Recap: Another Aeroplane

So, I am awake and it's currently 9: 30 at night in Beijing, which means I have about two hours before I get groggy again. Ready for a long entry? Here it comes:

Let's see, first of all I'm going to say that I feel much better already, though I don't believe recovering from jet-lag will be that easy for me this time. The Wednesday before my flight (last Wed) I caught something and my temperature spiked up to over 40C and I got a mild case of something-or-the-other-itis (respiratory, as usual) and I was sick all the way till Friday. Didn't sleep too well Saturday night, and there was a hurricane making landfall in southern China at that point that would affect Shanghai and Beijing, so our flight was delayed at Beijing, then at Shanghai for quite a while, if nothing else but because the flights from the previous day have to take off first when the weather lets up a break before we can. Priorities, you see. Took 5 minute cat-naps for an hour and was awake for all the rest of the flight--which reminds me to say--getting airplane rides while your nose is stuffed is hell to your ears, I had ear aches during the entire de-acceleration. But, back to the 'original story', I didn't get too much rest so yesterday, when we got home at 6 in the evening, my brain was "frying and sputtering in my head."

Didn't do much in the time I was in Beijing, but there are a lot of memories I'd like to share, especially since with the rate and way the things are happening over there, that's all they'll be soon--memories. I have to make a note of my grandmother (maternal)'s outdated air conditioner, which sounded EXACTLY like Darth Vader (with occasional wheezing only) when you turn it on, so that when I woke up to it on my first night there I had a very surreal moment. Also, the same grandma's 4'o clock (a flower), which blooms once at six AM and once at six PM, which therefore makes me wonder if the person who named it 4'o clock had taken into account time difference. Flowers with a jet-lag? I think not.

Both of my grandmas seemed quite obsessed about feeding me though, on retrospect, I think feeding people is a universal grandma thing. My grandma (paternal) also seem to have a thing for plastic plants. There's a pot of plastic angel-wings on top of her fridge which bothers me a lot. I don't know why either. Grandma (p)'s place also uses this weird herbal toothpaste which is called bamboo something (forgot), which tasted like...like...jasmine tea with sugar, salt, and peppermint mixed in. Yes I used it. Yes it was strange. I tried not to taste it too much, but it was difficult. Didn't know they make SALTY toothpaste, honestly. Saw all of my aunts and uncles and nearly all of my cousins. My time there feels like there is at least one person talking to me at any point in time when I'm awake and not in the bathroom or shower (sometimes even when I'm trying to sleep!). The attention-thing is very trying especially since I was playing the part of the cheerful, talkative granddaughter (managed to fool everyone for three weeks, psychologically drained, but very proud of myself). Way too much attention. WAY too much. The first I wanted to do when I got home was to lock myself in my room and stay there for 24 hours, but since today is Monday and both of my parents have to work (no breaks for jet-lag, isn't that awful?), I pretty much have my wish.

First dose of rants after a long break. How does it feel?
You didn't have to read it all, you know. (But of course, most of you who have the url to this place probably did.)