Beijing Trip Part 2


Cultural Awareness

first of all, let me intro you guys to a new term coined up by me: guo2 bao3 ji2 wu4 gui1.

when something is called guo bao ji, it usually means that its the best in its class or field. and to be honest, i think its an apt description of some of my friends =P why? coz they are super duper slow!

now the local chinese people hate to wait and the people of shanghai are especially vocal when they are unhappy with anything. our tour group consisted of a mix of singaporeans and china citizens, including people from shanghai.

and so it was that on one fine morning, 2 of my friends were late. a 15 mins delay insured that they got an earful from one particularly pissed off shanghai-nese girl, accompanied with muttering complains in the background, from the other china people.

ultimate embarrassment. morale of the story? when in China, be sharp enough to notice their habits and practices, and follow them. else, be prepare to incur their wrath.


Beijing GIP people

We were lucky enough to meet up with some of the Beijing GIP people and it was thanks to them that we managed to: 1) eat Da Tong Roast Duck 2) sing KTV in Beijing 3) find out where to shop for cheap stuff. i was also fortunate to meet someone from ARPC, within the Beijing GIP group! Woohoo! a fellow Presby!

so yes, thank you for the useful tips on bargaining, for sharing with us useful info on Beijing, and all in all, for being such kind hosts =)


Application of Head Knowledge

As strange as it may sound, its true!

looking at how people of ancient China apply principles of mechanics, physics, and other sciences really made me appreciate the things i've been learning in school till this point.

examples include making use of water and resonance to amplify sound within a large enclosed building, building a natural pseudo air condition system, and building a circular wall such that when someone speaks again any part of the wall, any other person can place their ear at any other part of the wall, on either side and hear what is being said.

all i can say? amazing. studying suddenly seems so much more fun. haha.


The Great Wall of China

Hey, its the Great Wall! Need i even say more? haha. scaling it is an experience in itself, much less taking in the sights of the Great Wall =)


In conclusion, all i can say that while there were moments of downs during the trip, i totally enjoyed myself. Its quite amazing how different provinces in China has its own distinct flavour and culture; the sheer size of China and the countless interesting places to visit leaves me wishing I had more time and resources on hand to take everything ok!

Anyhow, now that I've covered Beijing, its time to move on. Next up: Nanjing!