Travel Blog

Final Days in Beijing, Shanghai on the Horizon

7/30/2011

So I write now, finishing up my stay here in Beijing. I have learned much about the Chinese culture here. I did not really realize the extent to which family plays a role in the Chinese' lives..it seems it is a HUGE part! Certain Chinese (many I think) will not go through with a decision if their parents do not support it. It is always hard for me to do this, but my parents understand that I live my own life and will ultimately make the decisions I need to make...interesting cultural difference. It seems to lead many to be unhappy, because if the child chooses to do as he/she pleases, then the parents are unhappy, but if the child gives in and goes with the parents' decision, then the child is unhappy, a lose lose situation - of course not saying this is true for all.

I got some language practice in today with a gentleman from Inner Mongolia (still a part of China even though the name would imply Mongolia).

I feel like China is the Matrix. Not only because the government controlling what its people will see, but also physically with this fog. It is an ominous, strange and semi-uncomfortable feeling. When I stare into the sky I see nothingness- no blue sky, no clouds, just this mass. It has not been like this every day, but has been many days and actually the weather forecast is often wrong, with rain coming in many days. Also, many times when you ask a Chinese person for directions, if they do not know, they will point you in a direction anyway, or say "I think it is over there". Why? The Chinese do not seem to like saying "No" or "I don't know"...

As I sit and ponder my experiences thus far, excited for what will come, Shanghai awaits- 5pm my time I will arrive :) Beijing has been a truly incredible experience, and I can only hope that the rest of China offers me a similar if not better experience!

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The Art of Travel

7/25/2011

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Sitting here from a hostel I almost stayed in, but decided to visit for information purposes, I write! Mr. Jason Wencak, a good friend of mine and I both found out that WE ARE IN BEIJING AT THE SAME TIME! Needless to say we met up together, and had a blast relating travel stories with one another, laughing a lot! We visited the Confucian Temple and this was cool because we got to go inside of it and explore. It is the second largest temple built in dedication to Confucius, second only to the one in Qufu, China.

After the temple we headed to Tianenmen Square - Jay gave me a history lesson on it and what had occurred there, which made the whole experience that much more impactful. The place is littered with speakers and cameras as to disband any minor disruption before it becomes more serious. Jay also pointed out the men in uniform to me, situated next to men in jeans...strange I thought...this is to show the people of China that "eyes are upon them", or that there are many police officers not dressed in uniform, so you never really know who is who.

After that, we went to the Forbidden City, where Jay once again ran down the history for me, super helpful! This royal palace, separated from the rest of the city was built for the Emperor and his family...if you saw the size of this place, and knowing the the Emperor's family contained maybe people...you might be nauseous at how much space they had to occupy...the gardens were beautiful and such oddities as double-rooted trees were found...meaning that one tree grew from two roots, and somehow they grew together as it extended upwards...soooo you essentially had something looking like the broom that chases Micky Mouse if you are a Fantasia fan..quite odd to say the least.

We were so close to Jinshang park that we decided to go. We walked all the way up to find a beautiful temple with a golden Buddha inside! My First Live Buddha!!! So cool! :) We saw people making offerings to it as well, and from here the view was stunning. You could see a view of the old and new, intertwining as the rooftops of the Forbidden City eventually faded into large commercial buildings...

Travel is all about mixing it up to me. Staying in a public place, and with friends at the next stop. Eating out at restaurants, and then having a home-cooked meal the next day. It is all about variation and mixing it up so as not to get bored. Having many exciting days and then some for rest (which is today- my feet are killing me from all the walking and exploring I've done!) Getting enough sleep is crucial too! When your body is in a foreign place (and more importantly for the first few days) it needs to recuperate! Staying in a big city, and using it as a hub to travel elsewhere can eliminate the need for constant travel and moving heavy bags, a good idea!!

Side Note: Check out hostels in the cities you travel in! Why? They are generally cheaper to stay in than hotels (if you don't mind giving up a bit of privacy), but usually have single rooms as well! Even if you don't want to stay in the hostel, use them as a resource. It is essentially an international hub where people from all over are looking for information, so naturally they have the answers to MANY questions...this information can generally be obtained without cost or proof of stay, so you might consider hostels to be tourist offices!

