So yesterday was one of the best days I've had here in China. I think maybe the brightest so far. I think maybe it made this trip totally worth it. So how did this day start? Well, I first got to sleep in until 10:30. OMG! I finally got to sleep in! When I woke up, I sort of did my thing, just killing time, then got ready for my cousin what was coming to visit me while he was in Beijing doing business. When he came, we started talking about stocks. haha Like how I just bought 425 shares of Ford stock. What a dork I am. haha Then after Alex got his lazy butt to my place we went out to go to eat lunch at one of the chain restaurants I went to with my family here in Beijing before. The food there I think was maybe one of the best I've had in a long time probably since my cousin ordered the right type of food. After that, we planned to go to Wu Dao Ka to pick my new Harry Potter book. Going there, we had an enormous string of good luck. We weren't quite sure how to get there, so we tried taking a taxi. Our first taxi drove us a little bit then dropped us off, since his meter wasn't working. Then the next taxi that we got into laughed at us, and told us how to get there by foot. So we just walked there in about 10 minutes. Getting the book, I was thinking about how fast I usually read, and how it would probably only take me a couple days of casual reading to finish it. What a shame.
After getting the book, we went to Silk Street by subway. When we got there I was a little disappointed to find out that my cousin didn't really want to shop/bargain with us. What a shame, since he's a really good bargainer. But after spending some time there, I began to understand why he did not want to come with us. First, the place was huge! He would have had to shop with us for maybe 4 hours in this building. Second, we got to bargain ourselves. I'm sure we didn't always get the best prices, but I got to say, it was one of the most fun and interesting experiences in my life. Before I always complained how in China we would even have to haggle over the bill at a restaurant, but when haggling for merchandise, I got to say it was really cool. The people working at the stores there could speak some english and spanish too. It was interesting watching people haggle. All the time, the people in their little shops would try to lure in Caucasians, Indians; basically anyone who did not look Chinese. From that point, I am glad that I look Chinese, since I didn't get constantly bothered. Also, it was interesting watching like 2 15 year old Caucasian girls yelling back at one shop employee for a bargain. It was quite entertaining to watch. Sometimes people new that they were getting jipped by the enormous prices they were offered since they looked like foreigners, but it seemed like many just saw it as entertainment. Hey, I guess I would also. I'll post some pics up of what I bargained down. But for now, here's the list. (Disclaimer: A lot of things in Silk Street are fake knock-offs)
Got talked into buying some insect in some glass thing for 80 RMB that I did not really want. Bought a coach purse for 180 RMB. Bought a silk scarf for 25 RMB. Bought 3 mesh shirts for a total of 190 RMB.
Going back to my cousin's place, we stopped by the St. Regis hotel, a 5-star hotel where my intelligent, bright President Bush could not open a door. I saw a Sizzlers, TGIF, and a Baskin Robbins 31. When we got to my cousin's apartment, I was definitely amazed. The place was right outside of two subway lines, 1-2 bus stops away from major shopping (Silk Street and Wan Fu Jing), 1 bus stops from Tiananmen square, and 2 blocks away from the train station. I got to say it also had a nice view. In his apartment, I was finally able to watch SOME english tv, CNN. My cousin then took us to dinner, which I got to say possibly has been the best food I've had on my trip to China, and he then took us to Tiananmen Square.
On the way to there, my cousin pointed out the building for the headquarters of the building and the secret police, quite scary I think. He also pointed out the People's Republic of China, or something like that. Basically it's China's version of our Congress building. When we got to Tiananmen Square, I learned a lot I felt. At about 9:30 p.m. they close it down. The reason apparently is so that the police could decrease the police force since less people will be on the Tiananmen Square, decreasing the chance of a public protest. Like, supposedly, my cousin informs me that about every work there's some protest that is shut-down immediately. Like within about 1-2 minutes the protest is over, since there's a bunch of police vans, police cars, homeland security police (somewhere between regular police and military), and secret police. So what they do, is that they just shove you into the van and drive you off. And apparently, it is not too uncommon for people to burn themselves in effigy when protesting too. I think it's quite interesting how this is in China, since this is very different in the U.S. In the U.S. we all know that we can protest and take it for granted, but here in China, people are unable to do this. On this point, my cousin was the first person ever that I have found in China that is disgusted by the censorship that they have here in China. Everywhere I go, all Chinese people say that it's okay, because the past was better. But my cousin, having lived in the U.S. for at least a decade, thinks it's ridiculous how they treat their own people.
For a good portion of getting to Tiananmen Square and home, I took the local city bus for the first time by myself here.
Picture of the busses in China going crazy
When I got home, I began reading my Harry Potter book. I got to say, that it's pretty good. Unlike the sixth book, this book is just filled of stuff happening. A very active book. I apparently read it until about 4:30 a.m. Haha I'm crazy. Anyways, that's about it for what I consider my best day in China so far EVER. See you later y'all. haha
No comments:
Post a Comment