More time in Europe

I am AWFUL at blogging. I said I would do it about 3 weeks, and 12 cities ago. There is obviously a lot of info to divulge, but I'll try to stay to what I find most important. Which will probably be boring to you, the likely non-existant reader.

Kelly wrote about London, and from there we flew to Paris. We liked Paris enough, but I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. It's great, but it's not the greatest city in Europe in my mind. One reason for the overrating: The Louvre.

I had several problems with this place. It's ridiculous size was not one of them. I guess my frustrations started with the labelling. Everything was only in French, which I suppose is defensible (although EVERY other museum in every city we visited has had at least 2 languages, 1 usually being English) and I should be able to make out what the labels say with my limited French knowledge and my can-do attitude. Not the case. There was no formula to the labels, the artist's name, lifespan, painting name and date all seem like relevant info, but they were not always given, and not always in the same order. There were lamanted info sheets in the corner of many rooms, written in many different languages, but the English supply was low and I didn't really find them all that enlightening.
Problem 2: The layout of the art. It seemed like everything was just slapped on the walls haphazardly, no symmetry, no flow from piece to piece. It made for some confused and awkward viewing.
Problem 3: The paintings simply aren't that interesting. It seemed like everything was from the Renaissance period - which is a fine period to be sure - but it provides very little variety. We were able to finally learn how Jesus died (on a cross....who knew!) since it was depicted every 3rd painting or so, and that little angel babies can be cute, and that artists find bare breasted ladies intriguing for some reason. There were a few battle scenes and male portraits, but the first 3 were dominant. It was so bloody repetitive, the differences in the artists and time periods so minute that you required an audioguide to sort out the details. And I don't like being forced into an audioguide.
All-in-all the whole place just had a "we're the Louvre, we can do whatever the f--- we want" feel about it. You had to be a real afficianado to appreciate most of it. Not my style.

More my style was the Musee d'Orsay, which housed some amazing paintings. It was more of a timelife of art, paintings mostly, that had great pieces by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Sisley, Pissaro, and many others. Those mentioned were my favourites, and this place is much more interesting for a casual art fans like myself and Kelly.

From Paris we went to Belgium (Bruges, Antwerp and Brussels) where we stayed with and were toured by our Laurier friend Jess. She was an incredible hostess and an even better tour guide. She showed me all the best beers in Belgium (which are somehow both the best and cheapest in Western Europe), my favourite of which being Duvel and Chimay. She also showed us the famed 'secret beer', called Westvlaken I think, that is not supposed to be for commercial sale. There are 5 or 6 Abbeys in the world where monks brew beer and sell it to support their cause. Chimay is a commercialized one, but Westvlaken has strict rules where it can only sell as much as the Abbey needs. So it is very limited, you must go up near the Belgian-Dutch border I believe to get it, and it is restricted to 1 case per car. Jess knows of 2 bars that sell it, and we found one in Leuven, where she lives and goes to school. It was good, but I actually preferred the commercial Chimay.

From Belgium we went to Berlin, which is obviously rife with 20th century history. We went on a free walking tour with a cool Canadian guide Donald who showed us the big sites, some smaller ones, and told us very interesting stories. In Berlin we saw the Reichstag (parliament buildings where a 1933 fire allowed Hitler to gain total authoritarian control), Memorial to the Murdered Jews & musuem, The Story of Berlin museum, Checkpoint Charlie area, East Side Gallery (the largest remaining portion of the wall, all beautifully portraited), and Pergamon musuem, with has a partially original gate to the city of Babylon reconstructed in it. The coolest part was just walking around, learning the history, seeing the sights. It was a really cool city.

After Berlin was Dresden, which was obliterated by the US 3 days before the official end of WWII (although it was already over for all intents and purposes). It has been rebuilt nicely, and I was a little disappointed that a guided tour was the only way to get to know about any of the devestation that took place. There were no plaques, memorials, etc.

