China Romance
All About China => Your trip to China => Topic started by: David on December 20, 2009, 11:53:27 am
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Hello to the Brotherhood! Well I made it too Beijing safely! However my checked luggage did not!:@ The flight between LA and Tokyo was 55 minutes late and I only had a one hour layover. All Nippon Air literally paged me and ran me from my landing gate to my departure gate. No one could speak very good English so they could not tell me if my luggage would make the transfer. They said they did not think so but could not tell me when or how it would arrive. So I landed in Beijing and the luggage never showed up in baggage claim. I had to file a lost luggage claim before exiting through customs. But it was all worth it when, after a further hour delay I finally exited and there was Anna, smiling and waiting for me!!:heart: We took the express train and the subway to the Downtown Holiday Inn Beijing and checked in. It took about an hour from the airport to check in. My luggage did not arrive until almost 10 pm the next day. So it was 48 hours in the same clothes. Ughhhh! It looks like I can have access to the Chinalove info site from here and can view my blog from the ninjacloak site that Martin posted. Martin also showed me how to removely post to my blog via my email. I am downloading my photographs as i type this so I will try and po[/b]st to my blog later today or tomorrow.
Big Dave
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Hey dave. How was the runways in Beijing. They open or stilld elayed a bit.
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Great news.. Have a good time and keep the photos coming :icon_biggrin:
Peter
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Big Dave does Beijing. :icon_biggrin:
Glad you made it, good luck and have fun.
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No delays from the runways... however it takes some time to get through all the health check and security check points. I think I had to pass through two or three health point checks. At these there are meters that read your ambient body temperature to make sure you do not have a fever. Also on the plane I had to fill out a health questionare. The Chinese government is very concerned about the swine flu at the moment. This health paperwork had to be turned in at one of the check points.
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Big Dave in Beijing . Dave meet's Anna but no Luggage ? Dave meet's Luggage but no Annna ? I take the first one even if I have to stay in my Clothes for 72 Hour's . Sometimes there is a chance , she'll take them off you and Wash them in the Bathroom of the Hotel for you . Hahaha
Anyway , it did not come to this ( too bad ) but have a great time and we'll check and inspect all you send us .
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Dave,
It's awesome to know at least YOU made it safely, and met your wonderful woman!
Scott
P.S. Which terminal in Beijing did you land at? I'm landing at Terminal #3 on an Air China flight...I heard you need to take a train to the baggage area for your checked luggage...if you were at terminal #3, let me know some details...my lady sounded a little unsure how she would meet me...if you could provide some insight, would certainly be appreciated.
You actually need to take a short train ride from terminal 3 to get to immigration/customs.
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Scott yes I arrived at Terminal 3. There is a short train ride to get to baggage claim and customs. Also you will have to pass through several security and health check points too. Your lady won't be able to meet you until you clear through customs. There is an exit gate area with short glass wall barriers just outside of customs where most people wait for those arriving. After you get out of customs just follow the signs for transportation and exit. Beijing airport is really huge so just watch the signs and you will be alright. Also one tip... you can take an express train to the Beijing subway station and using the Beijing subway you should be able to get to most of the main hotels in Beijing. This is much faster and cheaper than taking a taxi from the airport to Beijing. I was suprised that the airport was so far outside of Beijing. I think it took at least 40 minutes to reach Beijing.
Big Dave Who is currently stuffed with dumplings, happy and in heaven, to be in the arms of Anna!:heart::heart:
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Terminal 3 is nice and easy to navigate. Don't worry about the health checks - I was horribly sick but still managed to slip through :icon_cheesygrin:.
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So Brett now we know who brought the swine flu into China!:icon_cheesygrin:
Yes Arnold I completely agree... It was much better to be here with Anna and not have my luggage than to have my luggage but no Anna!
I came to the same conclusion at the airport when I decided to throw caution to the wind and not worry about my luggage. They actually put me on a bus and drove me right up to the already loaded aircraft and I had to cling one of those ladder things on wheels to board the aircraft... it had actually already pulled away from the gate. I am surprised they let me board... I had thought once the plane had left the gate no one else was allowed to board.
