China's Biggest Loser...

Slight problem maybe???? LOL

It appears that I am on the larger side out here in China.  The stares that I get are not just that I am a foreigner but also one with a big belly as people keep pointing out!  It didn't bother me at first but kinda makes you paranoid after a while.

There's a waitress at the hotel in the Panda Base and she has taken a liking to my gut.  She thinks i'm cuddly and keeps coming upto me hugging my stomach!  So much for personal space eh.  She is lovely but sometime I get the feeling she wants to hump my leg.  She's always rubbing my back and putting her arms around me....thank god she has a boyfriend.  Its fair to say that I make sure my bedroom door is locked every night lol.

Scary Waitress

I must be losing weight though, slowly.  I only eat 2 meals a day as i'm often not ready for breakfast just like at home.  What, dry bread with no butter and a boiled egg......every morning, you'd miss it too.  Every day on the base I try and walk for 40 minutes to an hour up and down the hills (by that I mean its 20 mins to the computer signal and warmth of the reception centre).

It tastes sooooo good!

Went to the Zoo yesterday.  Well, this was surely a Fat Camp cunningly disguised as a zoo lol. Bloody ell, i've never seen so many steps!  I eventually got the idea that if I went down a load of steps then more would be waiting for me to go back up.  Had no choice really as it was the only way to see the zoo.  I was sweating buckets when I came out.  My hair was soaking and my clothes were wet.  YUK!  Time for another 'cold' shower brrrrrrr.

Steps.......

......more steps!

and breathe.......

If I don't come home a few stone lighter from this trip there will seriously something wrong lol.

Panda Base, Chengdu

Got to the airport in Xi'an and was told that my flight booking had been cancelled!! At first they had no seats left in economy only first class (yeah yeah, I know that game).  They told me to go on standby but I couldn't risk not getting on the flight as I needed to be in Chengdu and I was already late.  Decided to pay for first class £150, not that bad I thought.  When I went back to the desk they just so happened to have one economy seat left ;) so I booked on that....£76 (which was £24 cheaper than I booked online).

Arrived at the Traffic Inn hostel at 12:30am.  Had to share a room with 2 others and I had the squeaky bed in the middle...not good when I finally went o bed at 3am.  Met 2 english girls who gave me some hostel recommendations around Asia.

In the morning I met with the rest of my group.  Francisco - coordinator, Clare - Telford, Dex - Carlisle, Bronwyn - Australia, Jana - New York and Phoebe - Sydney.  They seemed a really fun bunch of girls as the laughter started at breakfast.

The girls

Took a bus for 2.5 hours to Ya'an then another bus to the base a half hour away.  The accommodation was great and no one else here.  Only thing was they had no western toilets but now I've just about mastered the squat without peeing on myself hahahaha!

My room

Bathroom with 'squat' toilet

We were split into 2 groups as one were doing 1 week and the other 2 weeks.  Then we went to get our uniform (overalls).  We have 2 panda's to take care of...Mei Sheng and Xin Ni Er, a boy and girl panda both 9 years old.

We start at 8:40 where we have to clean the cages and their garden area of poop and take all the old bamboo out.  Then we feed them at 11am, 2pm and 4pm where we give them a little more bamboo.  Easy day really.  The rest of the time we go and look at the babies and get online.

2 months old

my cleaning broom...couldn't resist

One night in the bar we played drinking games with the staff.  Was funny because they can't handle their drink like us brits.  One of the women took a liking to my belly coz it was big and they're not used to it.  She kept asking if there was a baby inside so I took it upon myself to put a panda teddy up my top and pretend to give birth to it.  She ended up on the floor pissing herself laughing as did the others.

Shots, shots, shots

Paper cutting...really easy when you know how

Having a great time here.  Its great to socialise with others but still good to be on my own once in a while where I wonder around the base and sit and look at the panada's. Sometimes I go to my panda's and have a cheeky stroke.