Then we went to Prague. Holy Moses there were 4 tourists for every local I think. The place was an absolute zoo, and the city just seemed like a caricature (the same type that line the famous St. Charles bridge). It was fairly cheap, although not as cheap as advertised, and it did have some cool stuff, but I just couldn't get into it. The best thing we saw while we were there was in Kampa park while we were slightly hungover. It was like a travelling circus. There was a group of guys making like Tom Cruise in cocktail, tossing 1 bottle and 1 martini shaker around like maniacs, some of the best hacky sackers I've ever seen (they were too good to kick the sack, and instead just juggled 2 with their feet, around their heads, between their legs, completing spins, you name it), a fantastic 4 man juggling troupe with a couple other solos off to the side, bagpipes, violins, and dogs playing everywhere, led by these 2 little brown and white guys that made sure to keep everyone involved. It was all hilarious. If in Prague, go to Kampa park (south end, away from the bridge....less touristy=more locals).

From Prague we went to Munich and enjoyed the stereotypical German experience. Bratwurst, sourkraut, laderhosen, and beer halls. Again we took a free walking tour (they're great, done in 8 cities across Europe I think on a tips-only basis) and learned about the start of the Nazis, some more WWII info, and a little about the Pope. Benny's from Munich. We also met our friends Till and Christine, whom we met in Malaysia on our last Korean vacation, and they showed us a few off-the-beaten-path things too. They were nice enough to meet us at a beer hall one night, then have us over for dinner the next. Unfortunately I delayed the proceedings by 2 hours since I was walking around Munich with no clue. I finally found it, and dinner was delicious. They gave us a few tips for Iceland too, which was nice.

Munich led us to Salzburg, which loves Mozart and Sound of Music tours (but only in English, the Austrians have never seen it), and a little taste of the Alps. A cool castle there gives you a good view of the city, but Kelly liked it more than I did, in no small part due to her having actually seen The Sound of Music.

From Salzburg we went to Vienna where get finally got a taste of the elusive Gustav Klimt. While in our hostel in Salzburg we shared a room with 2 young ladies who are studying in Austria. They were nice enough, but seemed quite happy with their accumulated knowledge. While talking about Vienna, one asked me innocuously "Are you a fan of Klimt?" Not knowing what it/what/who Klimt was, I just sort of shrugged. She mentioned that he is an artist. I asked "Is he an old guy?" just seeking a general era or timeframe of his work. Their response: "Hmmm...how would you describe his work?" "Oh gosh, I don't.....hmmm....wasn't he part of the Maxis Strauss (ridiculous name made up) movement" "Oh yes, now that you say it, I think he was". Of course, Klimt of the Strauss movement!! How could I have forgotten!?!? Well the next day we saw Klimt and it would've been entirely forgettable had we not been part of this exchange. We also bought post cards. Vienna was cool, unfortunately they had big stages set up everywhere for EuroCup2008, obstructing the view of some of the nicest buildings. I could've spent an extra day there.

From Vienna we went to Budapest, then Bratislava, Slovakia, and now we're in Florence. I think that's enough for today. I hope you feel caught up.

London Calling

Helloie from London!

We are having a great time here! There is SO much to see and do, it's amazing!

We had a great time in Amsterdam. The Anne Frank Huis was really inspiring and moving. We hung out in the parks and used our museum passes to the max! We went to the Rijksmuseum and FOAM, a cool photography museum. We actually ran into a fellow Laurier grad there as well, Nikki Grant and her friend Steffie! It was cool to see them and hang out! Our last night we hung out with two other couples we met at our hostel, the Flying Pig. (It was an awesome hostel!) Jackie and Larry were from LA and Quin and Miranda were from B.C. We took them to the Red Light District (you know, because we're experts on it) and got lost too! Amsterdam is sooo easy to get lost in! All the buildings are gorgeous, but they all look the same!

So we headed back to London and after a brutal interrogation process at the airport, we were allowed back into London! So, here we are. We have been staying with our friends Myra and Kristian, also friends we met in Cambodia. They have been amazing hosts, just like our friends Bas and Susanne in Maastricht. We have had jam-packed days here in London, and Kristian has been a great tour guide! On our first day we went to Tower Bridge, London Bridge, saw the Tower of London, saw the Guerkan, went to Spitafeld Market (where Jack the Ripper found his victims), London City Wall, Bank (the financial district), St. Paul's, Horse Guards Parade (and got our picture taken with an unenthusiastic guard!), Southwark Church (which was amazing... I spoke with the Chaplin for a good half an hour! It was built around 600 and Shakespeare's brother is buried there), Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abby, Millennium Bridge, the Parliament Buildings (BIG Ben!) and that night Ian and I went to see Wicked in the theatre district! It was an awesome show. The Parliament buildings were absolutely incredible. St. Pauls was awesome... we loved everything we saw!

