Trip 3, Day 5-11?

Lost count of the days… >v>;

Anyway, its been a busy few days.
The first two days here in China were relaxing. It was a lay around and get rid of jet lag sort of relaxation. Liaoda and I got our hair cuts, but the ladies I went to last year moved. Instead we had to go to a place that had four guy haircutters. All were young and had interesting hair~
Liaoda wanted me to get bangs, a common style in China, but all the men there agreed that bangs would not be good on my face. I don’t remember the last time a guy cut my hair!
Sadly I don’t have a picture of the guys who cut my hair, but I have pictures just of myself after we went shopping after the hair cut:



After that day, the rest seem to blend together. I began getting offers for teaching jobs.
The first interview and demo class was for an elementary school with their British teacher leaving China to care for her ill mother. I went to a few classes of her’s the next day, let us just say that 50 children per classroom is very loud, especially the first and second graders.
The hours for this job were about 30 a week for $16, some days having 5 classes, some days having 2, but each day of the week was an entirely different set of young wiggily kids.

I declined that job for it was way to overwhelming!
The second offer was to teach a class of 5 students once every Sunday. Sounds easy enough, but the class turned out to be two hours, and children being forced to come to a class on a weekend aren’t very attentive.
I taught this class just a day or so ago, and it was exhausting. The parents came, and the reviews were bad. I stuffed too much knowledge into the kid’s heads and did not play enough games. While the last teacher played too many games.
I don’t want to go back, but looks like I am going to…

I have a class today at a third job offer,
A class of 20 children for one hour. I plan to start with London Bridge for introductions, they get caught and they have to say their name, age, and favorite color. From there its learning fruit and veggies, then Duck Duck Goose, or rather they choose a veggie and fruit and go Carrot Carrot Melon! Then back to relaxing with One Fish Two Fish by Dr. Seuss.
Hopefully this class goes better!

I do have one class I’m okay with, a one on one with a 14 year old girl named Star. She’s nice and we just read scripts from a book. Might try an easy game of scrabble with her.

Other than racing about from job offer to job offer I’ve been a little sick.
Had a great many visits to the throne one night, and stomach aches through the day, meaning I forced Liaoda’s family from visiting his grandmother out in the country.
Threw up a few times the next night and had aches again, but this day we still went out to the grandmother. I was sick most of the time till an old traditional doctor from the town visited.
Apparently my hot and cold balance in my body was off, I had too much cold in me. They say this is because Liaoda had his toothache and his mom was making him ‘cold’ foods (this does not mean temperature cold) and while he got better, I was thrown out of balance, thus I was perscribed ‘hot’ foods.
I did get better though I’m not quite a believer…

While I was sick I didn’t get to try all the tasty foods that the rest of the many family members got to eat. Instead I was allowed to chew the food for flavor, then give the food to the family dog:


She has no name, and is never allowed away from that spot, but she’s a dear. I’m not allowed to touch her for they say she is too dirty.
She barks at everyone who enters the property though, except for Liaoda, who she bows to.

Trip 3, Days 1-4

Alright, after few long days, I’ve finally acquired a computer to begin tumblring!
So here goes the lovely summary of the past few days~

Day 1
The flight from Billings left at 6 in the morning, so it was be up and ready to go by 4:30 am to get on the flight. And we did! Now, however, it was not just the bags for Liaoda and I to take on the plane. Xiao left around Christmas time last year, but she had such an over whelming amount of bags from her constant and continuous spending spree that we have two bags of her’s with us, both nearly over weight.

We landed in San Francisco a while later and spent the day at Liaoda’s aunt’s apartment, which was very nice. While a little boring, we used her smart TV to watch youtube videos.

Sadly I have no images of his grandparent cooking, but it was delicious.

Day 2

Another long day in the aunt’s apartment till she decided to bring us to her work. She owns a spa called Water Lounge Spa, and specializes in facials and full body massages~
Sadly, I was more of a nuisance than a help. Liaoda and I spent 4 long hours just sitting in her office, out of the way, and staring at security videos. Then, when we could finally organize a box of materials, I knocked down her only food of the day. She only got a bite…

When Liaoda and I were dropped off back at the apartment, we had a dinner from the grandparents and went for a nice walk. Right outside the Aunt’s apartment was a nice wide river with the Oracle building which looks nice at all times of day. However, this trip I’m using my iPhone for pictures, so not always the best quality.

Day 3

With a bustling morning of final packing, Liaoda, his grandparents, and I were off to the airport. It was a nice long trip from there. I don’t sleep well on planes, so the whole 10-12 hour flight I only got 30 min of sleep. The rest of the time I spent watching Korean Air’s lovely movie selection. I watched Rise of the Guardians, Silver Lining Playbook, Django, and Remembering 1942.

