A Day
Trip to Shenzhen – Day 2
I awaken
naturally at 6.20 am, and soon realise the room only offers Chinese Green Tea
vs Chinese Black Tea. No Coffee then! I am pretty sure the restaurant will be
working by 7am, so take a shower and try to wake to the new day. It is hopeless
without coffee, as you may already know I am a night owl, not a daybreak
person. In fact, I usually go to sleep as the sun rises! It would be a very
boring world if we were all the same – and you should trust me on this one
hehe!
By 6.57 I
am showered, dressed and packed + ready for action which, definitely involves
caffeine! I have absolutely no idea what this day will bring, or even why I am
here … but Adventurous Aries quite like these situations when they have nothing
better to do. Bring-it on!
At 6.58 I
tap on Hester’s door, next one to mine … knocking … knocking again, etc. No
reply. Ok, I will be selfish and simply head for the coffee then. It would
appear I am the first breakfaster, and am greeted by the same staff who were on
duty the night before at midnight – or is that actually today if it was
1-minute passed midnight when I last departed? Well, for normal people this is
the next day, and I wander and wonder around the breakfast offerings.
Essentially, if you are a Mainland Chinese person, and like precooked food kept
warm in posh skillets, then you could fill your boots here. I have a little
difficulty at first, as the Chinese breakfast rotunda, and the ‘Western’
breakfast rotunda; appear to be so similar that I conclude it is all Chinese
food – except some dishes are made to appear slightly western?
The rotunda
thingymagigs are typical of western hotels, and have perhaps 30 main dishes on
each one. Each dish is in a stainless steel server with lid, and some are
candle-powered. You know the type of thing I am sure. Aside and intermingling
are other delights, such as fresh fruits and Chinese delicacies like chickens
feet in chillie sauce. The Western one also has some ready sliced Chinese
French bread, which is obviously made with cement flour. The Chinese rotunda
appears a little better, as at least I recognise most of the dishes; even if
they do not appeal as breakfast fare. In the kitchen corner I espy a chef with
large white hat. Curious a wander over and find he is offering eggs: hard
boiled, scrambled, or fried. Excellent! Aside is a drinks help-yourself,
offering: hot water, cold water, several Chinese teas, Juices: mango, pear,
possibly blackcurrant, and something I have no idea what it is. There is also
something related vaguely to milk, and another brew which looks a little like
custard.
No coffee
then!
I think
there may be a couple of things I could try; but really need coffee – so I go
and sit down at an empty table (Well, they are all empty actually), and beckon
a waitress.
After ten
or fifteen minutes, Hester again knocks my door, and bustles in with her
suitcase already packed. She tells me we are leaving soon and I had better pack
pronto. I lift up my rucker and tell her it is already done. She is not
impressed, and then starts to unpack her own suitcase in my room. A tad odd,
even for Hester? At the very bottom she removes a large cardboard package,
which later reveals a picture of her cat, and a Gemstone Picture of the same, life-sized.
Wow! This is totally excellent, and even has a gem map and stone samples
identification guide on the back. She wants me to take pictures of it to
reproduce on our website – except she refuses to take it out of the ornate
frame; so I already know all my pictures taken now will have glass reflection
haze. She gives me a miniature to keep, and then packs this with all the rest
of her belongings. She then needs a serious word with me, so she decides it is
time we went down for breakfast. She appears aghast that I have already been
down there once, and wants to know the intricate details of how I even knew
where to go … well it’s not rocket science is it (And rocket science is itself
essentially very simple = light the blue touch-paper and run!). She is even
more baffled when the staff recognise me and greet me, and not her. However, we
then have a small problem because the waitress who looked after me last time is
not available, and the other staff know I was here a few minutes before. The
first waitress took my complementary meal ticket, so now I do not have one and
they don’t want to let me in unless I pay. I try explaining that all I had was
coffee last time, and that was at extra charge. Fortunately Hester appears to
get the hang of this exchange, and we are allowed to sit at a table. However, I
am not allowed to go and select any food until the original waitress comes back
from somewhere and says it is ok, and that I only had coffee last time.
