Our time abroad now definitely draws to a close but we could finish it with another highlight. Our trip to Gansu and Xinjiang was amazing and very varied. We tasted delicious food, met interesting and friendly people and visited some breathtaking places.
In Dunhuang, we went camel riding, spent a night in the sand dunes and visited the famous Mogao grottoes as well as an old part of the Great Wall and fascinating sandstone formations. We then took a night bus and drove to Turpan where we spent another three days. Turpan is famous for its grapes and so we visited the grape valley, went to a traditional Uighur village and had the chance to see the Jiaohe ruins. Our trip then led us by train to Kashgar. This is an interesting place and one definitely doesn’t feel like being in China anymore. The majority of people there are Muslim and you can still experience a different lifestyle and a middle eastern and oriental atmosphere. We went to the famous Sunday Livestock market where animals are traded and visited several mosques. Our last two days were reserved for a special trip. We drove (by taxi) to Karakul Lake and spent a night with a Kyrgiz family in a yurt. This was an unforgettable experience. The scenery was breathtaking (we were surrounded by 7000m high mountains) and we were really lucky with the weather. The next day we flew to Urumqi, spent a night there and finally came back to Beijing last night. All in all, it was a great trip and definitely a good termination of our time abroad.
To get an impression of the Silk Road an our trip, you can check out our gallery.
After 5 months working for PAE, we not only learned a lot about people, culture, etc. but we also got tired and now it’s time for a holiday. On Friday, August 27 we’re flying to Dunhuang where our Silk Road trip starts. Dunhuang is famous for it’s desert, sand dunes and Mogao Caves and we will probably stay there for 3 nights. Then we would like to travel by train to Turpan, however, at the moment we don’t know whether this train is operating or not. Anyway, somehow we’ll get there and we’ll definitely eat some of the delicious grapes, kebab skewers and drink wine. Apart from the food and wine, there are many things to do and visit in Turpan. The most famous sight are the Flaming Mountains, which are known as the hottest place in China (surface temperature can reach over 70C). By the way, Turpan is 100m below sea level and hence is the second lowest place on Earth. One of the highlights of our trip is the 28 hours train ride from Turpan to Kashgar. The scenery must be breathtaking…. We haven’t decided our program for Kashgar, but we’ll also spend between 3 – 4 days before we’re heading back to Beijing via Urumqi.
On the map you can see the main stops of our tour.
What does an exciting Sunday in Beijing look like? Well, what we experienced yesterday is a good example.
We had the chance to join our friend Sherry, her husband and their two dogs, to the mountains outside of Beijing. After a one and a half hour car ride, we arrived at a beautiful Chinese mountain village. We parked the car and started hiking. The path was very nicely done and for Swiss people not that difficult. However, the beauty of the place and the fresh and clean air amazed us. We passed a lot of rivers and ponds and had a picnic at the edge of a reservoir, where we also met an elderly Chinese couple who owned a pedalo. We could borrow it for a while and had a lot of fun. After a good and relaxing rest at the top of the mountain, we hiked back to the village and finally returned to Beijing.
In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious, traditional Chinese Hotpot and the evening wouldn’t have been complete if we hadn’t gone to sing karaoke at a famous KTV place in the center of town. It was a great day with a lot of experiences that we definitely won’t forget. Sherry, thank you again for this amazing last Sunday in Beijing!
Time flies and we try to make the most out of our last weeks abroad. We are now working for another week before we are traveling the Silk Road for 12 days and then heading back to Switzerland in September. We therefore try to enjoy everything that makes Beijing so special one more time: eat Beijing duck, go to the tailor and have clothes made, have a relaxing massage, go to Lily Nails, go to the fake market, travel by taxi at least twice a day,…
Last weekend, Diana, a Colombian friend who studied with Dani at Macquarie University in Sydney, visited us together with her friend who works at the Expo in Shanghai. We had an amazing time and had a lot of fun. We went to a Chinese cooking class, visited temples, went to the Olympic park and of course partied a lot.
Finally, a Chinese work colleague came up with a Chinese name for me and even gave me the meanings for these characters. Thank you Julia for giving me this beautiful name. This is the best souvenir I can take home from China! Below you find Julia’s description:
Dear Miriam, here is the Chinese name I came up for you: 梅筱苒
梅(méi) is a surname, and it means plum. It is one of the most favorite objects for Chinese traditional painting and poem. It is very special, because it blooms in winter
筱(xiǎo) means thin bamboo. It is also surprising for me to know the exact meaning of this word. I’m very happy to find out that this character actually is related to my Chinese name 竹(zhú) which means bamboo
苒(rǎn) is an adj. It’s used to describe that plants and trees thrive and grow dynamically, flourishing. This is also new to me to learn.
In a word, this name sounds very beautiful, intelligent, and green. I hope you’ll like it!
Ich habe diese Woche das Buch „ Ein Jahr in Peking“ von Katharina Rutz gelesen. Es zeigt die Lebensweise einer „Ausländerin“ in China auf und ich konnte ihr gut nachfühlen. Besonders die nachstehend aufgeführten Punkte verstehen wir bestens, was beweist, dass wir Peking definitiv schon gut kennen und vermutlicherweise auch schon etwas zu lange hier sind… Glücklicherweise trifft aber (noch) nicht alles auf uns zu und wir sind also doch noch keine wirklichen Chinesen. Es liegt an dir/euch zu raten, was zutrifft und was nicht.
