Gimme gimme gimme!

Whereas our Wednesday morning was spent on Lantau Island with Giant Buddha and the "want not" philosophy, our afternoon was spent with the philosophy of "want want want - gimme gimme gimme!" Whereas our morning was spent searching for some enlightenment, our afternoon was spent searching for the best retail bargains.

My mom and friends were right. Two days is more than enough time to spend for sightseeing in Hong Kong. The real attraction is the shopping. Whether you're a cheap bastard or a label whore - there's something to satisfy your desire.

We stayed in the Kowloon area, near our hotel. Maggie recommended some stores to check out and we just allowed ourselves to wander for hours.

Maybe I'm speaking with my tourist goggles on, but I think the shopping here is better than in Toronto. All the name brands are here, as well as the Asian brands - including the Japanese labels. I have to say some people here have style - and if you have the money to burn, you can look very GQ (or whatever you call it now).

But it's not for me, though. The reality is not that I'm not superficial; I just can't freakin' afford the cool clothes.

While I tried really hard to resist temptation, I ended up caving in and making a few purchases. As Maggie pointed out, I'm only in Hong Kong so many times and when I unpack my luggage in Canada, I'll be happy. And besides, I haven't bought anything for myself yet. Yes, I'll keep telling myself this when my next Visa bill arrives.

Giant Buddha and Gellato on Lantau Island

The cable car ride to Ngong Ping on Lantau Island - on Wednesday morning - gave us our second consecutive day of an awesome aerial view of Hong Kong and its mountains and skyscrapers. As the 15-minute ride neared its end, the Giant Buddha - which sat on Lantau Peak, the second tallest peak in Hong Kong - emerged.

Whether from far away on the cable car or up close after climbing a series of 200 or so steps to reach a circular ledge atop the peak, the Giant Buddha is very striking.

Completed in 1993, the Giant Buddha is the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong (thanks, Wikipedia).

A woman made the climb to the top by stopping every few steps to bow down to Buddha.

On the perimeter's ledge are other stone statues that are equally striking. In an indoor area below the Buddha, the walls are lined with small memorial tablets - purchased by families in honour of deceased loved ones. Among them is a tablet for late Hong Kong actress/singer Anita Mui - who is considered the Asian equivalent to Madonna. Her tablet area is particularly decorated with flowers and news clippings. Many visitors stopped to observe.

We were blessed with another great day but the morning was also quite hot and sticky. As I put my first scoop of green tea and chocolate gellato - purchased on the mountain top gellato store - in my mouth, it was so nice cold and refreshing. Just what Buddha prescribed.

Skyscrapers and sushi at the Sky Terrace

You haven't really seen Hong Kong until you've seen it from the Sky Terrace on Victoria Peak - which humbles the city's tall skyscrapers.

On Tuessday morning, we travel to the peak by first taking the ferry from Kowloon to the Central area of Hong Kong Island. It was a fun ride - and again, we were blessed with amazing weather. Then you take a bus to the Peak Tram Station and take a tram to the top. This was also fun.

One of the things that really struck out at me was just how tall the buildings here are; bigger than back in Toronto for sure. While there are many generically designed buildings, like in Toronto, there are also many buildings with cool architecture.

And seeing it all from the peak is just the best way to experience Hong Kong's state of development. I only wished we could've come up at night.

We end our visit with lunch at the Sky Terrace's sushi restaurant. It was a bit pricy - but the view made it worth it. And how was the sushi? Put it this way: you pay for the view.

Cheap Deals at Temple Night Market

The night market at Temple Street - open every night from 6 p.m. to midnight - offers columns upon columns of cheap deals and knock offs. From 5 polo shirts for $20 CAN to a Hugo Boss belt for $10, you can get it all here.

Andrew and I checked it out on Monday night, as part of our walk around the Kowloon area - where we're staying (at the YMCA Salisbury). Nothing really caught our eye - but the crowded Chinese fast food restaurants along the side of the street did.