Hester
immediately selects a table that just happens to be booked by somebody else.
She is not impressed and proceeds to choose three more before deciding the Feng
Sui is right. Once we are finally ensconced in our cubicle, I beckon the
waitress from before and order a coffee in Cantonese. Hester looks at me for a
few moments, and then she decides we should fill our plates. OK. I am then introduced
by her to the offerings of the Chinese breakfast rotunda. She wants to heap my
bowl with a form of sticky rice = Rice, sweet molasses, and peanuts. Now anyone
that is a regular reader will instantly know that I am one of the very few
people on this earth that abhorrently detests the mixture of peanuts and sugar
so very much, they make me physically sick! I mean, I go directly to the
bathroom and regurgitate everything. I love peanuts, as nuts. I love chocolate.
The two together are an abomination created by the devil! I ensure Hester does
not put any of this ‘Witches brew’ into my bowl, and then distract her by
asking what is on the other rotunda. She comes in close and whispers to me that
that is foreign food. Ahha! So that must make me a Chinese Leprechaun then I
reply. Exactly she says! And heads back to our table. I am now aware this would
all make so much more sense if I had forsaken the second coffee, great though
it was; and gone straight on to very strong Long Island Iced Teas.
Having
already sussed this gig, I head for the chef with lovely big and white,
European Chefs’ hat, and ask him in Cantonese he understands; for 2-eggs. We
then have to do the ‘Over-easy’ or ‘Sunny-side-up’ stuff. Opps! I don’t know
this, but happenstance what I want is on a nearby plate, so I just point … and
they come to pass, and are excellent. I head back to the vaguely western
rotunda, and add bacon in congealed molasses and sweet sausages + a paving slab
of ‘Chinese French Bread’ to my platter. I toss in a couple of sachets of real
Anchor butter – which seems a tad bizarre reference what I intend to use it
with. Ho-Hum! I admit to considering the spam tinned slices with matching
packaged cheese slices on top, for the briefest moments. It can happen to any of
us…
Back at the
table, and Hester immediately sets about me; and why I did not answer the door
last night. I thought we already done this?
Take: 2:
H: Why did
you not answer the door last night 15 minutes after we departed? (Yes, it was
actually 20 minutes above, but Hester is warming to the topic).
J: I went
for a beer.
H: Why
didn’t you tell me?
J: We had
just said ‘Goodnight’, as you were very tired and needed to go to sleep
immediately.
H: That’s
unimportant. Last night was very important, as the ‘Boss’ came to my room and
we did talking. You should have been there!
J: Why
didn’t you call me on my mobile?
H: No, you
were supposed to be in your room.
J: So why
didn’t you call me.
H: You
really don’t understand how important this is do you?
J: Ok, let’s
meet him now; give him a call for breakfast.
Hester then
blusters a lot, and doesn’t ring his number. She tells me he is late. Anyway;
we must go now as we have an appointment with the Boss in his office. I ask her
if this is the same Boss we should have met for breakfast, and she
concurs. This is then decided, so Hester
asks for the bill, and then informs the waitress it is ‘on the house’. The girl
is fine about it all, and Hester pays only for my coffee.
Upon
reaching the lift, the doors open and we are greeted by ‘The Owner’ who is just
arriving for breakfast – and you guessed it; we are his honoured guests for
another meal – my third of the day so far (And it is not even 9am yet). He is
accompanied by his ‘Business Colleagues’: two “Gorilla’s” and a man in pukka
suit with an attaché case.
We are
seated at the reserved table, which is the one Hester really liked but was not
allowed to sit at. The boss is a very big fish in a very small pond. One of the
gorillas is quite chatty and knows a little English. The other is not a morning
person either I guess. The guy with the briefcase speaks only in reply when
being directly addressed. We chat about all and nothing, and thank him for
letting us stay in his lovely hotel for free. He is magnanimous by return,
although I get an inkling this is a favour returned for Hester. The boss orders
more coffee for me, and another English breakfast. The clock moves on to about
9.30 before he covers the bill and we depart. Our meeting is now scheduled for
11am, so Hester returns to the room and has a shower. I catch the end of Jackie
Chan and wait.
