Whoo. Update time.
Kay. First wave, the china trip. (April 23 - 27)
Monday
Okay.One year's passed by since the Shanghai trip, but anyways, this year I roomed with Maiko, and since Emily's not coming, Miffy, her roomate, is with us too. So the three of us are in one room, but Miffy's still in group C and me and maiko are still in group B. The first day is the same for everyone, but the scedules different for each group after that expect for things like breakfast, and going to the airport on friday. Only group A is on a later flight...
Anyway, today I woke up at 4! I pretty much just slept on the airplane. When we finally arrived in Beijing, we had lunch at some screwy buffet and then we went to the Migrant school. I was ATTEMPTING to get some sleep on the bus. Anyway, our lesson at the migrant school was on FRUIT and we ended up teaching the kids how to sing "Fruit Salad". Then James and Dominic read them some story about a grandpa/magician, then we tried to play hangman with the kids without the hangman. Afterwards, we went to an amazingly early dinner. The guys kept shaking the coke and sprite bottles so it tasted kinda weird, and most of us thought it was expired so we ordered tea... After dinner, we went to see a play about Chairman Mao, which was pretty good apart from the facts that it was really really long, and I hardly understood them cause they were talking in Chinese and I kept almost falling asleep but the people spoke really loud so it always woke me up. Eh.
Tuesday.
Tis be the second day. Breakfast was kinda weird cause I was trying to figure out where the drinks were o_o; Anyway, first we went to the temple of heaven. Me, Maiko, Debbie and Julie took a whole bunch of photos. Haha. At some part, these people were playing some sort of game, kinda like La Crosse or something but I think its Korean? Anyway, some people tried to play it xD It looks kinda easy but its probably hard cause youre not supposed to hit the ball. Anyway, when we were walking by some area, some people were singing and they were tuning or something (holding onto one note) and a couple people from our group immitated them xD I hope they didnt find it offensive though. After that, we had lunch. There were only 10 people at one table and we had to sit with our groups, and since Mr. David sat with us 3 people needed to sit elsewere. Um. Okay. In brief, this restaurant keeps serving dumplings. I think we got like 5 dishes with dumplings. AUGH. After that, we went to some part for an orrientation game. It was kinda dumb. Each team had about 5 people and it was kinda mixed from all groups. My goodness. My team had to find something inside some mini-bamboo forest off the road and I got a lot of scratches around my ankels cause my pants didnt completely cover my legs. Uh, dinner was really weird. They served okay stuff, but there were dumplings again and the black one looked like a brain. The apple/orange juice was DISGUSTING so pretty much everyone had water. The cups were plastic cups but there were really...well, let's just say you could crush them easily. Julie and Cath took everyones apple/orange juice (almost everyones anyway) and drank it so we'd pay them money o_o The desert was like this sticky banana bread thing and er, the one at our table was all stuck together so everyone ended up ripping it to shreads.
Wednesday
AHHH. Today was murder. We first had a 3ish hour drive to the Great Wall of china. The hike was HORRIBLE and it was kinda scary. A group of us fell behind and we were all "WTH" cause we couldnt see anyone in front of us, but we finally got to the bus, but we were like half an hour behind. We had lunch on the great wall and it was kinda weird o_o We had a 4 hour drive to the restaurant, and a LOT of people needed too go to the bathroom and a herd of people ran off the bus to go to the washroom o.o Umm dinner we could sit with our friends (like yesterday) and so we did. Um, Mr. David joined our table later on because he thinks girls have better table manners? Uhm, after that there was live entertainment with this band? and er, belly dancers o_O It was kinda funny to see peoples reactions to that. No names mentioned.
Thursday
Okay. So first, we went to Tian An Men Square. Its really big..and it was pretty sunny. After that, we went to the Forbidden City and I nearly killed my camera cause I took a lot of photos. After that, we had lunch but we didnt need to sit with our group. The food wasnt too bad. After that, we went shopping on some street and then we went on a Rickshaw tour! It was pretty fun :D I sat with Debbie and we were both freaking out. The driver kept talking to us and we couldnt really understand him so we just pretended we did. It was pretty bumpy o-o After that, we visited a family that lived in a Huton. Amazingly, all the people from our bus fit into the tiny room. The guy is REALLY talented. He paints INSIDE bottles and they're all really amazing. After that, we could choose where to eat dinner, and we had free time on this street thing. We ate at KFC cause it was probably the most farmilliar place on the street. Eventually, we went to this place that sold SCORPIONS ON A STICK. And apparently other bugs too. Um. The scorpion actually tasted good. Like chips. Seriously. Apparently the stall-keeper had a bunch of livescorpions and he just sticks them through a stick or something o.o
Friday.
Wow. This trip went by pretty fast. Anyway, we had to wake up at 6:30 instead of the usual 7. I really really hate the wake up call. I always jump up and land on my stomach. Somehow for breakfast, a group of us got to eat in a big room o.O Just like 10 of us though, or something. Maybe 12. Anyway, today we went to the kung fu school. They're all really skilled o_O And its pretty scary. Like hm. Breaking an iron stick with their foreheads, chopping a brick in half with their hand, and laying on those nail beds. What exacally is their skin made of anyway? After the show, they made us get into small groups and one kung fu student attempted to teach each group some kung fu moves o_o; It was pretty weird and hard too. After that, we went to lunch and then the airport. Starbucks had a REALLY long line. On the plane, there werent a lot of teachers in the cabin where I was in, so a lot of people swapped seats and I sat next to Julie. Yes. I got home pretty late and tired.
END LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG POST.
Monday
Okay.One year's passed by since the Shanghai trip, but anyways, this year I roomed with Maiko, and since Emily's not coming, Miffy, her roomate, is with us too. So the three of us are in one room, but Miffy's still in group C and me and maiko are still in group B. The first day is the same for everyone, but the scedules different for each group after that expect for things like breakfast, and going to the airport on friday. Only group A is on a later flight...
Anyway, today I woke up at 4! I pretty much just slept on the airplane. When we finally arrived in Beijing, we had lunch at some screwy buffet and then we went to the Migrant school. I was ATTEMPTING to get some sleep on the bus. Anyway, our lesson at the migrant school was on FRUIT and we ended up teaching the kids how to sing "Fruit Salad". Then James and Dominic read them some story about a grandpa/magician, then we tried to play hangman with the kids without the hangman. Afterwards, we went to an amazingly early dinner. The guys kept shaking the coke and sprite bottles so it tasted kinda weird, and most of us thought it was expired so we ordered tea... After dinner, we went to see a play about Chairman Mao, which was pretty good apart from the facts that it was really really long, and I hardly understood them cause they were talking in Chinese and I kept almost falling asleep but the people spoke really loud so it always woke me up. Eh.
Tuesday.
Tis be the second day. Breakfast was kinda weird cause I was trying to figure out where the drinks were o_o; Anyway, first we went to the temple of heaven. Me, Maiko, Debbie and Julie took a whole bunch of photos. Haha. At some part, these people were playing some sort of game, kinda like La Crosse or something but I think its Korean? Anyway, some people tried to play it xD It looks kinda easy but its probably hard cause youre not supposed to hit the ball. Anyway, when we were walking by some area, some people were singing and they were tuning or something (holding onto one note) and a couple people from our group immitated them xD I hope they didnt find it offensive though. After that, we had lunch. There were only 10 people at one table and we had to sit with our groups, and since Mr. David sat with us 3 people needed to sit elsewere. Um. Okay. In brief, this restaurant keeps serving dumplings. I think we got like 5 dishes with dumplings. AUGH. After that, we went to some part for an orrientation game. It was kinda dumb. Each team had about 5 people and it was kinda mixed from all groups. My goodness. My team had to find something inside some mini-bamboo forest off the road and I got a lot of scratches around my ankels cause my pants didnt completely cover my legs. Uh, dinner was really weird. They served okay stuff, but there were dumplings again and the black one looked like a brain. The apple/orange juice was DISGUSTING so pretty much everyone had water. The cups were plastic cups but there were really...well, let's just say you could crush them easily. Julie and Cath took everyones apple/orange juice (almost everyones anyway) and drank it so we'd pay them money o_o The desert was like this sticky banana bread thing and er, the one at our table was all stuck together so everyone ended up ripping it to shreads.
Wednesday
AHHH. Today was murder. We first had a 3ish hour drive to the Great Wall of china. The hike was HORRIBLE and it was kinda scary. A group of us fell behind and we were all "WTH" cause we couldnt see anyone in front of us, but we finally got to the bus, but we were like half an hour behind. We had lunch on the great wall and it was kinda weird o_o We had a 4 hour drive to the restaurant, and a LOT of people needed too go to the bathroom and a herd of people ran off the bus to go to the washroom o.o Umm dinner we could sit with our friends (like yesterday) and so we did. Um, Mr. David joined our table later on because he thinks girls have better table manners? Uhm, after that there was live entertainment with this band? and er, belly dancers o_O It was kinda funny to see peoples reactions to that. No names mentioned.
Thursday
Okay. So first, we went to Tian An Men Square. Its really big..and it was pretty sunny. After that, we went to the Forbidden City and I nearly killed my camera cause I took a lot of photos. After that, we had lunch but we didnt need to sit with our group. The food wasnt too bad. After that, we went shopping on some street and then we went on a Rickshaw tour! It was pretty fun :D I sat with Debbie and we were both freaking out. The driver kept talking to us and we couldnt really understand him so we just pretended we did. It was pretty bumpy o-o After that, we visited a family that lived in a Huton. Amazingly, all the people from our bus fit into the tiny room. The guy is REALLY talented. He paints INSIDE bottles and they're all really amazing. After that, we could choose where to eat dinner, and we had free time on this street thing. We ate at KFC cause it was probably the most farmilliar place on the street. Eventually, we went to this place that sold SCORPIONS ON A STICK. And apparently other bugs too. Um. The scorpion actually tasted good. Like chips. Seriously. Apparently the stall-keeper had a bunch of livescorpions and he just sticks them through a stick or something o.o
Friday.
Wow. This trip went by pretty fast. Anyway, we had to wake up at 6:30 instead of the usual 7. I really really hate the wake up call. I always jump up and land on my stomach. Somehow for breakfast, a group of us got to eat in a big room o.O Just like 10 of us though, or something. Maybe 12. Anyway, today we went to the kung fu school. They're all really skilled o_O And its pretty scary. Like hm. Breaking an iron stick with their foreheads, chopping a brick in half with their hand, and laying on those nail beds. What exacally is their skin made of anyway? After the show, they made us get into small groups and one kung fu student attempted to teach each group some kung fu moves o_o; It was pretty weird and hard too. After that, we went to lunch and then the airport. Starbucks had a REALLY long line. On the plane, there werent a lot of teachers in the cabin where I was in, so a lot of people swapped seats and I sat next to Julie. Yes. I got home pretty late and tired.
END LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG POST.