Aotearoa - Last Leg

Feb. 8-10, 2007: Hong Kong - Wuhan - Tai'an

Hong Kong

In the morning I had to make sure I was all packed, and then we went out to the delicious Dim Sum restaurant. Stephanie went into town for some computer stuff, but we didn't have enough time to burn a CD for me of all the pictures they took. The Poons were gracious enough to let me have copies of all their pictures. I really am ever so grateful that we were all able to go together! Since Stephanie was going into town (with her family) to get something straightened out with her computer, I was able to go along and catch the lightrail to the train station that would take me into Shenzhen for my long train to Wuhan. At the Shenzhen train station, I actually had to go through customs! It seems a little strange that one would have to go through customs if you're going into the same country....but that's China for you! :) I guess Hong Kong isn't really a part of the main land....hmmm..... but I had no trouble going through customs, except for the fact that I tried at first to get into the wrong line! Once through customs, I just had to get to the train station, which wasn't too far, fortunately. After that, I simply had to wait around a while before getting on the train to Wuhan. At this point, I was just ready to be home....

Wuhan

I have a very dear friend named Samantha in Wuhan. She was one of my students from my first year (semester) here, so I was excited that I would be able to see her, even if it was only for a few hours. :) She also introduced me to one of her best friends when I visited her last summer (Lynn), so I was able to see them both. It was kind of a madhouse trying to meet up with them, though. They were able to get a ticket for me to Tai'an, which is another reason that I really needed to see them! That was a blessing, though, because I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to get one if I had to do it myself once I got there. Samantha also wanted to introduce me to another friend of hers, and we spent some time waiting around for her. Finally we met up with her, then went back to town to her house. For lunch, we met up with Lynn and Lynn's family (her uncle). It was great!! Chinese people are ever the hosts/hostesses, and they know how to make their guests feel welcome. They were SO nice and sweet! After lunch, Lynn and Samantha were supposed to have an interview for a part-time, short-term job, but the boss was a no-show. That's something you don't see every day in the west. That is a key difference - in America, it would be incomprehensible that a boss wouldn't show up to an interview, but in China, in a way it was simply reinforcing who was in charge, as if the boss were saying "I'm much more important than an interview". After that little escapade, though, it was getting close to time for me to catch my train, and we had to RUN like mad to make it to the station on time! We were really cutting it too close for (my) comfort, and we ended up having to stop the taxi before they actually got to the station because the traffic was bad. We all ran with my luggage at least a full Chinese block to the station!! Fortunately (God is good!) I did make it onto the train in time, but I had to walk through several cars of hard seaters (yikes!). Along the way, there was just way too much "hello" for me to deal with. I was smelly, sweaty, and tired, and still ready to be back home.


Tai'an

Ahhhhhh, home sweet apartment!

Every time I take the train back into Tai'an, I'm always amazed by coming up into the city. It always takes me by surprise to see how it either looks the same or different, depending on the time of day, the direction you're coming from, the side of the train you're on, and just how you're feeling at the time. Most of the time I'm coming back from the North, and this time I was coming in from the South. The view - of the city, of the mountain - really was stunning! It was really beautiful - I almost didn't recognize it. I always think that's so neat, when you see the familiar in a different light that makes it seem so fresh and new. A good life lesson. :)