I can now add pig stomach to the food list.

So last Friday I met Jimmy from the company at 9 in the morning to go the the police station on the otherside of the city. I lost my camera over 2 months ago, but recently got a "receipt" for it from Jessica. So we went to a Police station near my Uni here where the camera 'got stolen' on 'Thursday' in a 'shop' near the uni campus where I 'live'....Luckily the Police didn't speak English so took Jimmy's description with no further questions from me. I had a Police report written but had to go the the main office to pick it up. Like everything in China it was shut for its 3 hour lunch break so I said goodbye to Jimmy and met Vikki near the Beijing Zoo because we heard there were good markets there...It's a lie, or if they are we found the wrong ones because they were not much fun and we got pretty sick of being stared at.

Had the rest of the day free so jumped in a taxi and went back to the good old faithful Silk Market where we met Rosie and her Mum who was leaving the next day. Vikki and I ended up buying some singlet tops for travelling and some Polo's and ugly sports shorts that were long enough to still be appropriate at the Kindergarten. This is because the last few weeks haven't dropped below 30 and although I brought plenty of summer stuff I didn't take into consideration the Kinder and I don't think they'd appreciate bordies and a singlet...Also the chinese population doesn't seem to beleive in the importance of deoderant (nor have I seen a single female that isn't sporting a wonderful bush of hair under her arms no matter the age!!) As it's near impossible to find and very expensive, so i've been sweating it up in 33 degree heat in jeans and long sleeve shirts dancing around singing Little Peter Rabbit had Fly apon his Nose!!!

This week has been much better in the way of heat with my trendy sports shorts and Polo!

Vikki came back to mine and the Maid wasn't home so I decided to become a bit domesticated and try a chinese dish I'd seen her make...very complicated including anything in the fridge that is green and egg and alot of oil...It was going fine until the maid walked in and looked like she'd been hit by a bomb when she saw me cooking in the kitchen! we still don't know if she was overly happy or overly angry but she couldn't help but take over then proceeded to cook us a whole extra dish as well! we watched a movie then wandered down the street to the local market where we saw a yukky fight and even though fights make me sick to watch the chinese men trying to punch looking more like slaps did bring a smile to my face. Don't know what it was over but there were bicycles, and skirts, and market junk flying everywhere as they attacked.

Had dinner down a little side alley that when you don't know whats safe you just say mientiao - noodles, which usually ends up being the biggest and best bowl of noodles you've ever had even though you can see in to the disgusting little kitchen and watch the man with tiny dirty hands rolling our noodles himself! Two bowls along with Iced teas cost 17yuan which is about $3!! I love street food, and we're hoping to keep that budget up on our backpacking adventure in July!!

Saturday was Chinese...the last class before the test. We all think we're going pretty fine until you actually hear anyone speak at their normal pace and we realise how little the ability we have to actually hold a conversation.

Sunday I woke up to singing out my window...and noticed a row of men standing out the front of the realestate chanting and singing some form of chinese music. I soon realised it was the relestate employees, no one blinked an eye and I remembered this isn't the first time I've heard them. I laughed to myself imaginging all the workers in Australia having to sing out side before the work day begins. I took a photos but it was from my window so a little far.

I also cut my hair off. I noticed a hairdresser near the community a few days ago and after a bit of an impulse decision walked inside and asked if anyone spoke English. Obviously not but I'd gone to far to back out. I knew 'long hair' in chinese and said. "long hair not very good" and acted cutting it. It worked a charm and an hour later walked out with much less hair then I would of liked as the guy just kept snipping away and there was nothing I could say to stop him!

This week I heard that the principal (who can never be pleased) now has another bone to pick with me....supposedly my accent is incorrect! My accent being the only English speaking accent in the school??!! apparently it's not North American enough and I am saying words incorrectly! hahaha All I could do to stop myself burning the whole place down was laugh...Anyway!!!....only 28 days of teaching to go so they can put up with a good old aussie accent till then.

Mum and Dad arrive on Sat morning and Tomorrow I'm meeting Vikki and Rosie in Chaoyang Park for a picnic as we've basically done all the touristy things in the city.

