Grade 100/100. Hi Alan, great job! I enjoyed reading these journal entries, and I hope you enjoyed your trip overall!
June 15
Today was the day we would leave for the 10-day trip. In fact, I would be missing the next English class which means I have to post this after the trip. We would go to Vancouver, B.C. first, then we would head for Hong Kong. Next, we would fly to China, and take a cruise to Japan. Knowing how many days were in my trip always helped me know what to pack. I grabbed my blue suitcase and began loading in my favorite clothes. We recently bought a three-axis gimbal camera called “DJI Osmo Pocket” for traveling. It allowed us to shoot 4k videos that were very smooth no matter if your hands were moving a lot. This time only my dad and I would be going because my mom had a business convention down in Houston, and my brother was busy researching potential colleges he would want to go to next year. He was also working on creating a new type of Aerogel! Aerogel is the lightest solid ever created, and it is one of the best insulators.
June 16-17 (majority of 17th was on airplane)
We just reached Vancouver, B.C. National Airport. I was curious about why their airport code was YVR. For example, here in Dallas our airport code DFW which stands for Dallas/Fort Worth. We would only be spending one night and half a day there as it was mostly just a transfer stop for us. We visited Vanoucver Harbor which was combined with the vast nature and the tall building in the city. While we were there, we went to FlyOver Canada which was an immersive ride that made you feel like you were in Canada. We also saw ToysRUs which are no longer available in the U.S. I saw people wearing Toronto Raptors jerseys because they had just won the NBA Finals and just about all of Canada was celebrating. Just like America, Canada was a melting pot of all cultures. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold up because we went during the summer.
June 18
Today we reached Hong Kong. Hong Kong was filled with busy streets and small shops along the wore down brick roads. Unlike America, their main source of transportation was underground subways, but they did also have cars. We went to night markets which were filled with lively people and busy roads. We planned to visit the Tian Tan Buddha, but we were too tired so we stayed back at the hotel. Hong Kong was very unique in its own way, but we just didn’t have much time there either because our biggest part of the trip was the cruise. We would be going the day after tomorrow. Today I also made a major mistake by leaving the DJI Osmo Pocket behind on an Uber Ride to the hotel. After losing the $350 camera my dad and I were in deep frustration. We contacted the train station because we didn’t know where I lost it yet. We also called Uber and asked them. Finally, after when we thought all hope was lost we received an email from Uber saying that our driver had found the item. The problem was that we were already at the airport ready to leave. So, we canceled our flight and went back to get it which took another 4 hours. We switched flights and headed for Shanghai which we would reach 5 hours later than originally planned.
June 19
When we landed in Shanghai, I was exhausted. The hotel was our first thought because it was already almost midnight. Our grandparents were waiting for us there. We checked in and went upstairs to meet them. I haven’t been with them in real life for at least three years by now. Calling them over the phone wasn’t enough, so when we knocked on their door they rushed to open it. I was greeted with smiles and hugs. They told us to sit down and have some fruits. We talked and talked, but I was getting more tired by the minute. They said they would give me $300 for my brother and I’s birthday even though it was in three days. I had a grin on my face trying not to show my happiness too much. We went back to our room and called it a day. I really needed the sleep.
Grade 100/100. Hi Alan, great job! I enjoyed reading these journal entries, and I hope you enjoyed your trip overall!