Bags packed ready to go!!!!
So as the title would suggest my bags are packed and I think that I’m as ready as I will ever be, the taxi to Gatwick is booked, and I am trying to remember exactly what it is I have forgotten - there must be something, there is always something, but god alone knows what it is and I’m sure I will find out when I go to find it and it isn’t there!
I’m not really sure what to expect I know it will be really hard - am I fit enough, NO! but I’m sure I will be much fitter by the time I get back - here’s hoping!! I have heard so many different reports of china from various people all of which gave fantastic rave reviews but I have also been told to take pot noodles with me because apparently the food is really bad - it cant be as bad as a pot noodle so I think I will take my chances, I have heard that it is common practise in china for people to not only smoke in restaurants but whilst they are eating, I hope to god they are not sitting next to me when they do this, I know that must sound hypocritical as I am a smoker myself, but I hate smoking in restaurants, I cant bear for people to smoke over my food especially if I have paid good money for a meal. Something I think might put me off my food more than the smoking, is the reported spitting in restaurants, apparently it is not considered rude to ‘hock a loogie’ in a restaurant, or anywhere else for that matter, I DO NOT do spitting anywhere, but in a restaurant, how utterly disgusting.
The toilets will be interesting, squats only, I have never used a squat loo before, they had them in Thailand, but I couldn’t bring myself to go, to the point that I left the club to go in the bar down the road that I knew had western toilets I know that I will probably have the choice in Beijing, but once out of the city - no such luck, I will have to learn pretty quickly.
I think the night I am looking forward to most is the second night, where we will all stay in a really remote mountain village and everyone will be billeted out to stay with a Chinese family for the night which will be a real experience one of the houses has a bed that sleeps four people - bagsy not me!!!!
They have issued us with a list of the people who will share rooms, and they have paired me with a woman called DEIRDRE!!!!! I can almost imagine the of the amount of fun we will have, I have already bought Deirdre a gift - ear plugs!!!! And if anyone has ever heard my snoring you will know why and who knows she may even choose to wear them through the daytime to block out my talking!!!!!! I know I shouldn’t be judgemental, especially because I have never met Deirdre, but I have visions of socks and sandles, I will give great odds that she will not want to share with me within the first couple of days and try to swap out of the room, I will keep you posted on that one!
Now I will have to go and figure out what I have forgotten, I will write some more when I get back,
