Pushing My Limits: Xiamen 2012

- April 29 - May 3, 2012, Sunday to Thursday.

I. Premise

- My dad asked me to tag along his business trip to Xiamen, because he sort of wanted me to study in China. Xiamen boasts its Xiamen University, a nice school I think, but it doesn't offer the course that I wanted. (Aside from that, I am not necessarily in sync with the local Chinese people, no offense.)

- I opted to tag along since, well, the opportunity to travel was offered to me on a silver plate, and it wouldn't really hurt to "see the school" even though I didn't really have any intention of studying there. Aside from that, I haven't gone to China since my first time there in December 2003; I went to Shanghai with my family, and it was also the first time I went abroad.

- Since we would be going to Fujian - where Xiamen is - I also thought it would be a good opportunity to go back to my roots. Like most Filipino-Chinese, my ancestors also hail from Fujian.

- I started to feel unsure about the trip when my dad kept on telling me "I don't know" to each question I asked him. He told me that it would depend on his partner on where we were going to go and what we were going to eat and all that. I am not a fan of "unsure" situations, because I couldn't organize my clothes, my accessories, my schedule, and my expectations. I kept my fingers crossed that things would turn out well.


II. Wasted Day 1: Don't Pass Me Around, Please

- My dad and I arrived in China at 11 in the morning, and was greeted by my dad's primary business partner (I think it's his business partner....but I'll just refer to him as that from now on.) He drove us to our first hotel, Harbor Bay Hotel, and took us out to lunch with another partner (I think.)

Elliptical Road in Quezon City from the plane. Hahahaha.

Mr. Arayat.

- It was my first time to immerse myself in Fujianese cuisine, since most Chinese restaurants here in the Philippines serve Cantonese food. I felt that Fujianese food was a bit bland, and oily too, but the subtle tastes seemed to play well.

Finally arrived, and the dishes don't look too appealing but they tasted great!!

- I started to notice that my dad's partners wanted me to be fat -- fatter than Hansel and Gretel combined -- and they would sometimes "get angry" if I refused to eat more than I wanted. I subtly gave my dad distressed looks because my tummy was about to explode. This would go on in every meal I would have with them. I did understand that this was part of the hospitality though.

- After lunch, we were driven to my dad's partner's house, and they started their meeting. Not knowing about China's "cigarette culture" - where cigarettes are regarded as "presents" or as part of a welcoming gesture - I knew I was in trouble when my dad's partners started to smoke indoors, a legal thing in China. I tried not to breathe, or calmly walked to the open windows to grab some fresh air. Other than that, they also wanted to drown me in tea. The tea was great, but my bladder can only take so much liquid in one day. Still, drowning in tea was better than suffocating from cigarette fumes.

- When I found an opportunity to talk to my dad, I asked if I would be allowed to explore the city while he was on his meeting. I had a map with me, and because of all my adventuring experiences in many places, I can most probably say that I would find my way around with a good map.

- My dad didn't like the idea of my getting lost in the city during our first day, and asked me to accompany one of the partners who happened to be going to another meeting of some sort. "My might take you around to see the city," my dad said. Trusting my dad, I went. I regretted that decision.

- The partner took me to another person's house, where they had a meeting about something I didn't know about, and didn't want to know about. The smoke and the tea were both present, and luckily, I sat next to the window, where it was easier to breathe. Xiamen's weather was slightly colder than Manila's weather, which made things more tolerable.

- I encountered this guy from Liaoning, a Northern Chinese province, who spoke to me in an incomprehensible Northern-Chinese accent. Well, it was incomprehensible if spoken quickly. Northern-Chinese accents are "rough," and filled with many "-er" sounds that I'm not used to listening. The guy initially thought I couldn't speak Mandarin, until it was explained to him by the partner that he had to speak a bit slowly so I'd understand. After that, I was able to communicate well with the guy from Liaoning. Still, I only sat there, trying not to breathe cigarette fumes, and waiting for a miracle to happen. I was so pissed off that I had to rant to some of my friends, and I had to text my mom and dad for "help" -- help for my sanity.

