The Beijing train station was packed full of people, all on vacation for the national holiday. Because I was not in the seating class I was boarded last and I, along with about 50-70 other poor individuals without seats, scrambled and squeezed onto the train to find ourselves a nice place in the aisle. Some people were smart enough to bring little stools. Some just sat on each others laps or cuddled up against the person beside them. You see the idea of personal space is much different in China and there seems to be no problem with two grown men who don't know each other to sit on each others laps or rest their heads on each others shoulders.
I scoped out a prime location on the floor and crouched down to read for the first leg of the trip, though a little cramped and awkward with all the stares from people. What was this foreigner doing in the aisle? Aren't they supposed to be rich, those from the west? I just kept to myself and tried to get comfortable with my claimed spot of land where I would be spending the next 13 terrible, begrudging hours. I envied those with seats. Never before have I felt so appreciative of a comfort as simple as a place to sit.
The train rolled out of the station and I knew I was in for a long night.
I got close to those around me. On the floor of the train people would help each other get comfortable any way possible. They would move their bodies to help you lean on them or coordinate some sort of seating/crouching arrangement to help those around you. People from home I think would be quite uncomfortable with this ideas of being so close to complete strangers. But after the first 6 hours of the trip, with no sleep and no place to sit properly, you'd be surprised how fast that fades. The biggest pain the ass was people would be constantly getting out of their seats to either go to the washroom or go to the back of the train to smoke (directly under a no smoking sign btw.) You would finally get comfortable and close your eyes and another person would get up and climb over all those in the aisle. It made you feel nice these fortunate people with their SEATS walking over you like you are scum. Also apparently asians have to go to the washroom or smoke every 3-4 minutes.
At about the 10 hour mark the train stopped at a random city and decided to pick some more people up. All also without seats and to be shoved in the aisle. We all got up to make room for them and being the nice person I am, moved to let someone pass. Except he didn't pass. He stood directly in front of me and stayed there, now preventing me from crouching down or sitting on the floor like I was before; Which was dirty and cramped but a hell of alot better than standing for 13 hours. I took a deep breath and practiced patience, like i had for the last 10 hours, and stood for the rest of the journey.
Finally, after I thought the trip was never going to end, we pulled into the station in Shanghai. Never have I been so happy to get off a train in my life. I could move again. I was free to sit, stand or lie down at will, without asians squished up against me. Free at last.
Now saying Shanghai is a large, modern, bustling city is an understatement. This place was HUGE. Everything about Shanghai was huge and happening. Giant skyscrapers and neon lights, you think your in an asian Manhattan (which I later learnt downtown Shanghai is in fact modelled after). I checked in to my hostel where I met Bobby and Lloyd and had another wonderful Western style breakfast of Bacon and Eggs. Okay eggs and a strange meat resembling bacon, but I was definitely missing a real breakfast all month. After wandering the city for awhile and having a much needed nap, I decided to go meet Shane and Dina at the world expo.
Shanghai was the host of the world Expo this year and I just caught the final days of it. Countries from all over the world had set up pavilions in this giant park (think Landsdown on crack) and In the pavilions were exhibits, food and other cultural things to represent their country. Each had their own unique building.
There was only one destination I had here.
I bought tickets and walked past every single countries pavilion. I ran actually. Past Mexico and Poland. Past Russia and Thailand. Past a huge red white and blue building covered in corporate advertisements for mcdonalds and walmart (guess who!) and finally, around the corner from Australia and Great Britain, I came to a beautiful red and white building with a large neon sign that read;
Canada.
I smiled.
At the expo, If you are from the country of the pavilion you get right in. No waiting in line for me, I was getting VIP treatment.
I walked in to a whole wall dedicated to Hockey night in Canada. Beautiful sight. I could hear the asian kids behind me amazed at the sight of people flying across the ice and smashing into each other on the boards, probably seeing it for the first time in their lives.
The rest of the pavilion showed videos of our cities and landscapes and I've never been so proud to be Canadian in my entire life. We truly live in a beautiful country.
At the end of the building there was a little restaurant where I was stopped in my tracks at the sight of Poutine. AND Canadian beer. As I sat in the restaurant eating poutine and drinking a Moosehead I made a toast to our wonderful country.