No sheep penises or silk worms in this market.

Flying Business Class to Hong Kong

After we presented our boarding pass, the Cathay Pacific staff member pulled us to the side. I thought, "Oh crap, what now?" He then informed us that we have been upgraded to business class. It was like we had won the freakin' lottery.

Having never experienced something like this before, Andrew and I were like the Beverly Hillbillies discovering electricity for the first time. We kept taking pictures of our cabin from every angle; the staff probably thought we've never seen a plane before. We were having so much fun that I told Andrew to stop or we were going to get bumped back down to economy.

Some of the perks included:

Getting served a glass of orange juice upon boarding and given a hot towel. Andrew joked: "What's this for?"

Being addressed as "Mr. Velasco" and "Mr. Thibideau." Staff are required to memorize the names on the seating chart.

A great breakfast that began with fresh fruit and pastries, then a bowl of chicken and beef congee with a sesame beef puff pastry. I joked to Andrew that we ate better on the plane than during our stay in Beijing.

Food served with real table cloth, plates, glass and cutlery.

Best of all, lots of leg room and a reclining seat with foot rest. Andrew easily passed out right after his meal.

Being the simpletons we are, we were laughing so hard at our unexpected luck that we almost teared at one point. As I was enjoying my fresh fruit, I turned to Andrew: "These grapes have seed in them. Should I complain?"

Suffice to say, the plane ride just flew by - and looking out the window as the plane dipped below the clouds, Hong Kong greeted us down below.

A Night Out at the Peking Opera

I've now experienced two versions of Peking Opera. The first is Andrew's hilarious spoof - high-pitched screeching of total jibberish. Having seen an opera live on our last night in Beijing on Sunday, Andrew's version isn't too far off. Think Sarah Palin/Tina Fey and you get the drift.

The small wooden theatre - one of the oldest Peking Opera theatres in China - has preserved the charming old Chinese architecture. Walking past the courtyard, you enter the performance area. Square dining tables and chairs face a small stage with a yellow patterned silk backdrop. Waitresses bring small plates of prunes and peanuts for you to snack on with tea.

Beijing opera combines song, dance, martial arts, acrobatic with comedy and mime. The set is very minimal; settings are mimed and you are required to imagine where the characters are - whether the sea shore or the Elflands.

I found the show quite enjoyable, especially the acrobatics. The actors at our show - all male, including those in female roles - were great. Thankfully, there was a subtitle screen above the stage, so we could follow along.

The show itself was short - an hour - which made it pricy ($75 CAN). There are also modern theatres in Beijing that offer the same brand of opera. But seeing it at this theatre - with its long history - made the experience more meaningful and authentic.

Leaving the theatre, the guests - predominantly foreigners - pulled an Andrew and started their own ad hoc production of Beijing Opera. But Andrew still does it best.

Fear Factor at Donghuamen Night Market

At the Donghuamen Night Market, a popular tourist attraction in the Wangfuijing District, deep fried silk worm larvae (pictured above), centipede, beetle, snake, sea horse, and star fish are just some of the local delicacies you can enjoy.

I was so gung-ho about trying this after hearing stories from my friends. But after seeing them displayed raw in person, I couldn't help but rudely make a vomitting noise in front of the cook.

I've put a lot of strange things in my mouth, but these critters belong at the bottom of my shoe, not my belly. And sheep penis? I'd rather eat my own first - at least, I know where mine's been.

For the less adventurous, there are more digestible treats - and you can easily make your way down from one stand to another and fill up on cheap but satisfying skewers - like beef, lamb and fruit. There's also bowls of noodles and dumplings to enjoy.

What does silk worm larvae taste like? I wouldn't know. But supposedly - it tastes like liver - with a hard exterior shell.

Living in a material world

After three long and early days, we were pretty wiped and wanted to spend Sunday - our fourth and final day in Beijing - in a relatively more relaxed way. So we slept in till 7 a.m. and after stopping by Tianamen Square, we went to the mall - to see what some of the "young people" of Beijing consider hanging out.

