Breakfast at the hotel was kinda weird. Grandpa and I got Omelets, Noah got noodles. There was also rice porridge stuff, which was weird. Noah's was fishy, which we didn't like, min had some meat and mushrooms.
We talked about some of the history stuff Grandpa's learned, about ll the changes through time in China, and specifically in Peng's village.
Then we went out shopping... more coming gtg to dinner
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wrote this in the Hotel room the first night in Shenzhen
Thursday 6/10/10
Getting off the plane in Hong Kong was easy and uneventful. We got off, walked a ways, down a two story escalator, a 30 second-minute train ride, then back upstairs, then through a health check, (which I think was inactive, we just walked by), immigration, baggage pickup,which took the longest of anything. Then we went through the "nothing to declare" customs (again, just walked by) and out to meet Grandpa!
The airport is just huge! We waited for the van for 10-15 minutes, then we loaded up with three other passengers to head out of Hong Kong.
We drove out to the Hong Kong/Mainland border. Grandpa talked to the one guy who spoke entlish. He's a student at once of the Universities here, studying economics. Grandpa talked to him about the history of China through everything the old folks in Peng's village went through, and the political/ social tension with Taiwan, where some of Sun Yat Sen's KMT Army went.
This student was from a place "even norse" of where we're going in Hunan.
We went through customs into Mainland China, then switched into a different vand after teh border, to near the Sea World, a pig plaza place, lik a giant church street place, with a Ship/Hotel next to it.
We met Peng outside the KFC, then went up to a Thia restaurant and had some dinner. Curry, which was really good and completely different that any I've had, and shrimp and asparagus stir fry, which was really good!
There was a loud band playing lots of different music. A lot of the pop music from home, and some Chinese music and a little Beatles. Peng said the music around here is international.
Then we took a taxi ride (taxis are cheap, only a few bucks for the short ride) to the Hotel here, the Ocean City Hotel. It's owned by a friend/relative of Peng's, so he got half price for our room.
Got a good night's rest, the beds are a little hard though. Guess it's cultural. Grandpa said they're rock hard in some places.
Getting off the plane in Hong Kong was easy and uneventful. We got off, walked a ways, down a two story escalator, a 30 second-minute train ride, then back upstairs, then through a health check, (which I think was inactive, we just walked by), immigration, baggage pickup,which took the longest of anything. Then we went through the "nothing to declare" customs (again, just walked by) and out to meet Grandpa!
The airport is just huge! We waited for the van for 10-15 minutes, then we loaded up with three other passengers to head out of Hong Kong.
We drove out to the Hong Kong/Mainland border. Grandpa talked to the one guy who spoke entlish. He's a student at once of the Universities here, studying economics. Grandpa talked to him about the history of China through everything the old folks in Peng's village went through, and the political/ social tension with Taiwan, where some of Sun Yat Sen's KMT Army went.
This student was from a place "even norse" of where we're going in Hunan.
We went through customs into Mainland China, then switched into a different vand after teh border, to near the Sea World, a pig plaza place, lik a giant church street place, with a Ship/Hotel next to it.
We met Peng outside the KFC, then went up to a Thia restaurant and had some dinner. Curry, which was really good and completely different that any I've had, and shrimp and asparagus stir fry, which was really good!
There was a loud band playing lots of different music. A lot of the pop music from home, and some Chinese music and a little Beatles. Peng said the music around here is international.
Then we took a taxi ride (taxis are cheap, only a few bucks for the short ride) to the Hotel here, the Ocean City Hotel. It's owned by a friend/relative of Peng's, so he got half price for our room.
Got a good night's rest, the beds are a little hard though. Guess it's cultural. Grandpa said they're rock hard in some places.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wrote this on the plane from Chicago to Hong Kong
So, we're on our way to Hong Kong! Right now we're somewhere over Alaska, right over the far North Western tip. Noah and I left the Montreal airport at 7ish am hometime, after Mom and Sarah dropped us off.
We had to get up at 1am to leave for Montreal, so Elizabeth stayed up until then and made us pancakes! The plane Ride from Montreal to Chicago was about 2hrs. I watched Alice and
Wonderland for most of it on the personal screen. That was a smaller jet.
