fuck,  it's been so long since I updated last.

but there's not been much to update.  a couple of weeks ago I went through to beijing to meet up with a few people,  which was fun.  getting the bus there was a bit confusing - I had passports and bits of paper everywhere,  but eventually I managed to get on and sit in the right seat.  trying to figure out whereabouts in beijing the bus was going to was also a complete ballache - my friend Jiaxu was meeting me,  and we couldn't figure out which bus station I was headed for.  

I tapped the man next to me on the shoulder,  and gave him my phone.  he held it up to his ear,  and because he didn't say anything and Jiaxu didn't say anything,  he though I was taking the piss.  eventually,  after a lot of mime action for 't a l k i n g' he eventually got the message - and it turns out he had never been on that bus before and had no idea where it was going.  eventually I plucked up the courage to ask the very nice and very pretty lady infront of me,  and we managed to figure out the bus was going to some random street round the back of beijing west station.  handy.

so I met Jiaxu,  got something to eat (a subway - the food of the gods round these parts),  then met Jessica.  we found our hostel,  which was a complete shithole but £2.50 a night  (queue the girl in the bunk opposite me - "oh,  I found a tick in my bed last night.  just saying."),  dumped our stuff and headed out.  it was fun,  although she did drag me to a bar where the drinks for ladies were free and boys had to pay to get in.  

then onto a club which was also fun.  and the next day was pretty much a repeat,  although the dj in the club decided to play 'YMCA' twice in a row,  which was without doubt the highlight of my weekend.

then the train back to tangshan,  which was another mental experience.  there are two different seat types on the trains - hard class and soft class.  the soft class seats are plush,  decadent and comfortable.  the hard class seats look like something from a hospital - all metal tubing and not much padding.  I decided to take the hard class seats,  not because I am unbelievably tight when it comes to money,  but because I wanted to see what it was like  (no,  really).

and it was fine.  a guard comes up and down the carriage with pots of dried noodles and a HUGE kettle of boiling water,  and I had to keep convincing him that I didn't want any - but people here think I'm too skinny and are always determined to feed me.  thankfully,  the man opposite me who kept lighting up cigarettes distracted the guards each time.

and then tangshan.  I had a week off because of the national day holiday,  and the mid-autumn festival.  I would like to say I'd been extremely busy and productive,  writing my memoirs and learning some mandarin,  but instead I moped about my apartment in my pants,  watching episodes of come dine with me that I'd downloaded.  I did have a day out to the coast with merte,  but I'll write about that later because I cannot be fagged today.

because I'd put money onto my skype account via paypal,  the bank took that to mean that I was back in the UK and put a block on my visa card again,  so I had no money until yesterday.  and because this weekend has been a pretty bad one - I've been mopey and missing everyone - today I decided to do what I do best and go shopping.  

I'd spied this pair of shoes on a market stall near my apartment,  but didn't ask how much they were.  so,  I brushed up on my mandarin bargaining skills,  and headed over to try and get myself a good buy.  I'd expected them to be 200RMB - 20 quid or so.  when she said 45RMB,  I didn't really know what to do - I wish I'd bought more pairs now,  but I bet when I go back she puts the price up because I didn't look shocked like it was too expensive.

but £4.50!  bargain.  I can't wait to get them in white.  and red.  and yellow.

---

New! Receive and respond to mail from other email accounts from within Hotmail Find out how.