Yesterday we went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. We had to run, otherwise we would have been late. I thought I was going to have an asthma attack! It was really cool because the guards rode in on horses, which Kristian said they don't usually do. We went to Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly circus (where I ran into some more WLU kids, Mirium, Katie and friends! Horray! How cool is that?!) and then we went to a pub for a pint after some arcade games, haha. We even checked out the Canadian pub, 'The Maple Leaf.' We went to the British Museum too, which we will write about later. Last night we went out in Camden and had a blast! I better go though, off for another day!

In Amsterdam!

Helloie out there real-world....

Here we are at our hostel in Amsterdam. We are about to go go to a coffee shop and write in our journals, so I am not going to write to much! I just wanted to post to keep you up-to-date on where we have been so far! So we flew into London last Wednesday... Ian pointed out today that we haven't even been off work for a week yet! Pretty crazy! We have been having an amazing time. Our first night away from Korea was spent at our friends, Myra and Kristian's place in London. Thursday we headed to Maastricht by plane to spend time with our friends Susanne and Bass. We stayed there for two nights, ate terrific meals and saw the beauty Maastricht had to offer. Bas and Susanne came up to Amsterdam with us and the 4 of us stayed for two nights at a sweet campground in an adorable log cabin. They just left today and we were sad to see them go, but we are excited to be here and love just wandering the streets. Today we spent about 2.5 hours in the Van Gogh museum, which was amazing. We are loving the Netherlands! We are here in Amsterdam for 2 more nights and then we are heading back to London. I am so excited about the Anne Frank Haus. For those of you who know about my interest in WWII and Anne Frank, you must know how pumped I am. Other then that, Ian and I are basically just soaking in the sites and loving our time so far!

There. That was a quick, little update!

Miss you all!
xoxo

The DMZ

This past weekend, Ian and I headed to the DMZ. The tour was led by the USO and we found the experience insightful and eye-opening!





For me, I feel it is easy to forget that we live so close to such a feared border. Just a little ways away, the DMZ lies with its razor blade wire fences and its highly monitored division line. I remember my feeling as we walked into the room where the South Koreans and North Koreans hold their talks. I felt as though I was in a time warp, and I felt a wave of disbelief rush through me. I thought to myself; 'This is real. This is really and truly real. It isn't fabricated or exaggerated.' It was an intense reminder that there is so much animosity between these two countries.





As I walked across the division line and temporarily entered into North Korea, I took a deep breath. On one hand, it was as if I expected myself to feel entirely different, but on the other hand, I knew that was silly. If anything, I just felt a bit more tense! Ian and I, along with our friends, examined the South Korean soldiers who stood stationary in the room. They didn't move a muscle. Their hands were clenched and their shoulders were broad. We were told that they must stand in a certain Taek Won Do position the entire time. This position they have chosen ensures they would be ready in case of any problems, attacks or invasions.

We learned so many things about the division of the Korea's that day. We learned about how the US, among other countries have helped the South Koreans out. We also learned what the South Koreans have offered to the North Koreans as pleasant gestures. It just doesn't seal the deal though. We learned that the South Korean soldiers have been trained to get into all of their gear, load their weapons and get into their vehicles in 6o seconds.





We also went to the 3rd tunnel found by the South Korean government, with the help of supporting countries. We were told that he North Koreans built 16 tunnels with the hopes to invade South Korea, however the North Koreans denied it. The first tunnel was found in the 70's, but the 4th tunnel was just found in the 90's. The 3rd tunnel is the only tunnel available to the public and there were no pictures allowed inside. They have not found any other tunnels, so they assume they have caved in. The tunnel we entered however, was constructed to move 30,000 soldiers through it in 1 hour. It's unbelievable. That tunnel also ended only 52 km from Seoul. Frightening.





