Blogs from Beijing, China, Asia - page 456

You can all be very proud of me today! I managed to go from work tonight back home all by myself. This involved walking from the office to the subway, getting on the subway and off at the right station, walking back to the dorm, and ending up with bloodied up feet. So what if I feel like I'll never be able to walk again, just getting on and off the subway is a feat in itself with all the pushing involved and I only got off track once, but managed to quickly put myself back on course. The only thing I have to go by is my memory because when there are street signs, they are impossible for me to read. I must also say that I got over quite quickly the awkward feeling ... read more

WOW!! I was out like a light after that trek and slept like a baby. I bet Rachel wishes she could say the same thing, as once a again cause of Jetlag she had no sleep (haha). I have told her that there is onky one thing that works and that is Tsing Tao beer and a few of them(well works for me anyway). After a lovley breakfast we had a bit of a non starter day really. Oh dont get me wrong, we had a real good laugh and all but, how can I put it, didnt do much but sit on our bums. But worth an explanation I feel. So a bit sorry to leave the GREAT WALL as it was so beautiful and the air was so fresh after staying in Bejing. So ... read more

By the end of my first day in Beijing, I was convinced that I was the butt of some backpacker's joke that I didn't quite get. What had I ever done to Graham McCarthy or Ultan Geraghty that led them to send me to a filthy, smelly, concrete labyrinth under the pretence that it was one of the best cities on the planet? Looking back however, it wasn't exactly with a clear head that I arrived in the metropolis that has represented the epicentre of Chinese culture for almost 1,000 years. The night on the lash with Westlife in Shanghai had certainly taken it's toll. Think back to the most hungover you've ever been rushing for a flight in a strange country, stumbling from train to taxi in a state of semi-conscious, desperate for 5 minutes ... read more

Whew! What a long day! Today I started my internship with NCO Consulting, here in Beijing. I am supposed to get to work by 9am, but since this was the first day someone else was taking me and they weren't on time so I didn't get in until 10:30am, after sitting in traffic and then learning the ropes of the subway. The office is in a big skyscraper, on the 25th floor. When I first got there I was introduced to my manager, Amy, and then the boss, Luka Lu. They outlined my duties as proofreading english documents, marketing their services, and giving english lessons to the office. So my work today consisted of proofreading a letter to be sent out to an english speaking client and doing research on how to market their services. ... read more

and it is a very amazing city. I have almost recovered from the jetlag, had 6 or 7 hours of sleep yesterday, compared with the 4 and 5 the previous days. arriving turned out to be a piece of cake, hardest part was getting luggage, quite the wait for that. My host was waiting for me at the airport as arranged, so all was smooth. Had a chinese dinner the first night, there is a lady that works her at the hostel and cooks every morning and evening. The word hostel I use quite loose, it is actually a 3 brm apt and I am renting one room. It is very interesting to be living in a residential district instead of a city center. The next day I checked out the forbidden city and T square. ... read more