The Kindness of Strangers

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I wrote this actually last Thursday, while still en route, but now I finally have access to internet to post it! Hurray! Pictures to follow soon.

One of my favorite things about traveling long distances to places where no one speaks my language and all the signs are covered in funny letters is the sudden necessity to, well, need people. Riding the El in Chicago or cruising across the middle states in a car I bought myself, I am the picture of American independence, and I will not ask for directions. Transport that me to a hot, sweaty Beijing airport lugging 4 giant bags around, and I become one very un-American melting puddle of need.

After landing in Beijing from Chicago, I kept checking the clock—two hours to schlep myself and all those ridiculous bags through customs, security, and another terminal was beginning to seem like not enough time, especially when it took my spindly arms 20 minutes to heave said bags onto various shuttles. Enter the good-hearted stranger who lifted them for me onto the shuttle to Terminal 2, and then, when we got off, fetched a cart for me. All I know in Chinese is something which sounds like “shay-shay” that I think means “thank-you,” so I kept saying it over and over, and I hope he understood.

Finally I came upon the remote ticket counter for the mysterious Air Astana. When the ticket agent saw my multitudinous suitcases, she sighed and slumped her shoulders as though SHE would have to personally take over schlepping duties. We then proceeded to have many communication meltdowns wherein I unpacked and repacked suitcases based on what I thought she was saying. All along, that clock kept tick tick ticking and I was getting nervous.

Standing in the line for security, my nervousness reached a peak. I had 30 minutes—now 20 minutes—now 15—there was no way I was going to make this flight to Kazakhstan. Ok, self. Time to think of back up plans. I don’t mind sleeping in airports, but sleeping in an airport indefinitely did not sound pleasant. Maybe someone would let me use their cell phone to call the CAO in Tajikistan, my contact? Maybe there was a train or something? A caravan of camels?

Suddenly, appearing like a guardian angel with a walkie-talkie, a man I recognized from the ticket counter caught my eye and motioned me forward through security. On the other side, two very stressed-out Air Astana employees in yellow shirts waved at me frantically and tried to get security to stop running my laptop through the x-ray belt. “You are last one, last one!” the man said a little reprovingly. I didn’t even worry about trying to explain. Finally, all items through, the lady in high heels cried “You come now!” and took off at a dead sprint. I kept pace with her, weaving through people and losing as much sweat as I was dignity. At one point, I caught her eye and, despite myself, started laughing. How on earth could she run so quickly in those heels?

Well, tale told, I am writing this from my nice window seat on an Air Astana flight to Kazakhstan, then on to Tajikistan. Shay-shay, strangers.

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Comments

[Ma]

Ha ha! I am going to enjoy these blog entries so very much!! My only concern is that I understand that words in Chinese, being a tonal language, can have different meanings depending on the way you "sing" them...hope your shay-shay wasn't something obscene :)

[Amy]

Oh, it's so fun to read about your adventures! I hope you're getting settled into your new world and getting to know people. I can't wait to see pictures. We miss you!

[Grandpa]

Hi Sarah - Sounds like quite a trip, appreciated your sense of humor. You can really write, your descriptive writing will have us smelling and listening to the sounds of the places you visit. Are you in Khuand yet or do you spend time in Dushanbe meeting with your CAO ? We really enjoyed sharing the evening with you in Washington during your orientation. You are one gutsy gal. Love - Grandpa

[Bridget]

I have to not read these at work...I just burst out laughing at my desk picturing you saying shay shay, and imagining those spindly arms at work! I'm so glad you're documenting all this, Sarah! A total joy to read.