Until Next Time, China

6/6-6/8

So the last three days have been super eventful! Holy cow! So on the 6th, which was my and Sophie's

Twin Towers, Across from my Hotel

free day, we spent it sweating our butts off at the forbidden city. Granted, it was really really cool, but oh my lord it was scorching hot. More than that. We were jumping from shaded spot to shaded spot all morning, as well as half of China it seemed. It was so crowded I could barely believe my eyes. Thankfully Sophie brought an umbrella, so that gave us a bit of shaded while we stood in line to get our entrance tickets. Not only was it hot, but for some reason everyone in China is in a constant rush and feels the need to be right on top of you, even in an organized line. Rude. Well, rude from my point of view, but that's just the way it is there I guess. But yes, so besides the guy behind me standing so close he was touching me the whole time, the line wasn't that bad. After about five minutes I just accepted that I was going to be a sweaty mess all day and I just let it happen. I did out sunscreen on though that morning! Woot! So at least mum will be proud of that hahaha.

So after we got out tickets we were basically herded through the entrance gate with thousands, and I'm not kidding when I say thousands, of other people. Te city really was amazing, though, with the huge red buildings with

Forbidden City

the cool roofs you imaging you would see in China. You know the ones I'm talking about. W basically just walked around and went to a few different exhibits, like the clock exhibit and the porcelain one too, pretty much anywhere that would get us out of the sun. The clock one is apparently on some travelers list of must see things in Beijing, and it was pretty neat, but really it was just a building with a bunch of brass clocks in it. After a few hours there we were so incredibly hot, sweaty, and drained that we decided to head back. Even being on the crowded subway was a relief because it was out of the sun!

I spent the entire afternoon clothesless, too hot to even move, on my bed. I took a cold shower, which was nice, but I couldn't stay in there forever! I vegged in front of the TV some more, watching the news and whatnot, and then Karen, another StudyGroup rep, called and asked to have dinner with Sophie and me. Of course we

Elephant Clock

agreed and went to the restaurant that I went to the first night I stayed in Beijing. It was, of course, delicious, and we all split ways soon after because Karen and I both had a full day of travel for an expo and Sophie was leaving in the morning for home. Sophie came back to my hotel for a bit with me just to chat and say goodbye, and then after it was straight to bed for me.

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Yesterday was interesting. So I met up with Karen at her hotel across the street from mine and we got in a cab and headed towards the train station. No worries, this isn't a short ride, it took about fourth minutes in the sweltering heat. We finally got to the station, early of course, and then after an uneventful two hour train ride we arrived in Jinan. We had another hour long, super hot cab ride to endure before we got to the hotel that the expo was at. It was really nice to just have to do what Karen told me and not have to truffle along on my on (like my journey back), but when we got to the hotel we parted ways. I headed to the expo right away and one of the people working it decided to stay and chat with

Stirring the Pot

me. The entire time. It wasn't that bad, he was nice (his name was Joey, after the character from friends), and he had studied English as his major. From what I gathered it is his life's dream to travel to the States, and is miserable in China. Beats me why he isn't trying harder to get out, but whatever. So we talked for the entire two and a half hours I was there, and about five people came up to ask about UMaine (a new record, woot!), and then I was packing my things up and heading back to Beijing.

Now, the ride home was interesting, and filled with potentially regrettable decisions on my part. Totally my fault. So I had this kid Joey help me to call a cab and while we were outside waiting for one this man said he was going to the same place. I know the dangers of sharing a cab and have never done it before, I'm not usually prone to making such horrible decisions, but for some reason yesterday I had a lose in judgement, or the heat finally melted part of my brain,

