Since my grandma, my mom and Emily arrived Hong Kong and China, they have done a lot more walking and climbing of stairs. In Hong Kong they live on the 4th floor and in China they live on the 3rd floor. Also, there were a lot of walking and climbing during their tour because many of the attractions are on hills. Climbing hundreds of steps in the heat takes away the enjoyment of the scenery. To add to the challenge, my mom carried her laptop everywhere she went due to the fear of theft. From time to time, Emily took the laptop from her to give her a break. Although it was hard work taking the laptop with them on the tour, they were happy to have internet access at three out of five hotels.
The day in Nanjing was very hot. My grandma decided not to climb up the hill to the tower and waited at the bottom of the hill. My mom had to take a rest to cool down before she could finish the climb. Emily got to the top and waited for my mom. It was so hot up there that they didn't stay for long or explore the area. They came down the hill to take shelter in the shade. It was when Grandma asked if they saw the bridge that they realized they forgot that the purpose of the hike was to see the Yangtze Bridge (長江大橋). China hired an American consultant to assess the feasibility of building the bridge. His recommendation was that it was impossible to build a bridge at the site. The Chinese went ahead against his recommendation to build it. As a result, the Chinese are very proud of this bridge.
It rained the next day in Wuxi (無鍚) when they visited the Big Budda (靈山大佛). The rain was so heavy that they were completely wet. Fortunately, the weather was warm so they did not feel cold. After having lunch there, the rain stopped. They were able to walk around and watch the musical fountain show. This attraction is nicely designed and built, but my mom felt sad to see so many Chinese worship the idols.
The next stop was Suzhou (蘇卅) and they took a boat ride in the evening. It was an unplanned activity to replace a cancelled show. To grieve for victims of the earthquake, the government ordered no entertainment for three days. It was a disappointment because Emily really looked forward to the show.
The highlight in Shanghai (上海) was meeting with a friend, as they had a very nice visit. They were really impressed by her apartment, her collection of art work and porcelain dolls. They were taken to a fancy restaurant for a very nice supper which was VERY different from the meals offered by the tour. Emily was happy that the washroom in the restaurant was really nice and clean. Earlier that day, Emily had a tummy ache and was forced to use smelly washrooms. Fortunately, her diarrhea did not last long.
The last stop was Hangzhou (杭卅) and the weather was decent as it was not extremely hot. They were pleasantly surprised when they reached the Leifeng Tower (雷鋒塔). The tower was built around 950 AD by the emperor to celebrate the birth of a son by his concubine. Then there was the legend of the white snake falling in love with a human (白蛇傳). The white snake was imprisoned by a monk underneath the tower. The local people believed that the tower had magic power over snakes. The silk worm growers started to steal bricks from the foundation of the tower for protection from snakes. Eventually the tower collapsed. The tower was rebuilt a few years ago with esculators to take tourists up the hill and elevators to go up the tower. Emily enjoyed reading the story (in English) about the white snake legend. She commented that all towers should be rebuilt and modernized.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Eastern China Tour
While travelling in China, internet is available most of the time to my mom and sister, Emily. However, they cannot access some of the websites, such as blogspot.com. My mom cannot view the blogs but can now post new notes with Emily's help.
Grandma, Mom and Emily arrived Guangzhou (廣卅) on May 12. They joined a 6-day tour (May 17 - 22) to Eastern China (華東) to visit Nanjing (南京), Wuxi (無錫), Suzhou (蘇卅), Shanghai (上海), and Hangzhou (杭卅).
It was chaotic when they boarded the plane, as passengers did not take their assigned seats. My mom and Emily got bumped and they sat by the emergency exit with one other passenger. They were told to read the instructions, which stated that passengers who cannot understand the written instructions and passengers who cannot understand verbal instructions of the crew should not take the seats by the emergency exit. My mom and Emily can read the instructions but cannot understand Mandarin. The other passenger can understand Mandarin, but he indicated that he is not literate. None of them should have taken those seats!
After being pushed and shoved constantly by crowds, my grandma, my mom and Emily got a little smarter on their return flight to Guangzhou (廣卅). They kind of stayed back to be the last ones to board the shuttle bus to the plane. They became the first ones to get off the bus. Since Emily is more agile and swift, she got the job of boarding the plane as fast as she could to grab their assigned seats on row 7. My mom stayed behind to escort Grandma. When it was time to get off the plane, they remained in their seats. The 100+ passengers who passed by them stared at them wondering what was wrong with them. They eyed them as if they were insane. What was the point of rushing anyway. They all had to wait for their luggages to come out before they could leave the airport.
The weather was reasonably well. It rained one day and the other days were sunny. It was nice and cool in the early mornings. The temperature started to climb after 9 am. My mom's biggest challenge was the heat. The tour bus air conditioning was either off or on a low setting. My mom was uncomfortably hot most of the time. Emily's biggest challenge was the toilets - the strong smell and the squatting. She tried her best to avoid the need to use them. She had a tummy ache while in Shanghai (上海). Fortunately, her diarrhea stopped after running to the toilets twice.
