Posted on 22 August 2010 @ 14:32 in Notebooks, Stress Busters, Travels
The two in the foreground are the “cover models” for Nostalgie’s “Giant Panda” notebook cover.
The two in the background are Mei Xin (left) and Feng Yi (right), two giant pandas living at the giant panda habitat at the Seven Star Park’s Zoo in Guilin, China.
I’d received the notebook as a gift from Ms Karen Doherty, Vice President, Marketing, Exaclair, Inc (exclusive US distributor of Clairefontaine, Exacompta, Rhodia, Quo Vadis, G Lalo, Brause, J Herbin and Decopatch products) in late March (thanks again, Karen). By then, I’d returned from my annual volunteer trip to Bifengxia Panda Base. But I was planning a visit to Guilin later in the year, and when that materialised and I was packing for the trip, I made sure to pack the notebook, to journal in, as well as to take a picture with Mei Xin and Feng Yi.
The picture was taken thro’ the glass display at the indoor enclosure. This is the best I can do for now, but I’ll be visiting them again a few more days, so I’ll make sure to take more, and hopefully better, pictures. In case anyone’s wondering, hand holding notebook belongs to keeper Zhang.
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Posted on 21 August 2010 @ 17:28 in Travels
It’s unfair but, after staying in a low-end motel for 2 of my annual giant panda volunteer trips, I tend to associate giant panda volunteer work with “hardship”. Like I said, it’s unfair. Cuz last year, I stayed at a really nice hotel in Ya’an City. And right now, in Guilin, I’m staying at the Guilin International Hotel, where the room is even nicer than Ibis Hotel, Ya’an, but at twice the cost, it’s expected.
Probaby the most important thing in a hotel room for me – Internet access. In this case, on a nice writing table
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Writing table is next to a fair size LCD TV on a swivel top, but all Chinese shows, even the English movies are dubbed in Mandarin; nope, no CNN or Bloomberg
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Fancy wash basin reflected in the shower door. Toilet is next to shower and discretely hidden behind door
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Top of mini fridge with something extra – boxes of playing cards, condoms and sex oil – for a price, of course
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Posted on 21 August 2010 @ 00:04 in Stress Busters
I never tire of telling the story of how a six-month-old giant panda cub in San Diego Zoo led to my love for giant pandas.
Hua Mei – the first giant panda cub to be born and to survive past 3 months in the Western Hemisphere. Her name, a combination of China (華) and USA (美), represents the partnership that resulted in her birth – China, which loaned her parents to the San Diego Zoo, and USA, which provided the place for her birth.
It’s 10 years since I saw her public debut on the San Diego Zoo website’s pandacam. I went to see her in person in May 2001. And had to wait 6 years before seeing her again in September 2007; by now, she was living at the Wolong Panda Centre in China. Since then, I’ve seen her every year, and hope to be able to see her every year till … whenever.
I know her American fans were sad when she left San Diego Zoo in 2004, but it was good news for me because it meant she would be nearer to me, and cheaper for me to go and see her.
I’ve yet to see her on her birthday. So I do the next best thing – celebrate her birthday, and what she means to me, online.
Love you, Hua Mei. Happy birthday.
Picture taken during my March 2010 visit
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Posted on 20 August 2010 @ 21:52 in Facebook
Just wanted to let you know I’m receiving email notifications of your comments on Facebook – I just can’t reply while in China. 
Besides Facebook, I also can’t access Twitter and blogspot. So I can’t read my favourite blogs over the next few days.
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Posted on 20 August 2010 @ 13:02 in Stress Busters, Travels
I flew to Guilin this morning. The flight was at 6:25 a.m., which meant I had to leave for the airport at 3:30 a.m.! Insane, but the KL – Guilin flight was not the only flight at that hour. LCCT was crowded with people waiting to fly to Macau and Colombo, too.
So, 4 hours later, I arrived in Guilin and after another 90 minutes, I’m in my hotel room. I’d booked the Guilin International Hotel, it’s actually the second choice, after the first choice was fully booked for the dates I’m in Guilin.
I selected both hotels based on proximity to the Seven Star Park. As it turned out, Guilin International, altho more expensive, is the better hotel cuz it’s closer to the Park. How close? The lady at the front desk said if I wake up early enough, I can jog there. Haha, do I look like a jogger to her? For sure, I’ll walk there.
Seven Star Park is the reason I’m here in Guilin. There’s a very precious resident inside the Park – my adopted panda, Feng Yi. She was moved here last December with another panda, Mei Xin. Her move to Guilin means I can’t see her when I go to Bifengxia. It also means I have to make separate arrangements to visit her. But on the plus side, it means I get to visit and know another city in China.
My hotel room is NICE. I’ll post pictures later. Right now, I need to go look for food.
Yes, the fact that I’m posting means the hotel offers free Internet access in all rooms. Most hotels in China do. I’ll also be posting more on my blog during this trip cuz there’s no access to Facebook and my blog is linked to my Facebook account. If you’re reading this, please post a comment so I know the link is working.
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