When in Rome

18/09/14

After the massive adventure that was living in China, I haven't really felt much like writing about my adventures because they're not that exciting. Yes, I got a real life grown up job and moved to England but really, who wants to read that I now get up at 6.45am, spend the day at work and the evenings cleaning my house and cooking a fairly average dinner? Nobody, that's who. So if you're reading this then maybe you think my city break to Rome merits a Blog or two. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Read on reader (mum and dad) and hopefully it won't be too much of a disappointment.

The day began as most travel days do – far too early. We got up at 5.30am and after a few last minute checks and running back in to grab our toothbrushes we were off. In no time at all we had parked the car, arrived at the airport and checked through security. 

We didn't have long before we boarded our flight, so after buying some new toothbrushes (Rory got them from the house but left them in the car) we were on our way. The flight was fairly uneventful and we arrived in Italy just in time to see our bus pulling out of the car park and heading to Rome, without us. Thankfully there was another bus in forty minutes so we waited outside, in the sweltering heat for it to arrive.

The journey to the city was pretty straight forward and once we arrived we took the subway, used our trusty Booking.com map and eventually found our B&B. When I saw the street and realised that we had to walk through a garage to get in I wasn't too thrilled but when we were shown our room I was much happier; there were so few places available when we tried to book accommodation that we ended up getting a suite and I'm pretty glad we did as it's pure beaut!

After a quick outfit change (Rome is absolutely roasting) we set off on an adventure and just so happened to come across the Colosseum. Rory is the Roman history buff but even I was impressed by the sheer size of it. It's also relatively well preserved given that it is 1,934 years old.

We then continued on to the Roman Forum, which is, according to Rory, the heart of Rome. It was here that the senate met and any important religious rituals were carried out. While what we saw was impressive, the actual Forum was closing for the evening so we put that little adventure on hold and headed to the Independence Memorial, which as far as I can tell, is literally just a massive building celebrating, funnily enough, Italy's independence.

One thing I really like about traveling is getting lost, provided I don't have a flight to catch, so imagine my delight when we not only got lost down some little side streets but ended up coming out at the Pantheon. According to my Lonely Planet book, the Pantheon is not only one of Rome's most iconic sights but also one of the most influential buildings in the Western World. Pretty big claim there Lonely Planet but I can certainly see why. It was originally built by Marcus Agrippa in 27BC but it burnt down, only to be rebuilt and destroyed by lightning. Talk about unlucky. In 110AD the emperor Hadrian rebuilt it and he did a pretty good job as that's what you see today. It was originally a temple dedicated to the classical gods, hence the name; pan (all) and theos (gods) but in 608AD it was consecrated as a Christian church and this is why it's in such good condition because apparently people don't mind nicking stuff from an amazing temple or palace but they aren't so keen on stealing from a church.

One thing that really struck me was how impressive it in on the inside. The interior looks brand new and the oculus (the 8.7m-diameter hole in the middle of the dome) is amazing, especially when you think that it's the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built. Like ever. I initially thought there was some glass at the top but apparently not – when it rains the rain comes in and disappears down 22 almost invisible holes in the sloping marble floor. When you look at something like the Pantheon you really realise how switched on they were back in the day. It also makes you feel pretty bad for the slaves who literally worked night and day to finish these structures (fun fact – the slaves genuinely did work night and day on the Colosseum and that's why it only took eight years to build).

After exploring the surrounding area we finished the evening with some Pizza and Gellatto, but I was clearly too starving to stop and take any pictures... Maybe next time I'll think before I eat! Overall it’s been a pretty great first day – who knows what tomorrow holds? Well, Rory does, he booked our tours for the rest of the week.

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways!

January 2014 

I like to think that I’m a fairly well rounded person (no pun intended) and I am particularly proud of my ability to see things from both sides, so after my last somewhat critical Blog, I think it’s only fair that I mention the things I love about China. 