Big Dave
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Dave, don't forget to ask for money for the late luggage. My luggage was left in NYC for two days, and China Air gave me $500RMB for the inconvience. But the up side was, I learned that shampoo was a suitable laundry detergent. Enjoy the time with Anna. buzz
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Yeah, I read the small print of my travel agent's insurance policy and you get cash for lost luggage. Maybe the airline will give you cash as well :icon_cheesygrin:.
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David,
Your right, in fact the gate is closed before they close the door to the plane!!
But, .....this is China, and everything is possible, if they need to get a passenger on the plane they will.
I had a similar experience at Jeddah airport, on the day before Xmas Eve, They drove me out to the plane that had already taxied halfway out towards the runway. You wouldn't get that sort of customer service in our so called civilised western countries, ...now would you!!! ...haha!! Then again, it may of been because i was carrying an important letter from one of the Princes that was to be handed over to a courier waiting for me at Heathrow.
Whatever, ....i was just pleased to get on that last supersonic taxi back to Blighty!! lol!!
David.....
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Things are going very well with Anna! We spent our first 5 days in Beijing. While there we visited the Lama Temple, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and some park that I can't remember the name of at the moment! I was pretty tired while in Beijing from jet lag, the excitment of finally being with Anna, my recent surgery, and all the walking we have done doing the touristy things. I really love it here. The people are very friendly and very curious about me. I seem to even stand out amoungst other foreigners... Anna thinks it is because of my size, bald head, my hat, and the earrings! Hehehe... We spent two nights in the Beijing Downtown Holiday Inn and then Anna went out and found us a nice hotel for half the price so we switched hotels for the next three nights. We also went one evening to a famous place that serves Peiking Roasted Duck. It was interesting but I find that duck is not my favorite dish... the meat is a bit oily. I was glad we tried it however. And I really enjoyed the corn and pine nuts in sauce that we ordered as a side dish. It is quite cold here... about 14 above zero. I am loving the huge variety of dishes here... thus far my favorites are all the different dumplings, beef over rice, little buns, Bean Curd Soup, and Beijing noodles. One highlight thus far... we took a ride from the Forbidden City inside a little enclosed motorized cart. The driver was very friendly and it was fun to move through the city this way. I thought that we were going to be crushed between larger vehicles a couple of times but the driver always knew just where to go, wether it was on the sidewalk or in the street! Hehehe... I have some pictures to share if I can figure out how to either upload them directly to the forum or find a hosting site I can use here in China. The add attachment function here does not seem to work. I found I did not have enough time or energy to write much or try to do my blog from Beijing. Anna and I left Beijing and travelled to her hometown of Hefei. We took the D train and had sleeper bunks. The train took about 11 hours to get to her town. I am really amazed how efficient the trains and subway systems are here... they really move alot of people!
