Melissa's Return to China - Page 5

6/22/2006

We got up and had breakfast one last time with some of the group, and then went down to the lobby to say our good byes.  In two weeks we made so many friends it was sad to see them go.  After they boarded the bus, we headed back to our room; it seemed strange to be “on our own”.

We tried to call the phone number of the man we were suppose to meet, who knew the person working on Maureen’s books for her, but could get any answer, so Maureen went to the front desk to see if she was not dialing correctly.  She came back with several other phone numbers written on the card.  Apparently the number we  had was good, but the person wasn’t home.  They gave the front desk another number, who gave them this man’s cell phone number, but it wasn’t on, and had told us to call after noon.

So we decided to go out to the “Walking Street” and see what we could find.   Cecilia had told us where a laundry was, so we thought we’d try and find and see what else there was.  I had walked to the end of the “Walking Street” that morning, but I didn’t see any laundries, but that did mean it wasn’t there I can over look things quite easily.  Several times while we were at the Hotel in Beijing someone was taking wedding pictures in the Church yard between the Hotel and the way to the "Walking Street".

We found the building and went in, and found this store was just one store in a huge mall, so we headed to the basement and walked around and sure enough toward the back was a laundry.  They lady was quite nice and allow us to look at the board telling us just what things would cost.  When we asked if she had a price list, something we could take back to the hotel and figure out just what we wanted to have done, she pulled out one written in Chinese.  That would do us much good so we thanked her and started to find our way back out.

On the way back we stopped at a fabric store, where they even did tailoring and found that they could have things ready in two days.  But Maureen was looking at jackets they already had made and on the rack.  She tried several, but wasn’t sure.  Then on the way out saw some fabric she thought would be good for her books, after a little hassle trying to get them to understand she just wanted a swatch.  They explained she could get 11cm but it would cost her.  So she found two patterns and got swatches for them and we were on our way.

We went in an out of several shops looking for ink and Chinese pigment paints. Finally done place said they had them, the bottom floor was just of cheep trinkets and stuff, but the lady took us up to the next floor where they had some nice jewelry and they found the paints over in one corner.  They tried nicely to sell us some jewelry, but it was more than we were interested in paying.

Back at the hotel we got a hold of the person we were to meet and even with not much English on his part we arrange to meet him at 3pm in the lobby.  We decided to head down to the 3rd floor to eat lunch, not knowing where else to try.  Well the lunch menu was a little different, right off we notice the escargot, octopus, and eel.  Luckily there were several other thing to try from.

After lunch we went back up to the room and got ready to meet the guy at 3pm and then headed down to the lobby to find him.  As we were coming down the escalator there was a middle aged man and young boy waiting down at the bottom.  The boy introduced themselves to us and told us, that is father wanted us to come to his house.  They boy talked to us a bit while his father went and got the car.  He was in high school and was finishing up his fist year.  He explained that they lived about 50 mins away south of where we were.  Once his father got there we took off and went winding thru different streets, on and off different though fairs.  Did every once in awhile notice a land mark that we had passed while in our tours with the group.  We went by one building call the Pearl Market that I remembered taking a picture of, but for the most part were in uncharted territory for us.

We arrived at some apartment buildings, that didn’t look to nice by US standards, and as we headed up to the building found workmen digging up sidewalks, etc.  They were replacing pipes outside the building.  This family lived up on the top floor of the building, and going up the stairwell made you wonder if you were in the right place or not.  When we got to their door and he opened it up, we found a nice apartment, with tile entry and hardwood floor thru out the rest of the home.  Off in one room the had a big screen TV and in the sons room he had a computer and TV as well.

The offered us fruit and some bottle water, seems the pipes outside that are under repair are the water pipes.  I’m sure they were feeling the stress of trying to entertain with no water.  I had some of the best leeches I had ever had in China at their place.  After a bit the husband said he would go and get the lady who actual was making the books, either a sister or sister-in-law.  We never did get that one straight, even when we go back in the states taking to our friend.  They questioned what brought us to China, so I still had the Card from Dillon that explained our trip, and showed it to the son and he gave it to the mother.  Even though it was translated on the back in Chinese, she read the English quite well.

After the husband returned we met the lady who had been making Maureen’s books for her and she brought several  samples for Maureen to approve.  They looked as good as the first one she had sent us in the states, so Maureen told her she would like to take about 40 of them home with us if possible.  They were having a hard time coming up with where they could get us a couple of cardboard boxes big enough. After a little discussion, we explained that we could get a suite case or two and get them home that way.  That seemed to satisfy everyone so it was decide that we would go to the “sisters” place and get them.  The husband drove over will the wife, son and all of us walked the couple three blocks to her building.  It was nice to just kind of stroll down the street and take in the everyday living that was going one.

Her place was on the first floor, but quite different that the one we had just come from.  It was net and clean but bare concrete floors and very sparse living.  We got the book loaded up and told the husband that we would just go back to the hotel.  They told us they could take us out for supper or something to do, but they had already done so much driving an hour to get us and now another hour back.  We just felt guilty imposing on them to drive us around, when they lived so far from our hotel.