Ninja Maid

So Sunday arvo was a cousins 4th birthday but the 50 odd year old maid Young Yi, who left to get fish and other assorted vegetable was no where to be found. 2 hours later we get a call that she's been in an accident and is at the police station...I immediatly thought she'd been hit by a car, bus, rickshaw, or motorbike which wouldn't be half hard but that wasn't the case.
She's gotten into a fight with another lady at the market! hahaha
This is how it apparently went...with arms full of fish and vegies her foot got trodden on by some other lady. Instead of letting it go she accused the lady of stepping on her foot, who then denied it outright. again instead of letting it go she demended acceptance from the woman and an appology. Rather then the women say sorry she happened to be carrying an umbrella with which she proceeded to attack Young Yi with. From there it supposedly turned into a full blown battle and police were called and both women were escorted back to the station!
The next day I saw Young Yi cooking breakfast and she had a whopping black eye haha and bruises all up her arms from the umbrella, she told me through Jessica that all her clothes were torn and her necklace had been broken. I would of lvoed to see the other chick becasue I'd never take on Young Yi myself and even though I felt sorry for her it would have been hilarious to see!


Also here's a Video of the Acrobat show of the tiny boys and the crazy things they were doing on poles!!
Apologies for mine and Vikki's awed talking throughout!!

Some Pommies and Beijing Acrobatics

Friday I met up with Christo’s Hannah and Neil from the UK on a 5 month round the world trip. They caught the train from Shanghai on Thursday night and Friday morning I met them at their Hostel at Sunlitun. I took them to Hou Hai via the Drum and Bell towers for a walk around the lake before lunch at the Hutong Pizza, the cute little alleyway restaurant ACIC took us the first week in Beijing. It was on and off raining so after Pizza we caught a cab to the Silk market at Yonganli. They needed a bank so I took them to an ATM across the road and it ate their card!!! Haha I felt terrible because they were only in Beijing till Wednesday. We realised the number pad was round the wrong way so she entered the pin in wrong too many times. There was a number that it told us to call and she rang but couldn’t understand her….I could understand the Chinese lady fine which is a bit scary, hope I’m not turning into one…! Friday was the massive May Day holiday so after explaining what had happened she said there was nothing to be done for at least two working days! I didn’t want to hang up until I got some sort of confirmation so lied and said I was leaving the country in two days so I couldn’t wait that long. She took all my details (or Hannah’s) and said she would pass the information on as an emergency. So not knowing when we were going to see the card again, if ever, we went to the silk market. I love bargaining know especially once the shop owners know I live here they stop giving the absolutely ridiculous prices which cuts out a good 15 minutes of wasted time. I got a silk Chinese shirt for Neil and a skirt for Han from this one young girl who wanted around 1080Y for both down to 115 Yuan. The young girl was hilarious and it was fun speaking Chinese with her. She kept telling me I was crazy and feeling my head saying I had a fever to say such a low price. Because we were there for so long and it was really cheap she wanted 120 so Han and Neil paid 115 and I gave her 5Yuan for herself if she didn’t tell her boss, she finally admitted to me she was Gaoxing (happy) my very good friend even though I was a tough bargainer.
At around 3 a got a call from someone saying be at the ATM at 3:30 and I could have the card back! We were amazed for once something in China went smoothly and happened so fast. We waited around for a while and out of no where a lady dressed to the nines with a handbag and all appeared with the card in her hand...we had no idea where she came from she just smiled gave it to us without even asking to see a passport or identification and just wandered off into the crowd…
We shopped for far longer then we’d planned and were met by Vikki who stayed at my place that night. Han, Vik, and I bought fakey Diesel jeans but the only way you can try them on is behind a tiny sheet they hold up in one corner of the booth which after about half an hour of trying tons of pairs on had attracted a crowd of Chinese peeping toms.
Vik and I had missed being home in time for dinner so we took Han and Neil to the Rickshaw for dinner with some yum cheese stick things and potato nacho’s.



Saturday Vik and I spent the morning exploring my local area and discovered a massive market selling everything possible as well as fruit and veggies in a big undercover walkway. Its great walking through the shops because you don’t get attacked by sellers as they can’t speak any English.
At around four we left to have dinner with Rosie and her mum who’s visiting at Qianmen Dajie which is a tram street south of Tiananmen square. We were going to eat at the apparently most famous Roast Duck place in Beijing but the line was massive being the public holiday and we were going to see a show at 7:15 so we just got some take away duck on a stick and bread stuff which was pretty tasty. The street is lined with facades of olden day buildings but everyone of them is empty…we’re not sure why I’m guessing they’ll have something in them soon but was very ghost townish apart from the million Asians…





The things they could do with their bodies looked like they were missing a few ribs and hipbones and for the guys a lot more! Also they were soooo young some of the boys looked younger then my kinder students and apparently they very well could have been.
This one was recommended as being less packed as it’s not so touristy and less well known. It was a tiny theatre and only cost $20 AUS and definitely worth it.
After the show it was a beautiful warm night so we walked up to Tiananmen square which looks great in the dark.

