Author Topic: Finally in Shenyang  (Read 5196 times)

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Offline Peter Arnold

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Finally in Shenyang
« on: September 28, 2010, 01:02:04 am »
Well all you guys, I am finally in Shenyang. Thanks RobertB for your well wishes.
I have my trusty BBK 103 pocket translator with me. My lady Zhu Renjie has ditched her little translator in favour of this American unit.
  Well, I better start at the beginning.
  My first hiccup was at the Gold Coast in Australia where I was double booked in a seat! I knew that if there was to be a problem it would be with my internal flight down to Melbourne to fly out with China Southern Airlines. After a phone call, the stewardess came back and showed me to a seat. There were two rather large women I had to fit between. Luckily I am slender which as you will come to understand later in my story can be both a bonus, and a problem for a certain Chinese lady. So I got to Melbourne which is way down south. Sometimes in life you gotta go backwards before you can go forwards.
  I had a 5 hour wait at Melbourne airport before I flew out at 11.30 pm. I was lucky enough to get a seat next to a young mid 2o year old Chinese woman who could speak some English. We were flying to Guangzhou. She had been in Oz on a holiday financed by her parents. She was going back to China and then to study International law in Germany as she had a scholarship.
  Guangzhou was very hot, humid and steamy. Glad I wasn't staying there. I had about 6 hours to wait before I flew out to Shenyang. I finally flew out at 1.30 pm to arrive at 5.00 pm. I hoped to God that my bag got transferred from Guangzhou. Well, I luckily found my suitcase and headed for the arrival area to look for my lady who said she would have a sign with my name on it. Sure enough, I saw a sign with my name on it, and behind the sign was a very wonderful woman waiting for me. She was a sight for my tired eyes. She had organised for her nephew to chauffeur us back to the hotel. It was a very luxurious new car that I could never afford to own. So I felt pretty special and looked after. We navigated our way through the traffic and finally arrived in front of an Ibis hotel.  I had booked 3 nights at the Rose hotel and I was sure I had told Renjie that's where I was going to stay. Anyway, after I talked to a friend on the phone who could speak English, I decided to let my booking go as it was too far from where Renjie lived. I knew it was meant to be. So, feeling optimistic and positive, I booked 5 nights at the Pesky bird hotel ( formerly known as The Ibis Hotel). We have Ibis in Australia and they go through all of the rubbish bins. My room is very good and the staff are friendly and the rates are very reasonable. Their English is adequate.The Internet is a great bonus to stay connected with my friends. I have my laptop with my music on it, so the familiar connection is great.
   That night we went walking to look for somewhere to eat. It was very difficult for her to get me involved in choosing somewhere to eat. We settled for a small family run eating house and had some soup, rice and beef dish. It was then I discovered that Renjie feels that if I was going to be her man, then I would need fattening up. Genetically, I know it will be impossible to fatten up this thoroughbred, but she has not stopped from her mission to date. I asked if she has heard the expression ' killing me with kindness'? She is a very determined woman!
  Oh yes, later that night with the help of our trusty BBK  AM 103, she proceeded to ask me some simple questions she had been contemplating, like, have I been married twice and why did I leave my wife. I swear I had written about that stuff before in EMFs. Well I think I managed to explain to her that yes my history may look chequered to her, but that I was a trustworthy man. She has given our friendship a lot of thought.
  We have been through a lot in the last few days as we get to know each other and the language and cultural difference feels huge in some respects. She is a very conservative traditional woman and very inexperienced in the finesse of romance and love. I have certainly set myself up for a challenge with this lady. But she is as tough as old boots. She can haggle a price as good as anyone I have ever seen . I am the exact opposite. She took me shopping yesterday for a set of spectacles at ' The glasses shop'. I had lost mine recently and they cost me AU$ 480. Renjie assured me I could get them replaced in China a lot cheaper. Well, when we finally found the glasses shop, which had moved premises, I handed over my script that I had brought with me. I found  some Pierre Cardin frames I really liked and Renjie starts doing her thing with the haggling. I would have been happy to pay the asking price, but not this lady.
She got the price on the frames down, then, when they gave us a final figure with the lenses she proceeded to do the same. She got them down from 480 yuan to 400 yuan. That's only about AU$66.
  I loved to watch the expressions on the shop owners face and the young female assistant every time she haggled. I told her she was being too tough and that she would send them broke!
   We have been to the Imperial Palace which was great. We held hands almost all day. We have been to Beijing park which is also a must see. She has been a very generous and thoughtful host.
  On my second night, I was invited back to her humble abode for a meal of dumplings and vegetables. Renjie had cooked up enough to feed a small Chinese regiment! Renjie owns a small old apartment in Tiexi district. When we got to the entrance of her unit complex, she told me we couldn't hold hands. So whenever we get back to my hotel, I jokingly do the same. We had a great time after the meal as I said I would like to go for a walk to help burn off the huge serving of dumplings. Just down the road was an area that had 4 ping pong tables and she asked me if I could play ping pong.Well, I asked her if Chairman Mao was a communist! So we went back to her place to get 2 dusty bats and a ball. We went back and had a great time working up a sweat. We weren't the best players there, but we had fun. Seems like everybody gets out of their house to do some form of exercise on Sunday night. Ballroom dancing, 2 guys cracking whips, other groups dancing, people walking dogs. We walked past the Beijing Olympic soccer stadium where some international football was being played. Would have loved to have a ticket.
  This morning we organised for me to catch the bus with her to where she works. When we got to where she works, I had to 'wait slightly' ( I love this translation thing!) while she went in to put her white work coat on. She works as a pharmacist. It is funny to hear her try and get her tongue around that word! She then walked me back me to the bus stop to make sure I got on one safely. I am very grateful for her help and friendship so far. We both agree that we like each other want to spend time together.
  There was another lady in Changsha I had contact with, but she has written and severed the relationship. These Chinese ladies are very resolute about wanting to be the one and only!
   So today I get to stop at home and contemplate my time of love and life in China.
  I will send an update in a few days. 
It is never too late to be what you might have been