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Celebrity Status

7/23/2011

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So anyone who knows me knows how much I love sleeping. Unfortunately I had to sacrifice a bit of it for the Great Wall today, but totally worth it! I got up at 6am and followed the jumbled directions I had put together from friends and various online sources. It worked out! I took the metro, transferred once and got off at the subway stop that has a nearby bus station, and took the bus to Juyongguan Pass - one of the openings to the many parts of the Great Wall which are open for visitation purposes. On the way there was the most "Third World Experience" I have had yet - on a crowded bus passing what appeared to be shanty towns on our way. What struck me as odd was that we stopped in front of a run-down house that was practically falling down...but IT HAD A SATELLITE DISH! Explain to me how that makes any sense? I suppose all people have their own priorities... Another point of interest- many walls had graffiti with numbers written on them. I counted and as I supsected, there were 11 in each series, leading me to believe these were phone numbers. Why would the people want to give their numbers, so the government could find and arrest them? haha - perhaps these numbers were not the numbers of the "artist" but of another...a person they disliked...I really have no clue, just guessing here. The 30 minute journey, according to google maps, actually took a bit over an hour, without traffic. WHAT A NIGHTMARE trying to leave - we waited about 40-45 minutes just to leave the place due to so much congestion - the traffic coming in (at around 2:30pm) was EVEN WORSE!) Although I write with capital letters, I am more expressing how frustrated you might feel - I am a relatively patient person, and seeing as though I did not have any pressing matters to attend to today, the delay did not set me off course much :)

So the Great Wall was quite impressive! It twists and turns, and IS STEEP. I was warned, (and she was right) that as far up as you go, you have to be ready to go down the same way; the wall just continues to other sections! On my way down, I met a gentleman training to be in the government. He said soon he would be a part of it, but when I mentioned visiting the US, he said that could not leave China. I asked why, and he explained that it is a cultural thing that he does not want to leave his parents because he is supposed to take care of them. "What about for just a week or two?" I asked. "The government will not let me" he added. Since he is going to be in the government, he is forbidden to leave the country for two years. Then he will learn "the secret" he says - whatever that might be. Most governments keep secrets, but I wonder what it is!!! He said he will not be able to tell his friends or family - pretty much like working for an organization like the CIA or DOD in the USA.

So the first Chinese person wanted a picture with me today!! I happily agreed and put my arm around him...then his friend wanted the same, and when the third friend went for a picture with me, his friends were already leaving! :( Perhaps I will be on a poster on their walls in the near future :) Do you want to experience what it's like to be a celebrity? If you are anything but Chinese or Asian-looking, come to China! They will stare at you, want pictures with you, stop you on the street (I have yet to be asked for an autograph though), and more! So I highly recommend a trip here first to see what it is like before embarking on this journey - test the waters first before diving in with all of your equipment on ;) ...I also entertained a Chinese baby, and in turn a small crowd on the metro, having a conversation with the infant using the limited vocabulary I know in Mandarin such as "you are beautiful", "cute", "hello", and "goodbye" :)

Random observations: China's overpopulation is evident when you get into onto the bus (or more appropriately) into the subway. You can feel your lack of space, so if you don't like your personal bubble being broken into, then DO NOT COME HERE. You can also find women with armpit hair, and actually many men with random long hairs protruding awkwardly from their faces. This is due to the apparent "naturality" of the hair. Many Chinese believe that the hair is beautiful and so they do not shave it, wherever it may grow. This of course, is not the case for all Chinese. This style- whether you might consider it "uncleanly" or "natural", plays into the how I believe the Chinese to perceive themselves. Many men (aside from the "barber shop boys" [as I call them] whom I see with nicely did-up hair strewn across their foreheads) seem not to care so much about their appearance, along with elderly women, while the younger women seem to care a bit more. The men let their guts hang out (those who have- and it is not a common sight as this population is ridiculously skinny to state what I see on a daily basis). It reminds me of how women pulled up their shirts from the bottom and pulled them through the top in the 80s - the Chinese men are essentially re-revolutionizing the 80s...without actually pulling the bottom part of the shirt up and through the top, just a slight lift!...I've also seen several men with a long pinky nail only, for whatever that's worth...

