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Old / Still young

Plantation visit 31/12/08

I need to grow up. I'm still a baby when I should be a grown, if not growing man. Let me learn, see and feel.

Personal development and experience gives one a sense of security. But sometimes one feels his rate of growth is too slow.

My outings are mostly nothing to do with having meaningless fun. I am meeting people. I want to meet people, watch what they do, know what their doing, hear what they have to say, hear their experience, getting the feel of the environment and observe. Without doing so, survival would be hard, never mind achievement.

It is much harder to do so after this. The environment in Melbourne is different. You learn different things and hear different things. What I learn here is not found anywhere else.

Learning is an eternal process.

And I know after this, I will be devoting my time and giving my full attention to something / someone else for the next few weeks. It is only fair to him/her that I do what I have to do prior to that and not let anything come into our way. Work is work, holiday is holiday, it is my principle, and that of many people, to not confuse or combine the two.

But I failed.

Maybe I'm selfish. I thought I knew what I was doing, I think I did not.

I failed miserably.

Had I been unfair to you? Would it be any different or would we feel any different if during this period I had a full-time job rather than meeting people at irregular times? Perhaps a full time job in the opinion of many would be a much more important activity than what I am doing - and they may be right. I did what I did with the understanding that both you and I are engaged in our own activities. That we may be busy with our families or acquaintances. There will be a time we will meet, and there will be a time for nothing but each other. But I do not prioritise anything above you - It may seem to be that way, but I know that's how I feel deep down. Maybe I'm careless in not letting you know/feel that.

I thought I knew what to do. I think I misunderstood. I think I do not know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm naive. Maybe I'm inexperienced. Maybe I'm just stupid. Maybe I have really been wasting my time this few days / weeks.

Maybe I really didn't learn that much after all.

Maybe I'm young and still learning. A stupid little baby boy that learns too slow - A failure.

China Day 4

After breakfast at the Hutongs, hopped into Old Yang's taxi - our tour-guide and driver for the day.

Old Yang brought us to the Nujie Muslim Street to fill-up before we proceed to Summer Palace, said the food there was too expensive.

Had Muslim food for lunch. Quite good.

Visited the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace park was massive. It was a pity it was winter,where the leaves of all the trees and flowers have fallen off. Otherwise the whole place would be green and blooming.

Plus the winter weather made visibility even poorer.

Still thought the place was beautiful though.

Men were spearing for fish on the frozen Kunming lake at the Summer Palace.

Old Yang picked us up in the evening and drove as around for a while.

He brought us to Beijing University. This is the library.

More buildings of the Beijing University. I felt Monash was a dump after visiting this place.

Then visited Qinghua University.

Their technology faculty / precint. They have at least 12 or 13 buildings like these more than 10 storeys high in the technology faculty itself. Some transnational companies have their own buildings, eg Samsung, Google.

He then brought us to a see the world's largest TV screen built on the ceiling of a shopping centre. It was large.

Yawn.

China Day 3

First 2 days were weekends, factories were not running, so experienced the Beijing Smog for the first time that Monday.

Went to Wangfujing. Stopped by the snack street. Thought there was a nice variety of food to choose from here. It was only the next day that I realised everything here was overpriced.

 

Live scorpions that would be barbequed. All of them were still moving (except for the dried seahorse). Regretted I did not try any.

Had the famous Quanjude Roast Duck for dinner. Approx 230yuan for the full duck set for four people. It was good, but didn't think the price was justified. A bit overpriced and overhyped.

China Day 2

Explored and had a typical Chinese breakfast at Hutong. Cheap and nice. Steamed buns and Soy Milk.

Visited the Great Wall at Juyong Pass. Passed by a lot of military camps, barracks along the way. Including a 'Military centre of defense against biological warfare'.

View was breath taking. 

Chinese took pride in Bill Clinton saying nothing but 'amazing... amazing...' during his aerial tour of the Great Wall.

Wall was actually quite tiring to climb. Steps were huge. Would have dressed more appropriately if we knew earlier. Didn't cover that much. Noted that were lucky to have visited the wall now, don't think parents would have made it in a couple of years time.

More scenic locations of the Great Wall would have been Mutianyu and Simatai, but are tougher to climb. Wasn't prepared anyway.

Had lunch at a restaurant cum souvenir / Chinese handicraft shop. 

Visited the Olympic Park.

Plenty of dodgy souvenir sellers.

Dinner wasn't worth mentioning.

Not that China has not much to eat, but we had a lousy tour guide for the first 2 days.

Courtesy of him, went on a 'cucumber diet' during the 2-day tour.

Day 1 China

Went to the Tiananmen Square then the Forbidden City

Hell lots of people. Can't imagine what's it like in summer.

Toured the Hutongs by rickshaw

Had a typical Chinese family lunch at a hutong

Went to the temple of heavens

watched an Chinese acrobatic performance that wasn't that good.

Dinner wasn't worth mentioning.

I give up

Writing a day-by-day report on my trip to China is suicide. Its even longer than my law essay. Because I have no patience, no time, will be travelling again, will be working soon, and will have more pictures and thoughts of my further travels, and the thought of a day's summary being even longer than my law essay disturbs me... I give up. I will just post pictures and write a bit on specific locations (if I have the patience).

Meanwhile, I drown myself in sorrow for my dear Arsenal;

Came up with a list of places I would like to go within the following 5 years (not in order):

1. Hiking in Tasmania, Australia
2. Nothern Territory: Kakadu and Ayers Rock, Australia
   
3. Journey to the South-west China backpacking trip (covering the Three Gorges, Yangtse River, Guilin, and Yunnan)
   
4. India
5. Cambodia
6. Vietnam
7. Bangkok, Thailand
8. Jakarta and surrounds, Indonesia
9. Melacca, Malaysia
10. Climb Mount Kinabalu, Borneo
    
11. Mulu, Borneo