We all need SAVING

Today is my 6th day in Xi'an.
I have met some people walking in the dark side of life. Listening to their stories, I really felt so sad. Why do some people have to work jobs that they don't want to work? People are very desperate to earn money. With my limited chinese, I wish I can express that there is always hope despite how hard life is.
I have been feeling so down since yesterday. I got an email that one of my workmate back home was diagnose with Cancer. She is very young and her kids are very young. She is a very soft spoken person. She is always positive and very cheerfull.
As much as I don't want to question the nature of things. I really can't help but ask.... Why is life unfair? Why do bad things happen to good people? It is just so sad =(

Today, I was still feeling a bit melancholy, I decided to go to for a walk at the Muslim Quarters. It was crowded with people buying stuffs for the coming Chinese New Year. Observing the crowd, I just can't help but see the negative side of life. I told myself that for today I am not going to take pictures of places but I will spend time taking pictures of people's faces.

I wish I know how to resize the pictures I took so I can post it here, but the computer in my hostel is in Chinese and I can't figure out a way to make the files smaller. I decided to just post one photo.

Let me share with you a song that hopefully will inspire us when things in our life are on the negative side.

We all need Saving

ooh, ooh come on come on ooh ooh, come on come on
you have got to move on
this is not the you i know
this isn't realit's just all you can feel
and that's the way that feelings go
and whether or not it's right or wrong
you'll do what you will do
but when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
its just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone
cause we all need saving
sometimes
say what you will
but the time that we fill
while we are on the Earth
should not be alone
we were meant to be known
you make me what i'm worth
but i can't keep you from yourself
you'll do what you will do
when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
it's just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone else
cause we all need saving
and i don't know
why it has to be this way
and i don't know
the cure
but please believe someone else has felt this before
when the cloud in the sky starts to pour in your life
it's just a storm you're braving
well don't tell yourself
you can't lean on someone else
cause we all need saving
we all need saving
sometimes
sometimes

The Call

Xi'an

Everything seems to be ok in this backpacking trip. On my 3rd day here in Xi'an I got a message from my brother to go online in the evening. He told me that my Dad wants to talk with me about something.

Getting this message, I am a bit concern because it's very unlikely for my Dad to strike up a talk with me. Having lived away from my parents since I was young, Me and my Dad seldom talk specially If I am away. Though our relationship is perfectly fine, we are not the type who really take the time to talk on the phone. It's always my Mom who checks on me from time to time.

And getting that message, I know it is something serious.

Since I just brought my backpack, I decided to leave my computer in my apartment in Suzhou. It would be impossible for me to go online this day.

I decided to call my Mom and asked her what is the thing that my Dad wants to talk about. My Mom told me that my Dad wants me home already and help them in our business.

My thoughts:

I think in my own way, I have done everything that I want to do with my life( I know it sounds so serious). But yes, I think I already did!

Firstly, I want to try to work in a reputable company back home, which I did (having worked for Citi for more than 3 years is enough for me). Secondly, I have always wanted to live on my own, having my own apartment while I was working in a bank satisfied that want. Third, I want to work and live abroad. Staying here in China by myself for a little over a year is ok for me already. And I must admit that sometimes it gets lonely, not having the comforts of home. And lastly, I want to travel on my own capacity (financial capacity that is!). While working here in China, I was able to travel for as long as 1 month. Though I mostly travel alone, which is a good way to meet people from different places, again sometimes it also gets lonely. But the experience of travelling and discovering places and immersing myself with different cultures is good enough to overcome the loneliness of travelling solo.

More Deep thoughts about going home:

Being away from home and having all the independence has taught me a lot of lessons that I would have never learned if I did not take this chance to live in China and travelled along the way.

A few months ago the thought of leaving China makes me feel sad. Right now that my chinese working visa is expiring next month, and I am currently out of job, and having stayed in China for a year, I still feel sad but deep inside me there is a slight feeling of relief having to be in a place that I can really call home. I know I will be sad when the day comes that I have to leave China, but I think it would not be as sad as the feeling I had a few months back.

This post was written on a scratch paper while I was contemplating my thoughts in Xiangzimen Youth Hostel in Xi'an. I want to put this in record so that when I will be home and re reading my post, fond memories of this backpacking trip would drown me. Photos above is the exact place I wrote this post

The Irony:

Despite feeling a little ready to go home for good, my facebook status as I am writing this is

Xx Xx needs to satisfy his travel urges.....soon

Now in Pudong Airport

I am catching my breath as I am typing this entry. I just got here in Pudong Airport. In 10 minutes my flight to Xi'an will be called for boarding.
I woke up extra early this morning for I know I have to catch the airport bus from Suzhou to Pudong. My Flight is 11:50 AM I know that If I take the bus at 8:00 am I would be in Pudong at 11:00AM.
When I arrive at the bus terminal, it was before 7:00AM. They told me that the next bus to Pudong will be at 9:00 AM which means that If I wait take that bus, I would definetly will miss my flight, since it will take 3 hours from Suzhou to Pudong Airport.

