My flight has been delayed 2 hours. No idea why, but Taipei and Hong Kong looks very foggy today. Low lying clouds where you can’t see anything till you’re almost touching down. 2 hours, reminds me of a typical flight in Europe around Heathrow & CDG.
There’s a 75HKG voucher for dinner, which I think I know what to have for that price (2 bowls of wonton noodles, for one) but the most depressing thing about this is watching the only TV I can find, Larry King and with someone called Dr Laura who’s talking about “free world” bla bla bla. Oh, and she’s going to talk about Britney and Lindsay too according to the subtitles. I hereby term this crap-o-vision. Only someone marooned in an airport with only 1 TV and no internet would watch this. I have internet so I’m going to put on the ipod and do something else.
New Year 2008
On my first flight of the year, KA831, with my notebook whipped out. Admittedly not many people are travelling during the new year, at least not from or to Shanghai. I get the whole of the left side of row 33 to myself, my original seat 33K has one of those broken recliner stopper, and when I lean back it reclines. Switched to 33H but the table is a little screwed up such that when I’m typing on this damned Dell notebook it rocks side to side depending on where the keys are. So fine… 33H for sleeping, 33K for typing.
The usual question we all get getting into the new year is “what is your resolution”. Personal problems not included, this is what I think I’m going to do in 2008. First of all, I need a haircut.
And so Shanghai it is…
Wonder if its a good decision to have. Earlier in the week I was expecting to spend the new year in Taipei, hoping to find some time to escape work to go to Taipei 101 to catch the new year mayhem (stages are starting to be built, including a largish PS3 stand), but meetings were postponed to the end of the first week of January, so I’m on the next flight back to Shanghai. When I got to Taipei’s Taoyuan airport, the Cathay Pacific counter put me on an earlier flight to Hong Kong, meaning that I will have about 2 hours in Hong Kong for lunch, and a little bit of blogging before I get back behind the great firewall of China.
They’re setting up a large stage over at Xintiandi as well, but facing away from my apartment so I don’t think I will see much of it from the balcony like a lazy ass. I’m sure its Hong Kong entertainers coming over. No idea who they are, but posters are everywhere. Doubt I’ll bring my camera to the live variety, and it will be interesting to see the temperature drop below freezing like the meteorologists said it would. As usual, blame it on the Siberian winds.
That’s it, I’m going to spend the next 30mins scouring eBay.
Looks like I might be in Shanghai for new year…
Meeting with the customer in Taipei seems to be postponed to end of the week ‘next year’. So now I need to find a way to call up Cathay Pacific and get a ticket to Hong Kong and then to Shanghai. All that on a Sunday. Since its impossible to fly tomorrow on Sunday with the short notice to pack up and all, I should have a day off in Taipei! Not sure where to go though. Taichung?
Shaanxi Province: Day 5 (27 Dec)
Woke up this morning feeling the effect of Huashan! Both legs are not moving as it should, equivalent to last year when I ran the 20km in Paris. Got a little internal bleeding in my right thumb so Mr Twiddly Thumb here can’t type that fast nor accurate anymore. Maybe its from too much phone typing in the last couple of days.
The flight is at 1845hrs this evening. And plan to spend roaming the streets of Xian. Starting with the south gate just a km from the hotel and then the grand mosque. Why not?
Shaanxi Province: Day 4 (26 Dec)
Checked out of the sparse hotel up Huashan at 11am. Don’t think I will continue upwards anymore. Vertigo!! Even going down will be a test of nerves, especially when my foot is size 12 and the steps were carved for smaller footed chinese. Tried to refill the flask with some hot water but they seem to be very very stingy with them hot water. So no water for the instant noodles. Weather has been very clear this morning. Not too much colours, so its time for b&w film only. Burnt through a few rolls of film already.
Shaanxi Province: Day 3 (25 Dec)
The master plan today is to get to Huashan and spend the night there. Yes I did left my torch light in Shanghai, but mobile phones nowadays should be bright enough to shine my way thru. Changed to a day pack with an extra change of t-shirt, socks and underwear of course. Brought 2 packs of instant noodles just in case, other that taking some space it weighs next to nothing.
Shaanxi Province: Day 2 (24 Dec)
On the agenda today is the obligatory Mr Qin’s terracotta army and probably a tomb or two. Its still dark at 0820 and I’m already in a taxi going to the train station to look for a bus to the terracotta site. The air is still misty. No provia photo opportunities here today neither.
Bus 306 seems to go to the terracotta place and costs 7 rmb one way. When facing the station, its on the far right of the train station.
Shaanxi Province: Day 1 (23 Dec)
Its tough to wake up today. Just got back from Taipei last evening, and now I’m at Pudong airport waiting for domestic flight MU292 for Xian. Original plan was to fly there and back by train. But I think I should maximise my time at the destination.
I’m travelling with relatively light amounts of gear. A 45 litre backpack, with a smaller 20 litre backpack inside taking up a third of the space. Need the smaller pack for the night stay up Huashan. So thats checked in. Bringing 2 small camera packs, one filled with nocturnal optics and packed with 10 rolls of film, GPS and other little accessories. And the waist pouch with the D2H and M6 with their default lenses. Nothing more than a 40mm f2 ULTRON for the Nikon D2H and 35mm Summicron ASPH for the Leica. Its already starting to be quite heavy! Was hesitating between the D2H and Ricoh GR Digital. Oh, and the lonely planet guide book stuffed into my Carhartt Arctic Duck coat. This time I will bring along a thermos flask, made the mistake the last trip into a cold region. Temp estimated in the low single digits, maybe even below freezing at night. I’m prepared.
Muussstttt….. resisstttttttt!!!!
Crap. I though I’d never join this facebook thing, but I joined up todayafter 6 months of staying away! Dammit.
nangka.org 