Hey'yall,
I dont knwo what happened with the last post, as i wrote it a few days ago but accidently saved it as draft and only sent it to Bilal yesterday so sorry for the late update!!
Im in Hong Kong, and its again a wicked city, and guess what they drive on the right (as in left) side of the road!! I love places that do, but cant think of many, England(obviously), Thailand, Hong Kong and India (from what i remember but correctly if im wrong!) cant thinkof others but im sure theres more of us!
I cant write much cuz Novotel are ripping me off at the moment forthis but ill write again soon, so take care of yourseleves
Asif
Monday, August 21, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Shang........HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Dear All,
I am currently in Shanghai....and i am LOVING IT!!
Its as amazing as everyone tells you, Mission Impossible 3 did not do the city justice, its jus incredible!
The city has everythin, its a massive metropolis but with distinct identity and very mixed living for its 16-17 million inhabitants!
I am currently in the Grand Hyatt, which must be one of the tallest hotels in the world, its amazing, and I WISH I WAS STAYIN HERE, but im actually staying on the west side of shanghai in a hotel called 'TheMagnificent' and though the name my suggust great things, it only half delivers!
I have always said that cities which have a river within them or some sort of large water feature tend to be the most beautiful, and this further proves my point.(London, Paris, New York, Prague(u love itFern!). The river is a large focal point of the city, however it occured to me that maybe cities with a river tend to be the most beautiful because they're richer, as in the past, they were large industrial shipping hubs, and this wealth has continued down the line, and has always provided wealth to the city, but now more in tourism then industry.
The towers here is for me something i have never seen before, though probably to those whom have been to Chigago or New York its quite similar, i read supposedly a third of the largest cranes in the world are here in Shanghai, and they're still building. However with comercialisation i have also seen the negative side of Shanghai, in other parts of China, western influence was minimal, however here,there in parts much more seedier, and a slighly more initimating atmosphere, where there are chinese gangs, and from stories i have heard of other travelers, lots of muggings etc, however in general i still think this city has to be one of the greatest the world has ever seen.
Now the premiership started, and thanks to 'The Magnificent PlazaHotel' i managed to catch quite a few of the games, on ESPN and StarSports between then they prob show about 5-6 games live every weekend plus the others are shown in the evening, and higlights are on all the time, and i have to say as a Man Utd fan, i couldnt have asked for a best first day, Totenham lost, Arsenal and Liverpool drew, now if Chelsea drop points and we beat Fulham it'll be the best possible start we could have imagined!!
Aneway i best go but take care of yourselves whereever you guys are......
Asif
I am currently in Shanghai....and i am LOVING IT!!
Its as amazing as everyone tells you, Mission Impossible 3 did not do the city justice, its jus incredible!
The city has everythin, its a massive metropolis but with distinct identity and very mixed living for its 16-17 million inhabitants!
I am currently in the Grand Hyatt, which must be one of the tallest hotels in the world, its amazing, and I WISH I WAS STAYIN HERE, but im actually staying on the west side of shanghai in a hotel called 'TheMagnificent' and though the name my suggust great things, it only half delivers!
I have always said that cities which have a river within them or some sort of large water feature tend to be the most beautiful, and this further proves my point.(London, Paris, New York, Prague(u love itFern!). The river is a large focal point of the city, however it occured to me that maybe cities with a river tend to be the most beautiful because they're richer, as in the past, they were large industrial shipping hubs, and this wealth has continued down the line, and has always provided wealth to the city, but now more in tourism then industry.
The towers here is for me something i have never seen before, though probably to those whom have been to Chigago or New York its quite similar, i read supposedly a third of the largest cranes in the world are here in Shanghai, and they're still building. However with comercialisation i have also seen the negative side of Shanghai, in other parts of China, western influence was minimal, however here,there in parts much more seedier, and a slighly more initimating atmosphere, where there are chinese gangs, and from stories i have heard of other travelers, lots of muggings etc, however in general i still think this city has to be one of the greatest the world has ever seen.
Now the premiership started, and thanks to 'The Magnificent PlazaHotel' i managed to catch quite a few of the games, on ESPN and StarSports between then they prob show about 5-6 games live every weekend plus the others are shown in the evening, and higlights are on all the time, and i have to say as a Man Utd fan, i couldnt have asked for a best first day, Totenham lost, Arsenal and Liverpool drew, now if Chelsea drop points and we beat Fulham it'll be the best possible start we could have imagined!!
