the great wall has eluded me! i will be leaving china without seeing it.
it turns out that the right ankle sprain is actually a minor fracture. so I am hopping off to India a month earlier than I was supposed to.
for a couple days, i plan to enjoy the peking duck, lounge on the "closest" couches in Beijing and write about my time in mongolia before i leave China to witness the biggest Indian festival Diwali in India after 12 years.
some low-key, quality time with the two little munchkins and 2 months of paranthas for breakfast and I will be as good as new to enjoy egypt before I land in san francisco in December!
family, here i come and i might be grumpy ;)
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
get on the good foot
in the last few days, I have paid a visit to Chairman Mao, been to the Forbidden City, some famous temples around town and checked out 798, the art district. I have also fulfilled my appetite for scorpions, sea urchins, and starfish. and now its time to relax and relax some more..
six hours ago, en route to the Great Wall of China, I step into the slight depression of a manhole and sprain my ankle.
good thing I did not sign up for the Nike run this year ;)
in frantic need of a pep talk, I send an SOS to my go-to girl, oodles, and all she had to say was "dude, i walked around Costa Rica with a broken foot" (misdiagnosed as a very bad sprain for two months!).
it isn't funny but i laughed(sorry!)- a lot.
my now-elevated, iced, inflamed right ankle doesn't change my itinerary much (because I don't have one?) except I might still be in Beijing when half the population of China descends into this city for the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square on National Day (October 1) and then there's kung-fu/kickboxing at shaolin, which is being postponed indefinitely..
on the brighter side, however, it means I will be able to spend more time in some traditional villages of china, when I do manage to hobble out of Beijing :)
but today, on this balmy Beijing afternoon, I will lounge in the backpacker's cafe and do a "sing-along" of my power song, the one you play on uphills, "my feet can't fail me now"..
six hours ago, en route to the Great Wall of China, I step into the slight depression of a manhole and sprain my ankle.
good thing I did not sign up for the Nike run this year ;)
in frantic need of a pep talk, I send an SOS to my go-to girl, oodles, and all she had to say was "dude, i walked around Costa Rica with a broken foot" (misdiagnosed as a very bad sprain for two months!).
it isn't funny but i laughed(sorry!)- a lot.
my now-elevated, iced, inflamed right ankle doesn't change my itinerary much (because I don't have one?) except I might still be in Beijing when half the population of China descends into this city for the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square on National Day (October 1) and then there's kung-fu/kickboxing at shaolin, which is being postponed indefinitely..
on the brighter side, however, it means I will be able to spend more time in some traditional villages of china, when I do manage to hobble out of Beijing :)
but today, on this balmy Beijing afternoon, I will lounge in the backpacker's cafe and do a "sing-along" of my power song, the one you play on uphills, "my feet can't fail me now"..
Saturday, September 20, 2008
insomniac olympics
for anyone who hasn’t noticed, the titles of all my posts and the blog itself are all based on songs/numbers. So when I searched for Olympics- Insomniac Olympics came up. “Blockhead” surely has been to the Olympics.
it’s been a long-time coming- on this sunny, crisp autumn afternoon- my last in Mongolia (this visit)- with all day to spare till I board a train to China tonight, I have decided it’s a day of thank yous.
the first four months of my travels, I didn’t have any plans but one- to avoid Beijing during the Olympics- too expensive, too many people, not the true city it is without the grand event.
well I have to say I enjoyed Beijing for just those things- except the expensive part, of course!
after all, what do you do when big sis suggests I meet a good friend of their family’s in Beijing and soon after, sends a picture of him running with the Olympic torch You send him an email!
so far, my only brush with the Olympics had been in Bangkok, where my daypack was randomly searched as we waited for the torch to pass.
Deepak (Advani, the CMO of Lenovo), in his reply to my email, was really kind to offer me tickets if I came to Beijing. so, I rushed to the train station in Guilin, changed from a sleeper to Shanghai to a hard seat to Beijing.
the 27 hours are endured with me practicing Mandarin with the college student sitting next to me and then discovering, to my dismay, that we don’t have access to the dining car AND that I won’t be able to find my favorite snack- taro chips- in the north.
my time in Beijing passed in a kind of a daze. it was a wonderful show, the Olympics complex was magnificent, the atmosphere electric, the crowds frantic and still, there was always, always order among the chaos. every train i got on, i played the "guess the country" game. there were people from all over- friends on a reunion, families on vacations, and some, like me, showing up in hope of being a spectator at the majestic Bird’s Nest or Aquatic Center.
I get up early next morning, and in my “finest” traveling attire, go to the Grand Hyatt Lenovo reception desk to pick up my tickets. I meet Deep and his wife, Puja and soon am handed a stack (yes, a stack) of tickets ranging from basketball to rhythmic gymnastics! Not to seem too greedy (and being the pragmatic (or lethargic) person I am ;), I pick a few events. My tickets in hand for events beginning tomorrow, Puja asked me if I wanted to visit the Summer Palace with her in a CAR as part of a private tour for Lenovo guests!
