30/01/2011, Sunday….. 1st Day, Ni Hao Zhong Guo!

30/01/2011, Sunday….. 1st Day, Ni Hao Zhong Guo!

The noisy bus diesel engine make me awake from my sweet sleep, As promised, the bus arrived 12.00 a.m sharp (according my watch ! other people watches, I’ve no idea). It still raining but not as heavy as previous hour. Even it still raining, We still continue put in our luggage into the bus trunk. After we finished put all our luggage to the bus trunk, All of us are ready to aboard to LCCT KLIA Terminal from Johor Bahru.

During our journey to LCCT KLIA Terminal, many of us including me pursue our agenda to continue our sleep in the bus while waiting to arrive at LCCT KLIA Terminal, Sepang. Our bus stop at Rest & Recreation Area (R&R) Machap for supper, just enough to store our enegy before we continue our journey to LCCT KLIA Terminal, Sepang.



We arrived at LCCT KLIA Terminal, Sepang about 5.30 a.m . Eventough, it still 5.30 a.m , LCCT Terminal already pack with human capacities at that terminal. Crowded & busy ! While waiting for our turn to check – in, me & my family take this great advantage to take breakfast at Marrybrown LCCT KLIA.

Just coincident, after we finished our meal, it our turn to check – in at Air Asia flight counter. A little bit tired when we had a long queed just for to check – in our flight but our excited beat our exchausted. After we finished check–in our flight & luggage, as usual, the standard procedure of security & passport checking are excetuted. After the standard procedure of security & passport checking had been done by Malaysia imigaration officer to us, we went to departure lobby.

While waiting for our aircraft, we stop by at free duty chocolate shop to buy some chocolate so that we can eat it in the aircraft (We hide it our chocolate in our backbag, B-P). There are few people among our group take this advantage to go to the toilet nearby for ‘wee – wee’ or ‘poo – poo’. Maybe they not comfortable using small toilet in the aircraft. B-) .

When announcement had been made about our flight, we moving to departure gate for ticket checking. It still raining in Malaysia. Lucky for us, Air Asia provide umbrella to their passenger when it raining from departure gate to the aircraft. When I reach the seat, I choose to sit beside the window to enjoy the outside view. Eventough this is not my first flight but this is my first with Air Asia & also my first international flight. What can I said about Air Asia is the seat is a little bit small compare to Malaysia Airlines (previously known as Malaysia Airlines System, MAS). However that are not suprising me because Air Asia ticket rate are far cheaper than Malaysia Airlines. People said got price, got image. B-) .

Like other airways, security instruction must be show first before aircraft ready to take off with flight captain giving the audio briefing & the flight attendant giving the visual briefing. After finished the security instruction, Air Bus aircraft which owned by Air Asia is ready to take off. My watch show me the time is 8.30 a.m . As announced by that aircraft pilot, the flight will take about 6 hour to arrive to Tianjin–Binhai International Airport (TBIA). During the flight, many among us including me take a sleep. 6 hours flight with doing nothing > can’t text messaging, can’t calling, can’t surf the internet, can’t play PSP & so many can’t obviously bored. That why, we’ve no other choice than to take a nap only. Before I sleep, I take a nice outside view of the sky.

When it time to eat, many of us awake by ourself because the pilot captain had announced us 10 minutes before the meal start to sell. Not like Malaysia Airlines which had include meal package into 1 ticket, Air Asia are different. Don’tbe surprise when you need to pay MYR6.00 just to enjoy an instant noodle of Maggi Cup only. Other than Malaysian Ringgit, foods & beverages which been sell in the aircraft can also be purchase with American Dollar & China Renminbi Yuan. Other than foods & beverages, there also other merchandise sell in the aircraft like Air Asia caps, Air Asia key – chain & many more. But if you normally unwilling to spend your money, my simple advise for you is you don’t need to spend for that merchandise because you will be surprise to know th price rates. B-) .

My watch show me the time is 2.30 p.m . Malaysia time & China time are same since they share the same longtitude. Fligt captain informed us that we now in Tianjin skyspace & the aircraft are ready to landing anytime after they get permission from TBIA control tower for landing at TBIA’s lane.

The weather out there seem hot to me since the sun look bright. After the aircraft landed & fully stoped, we went out from the aircraft & I feel the weather seem so cold. At first I think the aircond at that airport building is too cold but it obviously too cold in Tianjin. Moral of the story > Don’t judge the book by it cover. B-) . Our group moving forward to passport checking counter at that airport. Eventough there are many people are queed for passport & visa checking, the airport management & China immigration officer are so efficient without too many bureaucracy & when see people are crowded in line for passport & visa checking, other counter are open for make the passport & visa checking even more faster & smoother.



Afte finished passport & visa checking, we immediately went to luggage collect area to collect our luggage. After we collected our luggage, we went through body scanner & material scanner to airport lobby. No bureaucracy during the procedure at that airport. The best I can said ! Maggie Ma, our tour guide had waiting for us at airport lobby to led us to Beijing. Maggie Ma is a Halal Tours (China) & Tiram Travel (Malaysia) tour guide. What make so interesting in China now, many China people can speak in Archipelago Malay especially in Indonesia Language. Maggie Ma can speak Indonesian Language. Since Malaysian Language & Indonesian Language are similar (comparison like of Mandarin & Cantonese or English American & English Britain), so it not a big deal for us to communicate & undestanding.