- I was driven back to my dad later, and we had a road trip around the city. My dad told me that I could tell them to stop the car if I wanted to take a picture of something. I found the idea absurd because it was literally a road trip around the city, without the partners telling me where we were exactly. I was still slow at looking at the area's map since I had to calculate the scale of the map and the actual road/distance, and etc. I just sat inside the car, until we were driven to dinner.

- I didn't know whether to laugh or cry in frustration when my dad asked me if I am still capable of walking to the night market after we arrive at the hotel. I told my dad that I haven't even walked for the day. All I did was sit down, drink tea, suffocate, and eat.

- My dad allowed me to explore the night market on my own, while he rested in the hotel. I knew he also had a hard time tolerating all that smoke, since my dad isn't a smoker. At least my dad was doing something while he was with them, unlike me, who sat in the corner, almost comparable to a round porcelain vase, or a heavy smiling-Buddha statue.

- It didn't take me long to arrive at the night market, since our hotel had a great location; It was located near the night market, and the ferry station, and the historic, cultural, and musical Gulangyu Island could be clearly seen from out hotel window.

The brand of some Chinese canned goods we eat in Manila. My dad requested this shot.

- I wanted to roll freely on the busy Zhongshan Road, or do crazy cartwheels. There were no business partners, no parental supervision, and best of all, I could walk on my own pace -- by that I mean really really fast.

Chinese creativity.

"Big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for Xiamen, Xiamen, Xiamen." 

He draws nice caricatures.

- The buildings of Zhongshan Road had European influences, due to the frequent European visits in the area during the 1800s, or possibly earlier. Similar architecture can be seen across Xiamen, as well as many houses in Gulangyu Island.

More colonial architecture.

"Zhongshan Lu."

A narrow "Taiwanese" food street.

- I didn't buy anything in Zhongshan Road during the first night, since I wanted to canvass first. I just bought a glass of milk tea, as a friend's advice to cool myself off from all that ranting I did in the afternoon. The milk tea wasn't too special, but it did cool me off a bit. Besides, I was able to get a bit of freedom that night.

- Just before going back to the hotel, I had the gut to go around a bit more, and look for the old houses that the city kept. This meant that I had to go through some small quiet streets, although I discovered that some small streets had some shops that were still open, or small street food stalls with some customers eating and letting time pass. I took some photos before going back to the hotel to rest.

Took this shot while walking through a small street on the way back to the hotel.

Saw this church while exploring the small street on my own..

III. Wasted Day 2: Exile

- Just when I thought I'd have a better day, well, I didn't. My dad told me that we'd be going to the Southern island of Zhangzhou, and would meet with another partner. Dad said we'd be there for half a day, and we'd visit the university in the afternoon, and other interesting places near the university.

View of mainland Xiamen.

The longest bridge in Xiamen.

Duck lunch!! :D:D:D:D

- It turned out to be a whole-day affair. We did visit the university, but it was just the satellite campus, where freshmen and sophomore university students stayed. We also passed by the Southern Fort, and took a few photos.

Xiamen University satellite campus.

Highest mountain in Xiamen.

Southern Fort.

"Nan Pao Tai" ("Southern Fort.")

- I wanted to avoid the cigarette fumes again, after the short road trip, so I decided to walk to and fro the short street. There wasn't anything interesting to see, except for a nice temple near the partner's house. I felt more helpless when I realized that the island wasn't part of my Xiamen map. Darn, no opportunity to explore stuff. I couldn't go far because there really wasn't anything to see in that part of the island, aside from the university campus, and maybe the fortress.

Tian Hou Temple.

Sumokong, the monkey with wind-related powers.

I had to take this photo by myself!!

- I wanted to beg my dad to let me go back to the main Xiamen island, but I knew I wouldn't be allowed to go sailing off on my own anyway, so I just waited for time to pass by, trying my best not to breathe again.

- We were driven to a small office, where I was fortunately able to use the computer to send an important e-mail, check my mail and illegally use Facebook in China, thanks to securitales.com's free trial. HAHA.