Aneway i best go but take care of yourselves whereever you guys are......
Asif
Friday, August 18, 2006
Missing Home...
Dear All,
Good morning, good day, good evening to you all...
Last few days have been extremely draining and tiring, the kids and people in general have really been getting on my nerves, and though majority are really cute, some are just well annoying!
Today I went to the Great Mosque in Xi'an for Friday prayer, and it was really busy, for a supposed Muslim area it is never that busy, and you wonder sometimes why is it called the Muslim Quarter but I guess u have to go on a Friday to realise!
I kinda come to some BIG GENERALISATIONS, like how Italians never travel solo but always in BIG tour groups, of like various ages, so there maybe 6-7 family each with 3 different generations within the mand there a very close knit group.
Whereas the french love doing the solo traveling or couple traveling and hardly eva go in groups, and there are by far greater numbers of them then any other tourist...
Then u have the English/Canadian/Australian tourists, who tend to packout the youth hostels and love slumming it, when ironically most of them are well off people who just love being like a hippy...
Then u have the Bangladeshi, there great travelers, and cover a great scope from slumming it in the youth hostels to living it up in 4-5*accommodation, they're very versatile in their nature and can haggle like a bitch....there also rather good looking (cough cough Sham cough cough)
I went to the bell tower and drum tower(2 famous sites in Xian) today,there both these rather large building in the centre of Xi'an, there exactly as they sound, one contains numerous large drums and the other numerous large bells, and for 5RMB you get to bang them!! Once I upload the picture you will c me banging them bell with some of the kids in the class!
As you can tell from the Subject, i am missing home, Its been 2 and half weeks or so, and I am starting to get home sick, i don't know how ill cope in Qatar, but maybe then ill be busy...(its still not 100% so don't start the going away party yet!!) I'm starting to want to come home, and despite it being really interesting place, I'm missing mySimply/Kansas chicken!!
Anyway i best go but take care of yourselves
Asif
Good morning, good day, good evening to you all...
Last few days have been extremely draining and tiring, the kids and people in general have really been getting on my nerves, and though majority are really cute, some are just well annoying!
Today I went to the Great Mosque in Xi'an for Friday prayer, and it was really busy, for a supposed Muslim area it is never that busy, and you wonder sometimes why is it called the Muslim Quarter but I guess u have to go on a Friday to realise!
I kinda come to some BIG GENERALISATIONS, like how Italians never travel solo but always in BIG tour groups, of like various ages, so there maybe 6-7 family each with 3 different generations within the mand there a very close knit group.
Whereas the french love doing the solo traveling or couple traveling and hardly eva go in groups, and there are by far greater numbers of them then any other tourist...
Then u have the English/Canadian/Australian tourists, who tend to packout the youth hostels and love slumming it, when ironically most of them are well off people who just love being like a hippy...
Then u have the Bangladeshi, there great travelers, and cover a great scope from slumming it in the youth hostels to living it up in 4-5*accommodation, they're very versatile in their nature and can haggle like a bitch....there also rather good looking (cough cough Sham cough cough)
I went to the bell tower and drum tower(2 famous sites in Xian) today,there both these rather large building in the centre of Xi'an, there exactly as they sound, one contains numerous large drums and the other numerous large bells, and for 5RMB you get to bang them!! Once I upload the picture you will c me banging them bell with some of the kids in the class!
As you can tell from the Subject, i am missing home, Its been 2 and half weeks or so, and I am starting to get home sick, i don't know how ill cope in Qatar, but maybe then ill be busy...(its still not 100% so don't start the going away party yet!!) I'm starting to want to come home, and despite it being really interesting place, I'm missing mySimply/Kansas chicken!!
Anyway i best go but take care of yourselves
Asif
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
I hope your're in the Mahmood for this blog...
Dear All,
Welcome to my next edition, and firstly would like to thank all ofthose whom made comments on my previous blogs.
I'm still working in Xi'an, its fairly relaxed paced of life, and where i am staying is nice, so after a busy day i usually just crashout...
Yesterday i went to c the terrorcotta worriers with the group, for those who don't know about it, it was a army made of clay of 7000 people, its quite imposing, and each person is different, and all the soldiers and all the artists were killed when it was completed, and buried with it or something random like that, its the 8th wonder ofthe world.