because one minute I am waiting to get in a cab by myself and the next I am sitting in the back with the strange man I just met on the steps of the hotel. Well, no exaggeration, I spent the entire ride thinking of an escape plan if things started to go south, and telling myself that whatever horrible things that were going to happen to me were my own fault and it was just karma biting me in the butt for getting into a cab with a stranger. It doesn't help that he could speak English and was telling me about his daughter who studies in New York and how he visits there often, in my mind all I could think was what a perfect story to tell a young American girl to distract her from the fact that she was, in fact, being kidnapped. He was chatting up the driver too, who had a walkie talkie (which I had never seen a cabbie have before), so that made my suspicions even greater. I was recognizing a few landmarks, though, luckily, so I knew we were at least headed in the right direction. My only worry is that we were going to drive right past the station and into the kidnappers lair, so to speak. Well, turns out that I had some good karma

saved up, because it turns out that the man, Eric I found out later, actually was just a nice dad who had a daughter my as who studied business in New York and took pity on the poor white girl who could speak no Mandarin. He even paid for the cab. He helped me get to my gate and then left to catch his train. I was there obscenely early, so I walked around. My sweet tooth was aching so I tried to find candy, but of course I couldn't read anything, so I guessed at what I thought was sweets, and it turns out they were, but they were gross! Well, not all of them, but most. So I loitered around the station until my train came. The ride was not that peaceful, I had been seated in the midst of a group traveling together and they were pretty rowdy. I just plugged in, though, and tried to enjoy the ride. When I got back to the Beijing train station I still had the task of getting a cab back to my hotel, which was not a close destination. So here they have this system at big transportation hubs, like train stations, that in order to get a cab you have to wait in the taxi line. So only the sign right off the train has English on it, the rest are just characters, so you have to remember what the characters for taxi look like so you can follow the other signs through the station.

What I Always Showed the Cab Drivers

Well the one for taxi looks like two pitchforks stacked on top of each other, so I didn't have much trouble finding the line. The trouble I faced was actually waiting in the line. Not only was it boiling hot, I was also wearing my business jacket which is basically a human incubator. Also there were rogue taxi drivers that just stood next to the line and shouted at everyone if they needed a taxi. Luckily I had my big headphones so I could pretend I didn't hear them. After about fourth five minutes of waiting, and walking over piles of puke, trash, and cigarette butts, I made it to the front of the line. I had my piece of paper that had my hotel's name written in characters clutched so tightly in my hand I was worried it would be illegible by

At the StudyGroup Office

the time I got into the taxi. It was, though, and the driver actually knew where it was AND gave me a receipt!!! WIN!!! I let Kevin know that I made it back alive and he was relieved. He worries way too much. Well, when I got back apparently the nasty train station pork and rice I had eaten was not agreeing at all with my body, so I took a little nap on the bathroom floor until I was sure I wouldn't puke, and then migrated to the bed. I only woke up because of the severe thunderstorms in the middle of the night, but other than that it was a peaceful night.

So this morning nothing much really has happened. I woke up and got breakfast as usual, killed some

Saying Goodbye to the "Pants" Building

time on the WiFi, packed all my things, and vegged out in front of the news. Oh, yes, forgot to mention that there was a plane crash in San Fran last night, so my paranoia of flying has been magnified tenfold since I saw that. I wasn't even meaning to watch the news yesterday morning during breakfast, but the one other English speaker exclaimed and pointed at the tube so I was forced to look at it. Plus it is now all over every news channel, so I know all about what happened. Being informed does not squelch my fears. At all. But here I sit, in the airport, boarding in less than an hour. Fingers crossed I still have some of that good karma saved up!

My bags got thoroughly searched coming through customs, and I'm sure they will be again back in the States. It seriously always happens, no matter how carefully I pack I always get checked. Such a pain. But, of course, per usual, I was free to go.

I made it back safe and sound! My trip was utterly amazing, I really did love love love China and StudyGroup gave me such a unique opportunity to explore the country from a professional standpoint. I really want to go back in the future, although I want to learn the language before I head back, it will make my time there exponentially easier. I can only speak highly of the country as well as it's people, everyone was nice to me and patient when I struggled to communicate. It's so good to be home, but I do miss China already! 

Today, my life is just Shelby.