Outside the pavilion, Shane informed me that there would be a concert. Bedouin Soundclash of all bands was playing in China that night! How random is that? We took our seats up front and watched. Apparently the Chinese had no idea how to react to this strange rock/reggae music so all the Canadians up front got up and got the whole crowd dancing. It was hilarious.
Afterwards, I met a group of people from Sudbury. Even at the opposite side of the Earth you'll still bump into folks from Northern Ontario. They were such nice people.
We then left the expo and headed to Jin Mao Tower to have drinks in the sky.
The bar in Jin Mao tower, called Cloud Nine, Is the highest bar in the world. We took the elevator up to the 87th floor where the bar is located and immediately felt out of place and underdressed. This place was way too classy. After being informed from the staff that there is a 130rmb minimum per person as well as a 15% service charge (the only place you would tip in China) we took our seats and looked out to the view of the city. I couldn't believe how high up we were. It made the view from the CN tower look like nothing. The drinks were all around 100Rmb each and we saw bottles of wine for around 30,000. Me and Shane ordered the cheapest draught on the menu and got a small plate of appetizers and still the bill came to around 500rmb. Which was more than i'd spent on my whole trip to Beijing. Damn crazy sky bar. I better get drunk faster at this altitude, I hoped.
I did not. sad face.
At the expo, If you are from the country of the pavilion you get right in. No waiting in line for me, I was getting VIP treatment.
I walked in to a whole wall dedicated to Hockey night in Canada. Beautiful sight. I could hear the asian kids behind me amazed at the sight of people flying across the ice and smashing into each other on the boards, probably seeing it for the first time in their lives.
The rest of the pavilion showed videos of our cities and landscapes and I've never been so proud to be Canadian in my entire life. We truly live in a beautiful country.
At the end of the building there was a little restaurant where I was stopped in my tracks at the sight of Poutine. AND Canadian beer. As I sat in the restaurant eating poutine and drinking a Moosehead I made a toast to our wonderful country.
Outside the pavilion, Shane informed me that there would be a concert. Bedouin Soundclash of all bands was playing in China that night! How random is that? We took our seats up front and watched. Apparently the Chinese had no idea how to react to this strange rock/reggae music so all the Canadians up front got up and got the whole crowd dancing. It was hilarious.
Afterwards, I met a group of people from Sudbury. Even at the opposite side of the Earth you'll still bump into folks from Northern Ontario. They were such nice people.
We then left the expo and headed to Jin Mao Tower to have drinks in the sky.
The bar in Jin Mao tower, called Cloud Nine, Is the highest bar in the world. We took the elevator up to the 87th floor where the bar is located and immediately felt out of place and underdressed. This place was way too classy. After being informed from the staff that there is a 130rmb minimum per person as well as a 15% service charge (the only place you would tip in China) we took our seats and looked out to the view of the city. I couldn't believe how high up we were. It made the view from the CN tower look like nothing. The drinks were all around 100Rmb each and we saw bottles of wine for around 30,000. Me and Shane ordered the cheapest draught on the menu and got a small plate of appetizers and still the bill came to around 500rmb. Which was more than i'd spent on my whole trip to Beijing. Damn crazy sky bar. I better get drunk faster at this altitude, I hoped.
I did not. sad face.
We payed our bill and headed home. It had been a long eventful day and I was more than ready for bed.
The next day was rather uneventful. We went to a bar called Abbey Road. Our Chinese server had a Liverpool accent, which, hours later I still couldn't get over for some reason. Then we went to a bar called the Beaver where I had a 2 hour drunken conversation with a group of German evolutionary Biologists. Everywhere we went their were tons of foreigners, I was no longer the only one. It was a strange place, Shanghai. A mix of the modern and the old. By the end of my trip I had forgotten I was even in China.
I remembered that the next day I would be heading back to dirty, foggy Wuhan. Where the streets are constantly full of the slaughter of random animals, construction and fireworks. I actually missed Wuhan for a strange reason still unknown to me.
I woke up at 6 the next morning and checked out of my hostel. But not before an early morning walk to the waterfront where i snapped that panoramic of the sunrise. I waved goodbye to Shanghai and took the subway to the train station.
Boarding my train to Wuhan, I stopped for a moment to breathe in a wonderful sight.
For there, in front of my eyes, was a seat.
A beautiful, glorious seat.
No comments:
Post a Comment