Tuesday night Amy and I went out for a traditional Chinese foot masage...but before we got there Amy made me try some weird food from a street vendor. She's been bugging me about trying new stuff since I got here, so I went for it tonight. She wouldn't tell me what it was, just laughed and laughed when I ate it. But it was fine! (I probably wouldn't be saying that if I knew what I ate, but I don't want to know anymore.)
So anyways, we kept walking through the madness (sea of Asians, remember!?) and the 'foot massage' turned out to be a neck, back, leg AND foot massage. I attached a couple pictures...it was amazing...an hour long and super cheap. I think I would go ther every day if I lived here...SO worth it! My feet have never hurt so bad in my life...I've been walking all over this city in heels for a week and a half!
After the massage, we went to a Japanese restaurant and - you guessed it - ate plenty of raw fish. It was a really fancy, trendy place and Amy knew the owner, so as soon as we walked in, he brought us over a big glass jar of sake (which might as well be called grain alcohol) and we had to drink. No water in this place...it's either hot tea or sake. I don't ever drink...I dont' even remember the last time I did...so you can image how well that went over. So as I was trying my best to choke down shrimp head and ox tongue and whatever the hell else I ate - I had to hold my breath and wash it down with sake - a lot of it.
NOT a good night...I realy am surprised I didn't throw up. Seriously. I honestly thought I was going to but somehow held it all down! The only good part was dessert, which was som sort of rice cake smothered in warm peanut butter. I pretty much live of pb&j in the US so I was VERY excited to have that again! The worst part was, I had to stagger back to the office after that and finish up some stuff for work...I was at the office until 11:30pm. Definitly passed out at my hotel that night!! ;)
Up early on Wednesday morning for more meetings with my boss. Amy and I snuck out for a nice lunch at a really fancy Italian restaurant and then went back to the office to work. Some time in the evening, I realized I was starting to get sick. My throat started hurting and my head was acheing and I started sneezing...NOT good. It seems like I never get sick unless I'm traveling. And how convenient that I am getting sick since I have VACATION next week. Of course...
So I skipped the horse races that night and sat at the office and worked...not feeling any better. I went to a little pharmacy place and bought some vitamins because I couldn't find any medicine in English that I thought would do me any good. I grabbed some food at one of those little dives on the street that had a picture menu (not sure what I ate though) and went back to my hotel. Ran a fever all night, but surprisingly felt a LITTLE bit better Thursday morning. I took some more vitamins and ate a good breakfast and went in to work. Amy gave me some medicine...not sure what it was but she thought it would do the trick...and I think it did. We went to a little cafe for lunch and I had a big glass of fresh-squeezed watermelon juice and a grilled ham and cheese sandwhich. SO good to have American food after my little Japanese experience... :) We dropped off one of my suitcases at DHL to ship back to the states (I have so much stuff I can't even carry it all) and went back to the office for a couple of hours of work.
I had to leave around 2pm to pack up ALL the rest of my stuff and check out of my hotel to make it to the airport. I could barely carry what I had left, but made it down to get a taxi. There was one waiting...but he just looked at me and didn't open his door. He rolled down his window and I said, "Can you take me to the airport?"...he just shook his head no and kept sitting there. What the hell?? Come on...why wouldn't he take me? I guess the airport is about 30-45 minutes away...but still! So I just stood there...next to an empty taxi...already late...and waited. Finally another one came. Two guys got out who didn't speak very good English but there obviously were NOT happy...they were trying to tell me to not get in with him, but couldn't explain why in English, and I had to go...I was late and didn't want to miss my flight. So I hopped in, told him I needed to go to the Regal Airport Hotel. I wasn't sure he understood (didn't speak English of course) so I had to call Amy AGAIN and have her tell him where to take me. I was watching the meter the whole time to make sure he didn't try to screw me over...because I thought maybe that's what he did to the guys in front of me. About 40 minutes later, we got to the airport...and I could SEE the hotel...but he didn't know how to actualy get me there. I was getting so mad. We drove completely around the airport and ended up back where we started...10 minutes later. He stopped TWICE to ask directions...and I finally just leaned forward and started POINTING where he needed to go. I really need to laern Cantonese if I'm going to live here...
