Taxi drivers in China drive fast. I am now of the opinion that they buy their driving licence rather than having to pass a driving test. I left the hotel very early to catch my flight from Xiamen to Shanghai. I sat in the back of taxi...again no seat belts. He drove at breakneck speed and a couple of times I screamed. He didn't slow down at all. I wonder how many people die on in road traffic accidents in China.
China Eastern Airlines
If anyone recommends that you take this airline it is either for one of two reasons; they HATE you or they have never travelled on it. Pay the EXTRA money and go on Dragon Air or Singapore airlines. China Easter or Air China are terrible. Travelling internally in China is terrible if you are lone black woman and it was made even worse travelling on this plane. I arrived at the airport at 6.30am and it was rammed. I kept forgetting that a third of the world's population live in China. Yes I was the sole black person. When I say people stared - I am understating it. When I got to the departure gate - I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea. Everyone turned to stare at me and were pointing and nudging each other. I don't understand it. There is a black man as President of the USA. There is Obama and now there is Rosette. It is unnerving with this level of people staring at me but I find a seat and plonk myself on it.
Boarding a China Eastern Flight
There are no loading bridges. There are delapidated buses that ferry the passengers from the terminal to the plane. You have to walk up stairs to board the plane. There were only 3 foreigners on this plane; myself and two men and yes we were seated together. We buckled ourselves in and the plane took off. No safety demonstration. Nothing so obviously China Eastern don't care about their own people. I won't even discuss the food or beverage offered....I didn't eat anything!!
Shanghai
Gary was there to meet me. Tutting that I was late as if that was my fault. The airport is miles and miles away from the Shanghai city centre. It is hot, humid and smoggy. We do the site visit. During the return taxi ride to my hotel Gary asks if I have plans for lunch or dinner. Given I am travelling on my own the answer is no but I do have to eat. He says "ok we have dinner together". I retort "no chicken claw". He laughs. I repeat rather sternly "no chicken claw". By the look on my face he realises I am not joking.
Holiday Inn Pudong, Shanghai
Checking in to this 4 star establishment I am hopeful to get a decent greeting. Stupid me. The woman at the front desk says to me "What". What is wrong with these people. English 101 - we say "hello" when we greet people. Anyway I ignore this as I just want to get into my room. I say I have booked a non smoking room. "No" she says "You smoking room. I send housekeeping". She promptly hands me my keys and points me in the direction of the lifts. Everything in China where buildings are concerned are high rise. My room is on the 22nd floor. 10 mins after settling in housekeeping duly comes calling. She enters the room and removes the clean ashtray. What was the point?! A few pics of my room:
Lunch
After chicken claw and roast duck I decided I was in need of a good dose of junk food. I left the hotel in the blazing humid sun. It felt like the skin was melting off my face but I was determined to find the KFC I had seen on the way in during the taxi ride. I did find it but they didn't take cards and there a weird odour in the restaurant. So I left in despair. I honestly thought I would slowly starve and just as I was about to admit defeat I cast my eyes up to heaven. At that precise moment I was saved. I saw the golden arches; Macdonalds. I didn't care about the people staring at me...I moved my legs as quickly as they would carry me into McDonalds. However, as with everything nothing is simple. I walk in the and the server says "Ni how (hello).
I thought to myself don't worry with the hello just give me a big mac.
Me: Hello, i pay by card [holding up my visa card]
Server: No, you go away 2 minutes. You come back with money [whilst pointing to the right]
Right oh. I duly l took this to mean that I needed to go to a cashpoint. I did leave and she was right 2 mins away there was a bank. I entered the bank. As soon as I did the security guard walked up to me and used the standard phrase:
"What you want". What does anyone want when they enter a bank...MONEY!
I got some cash in the end and my big mac meal. I felt very contented!
DINNER
I had hoped Gary would say he couldn't make dinner or something. No such luck. At 6.30pm I met him in the lobby. We would be eating local, sweet and spicy in a local restaurant. I wasn't hopeful. I should have had more faith. He took me to a decent restaurant that did wok cooking. I saw people eating stir fried prawns and I thought OK finally. However Mr Gary is a sadist and says to me:
G: "You like bull frog or what about squid testicles"
Good grief, bull frog
Me: No I don't eat bull frog
Gary realising maybe I had been through enough said you look at the menu then. I chose the dry fried spicy prawns. He insisted we have the local speciality of fish head. The latter was surprisingly tasty.
