Today was a day of feeling like I've made a lot of progress during my time in China and also realizing there are still many small little obstacles to overcome.
I took a taxi to an "american style deli" for lunch today and realized on the way there that I had forgotten the little card that I take with me everywhere that has Saatchi's address on it written in Chinese. It's the only way I get where I need to go here. Hmph, how was I going to get home? Then I realized I knew exactly how to walk back to the office, and while it would take about 20 minutes, I wasn't deterred. In fact, the New Yorker in me was excited to actually walk somewhere in Guangzhou - a rarity!!
Then, I arrived at the deli and tried to order a tossed salad. It looked just like in NYC: all sorts of toppings displayed in front of me. I thought it would be just like NYC where you tell them "Cucumbers, carrots, peppers, italian dressing" and I'd be done with it. It wasn't that easy. I ordered the salad and then without asking me what I wanted, they put almost every single possible topping on top. The salad must have weighed 5 pounds when they handed it to me. Oh well - beggars can't be choosers! In the end, I enjoyed the salad and reflected on the fact that it took me over 4 weeks to find crisp iceberg lettuce in GZ.
The funny thing is that my co-worker, Sylvia, took Colette and I out to dinner tonight to an Irish Pub. And what did Colette order? A delicious green salad! It took her all of 1 hour to find one in GZ. It made me laugh because if only it were that easy!!! There were also french fries and a cheese burger to be had tonight. This is the most Western food I've seen in my entire time in this city.
To add to the little hiccups in the day, after meeting Colette at the train station today, I quickly stopped by my apartment to drop Colette and her luggage off and head back to the office. I got back into a taxi to go back to work and as he sped away from the curb I realized I had left my wallet upstairs in my apartment with Colette. How was I going to explain to this man that I had no money?? But a light dawned on me that I could call a co-worker on my cell to meet me when I arrived at the office and pay for my cab. Sylvia, the same one who was so nice to take us to dinner tonight, was also the co-worker who saved me in this situation! Thankfully, she answered her cell phone and quickly came downstairs to meet me in the taxi and pay the driver.
As I reflect on my time here, it's these little moments of frustration and triumph that I'm sure to forget but really define time spent abroad. My co-workers have helped me out in many many moments of need here, and I'm so thankful to have them to rely on here (like the time I left my ATM card in the machine and simply walked away.... try explaining that to the teller when she doesn't speak English). I've also learned to be overly prepared and that I can usually wiggle my way out of sticky situations. It's a nice feeling of accomplishment as I wind down my days here.
Colette and I are packing up now because we leave for Beijing late tomorrow afternoon. We're both very excited. In addition to just seeing what the city and its people are like, we're going to get to some places I have always wanted to see: The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and the venues that hosted the 2008 Olympics. We'll keep you posted along the way!
No comments:
Post a Comment