The relaxed feel also comes into my mind when observing such habits as smoking. It is very common to see the Chinese smoking everywhere - you name it, they are smoking in it - restaurants, clubs, etc. The overall atmosphere in such establishments appears to me to be less formal however, based on the few experiences I have had thus far. I was invited to sit at the outdoor table of a restaurant that I was not eating at, and had made that clear (that I was not eating there). I walked to the back of the kitchen in a restaurant I ate lunch at to try to point out what I wanted to eat. Granted, I am a tourist and certain things/opportunities may be granted to me, this is how I am perceiving life right now. The clubs appear not to have much of a dresscode either...more to come s

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Beijing is Alive at Night!!!

7/22/2011

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I am getting a lot of attention from the public. I have gotten accustomed to being stared at. Several people have stricken up conversation with me in the street, which has lead to wandering around the city getting to know them. It is a bit strange, as i have been skeptical (used to New York City) where you just don't talk to strangers...or at least should usually not stop.

I went out last night to a club (based on a recommendation) and stayed out all night. If you want to come home after 11pm on the subway, you simply can't :) So, if you are limited to the subway like i currently am, your options are a) leave the bar/club at 10pm the latest or b) leave at 5am - i chose the latter. It was a fantastic night, and I hope all of Beijing and China's nightlife is this fun :)

My hosts just finished cooking me an amazing traditional Chinese dinner, so I thanked them and did the dishes!! :)

Some random observations: I am realizing how hard it is for the Chinese to distinguish words in our language. "Korea" and "career" DO sound similar when said quickly, just like "quiet" and "quite" - I just never thought about it before...perhaps I just had to be in the situation to think of it :) I always thought that the tones in Chinese were so similar-sounding for English-speakers, but never thought of the other-way around! Quite an interesting thought! Also, the Chinese often eat meals without having a drink, I'm dyin here! hahaha

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Just Another Way of Life I Suppose...

7/20/2011

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UPDATE: I was wrong on the last post about my number, here it is:
011 86 18801046219

I write this between variations of push-ups and ab exercises! Tonight, i will try out my mosquito net, using it as a sheet! :) I harshly attacked and mutilated a mosquito i found in rice leftovers today, it's the least I can do for those suffering from mosquito-borne illnesses around the world - you are welcome.

I find myself hungry before bed almost every night, wonder why. The food here is delicious, but my body is still adjusting and thrown off my it I think..speaking of food i had the same dish as yesterday for "brunch" let's call it today. I cannot do it again tomorrow, will have to buy something from the store to snack on before entering the big, bad Beijing!

I am a NOMAD. I HUNT. I GATHER. I SURVIVE...yet...I had no home in this world, for I have many :) ...and yes I am actually homeless right now, a somewhat weird, yet exciting feeling!!!

The hygiene in this country appears to be quite interesting, and by interesting I dabble in such realms of "gross", "nasty", and "...tasty" (that one's a joke). Most public restrooms do not have toilet paper- you must bring your own. The toilets you must squat in to use (hence the assless chaps piece from yesterday)...the toilets are usually very dirty and I won't get too descriptive, but let's just say you probably would not want to eat a meal off of the toilet (like anyone would? - you get the point)..

I visited The Temple of Heaven today and it was amazing- it was where gods were worshiped, created back in the B.C. era...very important to the Ming and Qing dynasties of the past.. Well- my umbrella was a bit wet so I left it in the outer mesh pocket of my bag and upon taking pictures in a crowded area, I felt a bump. I thought nothing of it, until later when I realized the umbrella was gone. I just didn't think I should keep the umbrella in my bag (even though it wasn't that wet)...but this was absurd. The Chinese are more cheap than ME!!! It is insane how sly, sheisty, yet clever they are. They seem to take ANY and EVERYTHING, yet in a deceptive and NON-confrontational way. This will be kept in mind now, to leave NOTHING available to ANYONE- an attitude i should have taken in the first place, but to spend another 1-2 dollars on an umbrella is hardly breaking my bank account.
As you know, it's the concept to me- that was mine and it was taken from me...and he's lucky I did not find him because I was looking for him when I realized, and he would not have enjoyed it if I found him (or her)...so later that day I found a broken pink umbrella (it just does not close properly) randomly hanging inside a pagoda in the Temple of Heaven grounds! (The whole area is much larger than I thought, consisting of several gate entrances and 4 main sites - little attractions such as this pagoda here and there...I spent 3 hours there!) Thank you karma - i took it! Until i get a new one, this will suffice :) ...although it is white and pink, and does not close, I hardly care - nor do I care about whipping out my tourist book on the subway. "Why" you might say? BECAUSE JUST BY THE WAY I LOOK, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I AM A TOURIST...so, what does it matter if I am reading a book about China, or holding an umbrella with feminine colors? I have come to the somewhat obvious conclusion that I ALREADY stand out; this will change nothing.