So we finally pull up at the front of the hotel. Thank GOD I just looked at the meter and saw it was 323.60 HKD. I looked down to get my cash and when I looked back up the guy had cleared the meter. He turned around a looked at me all surprised and shrugged his sholders and pointed to the meter...and said, "500." WHAT!? I said NO...I just looked at the meter! It said 323.60 and handed him 400 HKD. Well he wouldn't give me any change...he just folded up the money and put it in his pocket and looked at my like he wanted more. Oh I was SO pissed off at this point...already running behind and dealing with this idiot trying to rip me off! So I get the concierge guy over...NOT getting out of the taxi yet...and we both start yelling at him. The driver in Cantonese...me in English and he is trying to figure out what is going on - seriously. I'm over getting ripped off. :) So he tells me the driver wants more money because he had to pay the toll. I said we only stopped at ONE toll and he handed the guy two coins...which could not have been more than 20 HKD (10HKD is the biggest coin they have). So we're still arguing...I said I wanted change he said he wanted more money. FINE...I don't care anymore...I'm going to miss my flight and I can't deal with this...just give me a freaking receipt so I can get reimbursed. Nope...no receipt...he cleared the meter. AAHHH! Fine...I tell the concierge guy to get my luggage out of the trunk before I step out of the car for fear that this jerk is giong to drive off. He gets it out, I get out and slame the door and YELL at the people waiting in line for a taxi, "DON'T GET IN WITH THIS GUY...HE SUCKS!" Yep - I did it. :) And the concerige guy relayed my message in Cantonese...probably not in those exact words...but no one would get it in with him and he just drove off. Hahaha - SUCKER! That's what you GET! :)
So I dropped off my luggage at the airport hotel since I only need one little bag for Shanghai...I was only going to be there for like 24 hours. RAN to check in for my flight. I figured I could just look for the longest line and that would be my airline knowing my luck. And SURE ENOUGH...one LONG line for Dragon Air and hardly any line for any other one. Of course...haha...I actually laughed out loud at this one. I asked a lady if I had to wait in that line if I wasn't checking in any luggage, and she directed me to a different area...two people in front of me! YES! Thank goodness I traveled light for ONCE! I grabbed some ice cream for dinner (healthy, I know) and waited in line to get through the immigration/customs line. Didn't take too long and made it to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare.
And here is where the fun starts...
I get on the plane and sit down in my window seat next to an Asian guy (of course). He said "hello" and I said, "Oh! You speak English?!". Yes, he spoke fluent English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I pulled out my little neck pillow thing I bought in the airport...they are GREAT for flying. So I put it behind my head, wrapped around my neck. And the tag for it was kind of sticking up. I don't know why, but I've always hated tags. I pull them off of clothes and everything. So I just reached up and ripped it off. And out came ALL of the 10 million little white foam ball things that are inside. No way...that did NOT just happen to me. So know I'm sitting there...with this pillow around my neck, and tiny white balls pouring out everywhere...in my hair, on my face, down, ny shirt, on my pants, between my toes, in my purse, all over the floor and on the poor guy next to me. Those things went EVERY where...and they stick, too. I don't know what they are made of, but they don't just brush off. So I started laughing...seriuosly...what else could you do at this point...and that made them blow around even more. So I grab the pillow and try and hold the little part that is ripped together. The guy next to me asked the flight attendant for a sewing kit and she brought one over. What am I going to do with that? Not like I actually know how to sew anything...despite my mom trying to teach me 10 thousand times. So we sit there and look at it trying to decide what to do. He took it from me (he's got them ALL over him now too) and tried to hold it shut. Remember, thousands more of these things pour out every time you move it a centimeter - I'm not even really exaggerating! Okay - there is no way we're going to be able to sew it. I took it back...feeling really bad now that we are BOTH covered in this shit. He got up and grabbed a trash bag and we just threw it in. We sit back down, look at each other covered in little white balls, and just start laughing. Wow...that was fun! ;) Well we couldn't get up to try and clean up because we were taking off...so we just sat there. I think I had at least 200 hundred between each toe in my flip-flops...felt terrible. So we made it through the 2 hour flight and talked a little. His name was Gabriel, he'd been married for two years, has a 15 month old baby boy...really nice guy. He told me where to shop and what to see in Shanghai, etc. And told me that my purse was not safe for Shanghai and to hold on to it tight. It doesn't have a zipper, only one snap, and as I had it on, he stuck two fingers in and showed me how easy it was to grab my passport in the side pocket...hmmm...maybe I should be a little more careful with that thing...
So we landed in Shanghai. Amazing city of lights...kind of like flying in to LAX really...we just flew over city forever. We just sat there on the plane for awhile...not sure what was going on. They finally brought over one of those little car thingies with stairs and we had to walk down and get on a bus to take us to the terminal. Once we stepped off the plan, he turned and smiled and said, "Welcome to Shanghai"...then he turned to everyone else and said loudly..."this is the snowman!". Haha...it was SO funny. Then he sang the little, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..." jingle. Wow...pretty embarrasing because I was still covered in that crap and so was my backpack and purse. :)
Now it's on to the challenge of another Chinese airport. But THIS TIME, the flight attendants passed out all thee of the sheets I needed to fill out to get through the lines. I don't know why they didn't on my flight to Beijing...would have made that trip a lot easier!! So one of the sheets was a "health questionairre" and you had to check the box if you had a fever, running nose, headache, sneezing, etc. Hmmm...I told the guy I was sick and asked him what to do. He said definitly DON'T check any of those boxes because they will quarantine and wait for a doctor to look at me and won't let me in if I'm sick. WOW. Okay, so I didn't check any of the boxes and that was the first line we went through. He walked behind me and said, "Just hand it to them and keep going." That's exactly wht I did...kind of freaking out at the possibility of getting "quarantined" at an airport in China...but nothing happened. On to the next line, where we went separate ways since I'm a 'foreigner' and he's a Chinese citizen. He gave me his phone number and told me to call if I was lost of needed anything and off we went. I made it through the rest of the lines, got cash from an ATM and headed outside.
