Vicious Rants of an Angry Yellow Man

As promised a story that demonstrates some of the problems that still plague China. I have to admit I bear some responsibility to get us in trouble in the first place.

We were leaving Quangzhou (Canton) by train to HK. It started with a problem at the hotel where we were delayed because of the incompetence of the staff. As a result we took the first two taxis that came by. You see we were warned by friends that there are taxis drivers that were incompetent and some vans that were unlicensed driven by crimnals who may rob you. This is in one of the major cities of China! We were told that the green taxis were the best and had the most competent and honest drivers. But since we were delayed I decided to take a red taxi because it was first one. I figure that I speak Cantonese and this is day time and the train station is not too far away, I should be all right. I went in with my 2 girls and my wife and 2 sons would take the next taxi. My wife told the driver to go the the "east" railroad station. Now if I was at some place where they spoke Mandarin I would have checked the tickets and make sure I got it right. But I was over confident and I thought she said "main" station. Main and east sounded alike in Cantonese and I figured this being a train that crosses the border that it would make sense that it would originate from the main station rather than a sub station.

I noticed that the driver didn't seem to know Cantonese well. It turns out that there are a lot people from rural and northern areas moving into southern cities to find jobs. Whereas before almost everyone spoke Cantonese in Guangdong province, it isn't the case anymore. I was not worried still because when we got to the station a big sign said main station in Chinese. I asked the guy if this is where the train to HK is at and he nodded. Obviously no clue to what I said. The place is a zoo. In retrospect I know why the train to HK is at east station. This is so the foreigners will be more comfortable and avoid the crowd! I only saw trains to other cities in China but no HK line at this station. Finally I stopped a staff member and asked her. Of course she does not speak Cantonese! But I get the message that this is the wrong place and I then checked the ticket and realized my error. I started running to the taxi stand. But people were lining up to take taxis. I was stopped by a policeman for trying to cut in line. Fortunately he spoke Cantonese and I was able to explain that the previous cab driver had messed me up and I was running out of time. He sympathasized with me and let me go to the front of the line!

The second cab is a green one! The driver also spoke Cantonese! He told me that we were 3 miles away and that we can make it. Of course he drove crazily through traffic (not unusual in China). But of course the traffice was horrible and it was much farther than 3 miles! He dropped us off at an underground entrance with no signs. I asked him where is the station and he said go down the stairs of the entrance and we would be at the train station. I had my doubts but I had no choice but to run down the stairs. Well, at the bottom of the stairs was a subway station, not a railroad station! I asked the guard there how do get to the railroad station and he said pay the token and then walk to the end of the corridor, turn left and walk to the end of the next corridor, go up the escalators and you would be there. So I don't have to take the subway? No, he replied. So I still have to pay? Yes, he replied. Can I just pay you some American money and you let us jump over the turnstile? No, he replied. You must buy the tokens at the machine here. So we spent another minute or two buying 3 tokens and started our way down the corridor.

I must mention at this point that I have had diarrhea for 3 days and had not eaten for 3 days. I had very little energy to begin with. So after we went thru the turnstile and saw the length of the corridor, I knew I was in trouble. But adrenalin was flowing and I started out sprinting much faster than my 2 daughters. About 100 yards or half way through the corridor my adrenalin ran out. My legs became wet noodles, and my lungs were burning. In slow motion I saw my daughters pulling past me, probably laughing. As we turned left I realized that the next corridor was just as long with just as many people. My daughters waited for me at the escalators. People moved over to let us run up but I was too exhausted. I was breathing so hard that they must thought I may need cpr soon. When we got to the top we found the gate with 5 minutes before departure time! Alas, they stopped us. We had to pass the gate with 15 minutes before departure time. I was livid and I demanded to know what should we do now. The guard said go back downstairs and talk to the ticket agents!

Of course the ticket agent downstair told us that the tickets are not refundable and that we would have to buy new tickets if we want to catch the next train. Of course they do not take American dollars nor credit cards. Where can we exchange money? Upstairs, of course. Of course I cannot make it upstairs so I sent my daughters upstairs. I lied down on the floor and then it hit me! My wife has our passports. If she had gotton on the train which it seems to be the case as she and my sons are not here, then we are in trouble. I can't even get on the train without the passport. This is why they closed the gate 15 minutes before departure because you have to show your passport before getting on the train. If my wife had gone to HK she can't come back to get us today because it requires a visa to return to China. I am really in trouble here.

Suddenly a familar voice called out my name. I thought I had passed out and was hallucinating my wife's voice. But it was her! She had realized that she had our passports! When she got to the terminal and didn't see us there, she went up to the gate and was told that nobody can get on the train without a passport. So she knew we had not make it. Of course she is worried that the cab driver had taken us hostage or rob us and left us at some remote place. She decided to send the boys ahead to HK and stayed behind to wait for us outside the terminal figuring that hopefully we would show up at the front door in a cab. Of course we had not come from the front door but from some subway station at least half mile away. She came in a couple of times but with all the people with yellow skin and black hair she thought she was at Berkeley and went back outside. This time she was able to spot me because all my blood had gone to keep my lungs and heart working so my skin was as pale as can be. The equivalent of about 140 American dollars later, the 4 of us were on the way to HK.

As you can see just writing about this experience have exhausted me. So I will wait till next time to analyze this whole thing.