Latest Column for Expat Focus.... I've been living in the middle of China for almost two months now. It's my second expat posting, so while I'm not a newbie to "expat life", having bandied about the term 'culture shock' on this column many times, I've got to say, in all honesty I had rather naively forgotten how confronting moving to a new country could be. Arriving in Xi'an, North West China, I knew no one - not a single soul, bar my husband and 3 year old daughter. We arrived at the Westin Hotel - our new home, in the middle of a grey, wet night. A short flight from Hong Kong, but I went from living next door to the world's 7th tallest skyscraper on the 43rd floor to a five story hotel that stands opposite a 1300 year old wild goose pagoda. Chalk and cheese to say the least! It's fair to say, my first week had me lost in a blur of speechlessness, afraid to breathe for fear of being overwhelmed by the rawness of such a contrasting culture. China is a place where road rules seem non existent -- cars, busses, bikes and pedestrians all competing for the same spot with the same vigor, their hands heavy on the horn but not the break. Someone once said, "In China, whatever's bigger, gets right of way!" As a pedestrian, crossing the road is taking your life in your own hands. Undecipherable Chinese characters flash vibrantly on neon-lit signs from the side of buildings, strange looking three-wheeler motorbikes rattle on by, loaded up with precariously balanced goods. Cars mount footpaths for faster access….most toilets are holes in the ground and spoken English is minimal. There is a distinct lump in my throat and that sinking feeling lingers in the pit of my stomach as I desperately try to keep my head above water and tear free, reminding myself this is all part of the 'journey'. To read more click here...to Expat Focus … [Read more...]
Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors: The Largest Jigsaw in the World
Mention Xi'an - one of China's 656 cities and more often than not, you'll (understandably) get a blank look. Followed by: "How do you say that? EX-ee-arn? See-arn?" For the record, the general consensus round these parts seems to be Shee-arn - with a slight T sound on the S... which of course if you're a westerner who's never learned Chinese before, sounds about as foreign as having er, mustard on your toast! Mention the "Terracotta Warriors" though and there's usually a collective "Ahhh oohhh ...yes, yes! I've heard of the Terracotta Army!" There's no doubt this legion of clay soldiers has put Xi'an, the ancient capital of China back on the map. If China's on your bucket list and you love a bit of historical mystery - it's usually Beijing, Shanghai and then Xi'an, for a glimpse of these now, world-famous warriors. Of course it was only a matter of time before I went to check out this global phenomenon myself. I'm sure it won't be the last - have visitors, our clay friends will no doubt top the list of must-see sights! They have been declared the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. (FYI, there are seven 'official' wonders - including the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef - but visiting former French President Jaques Chirac was so impressed, he thought they should be added to the list!) After witnessing the miracle of these majestic warriors on display, I must say I'm inclined to agree! Incredibly, they were only unearthed in 1974 - just 40 years ago. So how an earth did an estimated 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses slide under the radar for a mere 2,200 years? The story goes -- they were so far underground (and most of them smashed into a million pieces) that previous farmers on the land at XiYang Village, east of Xi'an had simply dismissed any fragments of clay found over the years. That is until one day local peasants drilling a well in search of water happened to run into these blokes again… well, pieces of broken pottery along with some pretty impressive ancient bronze weapons! Initially thinking they'd found jars from an old kiln, instead exposing the pottery head of a soldier, they knew they'd uncovered something out of the ordinary and called the village head, who in turn called the government to investigate matters further. And as they say, the rest is history! Exploration and excavation began on what they call the 'first pit' in earnest and one by one this army of troops was revealed; some missing arms, legs, heads, some in a thousand pieces and some still in tact, still standing, perfectly formed!! I'm no history buff, but to put it in simple terms….here's how the Terracotta Army came into being. It was 247 BC and there was a 13 year old boy who'd just became King of the Qin State. (Qin translates to China.) At the time China was made up of seven kingdoms and this young boy who was smart and ambitious set out to unify China. By the age of 39 he had successfully completed his mission, calling himself the First Emperor of China. Emperor Qin of the Qin Dynasty. Clearly as well as being industrious, he also carried a bit of an ego because soon after becoming King he designed his own mausoleum where he would be buried when he died (with a piece of gold in one hand and a piece of jade in the other to protect him in the afterlife)! Bearing an overwhelming fear of death, the Emperor believed that life underground after death was a continuation of life on earth. Thus, his mausoleum wasn't just any old grave, it was the largest tomb in the world! At 56 square kilometres, standing 100 