Well, I'm back. I had a great time. I always enjoy reading about other's trips so I feel I owe you guys a little about mine.
I had to work Tuesday and was done at 1:00pm. My flight was schedule to leave at 7 and it's a 2 hour drive to the airport on a good day. It was not a good day. A storm front had moved in and started blowing cold air and snow across the highway. I left at 2 and at 2:10 I was stuck in a traffic jam for over 2 hours. There was at least 10 vehicles in the ditch, I saw two ambulances and 3 tow trucks. I drove about 100 kilometers at no more than second gear. I was starting to worry I would miss my flight so drove much too fast to make up time. Turns out the flight was delayed an hour and I had plenty of time.
I hadn't received an email from Nina since 2 days before I left and was starting to worry. When I landed in Hong Kong, I knew I had to get to the China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong so I just went right there. I should have called Nina from the airport but I knew that she wouldn't be able to understand what I said so I figured I would wait until I was at the Ferry to call. I got there, bought my ticket and then called. She answered right away and told me to call our translator. Unfortunately her phone was busy so I couldn't reach her. I quickly ran out of time so got on the ferry - the last person on board.
When I arrived in Zhongshan I looked around the terminal for a pay phone, but there were none to be found. I asked the lady at the food counter and she handed me a cordless phone. I made my call to the translator and she called Nina for me and sent her off to the port. The clerk couldn't speak any English but she understood what I needed and was happy to help. She asked "Yuan or Hong Kong" and I understood that I needed to pay for the call. I only had Hong Kong cash so paid her with that - like 3 dollars I think. Cheap. Then I sat down and waited.
About 20 minutes later I saw someone walking down the hall. All I could see were these sexy boots, and sure enough it was Nina with a big grin on her face. I grabbed my bags and ran to meet her. We hugged and she introduced me to her two friends who had driven her to the port. One is a rich lady who's husband is a wealthy business man, and if I'm not mistaken, her boyfriend is also a wealthy business man. I had met her and her boyfriend on my last trip. The other is Nina's "Sister" - best friend. We sat in the back of the BMW with huge grins on our faces, holding hands like school kids. The girls chatted in Chinese and kept grinning at me in the mirror. Nina was so happy and so beautiful.
I noticed that while her one friend is obviously rich and her other friend seems more traditional, Nina is definitely the alpha female of the group. She is very respected by everyone and even the waitresses and clerks deal with her first. She is always so friendly and chatty and genuinely interested in everyone she deals with. Always smiling and talking and making everyone laugh and talk. Such an entertainer.
After a quick lunch, we were dropped off at her apartment. Tiny by Canadian standards, it was a nice little apartment though. One room with a bathroom, a hot plate, her own fridge and TV, a nice bed (but hard as a rock - my hip is still sore from sleeping on that thing) and a tiny little couch. The cooking is done just outside the bathroom, the spices are on the bathroom counter as it's the only place with water. She cooked a couple meals for us - a chicken soup and dumplings and some steamed bread balls which were sweet and soft and had a chocolate filling like chocolate cake. Mostly we dined with friends at restaurants. Deep fried corn kernels were awesome - tasted like Corn Pops breakfast cereal.
We did a bit of shopping one day. 3 pairs of pants for me and a coat for her and some presents for my parents for Christmas. She also bought a doll. :huh: There was a table covered with dolls - mostly ugly but realistic looking, mostly western looking babies, some black, most white. There were adult ladies going nuts over them, all hugging them and oohing and aweing. She had to buy one and was so proud of it, the cutest and happiest doll of them all. We went to a restaurant and she had it out beside her. All the waitresses had to come play with it. It would disappear from sight for a while, but it always returned with someone just as happy as ever. Oh, and every waitress and clerk I saw was wearing a Santa hat, so yes, they celebrate Christmas in China.
On my last day we slept in as long as possible and she took me to the port in a taxi. She made sure to pose and take tons of pictures. I had a hard time smiling knowing I was leaving again. The time came too soon and she walked me to the security area. We kissed goodbye - we only hugged the last time and I think it was a very important thing for her to do that. She wanted me and everyone else to know that we are together, husband and wife, in spirit for now until we make it legal next trip. I turned and waved goodbye once, and the second time I looked back she was gone. It was a long, sad ferry trip, but I was also very satisfied.
I'm so glad I went, even if it was only for 3 days. I was amazed at how much English she has learned. She tries very hard. I'm so proud of her and I made sure I told her that. We practiced English for hours and hours until a yawn put an end to that for the night. She emailed me today and apologized for not speaking English well enough. I keep encouraging her and it makes her so happy when I do. She just beams. She wanted to bring me to her English class, but she had my date wrong that I was leaving. I hated having to tell her that "tomorrow I go home" when she was making plans.
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