Homesick and Exhausted

Yes, it is day 2 and I say I am homesick already. No reason to lie. I miss my family terribly. Some of you may not understand it. A month away from your wife or husband? A lot of you would jump at it and be happy to see the other one go. Jenn and I aren’t like that. We are best friends. Seriously. It’s not some cliché. Without the other we become lost. Toss in the kids and it is painful to be away. I don’t like it, but unfortunately have to deal with it. I could have said no, right? Right now I am on a 3 hour flight from Beijing to Chengdu. We definitely had some experiences in Beijing.

Everything seemed mostly like home at the airport when we arrived in Beijing. English signs everywhere, lots of Caucasians. It was, well, an airport. Customs was easy, fill out a form the size of an index card, submit that and passport/visa to the police and we were through. Simple. And then it became difficult. Hounded by ‘gypsy’ cab drivers walking out, we had learned through our book that haggling was a must. They started off at 500 yuan (about $85). We got them as low as 300 yuan ($50). Seemed steep to us, and Trace had told us that a taxi could be had for $10, or 60 yuan (keep in mind my calculations are approximations and based on $1 to 6 yuan).  So we set off for the taxi line. We would win this battle. No. Not even close.  At first we were told 550 yuan. Are you crazy? We told him of the 300 yuan ride. He walked away. Found another one, with a van which was necessary for all our stuff. 500. No. 450. No. 420? We were tired and just wanted to be done. Agreed. So for 420 yuan ($70) we had a taxi. Score: China 1, us 0. Bummer.

The ride over was interesting. Yes, drivers in China are crazy. Lots of honking, cutting off, tailgating and just general bad habits. I love it. Even more than that was the cars! Oh, the cars! They have a lot of what we do. Jettas, A6s, Regals, Mercedes, Kia’s, Hyundai’s and the like. And then some differences. Nissan Bluebirds, VW Polos, Citroens, Honda City (really a slightly different Civic) and so much more I can’t even remember. Fascinating for me. Very fascinating.  The hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Northeast Beijing was easily the best Courtyard I have ever seen. Really. We should have them like that in the US. Very nice gym and a gorgeous pool/spa area. Dave and I sampled the gym, and after we ordered room service and Dave and Paula crashed, I sampled the spa. Funny story. After my dip, I ended up in the womens locker room. I have no idea how. I’m still baffled. Exiting the pool there was only one way out, through a locker room. I did not see any signs. Anyhow, a Spa employee heard me walking through, popped out from behind a wall and was literally shoo-ing me out. Of course, I had no idea what the problem was. When we got out, she pointed to a sign. Definitely womens locker room. Oops. She could tell I was lost, and laughed about it. At least laughter is universal, and I joined in. She then offered me a ‘massage-ee’. I politely refused. And yes, she was an employee of the hotel/Spa. Oh, about room service. In case you are wondering why we did that instead of going out it is because we were exhausted and didn’t feel like going out. So there! We ordered some crispy noodles, sweet and sour pork, a seared ahi salad and spring rolls. Pretty harmless. The noodles were oddly fishy, but also oddly good. Sweet and sour pork was delicious. Much better than anything stateside. Dave and Paula enjoyed the salad and the rolls were ridiculously greasy. Nothing crazy yet. We enjoyed this in Paula’s ridiculous suite. Yes, suite. Apparently she was a Marriott rewards member and got a free upgrade along with a bottle of tasty red wine and a cheese plate. The room had 2 bathrooms that were lavish, 2 separate rooms and was just very nice. Dave and I were jealous.

I then skyped with Jenn and the boys for about half an hour at 7 am their time and 11 pm mine. Sleep was not good. Both Paula and Dave were out they said, but I could not stay asleep, waking a half dozen times throughout the night. I can survive with little sleep, but as those that have seen me tired know, I look it. My eyes are very bloodshot, which is great when you are meeting the VP of GMR for the first time. Hope he doesn’t think I’m high! The taxi back to the airport at 630 am China time was easy. We got 2 cabs since Trace was now with us. Trace and I in one, Paula and Dave in the other. Cost for these rides? 48 yuan ($6). Really? Really. That’s more like it. China 1, us 1. Even steven! So, I really like Trace. Real nice guy. And I am not just saying that because of certain people who can read this. He has a lot of interesting stories about running ambulances in Trinidad and Tobago and such. Trace and I checked in for the flight in the VIP lounge. Yep, they let us in there. I received some very personal service and my attendant took my bags all the way to the baggage check himself. Nice guy. That is another thing we have noticed, outside of the taxi drivers. Everyone is super nice and super helpful to us. We have started joking it is because of the bald head. People are mesmerized when the light reflects off it and can’t help but want to help us. Or they just want money. But we haven’t tipped anyone! The in-flight meal was actually quite tasty. Beef noodle is what I was told. Slightly peppery, but in a good way. So far, real Chinese cuisine has been a cake-walk. I am sure that will change!

In Beijing, I was unable to log onto facebook, youtube and THIS BLOG! Very lame. So, I am writing in word document and sending it to Jenn to have her post so you guys can stay up to date! Hopefully this trend does not continue in Chengdu.

Next stop, Chengdu! My home for 28 days…. =(