Well I made it to Guangdong. Today I have felt the contradictions of pride in little successes and frustration in minute failures. This day has left me simply exhausted, but at the end of it, I got where I wanted to go and that was all that mattered. I had done it and the obstacles along the way, were just that obstacles. Someone once said, God puts brickwalls up in our paths so we must prove how bad we want it.
The bus took off from Wen Chai district's China Travel Services' office on Hennsey Street in Hong Kong. The ticket was only 100 HKD! The bus picked up at a couple other stops and then we headed to the China Border. After taking my carry-on bag off the bus with me at immigration I became worried that my backpack stored under the bus would not meet me on the other side of immigration. But the worry went away for the briefest of moments when they stamped the departing stamp into my passport. I felt like I was walking on air in the make shift space between two countries.
Then reality stepped in and I realized that all I could remember about the bus I had been on was that it was blue, the problem was there were multiple blue buses! But then, a chinese man started waving to me, I pointed to myself and lifted my eyebrow and he nodded his head and motioned for me to come. As I finally sat on the bus, I realized that when I had first boarded the bus in Hong Kong they had stuck a bright orange circle on my shirt. I had thought it was tacky when they had done it and quickly dismissed it, but now I was so extremely grateful for that little orange round circle.
I got back on the bus and we only traveled for about a minute and a half when the bus stopped again. This time for customs INTO China. Everyone stood up immediately and I too followed. I was a little trepidacious and afraid once again that I was going to lose my bag at some point. The driver motioned me around the side and sure enough I needed to pick up the bag. I have no clue why this thought of picking up my bag had weighed so heavily on my heart during the last stop, but I was so glad that it had. I once again entered the building and I stood in the long line for visitors. I passed through without a problem, the customs official took a good long look at my passport photo and then he stamped my passport. I let out the breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding. I had had so many visa issues up until this point that I was worried that something was going to go wrong, but low and behold it did not.
I had tried to go on this trip last summer and it did not happen for reasons outside of my control. I was worried that with so many problems planning my trip this time around that maybe it was not meant to be either. But I have been reaffirmed that this is God's plan and he is in control and not me. I am trying very hard not to plan things to a "T," but going with the flow and relaxing a little. But somehow the confucision of not speaking or understanding Cantonese has brought out the traits in me of needing to be in control.
In Hong Kong, as well as Guangzhou, Cantonese is the common language and while I can get the just of signs I often find it disorientating. For the most part I did not say a word on the bus, until a little boy a couple rows ahead of me, smiled shyly and waved. I asked in Mandarin what was his name and he just looked at me. His mom who was sitting across from me had to tell him I was speaking Putonghua (Mandarin - or the People's Language). We smiled at each other, but the section of our bus once again grew quiet and I didn't speak anymore - a bit disappointed.
Finally after 4 hours we arrived in Guangzhou, rush hour was a bear. As soon as I got off the bus I was accosted by multiple gentleman either A) trying to offer me a hotel room at a "good price," or B) asking if I wanted to exchange money. I wanted to do neither and no matter how hard I told them no (Wo bu yao - I don't want, wo bu xuyao - I don't need, wo yijing you yi ge- I already have one), they still followed. For the first time on this trip I did not want to be the foreigner. I felt lost and I just wanted to slip into the backgound so I could orient myself without the entire world staring.
But at the same time I was elated, here I was in China after so much work to get here. I had read that there was a great cheap guest house of Shamian Island, so I headed toward the Subway. After consulting the map in the guidebook against the subway map, I found a stop that seemed to be nearby. I then went to the ticket machine and bought a ticket for 4 yuan. It spit out a little plastic chip and I was confused with what I was suppose to do with it.
Finally I placed the chip on the magnetic strip and the door opened. The little chips work like smartcards do on the metro in DC, now I felt a bit better. But rather stupid at the same time. It took me a while to orient myself in which direction I needed to be going on what lines, but after consulting the guidebook as a reference map and with the help of an English speaking Chinese student, I made it to my destination, Shamian Island.
The island is a holdover from the French and the British, who each controlled half of the 1/2 mile long island. It is now the home of the US Consulate, but more on the island tomorrow. I checked in to the Guangzhou Youth Hostel after being lost for a bit on this very small island (again feeling disoriented and a little slow intellectually), but finally I had made it!
The hostel is very nice compared to the last two I stayed at. I have a bed in a dormitory room with 10 beds, which feel like they are a piece of wood. I met a guy from somewhere in the states, and we talked a bit aout the legitimacy of the Chinese Government and the potental for the fruition of a democratic government. He shared his Chinese crackers which taste a bit like Ritz and I shared my trail mix. Both were a treat and since I had been starving, it constitued my dinner. I was simply too exhausted to go out at the moment. We talked about going out to a bar later and I told him to let me nap for a couple minutes first. When he finally came back, I said I was going to stay and off the rest of the hostellers went. The room was blessed quiet and I slept for 3 hours. I woke sweaty and decided I really needed a shower! I took one in the small bathroom, but now I was awake if not more comfortable. I pulled out Three Kingdoms which is a Chinese epic novel and started reading I made it 30 pages in, before putting on my iPod and drifting off to sleep. I woke up periodically thoughout the night and at 6:30 said enough, and got up.
I wondered out onto the island and started my day, which I will leave for my post tonight. I hope all is going well in the states. My love and best wishes to you all!
Friday, June 20, 2008
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