Marissa
December 14th, 2006 by David Fortune
October 2, 2007
Class Trip to Beijing, China
In August, I started attending the International School of Azerbaijan (TISA) along with my brother and sisters. Every autumn, the P8 class (5th Grade) takes a trip to Space Camp in Turkey, Georgia, Shekki or China. I went to China! I just got home a week ago. We arrived there on the 22nd of September. On Sunday we had breakfast at the hotel and then went to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is where the Royal Family used to live. It was interesting to see all the pretty pagodas in it. After lunch we went to a Children’s palace where special children learn specific subjects (like art, musical instruments, sports, etc.). We ate at the Peking Duck Restaurant. It was interesting to see how they cut the duck.
The second day we ate breakfast and then went to a culture club to learn how to make necklaces. I made two necklaces that are very pretty. In the afternoon we went to the Minorities Village where small groups of people live. We went there for the Water Festival and lots of people got splashed by water as the children danced and sang. After dinner we went to the Peking Opera. It was very loud and hard to understand because they were singing in Chinese.
On Tuesday we went to the summer Palace where the Royal Family stayed in the summer. In the afternoon we went on a Rickshaw ride tour through the old Chinese houses. Then we visited a Sports School where gifted children learn to do sports.
On the fourth day, in the morning we went to the Ming tombs where some Emperor was burried. In the afternoon we went to the Great Wall of China. It was pretty awesome because like everyone in the world knows about it. It was really cool–we walked about half a mile on it. The view was amazing!!!!!!
On Thursday, we went to a Science Museum in the morning. It had a lot of awesome exhibits to look at. In the afternoon we went shopping. I bought lots of nice gifts for my family members. I bought a cool ivory elephant for my dad’s birthday present.
Our hotel was really nice. I shared a room with a girl named Nicole Simpson. From after supper until 8:00pm we were allowed to visit each other’s rooms. All the girls normally went to one room and goofed off. It was really fun! Lights out was at 9:30pm but we normally stayed up until 10. Sometimes in the mornings we would make tea in our rooms because we had a kettle and tea bags. Every day we would hide all the little shampoos and stuff and the maids would re-stock it. So at the end of the week we had like five of everything. It was cool!!!
The food in China isn’t as good as the food at a Restaurant named Hong Kong here (in Baku). But it was OK. For lunch we ate at KFC, Mc Donalds and Dominoes Pizza. Which may not seem that great to you but once you haven’t had it for 7 months, it is awesome!!!!
So that was pretty much my trip. Bye
About Marissa
Hi my name is Marissa Fortune.
I live in Azerbaijan and I miss Canada and my friends Jessica, Taylor, Lydia, Kailyn, Adrijana and Naomi and my cousin Cassie. I also miss all my family a lot.
Here, you can buy movies for 3 manat each. I also have a cell phone that I can call my friends with. You don’t buy phone plans here but you buy SIM SIM cards and when the counters run out you just buy a new card. It is awesome! When I go back to Canada and I am at the cottage, I’ll be like, “I can call them on my cell phone and then I’ll be like, Oh ya, ‘I don’t have a cell phone anymore! Grrrrrr!!!’”
In Baku the streets are littered with garbage and dust. There are little old ladies on the streets with straw brooms trying to clean the streets up. It is their job! Here, sometimes you will see a cow tied up in front of the butcher shop. When we come home from school there is a head and four hooves at the front of the shop on the side walk. It is nasty! Another thing that the police do here is to take away your license plate if you are parked in the wrong spot. I am not joking, it happened to us. In order to get our license plate back, my dad had to go to a police station, pay a 10 manat fine and then he got our license plate from a box.
Our apartment is very nice. I like it very much. It has a nice courtyard that Erin and I go running in. Also, we have two little kittens–Zoey and Kiwi. I got a turtle from a family from our church. His original name was Harry but I named him Bob Micatontae. What an awesome name! Bob eats lettuce and cabbage and cucumber. Carrots are not high on his list of good foods.
That’s it for now.
From Marissa
PS Hi to Taylor, Lydia, Jessica, Kailyn, Adrijana, Naomi and Cassie.
PSS Hi to Nannie, Grumpy, Grandma, Grandpa, Bo, and all my cousins and aunts and uncles.
Hi Marissa
It was so nice to read about your life in Baku.
It sounds like you have already made good friends and are ‘enjoying’? the new culture.
Marissa, I would like you to make up an itinerary for when we come to visit you at Christmas time. I would like to see all the interesting things that you have experienced. Also don’t forget to include a spa, pedicure and manicure that we can go to “just us girls”.
Love you and pray for you
Nannie
hi rissi, it sounds really adventure’s and exciting in baku i know every one here in canada missis you and all your family love,cass
Hi Marissa ,
You ROCK so bad!!!!
I am a big fan!
You are my hero i love u !
My room is decorated with pictures of U!
I love your website! It’s awsome!
I know everything about U!
I hope we can meet some day.
