toastykitten (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
toastykitten) wrote2007-02-11 10:19 pm
toastykitten) wrote2007-02-11 10:19 pm
guangzhou, china
Guangzhou was a short flight from Hangzhou. After everyone waited forever and a day for their luggage, we took off for our hotel. Some of the tour people were going elsewhere, and the rest were going to visit relatives either in Guangzhou, Hong Kong or neighboring villages. Getting to the hotel was a relief. All we did was sleep for the entire day, and my parents made arrangements with my cousin Nina to see us for dinner later.
You know what was also a relief? Speaking in Cantonese! In Guangzhou, I could be understood, and even find my way around if I wanted to. I felt like less of a stranger in someone's house, and more like I was home.
Guangzhou was hot and humid. We broke into a sweat every time we went outside, even at night. For dinner, Nina took us to a Macau restaurant, and it was the best meal of the entire trip so far. I don't remember much of what we ate except crunchy, delicious, tasty, tasty fried pork skin. Nina seemed pretty cool - she was a little older than my oldest sister, but still very nice and not motherly at all. She worked for Mary Kay, and was hoping to be able to get a work trip out to the U.S. It would have to be in Dallas, though. We found out then that she had applied to go to college in the U.S., but was denied based on the fact that her mother and one of her sisters already lived in the U.S., and the government thought that she would attempt to stay past her student visa. (Well, wouldn't you?) She had no way of seeing her mother except when her mother occasionally went back to China to visit, and that happens at most, once a year. Anyway, I later discovered that she was also divorced due to infertility, whether on her part or the ex's part was never determined. It was something that no one really talked about.
On the way out we bagged some leftovers and my mom got accosted by some beggar kids, who came up to her and pointed at her grocery bags. Nina stopped my mom from giving them anything, saying they had someone taking care of them and were there only to rip off unsuspecting tourists.
Afterwards, my parents got really tired and went to sleep early. Nina took me and two of my sisters out for a night on the town. We went to where all the "goo-wahk jai lui" kicked it, in a little shopping area that no tour bus would ever take us to. The shopping area was filled with the youth of China smoking, drinking, playing cards in the alleys, and totally not wearing deodorant at all. The uniform of the moment seemed to be crimped hair, baggy pants, sweatshirts and a cigarette. All the shops were really tiny and crowded, and smelled like a blend of alcohol and sweat. Nina was an expert bargainer, and helped my sister bargain to get some cute anime shirts and nice jewelry. I am in awe of her bargaining powers, because she held her ground no matter how hard the seller cajoled and wheedled, and she got what she wanted. She was also going to take us to snack on some street food, but by the time we got there it already closed.
She took us back to our hotel and wouldn't let us pay for cab fare. We American-born haven't learned the stubbornness of holding our ground like they have. Oh well. Anyway, we promised to see her again if we came back, and hopefully she'll get a chance to come visit us.
You know what was also a relief? Speaking in Cantonese! In Guangzhou, I could be understood, and even find my way around if I wanted to. I felt like less of a stranger in someone's house, and more like I was home.
Guangzhou was hot and humid. We broke into a sweat every time we went outside, even at night. For dinner, Nina took us to a Macau restaurant, and it was the best meal of the entire trip so far. I don't remember much of what we ate except crunchy, delicious, tasty, tasty fried pork skin. Nina seemed pretty cool - she was a little older than my oldest sister, but still very nice and not motherly at all. She worked for Mary Kay, and was hoping to be able to get a work trip out to the U.S. It would have to be in Dallas, though. We found out then that she had applied to go to college in the U.S., but was denied based on the fact that her mother and one of her sisters already lived in the U.S., and the government thought that she would attempt to stay past her student visa. (Well, wouldn't you?) She had no way of seeing her mother except when her mother occasionally went back to China to visit, and that happens at most, once a year. Anyway, I later discovered that she was also divorced due to infertility, whether on her part or the ex's part was never determined. It was something that no one really talked about.
On the way out we bagged some leftovers and my mom got accosted by some beggar kids, who came up to her and pointed at her grocery bags. Nina stopped my mom from giving them anything, saying they had someone taking care of them and were there only to rip off unsuspecting tourists.
Afterwards, my parents got really tired and went to sleep early. Nina took me and two of my sisters out for a night on the town. We went to where all the "goo-wahk jai lui" kicked it, in a little shopping area that no tour bus would ever take us to. The shopping area was filled with the youth of China smoking, drinking, playing cards in the alleys, and totally not wearing deodorant at all. The uniform of the moment seemed to be crimped hair, baggy pants, sweatshirts and a cigarette. All the shops were really tiny and crowded, and smelled like a blend of alcohol and sweat. Nina was an expert bargainer, and helped my sister bargain to get some cute anime shirts and nice jewelry. I am in awe of her bargaining powers, because she held her ground no matter how hard the seller cajoled and wheedled, and she got what she wanted. She was also going to take us to snack on some street food, but by the time we got there it already closed.
She took us back to our hotel and wouldn't let us pay for cab fare. We American-born haven't learned the stubbornness of holding our ground like they have. Oh well. Anyway, we promised to see her again if we came back, and hopefully she'll get a chance to come visit us.