Returning

11/07/10

We took a flight back to Shenzhen, we most definitely did not have the best luck with planes on this trip. As we were checking in the lady told us that Mummy wasn't registered as a passenger and out of all the 4 tickets which were joined together, hers was the only one that said 09/07 which was really strange.

We started fretting and calling the travel agency, and we only had like half an hour before we had to check in (the rest of us already did so I guess for mummy to check in). We thought we would've had to go first then wait for mummy later. Finally, they called us back and said they made a mistake and clicked the wrong date for mummy.

Everyone going apeshit about tickets..

Classy.. breastfeeding on the dance floor..

Luckily they didn't verify it because mummy flying in the past doesn't make sense so the travel agency booked her into today's flight. 

At security we got separated from our mother because of the bitch of a security lady. She decided to let this group of 20 guys cut in a 100 people line because they proclaimed that they were first class. 

My mum was like, at least do my children first so we stick together! And the security bitch snapped at my mum and was like, NO! They're first class.

I was going ape shit, then when those selfish bastards got cleared through, these bunch of Korean girls tried to shove through my sister and I but I just turned around and went kung fu soy sauce on them and they stopped and whispered about me behind my back. POOP!

While we were waiting for the flight a baby was waving at me and then as I had to go she blew me a kiss. How adorable! 

The flight was good after that and at the airport waiting for our family friend's son to pick us up, Jana and I got bored so we took the most randomest pictures..

Oh but these ones are just before we left on the plane...

Jana sleeping on plane..

OKAY now the random waiting at airport pictures..

Tianchi

09/07/10

Today we went on another tour bus, this time it was a two hour ride to Tianchi. As usual the tour lady was entertaining us with her stories and then she decided to sing us one of the Xinjiang tribe's song. As she turned around she looked at me and was like, "Wait! I don't want to do it. You look like one of them, if you'd like to take my place instead because I feel like if I do it you will laugh at me." My mum just turns around and says, "Go ahead, she's only a foreigner! Hahaha"

They were all fascinated that we were from Australia. We went to one of those Chinese doctors again, and in like 2 seconds of reading my pulse he said I'm having problems with my stomach which is so true. I can't stop the runs every single day.

We went up to the mountain sides to one of the tribes to listen to them sing and dance then try their clothes and ride a horse. There were other tourist groups who asked to take photos with me when I wore the clothes thinking I was one of them. 

The middle guy is not one of the tribes and the right is my sister..

The outer guys are part of the tribe..

We then left to go ride a cable ropeway to have lunch, the best lamb shish kebabs ever! We went to the lake which was absolutely so pretty! The lake was created by melted snow and surrounding it is many snow mountains. The pictures don't justify how clear and blue the area was. I think my polaroid captured it better.

Hello sister! 

Hello Mother!

We went on the boat around the lake and it was freezing! On the ride home I had a very good rest, Xinjiang tribes know how to do their lambs really well. Yum! I bought the herb so I can give it a go too!

I ate 10 shish kebabs and lots of rice and other meat like beef that day. I ate a lot but damn it was worth it!

One of the tribe members cooking the awesome lamb, he was in love with me so my family thought it'd be funny to force me to have a photo with him.......

One of the Locals

08/07/10

Its so weird, everywhere we go these foreign looking people are speaking Chinese. Also, so many people talk local dialect to me thinking I am one of those people. Everyone really stares at me too, probably because I look like one of those people but I'm wearing shorts (most of them are Muslim). I've started having terrible stomach aches again - all day I was in pain and everywhere I went, I left specimens of myself in the toilets! Yay! Hahahaha

There was these army people marching around, and one was checking me out and stopped walking and the guy behind him ran into him, slapped his head and then the guy started walking again! It was so funny to watch, and then every soldier is either holding a big baton or like a huge firearm that needs two hands to uphold - but the last soldier carries like a sack of watermelons!

Deena walking around... hahaha

Xinjiang

06/07/10

Last day of Beijing! We went to Gugong, the Forbidden City and saw the 3 Great Halls, they had such delicate, intricate jewellery. There's 9999 rooms in the Forbidden City! It was so incredibly hot that day so I joined the Asian Umbrella Colony and carried umbrellas around with mummy. I started getting a cold that day and I was really desperate so I wiped my booger on one of the Emperor's column - Mum insisted I take a photo!

I bought two duffle bags for when I go to Japan and OH MY I love Peking duck so much! Afterwards, while everyone was eating dinner, Bonnie (a family friend's daughter) and I went to a place where they sell cheap souvenirs. We had to be quick to go to the airport to Xinjiang.