Someone told me how Bill Clinton came to Xi'an as his first place on his tour in 1998, and when he came he asked to see the guy who found the warriors(it was found in 1974 by a farmer, but its been buried for2,200 years) and then he asked him for his autograph but the guy didn't know how to write, because he was just a farmer, so he just put down three circles, anyway after this incident, the Chinese government felt proper shame, (its a big thing here about losing face, its like at all costs you must maintain honour and face), and so they got the best calipaghers in the whole of china and taught him to write beautifully so he can sign his name, and now that guy is one the governments pay role getting 600RMB a month, and sitting at the museum, signing books for 120RMB but looks so depressed....
Xi'an has amazing history and if anyone does visit china they must put it in, its quite a rich area, and you find all the designer shops that you would in the west, and this is possibly down to the fact it was the start of the silk road and so has always been accustomed to high levels of wealth throughout history...
I have realised the reason I'm allowed to go to sites such as the independent and the guardian but not the BBC is because its a news organisation where as newspapers are allowed, don't quite c how its that different but it is, and therefore i can get my dose of the news!! I just read Robert frisks article in the independent(http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article1219457.ece), it was a fairly interesting read but more of the same about the middle east and my friend Fern wrote on his blog at(http://amateurviews.blogspot.com/) about how the media just concentrates on the topics of things like the middle east and notthings like aids, read his blog if you have time to see what he said...however i disagree with some of the things he said, i mean yeah Aids conference wouldn't get the same coverage as a conference on Terrorism or Middle eastern affairs, however i think that is because, Aids is something that is harder to combat as a problem where as terrorism is something that can be overcome, and therefore people feel more able to discuss it and feel the ability to make a difference to the topic and therefore that empowerment allows people to become more impassioned...anyway that's wot i think...
Oh and something else, I wish to Welcome the Iranian President, apersonal hero of mine, to world of Blogging. Supposedly he has startedhis own blog!! I think in 50 years time, like Winston Churchil, GeorgeBush, we will be using his quotes because some of them are classics and just ridiculous.
By the way my title for the blog comes from the following headline in the mirror newspaper(http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/tm_objectid=17562533%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=saj%2d%2di%2dm%2din%2dthe%2dmahmood%2dfor%2dashes%2dtriumph-name_page.html)
Also SK I want to make sure you OK, and i hope your doing well and not getting up to to much mischeif pigglet! And Bilal good luck for your exams, and for anyone else whom has exams....
Take Care
Sheikh Asif Mahmood
Welcome to my next edition, and firstly would like to thank all ofthose whom made comments on my previous blogs.
I'm still working in Xi'an, its fairly relaxed paced of life, and where i am staying is nice, so after a busy day i usually just crashout...
Yesterday i went to c the terrorcotta worriers with the group, for those who don't know about it, it was a army made of clay of 7000 people, its quite imposing, and each person is different, and all the soldiers and all the artists were killed when it was completed, and buried with it or something random like that, its the 8th wonder ofthe world.
Someone told me how Bill Clinton came to Xi'an as his first place on his tour in 1998, and when he came he asked to see the guy who found the warriors(it was found in 1974 by a farmer, but its been buried for2,200 years) and then he asked him for his autograph but the guy didn't know how to write, because he was just a farmer, so he just put down three circles, anyway after this incident, the Chinese government felt proper shame, (its a big thing here about losing face, its like at all costs you must maintain honour and face), and so they got the best calipaghers in the whole of china and taught him to write beautifully so he can sign his name, and now that guy is one the governments pay role getting 600RMB a month, and sitting at the museum, signing books for 120RMB but looks so depressed....
Xi'an has amazing history and if anyone does visit china they must put it in, its quite a rich area, and you find all the designer shops that you would in the west, and this is possibly down to the fact it was the start of the silk road and so has always been accustomed to high levels of wealth throughout history...
I have realised the reason I'm allowed to go to sites such as the independent and the guardian but not the BBC is because its a news organisation where as newspapers are allowed, don't quite c how its that different but it is, and therefore i can get my dose of the news!! I just read Robert frisks article in the independent(http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article1219457.ece), it was a fairly interesting read but more of the same about the middle east and my friend Fern wrote on his blog at(http://amateurviews.blogspot.com/) about how the media just concentrates on the topics of things like the middle east and notthings like aids, read his blog if you have time to see what he said...however i disagree with some of the things he said, i mean yeah Aids conference wouldn't get the same coverage as a conference on Terrorism or Middle eastern affairs, however i think that is because, Aids is something that is harder to combat as a problem where as terrorism is something that can be overcome, and therefore people feel more able to discuss it and feel the ability to make a difference to the topic and therefore that empowerment allows people to become more impassioned...anyway that's wot i think...
