Candid conversations about using GPS and wireless technology for work and fun.
Posts tagged China
A Recap of My Beijing Adventure
Jun 22nd
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Me with my BlackBerry Running AT&T Navigator, Global Edition
As some of you may recall from my last blog post, I recently took a trip to Asia to visit a friend and experience the rich culture. Well, I’m back from my Asian adventure and must say that I had a blast!
I’ll start off by saying that Beijing is such a beautiful city, steeped in ancient history. It is incredible to see buildings that were literally built centuries before the first minutes of history were ever recorded here in North America. It’s an awe-inspiring feeling to see, touch and walk in places that are older than anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s also hard to express in words how enormous everything is. In all my travels, I have never walked so many steps to look at each site, whether it was a palace or ancient temple. I think I climbed more stairs in one week than I’ve climbed in my entire life! If I wasn’t physically fit before my trip to Beijing, I certainly was by the time I finished it.
The entire experience was one that I’ll certainly treasure for a lifetime. From hiking on the Great Wall of China, to wandering through the Temple of Heaven, to eating some of the best food of my life in a nearby local village, each day was filled with a great spirit and sense of adventure.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I was looking forward to using AT&T Navigator, Global Edition (powered by TeleNav) on my trip. I’m happy to say that it actually saved the day at one point during my vacation. My dad and I had been able to quickly learn the amazingly efficient Beijing subway system while visiting the city. One evening on our way back to our hotel, we emerged from the subway to find that it had started raining while we were on the train. Rain is actually an understatement; downpour is more like it. We were getting drenched fast and there was simply no winning in the competition to find a taxi outside of the crowded subway station. So, I pulled out my AT&T Navigator and used the pedestrian mode to guide us through the wet streets from the subway station to our hotel. If only my BlackBerry had a pop-out umbrella feature!
My Dad and I After Being Caught in the Rain
If you are thinking about planning a trip to Asia, I highly recommend making a stop in Beijing while you’re there. It is a great place to spend some time. Also, I would highly recommend taking AT&T Navigator, Global Edition along with you if you can. I quickly found that the rumors I heard were true - taxi drivers really don’t speak much English. But, that doesn’t have to stop you from finding your way if you have an easy tool to help guide you.
We’d love to hear if anyone else has interesting stories of how AT&T Navigator or any other TeleNav powered products such as Sprint Navigation or TeleNav GPS Navigator saved you while traveling.
Beijing, Here I Come! Using AT&T Navigator (powered by TeleNav) For My Vacation in China
May 8th
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AT&T Navigator, Global Edition on the BlackJack II
My best friend from high school is living in Singapore for a couple of years, so I have the perfect excuse to take a vacation. I decided it wasn’t worth sitting through the grueling 15 hour flight to Asia unless I was going to see the Great Wall of China while I was out there, so I opted to stop off in Beijing on my way out (“on my way” is a relative term).
I’m way too independent to use a travel agency and book an overpriced group tour that makes me wait for 50 other people to catch up at every turn. But planning a trip in China has proven to be much different than my previous overseas vacations. The language is not even remotely familiar, and translations of Chinese to English often vary from one source to the next. I was struggling with figuring out which attractions could be grouped together so I’d be able to make the most of my time while I was in Beijing, and my trusty Fodor’s Guide could only take me so far.
As it turns out, it’s TeleNav to the rescue, even in China. I downloaded our AT&T Navigator Global Edition (powered by TeleNav). A minute later I had changed my region to China and began to use the directory feature to search for historical landmarks. I was able to preview directions from each landmark to my hotel to get the best idea of how to plot my trip.
Once I get there, I’ll be able to use our application even more. Of course there’s the pedestrian mode that’ll come in handy during my miles of walking through Beijing. But I’ve also read many reports that the taxi drivers speak almost no English and have a hard time understanding where you’d like to go. I know my limited Chinese will be no match for this obstacle without a little high-tech help. A reporter visiting Beijing during the 2008 Olympic games had this same experience and was able to use AT&T Navigator Global Edition to guide her taxi driver safely to her destination. So, whether I’m going to explore The Forbidden City, Confucius Temple or a traditional hutong village, I know that my trusty phone will be able to get me there.
I’ll be back from my trip in early June, so tune back in to see my pictures. I’m expecting the views to be spectacular; hopefully my photography skills will do them justice!
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