So, the weather has been nice. Sunny, warmish (for winter). Bearable. I love it. So, since this wish came true, maybe I should be thinking a little more seriously about the next wish...
I went skiing last weekend - it was no Vail Mountain, but it was fun. The runs were pretty open, and we never had to wait to get on the chairs. Nice. It was so wonderful to get out of the city, and I met some really cool people on the trip. My roommates were great - go King's Hana! I feel like the last 2 months have flown by here, and I know the remaining time I have here will go by really quickly as well. I am excited for spring as everyone says that it is really beautiful. Beautiful or not, I welcome spring weather with open arms! :)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Cold, cold, cold...
I am not a winter person. I hate winter. I don't like snow unless it melts away immediately or is in the mountains where it belongs. I do not handle the sun setting at 5 well at all, and I REALLY don't like below freezing temperatures. Every day. I did ok here until Beijing. Beijing was really cold, but it at least was a vacation, so I could bear it. Now, being back here in Korea, I am dreaming of spring. Spring is really beautiful. It is warm and green. Summer - even better. Hot. Sweaty. Right now anything near or below the equator sounds pretty good. I know that this too shall pass, but is it too much to ask for a warm, sunny day in the middle of January? I think not.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Beijing preparing for the Olympics
I found this to be really interesting having just visited Beijing and seeing the final product of all of the hard work that was done in preparation for the Olympics. My friends and I often commented on how people must have been given specific phrases to say in English, because EVERYBODY said the same things to us, yet didn't know any other English. My lonely planet said that prior to the Olympics one day a week was designated as a "queuing" day. Everybody in the city had to line up correctly, and they were checked throughout the day by the police. So interesting to think about all of the behaviors we take for granted in our society.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
I heart Beijing (1 of 2)
I spent exactly a week in Beijing, and I absolutely loved it. The only thing I didn't like is the cold. It was very cold in Beijing this time of year, especially because everything to see was outdoors. So, you find yourself walking several kilometers(I use kilometers and celcius now - lol!) everyday in the freezing cold. I do have to say that I have been really fortunate in that the weather has been mostly clear here. The first day was really smoggy, and I could see why people made such a big deal about the pollution for the Olympics. But, honestly, the air seems worse in Korea some days than it has been here in Beijing this week.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I met up with my friends from Korea - Jenna and Josh - at the hostel. We went to the Silk Market - a huge indoor market with stalls selling the things that China is known for fake everything. Purses, watches, coats, souvenirs...the list goes on. I was really surprised when we entered the market and immediately we were surrounded by people trying to sell their goods to us. They are quite overwhelming, grabbing onto our clothes and even our arms to keep us from moving onto another stall. They always give you their "best price, lady" - about 100 times more than what you should pay. It is fun, though. I kept this trip to mostly just traveling, so I didn't buy much. I did return later in the week to get a few more things, but I would love to come back here and spend a lot of money! Looking is fun though - and there is soooo much to see. The bargaining here is more drastic than anywhere I have been, and they always say "no joke price" when you give them a reasonable offer. So funny!
On Sunday, Jenna, Josh, and I went on a tour of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. The Forbidden City is absolutely amazing. It was a long, cold day, but so worth it. At the end of the day we went and ate at a little restaurant around the corner from our hostel - and the food was soooo good. I am not really a huge fan of chinese food - american style. But, the food I ate the entire time in Beijing was wonderful!
Before I go further, I have to comment on the hostel. I love hostels. I have stayed in so many, and have such wonderful memories from those times. This hostel, while it could have been decent, was so disappointing. (Note: I still has a great time while staying at this hostel, it was just a slight bump in the road of a perfect vacation) Jenna, Josh and I were the only people there practically - which if you have ever stayed at a hostel, you know that is a let down. The greatest thing about hostels is getting to meet and hang out with really interesting people. The real deal breaker for me though, was that the hostel was freezing!! Freezing as in the only way to get warm was to take a shower until the hot water ran out. When you are outside and freezing all day, it is the prospect of returning to someplace warm and comfy that gets you through the say. So...I was really excited to move to the hostel I had already booked for the rest of the week. The second hostel really made the rest of my time in Beijing! It was so great! If you ever go to Beijing - stay at Sitting on the City Walls! The people I met were wonderful - some are becoming good friends since Beijing, the location was great, it was warm, and the beds were great! So, with a nice place to stay, the rest of the week just got better and better.
On Monday, I was fighting off a cold and really needed a day to relax, so that is what I did. I slept in, hung around at the hostel, had some ginger honey tea, and got to know some of the people in the hostel. I did get out for a bit in the afternoon. It was nice to be able to have a lazy day, but still feel as though I was taking in the culture of the city.
I am going to finish this later - because I have been working on this much for 2 weeks now. Too busy these days! So, I will be posting more later about the trip.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I met up with my friends from Korea - Jenna and Josh - at the hostel. We went to the Silk Market - a huge indoor market with stalls selling the things that China is known for fake everything. Purses, watches, coats, souvenirs...the list goes on. I was really surprised when we entered the market and immediately we were surrounded by people trying to sell their goods to us. They are quite overwhelming, grabbing onto our clothes and even our arms to keep us from moving onto another stall. They always give you their "best price, lady" - about 100 times more than what you should pay. It is fun, though. I kept this trip to mostly just traveling, so I didn't buy much. I did return later in the week to get a few more things, but I would love to come back here and spend a lot of money! Looking is fun though - and there is soooo much to see. The bargaining here is more drastic than anywhere I have been, and they always say "no joke price" when you give them a reasonable offer. So funny!
On Sunday, Jenna, Josh, and I went on a tour of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. The Forbidden City is absolutely amazing. It was a long, cold day, but so worth it. At the end of the day we went and ate at a little restaurant around the corner from our hostel - and the food was soooo good. I am not really a huge fan of chinese food - american style. But, the food I ate the entire time in Beijing was wonderful!
Before I go further, I have to comment on the hostel. I love hostels. I have stayed in so many, and have such wonderful memories from those times. This hostel, while it could have been decent, was so disappointing. (Note: I still has a great time while staying at this hostel, it was just a slight bump in the road of a perfect vacation) Jenna, Josh and I were the only people there practically - which if you have ever stayed at a hostel, you know that is a let down. The greatest thing about hostels is getting to meet and hang out with really interesting people. The real deal breaker for me though, was that the hostel was freezing!! Freezing as in the only way to get warm was to take a shower until the hot water ran out. When you are outside and freezing all day, it is the prospect of returning to someplace warm and comfy that gets you through the say. So...I was really excited to move to the hostel I had already booked for the rest of the week. The second hostel really made the rest of my time in Beijing! It was so great! If you ever go to Beijing - stay at Sitting on the City Walls! The people I met were wonderful - some are becoming good friends since Beijing, the location was great, it was warm, and the beds were great! So, with a nice place to stay, the rest of the week just got better and better.
On Monday, I was fighting off a cold and really needed a day to relax, so that is what I did. I slept in, hung around at the hostel, had some ginger honey tea, and got to know some of the people in the hostel. I did get out for a bit in the afternoon. It was nice to be able to have a lazy day, but still feel as though I was taking in the culture of the city.
I am going to finish this later - because I have been working on this much for 2 weeks now. Too busy these days! So, I will be posting more later about the trip.
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