Short story: Xin is gorgeous, feminine, sweet and I am totally smitten.
Long story:
Landed in Hong Kong with the idea that I couldn't or shouldn't go into hong kong proper but should stay in the airport til my ferry to Zhongshan showed up (8 hours). Well, I screwed that up. Ok guys, pro tip. If you're taking a ferry from the Hong Kong airport, you have to get your ticket before picking up your baggage. When you get your bags, you're outside the ferry zone and they won't let you back in. They'll go get your bags for you when you buy ferry tickets.
As it is, Hong Kong is pretty simple. Bought a ticket on the train from the airport, got off at Kowloon and switched to a bus to the China ferry terminal and got to see a great tour of Hong Kong in the process. Tried calling the translator but she wasn't available so I just got my ferry ticket and figured I'd call from Zhongshan. Wrong. There's no pay phones in the Zhongshan ferry terminal.
The cab drivers are pretty agressive too but I lucked out and got a friendly one. I dropped my passport somewhere and the guy runs out after me and gives it to me, then offers to drive me to a hotel. Ok, sure, I'll get a hotel and then phone the translator from there. Wrong again. I use the taxi driver's cell phone to call the translator and some dude answered, no english. I'm starting to worry this guy I don't know in a regular car is driving me somewhere I have no idea about who doesn't speak much english. He says let me try, he types in the number and talkes to Mini for a few minutes, passes me the phone and voila. She tells him to take me to a specific hotel and she'll meet me.
I get there and I'm nervous so I book the room and go upstairs. 2 mins later there's a ring, Mini's here. We talk for a few mins, getting to know each other and her phone rings. It's Xin! She'll be here in a few minutes. Ok, I start to get even more nervous.
Few minutes later theres a knock on the door. I open it, we hug and she gives me a present to open, wrapped beautifully. I carefully open it and she's looking impressed and talking rapidly to Mini. I'm wondering but I'm too nervous to do anything but unwrap. Inside is a beautiful glass paperweight with her picture in it. Xin points to the wrapping paper. Inside is a handwritten note that she won't tell me what it says - written on the back of the paper. If I had torn it, it wouldn't have been the same.
We hug, we talk, we're getting mini to take pictures, grinning and we can't keep out hands off each other. I haven't held hands this much since high school.
We go out to eat, walk down the street. They order for me, I can eat with chopsticks but not well so we got a good laugh. Xin gets the girl to bring me a fork. I'm not using it. I can do this. Oh, and she paid.
We leave and walk past shops. They decide to rent one of those bikes with the seat on the back for us. He lays a board down so me and Xin are on the seat and Mini is perched on the board behind his seat. We spent hours on that thing, weaving in and out of traffic. Zhongshan may not be the richest city, but to me it was beautiful and we had a blast.
We went to the statue of Zhongshan and walked through the park, pictures like mad. Mini's cell phone, my camera. Walk, sit, hold hands, it's like we've been married for years. So comfortable together and Mini and Xin are like sisters, chatting back and forth, grinning and every once in a while, she'll translate something they figure I should know, then continue.
She paid for the bike ride (all I have is hundreds), we stopped and bought some fruit for the hotel room tonight, she paid. Mini got me a deal on the hotel room.
I've never felt so comfortable. She's in love, I'm in love, what's not to love?!? Tomorrow, we're having lunch at Xin's, she'll cook (I'll help). Then swimming, then dinner and sister's.
Ok, I was a wreck after a 14 hour flight, 3 hours in Vancouver airport, 1 hour from Kelowna, 2 hour drive to Kelowna, 3 hours in Hong Kong, 2 hours enroute from Hong Kong and 1.5 hours on the ferry. Unshaved, greasy and wired from too many starbucks coffees, but I will share a couple pics to statisfy you guys.
[attachment=542][attachment=543]