It was interesting to hear the tour guide's explanation of the history and culture of the various locations. Due to my mom's limited command of Mandarin, she could not understand all of the narrations. She interpreted as much as she could for Emily. If Emily ever returns to China for a visit, she should join an English speaking tour.
There were lots of tourists everywhere. Sometimes there could be 3 to 4 tour guides around us speaking at the same time. There were constant shouting, arguing and loud conversations. What was sad to witness was that many tourists showed no respect for public property: spitting, throwing garbage/cigarette butts on the ground, climbing over barriers to take pictures, touching artifacts, banging displays, etc. It was the shoving and pushing that got to Emily. Even when the people in front were not moving, the people behind kept pushing.
Grandma, Mom and Emily arrived Guangzhou (廣卅) on May 12. They joined a 6-day tour (May 17 - 22) to Eastern China (華東) to visit Nanjing (南京), Wuxi (無錫), Suzhou (蘇卅), Shanghai (上海), and Hangzhou (杭卅).
It was chaotic when they boarded the plane, as passengers did not take their assigned seats. My mom and Emily got bumped and they sat by the emergency exit with one other passenger. They were told to read the instructions, which stated that passengers who cannot understand the written instructions and passengers who cannot understand verbal instructions of the crew should not take the seats by the emergency exit. My mom and Emily can read the instructions but cannot understand Mandarin. The other passenger can understand Mandarin, but he indicated that he is not literate. None of them should have taken those seats!
After being pushed and shoved constantly by crowds, my grandma, my mom and Emily got a little smarter on their return flight to Guangzhou (廣卅). They kind of stayed back to be the last ones to board the shuttle bus to the plane. They became the first ones to get off the bus. Since Emily is more agile and swift, she got the job of boarding the plane as fast as she could to grab their assigned seats on row 7. My mom stayed behind to escort Grandma. When it was time to get off the plane, they remained in their seats. The 100+ passengers who passed by them stared at them wondering what was wrong with them. They eyed them as if they were insane. What was the point of rushing anyway. They all had to wait for their luggages to come out before they could leave the airport.
The weather was reasonably well. It rained one day and the other days were sunny. It was nice and cool in the early mornings. The temperature started to climb after 9 am. My mom's biggest challenge was the heat. The tour bus air conditioning was either off or on a low setting. My mom was uncomfortably hot most of the time. Emily's biggest challenge was the toilets - the strong smell and the squatting. She tried her best to avoid the need to use them. She had a tummy ache while in Shanghai (上海). Fortunately, her diarrhea stopped after running to the toilets twice.
It was interesting to hear the tour guide's explanation of the history and culture of the various locations. Due to my mom's limited command of Mandarin, she could not understand all of the narrations. She interpreted as much as she could for Emily. If Emily ever returns to China for a visit, she should join an English speaking tour.
There were lots of tourists everywhere. Sometimes there could be 3 to 4 tour guides around us speaking at the same time. There were constant shouting, arguing and loud conversations. What was sad to witness was that many tourists showed no respect for public property: spitting, throwing garbage/cigarette butts on the ground, climbing over barriers to take pictures, touching artifacts, banging displays, etc. It was the shoving and pushing that got to Emily. Even when the people in front were not moving, the people behind kept pushing.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Quangzhou
My grandma, mom and sister are thrilled that the tour they signed up for has been cancelled. The complicated visa application process has delayed their trip to Quangzhou to visit family. They will leave for Quangzhou on Monday (May 12) and stay for about a week as they plan on returning to Hong Kong to take a tour to Shanghai and Eastern China in late May and a tour to Taipei in early June.
My mom finds it difficult to organize their travel plans because they had to wait for the visa approval and then the confirmation or cancellation of their signed up tour. When they arrive Quangzhou on Monday, my mom will look for available tour(s) there.
My mom is now searching online for China/Taipei tours departing from Hong Kong. Hopefully, there are tours that suit their schedule.
My mom finds it difficult to organize their travel plans because they had to wait for the visa approval and then the confirmation or cancellation of their signed up tour. When they arrive Quangzhou on Monday, my mom will look for available tour(s) there.
My mom is now searching online for China/Taipei tours departing from Hong Kong. Hopefully, there are tours that suit their schedule.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Extreme Heat
I have talked about extreme cold in Edmonton. Now, it is time to talk about extreme heat . . . . .
My mom’s hot flushes make the heat unbearable for her at times. Her glasses steam up and sweats pour out of her. She cannot understand how anybody can wear sweaters and jackets in such hot weather. Yet, an amazingly large number of people she meets on the street wear thick and dark color clothing.
My mom and sister continue to “steal” wireless internet, but are getting less successful with it. As a result, my mom cannot post notes on a regular basis. Over the past few days, my grandma, mom and sister have been meeting with different family/friends each day.
My sister bought two cell phones and had been to the store in Mong Kok almost daily to exchange them because something was wrong. She is now very familiar with the streets in Mong Kok.
The application for visas to enter China is successful and they can enter China two times. They signed up for a short trip to China simply for meeting the requirement of visa application. The trip can be cancelled if not enough people sign up for it. They are hoping for cancellation of the trip so that they can go to Quangzhou on their own to visit my mom’s cousins. They will know two days before departure date (May 14).