- We were soon driven to dinner, and again the force-feeding happened. What ticked my curiosity in the dishes that were served was the cooked horseshoe crab. Although the aquarium tanks in the restaurant didn't exhibit horseshoe crabs, the horseshoe crabs were hidden somewhere, since horseshoe crabs were endangered, and I'm not exactly sure if it was even legal to serve horseshoe crabs in China. Still, horseshoe crabs tasted like regular crab, although a bit bland, and the meat was a bit tougher. I still prefer regular crabs though; they're sweeter.

Horseshoe crab.

The longest bridge in Xiamen.

- After dinner, we went back to the hotel, and I was again allowed to roam freely in the night market. Since it was a bit past 10pm, many stores have closed, including the very store I wanted to go to to buy a tangzhuang I was eyeing for during the first night. (The tangzhuang is the common Chinese-collared polo with Chinese buttons.) To compensate for that tiny sadness, I bought this giant dessert that resembled somewhere in the middle of shaved ice and ice cream, and yogurt. I didn't know what it was but I liked it.

My reward for the day.

- I walked back to the hotel, feeling a bit sad, but since my dad wasn't there, I was able to have a bit of me-time, when it only meant watching TV while sitting on my bed, and checking out the map.

- I also asked my dad earlier that day if I could explore the city on my own for the next two days, and he allowed me, to my immense euphoria. Finally, my dad trusted my adventure skills, and my self-photography skills. (My dad always asked me if I wanted my photo to be taken.)


IV. Day Alone 1: Gulangyu, the Musical Island

- I woke up on the third day with the sunlight gently pressing my face through the cream-white curtains. I knew it was my first real day of freedom, and I'd be going off to one of Xiamen's tourist highlights: the Gulangyu Island.

- My dad walked me to the nearby harbor, bought a ticket to Gulangyu, and off I sailed with a ton of other local and foreign tourists to the famed island.

Little Girl.

Goxinga from the ferry.

One of China's lauded linguists.

A really cute dog, like the ones on dog-food packages.

- Gulangyu was a treaty port during the days of the Opium War in the early 1800s. Being located in a great location for maritime trade, many Europeans and Japanese settled in the island, making it a cosmopolitan island. This is why many of the structures in the island, well-preserved and still functional, looked European.

- I arrived at the island at almost 10, and immediately bought a map that also served as a souvenir; an antique style envelope contained the old-style tourist map, with details of some places of interest, and four post cards.

- The island was a no-car city, and most people went around the island on foot, or by golf carts. As an adventurer, I opted to go on foot. Thankfully, it was a sunny day, and I was able to get around with ease.

A. Hero Mountain and Sunlight Rock

- I first visited the Hero Mountain (Yingxiong Shan,) which had an aviary, and also had a path/route to the majestic Sunlight Rock (Riguang Yan,) located on Longtou Mountain (Dragon Head Mountain.) The giant rock is not only a natural wonder, but the inscriptions on the rocks coming from the Ming Dynasty make it a historical wonder as well. This is why some say that a visit to Xiamen wouldn't be complete until the peak of the rock has been reached. Although it was a hard climb up, despite having stairs, the view of the brick-colored old houses alongside the foggy main Xiamen island across the strait showed the paradox of China -- modernity living close and at ease with history and traditional culture.

Still a long way to gooooooooooooo.

Hey there peacock friend!!

I'm very very closeeeee. (And despite the smile, I was really tired then.)

The view from above.

- The Sunlight Rock also guards a temple, conveniently called "Sunlight Rock Temple," and is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Guanyin, the goddess of mercy (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara.) The temple was built in the middle of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

An interesting square.

"Sunlight Rock Temple."

B. Shuzhuang Garden and the Piano Museum

- My next stop was Shuzhuang Garden, which boasts is many pavillions, and mini museums of art and culture. My purpose of visiting the garden, however, was the piano museum I've been hearing a lot about. Being a pianist, I obviously wanted to take a look.

"Shuzhuang."

From the outside.

- The small museum didn't allow people to take photos, and I had to act all spy-like to take some sneak shots. What made it difficult was the ease of the museum staff to see everyone at one glance, and the abundance of CCTV cameras in the museum. I had to hide behind posts, or squat down to take photos. There were some photos and another piano towards the exit, so I took pictures of myself from the outside in. (YAY FOR LOOPHOLES. HAHA.) The piano museum also has a second piano hall, located in a separate "house," and I almost missed it by a glance.