Now, I haven’t been in any kind of "car" in almost six months (the limited cab, tuk-tuk rides don’t count) So I jump on the offer (instead of going to an Olympics Rowing event- I just heard Mayo and Astrid scream at me for that ;) and tag along and have a wonderful afternoon checking out this once playground for the royals- the only sightseeing I did in my week there.
the rest of the week I spent in trains (free with the tickets), enjoying basketball, gymnastics, taekwondo, volleyball, athletics, shouting ‘chaaaayo’ while waving the flag of China, making new friends, arranging my journey forward to Mongolia and making more friends.
one warm Beijing afternoon, however, I spent trying to spot tall guys in the Silk Market, so my new buddy, Kenzo could approach them and see if they have any connections with the US basketball team(??). We did manage to run into LeBron James’ managers and Dwight Howard’s manager. Little did we know then how important these acquaintances would turn up to be (for him)?
we also met the Michael Jordan of Australia in the train the same day (and numerous other sports stars from all over the world). Of course, as much as I know about basketball- US or Australian, I have already forgotten his name except the fact that he has a shoe line in Australia named after him.
Kenzo came with similar intentions as me but without Deepak’s email :) so, he spent a lot of time outside venues giving the scalpers some business.
All his effort was worth it when he got into the basketball final game for free, when an angel walking by just handed him a ticket just as he was about to buy them from someone else (they were going for $1000/piece!)
And, it didn’t end there- he even made it to the after-party with the basketball gods (thanks to Howard’s manager!)! I missed because I was too busy doing the salsa with my friend, Lei and her friends.
Basketball Gods party or not, it sure was overwhelming to be a part of the Olympics, one that I won’t forget and one that wouldn’t have happened without Deep and Puja’s thoughtfulness and my sister’s insistence that I meet them!
So thank you all! I owe you for letting me witness and experience this age-old tradition that is the Olympics!
it’s been a long-time coming- on this sunny, crisp autumn afternoon- my last in Mongolia (this visit)- with all day to spare till I board a train to China tonight, I have decided it’s a day of thank yous.
the first four months of my travels, I didn’t have any plans but one- to avoid Beijing during the Olympics- too expensive, too many people, not the true city it is without the grand event.
well I have to say I enjoyed Beijing for just those things- except the expensive part, of course!
after all, what do you do when big sis suggests I meet a good friend of their family’s in Beijing and soon after, sends a picture of him running with the Olympic torch You send him an email!
so far, my only brush with the Olympics had been in Bangkok, where my daypack was randomly searched as we waited for the torch to pass.
Deepak (Advani, the CMO of Lenovo), in his reply to my email, was really kind to offer me tickets if I came to Beijing. so, I rushed to the train station in Guilin, changed from a sleeper to Shanghai to a hard seat to Beijing.
the 27 hours are endured with me practicing Mandarin with the college student sitting next to me and then discovering, to my dismay, that we don’t have access to the dining car AND that I won’t be able to find my favorite snack- taro chips- in the north.
my time in Beijing passed in a kind of a daze. it was a wonderful show, the Olympics complex was magnificent, the atmosphere electric, the crowds frantic and still, there was always, always order among the chaos. every train i got on, i played the "guess the country" game. there were people from all over- friends on a reunion, families on vacations, and some, like me, showing up in hope of being a spectator at the majestic Bird’s Nest or Aquatic Center.
I get up early next morning, and in my “finest” traveling attire, go to the Grand Hyatt Lenovo reception desk to pick up my tickets. I meet Deep and his wife, Puja and soon am handed a stack (yes, a stack) of tickets ranging from basketball to rhythmic gymnastics! Not to seem too greedy (and being the pragmatic (or lethargic) person I am ;), I pick a few events. My tickets in hand for events beginning tomorrow, Puja asked me if I wanted to visit the Summer Palace with her in a CAR as part of a private tour for Lenovo guests!
Now, I haven’t been in any kind of "car" in almost six months (the limited cab, tuk-tuk rides don’t count) So I jump on the offer (instead of going to an Olympics Rowing event- I just heard Mayo and Astrid scream at me for that ;) and tag along and have a wonderful afternoon checking out this once playground for the royals- the only sightseeing I did in my week there.
the rest of the week I spent in trains (free with the tickets), enjoying basketball, gymnastics, taekwondo, volleyball, athletics, shouting ‘chaaaayo’ while waving the flag of China, making new friends, arranging my journey forward to Mongolia and making more friends.
one warm Beijing afternoon, however, I spent trying to spot tall guys in the Silk Market, so my new buddy, Kenzo could approach them and see if they have any connections with the US basketball team(??). We did manage to run into LeBron James’ managers and Dwight Howard’s manager. Little did we know then how important these acquaintances would turn up to be (for him)?
we also met the Michael Jordan of Australia in the train the same day (and numerous other sports stars from all over the world). Of course, as much as I know about basketball- US or Australian, I have already forgotten his name except the fact that he has a shoe line in Australia named after him.
Kenzo came with similar intentions as me but without Deepak’s email :) so, he spent a lot of time outside venues giving the scalpers some business.