metres high, he drafted a labour force of 700-thousand people to build it. It took 38 years! Constructed between Xi'an's Mount Li and the Wei River for good Feng Shui…it was an underground treasure house. This subterranean palace contained replica rivers and streams in quicksilver; pits of rare birds and animals, bronze chariots and horses, plus precious stones; while his outer coffin was made of molten copper and surrounded by candles made of whale oil to ensure they would burn eternally. Guarding the entrance to this palatial tomb stood the Terracotta Warriors, each one made to reflect individual real-life soldiers. Every single one was different. Made from local clay - that is clearly unique - allowing the warriors to survive to this day -- it's believed the torso and arms of the soldiers were hollow, using thick clay coils in the middle, with the clay moulded around the outside. The legs were solid and the facial features sculpted by sharp bamboo. It's thought they were put into the natural air to dry before being fired at around 1000 degrees. Remember this is 2200 years ago but the technology used has been praised as quite remarkable. Each warrior was painted in bold, bright colors, believed to be a layer of lacquer on the surface and then colored with paint made of minerals. The Emperor's obsession with his mortality, made him determined to find the elixir of life and at 50, he reportedly took a potion to ensure his longevity which ironically contained mercury and killed him! The following year the Qin Dynasty was vehemently overthrown and the Terracotta Warriors surrounding the mausoleum smashed to pieces and burned, submerged for the next 2,200 years…. That is until, their miraculous discovery! Following the discovery of pit no 1, pit no 2 and 3 were also uncovered in 1976. All three pits are five to seven metres below ground level, the warriors lined up in battle formation, standing on paved pottery bricks with a wooden roof covered by layers of thick fibre mats, fine soil and tilled earth to conceal the army. Each pit is different in shape - pit three the smallest at 520 square metres - pit one the largest at 14,000 square metres. First opened to the public in 1979 as 'Emperor QinShihuang's Terra-Cotta Museum', 2000 square metres had been excavated and 1087 terra-cotta warriors and horses were on display. The XiYang Village became world famous. In 1986, the Queen of England came to visit the site and wanted the main founder of the warriors to sign something for her, but as a peasant farmer he was illiterate. From that day on a famous Chinese calligrapher was called in to teach him to sign his name. And it seems he's never stopped. When we visited, the former farmer, now 80, was there signing book after book! Standing inside these massive hangar-like structures (the original site of the pits) it's a breath taking sight. Rows upon rows of life-size warriors stare resolutely forward, in a ghostly manner. Each section of warriors is representative of infantrymen, cavalrymen, archers and charioteers all with varying weapons according to rank, along with different hairstyles and clothing to mark their authority. Seeing them assembled as they originally would have been, it's hard to comprehend this spectacular excavation process. In the beginning there were just two people reconstructing these soldiers, piece by piece, bit by bit. By 1990 there were 24 and today hundreds of skilled men and women from all over the world work on piecing together thousands of clay fragments, in piles waiting for connection. If the workers can find one piece that fits in a day, it's considered "a lucky day!" To complete one soldier it takes around seven years and many cannot be restored. There are no new pieces used. And what's even more incredible? There are still many hundreds of warriors buried, yet to be unearthed. As technology expands, there is a tendency to leave the warriors until more is known. You may remember I said these warriors were painted bright colors, bold blues, reds and yellows? When they have been uncovered, in the past, many of them still wore flakes of colored paint - which in the open air quickly oxidates. It's hoped over time, archeologists will discover new technologies to keep them in their preserved state. Also uncovered near the mausoleum were two sets of bronze chariots, namely the biggest bronze work in the world. A chariot weighing 1100 kilos! It's believed these (modeled at half the size of a real chariot, horse and driver) were to be used by the Emperor when he went on inspection tours in his afterlife. In the last 20 years, it's become the biggest museum in China bringing in 40,000 visitors a day. Considered to be one of he most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, there's no denying Xi'an's gone to the pot! The terracotta type that is! A jigsaw that once completed will surely stand the test of time. Visiting Xi'an? Fast Facts: Where: The site of the Terracotta Warriors is around 45 minutes (or 35 kilometres) east of Xi'an city. When: Open all year round. Costs: CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) Time: Allow yourself at least half a day to see this spectacle. What: Wheelchairs available. BYO child's stroller recommended. Eat: There are tea houses/restaurants plus tourist stalls selling memorabilia. How: Find more information here. Tips: If you can, I recommend hiring a tour guide to take you through the pits so you can understand the fascinating history behind the phenomenal Terracotta Army! … [Read more...]
China – Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Backwards.
We all have those days don't we, where everything we attempt to do is just plain difficult! The Gods are not smiling on us…..we usually just put it down to one of those days….and hopefully, move on. Tomorrow is after all, another day! At the moment as we try to settle into a new country, namely big bad China - those days, typically tend to be more frequent than not. (Don't mention the power cuts!!) The hotelier, Miss A and I have at times felt like we are living out a scene from the Griswolds… (If you don't know the term....the movie National Lampoon's Vacation is aptly a comedy series about the misadventures of the Griswold family, whose, quote: "attempts to enjoy vacations and holidays are plagued with continual disasters and strangely ridiculous predicaments.") Say no more! In a nutshell, everything we attempted required an almighty dollop of patience with a splash of humour on top! "I'll have a Sprite thanks. Actually make that two lemonades for us." Waitress returns ten minutes later, "So do you want one Sprite and one lemonade?" "Isn't that the same thing?" "No it's not." And breathe….. Clearly our confronting and extremely inconvenient lack of Chinese is mostly to blame for the shenanigans that ensue, but there's also a cultural divide that means ways of doing things aren't necessarily aligned amongst all parties. (Note how I say that in the politest way possible!) To top it off, Internet is intermittent at the best of times. VPN's drop in and out….phone service is patchy…with plans seemingly chewing through data at a rate of knots. Banking can be a painstaking affair in any country, but here in China, we managed to find ourselves both credit card-less and cashless for a (thankfully) brief period of time. Our Hong Kong credit cards it seems are not geared to work online (something about 'activation' is eventually revealed) and banks back in our home countries have gone into lockdown mode, blocking our cards after suspected suspicious activity in a foreign land. While I appreciate their quick action - attempting to book a flight online for the 15th time (what? of course I'm not trying to escape!) with dodgy internet and cards that are stalled at every turn, can turn even the most patient man I know into a frazzled, bug eyed cot case!! For a few days our eft-pos cards refuse to work in the ATM's and it's difficult to decipher the problem laid out before us in Chinese… and well… getting a Chinese bank account, of course, is no simple task for a foreigner. Obviously the lap top the hotelier uses for his day job is not happy with so much frenzied activity because it has a meltdown and promptly packs it in. Of course getting it fixed is like asking asking for the winning lotto ticket numbers, as is getting a straight answer! With the hotelier diligently downstairs working, I get a phone call in the hotel room - a man we can call 'MR I.T' says he is here to fix the laptop. I reply that Mr Walkden is working in his office. "No he's not, the door is closed," he says. Me: Ahhh OK, well I guess he could be anywhere in the hotel, I'm sorry I don't know. The dialogue continues something like this. Mr I.T: Can I come back later to fix the laptop? (Brief experience tells me if I let him go now, we may never lay eyes on him again) Me: Can you call him to see where he might be right now? Mr I.T: No. Me: Okaaaay, Where are you? Mr I.T: Outside room 5306. Me: (half dressed) realize Mr I.T is at my front door. Hastily throw on some clothes and greet him, reiterate, no the laptop isn't here and nor is Mr Walkden. Would you like me to call him? Mr I.T: OK. I call the hotelier…who's conveniently just up the hallway, in the executive club having a meeting and tells me to send him that way. Mr I.T nods enthusiastically in agreement….but apparently he doesn't make it there for several hours!? Lap top is eventually fixed that evening, but by the time the hotelier boards a plane the next day, it is no longer operating. And breathe….. So all the while I am negotiating with Mr I.T, we are told the hotelier's visa is ready and he must fly to Hong Kong asap! We also discover we need passport photos for everyone, pronto! Not an easy task it seems. We find out nowhere in Xi'an is able to specifically