of great things and the great wall

peach blossoms at the Mutianyu Great Wall of China

as part of the school's syllabus, we were treated to a trip up the Mutianyu side of 中国长城. the climb up was a test of endurance for 100 odd students who either had a late thursday night at the pub, or had not quite mentally woken up from their morning slumber. it was worth the sweat though. culturally, the walls have been restored to a melancholic worn-out beauty. bricks lined in the millions snake across the slopes, so you get a different view at every turn. fortresses carry little statues of animals on the edges of distinctly Chinese roofs, perhaps more likely a shelter from rain and shine now. historically, it really is a tragic wonder how a border could have been first built just using rammed earth, construction surviving through all weather hindrances.. and of course, demand for manpower. for the millions who died building the wall.. their footprints will forever be remembered in what is now one of wonders of the medieval world. the the pictures do not do much justice to the vast stretch, but it might give you a gist of it..

vast landscape in backdrop


lonely donkey


peeking through

with class teachers

on the way up


as far as the eye can see

one of the fortresses

snaking stretch

weekends have been a blur of festivity; from drinks out at san li tun to dangerous card games with too much at stake to catch ups at dawn over instant noodles with a certain fave aussie who just arrived.. there barely is time for homework! local beer is cheap enough for daily drinks, and a great compliment to almost every meal. pyro pizza has the university crowd going in for decent food, beer pong and happy hour drinks after 10pm. shopping takes a great load of emotional strength to hold your ground for a good bargain.. so there's nothing like ice-cream in between breaks of coursing through aisles of goodies in the silk markets. have made it a point to do one destination per week.. bei hai gong yuan this saturday!

thomas' brilliant idea

weekly haunt

15 RMB meal

entrance to 'ugly but tasty gimbab' restaurant!

fish-gazing in a neighbouring uni

every meal's accompaniment

chor dai di at 'the tree house'

for aspiring learners of the Chinese Language, ChinesePod does a very decent job in enlightening you on Chinese culture, while being educational entertainment. there are different levels to suit your understanding, but i found this episode of eating out in a 'Bad Service Restaurant' interesting: a taste of BSR .. and no, it's really not that bad having a meal here. the road ethics in Wu Dao Kou however, is still a fighting case. if anything, im getting better at dodging impatient cars and angry bicycles.

much to learn..

the place to be

so i had a bite of crunchy deep-fried scorpion.
it was like eating prawns, with the little legs hanging out from the bottom.
it was quite good.
but while the experience was awfully exhilarating, courage took a harrowing turn for the worse when baby birds came into the picture. three salted bbq xiao niaos on a stick, between 6 of us. i had the head. i think i bit into the gooey brains in the first mouthful. might just go vegetarian for a week to get over the guilt=[

that aside, the exquisite taste of Wang Fu Jing is something to remember.

shopping malls line up next to each other, while casually breaking into little lanes housing stalls of sugar-coated fruit sticks, amongst others. rows of red lanterns drape the air, welcoming people of all ages into its humble abode. stall vendors beckon to you at every turn, tempting you into buying into the Chinese delicacies- be it a handful of dumplings, or meat on a stick (no, not just starfish or lizards split into half on a stick..), milk in clay jars, or even small bowls of noodles that you can finish in three mouthfuls. other retailers invite you into a bargain game for souvenir-worthy collectibles like chopsticks, handmade keychains and knick knacks of the sort. the trails keep breaking up into more and more alleys that you find yourself exploring without any realization of how fast time passes. almost like getting lost in translation.

the stark contrast between the different worlds of Beijing is also captured in the above picture. Beijing opera houses with daily performances sit next to quaint little restaurants that decorate the embellished alleys.. but looming buildings under construction tower over the delicate features, almost as though threatening an impending take-over. the two converging ends of Beijing still amazes me. on the other side, the Foreign Language Bookstore tucks neatly into the corner the Wang Fu Jing square, its name well-known among BLCU international students for being one of the few bookstores stocking non-chinese books. at night, the street comes alive with the night market that is basically a culinary adventure of local delights for dinner. best probed with a couple of friends who are willing to put anything down their throats.. the variety is endless!

