Princess Jasmine escapes the Palace!

So this weekend I went to Hong Kong to visit one of my besties from Vassar, Natalie Nielsen, who is travelling with her family. I left on saturday morning about my 9am class. The travel was a bit much for only two days-ish but it was still fun! 

Because there are no flights directly from Mianyang to Hong Kong, I first had to get to Chengdu. I went to the bus station in Mianyang, but I didn't really know what was going on so I walked up to a counter where I said "to Chengdu" and then the lady started yelling at me. When I tried to walk away though she told me how much it cost and gave me a ticket, weird, haha. Then I wondered around the bus station some more and ended up on a bus to Chengdu (although no one would really confirm that's where we were going). I slept most of the way, which was nice, although a bit difficult because the bus kept swerving into head on traffic to pass cars, haha. I arrived at the  bus station and got a taxi to the Chengdu airport. I had been waiting patiently until it was my turn to get the next taxi when a taxi pulled over. I walked up to it and waited for the guy to get out so I could come in. Then a chinese woman and her boyfriend push me out of the way to get into the taxi! I was pissed, but got the next taxi so it was ok. I ended up getting to the airport too early to check-in so I hung out in the lobby area and read. About an hr in, I noticed that people next to me kept sitting down and then getting up again really fast, about every 10 seconds so I looked up and realized a tour group of old chinese ladies were all trying to take pictures with me. Once they saw me look at them, we started speaking chinese, which was even more amazing to them. So we chatted and took photos for awhile, then it was time to board my plane. There wasn't anyone next to me on the plane so I got to spread out a bit which was nice. The plane was 45 min late, so that was annoying. I didn't realize I could take the airport train/shuttle so I took a taxi, which was quite expensive (like everything in HK). 

Then I arrived at the hotel, which was amazinggggg. Maybe the best part of the weekend was enjoying the luxury of the hotel. The beds were soft (compared to my plank bed at the palace) and Natalie and I shared because her brothers were sleeping in our room too. It was snuggly and great. :) The showers were hot from the very beginning and it wasn't just a single concentrated stream of water. The toilet were normal and western. Seriously, you don't know what its like after 2 weeks of squat toilets to then be able to pee in relaxation and peace. It was amazing. 

The first night we went to dinner in the mall that the hotel was in (Note: Everything in Hong Kong is in a mall, that connects to another mall, that connects to another mall). It was nice/expensive chinese food, but not particularly delicious. I ordered for the nielsen family, haha. Natalie and I then went to a bar to have a drink and catch up about our summers, so nice. :)

Sunday morning we had an awesome breakfast buffet. They had bagels, fruit, breads, chinese food, eggs, pancakes, and more. I was in total heaven. They even had fresh squeezes orange juice and lattes. :) At school here we get each get two kinds of assorted breads that they bake here. None of them are particularly good, but we don't have much choice so we eat them. But because of the lack of real bfast, I very much enjoyed the breakfast buffet. Then we walked around a park near out hotel that was really pretty. 

Natalie and I at the park!

we were supposed to go out on boat owned by Erik (Natalie's dad)'s friend, but it was cloudy so instead we went to their house, which was beautiful. The guy is an expat who works for Goldman Sachs so he's living the high life in Hong Kong. 

View from the expat apt

I sometimes forget that Hong Kong is on a beautiful island, and isn't just a huge gross city. It almost looks like the caribbean, although the water's not as clean. Anyways, then we went to this Australian place for lunch, which was exciting because I hadn't had western food since I left France 3 weeks ago. (I know, not that long in the scheme of things...) Then we walked around a marketplace for awhile and then went swimming at the beach! So nice to be in the water!

(we went swimming too) Then we returned to our hotel and swam in the pool there and soaked in their hot tub. so amazing. For dinner, I met up with my roommate from Shanghai, Katie. She's doing a Ralph Lauren internship here in Hong Kong for the summer. We went to a typical Hong Kong restaurant where we ate some delicious noodles and beef, as well as these rolls with condensed milk on top (very Hong Kong-ese), yum! And we drank some delicious lemon tea. Afterwards, we went to an Ice Bar (literally in a freezing cold room of ice). They gave us coats to go in. We took a quick shot of vodka, then left. 

Me at the ice bar in my baller coat

Then we met up with Natalie at another bar that had drink specials. It was a Sunday so almost everywhere had drink specials. HK has a pretty great nightlife so I wish I had gone out on Saturday night but oh well. It's nice because all the bars and clubs are in the same neighborhood and you can walk between all of them. It was really nice to see Katie and to catch up with her. It's funny that she goes to school less than an hr from me (Manhattanville College) but I see her in HK. Anyways, then Natalie and I went back on the subway around 1am. The subway is HK very similar to in Shanghai and is really nice. Then we stayed up talking for almost 4 hours, it was so nice. :) 

Monday morning we had more amazing breakfast buffet, then went to an antique shopping area. Erik had a business meeting so we just walked around that area for several hours, which got to be really really tiring and hot and sweaty. Then we had a quick lunch at the hotel before I left. I took the airport train, which was super convenient and nice. There wasn't anyone next to me on the flight home so I got to spread out. 

Upon arriving at the airport though, there wasn't a single airport employee around for me to ask about anything. I eventually deduced that there weren't any more trains or buses back from Chengdu that night so then I tried to find a hotel close by for me to stay at. I walked to where the taxis were supposed to be, but it was only one chinese lady, who started talking to me and told me a hotel I could go to. I was pretty sketched out though and thought I might get kidnapped and die (I didn't, no worries). I got in a cab that took me to a random hotel, which was nice enough for the night. They kept telling me the first bus wasn't until 9:30am, but I knew that wasn't true so I decided to just be up and ready by 6:30am and figure out in the morning. So I got up and checked out. They put me in a cab with another guy going to a similar place and I did eventually make it to the bus station by 7:30am, when I got on a bus home. I got here back to the palace around 9:45am this morning. It was a long journey. Apparently the program people are pissed that we all travelled this weekend because "They're responsible for us", but so what? I'm 21, speak chinese, and I know how to travel. They're so annoying. I think we're having a "meeting" this week where they're going to yell at us about it, but they barely speak english anyways so whatever. 

Tomorrow night we're helping host a western dinner and teaching the kids manners, should be funny. This weekend I think we're going to Chengdu to stay and see the Pandas and go shopping, woo! 

Two and half more weeks in China! I feel pretty ready to go home as I'm totally over/was never really into the teaching thing here, and mianyang is boring. But I'm sure we'll have fun here anyways.