Finally, china trip!

Finally got my desktop fixed and can now update my blog. Taking the comp to the shop was a drag for me to do alone, gotta unplugged the cables then carry it to the car and then find a parking lot after which i hv to carry it to the shop. TOUGH WORK!! Luckily for me, wai kit offered to send me there.

My trip to China was a boring one albeit getting to take in all the sights and....sounds? Whatever. Anyway, i've been to this incentive trip for 3 years and the ppl on this trip are mostly the same. All businessmen sometimes with their family. All serious when it comes to work but can go crazy when they play. -_-

First destination, Lijang then to Dali and finally a bus trip to Kun ming. Not much to talk about really... these towns are dead by 9. Exception for kunming since it's kind a big city.

Lijang airport. Cold breeze greeting once we unloaded off the plane.

In the bus heading to Lijang TOWN <---- town, not city!

My parent's hotel room's bathroom. Twice my size.

Their room. twice my size too.

During the nite, they whisked us to OLD TOWN OF LIJANG. Which is actually a place concentrated for vendors and bars. It's rather beautiful at nite and friggishly cold. But since im a macho man, u wont see it in my face! Nthg exceptionally spectacular bout the place just that it is beautiful.

Some archway in the town. Non-comprende` mandarin, non know what it is.

It was such a brief visit that nite that they decided to bring us there during the DAY, to... uh... see the difference. Not much really. But the early morning chills + the winds was killing all of us cept for those well prepared. My dad which has a layer of LARD about him felt the chills nonetheless and was shivering. Since macho man here, no show how he suffers. This old town of lijang consist of many streams and walkways. They hv a saying in mandarin, which i forgot but it means, " Go in with the flow of the water, come out with the flow of the water" Hahaha.

Group picture.

My mom and dad. Behind em is the walls of the old town.

Scriptures of the lijang's ppl language. Forgot what they call it, but it doesnt consist of words. No strokes, just pictures depicting things and they can explain what it means. Bummer.

Lemme try to recall a story. They made this the highest point on the town. To the right of it is actually a market and markets are naturally dirty. So the ancients made this pool to fill up and then to overflow thus washing away all the rubbish and dirt. Kinda smart.

This cute dog came up to me when i was scurrying around the town myself. He had a friend with him, but he was a lil too shy.

My mom, backdrop-glaciers peak.

On the cable car towards glaciers peak. Too bad we couldnt reach the peak for the winds were too strong that morning. @#@$

This is another part of the mountain.

My mom and dad. See that fat on his stomach? Didnt help him with the chill!! Wahahah!

"LAWN NO TRAMPLE!!" Need i say more?

Some temple. I went in and....... I think it's a yak temple? -_-

I hv no idea what this is. I forgot to rotate it, apologies. But i think this is some yak monument.

Yes, i SAW YAK SHIT! But not a single yak to be found.

The three peaks. Thats what they call it, very *ahem* creative i would say.

Just a view.

Just a view.

This is also just a view.

Also just a view.

This is ashido's mask!

Name. unknown... those who can read chinese, scroll down.

Man made.

READ!!!!!

Me n mom.

Just a view

Yes, we had a trip to a local sch. Well one thing bout it is that NONE of the children was wearing specs. Really.. i dunno what the heck they got in their diet but they dont need specs.

And classes are held in unison. No wait, b4 u wanna bang me, i hv my reason. Everyone uses the same textbook and the read the pages designated ALOUD. Yes, they all read ALOUD, TOGETHER! Wanna find that in KL? Go to kindergaten, u might just get lucky. Furthermore, the students there are proactive, they dont shy away from questions posed by the teacher, they race to answer it.

After that, was the 5 hour bus ride to Dali town. Bummer. Sleep n ipod taking turns.

We were brought to a home of a dali family. Very feng shui oriented. This wall is facing the west which means the sun rises behind it eh. =) It usage is to block out the wind and to block/direct sunlight to the quarters. Whichever applies at whichever hours.

View.

This is the place especially built for the 'tin loong pat pou' series. No idea what show, dont ask me! But a place especially built for a tv series? Sounds like Tourism gimmick to me.

That guy was so good-looking i just had to steal a picture of him. Those dressed up guards and the gates to the city were just extras.

The *ahem* king and queen of the city. Wonder how much they get paid to play dressed up.

Holding a bamboo pole with his fingers. Wonder if i could do it. Hmmm

Outside the "palace".

"The palace. "

Palace grounds

Another pic, same pose, same angle. =)



Parents infront of a shop selling accesories.

View.

A big orb of.....?

Parents.. This is a square for the ppl to dance in the evening? Wth i just woke up.



Was given another bus ride, this time to kunming. It was faster this time. Only 4 hours on the friggin bus!

Arriving at kunming, it was already late in the evening so we were sent to a restaurant for dinner. Lo` behold it was a surprise xmas party! Special guest performace by one the winner of the HERO, reality tv show in china. He did three things, tear a metal basin, yes he tore it into half, blow into a rubber glove till it burst and.. wait for it... expand a balloon using his BELLY BUTTON. No, u're not blurry eyed. He did it and... well, i saw it.

There was so much food to go around that we couldnt manage to finish it. Well, those uncles and aunties were going crazy while i was busy filling up my stomach. Alas, i am but a small eater!!

They too invited 2 'artist' i think i can call em that? Well, one can shape out an animal with honey and by the looks of it, it takes some skill. I think it's delicious too but i didnt get to try it. Others were stampeding for it. The other one well is like a photographer without a camera. He just cuts paper into the side profile of us.

It was free and easy the next morning before lunch for we'll be leaving for home in the afternoon. I decided to venture on my own and discover the city. Well i bought my souvenirs at this time after walking about. I just havent given them out yet like the ones i bought from hong kong where my mom still nags me to give it out to my friends.

I walked and walked till i lost track of where i was. I stumbled upon their market and say what the local produce were. Strawberry's bright red looking very tempting and brinjal's twice the length of the ones u can find here.

Lost and wandering around aimlessly, i came to this park where there was various statues built. First guess was that it was to honour those who died and their profession. This is well, firemen!

Getting lost in a foreign city is an experience which i would undertake again given i dont hv to rush to return to the hotel. All were to be back by 12 and stealing a look at my watch shows 11.30. FUCK, im lost and im gonna be late! So i started running and coming into a big shopping complex i thought i'll try my luck and ask for directions.

I went to the front desk to try my luck and..:

me: Uhhhh, zhi dao *brandishes room card* new era hotel zhai na ni ma?

clerk: *perks ears*....?
me: *shoves card to her face*
clerk: Uhhh.... *blur look* and *pointing to the guard outside* ni wen ta ba.

Phew.. so she understood me afterall!!

Asking the guard was of much use and he pointed me to the right direction. I ran to the hotel, cried when i reach the lobby and hugged my mummy screaming, " Mummy!! mummy!"

The key of kunming city, the dual arches. There's a similar one bout a few hundred metres away.

Hmmm, didnt really feel much for this trip except for the surprise dinner where i was forced to sing to the whole group. They had cherokee going on and somehow they wanted me to sing. I should thank my dad for instigating them too.

Trip wasnt fun, wasnt exciting but i think i'll be back for next year's incentive trip if i hv the chance. Next year i heard, will be to Henan province. Gotta brush up my mandarin!!!