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Published: January 19th 2008
FIRSTLY， THE COMPUTER IS FORCING US TO WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS。 IT HAS BEEN A STRANGE BEGINNING TO A FIVE MONTH TRIP。 IT BEGAN WITH AN AWOL BACKPACK IN LONDON AND CONTINUED WITH THE ALARMING NEWS THAT THE PLANE WE ARRIVED ON IN BEIJING CRASH LANDED ON ITS RETURN TO LONDON。
AS FOR BEIJING？ THERE APPEARS TO BE SUBURBS BIGGER THAN GLASGOW！ THE ROADS ARE SO WIDE A BULLET FIRED FROM A GUN WOULD FAIL TO REACH THE OTHER SIDE。 PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS DONT COUNT FOR MUCH HERE。 BEIJING IS A VERY DIRTY CITY。
THE BULK OF OUR FIRST FULL DAY WAS SPENT EXPLORING TIANAMEN SQUARE AND THE FORBIDDEN CITY。 THE SQUARE WAS ONLY IMPRESSIVE IN THAT IT IS SO VAST。 LOOKS LIKE SOVIET MOSCOW。 MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE GORDON BROWN WAS IN TOWN BUT THERE WERE AN ABUNDANCE OF POLICE AND ARMY OFFICIALS PATROLLING THE SQUARE EITHER STOOD IDLE ON A PLINTH GUARDING AN UGLY MONUMENT OR WANDERING AIMLESSLY。
OUR FIRST DINNER WAS AN EXPERIENCE。THE MENU WAS IN MANDARIN WITH SOME PICTURES。 WE POINTED TO ONE THAT LOOKED NICE。 TURNED OUT TO BE A PLATE OF PORK FAT AND CHILLIES。 WE WERE PERPLEXED， THE CHEF WAS PERPLEXED， THE WAITER WAS PERPLEXED。
THANK GOD I HAD A BEER TO WASH IT DOWN。
TWO PAIRS OF LONGJOHNS JUST ABOUT KEEPS US WARM。 SO MUCH SO， THAT THE GRANDEUR OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY WAS LOST ON AILIE AS SHE SOUGHT SOME HEAT。 ”A POT， A PAN， A SPOON， BLAHBLAH， WHERE‘S THE HEATER“ SHE YELLED！THAT SAID， THE DISPLAY WAS COVERED IN DUST WHICH LEFT THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS AS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SIGHT。
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT。 NOT EVEN DESCRIBING SOMETHING THROUGH GESTICULATION GETS US ANYWHERE。
AS FOR OUR FUTURE PLANS， IT SEEMS WE MAY HAVE TO ALTER OUR SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF CHINESE NEW YEAR。 WE KNEW IT WOULD BE BUSY BUT THIS IS MENTAL。 ON MY FIRST GLANCE AT BEIJING WEST RAILWAY STATION， I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING OUT OF FRICKIN STAR WARS！ A SEA OF HUMANITY TRAVERSING IN EVERY DIRECTION。HARBIN IS OUT OF THE PICTURE， XIAN IS ALMOST CERTAINLY GONE AND NOW WE ARE PROBABLY HEADING FOR SHANGHAI。 WE WILL BE QUEUING FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS TOMORROW NEXT TO THE MASSES。 WISH US LUCK！
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KATIE DUNN
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how are you
HI, RYAN AND ALLIE HOW ARE YOU ? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO TODAY REMEMBER TO GO ON TO BEBO AND MSN IF YOU HAVE IT. IF YOU DO COULD YOU PLEASE SEND ME IT ON BEBO JUST TO REMIND YOU OF MY E-MAIL ADDRESS KTDUNNx@hotmail.co.uk TELL S YOUR MOST RECENT ACTIVITY AND HOW IT WAS. HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANWSER HOW ARE PEOPLES FASHION? HAVE THEY BEEN NICE TO YOU? HOW ARE THE TOILETS? WELL, THATS ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR JUST NOW. WE ARE CHECKING IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON EVERYDAY WE ALL MISS YOU REMEMBER TO WRITE A JOURNAL LOVE FROM KATIE DEE <3 PS.THE
Geri
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Hi there!
A brief hello from a wet and windy Glasgow! At least if you have to wear all your clothes for warmth then you don't have to carry them! Looking forward to further episodes.