Offline Martin

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2010, 01:45:40 am »
Great update Peter.  I look forward to reading more.

Offline Chong

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2010, 02:29:28 am »
You can also tour the Chinese/Japanese War Museum though it can be depressing but nonetheless something to do. On the "Trip to China" thread, several guys [ including myself ] have been to Shenyang. The steamed/pan-fried dumplings restaurants are amazing.  Other than that, it's just shopping. Have a great time with your lady.

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2010, 02:45:43 am »
Hi Peter,
Glad you arrived safe and sound. The part about fattening you up made me smile  :) Chinese women love to feed you,wait till you meet her mother!!!!
The parks are great places to people watch,some of the skill's they display are quite amazing and yes I've been beaten many times at ping pong by the old guy's and some kids too ::). They are serious about being the one and only woman in your life, just don't give her any reason to doubt your intentions and you'll be alright :D

Offline Jimmy

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2010, 06:29:13 am »
Well it sounds like all in all everything went pretty good.
As far as fattening you up, Just give in there is no stopping those little gals.
One temporary fix as one of the other members mention awhile back is to fight fire with fire.
When you are full, start feeding her, She will also be full and want to stop.   But this only works until the next meal and then you gotta do it again.
As you probably well know now, Meals and eating are very important time of day to many of these people.
As far as a relationship a lot can be accomplished during a meal.
Jimmy Henson

Arnold

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2010, 02:56:36 pm »
Well , from one Arnold to another .. great of you sharing your Story here with us . A good one it is and hope it will continue this way .
About gaining weight , hahaha .. I already need a size 34 Pant's instead 32 waist . But why fight this kind of care-taking ???