Oh and something else, I wish to Welcome the Iranian President, apersonal hero of mine, to world of Blogging. Supposedly he has startedhis own blog!! I think in 50 years time, like Winston Churchil, GeorgeBush, we will be using his quotes because some of them are classics and just ridiculous.
By the way my title for the blog comes from the following headline in the mirror newspaper(http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/tm_objectid=17562533%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=saj%2d%2di%2dm%2din%2dthe%2dmahmood%2dfor%2dashes%2dtriumph-name_page.html)
Also SK I want to make sure you OK, and i hope your doing well and not getting up to to much mischeif pigglet! And Bilal good luck for your exams, and for anyone else whom has exams....
Take Care
Sheikh Asif Mahmood
Monday, August 14, 2006
I made some friends...
Dear All,
Its been a couple of days since my last input, and i will explain why....
Ok...well before i start i forgot to say something about my visit to the great wall which was kinda of a big thing...well on the way there i told you all how the conditions were terrible, well as we were driving up the hill, i look at my window and I see a women just lying flat face down on the ground motionless, a couple of people around her, and a few metres ahead i see a bumber on the road and then a further 20 metres a head i see a car...it was a horrible sight but what was worse was the reaction of everybody, for a land with some many people i guess one less person isnt going to make a difference...
Aneway after my mamouth internet session i went back and checked outof my hotel, and here is a couple of tips NEVER STAY IN DONG FUYLONG..actually if u can afford it i highly recommend in only staying in western chain hotels, or famous youth hostels (like city centre youth hostel) but no random chinese ones, as they construct their buildings very badly so a building the was say built 10 years ago will look like one that was built in the 80's in England, but hopefully their new construction methods have improved and the buildings there building for the olympics will stand the length of time..
Well i moved to the Novotel hotel, as I had made a friends from Holland whom was part of my group and he was staying in the hotel so i thought might as well move there instead of the shit hole i was in..and its so much beta you cant imagine!!
Aneway I went on a major tourism offensive, i went to Tiamemen Square,the Forbidden City, The temple of Heaven and The summer Palace all on Saturday as it was my day off, all 4 places are the said places to go,however to trully appreciate you should spread if over 2 days, as the summer palace takes a long time...
On saturday night, my last night in Bejing, went to this kinda famous restaurant called Afunti, and it was certainly an intresting experience. Had decent food, but the most famous thing was the entertainment, which involved, singing, dancing, belly dancers, snakecharmers, and just random things! After such a busy day me and Steve went to the massage place in our hotel, but on our way this seady guy in the hotel who owns a club under the hotel, was trying to get 'one ofhis girls' to give us the massage and what ever else we wanted forlike 40quid, lol...in the end however tempting that was we went ligit,and just had one with the proper one which was a nice way to end my stay in beijing.
I am now in the city of Xi'an after getting a flight yesterday, and I went to the Great Mosque last night, where on my way back i was caught in a MAMOUTH STORM, and though im stormy it was still some crazystuff, and cuz ofthe shit drainage system near the mosque it made the matters worse....
Ok im going to make a controversial comment, and it could be just because of the places i have been, but i have found areas where there are muslims, and i am not saying all muslims are but they try to scam u, i mean like here in Xi'an there is a large muslim community but there are lots of non-muslims and it was probably the non-muslims because they werent wearing but the islamic clothes, however i just find that places like morroco, middle east, and now here, every1 is after money, its really upseting, and it brings shame to me as a muslim to see it...
Talking about muslim and shame, i heard about the whole airport thing,and i dont know if its legit or not, but i think its real shame as the muslim community now in the UK is going to be victimised and its going to polorise muslims futher, as u will either be on one side or another, and it will cause further divisions i feel, which is a real shame....
Aneway take care of yourselves il hopefully post another one tomrw
take care
Asif
Its been a couple of days since my last input, and i will explain why....