The Beijing APM - just a 5-minute walk from our hotel - is considered one of the major shopping spots in Beijing. With one million square foot of retail space, you're best off bringing a finite amount of cash and leaving the plastic at home.

We also wander the rest of the Wangfujing District, Beijing's busiest market area - and venture inside The Malls at Oriental Plaza, where international brands dominate - including designer brands like Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange, DKNY, Just Cavalli and Givenchy. Want a $300 belt? You can find it here. Me? I'll take its cheaper cousin from the street market instead.

There was one store that I really liked that I don't think we have back home - BMW Lifestyle. Three vehicles are parked in the store to draw you to the clothing racks. Giant LCD screens indoctrine visitors with sleek car commercials. I think the store is a great idea to build a young male customer base, who can be potentially converted into future vehicle buyers. Well, those who can afford the $500 jackets and $200 vests, anyway!

Impressions on Beijing Public Transit (Part 2)

In my opinion, getting around Beijing using the subway system, like you would in NYC, is not only cheaper - 2 yuan a fare (50 cents CAN) - but it also saves time and headache from traffic.

Following up on my previous post about Beijing's public transit system, I want to note some of the things I can't wait to see Toronto implement into our subway system:

On-train features like flat screens on either sides of the entrance that play ads, movie trailers, etc.

Electronic route maps above the doors that show you exactly where you are and which direction you are travelling to.

Platforms on newer stations have tall barricades at the edge - this would prevent jumpers in Toronto - and indicate where the train doors will open.

Plastic tickets are purchased at station booths, scanned through the entrance and inserted back into the exit before leaving a station. It's a greener system.

Train seats are prioritized - via signage - not just for the elder or disabled, but also for pregnant women and parents with young children.

Every station - the ones we saw, at least - is patrolled by government officers.

The stations are so clean, well from the ones we saw. This could be because there are no in-station convenience stores nor free papers like Metro or Eye.

You have to pass your bag through an airport-style security x-ray machine before entering the station.

The downside - as I've said before - is that there are so many people that it's pretty nauseating at times. But it certainly beats the above ground traffic!

Sunday stroll in Tianamen Square

At the heart of Beijing is Tianamen Square, the world's largest public square. It can hold up to 1 million people - which is staggering when you consider that the number is 40% of Toronto's population. The Monument of the People's Heroes stands at the middle of the square.

On the morning of our fourth and final day in Beijing, we were blessed with another gorgeous sunny day. We excitedly made our way to Tianamen Square and were saddened to discover that - contrary to our research - flying kites is forbidden at the square.

So we're gonna try to fly our Chinese kites somewhere else in Beijing - and if not here, then in Hong Kong or the Philippines.

Re-Discovering Mandarin: The Engrish Barrier

We've met three types of English-speaking people in Beijing so far:

Those who can't speak it

Those who can speak a little bit

Those who enunciate better than I do

We quickly learned that just because you throw a fake Chinese accent on an English word - like hotel, menu, Coke, or... Forbidden City - it doesn't make it Mandarin. Me asking for help from foreigners proved futile as well, because 99% of them would not stop, because they thought I was hawking souvenirs.

And while most above-street and subway signage are in Chinese and English and the hotel has at least one English-speaking staff member on duty at all time - getting around the city with just English alone was challenging - although quite amusing.

Thankfully again, I know a little of Mandarin - but at most times, trying to speak broken Mandarin with a fluent person is hilariously frustrating. When I try to order pop at a restaurant - which, I say in Mandarin (literally translated as "gas water") - the waiter looks at me like I'm insane. So I make a gesture with my hand and mouth - that, looking back, could've been misconstrued as a blowjob. The waiter looks at me again: "Chicken?"

Our ride on the public transit to our hotel back from Summer Palace was also tense. We could've been taking the bus to Russia for all we knew - but we took faith in my foggy understanding of the directions from the locals. Thankfully, I understood correctly.