We had some decent food on Korean Air. The first meal was completely Korean, and I didn’t follow the instructions and ended up messing the whole thing up…Thus being laughed at by surrounding Koreans.
Here’s a picture of Liaoda’s meal done right, so you don’t need to see my failure~

The second meal had some weird sushi thing, but a tasty little cheese cake~


We had a brief stop in Korea, which was horrid. Once we got off the plan to head to the transfer area, it was one heck of a long security line! We had 30 minutes before our flight would begin boarding, and we made it through the lines just in time!

Finally, after another long flight, we landed in Beijing, and got in the cars for the next 4 hours ride from Beijing to ShiJiaZhuang. Despite being exhausted and sleeping the whole trip, we still had to shower when we got back and have some snacks, at midnight…

Day 4

Finally caught up to today! It’s a day full of cleaning dirty clothing, relaxing, and setting settled in! Might be more tonight, but for now not much detail.

Trip 2 Days 21…24, and 26

Here is when the days all blur together.
Day twenty one was spent at the airport for Liaoda and I.
Xiao was left in Kunmind, for in a nearby city were her parents, and she’d go visit them.
Once Liaoda and I made it back to his home, every day melded together.
So I will show various things I’ve done and try to guess the day it is~

Since day twenty one I got settled in Liaoda’s home, went shopping for groceries and the sort, as well as lazed about the home.
But on day twenty four there was a wedding we had to attend.
Liaoda’s father’s friend’s son was getting married and we were invited.
Now, Chinese have their weddings at restaurants, so right after a little show including a host and the bride and groom, everyone can eat.







Day twenty six was a day we had a dinner with some of the father’s friends, but at the same time all of Liaoda’s classmates from highschool were in a different room at the same restaurant!
So I got to go meet his friends and classmates, who had Liaoda toasting powerful wine before he had had anything to eat.
We went back to our dinner for a while, Liaoda already feeling some of the wine’s effects, yet after some food, and beer, he had to go back to his classmates’ room and toast every boy in there, and then toast some more.
I was sent down with another girl at our dinner to try and bring Liaoda back, yet he was still toasting.
When he finally returned to our meal, his balance was rather off, his thoughts a tad fuzzy, and he was very tired. I had to try my best to hold him up in his chair, as well as keep him awake through the lunch!















The woman paying for the dinner had specially ordered me a steak, but I insisted that everyone should have some.
So the chef who came in to cook the steak had to cut it up and make it look all pretty~




As the lunch went on, the girl sneaking pictures of drunk Liaoda, I continued to keep the guy in his seat. He had never been this drunk before, or so he claimed, and he was very guilty for he had quit smoking for me, but his classmates had forced two cigarettes on him.
Sadly, once the dinner was done, I had to support Liaoda so we could go say goodbye to his friends, and goodbyes always mean more toasts.
So after a little more strong wine, I managed to drag him from the restaurant so his father could support him more.
Yet, even with him drunk and my feet hurting in heels, we had to go shopping. It’s hard to keep a wobbling guy from hitting innocent customers.

Trip 2 Days 19 and 20

In the not-so-bright early morning, and I mean early, was when I started to feel unwell.
I spent the whole night getting up and down for various methods of waste removal. Which means I threw up and sat on the throne all night.
And as much as I like to go in depth about this, I’ll spare you all the details~
But soon Liaoda joined in on the fun barf and poop fest!
How grand~
Xiao and her Uncle were fine and dandy, but Liaoda and I were rather green, and due to our illness, we had to miss out on our tour.
Near the end of the day was a little better, I could eat crackers and fruit without needing to hurl, which was wonderful~
Xiao and her Uncle think that we got sick from drinking the hotel’s water, but I think it was the dinner from last night.

For the very next morning, after the uncle left us alone as he had to work, Xiao was ill as well.
She didn’t have the hotel’s water, so the illness must have incubated a day longer for her.
But Liaoda and I were better here on day twenty, and we were hungry from our day of sickness, so we let Xiao rest in her room as we went to the hotel’s breakfast.
And after breakfast Liaoda and I went out to get our plane tickets for the next day since now we weren’t going on the tour.
Upon our return we watched a movie on TV while Xiao rested till dinner time.

We all went off to a nice little restaurant, and although we got a lot of food, I was still weary of the sustinence, so it tasted bad to me even though I was hungry.
Xiao, sadly, made a trip to the restroom and lost the whole dinner.

After dinner we went to two little parks so that coming to Kunming was not a waste.




At the park an old man was doing calligraphy with a giant brush and some water. We were standing nearby and he wrote this in english for me, so sweet~ ;v;


After this park we caught a taxi to the next~








As night fell we heard a ghost singing in the distance.
Not really, it was just some karaoke place around a food area at the small amusement park.
Xiao and I got icecream, and Liaoda and I got some milk tea and we sat down to listen to the lovely singers.
After our snacks were done we walked around the amusement park and then tried to find our way out of the park.