I feel that the South Koreans want reunification more then anything. It is extremely difficult to predict whether or not it could happen in the near future. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Behold, the most feared border in the world. To check out our pictures, go to this Facebook link:



http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2155444&l=cd606&id=187905622

Hope all is well with everyone!
Miss you!

Pics from Aunt Sharon's Visit!

Here are some pics from Aunt Sharon's visit!!! See the previous post to hear from Aunt Sharon and her adventures here!

All three of us in Gyeong-ju

Sharon infront of the coolest show ever in Ewha

Sharon and Kelly at the grotto in Gyeong-ju

I-Dawg and Kel

Aunt Sharon and I in Insadong with our chicken on a stick!

Ian and Devin... yummm Chicken on a stick!

Norebanaging! We had Sharon out until 5am!!

http://www.shoes.com/ Haha! Dongedemun Night Market, Sharon's second night here

Kelly in front of a street around Insadong

Sharon and Kelly playing "Quarters!"

Sharon and Ian posing at the 'B-Boy and the Ballerina' production

Sharon out with us at Chicken Palace

Here are some links to some albums:

Aunt Sharon says good bye...

I really have to thank both Kelly and Ian for their generous hospitality; they have been amazing hosts. I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to see so much of the country they have made their home for the past year. We have been going non-stop! On my first weekend in S. Korea the three of us travelled 3.5 hours by bus to Gyeongju where we walked among the Spirits at Bulguka Temple then hiked down from Seokguram Grotto and visited ancient burial grounds in Tumuli Park-. We felt speechless as we stood in front of Cheomseongdae, the Far East's oldest astrological observatory (constructed in the 600's). The time flew by as we rode the superb subway rails to points of interest throughout Seoul. We visited palaces, temples, shopping districts, and Seodaemun Prison. We dined in authentic South Korean restaurants and along with a great collection of budding artists, we sang in a Noraebang- (keraoke room) 'til the wee hours of the morning, we saw an amazing dance production- "B-Boyz & Ballerina". I flew down to Jeju-do for two nights and was thrilled to see several areas and structures that are now protected by UNESCO and World Heritage.
Kelly and Ian have been surviving my visit on very little sleep- their priority has been entertaining "Aunt Sharon". I have felt comfortable, welcomed and totally pampered! Thanks to you both- you are two very special people. Gamsa hamdida buteo Aunt Sharon! Keep smiling as your adventures continue...

Singapore and Malaysia

Helloie everybody~

Long time, no blog, eh?! Sorry about that. As you can imagine, things are crazy here right now. A week after our vacation Aunt Sharon arrived and is still here. She is currently spending 3 days in Jeju! We leave Korea in 3 weeks time and it feels surreal. Seriously. We have so much to do... and I shouldn't be tackling it instead of blogging right now! So, I am going to just add to the email I sent out.

We went to Singapore and Malaysia. It was an amazing trip. I have been wanting to go to Malaysia since I started learning about it via Lonely Planet in September. I am so happy it ended up working out!

We had to make sure the trip was well-planned out, so we were constantly making the most of our time. We stopped in Singapore first and stayed with Mallory Gibson's family for 2 days and night. It was great to see them and how they live in Singapore. I look at Singapore as a "Stepford- country." It is perfectly manicured and the buildings are all beautiful, new and colourful. It is just like nowhere else I have ever been. The laws are really strict there and they do "hangings" every Friday. I couldn't believe it when Mal's cousin Scott told me that.

Mal's aunt Anne took us to places we may have never tried and made some awesome suggestions for our sightseeing. Singapore is definitely a cool place. It is like no place I have ever been. Anne took us to Raffles which is a beautiful hotel with a lot of history attached to it and we had Singapore Slings at the bar that created them! The next day we went on a river taxi through the beautiful Quays and to the Asian Civilization Museum. The museum was hosting very cool Buddhist exhibit. We also went to the "Battlebox." The Battlebox is where some of the Aussie and British soldiers were stationed in WWII when Japan was invading. It was really cool to learn about Singapore's involvement in WWII.



