Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,
 
Catching up hey.
Isn't it cool to catch up with people.
 
I have just spent the weekend with my buddy Andrew who was actually my dentist from my very early twenties until not long before I headed overseas nine years ago. We have kept in touch all this time but have never quite been in the same part of the country or world at the same time to share a beer. For those who haven't read the blog I wrote not long ago, Andrews's daughters have been learning Mandarin for many years and some years they come across to Beijing city to spend some time in a 'real' Chinese classroom and to catch up with some of their old tutors and friends. Each past year though we have never been in the same part of China nor have I been on holidays at the time to allow me an adventure to where ever it is they are travelling.
 
This year they chose Xian city for their 'extra city adventure'.
How excited were we when we figured out that their choice was actually only two hours from where I live.
 
So Friday night we finally clinked our first beers (small Chinese glasses though...bugger!) in nine years and I got to meet the rest of his family and the friends that had come across with them for their 2009 China adventure.  To meet the Fishers and the Fisher Family Friends click here and you will be taken to Amy's blog of the day they left Australia.  
 
We made plans to meet the following morning to spend the day at one of China's most famous mountains which has also been at the center of controversy for many years as to whether it really is one of if not the worlds most dangerous 'mountain hike' (not mountain climb).  Luo Wei really wanted to meet my friends from Australia and sadly as she had to help a friend at her uni the night before, she had to rise early to make the two hour journey to Xian to meet them. By the time she arrived she was so tired after her long hours during the week.
 
So after meeting everyone she headed back to the hotel and slept the day away.
 
When we returned from out Hua Shan adventure Luo Wei met us and took us to a traditional Chinese Eatery that had an actual picture menu to choose from. Even after four years I love a good picture menu. When we got there there was a little argument over how much 'they' wanted us to spend and how much 'we' wanted to spend. Being foreigners we were expected to spend well over a thousand Yuan which we had no intention of doing so Luo Wei called her 'brother' Liu Liu (6,6) who called one of his friends and they both came and sorted the restaurant staff out for us.
 
We even got a few extra dishes thrown in.
Liu Liu is one of those guys who has a finger in as many pies as possible.
He has given most things a try and by doing so has met all the 'right people' to know type thing.
 
So that brings us up to today (Sunday). Luo Wei headed back to her uni to continue helping friends with 'shop' things and I met the Fisher Family at the cities south gate where (after being introduced to some of their gadgets yesterday) I expected them to pull iBikes or something out of their day packs.
 
I was imagining me saying, Hey lets go hire bikes, you can get them on top of the wall.
Then me saying, Um...what's that?
Ha Ha Ha, it's an iBike silly.
Oh, an iBike...ok!
 
Happily for me there is no such thing as an iBike and after hiring many tandem and single seated bikes we spent the next several hours changing bikes and bike partners (wipe that smirk off your face Andrew!) and riding around the city walls which is something I actually haven't done before. I did spend three days last year walking one day around the inside, one day around the outside and finally one day walking around the top of the walls. Out of them all I think my favourite would be walking around the track that takes you around the outside of the walls as it takes you through all the different gardens that surround the city. Before you choose between that and riding around the top of the wall, the walls are over fourteen kilometers in total, so maybe riding the wall is a better choice. Maybe you can hire a bike somewhere and ride around the outside but I didn't see anyone on a bike when I was on my adventures at the bottom of the walls.
 
Maybe you are not allowed to takes bikes into each section of the gardens.
 
After riding around the top of the walls we all headed across to the Arts Precinct and then down to the Muslim Quarter (for information on the Muslim Quarter). Sadly due to time restrictions we had to skip the Ancient Mosque and we slowly made our way back to the subway beneath the Bell Tower where we said our sad goodbyes until 2011 when they will return for their next Chinese adventure.
 
During which we will hopefully all head to the Xishuangbanna Region via the Maldives.
Hahahahaha just joking!
 
So besides having one of the greatest weekends I've had for a long time I actually learned a lot from the Fisher Family whom are know known as The Gadget Family. I was totally surprised at how well behaved and 'normal' all the kids were. Mostly all in their teens and even on a tiring and tight schedule they all seem to still get along with each other and remain easy to get along with. None seemed to be 'too cool for school' type thing, in fact the entire bunch (family and friends) were some of the most down to earth people I've met which made the time we spent together a very memorable time for me and I actually can't wait until we can catch up again.
 
Before saying my usual Beers N Noodles toya, below is a small selection of why I should get out of my rice field more often, so read and enjoy a laugh at my expense.
 
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Me: Something must be wrong with Amy's iPod.
Me: Or maybe she's cleaning the screen.
It's an iPod Touch Shane.
Me: Oh, an iPod Touch...ok.
 