Hou Hai, Sanlitun, and Karaoke!

Saturday Vik, Rosie, and I decided to go out for a bit of a dance at Hou Hai which is a beautiful area of bars, resuraunts and little shops lining the banks of a long lake.

We got a bit over excited about the getting ready bit...

Trying to scare Rosie, instead gave two young chinese girls behind her a squealing heart attack.

Trying to get some modelling action in the subway tunnels where it gets massively windy.

Vikki jumping into a taxi before its even stopped and the other people have gotten out so the driver can't get away....it's a necessary act!

At night its all lit up and packed with people dancing on the street, people trying to sell you lasers, and people annoyingly in your face trying to lure you into their "disco", bar, or resturant which all happen to be the "very very good best" of Hou Hai. We satyed for a while enjoying the sights but it wasn't really a place for dancing and there weren't as many foreigners as we'd expected.

Had a big speaker in the square where everyone you can see was doing the nutbush and macarina to bass and techno songs.

You can wear thongs into clubs....the signs only say no slippers haha

We messaged Tom the Aussie working for ACIC to find out a good place to go and he said it was his birthday! so we met up with him at good old Sanlitun and spent the night at Bar Blu which has a variety of asians and foreigners, young and old, and sizes 2-32. It was a great night! Tom definitly was a hit with the females with his hilarious dance moves.

Rosie and Vikki both shared my wooden bed and Sunday we dragged ourselves out of bed and met up with the ACIC people at a KTV lounge for three hours of Karaoke for Tom and another ladies birthday. It took us a bit to loosen up but bringing back song memories from the previous night we soon taught the Chinese how Aussies do karaoke (which they seem to take far to seriously). After a cake and far too much food I went to Wanfujing Bookstore to buy the last Twilight book (yes I joined the bandwagon they're not that bad...) and home to plan for next week at the Kindergarten

The Great Wall Simatai to Jinshanling – The Best Day Ever

Thursday night Vikki and I decided to go to the Great Wall on Friday. Sticking our usual spontaneous decision making skills, all we had was our Beijing Guide book to quickly scan through for a bit of the wall that looked good. The 10km walk from Jinshanling to Simatai had been recommended to me by Jess Hindmarsh and in the book, claimed to be the most spectacular part of the wall with only the very end being reconstructed. The book told us to get on a bus from Dongzhimen Subway station headed for Chengde and get off at Jinshanling….After Googling for a bus number we woke up at 6am the next morning and met at the Station. As usual once on the bus our arrival station was no where to be seen on the bus route map but we were joined by 3 Argentineans and a Spaniard who were also going to the wall. After chatting to them for a while they convinced us that the best way to walk was the opposite way to what we were planning and that their friends had done the same walk just yesterday and said it was amazing so we changed plans and decided we’d share a car with the guys from the bus station to the base of the wall.

Travelling companions



When we arrived, as usual, we were attacked by people wanting to take us to Jinshanling for ridiculous prices, it was a 90km drive but they started at 150Yuan each for one way. After a lot of pen and paper arguments about prices we got them down to 15Yuan each! 4 big boys and the two of us piled into their tiny mini van and took off, but as we got out of the station we realised the guy still thought he was taking us to Jinshanling and said no to Simatai. All the men came back with the paper and it started all over again but none of them said they would take us to Simatai?? After a while we all piled out of the car and did the typical act of walking away like we had another option (which we clearly didn’t) but they yelled and came after us to finally settle on Simatai for 30 each there and back, about $8 for a 180km round trip!
Settling in for the ride we learnt a bit more about our companions for the day. Three of them were traveling together from living in New Zealand and were only in China for one week and the other Spanish guy was just a random traveler they’d met at their Hostel. It was during this time Vikki and I started worrying about being able to keep up with them as we’d already arranged the same car home! This point became extremely clear after they told us that the direction and part of the wall we were walking was the most difficult way to go with slopes and steps of over 70degrees! We told them not to wait for us but they refused to listen making constant jokes about not needing to worry…..

Trying to agree on a price. Two of our friends claimed to be journalists showing us their cards. I still don't beleive them but it's a great way not to have to pay for entry!!!