Plenty of old pianos.

Taking photos outside in.

Mirror shot!! 

C. Bright Moon Garden and the Koxinga Statue

- I followed the trail to Haoyue Yuan (Bright Moon Garden,) and by now I was almost at the other side of the island from where I arrived. The Bright Moon Garden is the home of the giant Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) statue, that forever looks out into the vast sea. Koxinga/Zheng Chenggong was a leader against the Manchurian Qing Dynasty invasion.

Giant Zheng Chenggong.

He looks to the sea.

Taoist religious person.

D. Lunch, and the Organ Museum

- I stopped by a local cafe to rest my legs, check my map, and have "lunch." By lunch, I meant an energy-giving banana shake. I was still too full from my dinner the previous night (again, with the fattening hospitality,) The shake was a bit heavy, so it served as a nice semi-filling lunch.

My half-finished banana shake. See that heart on the straw??

My map, and my best friend on the island.

Even the coffee shop was music-themed.

- After my legs seemed to feel better, I walked the ups and downs of the hilly island, and found myself in the organ museum. The organ museum is located in the "Ba Gua" Building, because of the octagonal shape of one part of the building.

- The museum was also a no-photo zone, but the not-photo signs were "not strategically placed," and there was no one guarding the exhibit rooms, so people kept on taking shots. There was also a Caucasian playing the building-high pipe organ at the center atrium; his excellence in playing the organ brought joyful tears to my heart.

A lot of couples like to have their pre-nup shots in Gulangyu.

"Gulanyu Organ Museum"

All kinds of organs you can imagine!!

This guy totally rocked the giant pipe organ. 

Tsk tsk tsk tsk.

Too many pedals and knobs.

View from the second floor.

More bricked buildings.

E. Xiamen Underwater World

- I also passed by the Xiamen Underwater World, and decided to check it out. Since it was the first of May, Labor Day, the oceanarium was packed with eager parents, and even more eager children. It was hard to move inside.

A seal!!

Sea lion.

Penguin friends!!

Yes, I realize that.

Fish face.

F. Shopping Streets, Cathedral, and My Death March

- I visited the busy streets shopping streets of Longtou and Quanzhou, and looked for my way to the Gothic-style cathedral for Mother Mary. While in the cathedral grounds, I heard a funny conversation between two Chinese tourists behind me. They were looking at the grotto with Mary across the cathedral:

Person A: Who is this?? (pointing to Mama Mary) Is this Kwanima (Guanyin/Avalokiteshvara??)

Person B: Are you nuts?!?! There wouldn't be a statue of Kwanima here!! (Kwanima = Buddhist, possibly Mary's almost Buddhist counterpart.)

Person A: OH RIGHT!! SHE'S NOT KWANIMA!!

Indian-themed store.

Tibetan store.

The church.

Tunnel on the way back.

- I finally arrived at the pier after everything, tired, sun-burnt, and leg-tortured, only to find out that I was at the wrong pier. I was asked to go back to the dock where I got off, conveniently located AT THE OTHER SIDE of the island, 30 to 40 minutes away. I went by foot, dragging my sweaty self all the way to the correct pier, and rode back to Xiamen island.


V. Detourventures

A. Huli Fortress Fail, Xiamen University, and an Encounter

- I arrived at the main Xiamen island around 3:30 after a short ferry ride from Gulangyu. Since I had a lot of time to spare before meeting with my dad at 7pm, I decided to explore the Southern part of the city.

- It was strange that the taxis didn't want to take me to the Xiamen University main campus, so I opted to take a bus. I have this small fear of taking buses simply because I wasn't used to taking buses. I rode one that had a "Xia Da" (Xiamen University) sign, and got off way too early. I saw another bus that had a sign that said "Huli," and thought that maybe I could visit the Huli Fortress instead. After all, it was quite near the university, and I could visit the university afterwards.

