Frigid Beijing

Vinny and I left Seoul yesterday and flew to Beijing with a short layover in Shenyang. One of the best things that I discovered at Icheon International (the airport in Seoul) is the greatest invention of a free internet lounge. There were two internet lounges that had 10-15 laptops set-up with comfy recliner chairs and sofas that you could just walk in and check your e-mail, Facebook, etc. for free. For those that travel though Icheon on your travels, the lounges that I found were located near Gates 111 and 124. I was really happy since I didn't bring my laptop with me and really wanted to check my e-mail. Also the entire airport had WIFI and it was also free. Oh if US airports could do that... we would probably abuse the privilege though.

So Vinny and I arrived in Beijing last night. Maybe I was really tired after all the flights and we were also hungry since we didn't have any Chinese yuan on us (Vinny and I forgot to convert money before going through security at the Shenyang airport so we couldn't buy lunch after rechecking our bags and getting our boarding passes), but I'm not feeling the vibe with Beijing yet. Hopefully that will change today as we start to venture out and explore the city.

Getting to our hostal was an interesting adventure. We took the Airport Express Shuttle Bus (they are just lined up outside the airport) and had a "fun" time trying to communicate to the employees outside the buses. We eventually located the correct bus to go on and then boarded. We got off at the bus station given to us in the directions sheet by our hostal and then tried to hail a cab. Since our address was in English and not Chinese, we had an interesting time trying to tell our cab driver where we needed to go and wondering if he understood us. We made it to the correct street (yay) and ventured down the alley to our hostal.

The hostal room we booked is pretty nice considering it is a youth hostal. It's very large for Asia standards, the bathroom is huge, and everyone knows how I love interior decorating so I can definitely give the thumbs-up that it was tastefully furnished. It actually looks very much what I would furnish my own apartment like if I had a guest bedroom and wanted it to have a simplistic Chinese decor theme.

However, our room has no heat. There is one steam radiator that is barely giving off any heat so Vinny and I bundled up in our warmest sweatpants, sweaters, and socks and wrapped ourselves in the two blankets and comforter that the hostal provided. We haven't quite figured out how to shower since the bathroom has no heat either. We told the hostal staff and he gave us the remote to the air conditioning unit and told us to try using that to warm up the room. We tried but when an air conditioning unit is blowing cold air into a cold room, it doesn't really work. I estimate the temperature in our room to be in the 50's. Today's mission is to go buy a space heater so I can shower.

Also I can't post my blog directly since my blog and Facebook are censored here (I can't access the websites). I don't know how I feel about that, right now the feeling is annoyance and I'm definitely alittle upset probably due to the fact that it's freezing cold here, it's snowing, I haven't showered, our room has no heat, and everyone knows how upset I get when I can't express my own opinions. At least I get Gmail access here and am sending my blog posts back to my brother in the US who will post them for me. So if the blog posts are sporadic here and there, I'm okay, just being censored. I have to remember this fact as I continue to travel throughout China. Vinny and I were kidding about how I need to be a little more submissive, not as outgoing, and not talk as much while in Asia, but this might actually need to be true...

Okay, we're off to go find a space heater and trek hrough the snow in Beijing. I hope to change my perspective on China but right now I think I'm just frustrated that I can't speak the language and Vinny is trying really hard but we just stick out like sore thumbs. It doesn't help that everyone directs all the conversation at me and I just stare back blankly with a slight look of panic directed towards Vinny. If anything, Vinny has perfected telling everyone in Mandarin that I'm not Chinese and can't speak a word. Somehow they still won't leave me alone...