Anna has a large flat in Hefei at the university. Most buildings here have no elevators if they are 6 stories or less. Anna lives on the sixth floor. It is quite amazing... people only heat the bedroom and leave the windows open in the main rooms even in winter! Everyone wears full clothing and coats while in their homes. Perishables like vegetables and sausages hang from the windows outdoors. Water for washing is heated by the sun from tanks on the roof so baths must be taken in the winter using a wash tub or basin and water heated on the stove. Today Anna and I took a train and went to have my first visit with her family. Her parents live about 40 minutes from Hefei in a small university city named Looann. This spelling is not correct but that is how the name sounds. Anna has had to leave for the night to go back to her parents (also no kissing while with the parents) so I can't ask for the proper spelling of the city. The parents went all out and cooked quite a spread for our dinner. They served grilled shrimp, sweet and sour pork in a black sauce, sausage, chicken with carrots and radish, fried egg and tomato, duck, and a sea food soup. All this is served in dishes and each person has a bowl of sticky rice. Everything is tossed on top of the rice and the flavor of the dishes soaks into the rice... very delicious! Edward gave me a pair of chopsticks and I practiced using them before leaving for China... everyone was impressed with my skill using the chopsticks! Thank you Edward! Also Edward gave me some good advice about bringing my slippers... I didn't forget Edward! Slippers are placed on the feet as soon as you are indoors. Your feet never touch the floor! Whenever I forget and start to put my feet on the floor Anna makes a noise and points to my slippers... hehehe it is very cute! My gifts to Anna's family seem to have gone over very well. I gave her father a nice bottle of white port and a mint US dollar coin. (Thanks for that advice Edward). Her little neice got a stuffed Panda. Her neice is just cute as a button! Anna's sister received a nice box of sweets and her mother a nice bottle of olive oil. The parents seemed to like me and we tooks pictures of the dinner and the family. They invited me to go meet her Aunt but she had already gone to bed so we will go visit her aunt in the morning. When we got to Hefei Anna wanted to wash all my clothing. She didn't realize that she should not wash my good leather coat and placed it in the washing machine. We had to take it to the dry cleaners and it took them almost 48 hours to get it dry so I couldnt go outside during that time so we spent most of it in bed! Snuggling in bed with Anna, with it cold outside, may be one of my favorite things in the world at the moment! Hehehe. Anna felt bad about my coat but I told her not to worry it is just a coat. She is so caring and attentive to me it is incredible. I am amazed at how well we get along... it already feels like we have been married for a long while. I feel very blessed to have met Anna and am so happy I could burst! The internet service is not so good from Anna's home but we will try and make it work. I am not sure how often I will be able to post but I am taking many photographs so I might have to post them when I return... I will still try to post some at the forum if I can. Talk to you all again in a few days!
Big Dave
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What a great time David. Glad things are going so well. I died laughing about the slippers and her making the noise. My wife does the same thing. I, jokingly, tried to get away once walking in the house with my shoes, I got maybe 2 steps and she came running back to stop me. LOL.
I cant take credit for the coin idea, but only the suggestion. It was one of the other guys on here who had the idea and I think it's a great one.
If you get a chance, ask your wife to buy a small carton of unsweetend milk. You just have to try it. It's not the same....it's got a funky taste. Thats the only word I can use to describe it. You just gotta try it. haha.
BTW, how's your back? I dont think they believe in spring mattresses. haha. My back was pissed most of the time but a small pillow in the small of my back seemed to help quite a bit.
Looking forward to all the pics. Have you filled the memory card in one day yet? haha. I doubt you will. That card is plenty big and I couldnt fill it with my Nikon DSLR.
Enjoy my friend....Enjoy.....
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Great update Big Dave. I am enjoying reading about your trip. Enjoy your time.
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Nice Coat Trick ? Wonder if she had it planned that way ? Snoggle in all day ... that's let's you forget that Coat real fast ... right ?
Wonderful update Big Dave ... more ... more ... please ! Photo's are a must , but can wait for them ... a little while anyway .
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Great reading Dave.. I can remember about the slippers :icon_cheesygrin:
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Tonight I took Anna's family out to dinner, including her Aunt and Uncle, who I just met today. We rented a private room and the type of dinner is called Hot Pot. Eight different dishes were served on a large table with a huge glass spinning thing that is called a lazy susan in the US. Dishes included spicey beef, celery and red pepper pork, corn and pine nuts, pigs stomach and feet, a spicey quail egg soup, leeks and sheppards pie, fried rice crackers, corn and pork dumplings served southern style in a soup, and rice. Green tea and soy bean nuts were served just before dinner. The whole thing, including renting the private room, was 200 rmb and fed eight people very well. Food was very delicious but I think the dinner Anna's father cooked yesterday was better! I think I like the dumplings served best in this southern style with the soup... they are a little bit softer. Thus far I had eaten them in the northern style served in a wooden steamer basket on cloth and then you dip them in vinegar sauce and perhaps a tiny bit of sesame oil. I find I am having to watch the spicey food... I am having to visit the wash room a little more than usual while in China. I think it is just because the food is different than what I am used to at home.
