Guangzhou a Place I Can Call My Home Away From Home

Asia » China » Guangdong » Guangzhou
October 21st 2010

Published: February 5th 2011

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Shopping...Beijing Rd

Guangzhou is the city where most of my other family members live. I come back here every 5 years or so, which lead me to my summer China trip of '09. The first night I got here I was super tired and fell asleep quick. The next morning I woke with at least 9 BIG mosquito bites all over my arms and more arose later that day. I knew this would happen because it always does, so I decided to get some mosquito repellents and sprayed bottles after bottles for 1.5 months (that was the length of my trip). Luckily, the annoying mosquito bites all over my arms n legs was the only down side to my trip. Because my family was there I was able to hangout with my relatives everyday shopping & eating everywhere. There were many new foods to try such as my favourite 'deep fried squid balls' covered in brown sauce. It was absolutely delicious! My cousin also introduced me to this Taiwanese wrap...basically a wrap filled with anything you like (i.e. chicken, cheese, beef etc) with ketchup and mayo. It sounds ordinary but the wrap/dough is a bit different definitely not your typical 'burrito' wrap. I

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@ Karaoke

wish I took a picture of these food items but I forgot😞 In terms of drinks, I went to a franchise stand called "Happy Lemon" where they serve many different kinds of drinks you wouldn't find in North America. It made 'bubble tea' look BORING! I tried the 'chocolate cake' drink and at first I thought it would be gross but it actually tastes just like it with whip cream on top! Delicious! Not only was eating everywhere on my agenda, so was the crazy amount of shopping I did everyday. I found a lot of unique clothing pieces and accessories!

The night life in Guangzhou is vibrant and live! "Beijing Road" is a popular shopping street at night because the stores don't close until midnight. Restaurants and food stands also remain open. "Tea/Dim Sum" restaurants are open until late and open as early as 4:30-5am. Clubs are quite live too but definitely a different atmosphere. Most clubs play English hip hop/R&B songs. There are tables everywhere and most people who go reserves one with the purchase of at least one bottle. Bottles are quite cheap about $400 Yuan, less expensive then if you bought mixed drinks separately. The

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dance floors are extremely small, as small as a booth and not many people dance...least not until after ingesting more alcohol. Most guys also prefer to stay at their own table playing dice games and watch people dance. There are some foreigners and are easy to spot. One particular clubbing moment that stood out for me was when this guy who had helped us take a group photo, encouraged us to stay. His reason was that he owns a BMW. Now I know BMWs are rare in Guangzhou and if you own a car, it pretty much means you have money. BUT I was more offended then "wow". So we left anyways.

In terms of sightseeing, I personally don't think there is much to see especially if you're into historical sites. I find Guangzhou is more of a city where you can experience the Chinese culture, eat and shop. Generally you will still have plenty of fun. If you're into sightseeing and history then I think Beijing would be the best city for that. Overall this was a very enjoyable trip and I would do it all over again if i had the opportunity😊

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