Ok...well before i start i forgot to say something about my visit to the great wall which was kinda of a big thing...well on the way there i told you all how the conditions were terrible, well as we were driving up the hill, i look at my window and I see a women just lying flat face down on the ground motionless, a couple of people around her, and a few metres ahead i see a bumber on the road and then a further 20 metres a head i see a car...it was a horrible sight but what was worse was the reaction of everybody, for a land with some many people i guess one less person isnt going to make a difference...
Aneway after my mamouth internet session i went back and checked outof my hotel, and here is a couple of tips NEVER STAY IN DONG FUYLONG..actually if u can afford it i highly recommend in only staying in western chain hotels, or famous youth hostels (like city centre youth hostel) but no random chinese ones, as they construct their buildings very badly so a building the was say built 10 years ago will look like one that was built in the 80's in England, but hopefully their new construction methods have improved and the buildings there building for the olympics will stand the length of time..
Well i moved to the Novotel hotel, as I had made a friends from Holland whom was part of my group and he was staying in the hotel so i thought might as well move there instead of the shit hole i was in..and its so much beta you cant imagine!!
Aneway I went on a major tourism offensive, i went to Tiamemen Square,the Forbidden City, The temple of Heaven and The summer Palace all on Saturday as it was my day off, all 4 places are the said places to go,however to trully appreciate you should spread if over 2 days, as the summer palace takes a long time...
On saturday night, my last night in Bejing, went to this kinda famous restaurant called Afunti, and it was certainly an intresting experience. Had decent food, but the most famous thing was the entertainment, which involved, singing, dancing, belly dancers, snakecharmers, and just random things! After such a busy day me and Steve went to the massage place in our hotel, but on our way this seady guy in the hotel who owns a club under the hotel, was trying to get 'one ofhis girls' to give us the massage and what ever else we wanted forlike 40quid, lol...in the end however tempting that was we went ligit,and just had one with the proper one which was a nice way to end my stay in beijing.
I am now in the city of Xi'an after getting a flight yesterday, and I went to the Great Mosque last night, where on my way back i was caught in a MAMOUTH STORM, and though im stormy it was still some crazystuff, and cuz ofthe shit drainage system near the mosque it made the matters worse....
Ok im going to make a controversial comment, and it could be just because of the places i have been, but i have found areas where there are muslims, and i am not saying all muslims are but they try to scam u, i mean like here in Xi'an there is a large muslim community but there are lots of non-muslims and it was probably the non-muslims because they werent wearing but the islamic clothes, however i just find that places like morroco, middle east, and now here, every1 is after money, its really upseting, and it brings shame to me as a muslim to see it...
Talking about muslim and shame, i heard about the whole airport thing,and i dont know if its legit or not, but i think its real shame as the muslim community now in the UK is going to be victimised and its going to polorise muslims futher, as u will either be on one side or another, and it will cause further divisions i feel, which is a real shame....
Aneway take care of yourselves il hopefully post another one tomrw
take care
Asif
Thursday, August 10, 2006
I survived the GREAT WALL
Dear All,
I have been in the Internet cafe for 3 hours avoiding the shit that is my hotel room, I am in a right condition, i haven't showered since i arrived not because I'm a filthy bastard like many of you think i am,but because the shower is THAT disgusting!!
I went to the Great Wall of China, and it was just an unbelievable experience. The journey there was treacherous as it was raining heavily and the bus driver was pulling some mad monveours, it was so scary but nothing as to what was going to come.
We arrived 5 hours after we set off, and was already very drained fromthe small bus. Anyway i found out on the bus, we weren't going to just see the Wall but do a 10 KM TREK along it. If any of you guys have been there you will know how hard that is.... And i ain't exactly the healthiest of people!! LOL
Aneway we started our assent on the Wall, and I realised just how hard this is going to be and a middle aged mongolian farmer women realised to, and she kinda told me to go back LOL shame! aneway i refused and said i am going to do this (partly because i was scared if i didnt i would lose everyone and just end up getting stuck on the wall!!!! So we (me and the mongolian women ) started our journey...
We took turns holding my bag, and the fact I had dspraxia started to become a REAL problem, (for those who dont know, its a disease that affects my motor neurone system) so my balance started to get affected serverly, and only part of the wall has been reevoted, so the old parts are crumbling as its not been updated for 450 years and is very dangerous even for normal people, so i was kinda screwed...
