Monday, October 08, 2007

China - sights and sounds - Part One.

China Trip - Images of China Part One China is an amazing country - have been there a few times but this time, I took the plunge and decided to go with a tour that managed to cram an amazing amount of sights and sounds in nine days of traveling.

I suppose only with a tour guide can one forget about planning but try and wake up and keep up! The itinerary was quite intense once we had arrived and settled into the Novotel Xianqiao after a 14 hour flight via Doha. Exhausting.

The hotel was great and on arrival into Beijing, one can feel the energy in the air. This was a place that was happening...either now or very soon in the future. The place is buzzing with construction work however, all in anticipation of the Olympics.

Buffet Psychology
Interesting why some people, when faced with a buffet queue pile EVERYTHING onto their plate. Mixing food items that simply won't do: rice and chips and mash potatoes with curry chicken and sushi topped off with a spring roll and barbeque sauce and ravioli?

I think peeps are secretly scared that they might not be able to get all the food, that some other greedy git would somehow, consume all the food leaving none for them. So in order to combat this - they themselves try and eat as much as humanly possible. I find the wastage absolutely disgusting to be honest. The food is usually quite poor too.

Chinese Food
First: chopsticks can't pick up each grain of rice. Bring the bowl to your mouth and SHOVEL (yes, shovel) the rice into your mouth. Or use a spoon.
Second: Do not pile stuff onto your rice bowl. It isn't a buffet.
Third: Chopstick use does take practise but the trick is that you don't try to move both chopsticks at the same time rather; you anchor the bottom one and move the top one.

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