Now, to do more Beijing exploration tomorrow if it is raining, if its nice then I will check out the Great Wall!! :)

I feel like I am in an alien world right now, but hey- at least I am getting as much attention on the street as a girl who is all done up, has stretchy pants on, a tattoo over her rear, all make-up'd up and KNOWS she looks good :) I have been really enjoying engaging in intense stare downs with the public. Most glance and then move on their way, while others stare for a bit and/or make a comment. This man in the park part of the Temple of Heaven grounds would not let go of me with his visual grip, so I held on tight as well turning my head to assure him it was an official staredown.

Don't forget to live life my friends - not just now, but always! Small hurdles enter our pathway of life, large roadblocks too. See to it that you overcome them, do not let them overcome you. YOU are the gamechanger.

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English anyone?

7/19/2011

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NOTE: TO DIAL MY CHINESE NUMBER FROM THE US, DIAL: 011 86 10 18801046219

Somebody please call when you read this so we can see if it works :) Incoming calls are supposed to be free!

Wow, what a day! It was my first exposure to the Chinese public today and likewise for them! So, I got a lot of stares, a group gathered when I tried to barter a 2.5 Yuan bottle of water down to 2, got random waves and so on...from what I had heard from others, I was expecting this.

This morning I traveled to the area where I had breakfast yesterday morning, to find it was closed. So, I followed a woman up the stairs towards something with a picture that said something along the lines of "We Welcome English". Well, it turned out to be an English school for little kids...food not so much...!! So, I met one of the teachers (my age) who not only helped me to figure out many expressions in chinese -Larry- (and write down the characters and pronunciations), but also took me to a nearby shop where I got some delicious noodles with egg, about 8-10 dumplings and a cold green tea, all for 13 Yuan, WHAT A STEAL! That's about $2 US Dollars...oh and plus that 1.5 liter bottle of water for another 2.5 Yuan... Larry (the teacher friend) also said I might be able to work part-time there! I gave the school my email address and they said they would email me! I loved the school and the little boy I played with, but am hesitant to consider working so early on in the trip.... Well, talking with the little boy helped me a lot, and playing with him too because little children only use basic expressions and generally speak slowly! I put on a tiger bowtie and head-brace thing, yes it was cute. yes I have pictures :)

I was advised not to spend more than 1-200 Yuan on a phone, which I needed. I ended up finding a tea store in a shopping mall, talking to a nice young gal in English, who invited me to have tea with her and her sister and friends for free! I filmed the process (for your future school kids Daniel S.) and tried first Wu Long Tea, then Green Tea! Delicious!!! It is a big part of the culture here, although I am advised that it is more for the elderly... so back to the phone - the girl from the Tea's store took me to explore, and we naturally stopped at the first phone stand we saw on the 5th floor of the mall. I ended up bargaining a 50 Yuan Sim Card and 199 Yuan Phone (249 Yuan total) down to 220 Yuan, UNBEATABLE! ...i thought... - well after buying it i explored the rest of the stands and realized I could have gotten it cheaper - I bargained away, was firm with my price offers (typing them on the calculators as the Chinese continued bawking at me with no animate responses from me...as if I could understand...comeone now I've been in your country for 2 days now, not quite a boss just yet :) and when I went to walk away several times, heard "okay okay" and they lowered the price. The thing to understand is that YOU (in this case me) are where the $$ is at, and where that place is, there is not much of business going on so they want to keep you. It is ALL a bargaining game, a very dirty and dishonest one in my eyes...but hey why not charge the foreigners 2-3-4-5-6... times as much if you can right? Morals seem to be thrown out the window...perhaps a lack of cash will do that to you...So needless to say I was frustrated that instead of paying anywhere from $20-25 US for the phone, I ended up paying $36 US (with the sim card too). It is not the extra $10-$15 dollars, that's no big deal- it is more the concept of it to me as I am big on these types of things. The good news is that they activated it there for me, and gave me a Sim Card worth 20 Yuan which quite possibly could last me my whole time here - others were mainly selling sim cards of 5 Yuan....so overall, not a terrible first run at the bargaining game!! As you said Cousing Aaron, spending an extra $100 Yuan is sometimes part of the fun, I can't be too disheartened (especially after a more than decent performance) and instead am wiser for the next transaction I will enter into (beware China).