Once we returned to the hotel, Liaoda and I got our stuff ready to go as we had a plane to catch in the morning~

Trip 2 Day 18

In the morning the train made its stop in Kunming, and off we went.
We all had a short breakfast before Xiao’s uncles came to pick us up, and once we got settled in the hotel rooms we were already off to experience another tourist sight.
The Stone Forests of Kunming~
It’s said that the forest was under the ocean a million years ago, and now all that is left are a bunch of interesting tall stones.
It was rather lovely, and nice! And inbetween the rocks was cool, which I liked~














Some traditional dancers were in this area, they danced the whole time we were there!





















This rock, if hit with another rock, sounds like metal, so they call it the Stone Bell.
It was rather curious, really~ and there was a small rock like it that if you hit it with your hand it sounded like a bell too~











However, here at the stone forest, I was asked to take pictures with two different chinese people. Silly Chinese, why you want your pictures with me? So Xiao decided that from now on people have to pay 25 RMB per photo with me xD

Once we were out of the stone forest, it was time to head to dinner~
The restaurant the uncles chose was having a show that night, but it was also having a wedding when we came. We waited a little for the ceremony to complete before seating ourselves at a table and awaiting a fun delicious meal~
I wasn’t a fan of the bees, but the grubs weren’t too bad~










The dancers danced traditional dances, and some not-so-traditional dances.



That’s right, they stuck fire down their pants…


These people had to go to each table and wish people happiness as well as give them a bowl of rice wine.
I didn’t really want to take a picture with them, but I was shoved out there…


After dinner it was back to the hotel for the night~

Trip 2 Day 17

This morning we could relax.
Our train would be in the evening, so we had nothing to do before then.
However, we had to pack our bags and be out of the room by noon, but the inn keepers were nice enough to watch over our bags while we went out for the rest of the day~



Now, I know that building in the background looks pretty, burt really its a bathroom~




We heard some music while walking around here, and went to check it out. It turned out to be a band of old men playing traditional music. You could make donations if you felt like it, but they always encouraged you to try and play the instruments too.





After some time we settled down at a place for tea, and stayed there for a long boring while.



I was playing with the tea I was so bored~
This is a traditional instrument that the wife at the inn can play~

We had a nice dinner and then returned to the inn to gather our bags and get a taxi ride to my first time on a sleeper train.
Now, everyone laughed at my expectations, but I had either thought of a Harry Potter train again, where we all have separate little rooms, or like a pirate ship and we all slept in hammocks.
I was wrong about both, but it was very fun~



Xiao didn’t want to be seen xD


Now we were on our way to Kunming!

Trip 2 Day 16

Day sixteen we were off to shangri-la national forest~
But before we drove there, we made a nice small stop at a place over looking a village~







After a little more driving, getting a nice shower in some rain, and being squished between crowds of tourists, we finally made it to the start of the forest~







I have no idea what these are, so if you know, tell me~
I guessed they were used for drying hides..
Anyway, natives still live in the national forest, so their cattles can be found walking around, or their poop found on the walk ways…









Sadly this was the only wildlife I saw, but there are supposed to be monkeys higher up in the mountains~






These pictures are a little blurry because I was in a moving bus, but I was lucky enough to be in the high back seat with an open window!
Here we can see where some of the natives live~








Here Xiao, Liaoda, and I are before the sign for the biggest lake in the park. The natives call this lake Ocean because they have never seened the real ocean.







We were on a boat for these pictures, and man, it was like there was an earthquake when you see my photos, many are all on their sides, but you won’t see those~












After Shangri-la national park, it was a long drive back to Li Jiang to catch a sleeping train to Kunming. However, when we arrived, we were too late. All the tickets were sold out, so we bought ones for 9 pm the next day and got a taxi to a different old town in Li Jiang.
After some walking, we found a hotel and settled down for the night.

Trip 2 Day 15

This day we were up bright and early as we had a tour car to catch!
Yet, as we dragged our bags through the puddles and awaited around for about thirty minutes or more, we finally get a call and drag our bags around a bit more only to find that the tour company made a mistake and thought there would only be two people in our group.
We were also packed into the car with four other people, all of which were not very bright.
But we made due, and were off to head to Shangri-la, but we don’t see that till tomorrow, so for today we stop by various places till we reach our hotel.

Here was our first stop, a nice little area over looking one of the longest rivers in China. Ah, isn’t the sight beautiful?
It ended up being a very cloudy day, so low clouds and fog were common.

But there was a cute littly kitty taking a nap here~
Sadly, I also needed to use the bathroom at this stop, and it ended up costing money to use, pfft!

Our next stop was at these large rapids which were part of the long river we were supposed to see before.
The river here is gigantic! And the rapids frightening!