Then we hopped on the Jungle Railway up to Malaysia and made our way to the worlds oldest jungle. It is more of a trek to get to the jungle then one may believe. You arrive in a small town and then take a bus to the dock, and THEN take a 2.5 hour boat ride on a small wooden boat to the jungle. WOW. It was pretty amazing. And it wasn't commercialized which was even cooler. All the little floating restaurants were owned by Muslim families. It was great.

We slept in a 'hide' in the jungle the first night and also climbed the Canopy Walkway (the longest canopy walk in the world). The hide was really cool and there were about 12 other people sleeping in there with us... all waiting up and staring into the jungle, hoping to chance a glimpse of an animal! It was really neat to be way up high and listening to the jungle noises all night.

The next morning, we hiked back 11km in the Malay heat and booked a hostel on the outskirts of the jungle. We actually heard some pretty crazy noises at a few points during our walk and we found elephant tracks and dung! We took pictures and a video as evidence--- we were in amongst these incredible animals! People had warned us not to do the hike by ourselves. People said the trails weren't well-marked and we could end up getting seriously lost in the jungle. I guess Ian and I are 'jungle-trekker-extraordinaires' because we didn't have a hard time at all! Haha.

We met some really cool British guys that were heading to the same island that we were heading to next. We booked a night safari for that night too. The night safari took us through the wetlands and was really cool because we were sitting in the back of a 4x4 the whole time as our guide sat on the roof, pointing out animals with his extremely intense flashlight. Our guide could see ANYTHING in the dark... it was amazing. He pointed out animals that were hiding behind bushes and trees while in a moving vehicle. We saw boar, snakes, a leopard cat and more. I wouldn't have been able to spot them in the daylight! Remind me to tell you more about it in person when I see you!

From the jungle we hopped on the Jungle Railway again, up to Kota Baharu. We stayed there the night and then took the morning jetty over to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, according to a bunch of lists we found! Perhentian Kecil Island is absolutely beautiful! It is not commercialized at all and all of the people we met there were super cool and chill. Tons of divers and snorkelers head to the Perentian Islands because there are so many places to dive.We laid out the first day and on the second day we went on a day-long snorkeling trip. Oh my gosh--- I got so burnt the first day, thank GOODNESS we were snorkeling on the day-long trip on Day 2.

We went to 6 different locations and met a bunch of American teachers who are teaching English in Malaysia! We learned so much about the Malay culture and it was so interesting to talk to people who are teaching in a country as culturally different as Malaysia. The teachers have to act totally different and when asked certain questions, they must lie. For example, "Have you ever drank a beer?" Their answer would have to be "No." Drinking isn't 'the thing to do' in Malaysia. Apparently there are areas that aren't as strict as others, and it was so interesting to hear about it!

We swam with sharks at Shark point. I didn't see the sharks though, and apparently they were right by us, but we missed them! At one point, I thought I saw one, and motioned to Ian to follow me because I wanted to get close to it to take a picture... but it ended up being a large silver fish. I think. Oh well! Apparently there were Barracuda's swimming by us too! We also saw giant sea turtles, tons of beautiful fish and sting rays! We got really close to a sting ray and Ian swam even closer with the underwater camera and got a good shot!

The way the island is set up is really cool. We stayed on 'Long Beach.' and you cross the island to get to 'Coral Bay.' To cross the island, you walk about 10 minutes through a small rain forest/jungle. The first time we tried to find the path, Ian saw a giant lizard/crocodile. (We aren't sure which one- we made a run for it!) On the way back from watching the beautiful sunset on Coral Bay and drinking the most delicious milkshakes, we found a wider path back to our beach through the jungle! The third day at the island was our last day and we spent it drinking smoothies, nursing our burns, lying under an umbrella on the beach, swimming in the beautiful water and eating awesome food.

We headed back and took the Jungle Railway down to Singapore. We were on the overnight train so it took 17 hours! We were in the sleeper cabins, so it was a lot better than the seats we had on the way up. Anne picked us up back at the Singapore train station and we made the most of our last day in Singapore. We went for some awesome Indian food and checked out some art shops. Anne took us to a really cool museum that taught us more about Singapore during World War Two. So, all in all, it was an amazing trip! Picture links are attached!

