China

After a long flight from South Africa and a stopover in Dubai, i have eventually arrived at my home for the next year, or so. The beautiful country of China!! Mmm... and then through enlightenment i realised that...well, i don't understand these people and vice versa. What a journey i am in for!!! In all the countries i have lived and traveled through, this is by far the biggest culture shock i have ever gone through. Partly also because i only realised at customs that China has no trade currency for South African Rands. You can try your luck on the black market, but the chances of the average Chinese visiting South Africa is very slim. So here i am, it is 23:00 at Beijing Airport. The money i have with me is useless and only to realise the person picking me up, i will only see the next morning at 10:00. If ever visiting Beijing Airport... take blankets or thermal undies!!
The Chinese are LOUD!!!! You can try and put in a couple of minutes sleep, but be aware there's bound to come through a group of bustling Chinese. Thank God for a Macdonald's and also an overpriced Starbucks at the airport, one latte can set you back the price of four local meals!! Oh yes and be gladfull for Credit Cards, even though it is only a student Credit Card with a limit of R200.

After being picked up two hours late i jump the first bus, only to realise that my guide has been at the Airport since 10:00 but has been too shy to come up and talk to me. How's that for the LOUD Chinese!!! So here's me and my shy guide on a bus heading for the train station. It is a good thing he is not shy at his own people... i can still see myself doing another night on the Airport.

Have i said anything about the traffic yet?? Well, in China there is one rule for all drivers..."At all times avoid accidents, therefore at all times honk your horn and drive like a maniac" The traffic is truly crazy and here you look, left, right, left, right, left, right incessantly.
Reaching the bus stop we jumped for a taxi as there are no such things as qeues(how do you spell that word?). We set the road with a crazy taxi driver and we have 15 minutes before my train leaves, thanks to the shy guide!! The train station is satiated by people and outside two drivers are cussing and swearing in Mandarin at each other for causing an accident.

There's no time to waste, i need to catch this train and get out of this place. My guide makes quick work of buying my ticket, i am eventually satisfied with the services he rendered. One last thing he says to me, "platform street". Well ok then, surely this is the name of the platform i need to catch my train. With five minutes left i need to get on this train. If ever traveling in China, "street" in Chinglish is actually "3". Good thing it didn't take me too long to figure this out.

The train, i could write a book on this one thing alone. Trains are dirty!! People walk by and spit on the ground etc. No wonder they take their shoes off when entering their home. They have very dirty ground. I will not touch the soles of my shoes even with a shovel! CULTURE SHOCK, CULTURE SHOCK!!
Arrived at Shijiazhuang a couple of hours later with my host waiting at the station exit. Exiting feels more like you are in a narrow passage with bulls ramming at your back. These people want to go places, and fast!

My host's name is Victor and he has some English happening. The first night he takes me out with a couple of friends of his, and we drink strange and strong alcohol till late at night. And eat, man did we eat!! Good thing i have some experience with chopsticks... won then over in no time!

Now it is off to bed, knowing that tomorrow i have to go for a medical!!

(Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China)