Duìbùqĭ. Záijián.

***Wil*** · #1 07-09-2006, 12:45 PM

I'm going to China. I leave on the 11^th of July, and I get back on the 22^nd of July. Of couse, since Xav is away until the 18^th, this will leave General Oddworld Discussion somewhat of an anarchist's dream. Still, I hope you all play nicely while I'm departed.

used:) · #2 07-09-2006, 12:54 PM

Have fun in Qina!

SeaRex · #3 07-09-2006, 08:21 PM

Whoa! Take lots of pictures!

***Nate*** · #4 07-10-2006, 06:52 AM

Ooh, China! That's on my list.

(It's a long list)

Have fun dude. Don't do anything I would do.

Matriar · #5 07-10-2006, 07:21 AM

Okay. Bye.

:

Still, I hope you all play nicely while I'm departed.

Har har! Hey guys, Max is away now. C'mon, let's put some viruses in this page

...just kidding

I never would do that.

Mega-mud! · #6 07-10-2006, 08:09 AM

yo, max ive been to china..............(wing wong naaaaaaa)
so engyoy ur self and see if there are specal offers on art of oddworld

Spirrow · #7 07-10-2006, 11:29 AM

:

Still, I hope you all play nicely while I'm departed.

General Oddworld Discussion all to us for a couple of days.
Let's go nuts!

Otherwise, enjoy your trip. We'll be good.

(evil chuckle)

***Wil*** · #8 07-18-2006, 03:59 AM

Brief hello!

Erm, see ya.

Bullet Magnet · #9 07-18-2006, 08:31 AM

Man, he'd better bring us all souvenirs.

***Wil*** · #10 07-23-2006, 04:15 AM

Back! But I'd like to sort a few things out in my life before I start spending hours and hours on computers again, so I won't be around particularly regularly. I need a job, and I need to prepare for uni, and I especially need to figure out the finer details of the mysterious phenomena of my mum deciding to sell the house while I was away.

So for now I hope Nate is going to continue keeping an eye on General Oddworld Discussion. Continue messing around in my absense, you lovely people!

***Nate*** · #11 07-23-2006, 04:51 AM

*sends the cheque off to Mrs Max in thanks for her subservience*

It's all going to plan now!

Oh, and welcome back Maxy. I shall insist on seeing some photos at the first possible juncture. And get your arse back on AIM now!

***Wil*** · #12 07-28-2006, 03:04 PM

I remember now that some people demanded to see some pictures. Well, here are some!

This is possibly the most interesting shot you can get of the Palace Museum. It's what used to be the Forbidden City, where the Emperor stayed, but right now it's hiding under corrugated iron and green nylon, undergoing a metamorphosis that will leave it sparkling for the Olympics. A lot of the tourist sights were like this, in particular the Summer Palace.

We went to the theatre to see some acrobatics, but the pictures didn't turn out too well.

Our first tentative steps onto the Great Wall, where we spent a couple of days. The first day was fine because we were at a high altitude and it was cloudy, so it was cooler than normal.

Just to prove I really was there, here is me standing in front of a green screen. I mean, the Great Wall. Somewhere to my right, a guide was stubbing his cigarette out on the ancient brickwork…

On the second day of trekking, I reached this point and gave the fuck up.

Sundays in China are spent at the park, where everyone has fun. There are people jumprope skipping, playing badminton and cards and hackey sack (or the Mongolian equivalent, with metal disks and feathers), painting calligraphy on the floor with water, and clustering into groups to sing publicly. Plus there were these people. If I went to an English park and did this, I'd get beaten up. Everyone enjoyed this day a lot.

You can get really close to the Terracotta Army.

In Guangxi Normal College, this is the Reading Cave. Supposedly, it is an optimal location to study peacefully. Preparing to descend, I couldn't help thing the name “Pit of Doom” would be more apt. Sure enough, once you're down there it's pitch black.

Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese do not go around gobbling up cats and dogs. This is a rumour started by the first Western visitors who noticed that there was a whopping great lack of cats and dogs on the street, and inferred from there. In truth, cats and dogs just aren't popular pets. This is a stray. It's tiny, emaciated, and very, very cute.

Cats and dogs are eaten in China, but by very few people, mostly in the south. They're not even delicacies, just something to eat guilt-free from time to time.

We didn't eat here.

used:) · #13 07-28-2006, 03:12 PM

Wow, China!

Well it looks like you had a splendid trip. Those pictures are quite good as well.

Cullen Heath · #14 07-30-2006, 02:35 PM

Cool!!! Hope you had tons of fun. Sounds like you did!

:

Just to prove I really was there, here is me standing in front of a green screen. I mean, the Great Wall. Somewhere to my right, a guide was stubbing his cigarette out on the ancient brickwork…

Dude, that's not sweat, is it?

:

On the second day of trekking, I reached this point and gave the fuck up.

*Gasp!* Max!
Set good examples

.

***Wil*** · #15 07-31-2006, 11:21 AM

:

Dude, that's not sweat, is it?

Better yet, it's sweat mixed with sun screen. Seriously, I sweat like a fat man.

:

Set good examples:P .

Hmmm. Nah, I'm alright thanks.

Here I am enlisting in the Terracotta Army with m' homies. Actually, it's in a ceramics factory that produces models. Oh, and they try and sell them to you. No place in China is complete without a horde of salespeople hawking you anything they can.

“This necklace agate, look pretty on girlfriend.”
“Yeah thanks, I'll tell him.”

“Lookie lookie, you need tie?”
“No thanks, I'm allergic.”

I was almost relieved to be back in Blighty, but now I can't haggle.

AquaticAmbi · #16 07-31-2006, 06:00 PM

A bit late as usual, but very awesome pictures. I think being able to say you've been to see such historical and well-known places is such a wonderful thing. Walking the Great Wall of China sounds amazing.. yet exhausting.

Aww.. That poor cat. It looks like the dozen of starving cats I fed in Jamaica.

I can see why you didn't eat at the restaurant in that last pic. I mean.. Mmm.. ovary. Delicious!

Do you feel bad when you reject what the poor people try to sell you, Max? I don't know, I felt so guilty in Jamaica. I know even a dollar or two would mean so much to the people, much more to them than to me, but I couldn't exactly go throwing my money around. Still felt rather greedy..

***Wil*** · #17 08-02-2006, 03:38 PM

Actually, no. I didn't feel greedy or selfish. I guess my polite British upbringing has taught me to ignore anyone who thrusts their face into mine to sell me something I really don't want. They were so annoying, I had no sympathy. I would have been more impressed with China's informal workers had they offered useful items or services (shoe polishing always springs to mind) to the local population.

Instead they prey on naïve tourists. The only hawker I felt sorry for was my guide when we were trekking the Great Wall. She did do fantastic, helpful things like chat to us, hold our hands when we were going down tricky terrain, take photographs of us, and offer to carry our bags. When she turned into a predatory hawker at the end, it was so awkward. We willingly paid far too much for a book of photographs each, then ran to the coach without looking back, and didn't look out the windows 'til we'd driven off.

And don't get me started on the people who used their disabilities and disfigurements to try and earn money. I have no idea what China is like in equal rights, but I'm positive that they should just get jobs.

Hmm. Maybe that makes me seem shallow. I guess I've never felt sorry for poor people. To much of Oxfam shoving it in your face between acts of The Simpsons desensatises you to it. The cat, on the other hand, my heart went out to.