Like giant angry chocolate milk…


















Eh…I like moss. xD



Once everyone gathered back up at the car, we went on and stopped by some mountain grasslands where locals would ride their horses.




Heeeh, I’m not the best at taking pictures of people…

From the grasslands we went to a town with a great big temple. I wasn’t allowed the take pictures inside, as it’s a sacred place, but I got to watch Liaoda prey at least~




This huge gold tower is for prayer, and it actually spins around, but not by machine, by human power! People gather around the base and help push it around in one full circle.



Liaoda joined me on the wheel, which was fun~ I wasn’t the only foreigner doing it either~

After this we went to the “four star hotel” that was actually more like a one star hotel…It didn’t even have shampoo or soup for its guests!

Trip 2 Days 13 and 14

Day thirteen Xiao, Liaoda, and I were off to the airport to we could catch our plane to Li Jiang! The flight was six long hours, but with some sleep and music, it ended swiftly.
Once we landed we got ourselves a taxi to Li Jiang’s Old Town, where our inn was located.
It’d only be a two day stay, but it was a lovely, and interesting, two days!

The room we stayed in~

The view from our room~


The name of our little inn~


When we got settled in our room it was time to head off and find a place for dinner!

We ate at the closest reastaurant there was, which was good, but slow since their was really only one or two waitresses, and one had a baby.
After dinner, it was just time to explore and walk around.

It was raining that night, but it was okay since I always have an umbrella in my purse.
We walked around quite a bit, my little flats got soaked in all the puddles, so after a while we backtracked and settled down for the night.

Day two started out rainy as well, and infact rained all night with a thunder storm. But rain wasn’t going to scare us away from more exploration.
We set out into the shower to go find ourselves some breakfast.









Oh look, KFC and Pizzahut >v>;
Here people would write a message and hang it, wishing families good luck, or expressing love, and such.





This is a big carving that tells the history of the area~

At a restaurant we stayed at, someone had their german shepard on the roof~



They bring those little small dishes out along with very hot noodle-filled water and you just pour all the little dishes in and wait a little and you have soup!



After our meal we walked around a bit more and then settled down at a bar.



Liaoda’s drink~ It has a little fire on top, but it’s too hard to see.

After a short bit we moved to an outside table, which was bad for me because I had to stare at a giant spider above the whole time.
Anyway, that’s Xiao’s drink~


This was my drink, a nice milk tea, nothing alcoholic~

A live singer came after a bit, he sang an american song too xD

From our table we could see people starting to send paper lanterns down river. Liaoda says that they’re wishes.









Xiao and I decided to go to a little dress up place to get in some traditional clothing for an hour~






We got Liaoda to wear Xiao’s dress top >;D




A group of people doing a traditional dance~ Originally it would be around a fire, but no fires are allowed here.


Instruments that they only make around here~




Now that the day is done, we were off to sleep so we were ready for our tour group the next day!

Trip 2 Days 11 and 12

Day eleven we were up bright and early to catch a bus to an amusement park called Discovery Land. It seemed almost like Disney Land, but smaller with no fast passes.
In the end Xiao and I only went on one ride, while Liaoda chickened out of anything better.



We went through a haunted house too, but it wasn’t really scary at all. Liaoda was a little scared because it was dark, so he ruined the fear thrill by turning on his phone’s flash light. xD


I screamed like a pansy on this while Xiao was all cool and calm as if it were a car ride…Although the view was nice. I could see out to the ocean from there!

Anyway, Xiao and I had wanted to go on a roller coaster too, but the lines were all two hours long, so instead we all went to the beach~


We even found star fish on the beach!


There were a lot of tiny crabs along this area, and there were a lot of clam-like things too. People come here to get their own dinner~
However, I found I am scared of tiny crabs because they move a lot like spiders…

After this we went back to Xiao’s side of town by subway for dinner and then back to her apartment to relax. Now, it had been my first time really riding a subway, so this was a kind of fun little trip for me~

Day twelve we were back off to the beach!
A closer one this time.
I had wanted to swim in the ocean, since I never have~


Sadly Xiao has a lot of fun pictures from here that I don’t have. There was a little girl statue that was crouched on the ground, and a little boy was sitting on her when we walked by and holding onto her braids like she was a horse!
Xiao made Liaoda sit on it too~
Also, I hadn’t been wearing my swim suit because I thought there’d be a changing room. There wasn’t, so Xiao has pictures of how I changed into my swim suit under my clothing. xD



Liaoda had been too chicken of the cold water to join me for a swim, and Xiao likes to just sit on the beach, so I went out on my own~



After my swim, we went to a restaurant close by and had a nice dinner~








After dinner we took a nice taxi ride along the sea side then returned to Xiao’s home to pack for our trip south!