Day 3 in Beijing

Thick snow fell overnight and when I woke up, the top of the cars and trees were covered by inches of snow. The road was wet and slippery. Some snow has melted but plenty still stays due to the cold temperature of about 1 C.

Today is the second and last day of the workshop. Speakers from the Organizer shared their knowledge and experiences in dealing with disasters. It is really an eye-opening know there are so many different satellites meant for monitoring different types of natural disasters up in the sky.

After lunch, it was Closing Ceremony. The participants thanked the Organizer for such a wonderful arrangement in Beijing.

Armed with some brief instructions from the hotel and a map, at about 4pm, together with 2 participants from Philippines, we took a public bus 802 (fare at RMB 1) to Tian'an men Square. Along the way, we saw lots of Beijingers well-dressed in their winter clothings. I made a mistake forgetting to bring along my gloves. My hands and face were numb due to the coldness. I could not even hold my camera carefully. Staying outdoor was a torture and all we wanted was to stay indoors.

The bus took about half an hour to reach Tian'an men Square. As expected, it was very, very spacious. We just missed the Flag Lowering Ceremony. I realised the importance of knowing another language as travelling in China was no problem to me at all but not for my friends. I have to ask along my way. I took a few photos just to remind myself that I have been there. Then we walked to the famous shopping district, Wang Fu Jing. By then, I wanted to go to the washroom. I recalled a guide book has mentioned; use your nose.

True enough, I started sniffing around and followed that smell. I found a toilet in the shopping mall. The smell was really unbearable that I almost vomitted.

I bought more sweets and snacks at Wang Fu Jing. We took quite some time to locate the right bus-stop to return to the hotel. By the time we reached, it was about 7pm. We were so hungry and cold. The dinner tasted delicious.

Here, I must mention Ms Hu from the hotel. She is very friendly and helpful. We met during lunch. I have never imagine that she went an extra mile to bring me to a shop that is famous for selling Beijing snacks. It was about a 15 min walk from the hotel. This is called excellent service attitude. She was the one who told me how to go to Tian'an men Square too by the public bus.

I was again glad that I have brought a big luggage. When I started shopping, I lost control. By the time I saw all my gifts lying around the luggage, I felt worried. How am I going to bring all these goodies back home? If J is around, it will be his responsibility to pack the luggage. Now I have to fend myself.

Due to the cold weather and the sky getting darker, I did not have a good walk in Tian'an men Square.

What's next for tomorrow?