Immediately, some guy in a suit said (in very good English) do you need a taxi? I said yes and handed him my piece of paper that Amy wrote with the address of my hotel. It is in Jin Mao Tower, which is the tallest building in China and very well known by everyone in Shanghai...it's like the Sears Tower or the World Trade Center in the states. No problem, he said...follow me. Whoa...how much? He told me he'd have me there in 30 minutes (which I knew was a lie) for 500 RMB. NO WAY. I took my paper back and said I was told I could get a taxi for around 150 RMB. He pointed me to another line. So off I went, and another guy walked up to me. He asked me if I needed a taxi (again, in pretty good English). I said yes and showed him my paper. I didn't really know what was going on at this point. He said oh yes follow me. Hold on...where are we going. He pointed to the line that said "TAXI" where everyone was and said they don't take you to the city, you need to come with me. Hmmm...hold on...how much. 300 RMB. What? No...I told him the same thing...I was told I should be able to get a taxi for 150 RMB. What is going on?? So he says fine, 200 RMB. Now we're negotiating for a taxi? What happened to a meter? He puts his hand on my back and says, this way. Come with me. I'm walking and talking and said how do I know you aren't just going to charge me more when we get there? he said no, 200 RMB. Whatever...it's late and I just want a taxi. So he hands a set of keys to another guy and says follow him...and he's still wakling behind me. Okay - freaking out a little bit...but stuipd me keeps follwoing him. THEN we go into a parking garage...hold on...I stop...how much farther? He points ahead. Where are we going? To the taxi. But this isn't a taxi...that taxis are out on the street? Why is it in here? Good Lord Terri...what are you doing walking in a parking garage with two guys at night? The one in front with the keys keeps looking back at the other guy and he keeps smiling and pointing ahead saying "Yes, this way please." We get to a REALLY shitty little old taxi (that is probably stolen or something) and he opens the door. NO WAY. That's what I said. No, I just want a taxi from the street. I don't know what this is or where you are going to take me. He is still standing behind me, blocking my way. No, 200 RMB we take you to hotel. Please, get in. NO...I just want a taxi up there. So I walked past him and kept going...him yelling at him the whole time. Wow...how stupid am I?? Seriously...I don't know what I was thining. I walked VERY briskly back up the stairs and got in the line for the regular taxi...I guess. I've found out that getting through the airport, finding a cab, and making it to your destintion is half the fun of traveling in foreign countries. It really was pretty funny...the fact that I even followed them as far as I did...might not have been funny if I got in though...who knows where i would've ended up or how much money I would've had to shell out. So I got in a taxi - the guy from the airplane told me to get in a gold or turquoise one, this one was dark blue but oh well. At least it was a taxi on the street and the airport official guy ushered me in it. So I handed him my sheet and he shook his head yes and we were gone. I called Amy on the way and she told me, "Terri!! You are such a dumb-ass!!" Haha...I know, I know...I'll learn one of these days to not be so naive and trusting. I swear, it's going to be a miracle if I make it out of Asia alive!
It took almost an hour to get to the hotel. And when we pulled up, the concierge wouldn't even come open the door for me. Apparently I was NOT in a good taxi. Haha...oh well...he got me there, charged me around 175 RMB, and gave me the correct change. So I get out and there is a line of people waiting for a taxi and one guy tries to get in mine. The concierge actually STOPPED him from getting in and shook his head no. LOL...must have been a bad guy I was with!! I think they only take like legitamate NICE taxi services or somthing. And mine was probably just some rando guy - hahaha... :)
So I go to check in and they girl tells me something about how I got upgraded to a suite free of charge...I couldn't really udnerstnad why but honestly didn't care! I get up to my room and it is HUGE...I mean like the size of my house! (Okay - maybe not quite that big...but it was HUGE). Three flat screen TV's a massive bathroom...amazing views. WOW...this is living the life!! Haha...I took some pictures of my room and the view from the floor to ceiling windows all the way around. Not bad...not bad at all! ;)
Went to bed (in my king size bed with big fluffy pillows), got up this morning (Friday) and ordered room service (love this job and all the perks!). Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, fruit plate, orange juice. Mmmmm...good food and I'm feeling better. I took a few more pictures of my sweet hotel room and the views it has of The Bund in Shanghai!
Turns out this is one of the nicest hotels in Shanghai!! :) I'm down on the internet at the hotel right now and am off for some shopping/exploring the city of Shanghai after I finish up some work stuff. I have a meeting at 2pm this afternoon and then it's back to the airport, back to HK, and off to Vietnam first thing in the morning! I don't know what my internet access will be next week, but I'll try and write if I get the chance.
Hope all is well with everyone! I'm excited for vacation, but can't wait to get back to the normalcy of the US on the 29th!!
-TK
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