I was devistated when I heard you were
moving. Espeshly across the ocean!
I miss you so much!!
Even tho we haven’t met I feal like I know
you!!
I am trying to covince my parents to let me
move to azerbaijan. but they won’t let me.
well bye for now.
I will email you every few days.
If you give me your cell # I will call you
sometime. Since I am 18 and have my own cell
phone.
Hi Marissa!
EEEEEW!! The cow story is icky! What do they do with the hooves and the head? When I was in vietnam they served me chicken heads, beaks and eye balls….everyone there thought the eyeball was the best part!! AK! I never got the courage up to try them though, when my hosts were not looking I slipped the eyeballs and beak back into the soup pot (shhhhh don’t tell!).
It sounds like you are having such a great adventure, you are being so brave!! I’m looking forward to reading more fun stories from you.
Hugs from Becky
We think Bob is a perfect name for a turtle! Haha - is he very big? Yikes! That cow thing sounds gross! Sounds like Baku is quite the adventure for you…looking foward to more tales!
Hi marissa,
I miss you so much!!!!!!!!!! I heard that you have to share a room with erin. Do you guys still fight like you used to? Well i’m sorry I haven’t been email you a lot but I will start to. Send a picture of your 2 kittys and your turttle to me. That cow thing sounds nasty. Well I’ll talk to you later in our emails. So stay healthy and don’t get hurt.
~Tay~
P.S.How is jake doing is his arm better?
Marisssa I still wish you lived here.but I think you are so lucky to have your own cellphone.I MISS PLAYING WITH YOU!!!!!!!And the street is really quiet without you, no old laides have knocked on our doors lately HAHAHA. Gaby is getting really big and saying lots of words. She calls me:taytay or lailyn. It is not the same with out you living next door to me.I wish I could see your turtle and kittens.Please email soon if you can…………
love
kaykay
hey Marissa, are you going to enter a new blog soon? i would love to hear about your adventures in AZ. fill me in.
Auntie Heather
Hey, I didn’t realize that your turtle’s name was Bob Micatonte, that is one of the best pet names I have ever heard of. You have a remarkable mind, Marissa, I really love it. Good job at the games night, you were a remarkable phone a friend to many, I think.
Love,
Amy
Hi Marissa, I was so excited to read about your adventures in China…I think it is awesome that you were able to travel like that at your school, and you are getting to see so much of the world in this past year.Thanks for sharing your travels with us back in Canada . love, nene
Well hello Miss Globe-Trotter!
What an exciting trip to China you had! Wow! I would have loved to be the teacher supervisor on that trip! I really loved reading about it, thanks so much for telling us all about it. I had to laugh about the food - that you liked the Canadian/American fast food places - but I bet it really WAS a total treat after not having that for so long.
It is hard to believe how long you’ve been out of Canda and I miss you very much. That’s why it is so fun reading your blog; it’s like I can hear you talking and your personality shines through.
So, any boyfriends in your life these days? If so, don’t you’ll have to enter that new on your blog too…. !
Love, Auntie Meeb xoxo
… *** TYPO ALLERT***… (caution: blond typing fast)…
I’m typing fast at work, and so I screwed up the last sentence on my entry… but I want to know about your BOYFRIENDS, so here’s what I meant to say…
So, any boyfriends in your life these days? If so, you’ll have to enter that news on your blog too…!
Hi Marissa
What a wonderful experience you had. You really make it sound like a wonderful trip with lots of things to do and see and it comes across that you REALLY enjoyed everything and had a great time!! Keep sending us more of your “newsy” blogs.
Grumpy and I are really looking forward to seeing you soon. Grumpy and I were in China for a day when we went to visit your Mom in Hong Kong.
Let us know how you are enjoying TISA!
Lots of love
Nannie
Marissa,
So thrilled to hear about your trip. What a great experience. You have all of my girls envious! Thanks for letting us know all about it.
Ange
Marissa - loved to hear about your trip to China! I wish I could have gone with you … I am surprized that Chinese food is better in Baku … that seems funny to me! Are you liking different kinds of foods? Hope so! Did you take any pictures while you were in China? Can you post them here too? That would be GREAT! We love you and pray for you and the rest of your family every night! )Sometimes during the day too!)
Hi Marissa
You really need to keep us up to date on what is happening in your life these days…. like school, church and the new friends that you have made since going back to Baku in the summer of 2008.
Love you lots and MISS YOU lots
Nannie
hey marissa glad to finally visit your website!!
Hi Marissa, I always seem to be a day behind in my wishes,but you are never forgotten. Hope you had a great birthday, and wish for you a wonderful year ahead. nene xoxo
Okay Marissa there is too much going on.I cannot wait to see you it will be sooooooo much fun we always have fun right? did you know this summer i am going to P.E.I it will be fun anyways i have not talked to u in forever so skype me or e-mail me i heard you are in switzerland right now wow k it must be so fun travelling to all these cool places add in a new entery soon alright ?
love your equally awesome cousin cass!