take this kind of photo, bar some photo booths on the other side of town in the underground train station. (While China is home to the globe's biggest 'new travellers' - in reality, only a small portion of the 1.3 billion population actually holds a passport.) So we are advised we must get to a photographer's studio at once! We meet downstairs and are bundled into hotel car and driven five minutes to a slightly ramshackle area and dropped off at a shopfront door, literally. (Actually, I think we are on the footpath.) Picturing the site of us three 'Gweilos' entering, has me chuckling to myself. We enter the nondescript shop where a lady sits at a computer, with a few aptly framed photos on display. She babbles to us in Chinese and when she realizes we can't speak her lingo, promptly turns around and goes back to work on the computer. (Pesky Gweilos, I know!!) I try a few lame words in Chinese like 'now' and 'photo'? but for some reason whenever I am in a 'situation,' the Chinese I have supposedly learnt, eludes me. I am blank!? Please explain!! Again she replies in Chinese and turns away, ignoring us. The hotelier decides it's time to use the 'bat phone' to call for help. Tina - our 'ever patient personal translator' is on the line and speaks with the lady on the computer and it all seems clear. She will take our photos but she doesn't know what size passport photos are, so this is going to take some organizing. So we hang up and wait….and wait….. and wait. Nothing is happening. Time is ticking.....people are starting to stare through the glass at us and some are taking photos! We call our ever 'patient personal translator' again and this time we get the green light! She's ready to do the photos! We are shuffled into a studio. James goes first and is told (we think) to do his jacket up and straighten his collar (these are clearly not just any old passport photos). She pulls at her ear and I think she's telling me to listen, but eventually work out she wants my earrings off. It's a bit like playing charades, we stifle our giggles. Ava's turn and for the 'ever posing show pony,' sitting still without cracking a smile is proving difficult. The lady is faffing abut with Ava's hair until she's satisfied and gesturing madly at her to keep her hands by sides (this is not a modeling shoot young lady)! Finally, we are done. We pay about US$20 and are whisked out of the shop into our waiting car. I feel like Brangelina again (clearly minus her looks and money...oh and the six kids)! I am then off to the hair dresser where I decide, as well as getting a blow dry I will be doubly brave today and ask to get my nails done. I have practiced the word for 'doing nails'….so they seem to get my gist -- but immediately start to wrap tinfoil around each finger. I know this is the way to remove a certain type of gel (you ladies will know it as 'soft' gel) but alas I have 'hard' gel and never the twain shall meet! I know that it is not going budge with some mere tinfoil, so I try explaining it's hard gel, I even use my trusty chinese app, but appear to be failing miserably. Time to call Tina our 'ever patient personal translator' again - she explains and again it all seems clear, they know it's hard gel but this will certainly work. Ok, you're the boss, I think, so I sit back and relax….a few minutes later the foil is off but the gel nail is not. Hmmm dilemma, now I can see they are really confused… there's a lot of spirited chatter back and forth. All I can do is smile meekly. She attempts to scrape it off and so I make the noise for machine….bzzzzzz…..but they look at me like I am slightly crazy. I point to the nail file and she attempts to file it off. It takes a looong time, but it sort of works. I am sure they are stumped with the weird 'white' lady with her 'white' hair and ironically strange 'white' nails….Who is she and why does she keep coming back!! But they bring me two tiny apple-like looking fruit to try (I later find out are called Nai, or Crab Apples), so I figure maybe they aren't too annoyed with me. Meantime, my new found hairdresser has been learning English and is like an excited puppy dog, sitting next to me while my nails are finished. We both decide in our broken English/Mandarin this relationship could work! I teach him, he teaches