. I just can't seem to eat that much anymore. The first word I learnt here was 'wabola' - which means "full" haha! I think they try and stuff you like a turkey so you are ready for xmas dinner. I have no idea how they fit so much food in those tiny bodies but they seem to out eat me every time.
I have also learnt that street cart food is scrumptious. If you look beyond the lack of hygiene, the taste is sensational and I have had a couple of things from the carts.
Yesterday I had to go on a six hour roundtrip to get a medical for my Z Visa application. This visa will make it far easier to get in and out of the country when I go to Dubai and India at the end of the year and want to come back. At first I wasn't sure if I would but I think that after an adjustment period, it will be fine. It will be ideal to come back here because of all the benefits it has for study and my bosses contacts that will help me to be able to do some travel in China. I hadn't really though about travel in China itself but there is so much to see so I might as well make the most of it. So we are going to set up the visa application so that I can come back for another six months which will take me to July next year before I head off to south east asia to do some travel there. Anyway, the medical was crazy…so many tests. I have never had to do anything like it. But I survived to tell the story even if I did have to bare most body parts! Haha!
My boss is buying me a gym pass which will be great. Get back into that fitness after a year of concentrating on uni and this trip and lacking the motivation to work out. I will have plenty of time on my hands here to get it all back again! :} I must learn how to cook Chinese food also. I can't read the names of ingredients so so far I have just eaten out.
So this is China. I can't believe I am actually here after all the planning and talk.
I have an American girl coming this week which will be nice….a comfort to the poor western girl all by herself at the moment. Hopefully she will be in the other room in my apartment also so we can figure out this crazy place together.
I don't regret the decision to come one bit. I have so much to learn about myself and people and China. There are many adventures to be had. A couple of times I have thought "what the hell am I doing? Life in Australia is soooooo easy compared to this." But life in Australia didn't give me the experiences I was looking for. This does. And apart from a couple of meltdowns…such as no shower for three days because I had no hot water….it hasn't been that bad!
Now that I don't have facebook access I am dying to here how everyone is! I love getting your emails. So hit me up with an update…. hrjones86@yahoo.com.au
Miss you all….definitely miss Australia.
Love to you all…
HJ xx
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Goodbye Europe...Thanks for the Memories
Goodbye Europe….Hello Asia! I am sitting in Zurich airport Switzerland and am China bound! I have just spent the last couple of days soaking up the Italian sun which put some much needed colour back into my skin. We decided we wanted to hit up Naples for the best pizza in the world and that we did! It was a 5 hour round trip and worth every second of crappy Italian trains to taste the divinity that was Napolese pizza!! It was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. Simple yet divine! It was a hot hot day in Naples so of course we followed with some much needed gelato! Not that we haven't had enough already! But hey….pretty much my last chance!
We had dinner @ the hostel restaurant and watched as the next lot of top deckers donned their togas and awkwardly danced the night away! They were probably just as much a mixed bunch as we were…actually probably worse! So it was an entertaining sight!
The next day meant goodbye Italy! It was a Sunday so shuttles to the airport were scarce and people really couldn't give us much valid information. So we took the advice of our trusty barmaid Roma, who we adored, and decided to flag down the blue bus across the road in the hope that we would eventually make it to the airport! That we did….after and hour and a half journey through tiny villages and fields of crops. It was a strange sensation. We weren't quite sure if we were ever actually going to make it! Sarah told me later that her work colleague mentioned in passing how far away the airport in Rome was….probably could've have mentioned it when we were trying to time our trip…but low and behold…we made it! It was a close shave but my flight ended up being delayed…lucky for me as I think I had to cross the airport 7 times before actually getting to where I needed to be!
Then it was Prague…again! I love this place but I think only because I had my boy Mike and the crew of other boys waiting to catch up and say a final farewell! Man, I am so over saying goodbye to people! It is becoming loathsome. Our 'quiet' night turned into a crazy night of bowling and American/Australian competiveness and a stint at Mike's new local. It was Sunday night so I let the boys of with an early night! Unfortunately attempts to catch up to day were skewed by a series of unfortunate events….nothing seemed to go right! And it rained….boy did it rain!! I carried a box around with me all day in an attempt to find a post office, tackle the language barrier and get it sent to Changzhou, China. I finally achieved my goal….however I am not confident my 8 kgs of extra luggage will make it from one non English speaking country to another. Oh well….life goes on! :) I will survive without the contents…maybe! I do have my only pair of high heels in there and I don't think I will be finding any replacements in Asia anytime soon!
After a mad rush to get home to mikes, get my gear and get to the airport with only minutes to spare….I got on my flight and that brings me here. Sitting at gate E35 with half of China waiting for my boarding to my new life in Changzhou, Heibei Province, China. This is where it gets lonely…not villa with TEFL, no friend to meet in London, no friend joining me on tour, no tour bus with laughs a minute, no farewell reunions in Prague and worst of all, NO FACEBOOK…just me…a classroom of Chinese kids and a hope that I am actually going to be good at this.
I have Angie coming to visit me in May! YAY! And I realised that my friend Martha is a 2 hour train ride away on the bullet. This is going to be sweet! Oh, and in six months time I will be taking off to do it all again! Nice!!