Offline Peter Arnold

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2010, 12:31:59 am »
Well, thought I'd better give a belated update of my adventures in Shenyang.
   This place is certainly not the tourist Mecca of China. And it is getting very cold here. The wind is bitter and we will get down to 3 degrees tomorrow, Sunday.
   My friend Renjie has work six days a week, no surprise to most of you guys. So we spend evenings together at her old, small two bedroom apartment in the old part of the Tiexi District. I actually like the area as there are a lot of street side sellers and old style market places that sell meat for the evening meals. It is the equivalent of my western suburbs in Sydney where I grew up. So I feel we have similar backgrounds. She has lived there all of her life in that district and has four other older sisters. She had a brother who died of self abuse I think. I think he smoked and drank heavily. Seems the woman can cope better than the men.
  We spent last Sunday and Monday in Beijing as she managed to get Monday off. Her brother in law works at the railways, so was able to organise some tickets on a sleeper from Shenyang. They are clean and quite comfortable. It is an eight hour trip which arrives about seven in the morning.
  I was very impressed with Beijing. It is very clean and modern. Transport is very  good and modern. We went to the Great Wall by taxi, and the driver waited for us. That is some climb. If you want to do it, make sure you are fit as it is very, very steep, but well worth it. Unfortunately there was a fog that didn't lift all day. The next day was brilliant sunshine all day. Oh well, we were worried about forecast rain. We also strolled around the Summer Palace which is quite nice but packed with lots of bloody tourists, just like me.
  I have to say that my friend Renjie has been a very good host and put in a lot of effort to look after me. We have become quite close, but have agreed that we will probably only stay as good friends. We had a good talk using two windows to make sure our translations were what we wanted to say. Thanks to Scott for that translation tip.
  My time is coming to a close here and it has been a great learning experience. I still find it difficult to communicate anything more difficult than buying milk or ordering a meal at  a small place where I just get noodles for lunch. I have only come across two other Westerners here. One was a Canadian guy here with a Chinese lady he met in Canada, and the other a woman who I briefly introduced myself to in the elevator. I can walk the streets for hours, which I often do through the day, and never see another westerner. I like Willys' take on being stared at and feeling like a movie star. I do not get offended. After all I am the odd man out and it is their turf.
  Well, till my next update which may be an assessment of my time here, thanks for the support  guys,
Peter from Downunder.
It is never too late to be what you might have been

Offline RobertBfrom aust

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2010, 03:43:51 am »
That is great Peter , when are you heading home or elsewhere , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Offline Jason B

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2010, 10:34:50 am »
Great update Peter, really open and honest.
I WILL have my revenge for having to be clean shaven......once I learn how to tame my Dragon.

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2010, 10:39:21 pm »
great  read Peter, good luck my friend