What these experiences have really reinforced is my desire to learn Mandarin again. Back at the Philippines, we were schooled in both English (morning classes) and Mandarin (afternoon classes) - and not to mention, we had a Tagalog course. I was fluent in Mandarin and could speak, read and write in the language. My parents even got me reciting classic Chinese poetry from memory as a kid.

All that faded away when I immigrated to Canada in 1989. My dad would privately tutor me, but I lost interest around Grade 6 and we stopped our one-to-one lessons. During the last few years, my dad had a strong desire for me to re-learn the language and even offered to start the one-to-one classes again. I regret not taking him up on the offer. But it's never too late to go back, right?

With all this said and done, a little language barrier should not deter you from coming out to Beijing. But my advice is to simply plan and map out your day really well with your English-speaking staff member at your hotel before you depart each day. Go on guided tours, if it makes it easier. If you go it on your own, don't be shy about approaching the locals, until you find the one person that does speak English. And most importantly, just have a good humour about it all. It makes for fun stories after the fact.

A Taste of Modern Beijing

There was a neat view outside one of the halls at the Forbidden City that made me pause. Beyond the yellow roof tiles emerged cranes and buildings - modern Beijing. Having spent our first two days stepping into the Beijing's past, Andrew and I wanted to devote some time on Day 3 to experiencing modern Beijing.

We ended our long Saturday by getting off at Dengshikou subway station at the Dongcheng District - the area of our hotel. We walked down a street and passed by large shoppings plazas, luxury hotels (like the Legendale Hotel above) that rival some of Toronto's best and an intersection with electronic billboards and ginormous ads that conjured up feelings of a mini-Time Square.

International brands like Gucci, Nike, Armani, Louis Vuitton make their presence known - some through localized campaigns featuring Asian celebrities like Takeshi Kaneshiro for Armani and Chinese athletes for Nike. Magazine stands carry Asian versions of Elle, Cosmopolitan, Bazaar and Vogue. And heaven help us: a Dora the Explorer balloon has made its way across the Pacific.

Other corporations have infiltrated Beijing through sponsorship. The info plaques at the Forbidden City are thanks to friends at American Express. Volkswagen has subtly parked its logo throughout the Beijing Zoo. As a Torontonian, I had to wonder where Scotiabank was.

Yes, I realize I make it sound like skyscrapers and such are a recent phenomenon - but hey, these observations simply reshape the preconceptions I had coming to Beijing.

But our experience is just a very minute sample of modern Beijing - I'm sure we haven't even seen the best yet. We've also been wayyy too exhausted after our long early days to experience the night life here (and we're also saving this for Hong Kong). So don't take my word as the complete picture. Rather, just come out and experience it for yourself. Modern Beijing is waiting.

Confucius says.

The Temple of Confucius - our third stop on Saturday - is the second largest Confucian Temple in China. Built in 1302, imperial officials used it to pay their respects to Confucius. Inside the temple, there are 198 stone tablets positioned on both sides of the front courtyard, containing more than 51,624 names of Jinshi (the advanced scholars) of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (Confucius probably wouldn't rely on Wikipedia to write his blog).

As education ranks high in Chinese culture, parents and students often come to pray at the temple during exam periods.

Both my parents were teachers in the Philippines - my mom a principal and my dad the administrator of the Chinese curriculum at a prominent high school. Growing up, education was paramount above all else. Walking through the temple's square courtyards, with square patches of grass framing tall old trees - again, the four corners/feng shui/balance, yada yada - I feel a tad dumb for not knowing a whole lot about Chinese's most famous philosopher, other than the lame "Confucius says" jokes from Hollywood.

And yes, Andrew makes a lot of "I'm confused" jokes during the visit.

