Hi folks, thanks for your patience. Here is my latest update!!!
The airfare, Tianmen and the great Wall
Thursday was a usual morning. We went to Vicky’s sister and her friend, after we got ourselves ready. Then there came the delivery of the (travel) health insurance for Vicky. A little later Vicky received a phone call with the price of the ticket to Denmark. A little more then $2000, I paid half for my round trip ticket. I was pretty embarrassed, that the prices had jumped that much.
Well, it was not that did not want to pay for the flight; I think it is pretty big jump in pricing. I told Vicky she should order the ticket. There did not happen much anything this day, because of the ticket hunt.
In the Evening we went for dinner with her sister and daughter. We found a nice restaurant where they serve delicious fish and duck. That night I tried duck feet for the first time. They were not bad, but the sauce was a little too spicy.
On Friday we gathered at a very small restaurant and had breakfast together. Fish in hot sauce, noodles and rice, after that we hit for Tianmen square. We walked a little around there and the further on to the Egg, the new national theatre, a very impressive architecture.
After we had been going for while we went back to the Hotel. The good sister went with us as the friend was to some family gathering. After some rest we went out again and guess what? We should out and eat again. I can’t understand that they eat that much, but I am getting used to it.
That was Friday.
Saturday we had to get up early, at 5 o’clock. Today’s goal: The great Wall. When we arrived at the friends house, everybody was still asleep. So, we started a little later than planed. I was about 2 drive to Mutianyu. There it was, the Great Wall and all the souvenir salespeople. Well, after we got past the salespeople, we climbed the stairs to Great Wall. I think I have lost 2 kilo’s on this trip. The temperature was about 32 degrees Celsius. Cooler then in Urumqi, but very humid air that made me sweat a lot. I think we went a tour of 3 – 4 kilometre’s, which took about 4 hours. It was some up and down and we had two children with us. After the walk on the great Wall we returned to Beijing and visited a restaurant. After a very good meal we split, Vicky and I walked to the hotel and the sister returned to the friends home.
Sunday was resting day. I slept long and Vicky went shopping for some sewing stuff. Shortly after noontime the sister called. They invited to some “hot pot”. Well, change clothes and go eat (again, again). It is incredible which kind of food can be eaten. Some tasty, others are not. After meal we hit for the hotel again. Here we packed our suitcases and made everything ready for the leave next day.
Monday morning we got up early. After some breakfast we took the Subway to the Danish Embassy. Vicky had to deliver the health insurance police and needed a copy of her passport. The copy the passport was needed for her ticket to Denmark, which in turn is needed for her visa. I just hope everything falls into place. I have given up to ask. As many others have experienced, they don’t want to concern their husband with such things.
We had a little disagreement on the money thing. Vicky has paid for everything so far. I paid only for the visa (550 RMB). Vicky, her sister and the friend paid all the meals in Beijing. I told her it could not be right that she uses all her savings on me. Her answer was that she would tell me when she needs money from me. There is not much to say besides “Yes, Madam”. Well, it is not that bad. Vicky sees her most important task in keeping me happy. She seems not be used to that her husband cares about such things.
After we had been at the Embassy, we went to friends (who is actually some kind of family member) house. From there we took of to the Airport. The sister took some more pictures at the airport. A short while later, Vicky and her sister hugged and I saw tears in her sister’s face. Then I understood, they would not see each other for a while. The sister will not return to Urumchi before our departure for Denmark. After have said good-bye, we checked in for Urumchi. This night would be the night where things are getting serious. Vicky has told me that we will be picked up by her nephew and then we will go to a family dinner with the members of the family I have not met yet.
Vicky asked me if I was nervous. Well I wasn’t, I had a good feeling. As we arrived at the hotel, we received a warm welcome and a bouquet of roses. I thanked very much for that and shortly after we went to the table to eat. One of the nephews was pretty good at spoken English, he did translate. After a short while he told me that the oldest sister was called “Da Tjie” and second oldest sister was called “Er Tjie”. From now on, I might call them these names. Great, I have been accepted and welcomed as a member of the family. I was pretty happy.
After that, the nephew as a little more about how Vicky and I would communicate and how we would tackle the problems the communication difficulties would bring. I told him, we have had our struggles already and we had solved them peacefully and in harmony. I think he was pleased by my answer. Then he asked, what if Vicky does not like Denmark and she can’t adapt to the climate. Vicky and I have been talking about this issue too. When she can’t adapt to Denmark, we will go to China and settle there somewhere. But we will go to Denmark first. I have a son at the age of 19 and his mother lives in Germany. He likes it best in Denmark and therefore I have to stay until he finishes his education to become a baker. That will be in 2 years and 3 month. By then he should be old enough to take care of himself.