coming to Beijing is probably one of the few good decisions that i have made in my life. even with intensive 6 hour per day classes, BLCU makes life here an enjoyable stay with friendly teachers, excellent books (published by BLCU Press themselves) and ample opportunity to learn. the campus is very self-sufficient, with everything you need under its banner. the volleyball courts and running tracks have been my evening haunts (the sports arena here is pretty decent). the locals indulge in plenty of exercise daily, so it is no surprise that almost all of them are fit to the bone. being one of the few Malaysians here in BLCU, the circle of friends is still mostly international and therefore very multi-cultural. it is not uncommon to have a language partner to make learning the language easier. dinner, homework and drinks at the local cafes are almost a nightly ritual with plenty of affordable retreats on campus and around Wu Dao Kou.




it has been good so far.

hello beijing

monday evening, i was battling the jam at jalan surian near the curve after a mad dash to the mall to get a pair of shoes.

monday night, i was stuck in KLIA trying to hold the tears in, while being secretly glad that the flight was delayed by an hour.

tuesday morning, i was sitting in a cab listening to the driver's slurred beijing mandarin, and mentally noting it sounded arabic.

tuesday afternoon, i was walking around the wu dao kou area for a relaxing form of sightseeing.

i liked what i saw..

the weather is splendid. cold, but pleasant. the sun warms you during the day, and a trench keeps you snug at night.

the people here.. well, i just need to learn up my mandarin. fast. then they'll stop asking me where i come from once i open my mouth.

the food is cheap. you can get a 4-dish chinese meal for about RMB12 per person. there are cafes that are cozier than your cat's basket just a stone's throw away. restaurants are aplenty, and a good meal is guaranteed if you know where to go. iv yet to try the bland beijing food that many speak of. the waiters at the muslim restaurant are the friendliest bunch, so far!

Despite its name, Beijing Language and Culture University campus feels more like a village, in a good way. You get pushed around from one dormitary to another (pulling a 25g luggage on the left hand, a 12kg hand luggage on the right, a handbag on the left shoulder, and a labtop on the right) because the reservation that you made twice, was somehow not recorded. You also get sent across the campus to make fee payments and registration. funny, how every building in the university operates separately from one another. Sole Proprietor Building No. 1, Sole Proprietor Building No. 2... i kid you not, the buildings are called as such, minus the Sole Proprietor bit. the less-than-typical library houses students looking for a quiet communal place to study.. there are no books to read save for purchases made from the bookstore.

however, i've gotten used to stepping over gaping holes in the ground, walking over half-cemented, half stoned walkways, dodging angry bicycles and cars alike, and have come to see the beautiful side of it. there are little parks situated between the dorms, places you can sit down and have a quiet chat while watching blue-tailed birds hop across the roots of the trees. a woodpecker joined the family tree today. there is a quaint little 'friendship store' one block away, which sells everything from handphones to stationery to toilet paper. there are soldier-lookalike security guards that look swell in their uniforms, because they stand so upright and smug you think they love their job. the sports arena entertains the likes of basketballers and volleyballers while showcasing the beauty of taichi and wushu enthusiasts. trees line the walkways in their autumn glory. the campus, and its surrounding areas, are heavy with the bustle of students, workers and teachers.

Dorm Building No. 6

Security guards doing their rounds at dawn

wandering out, there are huge shopping complexes lining the street.. but some entrances are somewhat obstructed by a construction site. it's perfectly normal to dodge around metal sticks, loose rocks and stern faces, just to get somewhere. the nearby cinema is showing 'the golden compass', but i wouldnt have known it was open for public until I saw the poster plastered on the wall outside. a friend here likens china to a big factory. i think he is pretty close to the truth.

i took my placement today. it was difficult=[ no way i could give the han yu pin yins to the 100 chinese characters on paper. classes start tomorrow itself. it will be hard work!

p.s. i cant view my blog, but i can blog. so Blogger is somewhat blocked in China. hmm..

