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SashaL
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| When I came back to HK last September, I knew my next travelling destination would be China. There are so many to see, to do and to experience and I had never really adventured it. This Easter, me and Diana (a Colombian friend of mine who is working in HK) spent 4 days in Beijing and to visit my 2 other Colombian friends (Eduado, un rolo; Andres, un paisa) there. Hehe, the Colombian connection will always be with me. : - ) In the first day we went to, where else, the Great Wall. We decided to go to a remote part so we took a 2-hour bus ride and then a 30-minute cab journey to reach the HuangHua ChengChang (The Great Wall, Yellow Flower section), I was so excited and simply speechless when I saw this 3000-year old history lying naked in front of my eyes. After so easy climbing at the beginning, there came the steep slope and we had to use both hands and legs to actually climb up. But what a journey it was.    
The next day we went to the 600-year old Forbidden City. What can I say, another piece of naked history in front of me. Physically the city is so huge, historically it has a deep value in modern China history as it witnessed the last 2 dynasties in the old China. Fantastic.   
On the third and the forth day, me and Dianis went to the Temple of Heaven as well as the Summer Palace of the emperor.  
Dinner time, huh, so much great food in Beijing. Dumplings, Chinese buns, Peking duck and roadside BBQ stands which BBQ everything, including water snake....If choice is so difficult to make, I decided not to make any but to try all of them.    
The nightlife in Beijing is unexpectedly active. Because of the huge foreign population living in Beijing, there are a lot of nice clubs and bars where we encountered HipHop, R&B, even Chukuchuku. The party zone is called Sanlitun. I did take good advantage of the RMB10 (USD 1.5) Whisky on the ice and the RMB2 (USD 0.25) beer to make myself drunk. What a night!  4 Colombians + 1 French Andres Eduardo Dianis
My feeling in Beijing is that it is a city with modern and history. One could be in the 3000-year old Great Wall in the morning, while listening to Daddy Yankee and drinking Vodka at night. One could be in the Tiananmen Square looking at Mao's portrait while the Beijing 2008 Olympic mascota running next to you. There are so many diversity in the city, so many things to do, and I am sure I am going there to witness the Olympic next year. My compadre, Eduardo, you are the man, thanks for your hospitality, I am proud of your Mandarin, which is a huge leap compared to last year, and how can I forget your courage to dance with the waitress in a Chinese restaurant. My hermano, Andres, excuse me for not finding the HHH T-shirt for you, but you will get in next year, and, dont forget to invite me for your wedding in Mongolia. My amigita, Dianis, thanks for the company. I knew I was rude to you sometime, but in a whole it was a great time that we had together. And to every nice smile in Beijing. I love you all. Ps. There are so many pictures that I cannot put them all here. To view them, go to my MSN myspace photos section or click http://kingwong1.spaces.live.com/?_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaHandler=TWljcm9zb2Z0LlNwYWNlcy5XZWIuUGFydHMuUGhvdG9BbGJ1bS5GdWxsTW9kZUNvbnRyb2xsZXI%24&_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaFolderID=&_c11_PhotoAlbum_startingImageIndex=&_c11_PhotoAlbum_commentsExpand=&_c11_PhotoAlbum_addCommentExpand=&_c11_PhotoAlbum_addCommentFocus=&_c=PhotoAlbum | | |
| The 18th of February marked the beginning of a new year according to the Chinese calendar and we farewelled the dog and welcomed the pig. This is the time when we meet our relatives and family members, dined, chatted, exchanged gifts and news. This is like the Christmas in China. I was not in HK in the last 3 years during the Chinese New Year. Therefore, I spent this one visiting my family memebers and it was great seeing them after so long. 
Bloosom significates love and it is common to see this at houses, offices and everywhere. Chinese believe that the bloosom will bring the love energy to the places. 
Chinese always buy gifts when we visit somebody's houses. Empty-handed entrance is regarded as impolite. Cookies, candies, fruits....anything eadible is guranteed to be good gifts. 
This is one of my aunts who is now 74 years old, but still very funny. She mistoke Colombia and Africa and told all her family that I went to Africa last year, very funny and lovely indeed. 
Our dinner. This is called pan2 cai4, meaning a huge bowl of food. Indeed, this is a dish with more than 10 different food. Chicken, duck, fish, vegi, cow, ginger, onion, shrimps, crab, dumplings......A typical new year food. 
Eating 
Wong Tai Sin Temple. Mr. Wong Tai Sin is one of the many Gods in China and is seen as the wiseest fortune telling. Chinese people love to come to his temple in the new year to ask for the fortune in career, love and ... whatever. 
Windmills significate the turning of good luck and the leaving of bad luck. Bigger windmills are believed to have stronger power in doing so. 
Asking the future from the 'fortune telling sticks' 
Offering fruits, food and drinks to the God 
Worshipers 
More worshipers 
Can't get my eyes off his Gucci glasses 
Me, my sister, my aunt and my cousin. 
Hong2 bao1. Adults, usually married couples, give these red pockets to the younsters, or the unmarried couples, with money in it for good luck and fortune. So cool. | | |
| The whole world has been talking about global warming for many years and little by little, the world is changing, temperature increasing, sealevel rising. Temperature is also increasing here in HK. This is February and the Chinese New Year, or so-called the Spring Festival to celebrate the beginning of spring, is just 1 week to go. The temperature is at alarming 21C!! In my whole life when I am in HK, this is the hottest February and so the hottest spring festival I have ever had. The usual temperature during the chinese new year is around 10 to 15C, with people wearing jackets, scaffs and sweaters, but now, people are wearing shorts, T-Shirts, shortsleeves!! It is just alarmingly scaring. Hopefully people will realize that no one can escape global warming and that we must do our role to save the planet. | | |
| Travelling has let me widen my horizon and meet different people in different. Maybe because of this, sometimes I feel like doing this and doing that. I wanna be a businessman and do international business; I wanna be a financial consultant and make big money; I wanna be a professional traveller to travel the whole world; I wanna be in the NGO area and help the others; I wanna party everyday and do nothing...........So many I wanna.......I dont think I can manage them all, but I wanna move fast, very fast, so that I can achieve as many dreams as possible. Shall luck be on my side. | | |
| Having been back to HK for 2 months and I am spending all my Saturday nites looking for parties in town. I have been to a few Latin clubs and Latin parties and they are really different from those in Colombia. My favourite Colombian party is the Chuku-chuku style, meaning, music composed of Salsa, Merengue, Raggaeton, Vallenato and pop crossover. In HK, however, in all the latin parties, they only play Salsa, faster Salsa and even more and faster Salsa, with very occasional Merengue and a little bit of Juanes. And when I was in the club, I saw all the people dancing like professional, kind of. There is a core Latin, or better-put, Salsa dancing interest group in HK and they organise Salsa parties almost 4 times a week, therefore, everyone in the Salsa party are decorated Salsa veterans and of course all the turning and hand twisting stuff are nothing new to them. I found this too technical for me. I dont wanna remember all these techniques but to enjoy and feel the music. "We people in HK are just so good at learning." I joked to my Colombian friend. | | |
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