Thankfully, there's an excellent gallery that guides you through his life history - from his humble beginnings on - that also include artefacts, such as early counting tools (a bag full of sticks). Not a whole lot stuck with me - but I left the temple feeling a little more informed and ever more inspired to be a sponge; to soak up knowledge and experience where I can.

Burning Incense at Lama Temple

The Lama Temple - aka "The Yonghe Lamasery" or "Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple" - is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles (thanks, Wikipedia).

After paying the 25 yuan ($5 CAN) admission, I buy three bunches of incense and proceed inside one of the halls. I wonder to myself - and I know I'm probably going to hell for thinking it - but why do people have to pay money to come inside to pray? Shouldn't it be free - or at least voluntary offering, like the Catholic Church? For all I know, the monks are probably just staff members playing dress up. For that last thought, I lament that, yup, I just gained priority access to hell.

Inside the hall, I follow the custom of taking three incense sticks and kneel on the floor. I feel self conscious so I quickly bow and get up. Outside, another opportunity presents itself - and I remind myself that there is a reason why I wanted to be here. So I take the bunch of remaining incense, burn them and try again. I kneel, close my eyes and shut out the world for a moment.

I say a prayer for happiness and good health for my family and friends. I pray for a happy resolution to Madge's divorce from Guy (I am so kidding about this; besides, she's into Kabbalah). For myself, I keep it short and simply ask one for thing: balance. I walk towards the giant incense burner, throw my bunch in, take a whiff of the fragrance and step away.

Pandas!!!

At Beijing Zoo - China's largest zoo and the first stop of our third day in Beijing - the pandas are without a doubt the main attraction.

It costs 15 yuan to enter the zoo (about $3 Canadian) and an extra 5 yuan to see the panda house. Panda merchandise dominate the souvenir stores - from hats, to umbrellas, keychains, magnets, tea sets and of course, stuffed animals (including Kung Fu Panda).

But how can you not fall in love with these cuddly, goofy looking furballs? They have always been my favourite animals - with cats now a close second. I haven't seen one in person since I was 6.

There were three separate panda rooms. The pandas were lazying around when we got there and I immediately thought of our fat and lazy cat, kittyboi. One of the pandas was draped over a thick tree branch like a rug. I turned to Andrew: "Uhh, is it dead?" Andrew responded: "What if it's just a staff member in a suit?" As if it heard us, it soon after turned its head around and stuck out its pink tongue. I really wish I had my camera ready.

The panda's homes are fairly spacious - and include a playground-style set up to stimulate them. It's part of the zoo's enrichment program - which aims to enhance animal activity, provide mental stimulation and increase the success of captive breeding for endangered species. There are five categories of enrichment: social enrichment, physical habitat, cognitive enrichment, sensory enrichment and food enrichment (thank you, zoo sign; you thought I was going to say Wikipedia, eh?).

Looking at the pandas, you can't help but feel bad for the other animals; like the three miserable looking elephants in the cage smaller than the outdoor space given to one panda. Although what an elephant would do with a tire swing, I don't know.

It was the perfect day to visit the zoo. The weather was beautiful. It was a Saturday, so parents were out with their adorable kids - including two girls who walked around wearing blue and pink fairy wings. They stood up on the ledge looking excitedly at the panda. But the panda wasn't paying attention to anyone. He was blanketed in bamboo; savouring it by the leaf full, like it was ice cream.

Stairway to Heaven: The Great Wall

After hiking for an hour, we reached the base of Tower 20 - the furthest permissible point of the Great Wall of China, of our visit's section. Our legs sore, we look up and see a stomach-turning climb of stairs to the top.

Going up the steep ascent - which I dub the "Stairway to Heaven," cuz this whole Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon symbolism is really catching on with me - I think:

I reallyyyyy wish there are stair handles

My feet are really shaking

Don't look up - and certainly don't look behind

My ass is going to so firm after this

This is seriously breaking every North American health and safety standard

Am I really now crawling on all fours?