Picture Links:
Singapore:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2150871&l=ead89&id=187905622
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2150900&l=b2fa2&id=187905622
Malaysia:
Jungle Trekking: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2151161&l=49d2e&id=187905622
Perhentian Kecil Island: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2152256&l=d9a5f&id=187905622
More Island: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2152497&l=475a5&id=187905622
More, More Island: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2153566&l=3f0cd&id=187905622

Ole, Ole Ole Ole Oleee, Ole, Ole

What's the meaning of the current blog title? Well, let's just say we attended another event in Seoul that we were ecstatic about. It was another "check mark" off the list of things to do.

We went to an FC Seoul soccer game and they couldn't have played against a more desirable team! The game was FC Seoul vs. the L.A. Galaxy this past Saturday, March 1st. As soon as I heard the L.A. Galaxy was coming, I purchased tickets online for Ian and I, along with Jess, Mark, Leah and Andy. Our other friend Ian met us there too.

It was my first 'real' soccer game. We had the second best level of seats, and snuck down to the most expensive area and watched the game from there. The atmosphere was really cool, along with the weather. Leah, Jess and I made shirts in support of David Beckham. (We saw a lot of other foreigners there, and we think- actually, we know- they were all fans of Beckham too!) Like the movie with Kiera Knightley, Bend it like Beckham, we made shirts and each on of us had a word on it, "bend" us" "like" and then Beckham on the back with his number. I'll post a pic on here soon!

I really think that the crowd was divided, half the people cheering for Seoul, half cheering for the visitors. I am assuming that doesn't usually happen when other teams come to Korea... they all just love David Beckham here! He was on the big screens in the stadium every 20 seconds!

The stadium was World Cup Stadium, and was a beautiful stadium. The dome didn't fully close, but it was better then no shelter from the wind at all. There were face painted fans, and men selling dried squid in and out of the aisles. It was definitely a cool atmosphere.

The game was tied, and we assumed it was over. But then, they had a shoot out and Seoul ended up winning. Beckham was the first to shoot in the shootout, and obviously scored. But unfortunately, that wasn't enough for them.


After the game, we went to our favourite Greek restaurant in Hongdae, Sandi and Drak's. Drak is pretty much a one man show now, so it takes forever for him to cool up our orders, but it is definitely cheap and delicious. He was so slow that night, however, that I hopped back into the kitchen with him and decided to give him a hand! I ended up cooking most of the meals with Drak that nitght, so by the time it came to pay the bill, didn't have to pay for my wine or my dinner. He had said "You work here, you don't pay!" He was right though.... I mean I had been ordering him around, telling him what to get me and what to do next! It was fun, all the same though and there had been about 20 of us at the restaurant!


Next some of us went to Boom Bar where they give free drink with no cover during the hours 8pm-10pm. Bars in Korea do that, and no one really knows why! We headed to Rocky Mountain Tavern, the Canadian Bar that is always a good time, and they had a happy hour for ladies going on as well. Love the free drinks. It was our friend Karin's birthday (I went to university with her boyfriend Jamie) and many other friends met up with us at the bar too. Jamie and Karin were there, along with Steph and Jay, Jess S. from Minnesota and her friend Nicole, Erin and Justin had left after dinner, but at least we got to see them for a bit, Linds Pound, Snowboarding friends; Sarah, Mike, Tom, Melissa, Naomi, Joy and all the Plus Academy Crowd except for J and J... the list goes on. So it was pretty hectic! We had a riot and ended up getting home at a decent time (around 3) which never happens here, since they don't close the bars!

Good times.... ole!

Lunar New Year in Beijing

To continue our Asian travelling theme, Kelly and I were joined by Erin, Justin Page, Justin Pray, Poly and Lindsay for 5 days over Lunar New Year. It was not disappointing.

We managed to all book the same fantastic hostel, called Peking Downtown Backpackers if interested, which was a 10 minute walk to a park/bar street and 15 minute cab ride to many attractions. When we first arrived we went on a stroll towards the park to see some of the city. That walk introduced us to the traditional Chinese new year's celebration of firecrackers. At first the firecrackers we heard were a cool celebratory thing, but 5 consecutive days of nonstop explosions got a little tiring.