I thought this ad looked funny

We were waiting for the plane and I was imitating how rude and noisy the market people are in Chinese and a man sitting next to us laughed at me. I was so embarrassed. We all got on the plane at 9:30pm.

At around 9:55 when it was due to take flight, they informed all the passengers that there was a mechanical problem with the plane so we would have to wait. After one hour we were all still sitting there and the electricity was then cut. It is now 3 hours that we're waiting but we've been sent outside to relax on the lounges.

They've now told us that they're sending us all to a hotel to relax as they fix the plane to wait for either 4 hours or hop on another at 7:30am. My family was at the back of the line to get assigned a hotel room. First I met Melbourne soccer players going to Sweden for a tournament, then we got split into pairs - I with my sister and we all got assigned the biggest room in the hotel. It was a massive suite, Jana and I showered and brushed our teeth and then we got a call saying that the plane is ready. Such a shame!

We finally boarded, with scare as well - seeing as the same plane was having problems, and turbulence for 1 hour at like 4:30 am was crazy. Mum was praying next to me, Jana was holding my hand and everyone was going insane on the plane.

Half of the queuing line..

My reaction to our suite

Our bedroom, that's only ONE of the rooms!

I seriously thought something bad was going to happen - I have never felt turbulence so bad. It was really chaotic on the plane, people thought the mechanical problem was playing up again. We got close to a group of Pakistanis that were here for one month planning developing country towns. 

We finally got to our friend's house and Jana and I went to sleep. We slept for 7 hours then I got locked in the toilet. It was hilarious, it took about 30 minutes of prying with a spoon for me to get out. We all got ready to go to the markets where the Xinjiang tribes and Russian, Arabian and Pakistani migrants all gather. Because this place we're at is at the border, its really strange thinking it is China because its so hard to explain. You see people and you think yeah I'm in China, and then you see other people and you think - I have no idea where I am. Because they look Asian but Arabian. And at the airport they asked me if I was from one of the Xinjiang tribes. 

In this place, onto of every Chinese character theres Xinjiang writing as well (which is very similar to Arabian) I think its so weird! 

This dude is Chinese... like WTF?!?!?!

Family and friends..

I said to family and friends that I'll pretend to act confident in my Chinese so they give us local prices and not foreign prices when we go to the market. Later on we found out that market is the  place that had the riot last year July so theres soldiers marching together everywhere.

My favourite Xinjiang food ever! Jana said I've probably eaten a whole lamb to myself in 3 days

Ladies

05/07/10

My Chinese has improved a lot! Especially from hanging out with Lai - he can't speak English so I have to try and speak Chinese. With most people they'll get impatient and just resort to translating through my mum or using English but Lai was patient and told me to keep trying until he understood. Because of that, I learnt heaps of new words and became just that wee bit more confident in using it.

Jana and mum are getting some beauty stuff done so I'm just sitting and waiting. Our family friend and mum just keep on getting into fights and arguments with each other so we're leaving Beijing early and going to Xinjiang. Its such a shame because Beijing is my favourite by far so far. We also don't get to go anywhere for too long because of the two stubborn women against each other so they just keep fighting and just end up going back to the motel. 

We're also strapped for cash because mother gave her Australian money in Australia to then use that similar amount of our friend's money in China. But she won't give any anymore, because she's wanting to be in control of us. She owes my mum so much more so my mum is slowly getting more and more angry - and knowing her that is super dangerous.

I forgot that when I'm with the family, I'm the soft one so I listen to the whines forever and then become the stress ball when they need unleashing. Mum just keeps snapping at me over nothing like asking her what lipstick she's wearing and my sister is constantly entering bitch mode so she can forget her PMS and boyfriend. 

I had internet for a little bit today, mum needed to borrow the computer so she asked that I transfer funds while she's with the doctor. Hehe, I was a little bit naughty and emailed some people and hopped on msn for a little bit.

I also checked my results, and I already knew - I failed Calculus. Bad mental state that day. Everything else went good :)

A whole shop dedicated to only Arsenal!

Censorship

I'm stealing a doctor's internet in her office while I'm using it to transfer funds for my mum.

Naughty naughty but I felt terrible that I haven't posted anything. Just letting everyone know that I've been jotting down stuff in my book, and typing it out on my laptop so when I get internet I will send away!

Our family friend has kind of screwed us over so we're stranded for money because we gave it to her. So far no one is really having a good time except yesterday, and its super duper hot. Ahh the calamity,

 

Hope everyone is well, I can't even use my phone here while it worked in Hong Kong. They even block my blogging site so I'm sending emails to it hoping that it will work. By the way, I am rooting for Germany - they are doing so well (Sven you finally convinced me!)

 

Deena