Ni Hao Zhuhai

KGSM Student Radio » Aural Fixation

Upon arriving in HKG and making you way through the labyrinth of moving walkways and lighted signs the first shop you notice is the familiar green mermaid marking none other than Starbucks. In your passport you find your arrival card and you quickly fumble to get it ready with your address in Hong Kong; the just over 60 characters of which is difficult to squeeze into the tiny box on the card. After getting the Visa stamped in your passport a quick jaunt brings you to the Airport Express Train which for HK$90 will bring you from the airport to the Cosmic Guest House in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, total travel expenses in Hong Kong so far cost you around $20US. You aren’t concerned much with money at this point, however, because you only want to get some real, solid sleep.

Something called Tropical Depression Higos startles you awake the next morning around 7:30. Your travel companion, Cynthia, remarks that it is too early and returns to sleep and you wish you could could do the same. Instead you read some interesting advice from a book called River Town by Peter Hessler, that suggests your lack of research regarding Chinese History and Culture may actually serve a boon to your adaptation. Your plan to approach the experience with an open mind, without expending too much energy trying to save face every step of the way, may prove a better approach to surviving a long-term stay. That you might learn more about the people and their culture by making mistakes and learning from them; a more organic learning, you decide is proper for the next four months.

* * *

The ferry trip is both longer and harsher than expected. After a few minutes you see someone approach the bar and receive a white plastic garbage bag, you don’t really think much of this until the ferry leaves the high traffic Hong Kong harbor and a ferry attendant walks about the cabin distributing these bags to anyone interested. The ride becomes a bit more violent and you realize that these are seasick bags. You close your eyes at this point and as you rock back and forth in the ship, and realize that this is a commute you are glad you do not have to make every day.

Chinese customs are significantly easier than expected. You applied and received the visa before you left which takes care of the tough part, but you still find it surprisingly easier than expected. Before arriving you read articles and spoke with credible sources all of whom gave you the impression that chinese customs would be a strenuous and delicate process. When you arrive the only part of the process out of the ordinary were the propaganda videos playing everywhere, and an airport-style security checkpoint through which you must put your backpack and suitcase. Aside from these you pretty much just walk across the border with no problems.

On the other side of the checkpoint your contact, Bill, is waiting and ready to take you to United International College of Beijing Normal University in Zhuhai (珠海). Bill is about average height for an adult and with closely shaved hair and a giant, bright smile that makes you feel welcome and excited to be in China. Just as you get in his car it begins raining, even harder than it was in Hong Kong, and it is just in time for you to stand in the rain for a few hours while checking into your dorm.

Zhuhai is, even in the rain, a beautiful city. If it looks relatively sparse it is because it is. According to your little bit of research you figure there are just over 1.3 million people in this city, considered a moderate sized city by Chinese standards. The foothills approach the coastline and the buildings nestle along the valley. The wide road has a good amount of traffic, though it is probably lighter than normal due to the rain. Bill informs you of a Typhoon—hurricane—which blew through the city just a few days prior, and did some damage to the costal decoration along the road. Being from midwestern North America, you do not know what experiencing a typhoon might be like, but you are about to experience something very close.

You are met by Wendy and Jasmine at the complex of new dorms on your campus. Wendy hands you an umbrella, to at least keep you dry from the waist up. You walk up the unpaved driveway to the unfinished paver stone path (the ground beneath which is quickly eroding causing the path to be a little wonky as you walk along) toward the dorms. Cynthia lives in building 2, a female dorm, and for some reason you cannot go up with her, not that you would want to anyway because it would require lugging your 50 lbs. Suitcase up the stairs. The entire complex area is under construction. This is reputedly because because weather conditions prevented it from being completed all summer. The result of which condition is that our rooms are shared by three instead of two, which according to Cynthia makes for crowded living areas. Eventually, You make your way over to building four where you live. After receiving your keys you climb the stairs to room 409. This is your home for the next three months.

Dinner is perhaps the least overwhelming part of your first day. The rain has let up a bit which means the ground is transformed back from the river it was just a moment ago, allowing you to less messily walk to the restaurant. Your restaurant this evening is called Lao Beijing (老北京) where Bill and Jasmine have offered to buy you dinner. Lao Beijing is a typical dining establishment meaning the food is served family style. The table is set with chopsticks, a plate, small bowl, and cup with a spoon, and a pot of green tea. Bill teaches you and Cynthia that the green tea is used to cleanse the entire table setting. First fill the cup with green tea, then pour the tea over the chopsticks into the bowl. Drop the empty cup into the tea filled bowl and turn it so that all surfaces are cleansed by the tea. Once all of this is finished, pour the tea from the bowl into a common basin which is picked up by the wait staff. It is apparently commonplace for the restaurant staff to rinse the dishes in hot water and leave it to you to do the cleaning in this way.

Bill orders a plethora of food for the four of us including a home favorite, Kung Pao Chicken. IT arrives on large plates, or bowls, and each person digs in by ladleing a scoop of Kung Pao, or grabbing with the common chopsticks a helping of sweet and sour pork or one of the other dishes, into your cup. Everything is eaten with chopsticks so it is good you have practiced eating with them for some time. You realize that contrary to popular opinion, Chinese Chinese food is definitely better than American Chinese food and it is at this moment that you first feel at home.