This is the End.

OK well I am now home safe and sound, sitting on my mattress which kind of feels like a cloud.

I would just like to thank you all for reading my blog! I hope I have provided some insight into life in China! I would like to thank you all for the support you've given me to get through the lows and the celebrations for the highs.

My time in China has been mad... Absolutely bonkers. There have been times where I would have just left but thanks to the support of some people I survived.

Mike, you are like a brother to me! You're an amazing guy, even if your taste in films is questionable. I hope everything goes well for you in Doncaster and stay in touch! Sweden 2014?

Cecilia, the queen of all things chocolate. Thank you for your sense of humour, you managed 5 months of Mike and I 'educating' you about Sweden. These facts include: Sweden has no land, they use seals for transport, all Swedish women have beards but this is all meaningless seeing as Sweden is a made up country like Narnia... Thank you for putting up with us Cecilia! Also thank you for being someone to talk to about everything.

Alex, you made the first couple of months in China so awesome! I hope travelling goes really well for you and you have fun!

Kathryn, you've been a constant friend all through my time in China despite being placed two and a half thousand kilometers away from me! We must Skype more! I hope the rest of your time in China goes well and good luck in Australia! Remember stay fabulous!

There are many more people I would like to thank but no time. SO here is a big THANK YOU for you guys!

I currently have over TEN THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY views. That's quite an accomplishment! But couldn't have done it without you guys!

So here is a poem

About my time in China,

There have been ups and downs

But there's no place finer!

If you want an adventure,

You should definitely go!

Its hot during summer, 

And in Winter there's snow!

However heed my warning

If you go East.

There's madness in the food

They serve at their feasts.

You'll eat lots of food

That you never thought you would,

Some is delicious

While some is no good!

If you can, avoid feet,

Be they Chicken, Pig or other,

And don't question the meat,

Just quietly suffer. 

But some food is nice, 

Dumplings are awesome! 

You'll eat lots of rice, 

And find it quite more-some!

Language is next,

On my account of this land,

You can't read the text

And you don't understand.

Even the English

Is dodgy at best,

Deciphering the Chinglish

Is always a test!

When it comes to China, 

The people do excell,

But when trying to help a foreigner,

The Chinese don't do well. 

They like to stop and stare

At white people in the street, 

You're beautiful, they cry,

Every time that you meet.

But the Chinese can be rude,

They comment on your weight,

And are you married, if not why??

This will soon be your fate!

However the friends that you'll make

Will mean a lot to you.

These friendships will not break,

No matter where you are or what you do. 

So that's my time in China,

The roller coaster in the East. 

Most of its madness!

But you should visit at least!!! 

Beijing Part 3!

Friday

OK so we woke up feeling a little worse for wear. Well I did... Today was a day for odd jobs! We needed to change all our Chinese money to real money and head to Yaxiu to pick up my shirts...

We had a great lunch at a Chinese place, we ordered some Kung Pao chicken, dumplings, sweet and sour pork and spare ribs. Really tasty food!!!

Next stop was the bank to change our money, simple enough... or not! We had about 12,000 RMB to change and the bank told us that foreigners can only change 3,000 RMB a day... And Mike leaves tomorrow...  And they only have US Dollars.... So naturally we went and befriended a Chinese person and asked her to change it for us!! It only took her 2 hours... We did buy her an ice cream to say thank you though!

It is amazing how the highest Chinese note is 100RMB, that's about £10. When we took out our money we had a wad of bills, we felt very rich. However when we changed it to US Dollars, there were a lot less notes...

Next stop was Yaxiu to pick up my shirts, I tried them on and they fit perfectly! We then headed back to Qiamen to find some dinner. We decided on another Chinese place and ordered some food from the Chinglish filled menu. There were dishes called 'Grandmother cooking scrambled eggs' and 'fried enema'...

After food it was time to say goodbye to Mike. It was a bit rushed because Mike got the only early taxi driver in the whole of China... Going to really miss him. We helped him with his stuff and hugged him goodbye.

Next thing we know there is only 2 of us. It felt weird, like we were missing something. Sad times.

Saturday

Saturday morning Cecilia and I headed to the Lama Temple to see the massive Buddha.

After wandering around for a bit, we decided to head back to the hostel for a chill out as both of us were feeling really ill. Damn you Beijing smog!!!

We decided on a place called the Long Table for our chill out. We brought cards with us and I introduced Cecilia to Chrononauts. It was nice.

