m e m o r i e s (:

16th Feb (1st Day) Tuesday

Never never ever take Air China, it's so crap~ Beijing Airport is so nice but for some reason not sure why their aircraft is so crap! Beijing is so cold (-9°C ~ -1O°C) I nearly died, lol! Visited 2 theaters (1 if which we watched acrobats performing) the other was kinda like a museum. We saw an orchestra getting ready for a show there too~ Went to the Heaven Temple, but our tour guide keep saying to us Temple Heaven. There's another temple there I think it's called the Prayer Temple or something like that. Didn't take much photos, cause whenever I took my hand out of my glove, it felt like I put my hand in the freezer for fun~ We also went to a street called "Shopping Street". This street has this coffee place called "Costa", I ate a really nice Tiramisu cake. Lunch was good and dinner was so so. We have free Internet in our hotel (Grand Gongda Jiangguo Hotel) room but there are some sites that are blocked. Like Facebook and Blogger (that's why I'm blogging now).

17th Feb (2nd Day) Wednesday

Didn't wake up when the alarm rang at 7.30am, but at the sound of the door bell. Dad had come to wake my sister and I up at 8am. Had to wake up cause our tour guide and driver picked us up at 8.30am. We went to The Forbidden City, omg! the wind there was like @#@$%^ my fingers were like super cold (felt like I had stupidly left my fingers on ice for like 2 mins) irony was I was wearing gloves, had numb fingers from the cold. I think it was -5 degrees == ... After which we walked underground towards the other side of the road to Tian An Men Square. Took a bit of photos here and there in those 2 places, didn't go crazy wish I could but didn't. It was too cold~ Right after went to lunch. Just because of lunch I don't want to eat dumplings for like a month. You should have seen how many different types of dumplings our tour guide ordered for us.. 1 word "SCARY". Then we went to sit on something like a trishaw. Our driver was going so fast and since the wind is so cold, my sister and I who were sitting side by side were freezing our butts off. Later we went to a different theater from yesterday, red theater or something like that to watch a Kung Fu performance and later went for dinner. Ate really nice food including the Beijing Peking Duck, I was so engross with drinking the duck soup, it was so yummy! And then off back to the hotel~

I wonder when the fireworks will stop, since we got here, there were non-stop fireworks and crackers either when we go out touring or when we're back at the hotel. Just now while my sister and I were in our room watching "They Kiss Again". Outside our window displayed colourful fireworks, best view ever~

18th Feb (3rd Day) Thursday

We went to The Great Wall Of China, before we went up we took a family photo, sad bro & s-i-l wasn't there. I attempted to climb but since my Uggies whenever I climbed it made my legs heavy and the thought of walking down is scary cause it's so steep. So I didn't climb all the way to the top. After that we headed to the Ming Tomb, which was nearby. Then off to lunch, after went to Dr Tea and tried 4 different types - White Tea (bitter at first, drinking water or just leaving it for a bit, you'll find that you're throat is becoming sweeter) Puer Tea (apparently the older the tea the better it is, but it won't have any special taste) also it has a special certificate that goes along with it. The other 2 are Oolong and Jasmine Tea. I like all of the tea except for one and that's Oolong. After we were brought to get our foot massage for free. The people massaging out feet were interns. Funny questions were being asked by them in mandarin to me from this guy rubbing my sister's foot. He asked "whether I've got a boyfriend" & "whether I'm looking for one in China" Lol Hahaha~ Also asked for my age super funny. Then after our super relaxing massage we went to have dinner.

19th Feb (4th Day) Friday

The first stop that we had gone to was the Beijing Museum, after that we went to the Summer Palace. It's a nice place with a man-made lake and hill, it's the place where the emperor and the empress would go during summer~ but the lake stinks, how do I know? I went to the edge to take a photo and went OMG! felt like puking..

Later for lunch, we went to this place called New City where they have fresh water pearls. Upstairs of New City is where they have their restaurant. The food was ok, the soup was bland, but I couldn't stop drinking it. After went downstairs, they demonstrate on how to check for pearls and we had to pick one. He said guess how many pearls there are in the oyster, if you guess it right he'll give us as a souvenir. All of us couldn't guess the right answer. Correct answer he said fresh water oyster on average should have up to 25-30 pearls, sometimes on rare occasion 40. Even though we didn't get the correct answer, he still gave us, 2 each. Shopped there for a bit, bargaining is essential.

We went to some military defense and the to this shopping center that's like Bugis but worst. Went window shopping and they think you want to buy, walk away and the price goes lower. I got one.. she said original price is 350 yuan, but for you I give you 120/150? yuan (can't remember what she said) and then I said no i'm just looking and then she said ok i'll give you 50 yuan and I still said no. Cause I don't think i'll wear it, so not my style. We went up and parents had they foot massage, my sister and I went to do manicure, I find it crap, cut until i'm bleeding.. i'm still bleeding even though i'm back in the hotel already and it's been like 2 hours argh! Painting of the nail polish is also crap, cannot stand it. Then we went for dinner, had really nice suan la tang couldn't stop drinking it. Tomorrow morning have to wake up early to go to the Beijing Terminal 3 Airport to go to Xi An.

20th Feb (5th Day) Saturday

Woked up: 5.3O am (Beijing)
Flight: 8.OO am
Landed: 1O.OO am (Xi An)

We went to the airport to take a domestic flight to Xi An (the airport was so packed). I can't believe a 2 hr flight, served hot food and the international flight from Singapore to Beijing is so bleh. Hot food can choose between Western or Eastern food. Arrived and passed by the Museum that we were supposed to go to. The tour guide said to get tickets, we have to follow the line. Normally to get it, takes about 2-3 hours just waiting in line. Siao! who wants to be so Kiasu and wait in line for so long. (Cause it's free and they only give out 2OOO a day) So we gave it a pass and went straight for lunch. Love the food in Xi An taste so much better than Beijing. Then went to see the Pagoda then off to our hotel. Cause it's my sister's birthday, we went to get a cake for her. They said they can make that particular cake in 45 mins so we went to walk around then collected it after while walking back to the hotel. I had 4 slices of her cake Oink!

21th Feb (6th Day) Sunday

Couldn't wake up this morning cause last night before I went to sleep, my sister sleep talked and she was snoring too. She said "Who ran away?" I was like Huh! Then I woke her up and asked her again what did she say even though I heard it. Then she told me she was daydreaming and went she hit the pillow again she started snoring O..O In the morning she said she was dreaming she won half a million from lottery and wondering who ran away with her money. Hahaha!

Went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. They found 7 pits, but only 4 are open to the public. There are 3 pits filled with warriors and chariots, some are still covered to preserved their colour. Cause once the colour touches the air for at least 2 hours it disappears!! and the 4 pit is empty. Then went to lunch at a local village, but the food's not as nice as in the city. After we went to the Hot Spring (Tang Dynasty). Went back to the hotel (Yi He Palace) to rest. Then @ 6pm left the hotel for the dinner & show.

22nd Feb (7th Day) Monday

Went to the City Wall, took this Traveler on the wall 2O yuan per person. Took us at least 1 hour to go round the City Wall. Then we went to have lunch, after went to this area called the Muslim Street, it's really interesting. Then left to go to the airport~ Back to Beijing @ 5pm. It's a 2 hr flight then @ 11.3Opm flight back to Singapore.

23rd Feb - Tuesday

Landed in Singapore at 5.5O am at Terminal 1