Xin Ne Er

Xi'an Baby

Arrive in Xi'an 19 hours later and my new adventure began.  Decided to get settled in and stay in the hostel updating photos's and my diary.  I was knackered.

The next day I went to the Bell and Drum Towers and had a wonder around town to get my bearings after a well needed lie in.  Decided to book the Tang Dynasty Dance and Dumpling Dinner for the night time.  Went down to reception and met up with 2 girls - cousins - from New Zealand and Australia who were on the trip too.  Had a really really great night.  The food and the show was amazing!

Day 3 I'd booked on the Terracotta Warriors tour and discovered that the girls were on it too.  Great stuff.  We were all well excited to see it.  Glad we had a guide because it made it more interesting.  Even the guy who discovered the first Terracotta Warrior was there signing books WOW!! even though he was about 100 yrs old - what, no pension here???? lol.  Lunch wasn't included but only cost us £3 for a huge amount.  Had sweet and sour chicken, bacon and pepper dish, tomato and egg dish, soup, rice and some funny potatoes covered in caramel to name a few.

That night I decided to venture out and get the bus to the Wild Goose Pagoda.  Our guide had told us they do a light, water and sound show every night at 8:30pm.  Was well nervous getting on the bus, alone, in the dark, not knowing where to get off but hey ho...I only had that night to see it so gave myself no choice.  Did really well and got off at the right stop.  The show was good and the park area was beautiful, lit up with all different lights but left a few minutes early so the buses weren't too crowded.

Thought I would get on the bus at the same bus stop as I knew it looped round.  So I thought.  Ended up in the bloody bus depot, just me and the driver HA HA!!  Got a strange look of him when I got off.  So here I was alone, in a part of town I didn't know so I did what I have done before here.....sat down and had a cig to think things through.  It worked.  Thought that if this was the end of the route, there had to be a bus stop nearby.  Five minutes later and I was safely back on the 601, although, I think the driver had to be somewhere....wacky races or what.  At one point he screech to a holt and a young chinese girls flew from one end of the bus to the other as she stood to get of...hilarious!

Last day today so went to the City Wall.  I heard you could hire a bike for 1 hour and 40 minutes and ride the wall.  I thought...peace of piss.  OMG I was wrong!  An hour and half later I was three quarters of the way round and my ass was killing.  Dropped the bike off a the West Gate and decided to walk the rest.  After all it was only round the corner......an hour later LOL!  It was really quiet on the wall so put my headphones in and had a little sing song on the way ha.

Really enjoyed my time here.  Walked round like a movie star because lots of locals wanted pictures of me.  Off to Chengdu in an hour by plane - no seats on the trains left (what a shame hahaha).  Very excited.  Just seem to be running on adrenaline daily but I'm loving it.

ONLY a pot to piss in...

FFS Tracy....remember, do not put bog roll down the toilet!!

I tell ya, the amount of times I've had to go fishing for my own bog roll in the toilet since i've been here!  The alternative....blocked toilet with everyone else's fluids and solids in there and 3 days to get it cleared, the alternative, find a public toilet (see below).

Well 18 hours on a train wasn't so bad providing you didn't need to toilet.  Went before I got on the train as you do and to my horror......................

...........yep a hole in the ground with no toilet roll or any rails to hold onto for that matter.

The train ride continued.  Stocked up on snacks and plenty of water for the journey ahead.  Drinking and snacking away happily my bladder decided to give me THE sign.  So, off I went on my merry way to the toilet.  I prayed that it had a proper toilet but who was I kidding, I was in cattle class with all the locals so...when in China.

From then on I decided that not one bit of food or drink was to pass my mouth until I arrived the following day 15 hours later to see if I could hold it.

Woke in the morning (4am) with THE urge.  The ultimate of all wee's.. THE morning emptying of the bladder.  I held and held (have a pretty strong bladder I must say) and held.  A few hours later even the locals wouldn't go in the hole in the floor behind the door.  What could be THAT bad?????  It got to an hour before arriving (that's 7 hours holding by the way) and I they started going in again so I thought must be ok.  I mean, I know what to expect.  I had hand sanitizer and pocket tissues at the ready.  I even had my toilet pack I bought from gap year but there was no toilet seat to put the toilet seat cover on!

