China Day 1 - Olympic Stadium, Beijing

Assalamualaikum. Ni Hao!

Previous post (here).

Angin rajin bertahan sementara cuma di dalam sistem. And I'm back to my dormant phase once again. Dapat reminder call pula dari Merengmate. Haruslah pantas tuntas aku seru balik angin rajin tu. Nasiblah angin jenis obedient. Am not sure how long it is gonna stay. Harap-harap mampulah berlamaan sikit. 

12 January 2016

Beijing, China

We went to the infamous National Stadium later in the evening. Alhamdulillah, the evening nap rejuvenated us. Memang terus segar bugar lepas bangun tu. Hence semangat kental berdandan lagi (read: putting on layers of clothes on the body). Tu yang siap terbeli pink sweater from the shop nearby our hotel. Was in huge dilemma whether to buy or not. Ya lah kan, baru 1st day oi. We have another 13 days in China. Takut lupa diri jak beli itu ini sampai lari budget. 

Tapi tulah, tetap kalah si Err dengan sepasang padding pink. Kalau ndak beli, nanti termimpi-mimpi. Kalau beli nanti, takut kedai tutup pula masa kami balik nanti. Kesudahannya, duit & padding bertukar tangan. Pasrahlah jiwa. Impromptu purchase macam ni lah paling aku seriau sebenarnya. Tapi tetap dilayan nafsu membeli tu kan. Senyum sampai telinga masa keluar kedai. Pfft

After the super short lepas kempunan shopping spree, we walked to Dongsi Station. And took the subway to National Stadium located in the Olympic Green Village, Chaoyang District. 

Direction to National Stadium, Beijing

Dongsi Station Line 5 (purple) ---> Beituchengdonglu Line 10 (pink) ---> Xiongmau-huandao Olympics Spur Line (dark green) ---> Olympic Sports Centre (dark green) Exit B2.

Dari Exit B2 tu memang kena walkertapaki dalam 10 minutes untuk sampai area stadium. Gigih lah dua wanita jelita berjalan dalam sejuk beku demi menunaikan impian kami. To stand before these two well known stadium; that is. Alhamdulillah, wish list ticked.

#1 This was temporary I reckoned because I didn't see this in any of my friends photos who came before me. 

"The National Stadium (Bird's Nest) was designed as the main stadium of 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. The Olympic events of track and field, football, weight throw & discus were held there. After the Olympics ended, it has been opened as tourist attraction. The opening & closing ceremonies of another important event; Winter Olympic Games will be held here."

#2 The form of the stadium looks like a big nest which embraces and nurses human beings

#3 Tercapai impian. Demi kenangan, dalam sejuk bedi ku gagahkan posing

#4 Nothing much done to the look of the stadium. The brilliant designers just exposed the steel structures entirely; and let them become the most natural appearance. Less is more

#5 Percubaan guna camera canggih tapi tetaplah failed

#7 Bila kau gigih tunggu the color change to your favourite. Tapi yang warna warni juga aku upload. Motiflah menunggu

#8 The National Aquatics Center (Water Cube). Didn't know that the First Level is for tourist. And they have lots of functional zones inside it. Water Park, Waterdrop Theater & SPA Zone to name a few

The Water Cube is blue in order to reflect sunlight. It shines in the sunlight like a pearl in water. From the inside, one may discover that the pneumatic cushions of all sizes are just like sea bubbles"

#9 Yours Truly + white plastic bag that contain my newly bought pink padding *proud face*

"National Aquatics Center is the FIRST building in the world built upon "the soap bubble" theory, and sports a polyhedral steel-framed structure"

#10 Jea + her Mr Kwangsoo (her most loyal companion)

#11 And another shot of us before the Water Cube (mission accomplished!)

#12 Percubaan mem-panorama. These 2 unique buildings stand just opposite each other

By the way, there are actually lots of winter activities held inside the National Stadium. I just found about it months after our visit (sebab initial niat memang untuk tengok stadium jak). The Happy Snow & Ice Festival is held here every year from Dec to Feb. The stadium turns into the largest ski resort in Beijing during this time. And there are aplenty of activities for tourist to take part. 

Didn't regret it although it could've been quite an experience if we try skating on the rink. Admission fee is CNY 120 (weekdays) & CNY 160 (weekends & public holiday). Tapi kalau tau awal pun maybe we might not enter the stadium. Kan trip budget so segala benda yang melibatkan admission fee ni memang kami avoid selagi boleh. 

#13 Sajalah mau ber-art bagai. Taken from the bridge that connect the road to the Olympic village

#14 Muka pasrah tahan sejuk (mau winter sangat kan, hambek!)

Lepas cuci mata tengok Olympic Stadium, masa untuk kembali ke sarang hotel. Memang pasrah jaklah si Jea ikut aku meredah sejuk. Angin pun boleh tahan menampar. Dalam kepala masing-masing memang sudah terbayang katil melambai-lambai. Tapi at the same time, perut pun minta isi.

L to the Par! And kami memang tau ndak kan sempat mau kejar closing hour restoran sebelah hotel tu. Mau pi cari di tempat lain, kaki macam sudah give up. Sikit masa lagi both of us qualified jadi sistur-ngensot. Ok, teringat maggi yang kami bawa dari Malaysia. Bolehlah tu kan buat alas perut. Ndak kan mau jadi picky eater pula di saat darurat macam tu. But seriously masa ni aku ingat, sungguh-sungguh aku doa kami terjumpa at least bakery shop. Sebab perut aku mampu bertahan kalau buns or pastries ni.

Dalam subway train on the way balik hotel, kami ndak bercakap banyak. Save energy katanye! Walhal tahan diri dari mengungkap perkataan lapar (wow bahasa kau Bie).

On the way to the exit, kami terbau something. Automatik macam dalam kartun masing-masing. Walkerthon ikut bau. Once out from the station, nampak this one cart in front of the road heading to our hotel. Kecewa at first sebab ingatkan cart non-halal. So berjalan lemah gemalai lah kami depan cart (still berharap it sells halal food). Sekali Ahjussi tu nampak kami, and immediately he greeted us with Assalamualaikum. Allahu akbar! Masa tu rasa mau berzapin pun ada. Melompat girang!

Whats more bila nampak halal sign dekat cart dia. Repeatedly bersyukur. Mau jak bow seribu kali sambil ucap xie xie sama Ahjussi. Allah Maha Baik, indeed He is. Dia hantar Ahjussi kebab untuk kami yang kelaparan ni. Memang rezeki kami.

#15 Tengok ni pun berliur lagi. Seriously sedap ke langit. And super pedas as well.

#16 Katanye famous. Ahjussi searching articles about him in the net; semata mau tunjuk kami.

Lagilah yakin bila dia beria mau tunjuk bukti he is a Muslim. When asked to search via our phone, we told him we don't have internet connection. Tu dia terus keluarkan phone. Terima kasih Ahjussi buat kebab sedap, pedas & mengenyangkan. Moga Allah murahkan rezeki dia. 

Aku beli dua kebab ni. 1 makan on the way to the hotel, 1 lagi makan di bilik. Nampak ka ndak kebuluran si Err? Or was it more to nafsu? Lantak lah kan, janji doa termakbul. Alhamdulillah. Dapat tengok Bird's Nest & Water Cube. And as bonus, dapat pula kebab panas-panas for dinner+supper di kala perut berkeroncong lapar. 

Of courselah malam tu tidur lena. Mau ndak lena sudah bantai 2 kebab kan. Esok pagi kami check out, will be going somewhere colder. Yang tu nanti aku update next entry *semoga masih rajin*.

Till then, wassalam.

eryantierdabdulkarim