China Eastern Airlines
If anyone recommends that you take this airline it is either for one of two reasons; they HATE you or they have never travelled on it. Pay the EXTRA money and go on Dragon Air or Singapore airlines. China Easter or Air China are terrible. Travelling internally in China is terrible if you are lone black woman and it was made even worse travelling on this plane. I arrived at the airport at 6.30am and it was rammed. I kept forgetting that a third of the world's population live in China. Yes I was the sole black person. When I say people stared - I am understating it. When I got to the departure gate - I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea. Everyone turned to stare at me and were pointing and nudging each other. I don't understand it. There is a black man as President of the USA. There is Obama and now there is Rosette. It is unnerving with this level of people staring at me but I find a seat and plonk myself on it.
Boarding a China Eastern Flight
There are no loading bridges. There are delapidated buses that ferry the passengers from the terminal to the plane. You have to walk up stairs to board the plane. There were only 3 foreigners on this plane; myself and two men and yes we were seated together. We buckled ourselves in and the plane took off. No safety demonstration. Nothing so obviously China Eastern don't care about their own people. I won't even discuss the food or beverage offered....I didn't eat anything!!
Shanghai
Gary was there to meet me. Tutting that I was late as if that was my fault. The airport is miles and miles away from the Shanghai city centre. It is hot, humid and smoggy. We do the site visit. During the return taxi ride to my hotel Gary asks if I have plans for lunch or dinner. Given I am travelling on my own the answer is no but I do have to eat. He says "ok we have dinner together". I retort "no chicken claw". He laughs. I repeat rather sternly "no chicken claw". By the look on my face he realises I am not joking.
Holiday Inn Pudong, Shanghai
Checking in to this 4 star establishment I am hopeful to get a decent greeting. Stupid me. The woman at the front desk says to me "What". What is wrong with these people. English 101 - we say "hello" when we greet people. Anyway I ignore this as I just want to get into my room. I say I have booked a non smoking room. "No" she says "You smoking room. I send housekeeping". She promptly hands me my keys and points me in the direction of the lifts. Everything in China where buildings are concerned are high rise. My room is on the 22nd floor. 10 mins after settling in housekeeping duly comes calling. She enters the room and removes the clean ashtray. What was the point?! A few pics of my room:
Lunch
After chicken claw and roast duck I decided I was in need of a good dose of junk food. I left the hotel in the blazing humid sun. It felt like the skin was melting off my face but I was determined to find the KFC I had seen on the way in during the taxi ride. I did find it but they didn't take cards and there a weird odour in the restaurant. So I left in despair. I honestly thought I would slowly starve and just as I was about to admit defeat I cast my eyes up to heaven. At that precise moment I was saved. I saw the golden arches; Macdonalds. I didn't care about the people staring at me...I moved my legs as quickly as they would carry me into McDonalds. However, as with everything nothing is simple. I walk in the and the server says "Ni how (hello).
I thought to myself don't worry with the hello just give me a big mac.
Me: Hello, i pay by card [holding up my visa card]
Server: No, you go away 2 minutes. You come back with money [whilst pointing to the right]
Right oh. I duly l took this to mean that I needed to go to a cashpoint. I did leave and she was right 2 mins away there was a bank. I entered the bank. As soon as I did the security guard walked up to me and used the standard phrase:
"What you want". What does anyone want when they enter a bank...MONEY!
I got some cash in the end and my big mac meal. I felt very contented!
DINNER
I had hoped Gary would say he couldn't make dinner or something. No such luck. At 6.30pm I met him in the lobby. We would be eating local, sweet and spicy in a local restaurant. I wasn't hopeful. I should have had more faith. He took me to a decent restaurant that did wok cooking. I saw people eating stir fried prawns and I thought OK finally. However Mr Gary is a sadist and says to me:
G: "You like bull frog or what about squid testicles"
Good grief, bull frog
Me: No I don't eat bull frog
Gary realising maybe I had been through enough said you look at the menu then. I chose the dry fried spicy prawns. He insisted we have the local speciality of fish head. The latter was surprisingly tasty.
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