She came up with the ingenious idea of taking a shortcut, so halfwaythrough, we left the wall, and went down the hill by foot, and i just cant describe it, it was one of the scariest things in the world, the size of the mountains is huge and to descend one without the normal path, was crazy, and there were so many moments that i thought this was it im gone.....We made it towards the bottom, but then we had to overcome, horses, goats, sheeps, dogs and rooasters etc in our path, i also had to cross a huge river in a bridge like in indian jones!!
I felt i was in a episode of lost mixed with a touch of indian jones,the sights were something that couldnt never be put in words neither could the amount of human endurance i had to go through to do it, itssomethign i recommend to do it, and though the shortcut was dangerous i think it was quite good as it was different that going up and downthe huge wall!
Aneway my training for the TEFL course is well, and ill be putting myskills to use soon!!
Aneway take care
Asif
I have been in the Internet cafe for 3 hours avoiding the shit that is my hotel room, I am in a right condition, i haven't showered since i arrived not because I'm a filthy bastard like many of you think i am,but because the shower is THAT disgusting!!
I went to the Great Wall of China, and it was just an unbelievable experience. The journey there was treacherous as it was raining heavily and the bus driver was pulling some mad monveours, it was so scary but nothing as to what was going to come.
We arrived 5 hours after we set off, and was already very drained fromthe small bus. Anyway i found out on the bus, we weren't going to just see the Wall but do a 10 KM TREK along it. If any of you guys have been there you will know how hard that is.... And i ain't exactly the healthiest of people!! LOL
Aneway we started our assent on the Wall, and I realised just how hard this is going to be and a middle aged mongolian farmer women realised to, and she kinda told me to go back LOL shame! aneway i refused and said i am going to do this (partly because i was scared if i didnt i would lose everyone and just end up getting stuck on the wall!!!! So we (me and the mongolian women ) started our journey...
We took turns holding my bag, and the fact I had dspraxia started to become a REAL problem, (for those who dont know, its a disease that affects my motor neurone system) so my balance started to get affected serverly, and only part of the wall has been reevoted, so the old parts are crumbling as its not been updated for 450 years and is very dangerous even for normal people, so i was kinda screwed...
She came up with the ingenious idea of taking a shortcut, so halfwaythrough, we left the wall, and went down the hill by foot, and i just cant describe it, it was one of the scariest things in the world, the size of the mountains is huge and to descend one without the normal path, was crazy, and there were so many moments that i thought this was it im gone.....We made it towards the bottom, but then we had to overcome, horses, goats, sheeps, dogs and rooasters etc in our path, i also had to cross a huge river in a bridge like in indian jones!!
I felt i was in a episode of lost mixed with a touch of indian jones,the sights were something that couldnt never be put in words neither could the amount of human endurance i had to go through to do it, itssomethign i recommend to do it, and though the shortcut was dangerous i think it was quite good as it was different that going up and downthe huge wall!
Aneway my training for the TEFL course is well, and ill be putting myskills to use soon!!
Aneway take care
Asif
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Day 1 in China
Im quite pissed off, jus as a i was finishing my blog my time expired and my session finished, however i thought i had like another 5minutes, aneway it could have something to do with the fact i was dissing the goverment!! LOL
Aneway ill be briefer than my previous unseen post. On the plane there was a chinese man being deported, well scary as he was screaming and crying on the plane, but he stopped once we were in the air. He was saying someone told me how he had his wife and kids left back in england it was kinda sad..
I got screwed majorly, the chinese passport people thought i had a fake passports and took me away, i was queueing for 45 minutes in the passport queue and had to wait even more wit these idiots checking my passport under different lights!!
Then i get to the hotel and there is no rooms, cuz of my early arrival (7am!) so i wait til 10am to get a room, fucking joke!!
I slept all day, den I went to Cow Street Mosque which is closed, so i go to Ni Jiue Mosque which is being redeveloped, however it is still beautiful and something i never seen before, the blend of arabic and chinese architecture is quite breathtaking...
Then after praying i went to a muslim supermarket and was completly grossed out by their meat section i was tempted to become a vegie, then i was the golden arches!! I think ill stick to fish and vegatables this holiday!!
Also something quite funny, i got a simcard to make cheaper calls and each sim card is different dependant on the numbers, like if it had a 6,8,9 its a bit more with 6 being the most expensive however if it has a 4 then its like half or a third of the price of the others, as its considered unlucky!! So i naturally picked a 4 being a cheap bastard!!
