China in pictures: Part the 2nd

As promised- the second batch of China pics. I'm totally doing the whole photo blogger thing these days. The first batch was mostly in Shanghai and this other place called Suzhou .This batch however were all taken in Beijing.

This was the part of the trip that I was most excited for. We took the train from Suzhou to Beijing. The journey took 14 hours but it was a whole lot of fun. We had our own rooms and although it wasn't that fancy but it was an experience. Now if you read this blog long enough, you know how the Constantly Dramatic One has a weakness for classic, black & white movies and in those movies they usually have scenes in trains and for me it was like a throw back to the Hollywood Golden Era to be there.

The whole time I was in the train I kept checking if somehow Cary Grant just happened to be on board as well. He wasn't. On accounts that we were in China and that minor thing of him being already dead. Though I kept on checking if he was on board but I swear to God if I did saw him on board I would most definitely shit my pants.

What you're looking at is a pic of our bunker. Its messy coz well, it's my bunker.

The view from my bunker. Sis slept on top and I kept on kicking the top mattress just so I could piss her off. It was very comfortable sleeping in the train because it was rocking all the way and you felt like you're a baby sleeping in the cradle all over again.

This was the best part. When you slide the door closed, there's a huge a mirror behind it. The mirror is exactly opposite the window. Whatever view of the outside scenery was reflected on the mirror so that was cool and beautiful at the same time.

They had a mini restaurant on board but it was all over-priced. Not surprising of course. And it was quite irritating that they stocked up more on the alcohol than mineral water.



This view of the restaurant. All the time I was in the train all I could think of was that particular scene in North by Northwest. You know, the part when Cary Grant's character Roger O. Thornhill said to Eva Saint Marie's character Eve: “The moment I meet an attractive woman I have to start pretending I have no desire to make love to her”. To which she replied “What makes you think you have to conceal it?"

I adore that movie.

This Trolley Lady was another irritating thing on the train. The only thing she was selling was bacon or ham or any variation of a dead pig. I'm hungry and I don't do bacon ok?

Say it with me "Variety".

The first place that we visited as soon as we reached Beijing was the Summer Palace. It has some very interesting history regarding a Dowager Empress called the Dragon Lady who ruled China with an iron fist.

These are poems and stories about the Dragon Lady drew on the floor of one of the courtyard of the Summer Palace. Apparently it's an art form of some kind and as soon as it dries off the people would draw it again on the floor. Another story, another poem but all about the Summer Palace and the Dragon Lady.

This was the longest hallway in the whole of Summer Palace. As you can see there are paintings on the beams and on each beam there is different painting hence a different story.

People in Old China had waaaaaay too much time on their hands if you ask me.

We went to see the Pandas! Goddamn pandas were cute but so damn lazy. All they do is sleep all day long. I was ooohing and ahhhing coz they were so cute but when I stood there for 15mins and still no movement, yeah that's when I got irritated and wanted to drop kick every panda there was.

No wonder they're facing extinction....lazy mofos.

Whenever I think of my ass, I think of this panda's ass and it makes me feel a bit better. My ass has got nuthin on that panda's ass okay?

These umbrellas were too cute. I wanted to get one but then I realise that I am no longer 6 years old. Or retarded.

Men playing Xiangqi by the roadside. Yet another scene that could easily be in a copy of National Geographic.

We went to see a Kung Fu/Gymnastic show. It fell below expectations.

Don't get me wrong, the Kung Fu and the whole Gymnastic show was amazing. They can do some amazing shit but the outfit that they wore? Ghey. Like check out this one. This by far was one of the manlier ones. Totally made a mockery of the art of Kung Fu.

This was the opening scene to a dream sequence in the show; damn smoke was all over the place. Because my sister and I was sitting right in front of the stage we were like "Oh fuck. The smoke gonna drown us.We're gonna die suffocating in the place! Oh God!" Of course we didn't, but we like the dramatic connotation that comes with the statement.

Bitching, moaning and being constantly dramatic keeps us young.

Kung Fu = Manly. Blue tunic = Ghey.

What were they trying to sell here really? I wanna know.

We went to a Jade factory/outlet. It was one of the most boring-est shit I have to endure in my entire life. Here you can see the process of carving a jade stone into something else.

