Happy New Year everybody!
Before I start talking about our Chinese Christmas, I would first like to say a huge thank you to my lovely family for sending me some pressies to open on the day. If I ever get tired of receiving presents (especially ones that are filled with delicious chocolate), shoot me.
On Christmas Eve we boarded the bullet train to Beijing for our festive celebrations. That afternoon we decided to get a bit of sightseeing in and so we visited the Forbidden City, home to Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years.
That night we had a (rather boisterous) meal before heading out to Sanlitun, a popular bar area for expats in Beijing. On the wall of the bar there was a poignant reminder of what Christmas is really all about.
On Christmas morning we all gathered in our hostel bar for some bucks fizz and a Secret Santa present swap. I think most people did pretty well with their gifts. I was certainly very happy with my beautiful crafted chess set (thanks Hayley!).
We then decided to head to a local restaurant for our Christmas lunch. It was nothing like a Christmas meal at home, but it was pretty delicious. Duck pancakes always go down well.
After lunch we walked to Tiananmen Square to wish Chairman Mao a Merry Christmas (or a Maoey Christmas. . . puntastic).
We also thought it would be completely appropriate to orchestrate a Christmas "jump of the day" photo. Somebody somewhere has a photo of all 15 of us jumping, but I don't know who, so below is one with the boys.
We also thought it would be completely appropriate to orchestrate a Christmas "jump of the day" photo. Somebody somewhere has a photo of all 15 of us jumping, but I don't know who, so below is one with the boys.
Obviously our antics attracted quite a lot of attention from the locals/Chinese tourists. A policeman even asked if we were posing a threat to China's national security. Charming.
The rest of the day was spent drinking, eating, playing games and watching Love Actually with a bit of Skype action thrown in too. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves at home in Streatham. I'm already looking forward to next year!
On Boxing Day we got back to the sightseeing, visiting the Lama Temple and then making our way to Houhai, which is a picturesque lake in Beijing. The water was frozen solid so we all clambered on for a little skate. In the background you can see an ice hockey game going on. They were pretty decent!
So that was our Christmas in China. It was a bit different, but it was great fun. Next up, we begin our travelling. First stop is Harbin, where temperatures average -18°C in January. I'll let you know how that goes.
