I love to jump. Don't believe me? Watch the video.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Day 0
The day we had been waiting for finally arrived. We left the house early as we had to meet the tour guide at 2:30pm although our flight was only at 4:55pm. My parents had booked a tour with Smailing Tours but for some reason, we were led by a Fahrur Razi representative. The reason why my parents decided to go with a tour group this time was because they didn't want to have to look around for halal food and language barrier was another reason. I was very excited about having my own luggage and refused to let anyone else touch it.
Click below to watch a short clip of me in action.
I was very well-behaved in the plane. I hardly cried and when I was bored, I either sucked my thumb or I just kept watching Hi-5! Although that was my 5th plane ride, it was a bit special as for the 1st time,I had my very own seat and didn't have to sit on Ayah's lap throughout the journey. One of the stewardesses gave me a pouch cum passport holder to play with but I didn't like it as I found it pretty ugly. Hehe. The next time I fly, I'm going to demand for a better looking toy. Haha! Hopefully Uncle Larry is the steward on duty the next time we fly then maybe I can get an extra portion of food too! Hehe!
We reached Beijing at about 10:30 pm and went straight to the hotel. By the time we reached the hotel, it was close to midnight. My parents thought I would fall asleep right away but they were wrong. I insisted on exploring the hotel room and had to be forced to sleep at about 1am. We stayed at the Rainbow Hotel and Ayah wasn't satisfied with the hotel. The hotel had an impressive lobby but everything else was just so-so. On the first night, we were given a room with two single beds and when we requested for one with a queen sized bed, we were told there was none available but we managed to get our tour agent to do the necessary the next morning.
Click below to watch a short clip of me in action.I was very well-behaved in the plane. I hardly cried and when I was bored, I either sucked my thumb or I just kept watching Hi-5! Although that was my 5th plane ride, it was a bit special as for the 1st time,I had my very own seat and didn't have to sit on Ayah's lap throughout the journey. One of the stewardesses gave me a pouch cum passport holder to play with but I didn't like it as I found it pretty ugly. Hehe. The next time I fly, I'm going to demand for a better looking toy. Haha! Hopefully Uncle Larry is the steward on duty the next time we fly then maybe I can get an extra portion of food too! Hehe!
We reached Beijing at about 10:30 pm and went straight to the hotel. By the time we reached the hotel, it was close to midnight. My parents thought I would fall asleep right away but they were wrong. I insisted on exploring the hotel room and had to be forced to sleep at about 1am. We stayed at the Rainbow Hotel and Ayah wasn't satisfied with the hotel. The hotel had an impressive lobby but everything else was just so-so. On the first night, we were given a room with two single beds and when we requested for one with a queen sized bed, we were told there was none available but we managed to get our tour agent to do the necessary the next morning.
Day 1 - Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
At about 6:30 am, I was forced to wake up, which meant that I only had about 5 hours of sleep that day. I struggled and retaliated but no one cared and I was dragged to the toilet. It was a cold morning so my parents made sure I was well-protected. I think the temperature for that day was about 0 degrees Celsius. That was the first time I had experienced cold weather but I liked it.
We set off at 8.00 am and what struck me was that all the tress in Beijing had no leaves! Ayah said that is what happens in winter. Also, all the rivers and lakes were frozen so when you look at a river, what you see is not water, but ice on what was once water surface!
One of the gardens in the Forbidden City.
The frozen moat.
We set off at 8.00 am and what struck me was that all the tress in Beijing had no leaves! Ayah said that is what happens in winter. Also, all the rivers and lakes were frozen so when you look at a river, what you see is not water, but ice on what was once water surface!
We reached Tiananmen Square at about 8:30 am and the tour guide went on to explain to us the history behind Tiananmen Square. I am sure many people still remember the demonstrations held here in 1989 but I think I'm too young to understand it. I was happy just running around the place. It was really huge and cold! It was a very windy day and I felt like my face was going to freeze but I had great fun nonetheless.
Click below to catch me in action at Tiananmen Square.
From Tiananmen Square, we walked to the Forbidden City which was across the road. Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City are linked by an underpass. The other name for Forbidden City is Imperial Palace Museum and this palace served as the residence of several emperors for nearly 500 years. During the glory days of the Ming and Qing dynasties, only members of the imperial household roamed the palace. Commoners were not allowed in the palace at all (except for palace servants and workers) - hence the term Forbidden City! Today, it is one of the world's foremost museums of Chinese art. The Imperial Palace is one really HUGE place boasting 800 buildings with 8,886 rooms!
One of the gardens in the Forbidden City.
The frozen moat.
Pearl Store, Nan Dou Ya Mosque, Beijing Tong, Acrobat Show
We went to a pearl store after the Forbidden City. Since none of us was interested in pearls, we didn't spend much time in the store and sat in the coach, chatting with some of the other tour members. Emak was initially quite apprehensive about going with a big group (there were 41 people in the tour group) but in the end, she liked it so much as the people we met were fun people. There were a lot of Datuks and Neneks and some of them were really funny!
After the pearl store, we proceeded to a mosque for prayers.
In almost all the mosques we went to we noticed peddlers selling some kind of peanut cake. According to our tour guide, those people were Russian Muslims.