After that, I saw a delivery man for McDonalds and a Majestic looking Pizza Hut, two new sites for these eyes! I then met up with Zhang Wei (Vivian's Chinese name) and we had dinner- some rice with beef...MMmm- you BET I got Bubble Tea! (my favorite -google it if you don't know, it's delicious!!!)....after that she and i walked around the mall and she went to a bookstore to buy a book while i obnoxiously and grossly incorrectly attempted to sound out chinese pronunciations from a children's book (another fabulous way to learn)...this is quite necessary here as about .45% of the Changping DIstrict of Beijing speaks English! I was trying to find a bathroom, and wouldn't you know a kind woman who happened to be in the restaurant I walked into to ask brought me to a hotel and spa where there was a nice BATH I could swim in...ahhh miscommunications. You really don't even realize the simple words you NEED to be able to communicate to others in public...until you realize you can't! :( I tried asking if I had to pay to use the bathroom and after a few confused and garbled sentences, decided to try my luck...with the Chinese worker awkwardly peeking his head into the room with me and the urinal every 3-5 seconds...I just left after relieving myself!

Lastly, I met Zhang Wei after work at a bar and we had some Tsingtao, the Chinese National Beer- it was excellent, a dark beer which is not always my favorite but it was quite delicious...they had huge Beer shaped mugs holding what had to be at least a gallon of beer! ...also on display were about every strange (to US citizens) thing you could think of on display- I am talking grasshoppers, scorpions, centipedes, larva (I think), and some reptile -looking things which I thought were frogs at first, and then changed my mind to "I don't have a friggin' clue!"...after finishing our beer we walked home to her place in the rain (with my umbrella that i brought- nice) and now we are home! She is drawing me a map to show me how to arrive to the Great Wall (one section of it - it is too huge to see it all) for tomorrow! ...so nice!

Last noteworthy thing of the evening: just outside the arcade I spotted a gentleman of roughly 2 years old waddling around in assless chaps, so of course I had to take a picture, how often do you get to see this? Apparently it is QUITE the fashion statement here for youngsters and it provides easy access for restroom extravaganzas!

More to come pronto! :)

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The first fork in the road

7/17/2011

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Two options lay before me as I arrived into the airport. Stay in a hostel or stay with some young professionals who had offered to put me up. When two options present themselves, we sometimes want the easier of the two, yet know the harder of the two will prove more rewarding.

So, I ended up in an apartment with some nice young professionals! These nice young gals don't speak much English though!! THIS already has been and will continue to be quite the challenge! Hello hand gestures and google translate, I will worship your services, of course until I reach the Buddhist and Taoist temples! Vivian is quite accommodating, wanting to make sure that I have all that I need here! All I need is a couch! ...well, and realizing how to pull out the bed and/or use the AC would be ideal....haha

So we got up this morning, Vivian locked herself out of the apartment and her room but her roommate was there to let us in. The restaurant we went to though had delicious food! I ate dumplings, a hard-boiled egg and these fried dough sticks that were so fried that there was barely any dough left by the time they got to my mouth...DELICIOUS! Unfortunately the drinks we got spilled, but that's ok! We have to boil all water here before drinking it. A relatively minor task, but just imagine having to do this every time you want to drink water if you do not have a bottle of water. The water here is okay to shower in though (thank goodness).

I don't have a key or a phone, so things are confusing right now. I will get a cell phone soon - communication is a must if I would like to make any plans! I may stay local, and just explore the area tomorrow. I would like to and will get to the touristy stuff such as seeing the Great Wall, Tianenmen Square, the Forbidden City, etc. HOWEVER, I am currently living life as much like a Beijinger would...to the extent that I can :) I am very interested in the culture and just bobbing around some days, not having an exact itinerary. If you are a control freak, or love to know what you are doing at every waking moment of your life, with absolutely no elements of surprise, then a trip such as this is certainly not for you!