An hour
later Hester reappears at my door, and is insistent we hurry as we are late. We
go to the foyer and queue to hand back our room keys and pay any extra charges.
This is a very slow process. Hester decides to use the toilets just before the
immediate queue clears, and I am left on my own to hand back both sets of room
keys to a girl who doesn’t speak any English. We basically get nowhere, and I
wonder what is taking Hester so long. She reappears some 20 minutes later with
a sticky cake, and apparently decided to go shopping. She is concerned that I
was unable to finish sorting out our accommodation; until she is informed she
also has to be physically in reception to check out. We then sit in reception
while Hester finishes her cake, and then we wait a little longer. It is now
just passed 11am, and I think to enquire about the appointment with the boss.
Just then Hester’s mobile rings and it is time to depart. I ask where we are
headed and Hester says the main street, so I head off down the short corridor
to my right and the side door. Hester calls me back and insists we exit the
main door, which is ok. We then turn left, and left again at the corner, and
pass the exit I was intending to use. We go into the next shop which sells
water machines. We are greeted by many staff and bosses, none of which I have
met before. Being shown into the rear office, we are immediately supplied with
an endless supply of Chinese Tea and chain-smoked cigarettes. I have absolutely
no idea why we are here, or what happened concerning the other appointment, but
never mind.
Later we
renter the shop part, as the boss has a little business to attend to. I admire
the water machines whilst staff practise their English on me. One is insistent
I try out their blood checking machine, and guess what? Well it appears my
blood has small flaws and is the wrong colour. It is in need of their treatment
(At Y200 per go). I say “No thank you”, and am left alone. At 12.30 the shop
owner comes back, signalling time we depart for lunch. Hester apologises for
lunch being late, as she is ravenous and is used to eating at midday prompt.
She is concerned I am offended. I reassure her I am not as we walk down the
street to the other end of the hotel, and up a flight of stairs to the hotel
staff canteen. We are soon ensconced in a private room, and many dishes are
ordered for our sustenance. Hester proceeds to demolish all the vegetarian
ones, whilst I pick at some dishes and honour copious toasts of beer and rice
wine. The food is pretty good actually, although there is nothing remarkable
about it worth relating to you here. Conversation flows, and I am seated
between 2 beautiful girls who speak good English and like chatting.
The meal is
over within an hour, and the shop staff head back to work. Hester decides to go
back to her room for a shower. We use the staff service lift that is adjacent
to the restaurant, and arriving at the floor, Hester asks the housemaid to let
her in – we had already checked out you will remember. I hang around near the
lifts and smoke a couple of cigarettes. Hester comes out and knocks on my door.
I call her from the far end of the corridor, and she is amazed I did not have
another shower. I let this pass, as we are now rushing to meet the boss. We go
down the service elevator, turn right and right again, and arrive back in the
hotel reception. Yes, I know exactly what you readers are thinking – why not
use the other lifts for patrons that go directly to reception. After a brief
word with the receptionist, Hester then gets into the lift, which shortly stops
on the floor we occupied. We then walk past our vacated rooms to the service
elevator we used a minute before, and go to the top floor. I did ask why we did
not use the customer lift, to which Hester replies that this was the one we
were told to use. Here is
We arrive
at the boss’s large and luxuriant office, but he keeps us waiting whilst he
finishes some important business. I later determine he has a computer game on
pause. Ho-Hum! He has a short business conversation with Hester, before calling
for an interpreter so we can converse. He offers many cups of Chinese tea, this
one being the corn version I find slightly unpalatable. It appears he is
interested to know just how much money I plan on investing into his latest
project, as he is building a new commercial district with associated housing
and infrastructure. Well, that’s a new one on me, as I though this meeting was
for Hester only. I don’t miss a beat and reply that first I would like to see
the plans and figures. He smiles and leads us to a new room with a large scale
model of the project. It is quite impressive, but nothing remotely connected
with my business. Unfortunately, it appears the financials are only available
in Chinese, but he will have them translated and sent to me. I say Chinese is
fine for me, but he insists that I have ones available in my own language. He
must think I have “Sucker” stamped on my forehead! We remain convivial,
especially as he did not charge us for last night’s stay, and also paid for my
third breakfast this morning. Then in
typical Chinese fashion, the meeting is suddenly over and we are rushing to the
street because we are late.