After lunch, we went to the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical Health Preservation Research Centre at No.4, Xibahenanlu, Chaoyang District. My parents had their feet massaged and I surprised them by sitting on the couch and keeping quiet. They thought I was going to run around the room and touch everything I saw but they were wrong! I can behave , you know! My parents were really shocked that the TCM doctors here could give such an accurate health assessment of them! I think Emak and Ayah bought some medicine from them.
Before dinner, we went to an Acrobat Show where we were wowed by the arious daredevil stunts.
After the pearl store, we proceeded to a mosque for prayers.
In almost all the mosques we went to we noticed peddlers selling some kind of peanut cake. According to our tour guide, those people were Russian Muslims.
After lunch, we went to the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical Health Preservation Research Centre at No.4, Xibahenanlu, Chaoyang District. My parents had their feet massaged and I surprised them by sitting on the couch and keeping quiet. They thought I was going to run around the room and touch everything I saw but they were wrong! I can behave , you know! My parents were really shocked that the TCM doctors here could give such an accurate health assessment of them! I think Emak and Ayah bought some medicine from them.
Before dinner, we went to an Acrobat Show where we were wowed by the arious daredevil stunts.
Day 2 - The Great Wall of China
Once again, I didn't get enough sleep but I didn't care two hoots as we were going to the Great Wall of China! We went to several other places like the Jade Factory, Crystal Factory and Claisonne Factory before we finally went to the Great Wall.
At the jade Factory, I tried to eat a plastic apple! I thought it was the real thing, you see.
The Great Wall was built to protect the various dynasties from raids and it is really awesome! The Great Wall is the world's longest man-made structure, stretching over 6,352 km. Ayah was very excited when we reached there as the Great Wall is one of those places in his "must see at least once in a lifetime" list. I wanted to climb all the way up but my parents wouldn't let me as there were too many steps which were very steep. Only 3 people in our tour group managed to climb up to the 5th station, which was considered a huge feat. I think it would take days or even weeks if anyone wants to climb up the entire wall.
While waiting for the other tour group members, I spent some time learning how to drive a coach! Hehe!
Nanshan Ski Resort
The Nanshan ski resort was next. The other aunties and uncles had a go at skiing but not me, of course.Nonetheless, I had a wonderful time playing with the snow!
Day 3 - Silk Store
Day 3 started at the Silk Store but I have nothing much to say about the silk store. There were lots of silk stuff but I wasn't interested.
coloured cocoon
silkworm
I got to know some abangs during the trip. There were Abang Ryan, Abang Hafiz, Abang Amir and Abang Aiman. Abang Ryan was always around to keep me company and play with me.
coloured cocoon
silkworm
I got to know some abangs during the trip. There were Abang Ryan, Abang Hafiz, Abang Amir and Abang Aiman. Abang Ryan was always around to keep me company and play with me.Summer Palace
Next on the itinerary was the Summer Palace which used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors but is now a public park.
Frozen lake! We spotted many people walking on it.
Abang Hafiz and Abang Ryan walked on it too but when Ayah tried to do the same thing, he slipped and fell flat on his butts the moment he stepped on the ice - ouch!
I disturbed some local folks playing chapteh! Click above to watch the video.
Abang Ryan and I had fun going "up! down!".
Frozen lake! We spotted many people walking on it.
Abang Hafiz and Abang Ryan walked on it too but when Ayah tried to do the same thing, he slipped and fell flat on his butts the moment he stepped on the ice - ouch!
Abang Ryan and I had fun going "up! down!".
Day 4- Shopping
We spent Day 4 going to shopping places and I surprised my parents when I went up to a salesgirl and said "xie xie" after making a purchase! Looks like attending lessons at Tien Hsia is showing some results. Hehe!
Typical private apartments at Beijing.
We ate at this fabulous Malaysian restaurant on that day. It's called "Little Penang" and it's located at No.32 Tianze Road(Lady Street), Chaoyang District. (Uncle Daniel, make sure you try the food there, OK? We had chicken curry, teh tarik, sago gula melaka, etc there.
In the evening, we went to town to do more shopping. Because it was Xmas Eve, this particular church at Wang Fu Jing (the equivalent of Orchard Road) was extremely crowded.
Typical private apartments at Beijing.
We ate at this fabulous Malaysian restaurant on that day. It's called "Little Penang" and it's located at No.32 Tianze Road(Lady Street), Chaoyang District. (Uncle Daniel, make sure you try the food there, OK? We had chicken curry, teh tarik, sago gula melaka, etc there.
In the evening, we went to town to do more shopping. Because it was Xmas Eve, this particular church at Wang Fu Jing (the equivalent of Orchard Road) was extremely crowded.
Wang Fu Jing
Day 5 - Tianjin
We left for Tianjin early in the morning. It took 3.5 hrs to travel from Beijing to Tianjin and the roads were covered with thick fog. 
We visited the Cultural Street and then a mosque in Tianjin before we went to a Halal supermarket.
One of the most popular halal snacks.
From Tianjin, we returned to Beijing for dinner before heading to the airport. My parents and I had a great 6 days in China and we're glad we chose Beijing as our holiday destination.
We visited the Cultural Street and then a mosque in Tianjin before we went to a Halal supermarket.
One of the most popular halal snacks.
From Tianjin, we returned to Beijing for dinner before heading to the airport. My parents and I had a great 6 days in China and we're glad we chose Beijing as our holiday destination.
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