We had a four hour layover at Chicago, plus a 30-40 minute delay. We got some Starbucks, then went to find our gate. We switched off staying with the stuff and walking around. Then, once we boarded, we taxied out, but then for some reason, we had to return to the gait and wait maybe an hour!
This is a 14 hour flight on a 747. Noah has a window seat, I'm next, then someone else on the isle. We have 2 windows looking at the back of the wing, and just behind it, so me have a good flap view, but not so much ground view.
Once we got up, there was lunch (chicken, rice, veggies,sauce, burned onto the plastic container... yum?) It was ok. This plane as headset plugs on the armrests, but only master screens, so we wathed how to train your dragon, then a movie about Tolstoy, which just ended. Descovery TV before that (swamp loggers).
Info from the TV screen:
6:42 hours left... ughh
535mph = groundspeed
3464 mi
35, o4o ft = altitude
-71 F = air temperature
7302 = miles traveled
3427 = miles left
I think we're somewhere off the coast of Russia, must be. Info and map are changeing on screen now between movies. Need to stretch!
Watched the next movie, funny movie about a girl trying to get to Dublin and her boyfriend but ends up falling in love with the guy who's supposed to get her to Dublin...
Now 37,046 = altitude
531 = mph
Sapparo is what the nearest land says...
looking at the map now in the Hotel, it was Taiwan we were flying over.
50 minutes to Hong Kong! We got stir fry a while ago.
We've gone 7680 miles from Chicago
We had to get up at 1am to leave for Montreal, so Elizabeth stayed up until then and made us pancakes! The plane Ride from Montreal to Chicago was about 2hrs. I watched Alice and
Wonderland for most of it on the personal screen. That was a smaller jet.
We had a four hour layover at Chicago, plus a 30-40 minute delay. We got some Starbucks, then went to find our gate. We switched off staying with the stuff and walking around. Then, once we boarded, we taxied out, but then for some reason, we had to return to the gait and wait maybe an hour!
This is a 14 hour flight on a 747. Noah has a window seat, I'm next, then someone else on the isle. We have 2 windows looking at the back of the wing, and just behind it, so me have a good flap view, but not so much ground view.
Once we got up, there was lunch (chicken, rice, veggies,sauce, burned onto the plastic container... yum?) It was ok. This plane as headset plugs on the armrests, but only master screens, so we wathed how to train your dragon, then a movie about Tolstoy, which just ended. Descovery TV before that (swamp loggers).
Info from the TV screen:
6:42 hours left... ughh
535mph = groundspeed
3464 mi
35, o4o ft = altitude
-71 F = air temperature
7302 = miles traveled
3427 = miles left
I think we're somewhere off the coast of Russia, must be. Info and map are changeing on screen now between movies. Need to stretch!
Watched the next movie, funny movie about a girl trying to get to Dublin and her boyfriend but ends up falling in love with the guy who's supposed to get her to Dublin...
Now 37,046 = altitude
531 = mph
Sapparo is what the nearest land says...
looking at the map now in the Hotel, it was Taiwan we were flying over.
50 minutes to Hong Kong! We got stir fry a while ago.
We've gone 7680 miles from Chicago
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
So, I'm in China!!! We're at the Ocean City Hotel in Shekou, Shenzhen. We're going to do a little shopping today for the rest of the trip, then meet back up with Peng after he's done work a 3:30.
I'm going to type up my journal sometime hopefully. I'm glad this works, I wasn't sure what would be blocked here.
I'm going to type up my journal sometime hopefully. I'm glad this works, I wasn't sure what would be blocked here.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Today I started this blog as a journal for my upcoming trip to China. This blog will also serve as my final project for World History.
My brother, Noah, and I fly out Tuesday, June 8th, from Montreal. We fly to Chicago, then on to Hong Kong. Our Grandpa, Terry King, will meet us in Hong Kong, and we will be traveling with him.
Right now, I'm working on finishing up school early, and planning my alternate finals.
My brother, Noah, and I fly out Tuesday, June 8th, from Montreal. We fly to Chicago, then on to Hong Kong. Our Grandpa, Terry King, will meet us in Hong Kong, and we will be traveling with him.
Right now, I'm working on finishing up school early, and planning my alternate finals.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)