Underground Beijing

Henry, an American I met yesterday who has just moved to Beijing, myself and Rodger a fifty year old Ozzy decided to go out and get some food and drink.

Henry who speaks fluent Mandarin took us down some back streets to a locals kebab place (on skewers rather than their grease post pub cousins). We enjoyed a couple of beers here and then met Anil, another friend of Henry's and Rodger left back to the hostel for us to go to the gig.

Boy was the place underground. 

From the outside it was just a door painted the same colour red as the walls around it. more of a hatch in the wall than a door really. But after we stepped inside it opened out into a big bar and dance floor, not dissimilar to the waterfront or a glamorous version of Concorde 2. 

We had a dance, or as I believe the kids call it 'raving' to the RnB DJ's, headlined by DJ's Fresh who pumped out some quality remixes. I was cutting shapes like nobodies business, proving that the language of dance is universal; and I don't speak it.

 I also met a couple of Brits who had moved over from Brighton and a Chinese guy who lived by the big Tesco in hove last year. Small world! 

Eventful airport

 Not even out of the UK and already stupid stuff is happening! 

After checking my Bag in some middle aged Indian lady comes up to Mum and I saying she has a spare bag she can't fit in her hand luggage. She asked us to roll it up and take it on with me.

Now I maybe wrong... But, I'm pretty sure taking weirdos shit in your bag is a fast track ticket to an anal cavity search. 

So obviously I took it...

Kidding, we said no, but then Mum got a real sense of duty (about 20 minuets after the event!) so we went hunting around trying to find security to tell. But no one seemed to care!

This was either incredibly worryingly slack security or I recon the lady worked for the airport and was trying to catch people out.

Eventually it was time to go. I walked to security, started saying good bye to Mum, no dramas. Then Dad phoned... As soon as I heard that buggers voice I welled up. I will miss them so much. 17months, who's stupid idea was that!

In other news I had a drink with a nice couple on their way to the canaries and was 13 minuets short of missing my flight from Dubai to Beijing as I was sleep on the floor in the corridor! Just scraped in on last call! Oops! Who'd have thought taking your sock and using it as a eye mask would be so effective when sleeping on a marble floor!

Starting off with a bang!

 The last words my mother said to me where "be safe"

The first thing I did was get hit by a moped.

It was a green man so I strode out into the road, this dickhead just drove into me at full pelt! 

To add insult, as I was dusting myself off and my new friend Stephanie was checking to see if I was ok he shouted at me like it was my fault!

Apart from that I had a great day, I visited the temple of heaven and the forbidden kingdom so by the end of the day I was all templed out! Very pretty though. 

While Stephanie inspected the sights I spent a lot of time playing a little game... Photograph the umbrella hats!

We rounded off by going to a Chinese restaurant, were I showed off my non-existent chop stick skills and dropped a noodle soaking everyone around with orange sauce.   

Amy's Visit

For my last four days in England my friend Amy, who I met in Florence and Nice came to visit.

We had a great time, on the Sunday Makoto, Amy and I cycled around hove and along the seafront. I put my new found skill into use and managed to regurgitate an outstanding amount of facts during our 'tour' of Brighton and Hove. Facts came from tree information, the Victorian history of Brighton and of course the Devil's Dyke!

We then continued along the coast to the pier, here we got caught out in the rain. So we took shelter eating chips in the sea life centre doorway!

After the worst of the rain we continued along the coast and up onto the cliffs of Telescome, Peacehaven and past Newhaven to Seaford. We somehow managed to out run the storm all day and had a good vantage point to see the lightning striking Brighton.

Makoto really made the day though, such a great lad and so smart! At one point He explained how birds conserve energy when flying by gliding. Although he struggled with the hills he kept on pushing and with only a bit of moaning he entertained us all day.

We had a picnic on a secret beach under the cliffs and a couple of beers on the cliff top. Before heading back on the train while discussing our all-star Zombie teams. I went for: Ray Mears, Jess Ennis, Frank Turner, Rocky Balboa and Jon Richardson. 

The next day Amy and I went around the city in the daytime and out in town with Mum and Dad for a few beers. Andy came and met us too which was awesome. I was really upset I couldn't get Abbie, Cookie and Lucy out too but I got to see them yesterday. The night was fantastic though, one of my best nights out. We smashed the itbox and got to watch a great singer in the fiddlers elbow before heading onto coalition to bust some moves. I think we added significantly to the average age but hey ho, I think I'm hip enough to fit in with the youngsters!

On Tuesday we went to a pub quiz at the Good Companions, Seven Dials. The company was fantastic and it was awesome to catch up with all the guys from school, even if Fish couldn't fly a paper airplane!

Wednesday Mum joined Amy and I for a stroll along the beach and treated us to fish and chips before a trip up the Dyke to round off a lovely last few days in England.

Reflection

Before I set out on my next adventure to Asia and Australasia I was reflecting on a few points from my last trip.

Morocco has never had a problem

Italians love the carbs

You should never trust anyone on face value

Hippy's are full of shit

If Hippy's want to change the world, then why do they just sit around all day getting stoned?

Be patient

Don't run in wet flip flops

Lionel Ritchie is the true king of North Africa 

Don't be scared to go off the beaten track

Trust your instincts

Never trust lonely planet

St Michael's canal is NOT the place to be

Your thumb is not a reliable unit of measurement when planning a trip using a map

Be happy to chat to people, if they don't chat back it's them who are nob's not you

Never pass up food or water

One bottle of wine is never enough

And most of all: NEVER EVER miss an opportunity for a sit down toilet

I hope that helps some would be travellers!  

Julia's Wedding

What a wonderful day!

The service went down with only the one hitch.... Thank you 

It was really nice with some sing a long hymns including; one more step along the world I go which I enjoyed belting out. I also enjoyed it when the vicar asked the crowed if we would help Julia and Matt blah blah blah. Then the church belted back "we do." But in such a tone that it must have sounded like a room full of thugs as it sounded more than a little aggressive.

After the wedding we went along to the reception. We cunningly positioned ourselves (Toby, Sarah H, Sarah B, Sarah G, Nick, Nicola, Joe and myself) right by the kitchen doors so we got ample canapé's! We nursed our first glass of champagne, until we realised there were free refills!

A game of jenga was played, I was falsely accused of knocking it over during a photo, very unfair.

The band were great, the speeches were funny, there was a rowdy drunk German doctor trying to push over the wedding photographer and pull the elderly relatives: the wedding really had everything, even bacon sandwiches.

Toby and I drank rum from my hip flask while Nicola showed us her crab in a short dress! Before boogieing the night away.

Campfires burning

I went up to Norwich this weekend.

On Friday Martin and I went out for dinner and a couple of beers to chat about his new foray into the property market. He and Emily are thinking of buying a 5 bedroom house with two shops underneath that on castle meadow. 

On the Saturday I went up to watch Norwich play North Walsham. Although we lost it was a very encouraging game, with a lot of positives. I think selection is going to be very difficult this year.

After the game we had a fantastic BBQ and a few beers before setting up for a night camping at the rugby club.

The night was a little hazy but I remember a few things well:

Dave Mick demanding he was to be served whiskey in quatre pint measures.

Matt O'B thinking I couldn't read.

Whiskin sleeping on my shoes.

Waking up on the back seat of a hatchback, Selby on the front seat, without a window open. One smelly car.

A brilliant night with brilliant friends.