Eventually it was time for dinner and we were meeting Cecilia Swedish friend, Jenny. We eventually found her and we went for duck! Now the duck was delicious but just so expensive and not at all filling. So we decided on a second dinner at a little Chinese restaurant. We were joined by Jenny's Australian friend Keith,  good food and great company! After food we headed to the Long Table for a drink and some card games. Keith taught us this new game which was really fun!

Sunday

Today was packing day! Cecilia and I repacked our suitcases and headed out for lunch at the Long Table. We just wanted out of the hostel, it really was atrocious... Our bathroom roof was leaking water from the bathroom above and by leaking I mean a cascade of water... Leo Courtyard Hostel may look pretty but its awful.

Anyway for lunch we got Carbonara and then settled down to playing Chrononauts again. We were soon joined by Jenny (who was just completely confused by Chrononauts) and we then headed off to meet the rest of her friends. Well that was the plan at least. They were near San Li Tun so we headed over there and waited for them to turn up, and waited, and waited. They didn't turn up, oh well!

Cecilia and I headed back to the hostel for our last night...

Monday

The taxi came to take us to the airport at 7am, we checked in our luggage. My suitcases were both over weight and the man asked me to pay 1,200 RMB (£120) for the excess, I told them that I didn't have enough and haggled them down to 400 RMB (£40). Only in China can you haggle at an airport!!

We headed through security and I bumped into Mary and Ant, both people I knew from CAMIC. Was good catching up with them for a little bit! Cecilia and I headed out in search of breakfast, we got some rather awful breakfast in Pizza Hut. It was horrid.

We then went and chilled out, we met up with Jenny and I bumped into my friend Julie! I said good bye to Cecilia as she began boarding her plane and began the wait for mine.

Eventually we began to board too and Julie, Mary and I got UPGRADED!!! Yep I flew out Business and the girls flew out Premium Economy. I feel sorry for Ant who was stuck in economy by himself!

The flight was ok, watched 'Admissions' 'Identity Thief' and 'Jack the Giant Killer'. The food was good too!

Eventually made it back to the UK! Picked up my bags and emerged to see Mum, Dad, Max and my Auntie Marion waiting for me. Its good to be home!!!

Beijing Day 3 and My Chinese Un-Birthday!

OK so the plan for today was to head to the Summer Palace, both Cecilia and I had visited when we were last in Beijing but seeing as for her it snowed and for me it was just bloody cold, we wanted to see it in the summer!

The Summer Palace was nice sadly the weather wasn't, it was grey and horrid. I forgot how bad the smog in Beijing is! We wandered around for ages and we even had a picnic!

After we were sick of wandering around, we headed back to the bus stop and got the bus back. Big Mistake... The bus took an hour!! We ended up napping because we were so tired! Once we made it to the hostel Mike had a nap while Cecilia and I got ready for heading out because tonight was my Chinese Un-Birthday!

I tried on some shirts that I've not worn since Beijing and they were far too big! YAY!!

Anyway we drank all of the beer which we had collected from Xining and headed to San Li Tun. We got there and went for a drink at First Floor. It was nice and chilled. Owen joined us, it was great to see him again. He's changed a lot! Being in Beijing really suits him, he's grown a lot more confident in himself! After a cocktail or two, we headed to Kai Bar! Now I've heard many good things about this place from the party animals I hung around with in Beijing so I had high expectations, plus it was a gay bar! I walked in and well it wasn't what I was expecting, however the drinks were cheap, the music good and the company was excellent.

Owen began chatting with a group of Chinese guys and girls, who then asked us to join them. Don't you hate how some people are fluent in Chinese... Anyway these guys all seemed to be straight and all seemed to be couples. However next thing I know Owen's being kissed on the cheek by a guy who is sat next to his girlfriend!!! This night was getting weirder with every minute.

Little did I know that it was going to get a whole lot weirder... There was this girl who kept complaining to us in Chinese that she was ugly, then crying, then downing a bottle of beer, then she'd repeat the cycle. Mike and I tried telling her she was beautiful but then she tried to kiss us, seeing as Mike had a girlfriend and I wasn't interested, we were back to be pretending that we were going out with each other... That didn't stop her though, she took me by surprised as her face collided with mine. It was umm very wet. Like being kissed by a labrador...

Mike and I escaped drunk, crying, ugly girl and went and danced, it wasn't as chilled out as in Xining, though this time no one grabbed me..

Now Alex was supposed to meet us in Kai Bar but she didn't turn up, she couldn't get a taxi and she was tired. Must say that I was a tad upset as I feel like I hardly got to see her at all. Sad times :(

I am glad I have such good friends in Mike and Cecilia though. I am going to miss them so much, they're like my Xining family...