The end result.

Beautiful and it has some Feng Shui properties to it but most importantly an opportunity for the Constantly Dramatic One to camwhore. No matter where we go in life, we must never forget about our priorities. And my priority is to camwhore whenever possible.

We went to the Great Wall of China right after the Jade Factory. On the day that we climbed it the wind was blowing so hard that you would actually sway around because of its intensity. On this day, the authorities banned children and extremely skinny people from climbing the Wall because there are cases when people actually get blown off the wall and plunged to their deaths.

I know it sounds funny as fuck but I am not making this up. The wind was so horrible on that day that not only was it already a bitch to climb the stairs in five layers of clothing but everytime the wind blew everyone have to literally stop, duck and take cover.

This is the view of the Great Wall of China, mid way to the First Tower (aka 1st checkpoint). It was such a bitch climbing the Wall. First of all I went there during winter so yes, five layers of clothing and bear in mind that the Wall is ancient. The steps are not like modern day staircases; these were made of stones and by hand. The steps were not equal in size. Some were too high, some were too low, some were lopsided but generally the whole thing was uneven. Coupled with the wind and the fact that you kept on having to take cover, it wasn't a fun day for me.

This pic was taken from the Third Tower (aka 3rd checkpoint). It was a big deal for us to get to the third tower because people usually just reached the 1st checkpoint and turned back but Sis and I bitched and moaned our way to the third one. This was the furthest we can go coz after that we were too exhausted to climb any further up.

The whole time I was climbing the Wall, my hand and my legs were shaking like crazy. My sister thought it was coz of the cold but truth is I was scared shitless. Heights and the Constantly Dramatic One do not go together. But I figured it's not like I climb the Great Wall of China for fun everyday you know. Its now or never so I climbed and I swear the moment I saw the view and how high I was up from the third tower, my heart almost jumped out of my throat.

The climb down was worst than the climb up. The climb up was tiring but the climb down.....well you can see how high up you really were. I took longer to climb down then I did climbing up. I was also praying to God to not let me embarrassed myself on the Great Wall by shitting my pants. God was listening.

And oh btw, Ancient Chinese Mythology states that "He who climbed the Great Wall is a warrior". So bitch, I am a warrior.

Drama Warrior.

The weirdest shit happened to me on Tiananmen Square. I was running around taking photos when I heard someone calling out my name. My actual name. Scared the Bejesus out of me. I was like "WTF?!! Which China person is stalking me?!". And then it turns out it was a friend of mine from college. How cool is that? Bumping into your friend in a completely different country? And on Tiananmen Square no less.

One of the many courtyards in the Forbidden City. Ancient Chinese Legend states that the Royal Treasure of the Chinese Dynasty is buried underneath one of the courtyards of the Forbidden City. But since the China Government have forbidden that any digging work being made in the City, the legend remains a legend.

Here we are in front of one the courtyards that they used to shoot the Last Emperor movie. The lady in the red hat is my tour guide. She's Mongolian and she could speak five languages fluently - including Malay. Woman speaks Malay like a real Malay, it was very impressive.

The Bird Nest Stadium of what is going to be Beijing's official stadium for the upcoming Olympics.

Told you my ass has got nuthin on the panda's ass.

My sister thought it would be funny to take this pic. Yes, I was hugging the blanket but that's just because I was too lazy to ask for an extra pillow. It's not like I have blanket issues or anything like that.

And that's it. The whole China trip in a nutshell.

China in pictures: Part the 1st

I totally took my own sweet time putting up the China pictures. I know. I'm awesome like that but seeing that I have a one week holiday what's with the Chinese New Year and all and have a loooooot of time on my hand, I finally decided to drag my sexay ass to upload the photos both on my blog and Facebook. One month after I got back from China.

Other than being Constantly Dramatic, I am also constantly procrastinating. Not a good trait mind you, but a trait nonetheless. Out of the 1,231 pics I took in China (I kid you not), I decided to post up only 70 of them. The operative word here being only.

My parents did not went on the trip with us, it was just my sister as I. We used to travel as a family a lot but ever since my brother left, my parents just dont want to travel anymore so they book my sister and I into these tours so that at least "the kids can still see the world". At the end of 2006, Sis and I went to Turkey and at the end of 2007 we went to China.