Here goes....OMGGGGGGG!!!!!! It was vile!  The flusher had stopped working and there was shit floating in a bowl full of piss! GEP GEP GEP....throw up and GEP some more.  Well, I was committed now.  My bladder was laughing, ready for the ride of its life.

Finally got to my hostel and I was sooooo happy.  A proper toilet, in my room, all nice and clean and shiny and with toilet roll.  This was the one time I actually WANTED to hug the porcelain bus.

Culture shock... or just plain rude?

Do not read this blog if you have a sensitive stomach lol.......

It appears that in China you can do things that you wouldn't at home.  For example, hocking a great big loogie (thats spit with snot for you none Oldhamers) onto the floor right in front of you would appear normal.  I have yet to come across a day, no wait, an hour without hearing or seeing the horrid thing.  Its not shit on the pavement you have to look out for but a big peace of phlegm expelled from some disgusting person......YUK!!!!

Next on the list is blowing your nose without a tissue.  Yep you guessed it....holding one side of your nostril and blowing the other side straight onto the floor....again in your presence. What is wrong with these people!?

What else.....oh yes.  When eating outside at a restaurat/cafe it seems customary to spit bits of your food onto....yes...the bleein floor!  Not remove it from your mouth and place it in a napkin, oh no, lets spit it right next to that foreigner who has never been to the country before.  Lets give her a great impression of us.

Also, its a given that the Chinese will stare at you for being a westener without a welcoming smile BUT fellow travellers come on!!!! We have something in common even if it is just that we are from the same part of the world.  Ignorant bastards!  All I want is a teeny little movement of your lips resembling a smile.  Its the language of the world don't you know.

Oh and to top it off today, a little chinese man (is there any other kind lol) waved at me today, and greeted me by moving his hands around his stomach to tell me I was fat.  But you know what he said hello and he smiled at me, a strange foreign westener and it kind of didn't bother me because of that :)

Don't worry this is not a winge, I just thought I would share a bit of Chinese culture with you that I have witnessed over the last 3 days.

Let the challenge begin...

Arrived in Beijing finally on the 30th Sept.  Taxi to the hostel and off to bed.

Day one started with a challenge...get to the Forbidden City and Tiannamen Sq. Take the subway the lad on reception said...HA just like that eh!  Found the station no probs and was easy to navigate actually.  Got there and just followed the HUGE crowds that were also packed on the train like sardines.

Forbidden City

Got speaking to a nice Chinese guy who was an English teacher of Calligraphy....you can guess what happened next.  Yep pulled into his 'art gallery' and made to feel guilty to by some art work.  Left £40 lighter but they were nice though.  He also booked me on a trip to the Great Wall the next day for £10.  A little dubious but that would be my lesson learned.  Got lost on the way back and it took 3 taxi drivers to know where I was going.  Good job I took a picture of the street because I forgot the bloody hostel address and tel number DOH!!  Overall, proud of myself for getting out there alone.

Day two started with me thinking i'd been had.  Low and behold, 45 minutes after the agreed meeting time, my guide, Steven, turned up.  It appeared I was the only one on the trip too so I had a full day private tour.
Olympic Stadium, Pearl Store (£30 lighter for a necklace and bracelet down from £56 - real too), Tea shop (£20 lighter down from £120 and a free PEE PEE BOY), a pottery shop and silk museum but learned to say NO by then at last. THEN... The Great Wall.  Was amazing!! Faced my fear of cable cars going up to the top (either that or 30 min worth of steps...as if!) and a toboggan back down.  Truly breathtaking.

Pee Pee Boy

The Great Wall of China

I'm am really proud of myself so far for not cowering away in my hole of a room and taking the plunge feet first :)