It'd be hysterical to see my dad - who was already paranoid of falling on flat ground - try to climb this

But like heaven itself, when we eventually reach the top, we are rewarded with an astonishingly breathtaking and indescribable view; of mountains, of the small fraction of the Great Wall's 6,500 km we just travelled, and in the distance, Inner Mongolia. I just stand there looking left to right, right to left, left to right - again and again, and notice a girl who did the climb in her pajamas - trying to take it all in and hoping that I will never forget this moment.

I think about the stories my Dad told to my sister and I of his visit to the Wall - a photo of which we included in his 85th birthday slideshow.

Then I have a momentary twinge of regret. My colleague Cathy H. had given me a news clipping that spoke about things you could do in Beijing - one of them being camping overnight at the Great Wall. It would've been nice to do that - and to see the sun set and rise from the Wall. Then I look at the view in front of me again - and that regret quickly vanishes... although for those planning a future trip to Beijing, please do it, so I can live vicariously through you.

Travel tip: While we are doing our entire trip on our own - "backpack style" - we did book a tour for the Great Wall. I recommend doing the same - simply for the convenience and knowledge of the tour guides. It's one showstopper you want to see and do right.

Going back down the steep stairs, I think to myself: If the climb up was the stairway to heaven, this surely must be the descent into hell.

Jaded Youth

The doctor presses her fingers on Andrew's wrist to observe his pulse. She asks him to stick out his tongue. With a serious look, she turns to her translator, who then informs Andrew of the doctor's prognosis: "You need to lose weight." I give Andrew one of my *I'm trying really hard not to say something bitchy* looks and think to myself: "No fucking shit. I could've given that diagnosis using my two eyes."

The Traditional Chinese Medicine research centre was one of two stops that bookended our visit to the Great Wall on Friday. Frankly, it was nothing more than a tourist trap. The doctor gives you a free pulse test and then recommends herbal medicines you can buy at their store. We have something like this in Toronto too. It's called the Church of Scientology - just replace the medicine with Dianetics.

Snarky comments aside, I am a fan - and not dismissive - of Chinese medicine, even though I don't pretend to know a whole lot about it. I start every day with a cup of bittermelon green tea and devour big bowls of my mom's blackened chicken medicinal soup whenever she makes it (which is such a treat). When I feel sick or feverish, it's the Lou Han Gou beverage I turn to first (something my dad started me on). I just don't have a lot of patience for tourist traps.

Our first stop, that preceded the Great Wall, was the Jade Factory - where we were literally whisked by a demo of a jade artist in favour of 20 minutes of "free time" to roam the sections upon sections of jade merchandise. They were very beautiful to look at - but for $300+ CAN a necklace, it was wayyyyy outside my budget.

The visit was not for naught though. It conjured up a pleasant memory. When I was younger, my mom gave me a jade necklace - you know, one of those circles tied with a red string. Now whether it was real or not, it didn't matter. I wore it all the time - even to accessorize with my tropical t-shirts and shorts. Jade symbolizes happiness and that necklace did just that.

If I had the dough, I would've bought this cool large jade elephant sculpture. It would look nice as a centrepiece - and be an interesting juxtaposition - on our Ikea dining table.

Finding Tranquility at Ming's Tomb

Walking through the Spirit Way of the Ming Dynasty Tombs, our first stop on Friday, I got lost in a moment of zen (*insert "but aren't you always spaced out" joke*). With its symmetry of tall willow trees, well-mainted hedges and stone statues representing the Emperor's court and animals on both ends - it was not hard to surrender into tranquility.

The Ming Tombs are located some 50 km north of urban Beijing, carefully chosen because of the site's good feng shui. The site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor, who moved the capital of China from Nanjing to the present location of northwest Beijing. From the third emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty emperors were buried here (thanks, Wikipedia).

Again, the symbolism was neat. The tomb is protected on both sides by Tiger and Dragon mountains.

As we exited the Tomb, I told Andrew that I'll create a Thibideau-Velasco tomb like this for us one day. Maybe in Barrie or whatever, where land is relatively cheaper. Instead of stone camels, elephants, and lions - we'll have stone cats.

