Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Day 1-The Begining of My Journey
Day 1
Did not really slept well the previous day as I am really excited that I am able to go Wuhan for 42 days all by myself without any parental guidance, able to be independent to strive in a totally new environment and learn to interact with other people from another country. Pretty nervous as this is the first time, I went for a oversea trip last for 6 weeks and along with a group of Ngee Ann Polytechnic mates, I am able to make all the decision by myself like how I going to spend my money over this period of time, be responsible for my own passport and judgment to different things during this trip. When I was approaching T1 Row 12, I saw a group of bright orange shirt around that area, I feel more secure.
Around 6am, we started to check in our luggage and we started to bid farewell to our friends and families that came to send us. We head to the first checkpoint, Eshlyn and I was still laughing around and taking photos when we use our new passport to enter the custom. I just realize that a pass the yellow line, I will be leaving my family and my homeland, Singapore, to embark on my new journey to Wuhan. After we passed the first custom, we starting to look for the washroom as we are scared that we are not allow going restroom when we are in the waiting area. Despite of our efforts, it seems to be futile so Roy decided to ask one of the securities for directions. In the end, she directs us to a row of bed like seats. (=.=”) so we decide to ask the cleaner for the direction to the washroom, he point us the direction of the parent room so I was wondering that why people keep on misleading us but we still head to the parent room direction. Then we realize that the washroom sign is blocked by the parent room sign.
After checking in, there are Goods Service Tax counters whereby the tourist can get their cash rebate for the things they brought from Singapore shops of 7% GST. There are many duty-free shops too, I wanted to buy some alcohol at the duty-free shop but I think that I am going to Wuhan to study so I do not bring it.Before we enter the waiting area there is one boarding gate, we have to take out our laptop from our bag to place it in a basket and remove my ITouch, handphone and wallet but when I walk past the metal detector, it sounded so I have to be full body check by a guard. Somehow I feel that the guard is more like tickling than checking me and people stared at me as I held up the queue for a moment so embarrassing. We waited for almost 20mins before we brought up CZ342 to Guang Zhou (广州).
(In the plane )
When I reach my seat in the plane, I was very lucky that I am sitting between 2 people that I knew which is Yoke May and Shun Qing. When the plane started to move, we quickly start to take out May’s camera to video the process of the take off (It took the plane 20mins to take off).The plane fly quite smooth, but the customer service wise is not that good compare to the previous airline that I took like the Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and etc. The flight crews that serve us always seem to ignore us when we ask for them for their service but the food that they serve are pretty tasty
When I reach my seat in the plane, I was very lucky that I am sitting between 2 people that I knew which is Yoke May and Shun Qing. When the plane started to move, we quickly start to take out May’s camera to video the process of the take off (It took the plane 20mins to take off).The plane fly quite smooth, but the customer service wise is not that good compare to the previous airline that I took like the Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and etc. The flight crews that serve us always seem to ignore us when we ask for them for their service but the food that they serve are pretty tasty
:)
My plane landed at Guang Zhou(广州) to transit to go Wuhan(武汉).Once I reach Guang Zhou, I started to guard our bag with our live and suspect anyone will pickpocket or rob me anytime. After Mr Loh debrief us and told us it is free and easy time. Mr loh said he wanted to go for a food hunt as he had heard that there is some famous stall around there. We follow around and ask for direction, the lady we approach told us to go down and up. So we will have to interpret that we have to go down and walk a distance and travel upward and we are correct. We went into a restaurant and the waitress brought us to a very huge table but they only gave us one menu only. I tried to ask for the waitress by calling them “Xiao Jie” but no one answers so I tried many ways and means to get them attention to get a menu, by the time the second menu reach us, we have already make our mind up for the food to eat. When I was ordering my dish, my friend Xanier order her food by the allocated to the food but the waitress tell her that they do not want the number to the dish but the name of the dish. The attitude of the waitress is really bad. I order chrysanthemum tea and the Golden Dragon Fried Rice sound so cool and it taste delicious too but the chrysanthemum taste like rubber.
Both of the item cost me 70RMB which convert to Singapore dollars is 15. After eating, we decide to split the bill according to the things we eat so I ask them for receipt but in the end I got a invoice which indicate the series number location the bill that I have paid, I realize that the people in China like to speak really very fast sometime I do not understand them but in order to cut short the talk, I just reply yes and the way they phrase their word is unlike how we Singaporean phrase it, we are more towards Taiwanese side compare to China. We took the lift down the level 1, I realize that in Singapore we use B1 but in China they use -1.
When we are going to boarding gate, the security start to check our bags and I have to walk by the metal detector again and just like in Singapore I have to be given a full body check again. We took another 2 hour to reach Wuhan. After that we took another 2 hours to reach our final destination Wuhan University. After that I put down my luggage at the lobby of our hostel and went for my dinner. After I done with dinner, I quickly rush back and take my luggage to my room as I very tired from the traveling but once I enter my room I realize that the toilet was really looks very run down but I just take it as a form of training before my army.
Both of the item cost me 70RMB which convert to Singapore dollars is 15. After eating, we decide to split the bill according to the things we eat so I ask them for receipt but in the end I got a invoice which indicate the series number location the bill that I have paid, I realize that the people in China like to speak really very fast sometime I do not understand them but in order to cut short the talk, I just reply yes and the way they phrase their word is unlike how we Singaporean phrase it, we are more towards Taiwanese side compare to China. We took the lift down the level 1, I realize that in Singapore we use B1 but in China they use -1.
When we are going to boarding gate, the security start to check our bags and I have to walk by the metal detector again and just like in Singapore I have to be given a full body check again. We took another 2 hour to reach Wuhan. After that we took another 2 hours to reach our final destination Wuhan University. After that I put down my luggage at the lobby of our hostel and went for my dinner. After I done with dinner, I quickly rush back and take my luggage to my room as I very tired from the traveling but once I enter my room I realize that the toilet was really looks very run down but I just take it as a form of training before my army.
see for yourself
After bathing, I quickly jump to bed and sleep as I do not have internet connection for the first time as I do not have the cable to connect my laptop to the plug, I just realize how fortunate we have wireless connection at hotspot and at home and how useless my laptop for the very first time.
Reflection
Today, I have better idea of how is China look like, as my bus brought me to my hostel. I sit at my seat and glance at the view outside, I see many big and bright signboards which you may see in developing countries, around the traffic light, they even pitch a tent over which Singapore do not have. I am really glad I am gave the chance to come to China and have a deeper understanding and look at their culture at night even I have spoken to them yet. Hope I have more chance to interact with them =)
# posted by Alvin Lee @ 9:00 PM 
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