My mom’s hot flushes make the heat unbearable for her at times. Her glasses steam up and sweats pour out of her. She cannot understand how anybody can wear sweaters and jackets in such hot weather. Yet, an amazingly large number of people she meets on the street wear thick and dark color clothing.
My mom and sister continue to “steal” wireless internet, but are getting less successful with it. As a result, my mom cannot post notes on a regular basis. Over the past few days, my grandma, mom and sister have been meeting with different family/friends each day.
My sister bought two cell phones and had been to the store in Mong Kok almost daily to exchange them because something was wrong. She is now very familiar with the streets in Mong Kok.
The application for visas to enter China is successful and they can enter China two times. They signed up for a short trip to China simply for meeting the requirement of visa application. The trip can be cancelled if not enough people sign up for it. They are hoping for cancellation of the trip so that they can go to Quangzhou on their own to visit my mom’s cousins. They will know two days before departure date (May 14).
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Shopping Excursion
My mom and sister went on a whole day excursion. They met with friends for lunch and then went shopping at Mong Kok. They got more experienced in bargaining. However, when the vendors readily agreed to their price, they wondered if they had lowered the price enough.
Since they were meeting with mom's nursing school classmates for supper, they decided not to go home and continue shopping. It was a lot more walking than usual and their feet were getting tired. Whenever they walked past a shoe department, they sat down to try on a few shoes. They have tried on shoes, sandals, slippers and runners.
They had an enjoyable evening visiting with old friends. A reunion is planned for their 40th aniversary in the year 2010 - Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver.
Since they were meeting with mom's nursing school classmates for supper, they decided not to go home and continue shopping. It was a lot more walking than usual and their feet were getting tired. Whenever they walked past a shoe department, they sat down to try on a few shoes. They have tried on shoes, sandals, slippers and runners.
They had an enjoyable evening visiting with old friends. A reunion is planned for their 40th aniversary in the year 2010 - Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Money Exchange
My mom was told that it is better to use her credit card to pay for major expenses during her visit in Hong Kong. It turned out that some places do not accept credit card payments while others charge a 2-3% service charge. My mom accumulated a debt of over $3,000 shortly after her arrival in Hong Kong.
It was time to visit a bank to exchange for Hong Kong dollars. An auntie accompanied my mom and sister because service fees can be waived for having an account with the bank. The “mission” failed at the first bank they visited. This bank does not accept Canadian dollars for currency exchange. My mom has US traveler cheques but they only accept cash.
Off they went to a second bank and this bank accepts cash and traveler cheques of both Canadian and US dollars. Service fee of $50 can be waived if the exchange value is over $3,000. My mom proceeded to sign her traveler cheques and was then told that there is a service charge of $60 for cheques. My mom decided to continue with the transaction as she was in need of Hong Kong currency. Unfortunately, the transaction could not be completed because she did not have the original copy of her passport. All the passports have been submitted for visa approval and will not be available till May 7. They went home to gather cash and returned to the bank to accomplish the mission.
It was time to visit a bank to exchange for Hong Kong dollars. An auntie accompanied my mom and sister because service fees can be waived for having an account with the bank. The “mission” failed at the first bank they visited. This bank does not accept Canadian dollars for currency exchange. My mom has US traveler cheques but they only accept cash.
Off they went to a second bank and this bank accepts cash and traveler cheques of both Canadian and US dollars. Service fee of $50 can be waived if the exchange value is over $3,000. My mom proceeded to sign her traveler cheques and was then told that there is a service charge of $60 for cheques. My mom decided to continue with the transaction as she was in need of Hong Kong currency. Unfortunately, the transaction could not be completed because she did not have the original copy of her passport. All the passports have been submitted for visa approval and will not be available till May 7. They went home to gather cash and returned to the bank to accomplish the mission.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Shopping
Grandma, mom and sister are still struggling with jet lag. They can hardly keep their eyes open by late afternoon. They go to bed early and get up early. Their daily routine is to steal internet to stay connected with others, meet up with family/friends, shopping and eat (of course). Mom is retaining so much water that her fingers puff up. She has this problem every time she goes away.
Here is a description of their first shopping experience. They bargained and made their first purchase. Just as they were proud of their accomplishment, they found another similar product for a lower price. They successfully bargained for an even lower price. A job well done in terms of bargaining, but the drawback is that they have double of what they need. They have learned the following lessons:
* Asking prices are generally inflated, so it is wise to bargain.
* Do not demonstrate an eagerness to purchase as the vendors will start to offer discounts.
* Go to a few nearby vendors to check out prices before making a decision to purchase.
Here is a description of their first shopping experience. They bargained and made their first purchase. Just as they were proud of their accomplishment, they found another similar product for a lower price. They successfully bargained for an even lower price. A job well done in terms of bargaining, but the drawback is that they have double of what they need. They have learned the following lessons:
* Asking prices are generally inflated, so it is wise to bargain.
* Do not demonstrate an eagerness to purchase as the vendors will start to offer discounts.
* Go to a few nearby vendors to check out prices before making a decision to purchase.
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