edited 29th march
things i can do:
- blog
- read comments (as i get notifications)
- modify template

things i cant do:
- use pkblogs (as per isaac's recommendation, somehow it doesnt work for me)
- use proxy.pac in advanced network settings
- view chatbox

the walk of time

Dec 2007:

Bringing Melbourne Alive

through rekindled reunions from home. birthday gifts that touch the heart and late night catch ups till 5am. hardly sleeping always eating, just your average tourist for the month. graduating through thunderstorm and sunshine, adding on to the joys and harsh realizations of the day. the crazy people i call friends who came to support me- you all made my day! (p.s. i miss you girls, and ironically, im seeing the guys in beijing soon) wine and dine, in not much style but lots of comfort. GPS-ing through long drives, SMS-ing in between naps, trigger-happy souls wandered through the sights and sounds in ultimate delight.

cuties

lazing at monash clayton

amateur golfer

tumultuous grad day

strawberries

so coooold!

boys like black umbrellas

Christmas at Sanctuary Lakes

huddle at the melb museum

beautiful coastline

Jan 2008:

Macau and everything in between

was supposedly a shopping paradise, both for the brand-conscious (macau) and for the thrifty fashionistas (other parts of China). the best company for whisky and dirty jokes during dinner. family friends are the kind of friends you keep as family, for all time. endless massages, by young but skilled masseurs. travelling from north to south to east to west, for the best culinary treats. winning at roulette, only to splurge on everything else. coffee was almost impossible to find. conversing in broken bits of mandarin, only to have them reply in cantonese.. bah. an interesting trip.

one of the busy squares(i dont remember what it's called!=[)

distinctly macau

inside the Venetian Casino/Hotel

Dr Sun Yat Sen's village

we couldnt take a proper one

'pushing' the steel doors

Wynn's extravagant Dancing Fountain Show

visiting ji lui (Pearl Lady) at Jihoi (Zuhai)


Feb 2008:

Chinese New Year

sparkling red with gorgeous hakka meals, day through night through dawn. obligatory wishes, added on to the overflowing yee sang. cries of forgotten faces and new additions to the family tree. kids blooming into teenagers, young adults looking for adventures abroad and beyond.. the old, smiling at them all. festivity joined in by two barking dogs who hate being left out of the chatter. some people change, but nothing bonds better than a deck of cards laid on the table of course.

we try to be young

some of us kids

take number 3

dining table

a yearly get-together

caught between glam aunties


March 25th, 2008:

Beijing, here I come.
12 weeks of intensive Mandarin classes at BLCU, and then off to realize an AIESEC internship. for the first time, im going alone.
Fingers crossed, the adventure begins.

and so she taught

“We teach for our students, not for ourselves.”

Bumbling through her banter, she paused only to take a spoonful of meehoon sprinkled with spring onions and skinny prawns. Pak Li Kopitiam, another one of the mushrooming kopitiam outlets in Dataran Sunway, was the start of our culinary adventure for the day.

“If you spoon feed your students, how will they break out of their high school mindset, and think for themselves through a challenge? Results say something, but most importantly, you must groom them while they are still in their foundation year.” Outside, the drizzle turned into louder taps against the wooden canopy roof.

“And that’s why the few of you are around, to uphold what should have always been..”, I declared. “I used to think that there was a severe lack of professionalism in this industry, but I was proven wrong. You inspired us to break out of the mould, to have faith in ourselves to achieve the unthinkable. And look, we came out tops!” I looked back on M2, the class of 2004.

She smiled. “You guys were great. It’s the students that keep me going. But.. it's tiring. I’m getting tired of fighting the authority, of the accusations that fly around the office.” The sparkling eyes looked away for a split second, failing to disguise the pain harboured inside. “They’ve misled me into renewing my retirement contract for a higher position but a lesser involvement in the classroom, and now they give me scholars to teach… against my own will.”. A look of quiet disdain passed through her façade. “Scholars who question my competence the minute I step foot into class!”.

