16 Jan, 7:15am
I reached the Bus station that should take me to Hangzhou City, Xiao Shan Airport from Shanghai. Turns out, they had no services in the morning or in the early afternoon.
Weird! How can I be holding onto a flight ticket that is to depart in the afternoon and no possible services to transport me from my current location to the airport.
After what was an eternity of discussion with the receptionist in her "amazing" English and my equally "amazing" Chinese, she gave me an alternative solution. Which was not direct, and she had no idea if the other location even had services that would get me to my destination. Either way, I had very little time and decided to take the shot.
"You take Bus 144 to Shanghai Nan Huozhe Zhan. But not Huozhe Zhan, You take Bus to Hangzhou City. But, that bus will not go to Airport. You take taxi to Airport."
"Okay. So how do I know which is my stop or where the bus station is? How long does this local bus take to get to Shanghai Railway Station? And how long is the duration from Shangahi to Hangzhou?"
"Errr. You alight 40 mins later. Its the last station. And from there you take the 3 hour bus ride to Hangzhou city".
I thanked her and saw the bus 144 just as I left my current location. Boarded 144, had a free 40 minute ride, for I forgot to pay and no one realized.
Possibly the only good thing that happened that day.
As I reached my destination and alighted, I literally took a 360 degrees turn to take in my location. No point, I had no idea where I was. She told me not to take the train ride to Hangzhou and I couldn't find the city-city bus station anywhere.
Heck her!
I gave up and walked towards the Railway station and located the counter that sold tickets for that day. And bought myself a last min "no seater" or better known as a "standing class" for a two hour ride to Hangzhou.
The ticket was only 29RNB and that is way cheap than I assumed or my initial city bus ride which is 100RNB.
I stood the full 2 hours crammed between Chinese men, women, children, elderly you name it and they were there. Chinese and their big ass baggages. Chinese and their love for instant noodles. Chinese and their amazing way of being able to hold over a hundred people in a cabin that could only hold say 60?
I have to admit, although a little uncomfortable for later I couldn't feel my legs, I finally got my taste of the real China.
Did I mention I felt famous? Yes, I was the only foreigner if not brown skin passenger so I got free stares for the entire 2 hours. Cameras were the only things missing.
When I finally got away from the clutches of China's population, I had to battle with the remaining Chinese men who were at the exit of Hangzhou train station, waiting to grab you and show you around Hangzhou. They were not as persuasive as the ones in Shanghai. That was a relief.
I finally got into a taxi that resembled the legal ones in Shanghai. However, I wasn't too sure when I finally settled into. Actually I am still not sure if the cab ride was legal or I was cheated.
As I chucked my bag in the back seat, and popped in beside the driver, he started off saying, "A flat rate of 120RNB for a ride to the airport".
I pointed at the meter, which had a receipt dangling from it.
"What's wrong with the meter?"
And he started explaining how they don't use the meter, cos people wait hours for cabs and they aren't many cabs.
I have no idea how the two things are related.
Along the journey, he stopped when this lady was flagging down the cab and asked where she was headed. And I remembered as I was waiting in line for a cab, two ladies who didn't know each other were sent to take the same cab as their destination was the same.
So basically, the meter is redundant. Or I just had a ride in an illegal cab.
Either way, the driver was a friendly guy who spoke bits of English and told me to improve my Mandarin. He even gave me career advice on how I should switch from Western Medicine to Chinese Medicine as it brings in more cash in China.
Finally the Airport came into sight, I stashed the cash into his hands, grabbed my backpack dashed out.
Only to realize my flight was not on the departure screen.
I approached the information counter to enquire of my missing flight. She punched in a few digits on her telephone and returned to me with this:
"There is only flight for this airline and it flies off at 1135pm".
"That is not possible. I have a flight for 210pm. Are you telling me the flight has been postponed to 1135pm".
"I do not think so. You need to check with your agent with the mix up".
"There is no agent. I booked my flight online".
I showed her mu itinerary with full confidence that the airlines made a mistake.
She dialed the same numbers again. She told them of my booking number and they exchanged a few words in Chinese and she later looked at me with a smile.
Aha. The hope that reiterated my confidence.
"Ma'am, you booked your flights for February 16th".
"huh".
I grabbed the sheet of paper from her hands (I later apologized) and just stared at it for a good 10 seconds before my palm reached for my forehead.
Feb 16, 0210pm.WTF.
16 Jan, 1250pm
I was tired from not sleeping the previous night or the night before. I was tired from standing against the wall with my 13kg backpack at my feet and my other leg jammed behind a door to maintain my balance from falling on any Chinese or having any one falling on me.
I dumped my bags onto the baggage trolley thingys and started walking around the world-newest-and probably-boringest-airport aimlessly. I wanted to still use the ticket but the lady at the counter had no idea however she did say "probably can't".
Thing with Chinese, they never say "I do not know" they just give tell you it cannot be done. More often than not, there is an alternative.
But instead, I took her word for it and started considering other routes. A flight to Hong Kong was leaving in 30 minutes, but I was short of 900 bucks. Credit card got declined so lets just leave it at that.
