As I left Beijing Tuesday night for Linyi to visit my Dad’s side of the family, I felt like I was leaving NYC to go to some random tiny little town in America that nobody’s ever heard of—literally. Everybody in China that I’ve told about Linyi doesn’t recognize it. (Pretty sure Podunk actually means random place in the middle of no where, or at least this is what I think a former teacher from the Iowa told me).
The entire process of getting here was no where near as horrible as Mary’s trip to a random village in Uganda where she had to squeeze on like 3 buses for hours and hours on a crappy dirt road, but packing (which im including as part of the process) was HORRIBLE because I bought ALL of China in just over 2 months time. Like literally, when I’d go anywhere that sold anything, if it wasn’t clothes and had seen it before, I probly already owned it. Fortunately for me and everybody else who I’m bringing stuff back for, I’m too big to fit into any clothes here, so I haven’t even bothered looking. Saves a lot of space, time and money (to buy crap for! Whooo!)
Anyways, typically, from what I remember (because apparently we flew last time and my uncle picked us up and we drove 3 hours to linyi? --which I don’t remember at all—literally nothing of the trip), I travel by train to Linyi, riding the train for 10 hours overnight and then waking up and arriving. This time, with all of China packed into 3 suitcases (not to mention that we mailed a filled box approx 18” x 18” x 36” to linyi), I decided to travel by train so that I wouldn’t have to be paranoid about someone stealing something from one of my huge three suitcases and have to worry about getting 3 huge suitcases off the train during the brief stop in linyi.
Despite having already shipped a huge box to linyi, packing was still a nightmare because for domestic flights in china, you’re allowed 20 kg total. You can check in as many bags as you want, as long as the total isn’t over 20 kg. Once you go over, you get fined a lottt, but my uncle said that if you go over by a little, it’s not a big deal b/c they prob wouldn’t fine you.
Monday evening (10 pm flight on Tuesday): my uncle weighed my suitcases (one of which wasn’t fully packed yet) and said one was 13 kg, and the other was about 8 kg.
Early afternoon on Tuesday: Finished packing, weighed my suitcases…first check in: approx 15 kg. second check-in: 15 kg…10 kg OVER.
Late afternoon Tuesday: Frantically undid at least half of the packing I did on Monday to try and make my check-in bags lighter by putting all the heavy stuff in my carry-on. After two-plus hours, the final weigh in was, 1st check-in: 13 kg. 2nd check-in: 14 kg….-_-. I gave up. I didn’t think I could make my carry-on and heavier. By our scale, my carry-on (which was a good amount smaller than both check-in suitcases) was 18 kg.
In my carry-on suitcase: 3 korean stone pots, each weighing prob 1.5 kilo, 1 2.5 inch thick roald dahl short stories book weighing another kilo, 1 huge bag of Beijing snacks for my mom, > 1 kilo), random notebooks—prob another kilo, my laptop, > 3 kilos -_-; One Kobe basketball shoe stuffed w/candy, again > 1 kilo. I have no idea what else weighed so much because it only totals to 12 kilos…THANKS MOM for making me almost throw out my back.
[Me: “Mom, check out this cool Korean pot I got today that we can use to make bibambap! It was only 28 RMB!”
Mom: What? You only got one?! How could you be so selfish? Go buy one for me and Victor!” (hahah but not my dad, we just know you too well.”)
…I had only got one because I knew it would be heavy and take up lots of space in my suitcases…if it comes down to it, do you want your stone pot or a pair of dancing shoes?]
Checking in at the airport: First suitcase: 14 kg. Airport check-in lady pretty much finishes checking me in and printing my tags for my bag when my uncle puts the 2nd suitcase on the conveyor belt. Airport check-in lady (I’m pretty sure there’s a term for this person, but I’m too lazy to think of it now, so somebody please tell me): 啥？还有一个包？(Whaaaattt? Another bag?) Second bag: 17 kg!
11 kg over --> fine: $0. =DDD
I’m pretty sure the only reason why she didn’t say anything was because I had a US passport. Probly the only time in China that I’ll ever be able to take adv of being a foreigner since I look Chinese, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Sigh, if only I looked like a foreigner…I wonder how many perks I could have gotten…
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Going through security
It was kind of weird not having to take off my shoes. I almost did it out of habit even after he told me (with a weird stare) that I didn’t need to. Then after I walked through the metal detector thing (I think my belt made it go off), I got scanned w/a metal detector very thoroughly. I think she covered my body 2-3 times over w/that detector…the way it was set up, it seemed like they scan everybody. After that, my suitcase got checked because of the metal thing that I bought victor from ikea-beijing. For some reason, the guy asked me if it was a tripod…
Finally on to Gate 42
Oh, somehow I forgot to mention that I was carrying a 20+ pound bag of dianxing (Beijing pastries) for my grandparents. I only remember now because after security, I remember opting to not put my stuff in the free little cart so I could get some “exercise” carrying this super heavy bag…not such a smart idea. Gate 42 was SOOO far away. My arm was starting to fall off and cramp up that I had to stop and switch arms/rest twice…THEN I had to go down the stairs with my suitcase and 20 lbs of pastries. I almost threw out my back.