For sometime now when I passed a couple backpacking who both had their iPods/MP3's out I always thought it was cute that they were taking the time to clean them together.....MP3's with touch screens, of course, why didn't I think of that. I thought I was cool using a touch screen at an ATM terminal and even cooler with my black and white iPod with a little whirly wheel thing that clicks when you turn it.
 
Where are we on the wall Dad?
How much further?
Me: Here I have a map.
Me: What's that little box thing?
Me: A GPS? Oh of course, it's a GPS!
 
Aren't GPS's those things that astronauts use in the space shuttle or that pilots use in planes to get you from point A to B. I also do know that you can have them in cars/4WD's and that somehow you can use GPS on your laptop if it has the 'whatever it is stuff' that is needed to run it. A little palm held GPS, of course, why didn't I think of that. Man I've always thought I was cool standing on a street corner trying to figure out which way is north with a confused look on my face with my Lonely Planet guide or city map full of little blue dots and arrows.
 
After spending the weekend with the Fisher Family and Friends I honestly think that maybe I should get out of my rice field a little more often than I have in the past four years. All these new 'things' that I had kind of heard of but have never seen or used were all there before my confused self over the weekend. On the bus to Hua Shan (Hua Mountain) all laptops were open and each operator doing a different thing.
 
Me: What are you doing?
Fisher: I'm reading an iBook.
Me: Oh an iBook....very quickly I close my day pack with my Penguin Classic in it.
 
Me: What are you doing?
Fisher: I'm doing my homework?
Me: But we are travelling in a bus going to Hua Shan.
Fisher: Yes we are.
Me: So you are willingly doing your homework, in a bus on a computer without being asked to do so. (me)
Fisher: Yes I am.
 
Me: What are you doing?
Fisher: I'm watching a movie on my MP5.
Me: MP5?
Fisher: Yes MP5.
Me: Does it have touch screen?
Fisher: Yes it does but sometimes you have to shake it like this to stop it from freezing.
 
FINALLY!
Yes Finally I felt on familiar ground.
Me: Yes Yes, I used to have to do that with my Walkman when the tape went all funny. (me)
Fisher: Um, what's a Walkman and what's a tape?
Me: Bugger!
 
Enough of embarrassing my self, most of the above actually happened and the rest of it went through my mind as I was listening to one of the Fisher Family explaining to me what their gadget was. Putting aside all gadget jokes, they didn't really have them out that oftern, its just that when they did I only kind of knew what they were. Oh yeah, don't go expecting one of the Fisher Children to be the Master of Gadgets in the family. Everyone turn and bow to Puppa Gadget as he is the King of all Gadgets known to man, even the dentist drill!  

I'm thinking that the next time I go in for a check up with him he'll smile and say, it's an iDrill Touch mate!
I'll lay there thinking awesome mate, so I just touch this drill and my teeth will be fixed.
 
As you can tell the world has moved on and I'm being quickly left behind. I'm beginning to feel like Austin Powers felt after he was defrosted but I'm getting kind of worried that maybe the next time I'm in line at an airport I may try to figure out what the little pump things are on my sneakers or even my shirt collar and get done for drugs when they/it explodes in my face. To be honest I find myself more facinated by what is happening around me over here. Whenever I see (which is not very often at all) a field with some sort of tractor in it (even if it looks one hundred years old) I find myself smiling at the fact that the world has finally moved on a little for someone who really needs it.
 
Like all teenagers this year my nieces and nephews all got Wii's (or what ever they are) for Christmas. I, of course asked them how a W2 works and they of course laughed and asked me what a W2 was. I explained that they all got one for Christmas and I was told that no, they are not called a W2 but a Wii as in Wee, that everything was wireless and that you had games like boxing, tennis, aerobics, guitar etc.
 
I thought I was cool actually going for a walk or a ride though rice fields.
I also thought I was cool for still excitedly playing air guitar after a few beers.
 
So after a most wonderful weekend and learning about all of these new gadgets I am left sitting here in total confusion as to why my nieces and nephews and other friends children still complain of being bored each time we speak or when they are on holidays. Maybe boredom is something that is simply part of being a teenager. Maybe it is also something that you can grow out of as all I have in life is an iPod 'clickety whirl', a camera, a travel computer, a bike and a backpack.  
 
And I honestly can't remember the last time I was bored.
Beers N Noodles toya.....shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was by all Travelpod Readers whom I hope will all get together and help                me thank the Fishers and Fisher Friends for one of the most wonderful weekends I've had.
So let's all hold hands and instead of singing The Adams Family we can change it to....
Da Da Da Da - DA DA
Da Da Da Da - DA DA
Da Gadget Family!
Thanks toyuz!
Awesome!
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