Back to Square one.
The airline I bought the ticket before will only open their counters two hours before departure. I was left with no choice but to camp at the airport for over 10 hours.
There I sat, staring at my ticket, hoping something would take shape and tell me "You can leave now and won't have to stare into space for the next half of the day".
I tend to forget my room mate's advice to only print the itinerary and not the whole thing, cos that would mean the 4 sheets of rules get printed as well and people don't actually read these things. Least, I never did. Till that day.
"Changes to this booking can be made up to 48 hours before departure".
The mantra finally worked.
I was way too tired to get all cranky and worked up, I only had two words running through my mind: Think Usha. Think..
There was no wireless facility at the international departures. And I hadn't brought my laptop with me to actually use the facility at the Domestic departures either.
No point there.
My local pre paid card ran outta cash and I had start roaming with my Singapore number.
Blackberry saves the day.
Started using GPRS (which will eventually cost me much), to long onto the website. Sadly, I couldn't make changes from the mobile site and the main site wouldn't load. I called a few numbers directly.
China: "No English Please. I do not understand English. Only Chinese or Cantonese". I hung up.
The lady said that in English. My Chinese will only worsen the existing situation and the last thing I wanna do is make flight changes in Chinese.
The next hotline was for Hong Kong. Same thing. Followed by Singapore. Slightly different but same dead end nonetheless.
"Our operators are currently busy. Please try again later". Hung up again.
Finally I called the home nation of the airlines and simply stalked them till someone took my call. My temptation to cut to the chase while she was saying stuff I was barely paying attention to was overwhelming. Eventually, I figured it was not that I was not paying attention but the female on the other line had a problem enunciating her words. I just didn't understand her.
"Sorry but I don't quite get you". I repeated this a million times throughout the conversation before I stopped. I sensed the onset of annoyance in her voice. Even her "thank you for waiting ma'am" sounded sinister.
Or maybe it was just me.
Either it didn't jeopardise the situation. She changed my flight for 16 January and told me to pay a couple hundred bucks extra for the changes made.
Phew!
The rest of the day I spent my time reading Shantaram and observing people entering and leavin the airport.
(Story doesn't quite end there actually)
16 Jan, 9:35pm
The ticketing counters finally opened and I paid my cash and saw my new itinerary.
Oh wow!
I had an hour 15 mins to check out from the first flight, grab my baggage and check into my connecting flight to Singapore. My baggage will not be directly transferred whereas the lady over the phone said, it would.
I told you I barely understood her.
Least the friendly dude at the counter, checked my backpack into premium so that it will be the first few to appear on the baggage carousel.
17 Jan, 4:25am
My flight should have landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport but instead has been delayed.
Am I the only one who thinks this is a problem. Everyone else is just sleeping.
My hand reached for my hair when realization hit.
My glasses were missing.
In the dark, I was searching but to no avail. I am almost blind without my glasses during the day. And in the dark, you can might as well assume I am blind.
I turned to the Indonesian girl and said who by the way is uber nice. "I dropped my glasses.".
Why I said that I have no idea. She got the hint and that is what that matters.
"Lets search together she said. She used the light from her mobile and voila she found my glasses under my seat". :-)
My saviour. I would have swore I saw her cape flying behind her as she swore into the night skies.
And we started talking and she was also a student in Shanghai. I was telling her about my connecting flight and that I probably would have to move fast so please give me way. She laughed.
17 Jan, 5am
Flight landed 35 minutes later. Plane came to a stop and people started standing and removing their bags from the overhead compartments. I took mine, bade farewell to the Indonesian and started using the words "Please" "Thank You" "I'm late" "Please make way, I'm sorry" as I bypassed everyone to the exit and from there on just ran.
I ran to the arrival counter, took a couple of the arrival cards for foreigners and started scribbling while standing in queue.
Will never condemn a doctor's handwriting ever again.
Again another dash, this time I had a crowd to handle before I saw the florescent orange backpack cover of mine. Grab and run was my motive right now. Grabbed and ran from the arrivals to the departures.
Grateful for the small airport. If this were Changi, I would have collapsed.
Checked my baggage in again, and went to the waiting area where I was told to head of to Gate 55 or at least that was what I heard. It was a long run on the runway. No I was not running right next to the jets.
Although the thought appears pretty. :-)
I was running beside the loading unloading of baggages along the runway. Till I realized I might be going the wrong way. There was 20 mins before my plane took and this time time I was stressed. Till I saw a dude at the loading dock who I was begging to not show me but bring me to gate 55. Till he asked for my flight number and told me its Gate 85 not 55!
Seriously this can't get any better. Optimism. One reason I am still living.
Another long run to gate 85 and this time I showed the stewardess at the entrance my boarding pass and even asked her if this was the flight to Singapore. Man, she messed with my head.
"Is this the flight to Singapore?"
"No. Bangkok."
"What? Do you know where the flight to Singapore is?"
"I don't know."
"Nice. Thanks". And I almost walked away when she pulled me by the arm and said "Just kidding. This is the flight to Singapore".
If only she knew how amazing my day had been...
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