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Published: February 18th 2011
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I was so thankful to arrive safely at the hotel last night, but I didn't realize until I woke up the next morning that there was no clock nor was I able to see the outside sky from my room. I definitely got the clueless foreigner one-night hotel package for 200 kuai (RMB). My mental alarm woke me up at what I thought was 5:30, perfect for getting to bus station by 7 am. After unsuccessfully scanning every TV channel for the time, I shower and pack-up ready to get on my way. I get to the front desk, and the clock reads, 3am! I go back to my room and get some zzz's before waking up again at 5:30am. I'm ready to hit the road, and good thing I left early.
So when I checked in and showed the receptionist my key (itinerary in Chinese), she was nice enough to draw me a map of the hotel and where I needed to walk in order to catch the bus. So following it, at 6 am with temperatures in the single digits (Farenheit) and two 'thank god' rolling bags, I walk past alley and hit the main road, and start taking
pictures because of how different it all is, and whats going on. The directions end up being 300 yards off, so I am wondering the freezing cold streets of Beijing showing people my key, and some shrugging me off, some just staring at me, some trying to help me out but unsure, and there were 50-60 people standing in front of a fast-speed train ticket office that hadn't opened yet. One of them pointed in the direction of my hotel, where I had come from, and they look like they know what they're talking about. So I keep on that direction, and asking someone new every 75-100 yards, and found the Ba Wang Feng bus station, which is no 'Grand Central Station'! Rather, the long-distance bus terminal. It's 6:45'ish by now according to clock, and I get in a very busy line hoping to make 7 am bus but now aware there was a 11 am'er if I missed it. Met another English speaking Chinese native in line who was so sweet, and she reassured me all was good and gave me some helpful hints to help me keep my spot in-line. Shoving, pushing, 'jockey'ing for position, is just part
of everyday China I've learned thru experience. The girl helped me get my ticket and rushed me to the boarding gate, and it was still a maze to find the bus going to Dongying. I showed a group of 4 employees and police offer my ticket to find bus, and after meeting for a minute, officer led me to my seat on bus. We were off. I look up, and Avatar in Chinese is playing on the TV, classic! I take photos and write in my journal most of the ride, so thrilled to have made it and be on my way to my final destination, at least for now.
Five and a half hours later, we pull into Dongying bus station, the main mass transportation hub in the city of 1.8 million people. Just a village younger than I am (Founded in 1983), it is home to the Shengli Oilfield, China's second largest oilfield, the University of Petroleum (a national key university), and The Shane English School, my new employer. When we arrive I check to see if Tony is there, and two guys greet me right as I step-off bus to get my bags and take me to
my hotel on the West Side. Tony is full of energy, and after three months of correspondence, I have a good feeling about my new setting. 'The Dong', as it is referred to by the 200 or less foreigners here, is composed of an East and West Side. It's 2PAC and Biggie, all over again. Tony and the driver take me out to a welcoming lunch at Little Heaven, and we have some sweet and sour pork, fried whole fish, soup. Tony tells me he translated the menu into English, which it is the only place thus far that I have seen with a menu translation in English.
My hotel is cush: two beds, high speed internet, clean room, legit bathroom, hot water, room service, right across the street from the West side campus, and neighbors with the Colonel. Yes, KFC is huge out here, and offers more than just the tasty chicken delights we know it for. Ice cream, breakfast menu, a shrimp filled chicken sandwich (ahaha), fries, Mc Nuggets etc.
Another new teacher, Kevin, is staying across the hall from me, so we walked the streets that night to tour the town. Somehow, we ran into some Teacher
Assistants (TA's) on the street. The only other foreigners in Dongying are students at the University of Petroleum or one other college here, and they happened to be on there holiday break already, which has lasted for a month now.
Wow, I made it to the Dong!
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