I don't have an upset stomach, but things are just not as solid as usual.
Thus far in Lu an (the proper spelling) I seem to be the only foreigner. Even at the Easton International Business Hotel where I am staying. The price of a room is about a quarter of the cost for about the same type of room in Beijing. Some things of note that I find curious... sink and toilet fixtures, light fixtures are all different here. Work the same but are not the same as in the US. Even a 5 star hotel when away from Beijing may not know what an American Express credit card is! The fast train (which is the newest train) is really amazing... the seats are very similar to those of a large jumbo jet. The train is really fast and smooth and makes almost no noise. The speed got up to almost 300 kilometers per hour. When water is served here it is served hot. I think it is always heated to also purify it. Beverages are not served cold in China. A couple times I found a chilled soda in a small supermarket. Anna and I tried a special sweet treat called Hawthorne. It is a small apple like fruit that is skewered on a stick and then glazed with sugar. It sort of tastes like cranberries. Tonight Anna's parents gave me four large bricks of Lu an green tea. I guess Lu an is considered famous for its large buns and green tea. So I now probably have a two years supply of green tea! The tea is not brewed in the english style, ground and steeped in a tea post. The green tea are whole leaves which are placed into the bottom of the glass or tea cup and boiling water is added right into the glass over the leaves. I might be leaving Lu an tomorrow so I may not be able to post again for a while. Will post again when I can...
Big Dave
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Terrific information Dave , for those who are following you , the 2 of you are having a wonderful time , regards Ying and Robert .
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Ahhhhhh, the laxative effects of hot pot. LOL.
David, I dont remember if you're a tea drinker or not but I brought back some "Pearl White" which is very innexpensive but ohhhhh so good. When we went searching for a good tea for me to bring home, the attendants would whip up any tea we wished to sample. It's kinda neat to watch since she'd rinse the leaves in hot water, pour it out and repeat, then fill and let it stand for a minute. I always enjoy the ammount of care taken with anything edible in China.
So glad to read your adventures. Looking forward to reading more.
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Hi Ed,
Rinsing the leaves in hot water is actually a good practice for many teas. The point is to rinse off anything that could affect the taste of the tea as it is usually dried out in the open under the sun...Also kinda helps with the safety of the tea.
One other thing for everyone... Chinese prefer the whole leaf rather than ground up tea. The quality is better that way. So something to consider is that when tea is gathered up, they put it through a "shaker" (sort of like those coin sorting machines, but for tea instead of coins). The bigger pieces stay near the top and the really small things hit the bottom. The tea that is stored at the top is usually sold as loose leaf and is considered higher quality. The small stuff (dregs) is usually poured into tea bags and sold off that way... Hence...even though most western teas are sold in tea bags... giving loose leaf tea shows more knowledge than giving someone a box of lipton or red rose.
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Hmmm ?I wonder if a strainer is used when the tea is rinsed the first time? I am considering bringing home a nice tea serving set.
I have not heard from Anna yet if we are leaving Lu an and travelling back to Hefei. Apparently her sister's ex-husband is causing her family some trouble. He has not paid his child support in almost a year and they are taking him to court next week so he has been harassing the family. We may need to stay here an extra day until things sort out. Anna is bringing in Lu an large buns (their famous dish) for breakfast this morning! If we stay another day I will post some more...
Big Dave
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David, glad it is going so well. You can post your pics at photobucket for free. Enjoy the rest of your time.
Jim
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Dave I'm really enjoying the updates, you have a great writing style.
I don't understand why you cannot upload pictures, are you trying to upload very large size files or are they in a raw format?
As Jim already suggested, photobucket.com is free and will give you links you can use straight away in the forum as an alternative to uploading directly.
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As Jim suggested, I have started a Photobucket account and am now uploading pictures there... I will post the link there when I have something to show.
