I get behind with this blog very easily, but not too long ago China was lucky enough to have a 3-day weekend. Eunju and I decided to spend the time together and we had it all planned out; down the pub on Sunday night to watch the North London Derby and then a 2-day romantic trip to Gubei Watertown.
It took little convincing to get Eunju in an Arsenal shirt. She obviously hasn’t been keeping up to date with our recent results, the fan protests about the total lack of confidence in the boardroom and management, or she hadn’t even seen the recent images of that orange racist’s son wearing the full Arsenal kit. Luckily, I had so I was smart enough to bring a jacket with me to the pub. If we lost I was wearing it and she’d have to ride the waves of abuse from that other mob in North London. It’s the choice she made when she put the shirt on. We don’t need to dwell on the result.
The next day we went to Gubei. I've been looking at taking a few trips out of Beijing, but every time I find a place I'd like to go I find out that it's a 4-hour flight from the capital. I'm still not used to living in such a big country.
We boarded the bus to Gubei only to find out it was a city bus. An old city bus. You don't appreciate the comforts of a coach until you sit on a city bus for 2-and-a-half-hours. Eunju told me that the bus smelt pretty bad too, it was one of the few times in my life that I benefitted from having hayfever.
We drove through mile after mile of Chinese countryside. As nice as the farms and mountains were it really seemed like the ideal opportunity to get 40 winks and recover a little more from the night before. As I was just drifting off the bus driver tooted his horn. In China you drive with your ears as much as with your eyes. I mean, why use your side mirrors when you can hear the beautiful sound of a car horn? Except this was a bus horn and I'm pretty certain it was mounted inside the bus. Two hours to Gubei with the serenading sounds of a smelly, old Beijing city bus. Living the dream.
Gubei was extremely charming. It’s got the design and feel of a traditional Chinese village, while having the luxuries of new modern hotels and spas. Albeit a bit touristy, it was a welcomed break from the Beijing smog.
I did experience a notable Chinese spectacle while in Gubei. Whenever I speak to friends or family who haven’t been to China they’re all very quick in asking whether I’ve seen someone defecate in the street and I always dismiss their questions with amusement. I stress that I live In Beijing, a huge metropolitan area, not some backwards rural shanty town. Well, I wasn’t in Beijing any more. Eunju and I were strolling down by the water front, clear bue skies above us, and The Great Wall in the distance, and in the corner of my eye I see a figure squatting. My attention is drawn and I’m now observing a child shitting on a lawn. My brain is telling me stop looking at a half-naked child, but it has also disabled my neck muscles preventing me from turning away. The family are relaxing near-by without a care in the world as their child shits next to a Don’t Walk On The Grass sign. I wonder in Chinese small print whether it said Pooping Permitted.
We made our way up to the Great Wall and watched the sunset. It wasn’t as nice as I had expected as it had become cloudy and pretty chilly. Who’d have thought it gets cold on a mountain 986m above sea level when the sun goes down?
We retired to the hotel. The following morning we went down for the complimentary breakfast. You haven’t seen mayhem until you tell Chinese people that there is an all-you-can-eat free breakfast. I’ve never seen plates piled so high and I’ve been to Toby Carvery. I was quite content with a croissant, some fruit and a coffee, yet they were piling up noodles, rice, dumplings, toast, watermelon, baked beans, it doesn’t matter whether it goes together get it on your plate. Remind me never to go to an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant here (or an all-you-can-eat restaurant as they probably call it here).
It was a great escape from Beijing and no sooner had I been back that a sandstorm had blown in from the northern deserts. It lasted about 2 days and I’m sure cycling to work in that probably took 6 months off my life expectancy.
Anyway, until next time.
It took little convincing to get Eunju in an Arsenal shirt. She obviously hasn’t been keeping up to date with our recent results, the fan protests about the total lack of confidence in the boardroom and management, or she hadn’t even seen the recent images of that orange racist’s son wearing the full Arsenal kit. Luckily, I had so I was smart enough to bring a jacket with me to the pub. If we lost I was wearing it and she’d have to ride the waves of abuse from that other mob in North London. It’s the choice she made when she put the shirt on. We don’t need to dwell on the result.
The next day we went to Gubei. I've been looking at taking a few trips out of Beijing, but every time I find a place I'd like to go I find out that it's a 4-hour flight from the capital. I'm still not used to living in such a big country.
We boarded the bus to Gubei only to find out it was a city bus. An old city bus. You don't appreciate the comforts of a coach until you sit on a city bus for 2-and-a-half-hours. Eunju told me that the bus smelt pretty bad too, it was one of the few times in my life that I benefitted from having hayfever.
We drove through mile after mile of Chinese countryside. As nice as the farms and mountains were it really seemed like the ideal opportunity to get 40 winks and recover a little more from the night before. As I was just drifting off the bus driver tooted his horn. In China you drive with your ears as much as with your eyes. I mean, why use your side mirrors when you can hear the beautiful sound of a car horn? Except this was a bus horn and I'm pretty certain it was mounted inside the bus. Two hours to Gubei with the serenading sounds of a smelly, old Beijing city bus. Living the dream.
Gubei was extremely charming. It’s got the design and feel of a traditional Chinese village, while having the luxuries of new modern hotels and spas. Albeit a bit touristy, it was a welcomed break from the Beijing smog.
I did experience a notable Chinese spectacle while in Gubei. Whenever I speak to friends or family who haven’t been to China they’re all very quick in asking whether I’ve seen someone defecate in the street and I always dismiss their questions with amusement. I stress that I live In Beijing, a huge metropolitan area, not some backwards rural shanty town. Well, I wasn’t in Beijing any more. Eunju and I were strolling down by the water front, clear bue skies above us, and The Great Wall in the distance, and in the corner of my eye I see a figure squatting. My attention is drawn and I’m now observing a child shitting on a lawn. My brain is telling me stop looking at a half-naked child, but it has also disabled my neck muscles preventing me from turning away. The family are relaxing near-by without a care in the world as their child shits next to a Don’t Walk On The Grass sign. I wonder in Chinese small print whether it said Pooping Permitted.
We made our way up to the Great Wall and watched the sunset. It wasn’t as nice as I had expected as it had become cloudy and pretty chilly. Who’d have thought it gets cold on a mountain 986m above sea level when the sun goes down?
We retired to the hotel. The following morning we went down for the complimentary breakfast. You haven’t seen mayhem until you tell Chinese people that there is an all-you-can-eat free breakfast. I’ve never seen plates piled so high and I’ve been to Toby Carvery. I was quite content with a croissant, some fruit and a coffee, yet they were piling up noodles, rice, dumplings, toast, watermelon, baked beans, it doesn’t matter whether it goes together get it on your plate. Remind me never to go to an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant here (or an all-you-can-eat restaurant as they probably call it here).
It was a great escape from Beijing and no sooner had I been back that a sandstorm had blown in from the northern deserts. It lasted about 2 days and I’m sure cycling to work in that probably took 6 months off my life expectancy.
Anyway, until next time.
