China Travels | Phil & Sabine's Excellent Adventure
Jan-Feb 2010 - Back to reality
24th – 25th February: Goodbye Vietnam, Hello China!
Today, we flew from Hanoi to Guangzhou and then onwards to Beijing. We checked into the youth hostel were we had left our “winter luggage”. Problem- as our visa expired at midnight, they would not let us check in. As a foreigner, every time you check in at a hotel, etc, the staff has to register you with the police quoting your passport and valid visa number. We knew that if they would not let us stay, nowhere would let us stay. Yet again, after some gentle negotiation and pleading, casually mentioning the fact that we are volunteers who live in rural China working with local teachers to improve the quality of education in the region (this usually does the trick!), they finally relented and we were allowed to stay. What better way to celebrate than with a Thai green curry. And so soon after our last one……….
The next day we caught the night bus back to Xifeng. At the bus station we were approached by a couple of people who asked where we were going. We told them and surprise, surprise that was exactly where their bus was going. After a bit of bargaining, we got them down to a decent price and followed them out of the bus station. They took us to a minivan with some other passengers. We waited here for about half an hour and then drove around the block. We did this a couple of times every time the driver’s mobile rang. After about an hour and a half, we drove to another place and about 20 migrant workers got in. The minivan only had enough space for another four. Some how we all managed to fit in, drove for about another 15 minutes and then met a sleeper bus on the outskirts of town and swapped buses. We were feeling a bit apprehensive at this stage, especially as the driver asked me for more money. When I refused and still got on the bus, he didn’t question me again but mumbled something in Chinese which I can only imagine translated as “Bloody foreigner!” or words to that effect! That aside, the journey went rather smoothly. Strange things did happen en route though, for example, the bus suddenly stopping on the motorway in the middle of the night and random people getting on. Conversely, others got off the bus and ran off into the distance over the fields. One can only guess why. The realisation for me that I was back in China was when we stopped at a service station at about 3AM to go to the toilet. Apart from myself there was only one other woman on the bus. I got off first and headed off to the ladies. It was locked but the caretaker told me that I could use the disabled toilet around the corner. I walked over there, was just about to go in when my fellow passenger pushed me out of the way. As I was still half asleep, I was a bit slow to respond but decided to just wait until she had finished. When she did, three other women arrived and tried to nudge me out of the way. I was ready for these lot and used by elbows to tell them that I was next. I went in, locked the door and was mid session when they must have decided that they had had enough of waiting outside, and forced the door open to join me. Like you do of course! The looked a little bewildered and stood watching me with mouths wide open. They clearly had not seen a foreigner before and certainly not one in this position! I hadn’t quite “finished up” when one of them was already preparing herself for the event. Yep, welcome back to China. This is how it is going to be for the next few months!!
The next day we caught the night bus back to Xifeng. At the bus station we were approached by a couple of people who asked where we were going. We told them and surprise, surprise that was exactly where their bus was going. After a bit of bargaining, we got them down to a decent price and followed them out of the bus station. They took us to a minivan with some other passengers. We waited here for about half an hour and then drove around the block. We did this a couple of times every time the driver’s mobile rang. After about an hour and a half, we drove to another place and about 20 migrant workers got in. The minivan only had enough space for another four. Some how we all managed to fit in, drove for about another 15 minutes and then met a sleeper bus on the outskirts of town and swapped buses. We were feeling a bit apprehensive at this stage, especially as the driver asked me for more money. When I refused and still got on the bus, he didn’t question me again but mumbled something in Chinese which I can only imagine translated as “Bloody foreigner!” or words to that effect! That aside, the journey went rather smoothly. Strange things did happen en route though, for example, the bus suddenly stopping on the motorway in the middle of the night and random people getting on. Conversely, others got off the bus and ran off into the distance over the fields. One can only guess why. The realisation for me that I was back in China was when we stopped at a service station at about 3AM to go to the toilet. Apart from myself there was only one other woman on the bus. I got off first and headed off to the ladies. It was locked but the caretaker told me that I could use the disabled toilet around the corner. I walked over there, was just about to go in when my fellow passenger pushed me out of the way. As I was still half asleep, I was a bit slow to respond but decided to just wait until she had finished. When she did, three other women arrived and tried to nudge me out of the way. I was ready for these lot and used by elbows to tell them that I was next. I went in, locked the door and was mid session when they must have decided that they had had enough of waiting outside, and forced the door open to join me. Like you do of course! The looked a little bewildered and stood watching me with mouths wide open. They clearly had not seen a foreigner before and certainly not one in this position! I hadn’t quite “finished up” when one of them was already preparing herself for the event. Yep, welcome back to China. This is how it is going to be for the next few months!!
26th -28th February: Reacclimatising!
If you live in Xifeng, never clean your flat before you go away for a holiday. Why? Because it will be just as dusty as when you get back!
The next few days were spent washing, cleaning, speaking with friends and family and sleeping. The 28th February is “Lantern Festival”. It is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year. We met up with our Chinese friend, Paula for lunch and witnessed the many lanterns on display and heard the continuous thunder and banging of fireworks and fire crackers going off.
The next few days were spent washing, cleaning, speaking with friends and family and sleeping. The 28th February is “Lantern Festival”. It is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year. We met up with our Chinese friend, Paula for lunch and witnessed the many lanterns on display and heard the continuous thunder and banging of fireworks and fire crackers going off.
1st -10th March; Back to work!
The beginning of the semester is often punctuated by many meetings to discuss work plans. Our first of this semester was a grim reminder of how meetings are often conducted with our colleagues. The meeting started late, there was no agenda, the majority of it was conducted in Chinese, despite regular calls to have some translation and after two long hours, we were none the wiser of what had been discussed or more importantly, agreed. In a short space of time, the progress that we had made in terms of how to run and organise a meeting had quickly been forgotten!
The beginning of the semester is often punctuated by many meetings to discuss work plans. Our first of this semester was a grim reminder of how meetings are often conducted with our colleagues. The meeting started late, there was no agenda, the majority of it was conducted in Chinese, despite regular calls to have some translation and after two long hours, we were none the wiser of what had been discussed or more importantly, agreed. In a short space of time, the progress that we had made in terms of how to run and organise a meeting had quickly been forgotten!
Most of the rest of the week was spent preparing for the VSO annual conference in Xian. Every partnership was asked to design a display which detailed last year’s work. In theory this was an easy task, but became more complicated as the week went on. Initially, I asked for contributions so that everybody could be involved in the display. When this was met with, “you can decide”, I proceeded to design the display on everybody’s behalf. Once it was nearly finished and only two days before we went to the conference, it was suddenly decided to do it differently. A couple of late nights planning, translating and going to the print shop, ensured that the display was finally finished at the eleventh hour.
|