Dos and Don'ts of Travel and Beijing - Part One

1. DO NOT forget to bring your camera.

It was my first time to Beijing. I had planned on using the trip to expand our meagre photo collection (believe it or not I think David and I have less than 20 photos together). And the only purpose my camera served during my trip was to sit on my table back home in Singapore, 6 hours' plane ride away.

2. DO remember to have an alternative.

I had my Blackberry Bold 9700, which takes amazing pictures. Alas...

3. DO NOT forget to bring the charger of your alternative.

Yep, I forgot that one too. I had probably 3 hours of access to my phone, which battery life I milked to receive BBMs and emails.

4. DO try to stay in Malaysia for some time.

You'll need to pick up serious jaywalking skills. The ones you learn in Singapore are like our textbooks - you think you know the techniques but there's no way it's gonna help you in everyday life.

We jaywalked quite often across this big road to get to a particular bus stop. I once kowtowed to the Malaysians for their jaywalking techniques, but nothing beats the Chinese. It's one thing to jaywalk and stop traffic (like in Little India), but it's another to weave in between vehicles to somehow appear on the opposite side.

5. DO try to do as the Chinese do.

They generally speak in decibels ten times normal people do, push around like it's their right to, and demand more than they ask. If you don't you'll lose out because it's your ear that suffers the ringing (without retribution), it's you that gets squeezed out of the queue/crowd, and you'll probably never get people to listen if you ask.

6. DO NOT become them.

But remember, all of this is an act. Do not allow your Chinese roots to take over and be comfortable in homeland of casual spitting, shoving and second-hand smoking. Keep telling yourself that and you'll be fine.

7. DO remember that not all of them are like that.

I'm ashamed to admit that I once very badly marginalized the China nationals. (To my defence those that I met were really horrid!)

The two Nuffnang China girls are really quite something. Julia is curious, childishly-funny and a whole lot of fun. Rachel is steady, has humor in her sarcasm and dependable. I'd hate to admit it because Dave has an annoying way of bragging but I'll take his finger-pointing and hyena-laughter. Nuffnang China has hired the right people!

8. DO NOT open the wastepaper baskets in toilets

They usually contain stained tissues post-'business'. I was quite put off upon learning about this habit from Dave (who told it during lunch time, no less) and made him ask the girls the reason for not dumping the paper into the toilet bowl after their bowel activities. (I thought it would be rude if I asked since I didn't really know them and Dave's probably said quite a few near-offensive things anyway given his free and spirited nature, and they hadn't quit yet.)

Rachel said that they would love to dump the toilet paper into the bowl if they could, but China's sewage pipes gets congested so frequently that everybody dumps it into the bin.

I found it really unsettling that China made their roads so wide, but they couldn't afford to have thicker pipings?!

9. DO take the subways and buses

I was quite surprised to find out that Beijing has a really comprehensive and efficient subway system. (Did I mention that I was once really biased? The one reason I hated learning Chinese in school was because MM Lee said it'd be the path to China.)

It's a flat rate of RMB 2 for trains, RMB 0.40/RMB1 for buses. They are really convenient, not difficult at all to understand (Korea's was a headache) but it can get a little squeezy during peak hours. (I survive because David pushes me through and takes on the brunt of the shoving.)

10. DO NOT visit the Forbidden City in heels.

Ladies, you heard me. Yes you'll think that looking cooler than anyone else will be well worth it but trust me, an hour into the walk you'd be stabbing yourself mentally for allowing yourself to think that way.

I still draw a line at coats though. No WAY I'd wear those ugly, fat, shiny jackets that makes people look like they're wrapped in coloured bubble wrap. I actually seethed at Dave when he kept pointing them out while I was shopping. And then afterwards I actually relented and tried one on. My gawd.

I need to stay true to my roots!

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OK. A picture I stole from DW's blog and photoshopped because he mentioned he looked fat.

Abruptly ending this post because I have a cock-up at work. Gahhhhhhh #!#@!$!#@