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Waiting for Flight MU 2073
My flight was scheduled to board at 930 pm for a 10 pm takeoff. We didn’t start “boarding” until about 9:50 pm, and during that time, I found a chair (again, impossible to find b/c there are so many people) next to this Russian lady who was *GASP* going to Linyi for a business trip*GASP*!
During my last week of work, I interviewed a Russian lady who wanted to work the front desk for the hotel whose office my company used (free labor…). Afterwards, we had to wait to talk to some higher-ups (although im not actually sure I had to be there to wait haha), and me and the boss’ 12 year old kid talked to the lady for like an hour about Russian and Japanese (she spent 2 months there) life. (btw, the Japanese have some really sad sad lives). Anyways, so I spent a large part of the waiting time confirming all these facts about Russian life/learning more facts:
· Russians eat a lot of potatoes, usually mashed potatoes—what can you say? It’s usually cold. Russians eat super healthy. They use v. little oil (unlike China) and sauce for their potatoes/food in general. The typical meal has potatoes and vegetables, and little meat/meat if you’re rich.
· Russians like mayonnaise like Americans like ketchup…except probly a little more. For some reason, I wanna say that they add mayonnaise to their potatoes…I’m not sure about if that’s true, but I know that Russians put mayonnaise on their spaghetti…(?!?!?)although only a tablespoon…they’re not big on the sauce. Pretty much, they put mayonnaise on everything we put ketchup on and then anything else that they think needs some sauce…=0
· Moscow is super expensive to live in. The avg person in Moscow might make 50,000 rubles a month (29 rubles to a dollar), but they’d pay 25,000 rubles a month to live in a room w/a bathroom and kitchen—and by 1 room I mean, no common room. You walk in to the room w/the pull-out couch, and that is the bedroom/living/dining room all in one.
· Moscowians are mean and impatient. Just like new Yorkers, what else is new? Ask them for help w/directions and they’ll tell you “I don’t live in Moscow, I don’t know”
· Visit St. Petersburg if you ever plan on going to Russia, skip Moscow. Go to St. Petersburg for the atmosphere and make sure to get to the room of a building (even if it’s illegal) b/c the view and atmosphere are amazing. But make sure you visit in May or Sept when it’s not too cold.
· The Russian govt sucks at deal w/cold weather. Every year, they’re like oh, it’s winter time, it’s snowed, and yet they’ve failed to prepare for it and fail to properly clean the roads. (now they sound really incompetent)
· Want to make money? Bring a fan to Russia/sell AC/learn how to install AC. The smog/forest fire in Russia has made fans cost 3000 rubles (usually like 700 I think), and AC is 10,000 rubles at least IF you can even find a place that has AC to sell. Then you have to wait three weeks for the guy to install your AC and that’ll cost you another 700 (I’ve heard 3000, but maybe that’s w/o the 3 week wait) rubles. That’s the cheapest way to get AC.
Honestly, Russia has never been high up on my list of places to visit, and I’m not sure it’ll ever get up there.
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Finally, around 9:50 pm, they call our flight to “board”. I don’t know how I didn’t realize it earlier, but our terminal was on the ground level, so by board, they meant board the bus that will take you to the STAIRS (?! WTF?! If only I had had a wheelchair to make a scene about it…) UP to the plane…-_-. For the 2nd time in an hour, I thought I was gonna throw out my back trying to lug (probly) 20 kilos w/my right hand up the stairs while lugging 10 more kilos up in my left hand.
I don’t remember anything about the last domestic flight I was on in China (I feel like this is the first time, but somehow I doubt it…), but the guy next to me told me that some airlines gave out asian snacks on the flights, so I was really excited...i got a bottle of water. -_-. And I thought US airlines were cutting back because of the recession…
When I walked of the stairs and walked across the runway to the Linyi baggage claim room, I knew I wasn’t in Beijing anymore just by glancing around and seeing in the dimly lit room 1. Their bathrooms (from afar, of course) and 2. This sign for first aid:
HAHAHA I just looked it up…Linyi is 2400 years old and has 10 million people, but I’m not sure how many people live where the city is (instead of the outer edges). So you can compare, Beijing has 22 million.
Yea, yea, I know some of you are probly thinkin that I need to stop drinking the hatorade. I’m just stating facts tho. Last time I came in 2008, Linyi JUST got their first Mcdonald’s.
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