All his effort was worth it when he got into the basketball final game for free, when an angel walking by just handed him a ticket just as he was about to buy them from someone else (they were going for $1000/piece!)
And, it didn’t end there- he even made it to the after-party with the basketball gods (thanks to Howard’s manager!)! I missed because I was too busy doing the salsa with my friend, Lei and her friends.
Basketball Gods party or not, it sure was overwhelming to be a part of the Olympics, one that I won’t forget and one that wouldn’t have happened without Deep and Puja’s thoughtfulness and my sister’s insistence that I meet them!
So thank you all! I owe you for letting me witness and experience this age-old tradition that is the Olympics!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
high lights
Early morning, on the 13th, I board a bus from Hanoi to Nanning in China.
With its well-manicured greenery, China is like a wife right out of Stepford Wives, prim and proper, not a hair out of place.
Nanning has a skyline wider than Chicago. It is a cross between a city and a suburb- skyscrapers scattered everywhere with wide-wide roads, the closest ATM to the multi-level bus station is a $5 cab drive away!
There is even a Walmart Supercenter. And the buses- let me not even go there- somewhere between a sleeper bus and a regular AC bus with the exception that everything works!
My vision of China was a bit more exotic than this (that is still the expectation from Yunan)- certainly the Chinatown that California #1 (SFMUNI) passes through is not based on this part of China.
Suddenly I feel lost without a guidebook. It is not as if I can walk down the backpacker’s ghetto and there will be children selling photocopies for $4. So, I decide to head north to Guilin, where the swiss couple, I met in the bus, is going.
After spending a day in Guilin sampling local food, we take the bus to Longsheng and then embarked on an hour long uphill hike to the village where we were staying for the night – PingAn.
What I love about China (so far) is you don’t have to go too far to escape the city- a 3-4 hour drive away you will land up in a small village, with age old terraces, no vehicles and fresh country air.
Of course, others have discovered this village well before I did. So there is an incessant clamoring of village women, who want to let their 2-3m hair down for a picture or sell hand-embroided goodies. One woman decided to follow me on my 1.5 hour hike and so I start running.
I stop, look back to see if she is still there, and I freeze. Euphoria! A liberating bliss!
It is a visually engaging countryside- the smoke from cooking fires in the village make it almost surreal. Women are on their way home, with a duck in their wooden basket for dinner. Men gather in a local shop to share a beer with their friends.
A teenager decked up in local finery approaches me and asks if I know why this place is called Seven Stars and the Moon. I say no. She goes on to show me the terraces- the seven stars and the moon.
I sit and sip on my ginger and fruit infusion tea and take in the view.
I have a one-year multiple entry visa to China!! And my first sentence in Mandarin was understood! And did I mention I am going to the Olympics?
I will be aboard my first train in China for no less than 27 hours on a hard seat (sleepers sold out) in about two hours from now.
yes, I am headed to Beijing- to the Olympics :)
I am already loving this country!
With its well-manicured greenery, China is like a wife right out of Stepford Wives, prim and proper, not a hair out of place.
Nanning has a skyline wider than Chicago. It is a cross between a city and a suburb- skyscrapers scattered everywhere with wide-wide roads, the closest ATM to the multi-level bus station is a $5 cab drive away!
There is even a Walmart Supercenter. And the buses- let me not even go there- somewhere between a sleeper bus and a regular AC bus with the exception that everything works!
My vision of China was a bit more exotic than this (that is still the expectation from Yunan)- certainly the Chinatown that California #1 (SFMUNI) passes through is not based on this part of China.
Suddenly I feel lost without a guidebook. It is not as if I can walk down the backpacker’s ghetto and there will be children selling photocopies for $4. So, I decide to head north to Guilin, where the swiss couple, I met in the bus, is going.
After spending a day in Guilin sampling local food, we take the bus to Longsheng and then embarked on an hour long uphill hike to the village where we were staying for the night – PingAn.
What I love about China (so far) is you don’t have to go too far to escape the city- a 3-4 hour drive away you will land up in a small village, with age old terraces, no vehicles and fresh country air.
Of course, others have discovered this village well before I did. So there is an incessant clamoring of village women, who want to let their 2-3m hair down for a picture or sell hand-embroided goodies. One woman decided to follow me on my 1.5 hour hike and so I start running.
I stop, look back to see if she is still there, and I freeze. Euphoria! A liberating bliss!
It is a visually engaging countryside- the smoke from cooking fires in the village make it almost surreal. Women are on their way home, with a duck in their wooden basket for dinner. Men gather in a local shop to share a beer with their friends.
A teenager decked up in local finery approaches me and asks if I know why this place is called Seven Stars and the Moon. I say no. She goes on to show me the terraces- the seven stars and the moon.
I sit and sip on my ginger and fruit infusion tea and take in the view.
I have a one-year multiple entry visa to China!! And my first sentence in Mandarin was understood! And did I mention I am going to the Olympics?
I will be aboard my first train in China for no less than 27 hours on a hard seat (sleepers sold out) in about two hours from now.
yes, I am headed to Beijing- to the Olympics :)
I am already loving this country!
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