Cracking up as we walked away from our ride at the fact that if you want anything in China you have to try to act as best you can that you dont want it...I guess no ones ever told them about reverse psychology?




Arriving at the great wall super excitied

Vikki thinking she can do a trek with a handbag!

Our humor slipped rapidly away when we got out of the van and saw the wall…. It was amazing but also ridiculously steep. Clearly reconsidering seeing the steepness of the wall in the background...especially trying to keep up with the male half

Trying to ignore the "farmer with 2 hungry sons + chopsticks + t-shirts + he suddenly gets a call on his modern mobile phone???" and take my photo without feeling too guilty.

Seeing the next few hours before us was very intimidating...

So we set off, Vikki and I started out in front to set the pace and the 20 minute walk to reach the actual wall almost killed us. Although we were in agony it was so surreal actually being there. To start we had to cross a suspension bridge over a huge gorge and then it began. Up, up, up and seemed it was never going to end, surprisingly the boys asked for a rest before we did so we got a bit of a breather and was able to actually take in the scenery.

I don't know why but somehow we ended up with not one but TWO red heads on our trip! Rare seeing statistics say their a dying race so I had to get a photo.

Simatai Gorge

Our initial reaction after the first steep climb... (before we'd actually hit the wall)

The way the wall just follows the mountain ridge is incredible with such steep angles but such a high and strong structure. Being able to walk on the original wall knowing it was well over 2000 years old was great but often scary because it was so steep and sometimes we were just scrambling up rubble.

Original wall

Vikki's first, but definitely not last, near stack of the day.

Our friends left to right: Ginger Martin, Diego, the Spanish tag-along Isma, and Sandigo or something like that...

Looking how far we'd come...we started about half way up that first long steep bit on the other side of the valley where it makes a T-intersection with a dirt road... all up for a long way.

Then up down, up, down for the rest

Not being able to see an end in sight but in absolute awe at the enormity of the thing.

Vikki's near death experience before being caught by our helpers! hahaha I was laughing to much to get my camera out quick enough but it was very close to being a great stack.

The Chinese man that claimed me as his customer told us just after a really slippery section that yesterday he was walking and a 23yr old guy was running with some others and fell and broke his leg right where we were standing and 8 people had to carry him all the way back! hahaha

Having a break and trying to look happy without thinking about the climb behind us!!

Aussies on the Wall

This is looking back from Jinshanling. Guessing it's about half of what we walked! We were impressed.

Don't know what's with my pose...maybe getting ready to take after the famer contemplating my camera's worth

Luckily we'd just come from here so it was down for us....not that thats any easier then up when its crumbling rock...

Almost there

Relaxing trying to believe I'm actually sitting on the Great Wall of China!

Vikki not even pretending to be okay with heights. I'm not the best friend when it comes ot sympathy..

Ultimate feeling of sucess...

We Made it!!!

More then once we passed other foreigners that were surprised that we’d decided to come the opposite way to everyone else commenting on how difficult it was and even the t-shirt and drinks sellers along the way asked us why we chose to come this way!
We became a bit more spread out from our friends and Vikki and I just kept a constant pace while they waited for the others. There are locals everywhere with bags that just tag along with walkers not necessarily asking you to buy anything until they want to leave. Two found Vikki and I and probably walked a third of the way with us. It was great because they taught us the history of the wall and we practiced our Chinese with them. Apparently horses and donkey’s brought the bricks up the ridiculously steep mountains but if the rocks were too big (our guy showed us by drawing in the dirt and using sticks!) that they hauled the rocks up one at a time on logs with loads of men. They showed us where the men would stand to shoot the Mongolians and pour water on them, and told us the names of the different sections of the wall. They we’re lovely people and showed us where they lived as farmers (just pointed off down a tiny track into the mountains). When we got to their home track they asked us to buy something. We both got a t-shirt and Vikki bought a picture but I paid 50Yuan which is far too much for a shirt but I gave them the money for the information more then the souvenir. The complete walk took about 4 hours and ended with a cable car down to Jinshanling car park, where we were greeting by a relieved driver waiting patiently for our return trip! The boys were about half an hour behind us so we waited for them on the wall and caught the cable car down together. It was a long day as we didn’t get back into Beijing until 8:30 but definitely the most amazing experience so far in China!

Vikki stayed at my place last night and we’re going out to Sanlitun tonight with Rosie. Our newly made friends are staying near there so we left them saying we’d try and catch up tonight but with no way of contacting them it’s only the chance of spotting 4 foreigners in a sea of Asians….probably not too hard!