Autumn Visit to Summer Palace

Lesson learned the hard way: Pack and dress for the weather. Andrew was seriously the only person in Beijing on Thursday who wore shorts (everyone kept staring at his legs!). It was cold and windy. But this all worked to our advantage as we zipped through the Summer Palace - pausing to enjoy the many beautiful spots before rushing to the next, racing to see everything before closing time and before we got hypothermia.

The Summer Palace - aka Gardens of Nurtured Harmony - first came to be in 1750 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China. In 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List and declared it "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design (thanks again, Wikipedia).

Walking through the various serene garden paths, gates, bridges, temples and up and down the rocky steps and hills - and yes, the souvenir shops - I agree with UNESCO's assessment.

At one point, we arrived at an open pond area - with a walkway around it. As we stood by the edge of the Chinese-style gazebo, looking at the late afternoon sun shining on the lightly swaying willow tree and the water lilies, we forgot the cold for a second... but just a second.

Feeling the Olympic Pride

One of the last things I did with my dad was to take him, my mom and Andrew out for dimsum on Labour Day at the Paradise Restaurant to celebrate his 86th birthday. One of the gifts I gave him was a DVD recording of the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony. We watched the entire ceremony after dim sum and my dad just commented the whole time about how impressed he was. His pride was evident.

For those who knew my dad, you knew just how much of a nationalist he was. Very proud of all things China and would not put up with a single negative comment about it or Chinese people. It was both an endearing and really annoying quality.

Standing at the heart of Beijing's Olympic Village - our third stop on Thursday, after Forbidden City and Tianamen Square (more on the latter in a later post) - and looking up at the impressive Bird's Nest stadium - I thought about how happy my dad would've been if he could've seen this in person. As silly as it sounds, I felt proud at that moment - and felt connected to a bigger whole (all of Beijing's 15 million people) - simply because I was Chinese. As bloody obvious as it sounds, it made sense why my former Italian neighbours had their Italian flag up during the World Cup.

Olympic Village is an impressive and bold assertion of modern Beijing. Next to the Bird's Nest and certainly not to be outdone is the Water Cube (aka National Aquatic Centre) - where Michael Phelps broke record and record this summer. Across the street is the Pangu Plaza, a tall dragon-shaped building/hotel - that housed VIPs like The Kissinger during the games - that literally leaps out from the skyline and stands strongly like a guardian facing the Village.

In a land that just oozes with symbolism - it was not surprising to learn the rationale behind the architecture. The Bird's Nest is round, because circle symbolizes the sky/heaven; whereas the Water Cube is square - because it represents land and the four corners represent balance.

Coming from an urban Toronto perspective, where we obsessively try to plug every square inch of space with condo development, it was refreshing to see such vast open spaces. The "heart" of the village had a vast square of sitting tents and little outdoor cafes where you could buy a package of instant noodles and cook it yourself with a canister of boiled water. Speaking of which, this was exactly how we ended our visit to the Village - a quick, warm and satisfying lunch - before rushing to our next destination.

It was like herding cattle

The Forbidden City is the world's largest surviving palace complex and covers 72 hectares. It was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Located in the Dongcheng District, in the middle of Beijing, China, it now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, the Forbidden City served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government (thank you, Wikipedia).

I'm a big fan of old-style Chinese architecture - with the grand doors, tall patterned ceilings and the old-styled roofing tiles. When I stepped through the Meridian Gate - the first gate of the palace - I was overwhelmed by royal elegance and history.

There are two major areas of the palace - the outer and inner court. It was quite the walk - like one of those boxes, where you opened a layer and there was another box beneath. Well, just when you thought you were done, you stepped through another gate and entered into another vast space.

The imperial garden at the back was the highlight. Just beautiful.