We been led to the bus which will carry us to People Republic of China capital, Beijing. We went out from the main entrance of that airport building to the bus & the weather temperature outside here are very, very cold compare than inside the airport building. Because of I feel extremely cold, I walk quickly to the bus. After all the luggage had been put in to the bus trunk & all of us in the bus, we ready to move on. Maggie Ma inform us that our journey from Tianjin city to Beijing city will take about 2 hours (like Johor Bahru to Malacca or Kuala Lumpur to Muar). My watch show me the time is 3.00 p.m & I assume we will reach capital Beijing at 5.00 p.m .

During our journey to capital Beijing, I enjoy the view of China which is beautiful & charming. I snap several photo of China panorama with my digicam. The first half an hour our journey to capital Beijing, Maggie Ma give us short brief about China from perspective of social, politic & ekonomy. Many among us can’t sleep including me because we desire to enjoy the view of China which is totally different from our country, Malaysia which for us is already common for us, B-) .

As expected, 5.00 p.m sharp, we finally reached capital Beijing. The view of metropolitan city of Beijing is awesome & modern. It hard to believe this is Beijing which been rule by communism state like China. Who said communism state can’t move forward? But from what’ve been informed by Maggie Ma, evebtough China is rapidly developing, the joy of freedom yet still so far for China people to grab it like freedom of speech, freedom to make a choice & etc . Social network website like Facebook & search engine website like Google had been banned in China eventough the sensitive issue like China government policy & the community which been posted at Facebook & Google only ‘minority’.

My watch show me the time is 5.30 p.m . Like I mentioned it before, China time Malaysia time are remain the same but 5.30 p.m in Beijing look alike 7.30 p.m in Malaysia (dusk time). We stop by at a muslim halal restaurant for dinner. Obviously, the foods is great ! .

After we finished our dinner, we continue our journey to Jin Sha Theatre to watch spectacalur acrobatic musical theatre. When we reached there, there is a boiled potates seller promote his boiled potatoes in Malay Language “Sepuluh, sepuluh Yuan !” which mean “Ten, ten Yuan !” . Many of us only smile when heard the boiled potatoes seller sell his potatoes in Malay Language. Only that Malay Language words he knows it. Me & my few others friends also bought that boiled potatoes. Kind a tasty when we eat this potatoes which is hot & sweet plus we ate it in the cold night. VERY SHIOOOK WOOO !!!

We went in to the Jin Sha Theatre. Before we went in to the theatre hall, there is a seller who sell winter wear like caps, hat, glove & several accessories in that building lobby. Quiet cheap, we didn’t resist this opportunity to buy. After I bought winter hat, I went in to the theatre hall & take a seat. After all of us had their seat in the theatre hall, the acrobatic show begin. I Beside our group, there also other group of tourist from different tours agencies. There also European who watch the acrobatic show. Quiet impressive especially the part of ridersin the cage. So awesome ! .

After the musical acrobatic show finished, we went out to the bus & move to Hotel Chang Feng. When we went out from Jin Sha Theatre building, the boiled potatoes seller still there. I bought that boiled potatoes again & went in to the bus. After all of us already in the bus, we move to Chang Feng Hotel for check – in & stay there for 5 days 5 night starting that night > Sunday night, 30/06/2011.

When we reached to Chang Feng Hotel which located in the district of Feng Tai, Beijing, we quickly take out our luggage from the bus trunk & put in for a while at hotel lobby while waiting to check – in & get room key. After finished check–in & get the room key, Maggia Ma inform us that by tomorrow morning, we will aboard the bus at 8.30 a.m to go to interesting destination in the capital Beijing. After we had been informed, we immediately take an elevator & went to our room to take bath, changing cloth, rest & sleep for restore our energy for tomorrow. Me and my little brother share a room which had 2 bed meanwhile my parent get a room & my sisters also get a room. In the simple word, a room for 2 – 3 persons for our groups.

Before I sleep, I charge my cellphone first eventough I can’t eventually use it (roaming charge are expensive either incoming or outgoing call) & also I charge my digicam batteries. After I charge my cellphone & digicam batteries, I switch on the TV to watch China TV channel. I’ve swith channel several time but there is no TV program & segment in Malay Language. Malay TV Channel? I doesn’t want to talk about it (Eventough there is no China citizen from the race of Archipelago Malay but there are lot numbers of Archipelago Malays who came from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore & throughout South East Asia to study, works & living in China). Lucky for me, I can understand a little bit Mandarin Language. That the advantage & benefit of Malaysia. Eventough majority of Malaysian were Malays but there also had TV channel for Chinese & Indian & also several TV programs & segments in foreign languages in Malaysia other than Malays Language, Mandarin Language, Tamil Language & English Language. The one & only channel other than Mandarin Language in China is CCTV News (previously known as CCTV 9) which been broadcasted 100% in English Language. After half an hour watching TV, I switch off the TV & go to sleep. This is my first time in my life history when I sleep at the hotel without swith on the airconditioning. Why not swith on the airconditioning? Doesn’t feel hot? This is my answer > Still want to ask? Think it yourself deeply. OK, I want to sleep. Wo hen lei, wo yao shui. Wan an ! (I’m tired, I want to sleep. Good night !).