me. I decide to really push the boat out and test the waters to see if he can 'colour' my hair. My slightly er darker/grey roots are showing through and it's not going to be pretty. He seems to understand eventually and shows me his colour chart with two types of blonde. Just two. Not a lot of choice but perhaps that's a good thing. I learn the word for foils and show him pictures on Pinterest. Here's where it gets tricky as I want to explain that I don't want my hair too gold, so I find the word for 'gold' and say 'not want' in my best chinese, so he thinks I want 'white' but I say no. I search for the words, caramel and beige but these are lost on him. If I say ash, I will surely get grey hair. Xi'an is greying my hair by the minute so ash colour won't be necessary. He proudly shows me a picture of the only white woman's hair he has colored and says she likes red. Does she ever. It is the brightest, boldest fire engine red I've ever seen! He tells me again he is the best hairdresser in Xian after all, and says "just let me try." But to me that alarmingly sounds like a toddler asking to "just let me try pouring the milk on my cereal." We all know how that ends! I remain noncommittal and decide to do a poll on Facebook that night. Enthusiastic hairdresser and I connect on We Chat (the What's App/Facebook equivalent) and I leave with some 'Zai Jians' and see you next week - it's been an intense maintenance session…I'm not really sure what just happened, but it was reasonably successful, I have my hair done and my nails look reasonable enough for public display. Two steps forward, ten steps backwards. This is China! And breathe....... Proud to share this one over at Seychelle Mama's for My Expat Family. … [Read more...]
Week Three: So this is China…
So, it's almost three weeks into this "journey" and I've had some time to exhale and gradually ease myself into life in China. Ahhhh 'Life in China' -- even saying it out loud feels like a strange out of body experience. Me? In China?! How did that happen? I'm rediscovering that adjusting to a new city is by no means a quick process. For me, it's about slowly ticking the boxes, finding a routine of some description and getting used to the surroundings. In Xi'an, our immediate surroundings are by no means alien; a plush 5-Star hotel, leafy green streets, trendy cafes, bars and big shopping centres….all seemingly normal things, found in many parts of the world, right? But it's the little things that jolt you back into reality. Did somebody say NO chocolate?! 'Toto we're not in Kansas anymore.' (Care packages welcome.) Yes, the little things...for a start, cars are driving on the wrong side of the road! Now, that I can cope with…but they are also driving all over the road, not to mention on the footpath! (Yes, you can imagine the less robust pathways are in a constant state of repair.) There are no rules, or so it seems! If there are, they are of the unspoken variety. It's perfectly ok to cut across four lanes of traffic without so much as a flick of the indicator, or heaven forbid even the slightest pressure on the break. Drivers obliviously weave in and out from one lane to the next, all the while incessantly beeping (which in itself is enough to cause a small migraine, let alone the narrow misses and heart failing site of cars coming directly at you)! It's fair to say the one road rule that does apply, is 'whoever's biggest gets right of way,' and that includes pedestrians. You know those little green pedestrian lights - usually people or signs that say 'walk' or 'cross'? -- they differ in every country but generally it's universal for 'you may cross safely, cars will stop.' But not here. Here, you take your life in your own hands. Bikes, cars, trucks, busses and tuk tuks - will just keep on coming without slowing down (not even a little). In fact if you're in the way, you're likely to get a rather filthy look and a shake of the head. Miss A is learning relatively fast to proceed with caution in any public space! (Explaining to a small person why the cars don't stop when they should is a little challenging.) To add to the rather hairy situation, motorcyclists don't wear crash helmets, like ever. And it's a mode of transport that more often than not applies the "kid sandwich" theory. Dad on the