Day 1 – Hopping off the Plane, and into Beijing
Packing for the trip wasn’t all too bad.. vaccum sealed my clothing into a brick. That’s 25 pounds right there.
Plus, finally got a new backpack after using the same one (left) for 4 years.
Though the flight was 13 hours long, it wasn’t that bad at all. Luckily, I had an empty seat on the left, and a white guy from Halifax going to Shanghai to teach Chinese on the right. No crying babies.
Slept for most of the flight; woke up to finally have a look at the big goodbye card you guys made me, thanks.
Also took a look at the video you guys left on my ipod for me to watch. It was jokes.
Best part: “Yo when you come back, we’re getting you a penthouse party” – Josh
I’ll remember that.
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Hop off the plane. Unlike when Adam, Eric, and Noah all arrived, I had my own brother pick me up at the airport.
Hop in a Chinese taxi (Hyundai Elantra, no Toyota Camry taxis up in here) and we zoom off to Renmin University.
What blew my mind was.. NO ONE WEARS SEATBELTS. That’s right.. not even that taxi driver, and we’re going 120KM/H on the highway. Maybe more dangerous, but it’s nice to just hop in and not have to worry about it.
Arrive at campus, get fitted into my room. Meet Andre Milov, who was Adam’s roomate 6 years ago, and he takes us out for dinner. Go for a massage after. A massage. NO, NOT WHAT YOU”RE THINKING.
Just a normal massage by a dude. It was kinda weird to lie there face down with my eyes closed, being massaged, while everyone else in the room was speaking a foreign language.
Leave a comment if you like, check back tomorrow for Day 2.
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Ryan, it’s nice to see you blogging. In all of the time that we’ve heard about Andre, we never known his last name!
Comment by daviding — October 8, 2011 @ 9:29 AM
yes, I agree that we know what Andre’s surname is. Just remember to use seatbelts when you get back. Did you find your jellybeans? keep blogging!
Comment by dianayee — October 8, 2011 @ 10:57 AM
Those MEC backpacks are well built and can be easily repaired. I found getting a strong and reliable backpack in China was impossible. Looks and quality are not so apparent, and too many gimmick features.
Explore near your university on foot, visit the small shops and find some Chinese friends. The faster you learn very basic Chinese the easier your life and lower your stress. Refrain from street meat and only drink boiled water. Your gut will thank you.
Comment by Don Tai — October 9, 2011 @ 6:57 AM