Back in the PRC Proper

After a few days in semi-Westernisation) Hong Kong), I am back in the good old Mainland. I gotta say, I really liked Hong Kong. I think the city has got a lot of energy, and the harbour and hills of Hong Kong Island really give it atmosphere.

I got a new camera there as well, a Canon Digital IXUS 55. Saved over 100 euro on the equivalent package in Europe. Cheers Derrick for bringing me to that shop! So, hopefully my next pictures will be a bit better! The camera is pretty nifty!

I am now in Shantou, Guangdong Province, where I am staying in the lovely apartment of my Chinese teacher's family! This is the best accommodation I've had since I came to China!

South China reminds me a lot of Malaysia. Similar smells of fruit and veg and also the shop fronts. Not to mention the humidity. This place is scooter city as well! Tons of motorbikes and scooters! There is definitely a different atmosphere in South China. I reckon it is way more lively and more people are out and about on the streets.

They seem to be way more into tea-drinking than the Northerners. Any house I've been to sort of performs a little tea ceremony for you. It's not like Ireland where you are given a mug of Barry's Tea. They boil the water in one kettle, then use a small teapot to brew the tea. Then there are 3 small cups to drink tea from. The cups are washed out with water and tea each time. Then filled with tea from the small pot. Once the three cups have been finished, the host will then make more tea in the little pot and so on. Sort of hostly, I reckon, if there is such a word.

I have just over a week left of holidays, and then it's back to Dalian! I want to head to Xiamen in Fujian Province and then I will head to Guangzhou, since that's where my flight to Dalian leaves from on Thursday.