Suddenly I was swarmed by drivers offering to take me to the airport for a hefty price of 650 rmb! If I take the airport bus it would just cost me 80 rmb.

I told the driver its very expensive. He tried to bargain to 500 rmb.
I called my chinese friends if they can offer some help, Luckily Suench, answered his phone obviously still in bed, he told me he will call their company's rent a car service and provider and will take me to the airport at 300rmb.

He just told me to stay in the station and the rent a car service will pick me up there.

To cut the story short, because my flight is now called for boarding. I got here in the airport just in time. The queue to the check in area was extremely long!

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone

Krispy, Free hugs, Ski

I just arrived from the 2 hour bus ride from the Hyundai Sangwoo ski resort.
Here's what happened, I originally planned to go to Yongpyong Ski resort, which is what my hostel recommended and I read in my book that it is very famous, because they shot some scenes of the Korean TV series Winter Sonata in this resort.
I researched in the internet on how to get there. First bus leaves at 5:50 in the morning.
Meeting point will be at Lotte Mart entrance.
To go to Lotte Mart, I need to take a subway to Jamsil Station and get out at exit 4 and take a 10 minute walk to the Lotte Mart. Since the first bus leaves very early, I also checked the time for the subway to open.
First train runs at 5:30 AM, and from my hostel it would take me 20 stops to get to Jamsil station.
When I got to the Lotte Mart, it was around 6 AM. I was happy because there we're people in their ski costumes, obviously waiting for the bus as well. Finally, as stated in the website, ride on the purple ski bus. When I looked at the sign it says"Hyundai Sungwoo Ski". I told the driver I want to go to Yongpyong, he then informed me that the bus has left already and the next trip would be 9AM. Left with no choice and no plans, I hopped in the bus to another ski resort.

Plan was not effected...but never the less, it was a good experience. I did not ski because I am physically not ready, having barely 3 hours of sleep. Importantly, I am financially not capable also, ski rentals are expensive, taking a lift is expensive, hiring an instructor is the most expensive. So what I did, even if I am not in proper ski attire, I bought a ticket to take the lift, and rewarded myself with a hearty breakfast buffet in the bakeshop.

Krispy Kreme.

Manila, Hongkong, Taipei, and Seoul. What do these cities have in common? They have franchise of the mouth watering Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Now the quiestion is... Why not in Mainland China? Yes I have been deprived with krispy kreme since I got to China. After more than a year of deprivation, I stuffed myself with Krispy Kreme yesterday. They must have known that I have been deprived for a year already, because I ordered for 2, they gave me 1 free..... slurp...

Free Hugs.

I saw some korean girls holding the free hug placard. I was just observing them. It must be with the korean culture, the girls were just stared and sometimes avoided when they open their arms, gesturing for a hug. I think it must not be easy offering a free hug on a cold winter, and being avoided and declined. I took a picture of them and they gladly posed with their asian peace sign. After posing for me, I went near them and Hugged them... I felt that they were relieved because somebody accepted their free offer. As we hugged they say " Gamsa Hamnida" means thank you.

1st things first

Tomorrow will mark my 1st year when I came to China. I am officially a year in China tomorrow.
It's nice to be able to experience the four seasons in China. The heavy snow last Winter, the unnoticed spring the scorching hot summer and my favorite autumn. And now it's winter time again. Time flies when you are having fun.

There are a lot of experiences that I did for the first time last year. And it was cool to end the last day of the year travelling. Spending Christmas in China and spent New year in Korea.

1st things first ( for the year2009)
-First time to see and actually walk in a frozen lake... though it's dangerous as I approached the thin ice.
-First time to eat Bulgogi and authentic Korean BBQ
-First time to experience the history of Korea... (being at the N. Korean Border and actually getting inside the tunnel dugged by the N. Korean armies)
-First time to live in a traditional Korean house
-First time to be butt naked in a Public bath... (trying to dare myself)
-First time to get the "free hugs" world sensation ( it's a warm feeling getting a hug from a stranger)

With that I have to go.... I need to sleep early because I am trying to get up at 4am to catch a bus to the Korean Mountains to add
-First time to ski ( Hopefully I'll manage to wake up extra early)

Happy New Year 2009! A toast for a year filled with first time and adventures!
Cheers everyone!