Side Note 1 - before I forget, I had a great conversation with a gentleman on my flight! He told me how many Chinese are "sly" and don't always say what they mean, and actually say the opposite. He seemed to dislike the Communist Party, and he thinks that China should follow USA's example. He said that the Chinese have secret police, and that there are spies who turn people in who talk badly against the Communist Government here - this can lead to prison time, a couple bruises, and hopefully not much worse...its kind of crazy because we live in a place where we think this type of thing is a thing of the past...it's not - the Chinese fear their government. Most seem to avoid the topic of conversation as not to slip up/because many dislike the regime and are frustrated by it. He said that the government claims to have a strong army and that they say North Korea is a great example, when in reality he thinks the army is mediocre. Only time will shape my opinion on if this fear tactic is working for them, and if so in what way.

Side Note 2 - About the airplane food - great! Beef and chicken choices...and we got HAAGEN DAAS! ...AFTER DESSERT! Also came away with delicious beef and chicken, pasta and rice dishes...I had a Kit Kat served for breakfast too (No not just a kit kat) and what would a Russian dinner be without alcohol? You bettya! They were serving it up like no other with several wine choices...although I believe I am 1/8 Russian...I was lacking sleep and decided against taking any chances.

Please Note: If the spontaneity, randomness and strangeness of these writings appear to be too intense, please do three jumping jacks immediately and then begin reading again, a sure quick cure. Please also seek a physician's assistance If you experience any side effects like nausea, vomiting, or blurting out random words such as "Ni Hao Ma!" (Hi, how are you in Mandarin Chinese - the one language unifying the People's Republic of China).

More to come soon, stay posted! ...and have a look at the Travel Photos Page as I will be posting some pictures!! :)

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The Sky is the Limit

7/17/2011

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Breaking through to Russian Skies - commander Maisel checking in. All appears to be okay and on schedule. Panic not. Fear not. Embrace yes.

Let's press the "fast forward" button now - so here I sit in the Russian airport. Not quite sure how I feel yet. There have been some interesting differences already that I have picked up on. There was an alley-type room with, serenaded by windows as walls, allowing people in the airport to smoke. There was also an advertisement that I noticed - a slightly muscular fellow with hair on his chest, leading down to his belly button - most likely promoting the sale of a cell phone. It was refreshing to see a new "supermodel" away from our society's outrageously muscular and toned, hairless hunk - this seemed a bit more natural.

Other quick tidbits - many Russian women wear their bangs down, and not many Russian people (at least in the airport I was at) seem to be interested in entertaining a conversation in English, and many simply cannot.

I had the pleasure of sitting next to a Russian gal on my flight, and learned a lot! Did you know that the sun's rays were so destroyingly powerful, that they sent numerous trees in Russia to flames somewhat recently? ...causing clouds of smoke and soot in the country for quite some time! This airport - Domodedevo was bombed in April, and renovations are still in place to restore it!

Let's talk feelings now. I am extremely fortunate to have been given this opportunity to travel so extensively and freely, and am very thankful for it! I was feeling a bit anxious, a bit scared, and SUPER excited throughout random portions of my randomly-sleepicized 9 hour-first part of the arrival to Beijing! I am sure that this trip will push my mental and physical limits beyond their known capabilities. For this very reason, I preach the random quotes and portions you are likely to find on your facebook newsfeed on any given day (assuming I have access to facebook, which here in China I may and currently do not). It would be pretty counter-intuitive for me to claim that anything is possible, and then not follow suit, right? As I firmly believe in, with a positive mindset and the drive, ANYTHING is achievable! This is what will keep the energy burning through my veins on this adventure!

11:20am their time and I will be on a 7 hour flight to my oriental location. There are several possibilities for my accommodations the first few evenings in this new land for me - the answer will be assessed once I arrive.

I am really excited to learn! I have been reading through a guidebook that was sent to me from China, and have been amazed at the seemingly endless amount of possibilities and sights that lay ahead.

Looks to be problematic attaching pictures to this blog, so if you are interested in seeing some email me at RobMaisel@gmail.com!

More from Beijing when I arrive!

Captain miZZ signing out now, please stay tuned :)

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Final Days in Beijing, Shanghai on the Horizon

The Art of Travel

Celebrity Status

Beijing is Alive at Night!!!

Just Another Way of Life I Suppose...

English anyone?

The first fork in the road

The Sky is the Limit

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