Home Sweet Home

Last day in Beijing. Took a cab to Airport after checking out. I can't remember which Terminal my plane is going to be so I told the driver Terminal 2. Then end up, I at the wrong Terminal, so I get to experience the feeder bus from one Terminal to another.
Initially I plan to do some shopping at the Airport, wanting to spend all the RMB I have with me but..I failed. They are selling mostly Olympic souvenirs. After eating my lunch, I checked in.
My Lunch

An interesting looking shop at Airport selling expensive tea leaves

A resting place in Airport

Took me about 20min. Need to get into the custom, have walk quite a distant to the train which will take you to the waiting area. After alighting from the train, have to walk another 10min to reach the boarding area.
I was quite disappointed with SIA actually, when they are serving the meals, when they reached me, and I did not get my choice of main dish. Its the 2nd time. The first time was when I was flying to Beijing. If they told me they ran out of the dish before asking me to choose I am quite alright. But they gave you a choice then tell you they have run out of it when you choose, its very disappointing.
After 6hrs of flight, I reached Singapore~~After collecting my luggage, its Home Sweet Home.

Beijing Day 4

I extended my stay to Saturday afternoon instead of the original Friday. So I moved out of Four Point Hotel (800rmb/night) to 7 Days Hotel (200rmb/night).

I got help booking it by my Guangzhou colleague as he is also extending 1 day and changing to that hotel also.
After checking in, we went to lunch at one of the 'restaurant' all their dishes are served in very very big plates. We ordered Hong Shao Goose, Fry Potato Slice and dumplings with 2 cokes, it cost us 66 rmb (around 8SGD per pax).
After that, we took bus to Bird Nest and Cubic. Initially we went up the bus then when we were purchasing the ticket, the attendant told us we are at the wrong direction so we alight next stop and cross the bridge. When we board the bus across and ask about the Bird Nest, the attendant told us we are on the wrong bus (the bus number was given by the Hotel and restaurant ppl) we still can reach but will have a long walk. So we alight at the stop nearest to Bird Nest and walk about 20mins.

Luckily I bought a map at the hotel, suggested by my friend as I will be going around alone that night. So we reached the Bird Nest walk around, take some photos, and then we walk around it as its not open to the public yet. Took us about 30-40min to complete the walk.

The Cubic

Pangu Building

The Bird Nest

After Bird Nest, we tried walking to the train station, we walk and ask around for direction, but we gave up after 15min when we still could not find. So we took the taxi to the nearest train station(cost 10rmb only), and took the train, the fare is 2rmb per trip. Its so~~~ cheap. Then me and my friend split our way on the train, he going to meet his friend and I go walk around. I alight at Tian An Men Dong. Walk around saw the crowd trying to take picture of a building, which i don't know is what.

The Building ppl are crowding to take photo

Then after studying the map for 10 min( trying to find where I am on the map) I decided to head down to East of Beijing Town.
So I walked about 15min with my mp3 plugged on, then see the shopping area.

Nothing much to shop around, cos mostly are very expensive brands, so did not bother going in. Only went some Souvenirs shop to take a look. Its quite surprising when I see the same product at Shop 1 selling at 69 rmb and at shop 2 selling at 29rmb, huge difference. I bought some 'local delights' back, though I have not try any of the thing I bought then. As I walk I came across the Food Street. The are all in carts, selling Kebab, Bing Tang Hu Lu, and some other stuff. There are only 4 different kind of carts and they are just repeating down the whole street.

Food Street

I bought a Suan La Liang Fen, which is not sour and not spicy, and a corn, which is v dry.
After that I took a taxi back to my hotel, shops closes early there about 9+ they are closing already.
My dinner that night is Kang Shi Fu Cup Noodles. Nothing to eat around the hotel (so sad, but no choice its cheap).
That night I watched Ultraman in Chinese Dub. Its so .... Can't describe, but it just gives me goosebumps.

Beijing Day 3

I had a bad start on Day 3 (last day of the workshop), wake up with a Tummy ache, most probably the tummy still cannot get used the temperature fluctuation. Went to Business Review from morning to 5pm. Long long day, with very frequent trips to visit the toilet. What is worse is we are having review at 2nd storey and the toilet is at the 1st, and my thigh muscle are aching from the Great Wall climb. Can't eat alot during lunch. But by the evening it was much better, though there are still frequent sharp pains.
Went 全聚德 at Bar Street (took 1hr taxi to be there), for Peking duck, the dinner was very good, alot dishes, we ordered 白酒 (Chinese Liquor) again, though this time is a different brand as the 1st night, not as nice. They have alot of performance, acrobats, magic, 变脸, singing and puppet show, to entertain the guest, quite entertaining.
After Dinner, some of us went to massage, which is somewhere near the hotel, the place was quite hard to find, hidden in a building at some alley. The place is abit strange, its super pink. The lighting are pink, the walkway is dark and reddish pink. The massage was not bad, quite comfortable.
After massage, some we went back to the hotel was thinking of drinking at the hotel lounge, but its closed, and the hotel staff suggested we go to a pub down the road. So we went to hunt for the place, by then, about only 11 of us went. The pub is at a place we never would have thought of. We followed the direction the hotel staff gave and end up a supermarket and was shock, so the guys go scout around and realise that the pub is below the super market. The basement was very interesting, alot of shops (though all are closed) but its all the sign board are lighted up very nicely. The pub we went to is 24hrs, we ordered draft beers and finger food initially, and later we ordered a Black Label, its the first time I drink that on the rock, usually I would put mixer. Its better than I thought. Later we played the '7 clap game', I am very lucky, I did not lose at all. Though I was put into the 'Idiot Club' (for people who lose more than 3 times) cos the 'founder' of the club is called Gene Lee, same pronounciation as my name -.-" But they are a bunch of fun people. Had alot of fun drinking with them. Spent about 100 rmb (20+ SGD) per pax on drinking.

Beijing Day 2

Went to Summer Palace for Team Building game the second day, the whole group of us (about 30 ppl) were split into 4 groups, each group have a photo album consisting of 10 photos of the different places in the palace, what we have to do is to find the different places and take a group photo there, and we have to take a 'The Best View' photo, where we have to choose a place and make a creative pose. And for that competition, my group won (^.^)\/
The only Summer Palace I have will have to wait for my colleague to send the rest

For dinner, we have buffet at our hotel. We booked the whole lounge. After dinner, there was a reward and recognition session, my only job is to clap. After the reward and recognition, we have a Talent show from New Faces, which unfortunately, I am one of the 'New Faces'. There are 6 of us, 3 from Singapore Office, 2 from Guang Zhou and 1 from Kobe. Before the performance, some of us started drinking, starting up our courage.We put up a performance, starting 2 colleague doing introduction, then me and another colleague sang 男儿当自强, while the 2 guys came in from the back with bath robe going around drinking from table to table, then do a 'strip show' in front of the audience, of course they tried doing some matial arts too. (What is 男儿当自强 without kung fu) after that, we did an introduction of Great Wall in different languages, speaking languages that we are not our own.

Photo At Great Wall

The Toilet

Singapore Office Team (with one missing, still climbing Great Wall)





Choo choo train going through Great Wall

One Place different angle different view