welcome to china, sort of.
the ferry to china wasn't bad ... it was stormy rainy and way choppy water .. and they told us it would be 30 min and it was 60 min ... i didn't throw up though, but i probably could have .... now the trip has turned into "watch christine get seasick!"
but getting across the border was no problem. i don't know why all the guidebooks made such a big deal about it -- we just had to get our passport and paperwork checked 3 times at three different stops, but we were able to do it within 15-20 min total i guess ....
we met our new tour guide "jason" (they all give themselves western names -- "randy" and "roger" were our HK guides) and i immediately sense there is no itinerary ... because he throws out the idea of visiting a theme park! i mean, what?
we suggest going to the hotel first and that is an ordeal unto itself. we're staying at allegedy the nicest hotel in the city of shenzhen, the century plaza -- four star, but it took us more than an hour to check in, for which there are no reasons given. upon checking in we have to put down a credit card deposit, which is also a trip first, and which makes everyone a little nervous. but what can you do. we're all just trying to roll with the punches at this point.
then we are instructed to meet the tour guide in the lobby in 15 minutes, which turns into 30, but no one's complaining yet. we end up going to a theme park indeed .... it's a little miniature historical version of china that you drive around on a little train and look at. we have to pay an extra $3 for the train ride (of which i am sure the tour guide gets a nice cut), but it provides us with some humor. it's the only little train ride where seat belts were actually needed -- not that we had any!
our driver must have been late for dinner or something because he tore through that park like a chinaman fleeing for hong kong! we literally had to hang on for our lives. "ming dynasty, left!!!!" ... "Summer palace, right!" .... "Great Wall, left!!!!" ..... we were whipping our heads back and forth so bad we got seasick again ... and photos were impossible .... i had to take some -- just blurs -- just because it was too damn funny. we saw 3 and a half thousand years of history in about three and a half minutes.
then it was dinner, conveniently located right at the theme park, and can i just say this .... all of the food officially is the same, but each region and country claims to have great differences and uniqueness! but now having been to all three areas, china, HK and Taiwan, i am officially ok to proclaim it all the same!!!!!
here's the drill for meals, close your eyes and you'll practically be here with me:
1. enter rice
2. enter chicken dish (skin on)
3. enter pork dish (fat on)
4. enter leafy green veggie dish
5. enter shrimps (feets, eyes and antennae still on)
6. enter fish (head, tail attached)
7. enter tea
8. enter side of hot peppers/sauce
9. watermelon for dessert
that's pretty much it. sometimes for variation there's eggs at breakfast and the rice is served in soup fashion .... but this is EVERY DAMN MEAL. can you tell i'm getting testy? i really hope tomorrow is better ..... i took "jason" aside and told him we are NOT a theme park group ... we just want to shop and have free time, duh .... i thought he got the message until today, when he announced TWO theme parks on the itinerary for tomorrow ... one where they have somehow recreated the Amazon right here in mainland china ... and other one that examines the ancient Mayan culture ... great. i would love to see their take on this ... this from the culture who -- to this day -- refuses to admit there were any casualties in tieneman square!
anyway, i've turned to rant ... oh! and i can't read your comments! china, or at least this internet station where we are, has blocked blogspot addresses! so i can post on blogger, but just can't check the finished product! what a country .... tomorrow will be better i keep telling myself ...
peace out for now ... i've got to find "jason" and get my point across about the theme parks .... again .....
but getting across the border was no problem. i don't know why all the guidebooks made such a big deal about it -- we just had to get our passport and paperwork checked 3 times at three different stops, but we were able to do it within 15-20 min total i guess ....
we met our new tour guide "jason" (they all give themselves western names -- "randy" and "roger" were our HK guides) and i immediately sense there is no itinerary ... because he throws out the idea of visiting a theme park! i mean, what?
we suggest going to the hotel first and that is an ordeal unto itself. we're staying at allegedy the nicest hotel in the city of shenzhen, the century plaza -- four star, but it took us more than an hour to check in, for which there are no reasons given. upon checking in we have to put down a credit card deposit, which is also a trip first, and which makes everyone a little nervous. but what can you do. we're all just trying to roll with the punches at this point.
then we are instructed to meet the tour guide in the lobby in 15 minutes, which turns into 30, but no one's complaining yet. we end up going to a theme park indeed .... it's a little miniature historical version of china that you drive around on a little train and look at. we have to pay an extra $3 for the train ride (of which i am sure the tour guide gets a nice cut), but it provides us with some humor. it's the only little train ride where seat belts were actually needed -- not that we had any!
our driver must have been late for dinner or something because he tore through that park like a chinaman fleeing for hong kong! we literally had to hang on for our lives. "ming dynasty, left!!!!" ... "Summer palace, right!" .... "Great Wall, left!!!!" ..... we were whipping our heads back and forth so bad we got seasick again ... and photos were impossible .... i had to take some -- just blurs -- just because it was too damn funny. we saw 3 and a half thousand years of history in about three and a half minutes.
then it was dinner, conveniently located right at the theme park, and can i just say this .... all of the food officially is the same, but each region and country claims to have great differences and uniqueness! but now having been to all three areas, china, HK and Taiwan, i am officially ok to proclaim it all the same!!!!!
here's the drill for meals, close your eyes and you'll practically be here with me:
1. enter rice
2. enter chicken dish (skin on)
3. enter pork dish (fat on)
4. enter leafy green veggie dish
5. enter shrimps (feets, eyes and antennae still on)
6. enter fish (head, tail attached)
7. enter tea
8. enter side of hot peppers/sauce
9. watermelon for dessert
that's pretty much it. sometimes for variation there's eggs at breakfast and the rice is served in soup fashion .... but this is EVERY DAMN MEAL. can you tell i'm getting testy? i really hope tomorrow is better ..... i took "jason" aside and told him we are NOT a theme park group ... we just want to shop and have free time, duh .... i thought he got the message until today, when he announced TWO theme parks on the itinerary for tomorrow ... one where they have somehow recreated the Amazon right here in mainland china ... and other one that examines the ancient Mayan culture ... great. i would love to see their take on this ... this from the culture who -- to this day -- refuses to admit there were any casualties in tieneman square!
anyway, i've turned to rant ... oh! and i can't read your comments! china, or at least this internet station where we are, has blocked blogspot addresses! so i can post on blogger, but just can't check the finished product! what a country .... tomorrow will be better i keep telling myself ...
peace out for now ... i've got to find "jason" and get my point across about the theme parks .... again .....
posted by christine at 7:09 AM
2 Comments:
yea, we totally overpowered the tour guide and told him we're going shopping with or without him. dr. chi, the chair of the IS dept is world's best negotiator! i just followed him and pointed to what i wanted and he did the rest! let's just say jorge said mont blanc pens would be $3 U.S. ..... HA!!!!!! try $1.25!!!! china rules!!!!
i think i will take a class by dr. chi before i graduate just so i can sit in front of him (with my pens) and thank him every single day!!!! that's how much i love them ..... and dr. chi.
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