Went to the Forbidden City today where all the emperors and their families lived. It was totally amazing with all this intricate detail on all the buildings and the sheer size of it. We had a tour guide called Vivian who was able to pull off a bit of English style irony which made me feel very at home. She convinced the group that they cooked the old concubines in cauldrons and just as everyone responded 'Noooo. Oh my God!' she told us she was joking. Very funny,...

Been in China for about 3 days now. I arrived here about 9am local time after a long flight and the seemingly simple directions to the hostel didn't quite work out that way! Some guy in a rickshaw taking advantage of my sleep deprived judgement, charged me to take me to somewhere that clearly wasn't where I wanted to go, leaving me lost in Beijing!! I eventually found the place and spent most of the day sleeping. I was soooo tired! Met a girl in the dorm who is n...