- Du denkst, Freitagabend Karaoke singen macht Spass.
- Du isst Nudelsuppe zum Frühstück.
- Du läufst auf der Strasse im Schlafanzug herum.
- Du drängelst dich immer vor und verstehst nicht, warum sich die anderen hinten in der Schlange anstellen.
- Du kannst auf Kommando in Tiefschlaf verfallen, egal, wo du dich gerade befindest.
- Du beginnst, andere Ausländer „Lao Wai“ zu nennen.
- Du findest es spannend, in einen Lift einzusteigen, bevor irgendjemand aussteigen kann.
- Du glaubst, McDonald’s und Pizza Hut seien etwas Besonderes.
- Du bevorzugst es, mit Stäbchen zu essen.
- Du beginnst, grosse Fahrzeuge mit deinem Fahrrad zu schneiden.
- Du hast deiner Mutter beim letzten Besuch als Erstes deine Business-Card gegeben.
- Luftverschmutzung… – Welche Luftverschmutzung?
- Du versuchst, die Sonne zu meiden, weil sie dir die Blässe nehmen könnte.
- Du kannst stundenlang an der Strasse in der Hocke sitzen.
- Die Fussabdrücke auf der Toilettenbrille sind deine eigenen.
- Du wunderst dich nicht mehr, wenn drei Männer mit einer Leiter erscheinen, um eine Glühbirne zu wechseln.
- Du sprichst beim Telefonieren so laut wie möglich, damit jeder hören kann, was du zu sagen hast.
- Du geht’s für den Sonntagnachmittagsschlaf zu Ikea in die Sofaabteilung.
- Du benutzt als Autofahrer die Hupe öfters als die Bremse.
- Du antwortest auf die Frage „Gehen wir ein bisschen im Park spazieren?“ mit „Warum, kann man da einkaufen?“.
- Du verstehst alle oben aufgeführten Anspielungen.
Which swimming pool do you prefer? Both of them are in Beijing… Luckily, we have a friend who has access to the pool on the left (at the Swiss embassy) and don’t have to cool down in between all the people on the right hand side.
Last Saturday, we visited Tianjin, a Chinese port city. After initial difficulties at the train station (it is pretty hard to find the correct ticket desk when you only see Chinese characters), that were luckily solved pretty fast with the aid of two young and helpful Chinese university students, we arrived in Tianjin after only 30 minutes on the high-speed train.
Despite its size, large population (12.28 million at the end of 2009) and importance as a port, this city hasn’t gained a lot of international attention yet and lacks the vitality of other large Chinese coastal cities. However, new development is increasing rapidly and Tianjin is catching up. We were told that Tianjin is now at the development stage where Beijing was a couple of years ago. The people were really friendly and said “good morning” and “hello” to us all the time, to show that they know some words in English.
We walked around in the heat (I think it was approximately 40 degrees on that day) and passed by places such as the Ancient Cultural Street, Drum Tower Street and the inner city shopping district. Tianjin also possesses a large number of European 19th century buildings, which was interesting to see. We had a great day and went back to Beijing with a lot of new impressions as well as a slight sunburn.
Yesterday, we had the chance to stand on our country’s territory and feel a sense of home for a few hours.
We were invited to a BBQ reception on the occasion of the official visit of our Federal Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheline Calmy-Rey. Sixty years ago, Switzerland was one of the first western countries to recognise and to enter into diplomatic relations with the newly founded People’s Republic of China. Micheline Calmy-Rey travelled to China to celebrate this anniversary.
This event took place at the beautiful garden of the Swiss embassy here in Beijing. We met a lot of interesting people and enjoyed some delicious Swiss food. We must admit that we haven’t really missed our food, but that it was great to eat some Rösti, Zürigschnätzlets and carrot cake.
Last weekend, we visited Beijing’s most famous flea market where you can find almost every Chinese object imaginable. The Panjiayuan market started in the early 1990s, slowly making a name for itself after several well-publicised finds by amateur collectors. The market has grown in space ever since. Every weekend, over 3000 sellers and tens of thousands of shoppers flood Panjiayuan for the most thrilling, fun and dynamic shopping spectacle in Beijing. We only bought a set of Chinese brushes but this colourful and exciting spot was certainly worth the visit.
Anyway, somehow we’ll get there and we’ll definitely eat some of the delicious grapes, kebab skewers and drink wine. Apart from the food and wine, there are many things to do and visit in Turpan. The most famous sight are the Flaming Mountains, which are known as the hottest place in China (surface temperature can reach over 70C). By the way, Turpan is 100m below sea level and hence is the second lowest place on Earth. One of the highlights of our trip is the 28 hours train ride from Turpan to Kashgar. The scenery must be breathtaking…. We haven’t decided our program for Kashgar, but we’ll also spend between 3 – 4 days before we’re heading back to Beijing via Urumqi.
However, the beauty of the place and the fresh and clean air amazed us. We passed a lot of rivers and ponds and had a picnic at the edge of a reservoir, where we also met an elderly Chinese couple who owned a pedalo. We could borrow it for a while and had a lot of fun. After a good and relaxing rest at the top of the mountain, we hiked back to the village and finally returned to Beijing.
