Back in Hong Kong

School broke up for Christmas holidays, Gugu took me to see the Nutcracker Suite. I also went last year, but this year was the first time for Duncan and Maya. The next day, we boarded the train for Nanjing, where my other Grandma and Grandpa live. Like our last trip to mainland China, we went on an overnight train. We spent two weeks there. We were hoping to see some snow, but we were disappointed. I was hoping to have my front teeth in time for Christmas, just like in the song, but Santa did not grant me that wish. My grandparents often took me and Duncan to the zoo. They also took us to the Nanjing marine park.

We arrived back in Hong Kong yesterday. I showed Mummy and Papa my new teeth, which started to poke out during the train journey home. I was so thrilled to get home, because I had been so looking forward to finding what Santa put in my Christmas stocking. I got some small toys, some candy, and a robot. This year, I got two lemons, and so did Duncan.

I didn't want to get up this morning, but it was a school day. Papa let me take some of my candy to school to share with my friends.

The Great Wall at Badaling

In Beijing, we stayed in a flat belonging to Mummy's friend. It was warm, comfortable, and there were lots of toys to play with. It was cold outside, but fortunately there was central heating in the flat. Gonggong and Popo (grandpa and grandma) were also in town to see us.

We also had a day trip to the Great Wall at Badaling today. We took our time getting ready, so had quite a late start. Being a Saturday, the traffic was awful, and it took us ages to get there in our hire-car.

Once there, we climbed a long way to the top. We got back into town just in time to have dinner with some of Mummy's relatives who live in the city. Papa let me drink some shandy :-)

Our stay in Beijing

Today, we went to the Natural History Museum and the Paleontology Museum. In the evening, we ate in a famous Peking Duck restaurant. It was very popular; my Grandparents arrived at 6, but we still had to wait until 7:30 to be seated. Luckily, they had cooked up some dumplings so we had something to nibble on while we were waiting.

Duncan and me outside the Paleontology Museum

The day before yesterday, we went to the Beijing Zoo, where we particularly enjoyed the penguin house, and looking at the stone animals. I took a picture of a huge stone turtle, and a stone croc with Papa's camera.

My picture of the stone turtle

Slow train to China

This afternoon, we got off the train at Beijing West Railway station: Mummy and Papa decided to take Duncan and me to Beijing for Easter. We took the sleeper train all the way from Kowloon, via an inland route.

The trip took 24 hours, and was a new experience. Papa had brought along some snacks, but we still had our meals in the dining compartment. I slept in a bunk bed on the train. I wanted to sleep in the upper bunk, but didn't feel safe. I made Papa promise me to buy me a bunk bed with a fixed ladder for home.

3 days in Panyu, Guangzhou

Took the hydrofoil to Panyu two days ago. It took one and a half hours. Duncan got sea-sick. The shuttle bus took about an hour to get to our hotel.

We arrived just in time to have a quick dinner, and we rushed to the Guangzhou Chime-Long International Circus (长隆国际马戏团). We entered the arena just as the show was starting. There were plenty of bright lights, loud music; there were trapeze and other stunt performers, bears which rode unicycles. What I liked the most were the clowns who jumped off diving boards.

The next morning, after breakfast, we went to the nearby Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park (广州香江野生动物园）. We took a trolley-bus ride through the inner park compound, and came into close contact with many types of animals. In the outer compound, we fed some parrots and some giraffes. We attended a show in the white tiger compound, with performing elephants, monkeys, and birds.

Insects were busy while we slept last night. Despite Mummy's precautions, Duncan and I woke up in the morning to find ourselves covered in mosquito bites:-( We headed for the CrocPark this morning after breakfast. There, we saw a host of reptiles: snakes, crocodiles, turtles, and we saw a show starring sea lions. I got to shake the star's hand!

a hug from the star of the show

In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel for our bags, then took the boat back to Hong Kong. Everyone except Papa was sick.

Christmas in Nanjing

This week, Mom and Papa took me on a trip. Now I have some more chops in my passport :-) We spent one whole week in Nanjing, where Mommy grew up. We did some sight-seeing, and I visited a place dedicated to the worship of my direct ascendant Confucius. We stayed in a hotel, where they prepared a very comfortable Teddy-sized bed for me :-) in the same room as Mummy and Papa. Luckily I sleep so soundly, and Papa's snoring didn't bother me very much.

I met my [other] grandparents, who looked after me for quite a lot of the time during our stay. My Grandmother was so pleased to see me for the first time that she picked me up and hugged me like a bear. She also asked me why I said 'baba' so much of the time and 'mum' when I'm hungry. Of course, I forgive her for not understanding baby-talk. In fact, 'ba' is the sound I find easiest to make, and 'mum' means food.....

My grandparents wondered if my skin was yellow in colour because I liked so much to eat pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes. They were also surprised that I wore my Huggies, because most babies in China run around without wearing them.

On the night before we left Nanjing, they held a dinner party to celebrate our home-coming, and invited all their relatives. There must have been about thirty people if I could count so far up... All the relatives were fighting for a turn to hold me. I was a real hit, as I smiled all the time whilst being passed from hand to hand. Fortunately, the evening ended early, and I was taken back to the hotel to bed.

We're back in Hong Kong now, and it's good to be home. I've missed not having a room to myself. What's more, it's tiring being on the road, because it's difficult to keep to your routine.