For a little more tradition, we found a restaurant serving the holiday special of dumplings, of which we downed about 25 dumplings apiece. After the feast we came upon the park and saw the most amazing winter activity imaginable: ice biking! It couldn't have been cooler. A bike with 1 tire on the back, bracketed by 2 blades that acted like training wheels, with normal handlebars and a blade on the front. The steering was surprisingly responsive and the brakes weren't useless. It was the best $3/hour I've ever encountered.

Wednesday night was a sight to behold. It's hard to put into words, especially for an amateur as myself, so try and stay with me. The alley we stayed in is about 15 feet with, with 2 storey buildings on each side, many wires overhead, and trees up and down the avenue. We were told there would be a few fireworks, but the big celebrations would be in the countryside. We were deceived. By 10:00 there were fireworks ignited up and down the entire alleyway, as well as the endless cacophony of firecrackers. Flamable materials all around were ignored in the name of the party. Not a second went by where you couldn't see the flash of a firework. They were quality ones too, like you'd see at any display in Canada, just on a smaller scale. Kids lighting them, men lighting them with cigarettes, all basically asking to have massive facial burns. J.Pray had the idea to go up to the roof of our building and get a better look at the rest of the city, and what a look it was. Looking 360 degrees you could see non-stop fireworks. It was incredible, the total number of fireworks all 7 of us had seen in our lives didn't come close to the number we saw that 1 night. It was a scene, man.

On Thursday we did some of the famous sights like Forbidden City, Tiennamen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. They were decent. The highlights include a New Year's Day parade with people all dressed up, the Circular Mound (which is maybe 18 inches in diameter and raised 6 inches, the name's just hilariously translated) which people stand on and give a little prayer, a kid with a NASCAR racing jacket that was sponsered by Mralboor cigarettes, and scaffolding around 80% of the structures in Forbidden City. But we saw them.

Friday was the Great Wall. It's pretty big. The part we were on was called Simatai which isn't the most heavily traveled by tourists. We did a 7km hike, which was pretty tame in general. We were on the peak of a mountain ridge, so the wind was a little whippy, and it was cold, but the sun and walking kept you at a comfortable temperature. It has been kept surprisingly undeveloped in the area we walked, with mountains and 1 gas station as the only real surroundings, which was very nice. There were parts that had been rebuilt, but most of it seemed to be the original construction complete with crumbling watchtowers. It was what I thought it would be: big, extending as far as you could see, a little decrepit, and quite peaceful. I have now hiked a grand 0.1% of the Great Wall of China.

On Saturday we went to see some of the Olympic buildings and go shopping. Unfortunately the 'Bird's Nest' and Swimming Complex were completely inaccessible, but they looked nice from afar. We then went shopping, which was as cheap as the tales say. Polo golf shirts for $6, Versace/Tommy dress shirts for $8, etc. My best purchases were some stylish leather dress shoes, 2 pairs for about $60. Kelly's best deals were a Roxy sweatshirt for $18 and a Spyder ski jacket for $20. It was a good thing we packed light, because our bags were overflowing on the trip home.

On Saturday night we took in a Chinese acrobat show and it was incredible. There were around 8 acts, but I definitely had favourites. The dudes who set up a see-saw and used it as a catapult were sweet. One little guy stands on one end of the board, while a dude behind him balances a chair attached to a 20 foot pole on his head. A group of guys jump on the other end of the board, sending the little guy flying, doing 3 flips before landing on the chair. Next were the guys who set up rings of 2 sizes (maybe 1 foot & 2 feet wide) on a bench and ran/flipped/jumped through them. It finished with the bike rountine and about 14 women riding 1 bicycle. And these are the gymnastic rejects!

We flew out Sunday after visiting a temple and hitting one final market. China definitely has the most historical character out of any Asian country we visited. Thailand has more religion, Cambodia had 2 interesting periods but it felt like a gap from 1400-1950, Vietnam had the most recent rebuilding, and Japan had the most wealth. But none had as much palpable history as China, and certainly none merged the past with the present so well. I think the Olympics will be incredible. They seem intent on proving their worth to the world. The food was cheap and fantastic. Aside from their human rights record, I don't have a bad thing to say about the country. Which is too bad, because it's really a place I could get behind.