Tuesday was pretty relaxing. As Beijing was a sightseeing race, relaxing at home was what I needed. Vicky had to participate in some kind of ceremony to worship her deceased father. It was 3 years ago he left this world. When Vicky came home, she was accompanied by her nephew. He had bought a Chinese Windows XP CD for us. I have installed MS Virtual PC on my computer. Now I could make and Chinese installation on my PC too. And when we get home, I move the virtual machine to a stationary computer. Then we will install QQ and Webcam on it. After that I will take a backup of the Virtual PC file and Vicky can work with Chinese Version. If it gets infected by Virus, I just restore the backup-file and a few minutes later she is running again. In the evening we were out eating again, hehe.
Wednesday morning I called the Embassy, because we need the passport to be picked up. They can’t find the copy of the travel ticket we sent by fax. But the insurance police was enough to issue the visa. They could have issued it already on Monday then. I will never understand bureaucracy! We hope they will ring this afternoon and tell us that the visa is ready for pickup. Some family member from Beijing will get the passport and send it to Urumchi by courier. Things went pretty smooth until now, I just hope it continues that way.
Wednesday is also Ruo Fan’s (Vicky’s son) birthday. We go out and eat tonight to celebrate him. Besides that Ruo Fan has to choose his birthday cake at the bakery and we will go and pickup the travel ticket for Vicky. I do not think we will do many other things today; the temperatures will again be around 35 degrees Celsius today. Well, just stay where you are and sweat, hehe.
Well, as I said we have been out choosing the birthday cake and went thereafter picking up the Air ticket for Vicky. I got no chance to pay for that either. But there will be many other things to pay for when we arrive in Denmark. Now we just wait for message from the Danish Embassy. This day nothing special happened besides Ruo Fan’s birthday dinner.
Thursday morning, just after we woke up the telephone rang. After the conversation had ended, Vicky turned around with a very big smile on her face. The people from the Embassy have told her that her passport including the visa is ready to be picked up. The room was just a little suitable for my smile, hehe. We both were very happy. We will be on our way to Denmark in 48 hours. Life is just wonderful.
In the afternoon we will try to find a present for my son who stayed at home in Denmark this time. He does not have many wishes; sometimes it is very difficult to find something for him. We found some Kappa clothing for him. He likes those for the time being. I hope he can go with us the next time we go to Urumchi.
And I told Vicky I only go with her to China again if she teaches me Chinese. She says my pronunciation is good. But I cannot remember the meaning of many words and I do know the meaning of other words she tells me. I feel like a parrot sometimes. I repeat what she tells me and she tells me “Very good”, but I have no clue what I said, hehe. With a little patience, we will learn it. Both of us have improved both in English and Chinese. But we still depend a lot on the translator machine. Only time will show how we will make it.
My trip to China is over soon, but only for this time. I will be back, that is for sure! Luckily I do not have to think of a heartbreaking farewell. But I did not see much of China either. There was too much running to get papers done and it was also to hot outside to walk around, but I have eaten for five people while I was here, haha!
But I am still impressed about the security all over the places. I am not afraid of it; I am just not used to see so much security. At home, we can leave the house with the door unlocked without problems. But that is also about to change, as criminal people from Eastern Europe have found out that security is low at home. It is a shame, it is!
Friday, the last day in China. We are invited of the family this evening. The make dumplings, Vicky told me that when they have to say farewell to somebody, they celebrate it with dumplings. I look forward to the dumplings, but not to the farewell with the family. Even though I only have been here for some days, I feel very tight bound to them. Like my own family.
Vicky has to go to her work today and tell them that she will not return for the time being. She asked me yesterday, what she should do, extend her leave or resign. Well, I do not know the rules in China. In Denmark, we can take up to 2 years unpaid leave if you work for the government. Vicky will go her work place and find out.
As Vicky returned, she told me that she has quit the job. Ok why not, she won’t be able to work for them the next month or years.
In the meantime I think a lot of how it will go in Denmark. How will Vicky adopt to Denmark? The climate is milder. It is not as warm as in Urumchi and the winter is not as cold. Also some of the food will be different. We can buy many vegetables and meat, that’s no problem. Once a month we will go to a bigger city, about 1 hours drive from us. There are some Asian shops where she should be able to buy more special things.
When we return, I have one more week of leave. We will use the time to show Vicky some of Denmark and make her a little more familiar with the surroundings. But again, I am anxious how things will develop. Even though I am anxious, I believe in we will be all right.
Saturday, August 15th 2009 at 21:35, Vicky and I arrived in Denmark. Finally! We are very happy, because our adventure has just begun. The last two weeks have been a little tough, many new impressions, hot weather and some worries.
Well, Denmark is still the country where fairytales are made!
