The World Unfiltered

My blog posts related to China can be found here!

I went to China with one of my aunt when I was eleven. We were only there for 10 days total and went to Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an. Time was limited and we were on a schedule which is not quite how I like to travel now so I will return some time. I found the journal I wrote during the trip and posted it by day in the Travel Life blog with inserted comments from current me. Based on my experience there as an eleven year old, here are some of the highlights that stand out to me:

The Dim sum. YES! YUM!The best dim sum I have ever had. I had been on the search for dim sum that even comes close to par with the dumplings we had. Fortunately, eleven-year-old me was helpful enough to not include the name of the restaurant we went to so even when I go back, we shall see if I am able to find it. I remember what the inside looked like and where we were sitting. Is that useful?

The Great Wall. It really was a great experience. See what I did there? Anyway, it was significant not just because it’s famous, but because I had just learned about the history of how it was made before embarking on the trip to China. It was a little unsettling to know that we were essentially walking on human remains, but that thought was pushed aside by the thought about how I was standing on one of the greatest pieces of architecture and history. To some on the wall, it was just another day at work trying to sell snacks and water bottles to visitors.

The People. Seeing the locals interact with each other was really quite beautiful. I didn’t know the spoken language but could still tell when people were talking to loved ones and strangers. What I noticed was that there was not much of a notable difference between the two kinds of interactions. That isn’t something I see where I live in America very often due to the busy, rushed, technology-driven society.

The Squatting. Using the bathroom here is a great workout experience through the utilization of the dreaded-by-many squat. If you are going to China soon and you also need motivation for getting through the squats in your workout routine, here it is. The bathroom has stalls with a hole in the ground. Some of them even flush! Know your body girls, we don’t have the luxury of an aiming tool. Although now we have the female version of a penis in regards to stream direction. Don’t use that as a cop out Squats are your friends, eventually. It is also a great practical application for geometry. And you thought you wouldn’t need geometry past tenth grade! But really, angles, angles, angles. The angle at which you squat can make the difference between a successful urination and a horrible mess that will need to (but won’t necessarily) be cleaned up. Pay it forward to future potty clientele and get your angles correct. Practicing at home in the bathtub or pool for those who do that could have another benefit other than not-so-sweet relief.