“I want a wholesome class I can develop; playful but intelligent students who listen, argue and accept with respect. I may get the blow during BOD meetings every week for underperforming results, but what do they know of the quality of my classes? At the end of the day, the year-end results speak for themselves. I am in no competition with the others who stuff look alike exam questions down their students’ throats. It’s about teaching them how to apply the concepts, and not regurgitating memorized answers.” She sighed. A strand of graying hair fell across her forehead.

The next instant, the shadow lifted.

“But more importantly, what are we going to have next?” Her eyes gleamed. We looked at each other- one, a former student, the other, an experienced mentor. I, along with many other of her students in her 30 odd years in education, was living proof of her dedication. Decades may have separated our age, but the bridge to friendships transcends time. How I loved this woman. Her passion to teach, her courage to fight for what she believes in, her optimism spilling over even in the bleakest moments. And the love of food! That does me in anytime.

“Well, there’s one of the best tau fu fas just down the street…”

sweet nothings

even if i dont say it anymore,

you know I LOVE YOU.

tonight

weird. i really thought i had it all under control. that leaving melbourne was a piece of cake, once you got all that not-so-important-junk thrown out of the tiny cramped room and the 100kgs worth of more-important-shit stuffed into suitcases ready to be flown home.

yeah, all it took was one flight back to summer paradise and i would start a new chapter of my life. no heart pangs, no melancholic daydreams.. zilch. absolutely nothing. i settled right back in, a little like how you would instinctively close a book after finishing it. this coming from someone who loved the over-proclaimed laidback lifestyle. it really was good, doing things at your own will.. sleeping whenever, or not sleeping at all.. fending and mending the self-nourished soul. making and stretching time, squeezing slots in.. doing grocery shopping like there was no tomorrow. the apartment was so cozy with all that keepsake around..

as a hoarder, i kept everything. name tags, cards, sugar cubes (mostly from AIESECers, and some so frayed at the edges they could tear any moment), tickets to every event ever went to, nice sms-es (copied down in a blue diary somewhere), envelopes, postcards.. anything that could possibly have a personal value in it, i kept it. the memories were just like yesterday. someone once said that i could possibly be living in the past. that passing comment stuck, for i was afraid that it might very well be true.

so how did i take one step forward and never looked back?

.. until tonight, that is.

something about tonight's little rendesvous caught me by surprise. just sitting at the overdue wooden table, abandoned by the waiters, lazing under The Curve's night's blanket. mildly amused, chuckling, talking about absolutely nothing and everything at the same time, seeing smiles, hearing laughter.. making waves. this is gonna sound so corny, but it was just beautiful. not perfect, but it's one of those times that you can look back on the night itself, and just be blown away by the simplicity of such pleasures. for me anyway. i really dont know how to put it into words, but im trying..

it's like, feeling so at peace that you actually forgot about the worries of the world during that piece of stolen time. and because you were actually in the moment, with armour and shield down, you could not have realized then how priceless that feeling was.. and hence the reflection thereafter. it is just.. wow. the lightness of heart, caught in that frame of mind.. ah, such beauty. all this rambling probably doesnt make sense unless you were there. or if you think just like me.

should have known that AIESEC has kept me together all this while.. despite breaking a few bad bones along the way. it's that subtle difference that makes you. and it's the people that make AIESEC. tonight was special. it reminded me of the times that we had, good and bad, but magnificent all in all. the times that i will no longer partake in, not in the near future anyway. the ease of conversation that just flows, and can go on the whole night if given the chance. the delicate you, an over-achiever beyond a doubt. you work your magic all the time. the amazing you, a most trusted friend and confidante. adept, capable, a pillar of strength. cant believe you're leaving too, it's gonna be weird not having you around. we squabble, but you know i love you. the steady you, so down to earth and and yet so full of hidden talent. the joyful you, how i wish i knew you earlier.. you have such a happy heart.
bowling was fun, guys. but the only feeling worse than leaving loved ones, is being left behind instead. please come back soon.

au naturel, the sanctuary detour