- A Santa-Claus like Caucasian rode the Huli bus, and I immediately asked him where he was headed. The man, who I later found out was Icelandic, told me that he was going somewhere near the fortress, but he'd be passing by the fortress, and was willing to take me there. It's a shame that I forgot his long name, all I know is that it started with an S. I had a nice short conversation with him in the bus, and he really did take me to the entrance to the fort. What's funnier is that that morning, my dad made me take a pack of Philippine dried mangoes, an extra pack from the ones we gave to his business partners, and told me that I could eat it along the way when I got hungry, or I could give it to any foreigner I befriend while travelling on my own. True enough, I met the nice Icelandic man, and I gave him the pack of dried mangoes just before we parted ways.

My new Icelandic friend.

Huli Fortress.

Xiamen University.

- Despite my awesome encounter with the Icelandic man, the fort was about to close in fifteen minutes, so the ticket person didn't allow me to enter. Slightly disappointed, I walked to the Xiamen University campus, took a picture of the iconic central building, and walked to one of the main gates nearest to the Nanputuo Temple.

B. Nanputuo Temple

- The Nanputuo (South Putuo) Temple, is a Buddhist temple built during the Tang dynasty. The mostly-wooden temple compound immediately gave a nostalgic and close-to-nature ambience. What more if everyone walking on the grounds were wearing Tang-dynasty costumes. Haha.

"Nan Pu Tuo."

I'm not smiling anymore. This means I'm very VERY tired.

Golden Buddha inside.

Courtyard.

Xiamen University from the temple.

- I rode the Simingnan Road (South Siming Road) bus, which would stop at Zhongshan Road after two or three stops, and stopped for the clothes that I had been eyeing for. I bough two orange tangzhuangs, and another shirt, before making it in time for my 7pm meeting with my dad.


C. Hotel Transfer, and Walk Out

- We had another big dinner with my dad's partners, and I was also told that we had changed hotels, since the nearby construction and the ship horns from the nearby pier in our previous hotel didn't make my dad sleep well. Too bad, I liked that hotel.

Xiamen at night.

- We transferred to another hotel in a somewhere hidden alley - an interesting alley. It was also near my dad's partner's house.

- What irritated me the most during that day was that my dad's partners followed us to our hotel, and "hung out" in the room. While they were kind enough to tell me that I should rest after a long day, and that I shouldn't mind them, I wouldn't be able rest comfortably with many people inside our small room, with smoke and all, even if the windows were opened. I cannot sleep even with the slightest noise. (And to think how Chinese people....can seem to be....hmmm, very "passionate" when speaking....so much so that it wouldn't be "properly pronouncing" the words without that....certain passion. OK fine, they speak loudly, and that makes it difficult for me to sleep.)

- I couldn't find the chance to tell my dad if he would be kind enough to escort his partners away. They might be interested to talk elsewhere while I rested. I'm not trying to be a brat, or trying to sound self-centered, but it was our hotel room, and with them being there, it was sort of invading my/our (my dad's and my) personal/private space.

- I was so pissed I walked out on them, subtly and quietly. One of their companions asked where I was going, and I told him that I'd just be going down the lobby. I didn't know what I'd do in the lobby, maybe I'd sleep there until they go away, but all I wanted was to have my space. I took the elevator to the lobby, and checked out my map again for my second day alone. Fortunately, dad's partners came down, and told me that I should go upstairs and rest. I didn't know if they got my "subtle" hint. I smiled and told them that everything was OK. I went up to our room after dad's partners all went away, and finally I was able to get my much needed rest.


VI. Day Alone 2: Southern Xiamen Island

- I told my dad that I wanted to go off alone the wholeeee day, until dinner. I told him that I'd be back at the hotel by 10pm, assuming I'd spend time again in Zhongshan Road until the stores close. He allowed me to go alone, but the sky didn't seem too promising.

A. Hulishan Fortress

- It took me a while to find my way around the new hotel, but decided to hail a cab to the Hulishan Fortress. I arrived minutes later, paid my ticket, and one of the souvenir/beverage vendors recognized me from the previous day.

Yes, thank you.

- The Hulishan Fortress was used in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The German Krupp company also contributed many cannons and supplies to the fortress. In the fortress, what used to be the barracks now served as exhibit halls, and film-viewing rooms. These reminded me of my visit to Saigon's Cuchi Tunnel several weeks ago.

Inside the fortress.