Offline Peter Arnold

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2010, 07:33:47 pm »
Okay, so I guess everybody is wondering what happened to me after my sojourn in China. I will try and put my thoughts onto paper.
It has not been easy trying to settle back into my life. I have dearly missed China and my Chinese friend Renjie. The day at the airport was a very emotional and stressful time. I ended up up putting my dear friend through some stress as I was not booked into my return flight from Shenyang to Guangzhou, and had to buy another ticket with Shenzen Airlines to connect with China Southern Airlines at Guangzhou. To make it more exciting, I had inadvertently  left my debit card in a teller machine earlier at the airport, so I resorted to my credit card to withdraw money for the ticket. I needed 1800 yuan, and the machine said I could only withdraw 1000 yuan per day. I told Renjie and a lady from China Southern about my predicament. I thought I was snookered, but decided to take out my 1000, then try again for the 800. Bingo, the machine spat out some more money. So we raced over and bought the ticket as time was running out. Previously we had waited in line at CSA counter to register for my flight which had not been re instated, even though I had phoned CSA and the woman had told me in Chinglish that all I had to do was pay an extra Au$100 to re instate it. But she did not tell me I had to pay it to the Sydney office of CSA, not in Shenyang.
  Anyway, I was booked to fly out and connect with my flight in Guangzhou. I was not ready for the flood of emotion as I said goodbye to Renjie. I was in tears as I walked away, and grieved all the way to Guangzhou on the flight. She kept a brave front and told me to go. She felt she had to be strong for both of us.
  I have been home for three weeks now and there is still a big part of me in China. I have tried to move forward with plans here, but I cannot forget Renjie and our connection. We have kept contact with QQ messenger and discussed our relationship many times. I have gotten to feeling 80 percent sure about committing. At this point, all I can say is that I miss her dearly. Communication is very slow and laborious. We try and talk on her day off so that I am wide awake.
  I am thinking of going back in April/ May when the weather is more friendly to this slender Aussie man. It is snowing in Shenyang at the moment! I am also going to do a TESOL course early next year as I would like to move to China and teach. I feel I have potential to teach and I really need to get out of the building game here as my body is too old to do it any more. I have RSI in both hands now and a damaged back. I was going to buy a block of land with a run down, badly constructed house on it, but I will not have the energy to put into it, nor the capacity to earn enough money.
  I know it doesn't sound like I am in a good financial position, so I am looking at what my options are if I move to China. I am definitely at a crossroads now, but I feel a strong connection with Renjie and China, and I know that she would make a great wife and companion. I am taking it one step at a time and running different scenarios past Renjie to see if it will work for us.
  So, I am back doing some building work, but feeling like this is not where I want to be. I need to get my 'shit' together here and earn some good money and start feeling out a possible future in China.
  I have a very good friend who is an exceptional clairvoyant , and she can see me returning and living in China with Renjie. So I will see. She knew nothing of my trip and my Chinese connection, but accurately told me about Renjie, and even her brother and father who have passed over to Spirit. She told me that her father said that there had better be a ring! So marriage may be on the cards.
  Well, that is where I am at. I have been very unsettled upon my return, as many of you can probably relate to and still have very fond memories of the dirty, dusty, grey city of Shenyang, and the wonderful meals and nights I spent at Renjies apartment.
  Till my next posting.
Peter.
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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2010, 07:50:48 pm »
So Peter , I see something good come out of all this . Just take your time , think straight and this Lady of your sounds like a great Woman .. so why let it get by . By May next year , it will for sure be more clear on what is your next step with this Lady . It's your call , if you'll go with a Ring in your Pocket . I hope so !!!

Offline RobertBfrom aust

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2010, 08:42:34 pm »
Yes Peter , once bitten by the China bug it will not get out of your system , Sujuan and I are also heading back in April as the girls here have said it is tooooo cold in Dec/Jan , so keep on chatting and yes do the TESOL course online it certainly will not be wasted , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2010, 10:07:07 pm »
I have to agree with Robert,once bitten by the China bug it's hard to get it out of your system :) It sounds to me like you have made that connection to your lady and you both know it!
Yes,the building game takes it's toll on the body. I have a close friend who is a stone mason, years of carving stone on the outside of church's in all kinds of weather have left him with some serious problems that are not going to go away.
Two and a half years ago I was just where your standing now,doing web cams and knowing that the only place I wanted to be was by Ming zhi's side. I decide to jump and just like yourself needed to get my "Shit "together...so I was working three jobs 7 days a week, basically when I wasn't talking on the web cam or sleeping I was earning money! I did this for the best part of 8 months. Got enough to pay for the rest of my kids collage and set me up here in China. There were days when I was walking to work in the morning thinking "Just what are you doing Paul ! This is crazy going to live in China"  ::) Then I would think that I would talk to Ming zhi latter on for a few hour in the afternoon and that was all the motervation I needed. :)
You can make a good life for the two of you here. The teaching work is plentiful and if you take it seriously it can be very rewarding. It can also be challenging if you want to be good at it, even in highly structured teaching environments it's pretty much up to you how to teach the subject. It's not the only opportunity here, if you come up with the right idea there is lots of money to be made.
They say that, good thing come to those that wait.....Well sometimes you just have to quite talking about what we are going to do and " Just do it!"
Best of luck to you Robert and the prize at the end of the road is more than worth all the work you have to put in to get it ;)

Offline Chong

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Re: Finally in Shenyang
« Reply #14 on: November 21, 2010, 07:47:15 pm »
Fortune tellers are very accurate in China as well. It would be curious to see what they say to Renjie about your future together.

All the best.