This is a pic of my mom giving me "the look" coz I was irritating her with the camera. This pic is hillarious coz I caught her right in the moment. Everytime she gives you that look, you know you gonna be in deep shit. I have been told that I have the same look -but even more fierce- everytime before I throw a bitch fit.

Since no one have yet presented me with a photo evidence such as this, I refuse to believe that the claim is true. You bitches.

Our flight was actually at 12.55am but it was delayed for like three hours so that was a bitch. This pic was taken around 2ish in the morning and it show the airport's employees cleaning the the roof of the checking in booth. It was fascinating. And oh look at how empty our airport is. Its 2 in the morning, there still should be people around and stuff seeing that this is an airport. But no, no sign of life.

Hey Badawi, say it with me: E-C-O-N-O-M-Y. Improve it.

Sis and fiancee mucking around. He waited with us till 3 in the morning.

China! This scene looks like it comes out from one of Jackie Chan's movie where he runs down the street and gets entangled in one of the clothes line. I'm not saying there is such a movie but its a possible scenerio.

The Santa Clauses in China cracked us up coz all of them seemed to OD on the make up. I mean check out the make up on this one. We bet this particular Santa was chanelling the Chinese Opera.

I like how this bicycle was there, leaning againts the tree by the roadside. Its the kind of scene that you do see in National Geographic.

Sis sitting for our potrait. We got our likeness drawn on a fan. That was cool.

Ok something was clearly wrong with this dude's eyesight. I am waaaaay hotter then that. Okay?

Bitch.

A view of market place we went to in Shanghai.

They took us to a place specializing in pearls. Chinese pearls. I was so excited because I adore pearls. I'm girly like that.

Who knew that something so pretty could come from something as foul smelling as this? I clearly didn't.

This guy was making omellete by the roadside. Now coming from Malaysia this kind of scene should not be at all strange for the Constantly Dramatic One, but what amuses the hell out of me was what the guy was wearing.........

Its a roadside hun, not a hotel.

This is cool, you just have to push a button....

And an electronic hand would flag a cab down for you.

A view of the world famous Shanghai skyline from the river bank. To tell you the truth I did not like Shanghai. I personally think that the city has an identity crisis. If you take a ferry ride down the river and look at the buildings that they build to signify Shanghai, it's very kitsch. They used too many lights and it does not look beautiful or classy but instead cheap and tardy.

What's perplexing is that the building are not oriental in architechture but Western. So you go to China but you're looking at Western architechture and this is what the China people is proud of? Its sad. Turning your back on your culture's identity just to appeal to the masses.

Look at Thailand, now they are proud of their heritage. But hey who am I to say anything? I'm no cultural expert. All I know is that Shanghai isnt beautiful, just kitsch.

We went to a place called the Number One Road or something where they have all these shopping places lined up. It looks classy and all but nothing I have not seen before. They have these really cute vehicles that the police drive around in.

Then we went to a silk factory. The ladies here are making a Selimut Cinta (Love Blanket). Apprently when its cold outside, the blanket will become really warm and vice versa. Its usually given as gifts to newlyweds hence the name.

This was one of the many old palaces that we went to. I lost track after one. They all look the same to me.

They have lots of these cave formations where the concubines used to play in. Hey, I'm not making this up. That's what the tour guide said.

On our way out, we saw some men fishing by the small river that runs by the palace and it was fascinating. They fished for these small fishes and then they threw in on land, like right by their motorcyles. I am not a nature's person so this is my first seeing something like this.

Look at the contrast between the tiny fish and the tyre in this pic.

This is again, another pic right out of National Geographic.

Yet another palace. I forgot which one.

Seemed like a good idea to pose like this.

We decided to climb this really high pagoda. I was all excited to climb it and then when I reached the 3rd floor out of the 7th, I realized that I am afraid of height so yeah....it wasnt that fun after that.

This is the first batch of China pics. We did not had as much fun in China as we did in Turkey or Chicago but hey, the fact that we are able to travel and see different countries and experiance different cultures is a gift in itself. However boring it is.

Shall be back with part 2.