Giant cannon.

- I was fortunate enough to witness the soldiers' cannon-firing demonstration. The soldiers, fully-costumed, started doing some marches and formations outside the headquarters, moved to another area to do some more formations, and finally, they went to the cannon area to load the cannon, and actually fire the cannon. We all didn't expect that they'd really fire the cannon, but it was a different experience to see how the ancient artillery worked.

Elaborately-staged changing of guards.

It was quite difficult to chase them.

General.

To the tower!!

Waving of flags and cannon firing.

B. Taiwan Folk Village

- I left the fortress afterwards, and visited the Taiwan Folk Village and Butterfly Garden further to the East of Southern Xiamen Island. I rode a cab to the empty amusement park, realizing that it was a weekday, and it wasn't vacation season like in the Philippines.

- There was nothing much to see in the amusement park, although I saw some statues and man-made caves. I didn't have the energy to visit the Golden Hill, where a temple was located, and even further was the giant Guanyin statue. I figured that I'd use my energy in another place instead. By the way, a "Taiwanese-themed" amusement park was located in Xiamen because of the island's proximity to Taiwan. I think it's China's closest territory to Taiwan.

A small cave at one of the higher levels.

White Guan Yin from afar.

I don't think I can go up up there. 

"Xiamen Taiwan Folk Village."

C. 10,000 Rock Botanical Garden (Wanshi Zhiwuyuan)

- I rode a cab to the Xiamen Botanical Garden, where I decided to spend more time in, since there was a lot to see inside the garden. Upon arriving, I realized that the garden was bigger than what I had imagined. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to visit all the placed that I wanted to see, so I opted to visit the temples rather than look at the plants. I'm more of a culture guy so the temples appealed to me more.

Big lake in the garden.

Road signs.

Gumamelas as large as my face!!

- I first visited the Tianjie Temple, a temple so hard to reach. The road to the temple was pretty steep, and I had to rest in a small gazebo just in front of the temple before entering. The temple was quite small, but had a nice view of the Xiamen coastline from afar.

Tianjie Temple.

Happy lion guard.

The inner gate of the temple.

View from above.

- I ate a super light lunch - a stick of Taiwanese sausage, since I was more thirsty than hungry. That was pretty much the case during my Gulangyu adventure as well, aside from being intensely full from the previous night's dinner.

- I walked to the other side of the garden, across a small lake, where I visited the Wanshilian Temple, and the adjacent Zhongyan Temple. The mountain side temples, especially the Wanshilian Temple, gave me some peace, although as the rain started to pour, I tried as much as possible to keep my positive energy to myself, and try not to get pissed off again; I've been pissed off too much during my first two days.

Wanshilian Temple.

Fat cat.

Zhongyan Temple.

- I visited another temple, called the Pacific Crag Temple (Taipingyan Temple,) located on another side of the mountain. The big temple reminded me of the Nanputuo Temple, because of some same features. It was the most beautiful among the four temples I visited.

Taipingyan Temple.

Rain rain please go away.

Buddhist shoes and slippers.

"Fo," aka "Buddha."

Duck.

- If only I had the time, and the energy, and it the sky weren't crying on my adventures, I would have gone deeper into the garden and visited the other more interesting temples, at least I felt like they were. I like temple hopping, and it's something my mom despises. (All temples look alike to her.)

D. Zhongshan Park and the Rest of the Day

- I left the botanical garden after my short temple visit, and I felt more pain and strain in my legs down to my big toes. I still kept on walking the streets of Southern Xiamen, and thankfully the rain subsided.

- On my way to the Cultural Palace that I later found out was relocated, I passed by three stores that sold Chinese dance costumes. The prices were very cheap, but I wasn't able to buy myself a costume because either the store didn't sell male costumes, or the store had, the male costumes didn't fit me. Boohoo.

Memorial park.

Wanted to buy as many dance costumes as I could, but they wouldn't fit me.

 - I found my way to the Zhongshan Park after a policeman informed me of the Cultural Palace's (faraway) relocation. The Zhongshan Park, located between Zhongshan East and Zhongshan West Road, is a park for all ages. While mainly a kids-themed park, many elderly people like to hang out at the pavilions, and talk with other elderly people. It seemed that King Bumi from Avatar the Last Airbender was right: "Didn't you know that all old people know each other?" Haha.