I am
beginning to think that Hester always thinks she is late. I have no idea what
we are late for, until we arrive at the town bus station. During this day I
have had several conversations with Cindy, who I was originally planning to
meet for late night drinks last night. We have by now agreed that I will not be
arriving today, and will meet her at the Canton Fair in a month’s time. Hester
buys tickets for Shenzhen and goes to wait for the coach. I linger outside and
top-up with nicotine. A few hours later we arrive in Lo Wu coach station, and
immediately rush into the underpass – a subterranean world that links this
transportation hub together, and very well designed it is too. Having just left
the main inter-city coach station (Where I have a direct bus to Foshan), we
instead go quite a distance underground, and then sort of slip through a side
exit. This in turn leads to a small bus station, where Hester buys two tickets
for Long Jiang. Ahha! That’s where we are going; and yes, my presence is very
much required as she needs my advice about something very important!
The trip is
uneventful, as Hester is tired and falls asleep instantly. It is late afternoon
and the Shenzhen rush hour is already underway. We get stuck in a series of
traffic jams before finally getting to the highway. Whilst this city does have
an excellent transport hub at Lo Wu, the main arteries are not well planned,
complicated by the fact that there is only one road allowed for use into
Mainland
I shake
Hester awake as we approach Longjiang, a town I know very well. We get off the
coach adjacent to the government building on the main road, and are greeted by
‘Naughty Boy’, who I know very well. He is the one that had the hots for my
assistant Kenny when we went to
We then
return back to one block short of where the coach dropped us off, and it
appears naughty boy is now the proud owner of a retail shop that sells water
machines. This is the day of grand opening and we are honoured guests. I am
sure Hester has been up to mischief here, and make a mental note for future
reference. It later transpires that this is one of Hester’s shops, and mainly
funded by some equivalent of franchise by naughty boy. She asks me what I think
of the shop and its products, which are made by the boss of the hotel we met in
Huizhou. I say they are fine, but the location is wrong, and the goods may not
sell as well as she thinks. I am then ignored for an hour whilst they get busy
doing Chinese things.
They decide
to close at 7pm, and I am invited to share dinner with them. I am still totally
stuffed from the three breakfasts and lunch, so politely decline. They are very
disappointed, but I maintain I have very pressing business early next morning
and need to prepare tonight. They accept this ruse, and I finally manage to
make my escape. Yippie!
They drop
me at a nearby bus stop where I can catch the bus to Foshan, but after fond
farewells and ‘we must do this again soon’, I decide a taxi is actually what I
need. There are a couple parked nearby and I enquire the fixed charge rate
(Normally Y70 to Foshan, and Y80 or upwards the other way). The young driver
haggles a bit, but my Cantonese must be quite good, so he decides to offer me
Y50, and even gives me his private number for future reference. He also knows
exactly which block my home is one in Foshan, and the transfer is a breeze! I
should inform you I used him many times thereafter, and he remembered
immediately. Excellent!
That just
about wraps up what I originally thought was a day trip to Shenzhen. I know
regular readers such as Neil and Caroline will immediately understand this as
being how
One final
thought: I have rewritten this from memory, and all it took to unlock these
days was the return of Day 1 by my dearest friend Dawn. Thank you. It is now
4-years later, and I am still here in
Here is