TRAVEL: China!

I’m supposed to write about my visit to china a year ago, but I have to –put excuse, more excuse- 

....So yeah.

Anyway! Last year, after we finished our month long exam, the IGCSE exam, my school provides us a 5 day holiday to China! *insert lovely Chinese song here*

So excited!

I was so excited; I went to prepare for it 3 month before we go. No kidding. So when it was about 3 hours before I went to the airport, I was relaxed.

No, I was too relaxed; when I got to the car I forgot my luggage.

I was afraid that I might forget things, so I go full check on the internet for tips and found quite a lot. But, I’m still not satisfied. I want a tip where I could learn from it. Not wanting for people to feel the same as me back then, I went to write my own.

What you need to prepare (besides, clothes and bath supplies) is...

1.       Medicine. Seriously, you need to prepare some medicine anywhere you go. This medicine thing that I talk to you about consists of aspirin and for stomachache. There’s no way for you to go to the pharmacy in there. They hardly speak English, in my experience, and might get you wrong medicine. Stay safe, bring your own.

2.       Chili Sauce. The food in china isn’t spicy, but if you are coming from a country which is rich in spices ---much like me--- the food here doesn’t really suit my taste at all. Some of it was too bland for my taste, but it was great when combined with Chili Sauce!

3.       Scarf. I come in summer around June. The temperature in there isn’t much different with Indonesia, slightly cooler in some places, so it better for you to bring some scarf or cardigan. 

4.       Money. Yeeep, this one is crucial. My 5 days trip to China were provided with 600yuan and 100US dollar in advanced, this is the least of money to bring if you ought to bring some souvenir for your family.

In Chinese, Tips and Trick:

1.       The first things you need to do when you’re done with your hours of flight are to wash your face and brush your teeth. Don’t forget to bring your travel toothbrush pack on your bag. We don’t want to wonder around with morning breath, right?

This one is good!

Tip: Better done it in the plane. The airport toilet will be crowded, more if you come with your group. It is more comfortable for you to do this before the plane land.

2.       If you come with travel, there’s a chance for your tour guide to sell you some things like wallet and shirts.

Tip: BUYS LOT. The thing is, my tour guide do this and the price is much cheaper (a wallet that works closely to Matryoshka doll, it has a wallet inside wallet, was sold for 30yuan. The market sold it for 70yuan.) Than in the market. I regretted the fact that I didn’t buy loads from him.

Treat yo self, man. Yeah.

3.       Calculator.Most of Chinese web travel guide told you to bring a calculator with you when you bargain, but it is no need actually.

Tip: When you come to bargain in the Chinese market, the seller will approach you with their calculator on hand. The funny thing when you go bargain in there, there’s no need of language. You got to choose your pick of product and the seller will tell you the price using the calculator. If you think the price is not worthy just shake your heads and he will give you the calculator, keep in mind, they don’t give you the calculator; they want you to write the price you want on it. Remember the first price he gives you and bargain for HALF PRICE of the first price. I assure you, they go to increase the price 3 timesfrom its original price. Keep insisting.

The lovely casio that I  brought for my trip!

4.       DON’T bargain for food. It’s not polite, -chuckles- I actually did try this in one vendor and they looked at me with “Gurl, you can’t be kidding me” but I did act confused as a foreigner should and they must pity my face because they did give it with the price that I want. After that, I feel the need to kick myself. Damnit.

Tip: Do bargain for anything other than food.But keep in mind, you can only bargain in street vendor. Don’t go around bargaining price in Forever 21 and told them that you can because internet says so.  

DON'T Bargain for food like this. Ah... Please excuse my face.

5.       Some street vendor has a rude seller. Unfortunately, I have ventured this on my own.

The story goes when my best friend, Tya, seems to be interested in this little wallet she wants to give to her little sisters. But after thinking about it for several times, she decide that it is not worthy enough. When we tried to walk away, the vendor’s owner suddenly grab me and Tya’s hands. She’s a girl, ---around my age it seems--- and start rapping in Mandarin. Startled, we looked at her and back to both our hands. She pointed at the wallet Tya’s been looking at that time and told us the price. “35 Yuan! 35 Yuan!” she begged us. I was shocked, it is very pricey for a little wallet, and it seems that she only want to bargain for 30 Yuan the least. We could get 2 shirts with the same price.

People were staring at us and I try to talk to her, with my limited mandarin but then her eyes started to water. Tya looked terrified; she was stoned, albeit our height difference, the girl’s grip sure was leaving a mark. I looked at Tya and she looked back at me, both of us didn’t know what to do. In dillema, I was thinking of buying something, which is cheaper than the wallet to calm her down, but the girl... She went gaga at our seemingly refusal. She let go of our grip harshly and start to yell in English, “you crazy! You rude!” and went to shoo us. Scared, both of us walked fast to avoid the scene. 

After we were a couple of block away, I looked at Tya and let out a nervous laugh. She does the same. We come in a conclusion, “Chinese vendor stalls is scary!”

Tip: Keep in mind that not all the vendor owner is rude and scary. Some were very nice. If you afraid you will ventured something like me, the best is stay calm and when you have no choice try to buy something else that look very cheap. Just in case she went gaga on you.

6.       Took lots of pictures! Chinese street vendor is very interesting! Try to grab a lot of pics before you done with the trip. There’s some vendor that sell dried worms and fried cockroach. If you are feeling adventures, buy it! I heard it taste like chips.

Tip : Do not bargain for food like this!

7.       Foreigner, is not very rare in Chinese but still, there’s a habit of taking picture of them when they passed by. The habit is still going strong when I come to china. I wasn’t supposed to be a foreigner, I’m Asian after all. South, but Asian. But for some reason, the Chinese begin to take picture of me, this happen since the food vendor incident (the one I tried to bargain with) they told me that I have a big eyes and I swear, the men on the back of the vendor is taking picture of me. In Summer Palace, some of them were brave enough to ask for a picture with me.

DUDE, I feel famous. My friends told me maybe because of my big eyes and tan skin. Damn them.

Tip: Smile!

Me with Bella! 

8.       Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, is quite hot around June. (But no, Jakarta is way hotter!) I suggest you to bring some hats and sunglasess.

Tip: Be careful here, there’s so many people inside the Tiananmen Square, don’t get your group mixed up with another.

9.       The Great Wall is quite cool in June. The wind is cool and the sky is very clear. The scenery is amazing! Take lots of photo!  Don’t lose your ticket to enter the great wall and the gondola.

Tip: there’s will be lots of walking, please used your most comfortable shoes. A killer heel is a must if you want to chop your foot afterwards.

10.   Enjoy yourself! The thing that I regretted the most is not to enjoy myself to the fullest in my 5 days in china. I always worry about the day after. Don’t be like me! Just go along with the flow.

Heh. Enjoy!

Anyway, it’s been very nice to be able to travel to China. I would love to go again!

Regrads,