Zhongshan Park. 

- As for the kids, the park had a mini-amusement park, and a free zoo, and playgrounds elsewhere.

Hurray for Engrish.

Here's another one.

Quite a serene place.

My hand it sweet.

Albino water buffalo.

- I got bored in the park, despite the nice statues and all, and decided to head back to the hotel before going shopping again at my ever favorite Zhongshan Road.

- I changed into my second orange tangzhung, and ran to Zhongshan Road to do some more shopping. Despite going to the road everyday, I always felt like I saw something different and interesting each time I went there. There weren't much souvenirs, since most of the things there were "real things," like normal clothes, and not "touristy" things like keychains and stuff. The most tourist-souvenir-like things I've seen were postcards, maps, and memo pads with the Gulangyu Island and its attractions on them. They didn't fancy me, and undoubtedly overpriced.

- I also ate at McDonald's because I missed non-Chinese food. Haha. It was the first "legit" meal that I've had while travelling alone, not counting the dinners with my dad's business partners.

A really old house near my hotel.

Plenty of Thomast the Train toys in Zhongshan Road.

Shaved ice dessert.

Statue of a puppet maker.

Puppets of today.

If I were a girl, I'd totally wear this.

- I went back to the hotel and left my things, and went down again to eat at the nearby noodle house my dad pointed to me during our first day. The small restaurant was different because it served Uyghur halal dishes, meaning food from the Northwestern Muslim province of Xinjiang. The servers in the restaurant (as well as other branches of the restaurants that I have come across) all hail from the desert province.

- I had to make sure that the staff were from Xinjiang, so I asked one of the staff. He was they were all from Xinjiang, to my joy. I have been fascinated with that region of China, together with other "outskirt" provinces like Tibet or Yunnan, and it was an honor to encounter an Uyghur. I think the Uyghur people are beautiful people because a lot, if not all, have a mix of Northeast Asian (Chinese,) and Turkish/Eurasian features.

- The restaurant didn't sell anything to drink, so I had my beef fried rice packed in a container, and went to buy something extremely cold to drink, and planned to finish my meal at the hotel room, where I could savor the air conditioning while watching historical Chinese drama.

My halal rice.

- My plan backfired after my dad and his business partners came knocking on our hotel room door; dad's partners planned to invade our room again, cigarettes, and all. I was almost going to do my second walk out when I was forced to go with another "business friend" (not partner,) for a massage.

- When it comes to massages, well, I never liked massages. They are painful, no matter who does it to me, and I usually end up with more pain than ever. It did relive me to know that it wasn't the type of body massage where I had to strip down, since I was given some "spa clothes" to wear.

- The one who accompanied me to the massage place was a few years older than I was, and by far the most considerate Chinese person I've been with. He asked me if it bothered me if he smoked (in front of me.)

- I gave the massage a shot, although I really had no choice but to force myself to accompany/be accompanied, because my legs hurt a lot from all that walking. They hurt so much that they hurt even more when I sat down to rest. Still, I wanted that than sitting around all day doing nothing.

- As expected, the hour-and-a-half massage brought more pain to my fats and bones. Even when I asked the lady to tone down her knuckles, I still felt it was pretty hard. I only like massages when I give massages to myself, and that's it. While wincing in pain, I was able to make up a whole stand-up skit in my head - that I've probably forgotten by now. For me, I think that massages are "relaxing" afterwards, because it's the only time the person is relieved from the painful meat-tenderizing torture.

- I was brought back to the hotel afterwards, and was more relieved to see that my dad and his partners had gone out. The room was all to myself, and I was able to relax after packing some of my things for the following day's departure.


VII. Brainwashing, and What's Left to Explore

A. Xiamen University (Again) and the Overseas Chinese Museum

- After an early morning breakfast, my dad and I were driven to the university once again to "inquire" about programs and processes "just in case I'd study there." I'm saying it again, here and now, that it won't happen. (Super short crash courses, like those that last a week or two, I might consider, but I will surely not get a degree there.) It's just that the school does not have what I want, nothing personal.

