Mastered the underground and tubed to 2km away from Tianamen square so strolled there and saw the sights...average square size, nothing too ridiculously huge or anything. Managed to get lost/abandoned by the other guys so went solo into the forbidden city, generic sweaty solo strolling around. I worked out where the tickets to the forbidden city were sold, got to the front of the queue and had the window shut in my face...no forbidden city today for me! Getting t...

Had a free trip to the Great Wall - the Mutianyu part, free because the coach drivers hired to take us had absolute chronic ROAD RAGE. The horn got totally beaten up. Had all kinds of fun on the wall while sweating my arms off. Warmer! Tobogganed down afterwards...crashed several times...but then louie and the other guys actually flew off the side, just surviving with some cuts and probable internal bleeding. maybe. Went out with everyone at night starting with s...

Thurs- had placement test for mandarin classes at 8am...didnt last long as I obviously didnt know any chinese...had the day free so strolled round the local district of haidan and wudaokou. At night ate out at "Big pizza" - pizza hut rip where the waitresses drop your pizza on the table, freeze. laugh then run off due to shame leaving you to pick up your own pizza off the table and eat it. cool. Fri - first day of class, met teacher Chen Wen who starte...

Got to Beij...had to wait for someone to pick us up from the airport but didnt turn up for ages...then when he did he was moaning he'd been waiting 3 hours? He'd be crying if he'd been awake travelling for over 22 hours! He went on to make us wait another hour on a marble floor in the only part with zero seating for some japanese cats. Best guy! Passed the time by playing the lying down game/planking which is deffo gonna take over this whole month. Eventually go...