So, Wednesday I started my new chinese classes, although I did have to spend half an hour arguing over what I had signed up for when they tried to convince me to do the same material as covered in the classes I have already done by saying it will be much more detail! Very chinese, and I wasn't having any of it - I got my way in the end! (I wasnt going to waste £120!!)
Then I met up with Vanessa for dinner, someone I met at the weekend. We had a really nice evening chatting away, but unfortunately she left to go back to another part of china for university yesterday.
Thursday, I went to Simon and Sarahs after work, although Simon is away so it was just me and Sarah. The girls were busy making Sarah a birthday present for Saturday, and NatNat had only just realised she didnt have anything so we had to search her room for something she could give her or make for her!! We settled on decorating a photo frame! Im sure Sarah loved her shoe box covered in paper (jewellery box) and photo frame covered in stamps! They were baking a cake too. Then Sarah had booked for us both to have massages at home, so I've now had a massage too! It was great we sat and watched a movie, and had back then feet massages! It was really nice, although the massage did hurt a bit.
Nearly caught up now, Friday. The night of KTV. So Friday was Vanessa's last night, so she wanted everyone to dress up nicely and go to KTV (karaoke) - so we did! It meant I had to go and buy some shoes in my lunch hour as I had chucked my heels out at the last minute due to issues with overweight luggage! I managed to get some fairly cheaply, so it was ok. The KTV was actually pretty impressive, you book your private room and there were all different themed rooms, not sure what ours was to be honest, was quite normal! But there were long seats along the edge of room, three tables, and a big tv screen. The table were interactive tables where you could play interactive drinking games, a dj mixing deck as well as other things. And then on the walls they had these panels where you could cheer, clap, boo or laugh and it would play through the sound system to whoever was singing!! I wasnt expecting it to be so high-tec. At first everyone, apart from Vanessa who loves KTV, was a bit embarassed and not joining in, but after some drinks everyone got involved and it was really fun!
After KTV, we went to another bar on the main street in Sanlitun, but on the way we stopped for some street mojitos, another thing you wouldn't see in the UK, but for £1.50, you cant complain. However, it was when we were having our street mojitos that we got pickpocketed! My chinese phone was taken out of my bag, which was shut, George's iPhone stolen from his front jeans pocket!! And vanessa's bag cut with a knife and her wallet taken, all without us realising! Although, we think Vanessa's happened when we were inside the next club Cocomo. There some very skilled thieves out there! I suppose one funny thing is that inside my bag was my camera, blackberry and ipod, yet they took the crappy chinese phone, worth nothing just an incovenience, so jokes on them really! I also caught someone trying to reach for my bag just walking from the subway to meet everyone at the start of the night, in broad public, but luckily I noticed and pulled it round to my front. Going to have to be so careful from now on, definitely a targeted area - I think its probably because there are so many foreigners there.
But anyway, we tried to enjoy the rest of the night, then went to the police office to report the stolen things, as people needed the reports for insurance. That took a good few hours, even with a chinese speaker. I decided now would be a good time to practice my chinese numbers when the police officer asked for my birthday, however I got my months and days mixed up and vanessa just said Becky just tell me in English.. oh well, they say practice makes perfect! Then people grabbed food from McDonalds and we all headed our seperate ways, getting home around 7.30!!! Absolutely knackered!
Determined not to waste Saturday, (and also having to be awake and out my room by 12 anyway because the ayi comes to clean) me and one of the other people we were out with headed to the forbidden city, a must-see of Beijing although we are now not sure why!? I think the people that say you have to go are the people that have been, paid 60 RMB and now want everyone else to waste their money and endure the boredom! But at least we can say we've been, and that the Emperor like couches, in every room all there was were seats for him to sit on, we didnt really get it. Maybe I will read more about it then I might understand!
Last night, I wasnt planning on doing much as I was so tired, but then I thought you only have two weeks left, so we ended up going for a girly night a few drinks a bit of dancing and home by 1. It was fun. And the sleep I had afterwards was AMAZING.
And that's everyone up to date :) Today I plan to do nothing, but watch movies, catch up on the x-factor and attempt to order a takeaway! Wish me luck!!
xxx
Well you really are a busy bee now!! I hope that you are all being very careful now, I know you don't have much money but to some people you are rich tourists and therefore easy pickings! Hopefully for the rest of your stay they won't be so lucky and you can make contact with your friends again soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm very worried about the lack of shopping that you've done - most unusual for you - don't regret it as who knows when you'll be back there?!
Take care darling xx