Saturday, May 8, 2010

6 weeks China voluntary internship

Sorry for updating my trip so late after half year due to my laziness @.@

It was really a memorable trip for me as I have experienced many 'first time experience ' during my 6 weeks trip besides all those smiley warm faces of students of XiMiao.

Things didn't go smoothly upon my arrival at the airport. I was stuck in the airport for 6 hours before I saw someone come fetching me . This was the beginning of my nightmare of the worst management team that I have ever met ( a branded university students' association - so-called). I felt so clueless and helpless waiting anxiously for 6 hours in the airport and the reason they gave me was they forget about my arrival and there was some miscommunication ( although I have sent twice about my arrival date, time and even photo of mine)

Next, I was stuck in the Beijing for 8 days before I departed for my project location in SiChuan which they did not inform me about that and I ended up spending lotz money on my accommodation there . I had my first time traveling alone in Beijing since I was dumped in the hostel doing nothing. Luckily for some of the days, I met my room mate who was traveling alone as well, so both of us traveled together to many of the places of interest in Beijing.

Beijing is really a great city, with convenient transportation system. The railway is accessible to any of the place of interest and the bus is very convenient ( 5 mins per bus ). You would need to be worry about not knowing which bus to take or which station to stop as there are map of buses everywhere and announcement for each station.

i bet the toilet in China is 'so famous and well-known' for everyone as there is no doors for the toilet . I was still ok with it as the worst toilet I had seen was in my student's house in Sichuan which will be described further in later post. But what I really couldn't bear with is the spitting habit of China people. They can spit everywhere, anytime they like. I could say almost every inch that you are stepping outdoor are cover with spit before. I witnessed myself of them spitting even on the escalator, inside the railway which I found disgusting. Maybe this is one of the culture of them as I later found out even primary school students in the school I taught spit in the classroom or running nose stuff on the floor of the classroom and just wipe it with their shoes.

Besides that, I have my first experience in such cold climate. The weather dropped to -18 Celsius the day i came back Beijing after 1 month stay in SiChuan. I was so lucky there to experience the 'heaviest snow in near 50 years in China' . I was outside that time and the snow was as big as the fur size. The snow was so heavy that when I open my mouth to talk it will come flying in my mouth. The next day of the heavy snow was heavily-winded day, which was the most terrible experience of cold I have. I could still bear with the heavy snow though it was cold, but the windy weather was really unbearable. My face was totally numbed being outside as the wind was simply too strong and dry. How I wished I could cover whole face up leaving only my eyes outside . During such weather , nobody will wish to walk outside, the best place is indoor with heater haha...It was really chilling and even painful when your face become too dry blowing by the winds.

To be continued ...

2 comments:

YvaineKong said...

You are really an outgoing person and I admire your courage to color your life with all these interesting stories. Also admire you have the encouragement from your family.

About the spit, I did experience it in UK where ppl like to spit everywhere. But it is not a very very common thing. Only on certain ppl. My friends and I even saw someone trying to "musturbate" while queueing up for a ride in a themepark. Well, we were not really sure, but his action led us to have such thought

Ji@yin said...

Yvaine: Haha..coz i'm too playful , I think you are quite outgoing as well too ^^
After I decide to join only my parents knew about it, so they can't object also wakaka...but usually they won't discourage me with the things I insist on doing=p
You will know how awful it is the people in China spit , feel so geli when you are there , I think Uk won't be so bad ever as China hehe