Back at the hotel we got the books up stairs and decided we needed two things, supper and suitcases.  So we went back the trusty 7 story malls, and stop on the third floor and had Pizza Hut pizza, at a cost of 12.50 US including three drinks!  Then we went back down the first floor and found the luggage department, same place we were at a few days ago.  I think the lady remembered us from the night before, any way Maureen found two suite cases big enough and they matched, so we got those and trucked them across the street to the hotel.

We had decided not to go back and do our laundry, because we though we might need the dirty clothes to pad the suit cases so the books would not bounce around and get the corners torn.  That turned out to be an excellent plan.  First we covered the books in the plastic bags we had brought them in and then stuff rest of the suite case full of clothes.

Some where in our coming a going Melissa had seen the guys in the park/church yard with kid of wheels that strap on to the heels of you tennis shoes, so we told her we’d look for those tomorrow, and called it a day.

6/23/2006

We asked Melissa if she wanted to go to the Forbidden City today, it was not to far way, but she didn’t want to put up with the vendors anymore, so we spent the morning on the walking street.  Maureen went back and got a jacket at the fabric/tailor shop we were at the other day and we explored another dept store.  We found someone that could tell us where we might be able to find the skates that Melissa was wanting, but in the dept they just said they didn’t have those and didn’t give us any idea where we could find them.

Later we found that just outside the store was a vendor’s stand for the bungee jump, no we didn’t try that either, and that’s where they were sold.  I see now why the store gave us a cold shoulder; they probable got that kind of question all the time.

We went down another little alley way and found ourselves in vendor heaven.  Everyone wanted to sell us something, but we really didn’t find anything we wanted.  We went in more stores and found one that had some jewelry.  Maureen want to get Melissa something nice to put away, but Melissa kept saying she didn’t want us to spend that kind of money.  We found a nice necklace and while they were off looking for the skates I bought that and took it back to the hotel.

We stopped for some drinks at McDonald s once, but decided not to eat there.  We eventually went back to the hotel and Melissa decided she wanted to swim, so we kill a couple of hours at the pool.

We decided to just do pizza again, it was close, cheep and easy.  Plus we were warring out and becoming less adventurous.  On the way back from the pizza place we saw couple of guys skating with the flashing wheels, and ask them where we could find them. He pointed not at the store we had been in that morning, but at the little blue building outside that had the bungee jump next to it.  Since we had stuff to take back to the hotel I said I’d take it back, while they went over and look at the skates.

When they came back to the room, they didn’t have any skates.  They were 130 and 150 Yuan and they weren’t sure they wanted to spend that much.  I told Melissa 130 was just a little over $15 US, would she want them if that was the price.  Next thing I know I’m headed back over and picking up a set for her.  I know she would regret it if she had not gotten them after we got home.  By now we were all ready to head back home.

6/24/2006

Today was the day to head home. We just had to pack the last minute stuff, get the bags downstairs, eat breakfast, check out (did we forget anything??). The bellboy got us a cab and after struggling trying to get all our luggage in the trunk, I finally got out and told them they could put some in the front seat and I'd ride in the back with Melissa and Maureen. Then we were off to the airport, where the fun began. Once we got to the right terminal, hardly before I could even get out a couple of guys were "helping" us with our bags. Before you know it they were whisking our stuff inside and tell us in broken English we needed to fill out custom forms, etc. Long story short we were being scammed.

Once we got up stairs to get our boarding passes we found that Asiana would not open up for another 30-40 mins. So we got in line with all the other early birds and waited. About 10 mins before time for Asiana to get going, Air France started to literally roll up their carpets and take down their signs, and here came the Asiana crew. Asiana got their stuff going and we were eventually next in line, since we had two more big bags than we had come with we were sweating being over weight on luggage, but nothing was said, so one more hurdle over. We headed down for the gate and then settled in for about an hour wait. Mean time Melissa occupied herself riding the moving walk way in front of our gate area, and I went to exchange what Chinese money we had. I was able to get a little over 100 US back, but we still had a couple hundred left. So we hit the gift shops, and spent most of what we had left.

The next little problem came while Maureen was getting something in one of the shops. They started boarding the plane. Melissa and I waited a little while, but I decided to go ahead and get in line as it kind of went by the gift shop figuring we could flag Maureen down when she came out. Well that worked as planned, but someone who will remain nameless ("me") left her blue jacket that matched her outfit on the arm of the seat. It's hard to get good help these days. (this wasn't discovered until we were waiting in the airport in Korea, otherwise I might have been able to redeem myself!!)

Two flights and a 4 hour layover we were back in Chicago, and calling our friend to see if he could pick us up. He was already on the way, as we were running about 1/2 hour late. Soon he showed up and we loaded up his van and found that they wanted to take us out for pizza. After our meal and transferring our luggage we were on our way home to Columbia. About midnight we decided to see if we could find a place and crash, but they were all full in that town so we just kept on trucking (it was middle afternoon by our clocks), and hit the door at home about 4:30 am Sundy morn. (recovery would be awhile in coming)