Anna and I ended up staying for another night here in Lu an to visit with her family. Anna and her mother got really emotional when they talked on the phone this morning because her family wanted us to stay longer. Also her sister's ex-husband is really harrassing the family. Tonight he was hiding in the stairwell and jumped out and grabbed his daughters arm and was yelling at her to not show up in court for their case next week. The family is trying to get the past years child support money. Last night, while we were joking around, Anna taught me some colorful language in Mandarin. She just bursts out laughing everytime she hears me swear in Chinese so it has become somewhat of a private joke. I wanted to run down the stairs and yell some of the new words I learned at the ex husband. He really is causing some problems and Anna is worried because her father has high blood pressure. Today we went walking in Lu an and visited a very nice park that was near my hotel. I am still amazed that I have such a nice hotel room here for only 168 rmb a night... the current exchange rate in Beijing is 6.78 rmb and in Lu an and Hefei it is 6.75 rmb per US dollar, so the room is really inexpensive! The park was beautiful in winter so I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in full bloom in spring or summer. At the center of the park was a large memorial and statue for the fallen leaders of the cultural revolution. There are several stands of really old pine trees that have a very bonsai look to them... several were growing in unusual angles like they have been swept by gale force winds. Quite beautiful. Anna's family again went all out and made a huge feast for us all. Tonight we had spicey chicken legs, spicey beef and egg dumplings, a chinese cabbage dish with dark sauce that actually reminded me of cole slaw, more of her father's home made sausage, dried and sauteed bean curd, a blend of different sea food and glass noodles, and a soup with scallion and pork balls. All was again served hot pot style with everyone taking what they want and adding to their bowl of sweet sticky rice. Very delicious! Anna was searching through all the dishes for the best pieces of food and placing them in my bowl. She has told me in the past that she and her neice often have a friendly fight for some of the better pieces of meat. While Anna was seaching through the liquid in the spicey beef dish, she had just brought up a big juicy piece of beef, when suddenly Lucy quicky struck with her chop sticks and grabbed the piece of beef and popped it into her mouth. It happened so fast it reminded me of a frog zapping a fly with it's tongue. We all burst out laughing and I almost fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard! The family really seemed to warm up to me this evening even more. I think they were a little nervous and reserved the first night. Also I think they were very happy we extended our visit. Her sister found out that I really enjoy art and music and she started talking to me about her love of Chinese caligraphy. I told her about the antique caligraphy sets and pieces I saw for sale at the Lama temple in Beijing. She brought out several books of photographs of famous Chinese caligraphy artists and ancient caligraphy scrolls.. She ended up giving me three of her caligraphy books as a gift. I was very moved. Anna was laughing today when she saw me sign my name on the deposit slip for the extra night at the hotel. She must have told her family about my signature because they wanted me to sign my name in her neice Lucy's English homework book. The whole family cracked up! I do have a signature that a doctor would be proud of! Hehehe. Then Lucy asked me to do a signature of her name in English in her book. Also Anna asked her family for a pair of sissors, needle, and thread so I could sew up a hole I found in my jacket pocket. The whole family gathered around and were laughing and taking pictures of me sewing my pocket up. For some reason they really thought it was funny that I could sew. While I was sewing I had taken off my glasses so I could see up close and Lucy put them on and we took pictures of her wearing my glasses. I am very touched by how warm and friendly Anna's family has been. Also while I was walking in the park today several young people came up to me to say hello in English and one young girl was very excited when she saw me and and said "Welcome to Lu an!" I still find it incredible how friendly the Chinese people are. Tomorrow Anna and I plan to take the fast train back to Hefei so it might be a few days before I can post again.
Big Dave
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Go big Dave (or is David50 big Dave?). The sewing is traditionally the woman tasks so that's why its kinda of funny. But seeing you do it will make a good impression that you are a good men (not too wasteful).
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That also goes for Ironing your clothes or trying to Iron her's . Give that a try and see how fast she will stop you doing this ( Woman's ) thing .
The Sewing thing I did already for Qing ( a fallen off Botton ) ... under huge open Eyes watching me of course . So funny , something they never expect from a Man ... like Tear's for that matter . She alway's quoted
" Men don't Cry " well maybe chinese Men don't . I've done my share , leaving her behind at the Airport .