Ohhh i forgot to mention talking about big brother China, when i log onto the internet in the cafe i have to give my passport, in case i do anything, lol!! its so ridiculous, i mean i have heard stories but this is just too much!! The whole internet thing wont let me go to any english speaking sites, so i have to email this to Bilal and SK who help put it up!!
Also thanks SK for taking me to the aiport yesterday u were great help!!
Aneway i best luv ya and leave u, but something else i want to comment on, is how i am not allowed to access bbc online, which i think is a joke! DAM GOVERMENT
Take care
Asif
ps. I go to the great wall of china tomow iA
Aneway ill be briefer than my previous unseen post. On the plane there was a chinese man being deported, well scary as he was screaming and crying on the plane, but he stopped once we were in the air. He was saying someone told me how he had his wife and kids left back in england it was kinda sad..
I got screwed majorly, the chinese passport people thought i had a fake passports and took me away, i was queueing for 45 minutes in the passport queue and had to wait even more wit these idiots checking my passport under different lights!!
Then i get to the hotel and there is no rooms, cuz of my early arrival (7am!) so i wait til 10am to get a room, fucking joke!!
I slept all day, den I went to Cow Street Mosque which is closed, so i go to Ni Jiue Mosque which is being redeveloped, however it is still beautiful and something i never seen before, the blend of arabic and chinese architecture is quite breathtaking...
Then after praying i went to a muslim supermarket and was completly grossed out by their meat section i was tempted to become a vegie, then i was the golden arches!! I think ill stick to fish and vegatables this holiday!!
Also something quite funny, i got a simcard to make cheaper calls and each sim card is different dependant on the numbers, like if it had a 6,8,9 its a bit more with 6 being the most expensive however if it has a 4 then its like half or a third of the price of the others, as its considered unlucky!! So i naturally picked a 4 being a cheap bastard!!
Ohhh i forgot to mention talking about big brother China, when i log onto the internet in the cafe i have to give my passport, in case i do anything, lol!! its so ridiculous, i mean i have heard stories but this is just too much!! The whole internet thing wont let me go to any english speaking sites, so i have to email this to Bilal and SK who help put it up!!
Also thanks SK for taking me to the aiport yesterday u were great help!!
Aneway i best luv ya and leave u, but something else i want to comment on, is how i am not allowed to access bbc online, which i think is a joke! DAM GOVERMENT
Take care
Asif
ps. I go to the great wall of china tomow iA
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Dear All,
I am leaving for China in a few hours, I'll be going to Heathrow Terminal 4, flying directly to Beijing on BA....
Yesterday I became a semi-celeb as I was on BBC London NEWS, giving my 2 cents on the police's role in Stop and Search...
Well I had a mixed response of my very brief role, firstly I want to make it clear the interview was for around 5 minutes, and so my response was slightly out of context, however I do stand by my point that stop and search has been used unfairly to target the Muslim Community but there is good reason why it is targeting them....
Anyone else have any views on the matter?
Also would like to thank Bilal Anway for letting me stay at his place it was a very humbling experience of staying in the third world......
Anyway take care
Asif
I am leaving for China in a few hours, I'll be going to Heathrow Terminal 4, flying directly to Beijing on BA....
Yesterday I became a semi-celeb as I was on BBC London NEWS, giving my 2 cents on the police's role in Stop and Search...
Well I had a mixed response of my very brief role, firstly I want to make it clear the interview was for around 5 minutes, and so my response was slightly out of context, however I do stand by my point that stop and search has been used unfairly to target the Muslim Community but there is good reason why it is targeting them....
Anyone else have any views on the matter?
Also would like to thank Bilal Anway for letting me stay at his place it was a very humbling experience of staying in the third world......
Anyway take care
Asif
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Dear All,
This is my first blog, and I jus want to welcome you all to my blog and I hope you enjoy my weird and wonderful thoughts,
A little bit about me, My name is Asif, I am 22, just finished studying at University College London, and going off to china next week!
I have to give a little plug to Richard Valtr aka Fern who showed me the way to blogging!
Anyway take care
Asif
This is my first blog, and I jus want to welcome you all to my blog and I hope you enjoy my weird and wonderful thoughts,
A little bit about me, My name is Asif, I am 22, just finished studying at University College London, and going off to china next week!
I have to give a little plug to Richard Valtr aka Fern who showed me the way to blogging!
Anyway take care
Asif
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