front, mum on the back and junior in the middle…or juniors! I am impressed though, with their nifty raincoats and umbrellas attached like mini tents for those wet and wild days. Speaking of the weather, there's the little fact that the sky is more often than not a hazy shade of grey. Of course having lived in Hong Kong for four years, I am used to 50 shades, but here the pollution, brings a slightly more consistent shade to the mix. Having teased my British husband for being the eternal weather optimist for years (Him: "I can see a small patch of blue sky in the far, far east…there, can't you see it??!" Me: "NO, it's raining!") I now find myself desperately throwing open the blinds each morning, looking up and searching, squinting, scanning the sky, for a more favourable shade of blue-grey. To Xi'an's credit, we have had some beautiful summer days I must admit, to keep me sane. (Whistles tune "Always look on the bright side of life.....") What the weather lacks in colour, the city's architecture certainly makes up for. Oriental and ornate, rooftops are classically Chinese traditional styles and Xi'an is not short on stunning monuments, to gaze at in admiration. The city is vibrantly lit up with red lanterns and there is a genuine love affair with giant LED screens. For the most part there are no English signs, that's zero, zilch! Unless the retailers are going for the quirky "look I have hip English store name" that doesn't make a whole lot of sense - (but of course that's not the point). What these shopping centres may lack in Gweilo-friendly fare, they certainly make up for in kid friendly fun! There are more 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' style 'fun centres' than any parent could dare to hope for. (For the record, I have discovered Zara, H & M and Starbucks, so I am essentially able to survive, despite the distinct lack of good chocolate and Mint Mochas!) Fun centres and chocolate aside, there is however, the small problem of bathroom visits, which with a three year old, come far more often than I'd like and naturally at the most inopportune moments. I'm used to hightailing it to the nearest loo, but even when you make it in time, the challenge is not over. The ever present 'squat toilets' occupy most shopping centres and public places. (Note to self and anyone visiting: never leave home sans tissues.) Squatting is clearly an art one must master and one I'm not all that keen on getting the hang of... but, I fear we have little choice round these parts. Good for the thighs they say! Anywhere in a public space, the level of staring is at best intense….I am now empathizing with Brangelina as I walk the streets, acutely aware there are pairs of curious eyes everywhere giving us the once over. (Who needs Hollywood!) The number of photos taken/asked for is slightly overwhelming…. Mostly they want a piece of mini blondie and it usually evolves like a scene from The Bodyguard - me at close range, sizing up the crowds for any sneaky phones pointing in our direction and fending off over excited locals who can't help themselves from reaching out to pinch Ava's white chubby cheeks or twirl that long golden hair. Anyone requesting photos is told to ask the celebrity herself and if she says no, then the red carpet is unfortunately not rolled out. Then there are the children who are literally thrown at Ava, their parents desperate to hear little Johnny or Jill rattle of his or her newly learned English. Say "Hello!!" they implore (the poor child often anything but keen to drape her arms around a child she's never laid eyes on). The parents unwilling to lose this photo opportunity, smile through clenched teeth, refusing to leave the scene until child cooperates and much wanted picture is captured. And all this, just on our way to coffee! Thankfully they are generally friendly and (provided we're not in a hurry) we can manage the paparazzi - but I can't help but notice the tiny toddler fact that many of them are wearing pants with the bottoms cut out! (FYI - that's toddlers not parents.) Ah yes, you might guess what comes next…apparently it makes for easy toilet access….. I can't quite grasp the concept but it appears to be a popular one. I guess there's nothing to say but, bottoms up! After all...This is China. … [Read more...]
