My 18 days in China felt like months. It was truly another universe for me to discover. There is so much I learned that is worth mentioning but is best experienced in person. It’s hard for me to believe that this world – its unique traditions, mentality, history, food, and culture – existed and was thriving while I lived my mundane life in California. I felt strangely a native and a complete foreigner simultaneously at times. I mean, I grew up in a rather tradition Chinese family in my opinion, yet in China, its impossible for me to see the world in their eyes. I observed the people as if they were a different species, and they were fascinating!
I’ll bring you guys on a quick photo tour of my time in China. One picture can tell a lot more than I can type out!
Part 1: Bus tour (Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou)
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| Ben preparing to take his hike up the Great Wall. Unlike me, he made it all the way up! The wall itself is quite amazing. |
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| Mmmm! Fresh mangosteen after a hot day of touring the Summer Palace |
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| Mitch is a celebrity in China! |
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| Starfish, seahorse, insects, among other slimy crawly deep-fried creatures are popular snacks in the night markets in Beijing. |
Part 2: Exploring Shanghai
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| Shanghai city lights by boat |
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This is a typical view in a Shanghai shopping area. It is crazy crowded, at practically all times of the day! I am still amazed by how massive China is and how many people live there! |
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Shanghai Expo 2010. Everywhere I went in Shanghai (or in China in general) there are souvenir shops and ads for the Expo. They are clearly very proud, and I am too! J |
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My goodness, almost forgot my foodie pics! Unfortunately I was not able to capture many pictures of the amazing food I ate - I tried, but by the time the food is in front me I’m already digging in. |
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Best tour guides ever! I got to spend a day with Ying and her friend and they did a wonderful job hosting me in the hometown. They showed me the underground shops, brought me to get a cheap manicure, took Asian pictures at those Japanese-styled booths, and gave me the inside scoop on the best places local foods. It was an unforgettable day. J |
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OMG these are amazing, you have to go to Yang’s Fried Dumplings for these infamous dumplings. For just 5 Yuan (!!) you experience heaven in Shangahi… |
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This BBQ place is very popular (I forgot the name of the place). We waiting in line for quite some time before we got these. Clams and lamb, mushroom, and chicken skin skewers. To die for... |
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And of course, dessert to end the day! We were stuffed, but we could not turn down Honeymoon Desserts... |
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LOL. This is perhaps only of the best advice I've gotten in China. |
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Part 3: Yantai
Yantai is a developing city in the north of China across the sea from South Korea. My uncle is doing business there and has gained a sort of reputation in his industry. When were were there, we got treated like royalty. We ate the best food I've tasted up to then in China. Lived the good life - but Hong Kong feels more homey, I'm glad vacation is over, I was starting to feel spoiled. J
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That was China. But the present is HONG KONG! My parents and brother flew back to the States two days ago so I’m now officially free! J I am staying at my Cousin Sue’s place in Ma On Shan. I love her apartment – the view especially (you can see the mountains and water, and there’s a water park close by in sight too). I never imagined Hong Kong to be so beautiful aside from the city lights!
Besides the first couple of days of intense shopping (it was quite an experience, there are shops, eateries, and people literally everywhere you go!) while my family was still here, I have spend most of my time playing with my nephew Edward, which can easily be more exhausting than being a tourist for a day. So today I woke up early and escaped to Shatin Mall to get my few hours of alone time aka shopping and pigging out. And tonight, I got to meet up with my friend Eric who I met at UCSD!
Perhaps my favorite things about HK so far is the convenience. Not only is everything so close to each other (I walk downstairs to see a shopping mall to my right and restaurants to my left), but the transportation system is amazing! Here's a glimpse of HK so far. Enjoy the pictures J
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| Classic Hong Kong Eggettes aka Chinese waffles. They are SO GOOD when hot and crispy and chewy yummmmmmmm... |
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| My first time visiting the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), my school and home for the rest of the year. It's the start of something wonderful... J |
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| Dad, mom, and me on the Star Ferry. Sue brought us around Kowloon and to Hong Kong Island. We used every type of transportation: train, bus, boat, tram (to the Peak!), and taxi. I love it! It's so easy to get around with just an Octopus card and my legs! |
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Isn't she beautiful?
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Come to Hong Kong now, and eat roasted goose. The roast duck in Oakland Chinatown is has nothing on this.
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To start of my Me Day, I treated my sweet tooth to this: Japanese green tea pancake with red bean paste, warm and chewy goodness.
Ohhhmagawd *drooooool*.... The absolute BEST xiao long bao I've had in my life. THANK YOU Emily for the recommendation. Crystal Jade restaurant in Shatin Mall has gotten it down to perfection. You MUST try these. I will be going back for more very soon...!
This is my friend Eric! I met him along with a couple other CUHK students while they were studying at UCSD. They have been so helpful and welcoming. Eric becomes very nostalgic when I mention San Diego, but it's nice to have some sort of connection to my home in California. I seriously cannot wait for school to start.
Cheers!