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Yes I know what you mean Arnold... after spending a month with Anna it is going to be very hard leaving her at the airport. Also knowing that we will not be together again until we finish the visa process. But at least we know that eventually we shall be together.
Some things of note from being here in China...
After taking many taxi cabs now, I have come to the realization that the Chinese cab driver uses his horn in lew of a turn signal. Also the honking begins well in advance, with just the potential of something getting in front of the cab, and also continues well after there is no longer anything left to honk at! Hehehe...
When you make a purchase in a supermarket or small store you must bring your own bag to take home the goods or purchase new bags. You no longer get free bags due to a new law the Chinese government has passed to try and cut down on the amount of garbage generated. So existing bags are always saved.
Tonight to celebrate new year's eve, Anna and I took her good friend Annie Le out to dinner. Annie told us of a nice steak and coffee house that is well known for their fantastic dishes that are served in a combination of western and Chinese style. Annie was one of Anna's college roomates for four years of her English degree, and is still one of her best friends. She lives in the same city of Hefei. She has not spoken a word of English for the 10 years since her graduation but I found that with just a few minor mistakes she spoke very well. It was very nice to see how excited and happy Anna is when with one of her close friends. Another thing I have noticed is that when Chinese women are together who are very close they will often hold hands or link arms while sitting or walking and even touch foreheads together while in conversation. It is actually nice to see such affection expressed. I think this would probably be mistaken in the USA. The restaurant, called The City Garden Coffee House, was a large multilevel place full of atmosphere. We were seated at a comfortable table in a no smoking room which was nice. We ordered two of the house specialty dishes... Chicken with black pepper sause, and steak with black pepper sause. Dinner also came with a delicious tomato and potatoe soup and dinner rolls, plus a nice bowl of fruit salad. For desert we had a bowl of pineapple, tangerine, lemon and rice pudding. Followed by cups of Capicino. It was nice for a change to get a western after dinner drink. It was interesting to order a steak in China. The waiter asks what percentage you wish the meat cooked instead of the normal medium-well etc. So I tried a 70% and it was pretty much how I like it... pinkish on the inside and cooked on the outside. All this for three people for 150 rmb. This meal would have cost about 150 to 180 USD including tip in the USA. So we had a great time for $25. I found Annie to be intelligent, cute, warm, fun and full of laughter. We had hoped that we would be able to get together again after Anna and I return from Shanghai, but I was sad to find out that Annie will be going on a business trip and it looks like our schedules will not match before I have to leave China. But it was nice to make a new friend and we will plan on visiting her whenever Anna and I return to China in the future.
I am excited to have found a wireless signal here in Hefei that does not have a security password so for now I have internet access again! It is now less than an hour to midnight here in China, so Happy New Years to the Brotherhood! Talk to you again soon!
Big Dave
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After taking many taxi cabs now, I have come to the realization that the Chinese cab driver uses his horn in lew of a turn signal. Also the honking begins well in advance, with just the potential of something getting in front of the cab, and also continues well after there is no longer anything left to honk at! Hehehe...
Big Dave
My favourite is the long long blast that says 'no i'm not stopping to pick you up. You should not have been walking in front of me. And waving your two walking sticks will not make any difference whatsoever'
Willy
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Big colorful fireworks blooms were going off over the city of Hefei starting at midnight for New Years! There were so many firecrackers going off it was a continuous loud noise and sounded like a warzone for 10 minutes before it died off. Happy New Years from China!
Big Dave
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Big Dave, congrats! You gotta keep those two straight: Annie vs Anna. Otherwise big problems.
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Happy New Year to you Dave . Your new year is going to start out very well , having to deal now with TWO Annie's ... hope they don't look alike too . haha
Keep the good times rolling ... for both of you . Keep some Photo's rolling too ... please .
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I am glad you are having a good time Dave. i hope you get everything you want and more. happy New year.
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sounds like everything is going well
congratulations on that