One of the things that has really overwhelmed me here in Beijing is just how many damn people there are. It is nauseating at times. As we gathered to see the inside of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, people were literally shoulder to shoulder, pushing their way towards the small open door space to peek in (we weren't allowed inside the halls). Staff members yelled directions from their megaphone. It was like herding cattle.

But that was just an observation - not a gripe. The Forbidden City is definitely recommended. We ended up exiting through the back - and not knowing where the hell we ended up, we walked down the street and looked for the next destination of our very packed first day in Beijing.

Beijing - First Impressions Derived from Public Transit

"How do we get from the airport to our hotel? What's the fastest and cheapest way?" I asked the airport customer service lady in as best of Mandarin as I could muster.

"Airport taxi. 300 yuan," she said, giving her male colleague a coy smirk. It was this smirk that did not sit right with us, so we decided to find a different way. We ended up taking the public transit to our hotel for only 54 yuan - and ended up getting quite the adventure and instant immersion into Beijing life as a result.

It was interesting navigating through rush hour. You think Toronto rush hour on the subway is bad? Try doubling the crowds, not knowing where the hell you're going, constantly asking for directions in broken Mandarin (and hoping you're saying what you intend to say and not something culturally offensive) and having everyone snicker at your really gay blue floral-patterned suitcases (although in fairness to Andrew, they are so easy to spot right away on the baggage claim). Not to mention, you feel like you've stepped inside Pacific Mall everywhere you turn.

I'm a public transit advocate by heart - and often derive my first impressions of a location by the quality of its public transit. While the crowds were absolutely nauseating - esp. when you're feeling self-conscious about last showering almost 2 days ago - I was quite impressed by some of the things I observed.

The thing I was most impressed by was the direct subway access to the airport. The train cars (see photo below) on this line of three stops were immaculately clean. LCD screens playing the news, above-head storage, next-train arrival estimation on the platform, on-train security cameras, and automated announcements in both Mandarin and English were just some of the great user-centred features.



The rest of the system is more similar to NYC's labyrinth of multiple lines, rather than Toronto's. I was impressed - and thankful - that directional signs were both in Chinese and English. It was interesting seeing military officers patrolling the system. It was also really cool to see different forms of transit advertising - for instance, on the concrete walls between some of the station stops, ads came to life when your train whizzed by; think of static images placed side by side that work like animation.

Toronto's TTC system - under the capable leadership of Adam Giambrone - has been trying to do some of these things (most recently piloting next-train arrival estimation at Dundas Station). I think we have a ways to catch up still - although I'm confident we will - but it was inspiring to see what was possible.

I'm in love with what I've seen of Beijing so far - although I admit I was extremely sleep-deprived as we found our way to our hotel earlier, so seeing a hot dog stand would've blown me away. But I'm looking forward to discovering the rest of the city - starting with my first late-night run to a real Chinese restaurant, as soon as I'm able to drag Andrew up from his nap.

Travel Money

When I was younger, my dad would always give me spare change before I went out (with friends, to NYC for the weekend, etc.). You know, in case I needed to make an emergency phone call, etc.

Yesterday, we cleaned the house from top to bottom, because our friend is house sitting for us while we're away. I stumbled across the plastic bag that contained the clothes my dad wore the night he died. I had stashed them below the bottom rung of our staircase bookshelf - after coming home from the hospital that fateful day.

They were his favourite brown striped pajama pant, blue and white striped polo shirt and blue sweater. All a bit dirty from frequent wear - and cut up, by the doctors who worked to save his life that night. I didn't want to throw them out, so I decided to wash them, so I could store them away for good.

When I took them out of the wash to put into the dryer, there was a $20 bill in the washing machine - folded perfectly in half and wet from the wash. Now, I know what you're all thinking - I deduced the same thing - and I'm not a superstitious person, but I couldn't help but feel moved by the serendipity of the moment.

I went to bed last night feeling comforted - not to mention, bloody exhausted from my long day - and felt blessed, ready and excited for my upcoming trip.