- After the short visit, I requested to be dropped off at the nearby Overseas Chinese Museum, a museum free of charge that exhibits the history and culture of the Chinese migration to other countries.

I like the facade of the Chinese Overseas Museum.

Why hello Philippines.

"Tang Ren Jie." (Chinatown.)

The typical image used in textbooks to represent the mestizo sangleys.

- It took me an hour to go through the three-storey museum, passing by photos, relics, documents, and artifacts. I was happy to see that the Philippines was mentioned quite a few times. I even saw the iconic "mestizo de sangley" woman photo.

- I also encountered a small group of overseas Chinese from the Netherlands, who had two Chinese students as tour guides, and spoke to the tourists in English.

B. Lunch, Spook Hill

- My dad, the sort-of partner, and I had lunch in a small restaurant across the museum. I think it was the best meal I've had there, since the food was simple, authentic, and delicious. Most of all, I was not forced by other people to "eat more." :)) :)) :)) :))

- My dad kept on fussing about "Guai Po," or "Spook Hill," and kept on telling me to go there even weeks before our departure to Xiamen. I couldn't understand why my dad would treat the hill with much importance instead of the apparently more important attractions in Xiamen.

- Spook Hill is said to be a gravitational anomaly, since gravity pulls things upwards, instead of downwards. In reality, it was explained to us that it was an optical illusion from the surrounding rocks and roads. While the path seemed to look like it was going up, in reality, it was going down, and therefore the law of gravity is technically not defied.

It really feel special.

- The path was a few meters long, and bicycle rental services for one or two yuan were available, just so the "gravitational wonder" could be experienced. I got on a bike, and it was the first time I've ridden a bike in more than ten years -- and yes, I still know how.

C. Last Minute Shopping and Goodbye Xiamen

- After the really uneventful trip in Spook Hill (sorry dad, I still think it was an unncesseary visit,) we were dropped off at Zhongshan Road, my 5th consecutive visit, for our last minute shopping.

- After an hour, I was able to find myself a changshan-and-vest set. The changshan is similar to the Vietnamese aodai, and is actually where the aodai was based on. The changshan has a lower slit, and is sometimes accompanied by an open necked vest.

- My dad and I "hung out" at my dad's partner's house after checking out of the hotel. I didn't quite mind the smoke and noise this time, since I was able to use a laptop placed several meters away from the smoking people. I was able to send some important emails again.

- We had a small afternoon meal before being driven to the airport, and I knew that everything would be alright once I arrive in hotter Manila.

"Each person should know where they came from; if not, how will he know where to go?"

VIII. Epilogue, Realizations, Lessons

- My mom couldn't recognize me when I came home, because I became darker by 10 shades, or so I think. She also like the fan I bought her; mom's fan broke during our Vietnam-Cambodia trip a month ago.

- Upon arriving, I realized, and learned several things:

1. Never go to China when dad says it's for a business trip, unless he allows me to go off alone.

2. It can be hard dealing with the mainland Chinese locals. (I shall not elaborate, because I may go too far.)

3. Other foreigners can be more helpful than the locals, and always bring a small token to give in case they're that awesome.

4. I am now capable of getting lost, as long as I have a good map, my knowledge of languages, and poise.

5. I am still afraid of the thought of going back to Xiamen, despite knowing that there was more to explore in that place. I was only able to explore the main Xiamen Island and Gulangyu, but wasn't able to explore the other districts of Xiamen (those that are connected to mainland China.) I wasn't able to explore them because they were too far, and I didn't have enough time. Still, I dread the idea of going back to Xiamen, for now. Maybe if I'd go back to China, I'd want to explore other areas, like Tibet, or Xinjiang.

- My trip to Xiamen was bittersweet and spicy, and I didn't really "hate" the trip, I just hated the parts when I knew I was wasting time for nothing. It's one of my pet peeves in life; I don't like to waste time. I have appreciated Xiamen, despite some flaws that any country/province may have, and I saw the good side of things when I was travelling alone and encountering the locals (or foreigners.) It was nice to have visited Xiamen, Fujian, and I felt that I have rekindled and rediscovered a bit more of my roots.