1. The weather – naturally when I packed for China I brought clothes for every occasion. I even brought two raincoats. Both of which I haven’t used. Since we arrived it has rained twice. Yes, that’s right. Twice. In six months. There really is nothing quite as satisfying as waking up, getting ready and walking out the door without a care in the world. Yes, I washed my hair today and no, I’m not bringing an umbrella with me, why? Because it never rains in Beijing! So much hassle is taken out of outfit and activity planning when you know there isn’t going to be a drop of rain in sight. The weather is cold and crisp but not freezing and more often than not the sky is bright blue and cloudless. I am not looking forward to the perpetually grey skies of Northern Ireland, that’s for sure!

2. The food – before we came to China I was pretty worried about the food. When we went to Thailand/Cambodia/Laos I was really sick and the thought of having to endure night after night hugging the toilet did not appeal to me. However, I am happy to report that I haven’t been sick in China, well apart from Xi’an… and the vertigo… But truly, the Chinese food has been amazing. It isn’t like anything I’ve had at home; yes there have been a few feet in our chilli chicken and no, I haven’t seen a spring roll since we came here but the food is still fantastic. If I could take one Chinese restaurant home it would be the restaurant right across from our apartment, the beef is out of this world and it is so cheap!

But wait, it’s not all dumplings and fried rice. The selection of western food is better than what’s on offer in Belfast. In a city of twenty million people it’s hardly surprising that you can find food from any corner of the world. One restaurant I am going to really struggle without is the Great Leap Brewery; hands down, the best onion rings I have ever had and I would even say that, bar Fergburger, the cheeseburger is the best I’ve ever had!

3. Our apartment – it’s huge and it’s free. What more can I say? Had we been staying for a little longer we would have invested in some furniture that wasn’t wooden because it’s pretty impossible to get cosy when your sofa is a wooden bench, but hey, like I said, it’s freeee!

4. The job – yes, there are times when I don’t want to go in to class but really, fifteen hours of teaching, a few extra for meetings/training and a few more for lesson planning isn’t really that bad. Plus, I’m actually getting paid. Someone is giving me money to do things that I’d probably do for free. Amazing.

5. The subway – 20p per ride. 2-0-p. That’s it. I top up about £5 a month and I journey to my heart’s content. Every country needs a Beijing subway system. Yes, it is busy, it carries over 2.45 billion people annually and it can be hot and sometimes smelly but for 20p it is an absolute marvel.

6. Downtown Beijing – there’s nothing quite as good as hopping on the subway and hitting up downtown Beijing. You have the chaos that is tuk-tuks, beeping horns, traffic going the wrong way and millions of people but also the complete quiet of parks, museums and winding hutongs full of hidden courtyards. Beijing is one of the biggest cities in the world and it has everything.

7. The freedom – again, there is so much freedom living here. I can’t take the Clio for a spin whenever I want but I can take a bus across the city for 4p. While I probably haven’t made enough of it, the possibilities are endless here.

8. The price – everything is so cheap. Locals have a much lower salary (for example, the Chinese teachers get £200 a month and we get £1000 for doing less work) so things that they need are cheaper. This covers food, clothing and transport and we foreigners reap the benefits. Yes, it might be cheaper to eat in a Chinese restaurant but £5 for a full western meal is still insanely good value. Of course, I could get a full meal at a nice Chinese restaurant for £3 and at a street vendor for less than £1 but sometimes you just need that pizza! If you ever holiday in China you will be amazed at how little you can get by on. Again, I am not looking forward to the extortionate prices of the U.K!

9. The great new places I’ve been – how could I write this Blog and not mention the Great Wall of China. It is easily one of the most amazing places I have ever been and it is something I will never forget. I still can’t really believe that I have not only been to China but lived and worked in one of the biggest cities in the world. I have never felt overwhelmed but I have been in awe of what China has to offer. Even the small trips to our local parks and lakes have been an unforgettable experience.

 10. Everything!!!! I realise that this contradicts my last post which detailed everything I didn’t like about China, but really, they were only small annoyances. In general, I have loved my time in China and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Living in Beijing has been an absolute dream. I’ve done things I never thought I could do and I’ve seen some amazing, out of this world, completely unforgettable things. If you want to experience something completely different while also having a safety net of the familiar, then come to Beijing. It won’t disappoint. Stay classy China!