Love to you all…I am off to find water and some drugs to clear this crazy cough and cold I have. I am looking forward to some routine, a walk or two and some vegetables. Maybe that will sort me out. Right now I am more worried about being quarantined in China so I don't spread my disease. As I sit here they all give me strange looks every time I cough or blow my nose!! Quarantine is looking more and more possible. If you don't hear from me and get a phone call from a crazy asian man, it's not one of the Wodonga boys prank calling, it's probably the Chinese authorities trying to find someone to take me back and out of their country. Haha!
Love to you all….if anyone knows the tricks of the trade to be able to access facebook whilst in China…please hit me up! This is worse than death right now! :(
HJ xx
Friday, April 1, 2011
What Happens on Tour......
ITALY! In my last blog I was hoping it lived up to the romanticism and it hasn't failed me yet! OMG! Italy is amazing!
Monday we took the bus journey to Florence….stopping on the way @ Pisa to check out the Leaning tower of Pisa. It always seemed so much bigger than what it is in real life. I found it fairly hilarious. It's like the Italians most Epic fail but it is still a celebrated monument. We got lots of cheesy tourist photos and got out of there before the gypsies did our heads in. If one more person said "Hello Lady Gaga", I would have snapped! Between that and the Eiffel tower I had had enough.
We arrived at Florence. I certainly loved Florence with it's history, architecture, markets, leather and quaint streets and shops! Florence is just little so the walking tour we did in just an hour and a half. We saw the Duomo built by a collegue of Michaelangelo. When Michaelangelo was commissioned to build the Duomo in the Vatican he refused to build one bigger or more beautiful than the one in Florence in respect to his friend. We saw renaissance architecture and the modern patch up jobs done as a result of the destruction of world war II….Hitler decided to save the only one Bridge in Florence (the Ponte Vecchio) because he liked it so much but bombed all the buildings and surrounding entrances around it so the allies had no way to cross.
There was a lot of awesome galleries and museums in Florence but we didn't have long and I opted to sit outside for lunch and walk around soaking up the ambience of Italy and gelato!! :) Not to mention the night before was Karaoke and a late one at that so we needed some down time! I will be back though. Florence is up there on my "must do again list". The statue of David was in one of the those galleries but seeing the exact replica in one of the piazzas was good enough for me…at least I could take photos of that one!
The next day we were off to Rome, stopping on the way to Orvietta which is a little village on the top of a dormant volcano. It has a HUGE Duomo and is an official Papal residence. The highlight for me was not the Duomo however, but the street leading down to the bottom which consisted of every Italian deli delight you could possibly imagine. The region around Orvietta is famous for wild boar. So we got a wild boar sandwich and strolled merrily down to the bottom enjoying the sunshine and all the quaint little shops and side streets!
ROME!!! We got to Rome and hit a walking tour straight away. Unfortunately we only got the Spanish steps and it began to hail…yep hail…from beautiful blue skies to stinging ice and pouring rain. Some of the brave decided to just go with it. The Spanish Steps had cleared of every living soul so it was a perfect photo opp. Unfortunately for me I was already sick so there was no way I was getting saturated and continuing the tour. So Sarah and I lost the group and opted to go for Italian food instead. When in Rome! :) We made our way back began our nightly celebrations with Dinner and a TOGA party! We all got to dress up in white sheets and dance like the Romans did. Well I'm not sure the Romans busted out any RnB moves back in the day but we put a modern spin on it! It was great fun. A few randoms from the hostel joined us. I'm not sure how the romans did it though cause every five minutes we had to adjust the togas to actually stay on.
The next day was Vatican City and the Cistine Chapel. It was a whirlwind tour but very informative and we had a great tour guide. She had heaps of little tid bits about the Vatican and the history is just amazing. We touched ancient Egyptian artefacts that were 2500 years old. The girls and I then headed out to a late lunch in a restaurant just outside the vatican and I got sternly told off for being to loud! We are in Italy….how does that work? Haha! We then decided to take our own little walking tour to the Colosseum and check out the ruins along the way! It truly is amazing to stand in a place so rich in history and so old knowing that the Romans once packed that amphitheatre and people fought to the death with each other and lions! That is so cool!
We lost a couple of the girls and phone problems prevailed so a couple of us headed home for the afternoon to rest up and meet the others. Exhaustion was setting in. After days and days of walking and taking in information and late nights and high carb foods and being sick and lack of nutrients we were all getting TIRED!! But it was our last night together so we pushed through…opted to have dinner in house and had one last night with all the crew. We said goodbye to our girl Kasha…the token American on board and there was tears! It's so hard this travelling thing…you get to know people so well and live with them for a time and then have to say goodbye - everywhere you go! It really is hard! But I suppose there is facebook….oh wait….apparently facebook is banned in China. I am trying to figure out a survival tactic! Haha! A few people have told me there is a way around it so I will have to get my techie friends onto it! :)
This morning meant the end of the tour. The rest of the crew continued on through Eastern Europe (although they get to do Verona and Venice which I am very jealous about) and a couple of us are hanging out in Italy until Sunday. We are off to Naples (the home of Italy's best pizza) and then I catch 5 FLIGHTS to get to Beijing! WOW! I am going to be wrecked!
Although, I did get word that I have been placed in Cang Zhou which is 3 hours south of Beijing! I am so stoked about that as I didn't really want to get stuck in Beijing. Cang Zhou will be a bit better in terms of lifestyle, cheap to live, not as crazy and not as polluted. It's a little scary right now but I know in a months time I will be like "pfff, what was I even worried about". I have two months to settle in and then Uni begins again! Ahhhh!!
So looking forward to getting travelling again but some routine will be nice for now!
Love to you all!
HJ xx
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