When the Lights Go Out: Hotel Confessions
It was late afternoon and little Miss A and I were sitting in the hotel lobby bar having a spot of afternoon tea. (What's a girl(s) to do in a new city!) Ava was doing her best to entertain the staff….regaling them with tales about dad liking beer, mum speaking Chinese (I do?) and did you know I wore a purple wedding dress when I got married! (I did?) I was cringing a little at what might be revealed next, but just quietly, enjoying the peace -- when 'boom' the lights went off. Nothing too serious, we initially thought. Nothing to bat an eyelid over…naturally there was a bit of commotion, some surveying of the damage. Was it just in the bar or the was the entire hotel without power? Wait, we think it's the whole area! I casually queried whether this was a normal occurrence? There is apparently a government request for businesses and homes to reduce their power usage between 4 and 6pm but the staff were confident this wasn't the problem. In perfect timing, Ava needed the toilets, which of course happened to be in pitch black, so we called it a day on our fancy cakes and went upstairs to our room. By now the sun was setting and dusk meant it was getting rather dark. The hotel known for its vivid red glow was gradually becoming a shadowy figure of its former self. Given the small fact that candles pose an insurance liability in a hotel, I decided we had no choice but to head to the (conveniently located on our floor) 'executive club'. After all, what's a girl(s) to do in a power outage? A glass of red for me and apple juice for junior, that's what! Emergency lights kept things (like my wine glass and the all important fairy wings) manageable…...meantime, a frantic hotelier I know was in and out trying to ascertain the problem through various muddled translations from Chinese to English with his number two and the powers that be… (no pun intended). Generators were hastily arranged for and negotiations(?) on price underway. Meantime, irate customers paying through the nose, were clearly getting hot under the collar at the lack of five star facilities, naturally oblivious to the fact this 'unexplained event' seemed to be in no one's control. 10pm and still no one is any the wiser on why the power cut has occurred....(at least no one is taking ownership). For the frantic hotelier, answers are lost in translation and things are getting chaotic with the generators still no where to be seen. When they finally do appear, it seems they have come with the wrong bolts to connect these thick, rope-like cables that are now splayed out across the bowels of the hotel. (The hotelier's aware one wrong connection and it could go more than a little haywire!!) I can feel his blood pressure rising by the minute…… as he bids us goodnight to survey the scene - us tucked up in bed clutching our torches. I wake every half hour, the air now stifled with no air-conditioning, no clock or phone to tell the time….and still, no hotelier. He tells me later, there are frustrated guests lining up at reception in what is now the middle of the night ready to report the injustice of such an atrocity on social media the next day….then there's the drunk woman who's planted herself precariously on a chair in the lobby, too intoxicated to find her room. An Australian is checking in at 130am - behaving far more reasonable than most (go Aussies!) as he's told of the current dire situation. "Sorry Sir, this is not Fawlty Towers, yet." A few restless hours later, voila - it's 4am on the newly-lit clock and the entire room lights up, hell the door bell even rings, the air conditioning starts whirring….and we are back in business, my small person none the wiser. Phew. The hotelier arrives minutes later…. exhausted and still unclear as to what has just occurred in the last 12 hours. But for now the hotel is charged up! A few hours later, it's a new day, he's up and off to see the Power Bureau. Apparently a show of authority will ensure more efficient 'handling' of the problem at hand. We wait…. Mid afternoon and a damaged cable is found 120 metres from the hotel and things are hopeful of being resolved (provided the hotel agrees to fork out the cost of fixing the wayward cable) but not in any hurry... and certainly not soon enough for the enraged client who's holding a swanky corporate party in the sunken garden that evening, boasting enough lights to sink a battleship (or possibly a hotel)?! Who really knows….... The generators pump furiously through the day and night to keep the hotel in action but the luke warm water and intermittent power shortages are not enough to keep hotel guests from blowing off steam at any moment. The pollution in Xi'an is not the great at the best of times and now fumes from the generators are wafting through the atrium, guests now complaining they are suffocating. I think the hotelier is greying by the second. Another night and between 4am and 7am the power switches on and off several times, each time it does, the door bell rings. I'm starting to think maybe I really am in Fawlty Towers. After all, this is China. Basilllll!!! … [Read more...]
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