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JustJim:
I am in Hong Kong now waiting for the flight to board.
I made this trip into a real adventure... I took the bus to the Port Authority in NYC and then I asked a guy in a booth where I can get a shuttle to JFK...
He pointed right at the bus in front of the booth and said - "That one..."
Well..., in NYC you have to specify which JFK you want - especially when you are speaking to someone who does not speak English all that well. It seemed odd, but I figured what do I know? It was the wrong bus and I wasted 1.5 hours riding through the outskirts of NYC and into NJ. I basically took a big loop right back to the Port Authority. WHen I got back I found the right transfer bus and got to JFK AIRPORT no problem - except for - by this time I was sick to my stomach. The Kung po CHicken I had before I left home was not agreeing with me, and I had just bumped around NY and NJ for 1.5 hours - all the time worrying if I was going to be late.
At this point I was literally sweating and also worrying that if I threw up in public they might not let me board the plane. SO I found one of those family bathrooms, and - well too much information - I am sure - but I threw up everything. After a couple more trips to that bathroom I started to feel better.
So I managed to get LOST in my own country, and SICK from the food in my own country. Pretty much everything I would worry about in China I was able to accomplish without even leaving the USA.
Anyways the flight seemed really long - even though we got here ahead of schedule, and I picked at the food, only eating things that were easy and soothing and drinking a lot of water and juice. I'm ok now - a little raw ; but I figured it was just the food.
But I learned about taking public transportation to JFK and I will do it again in a heartbeat - especially now that I know how to. The total fare was probably less than what I would have paid in gas and tolls, and I did not have to drive. Sweet....
Okay I am going to QQ with Mei now... free internet in Hong Kong Airport ;D I will write later.
Willy The Londoner:
Well by now Jim you will be back in the Mainland. Welcome back Jim.
Hong Kong is great for the free wi fi service and the charging facilities.
Funny the only place I have ever received an upset stomach through dodgy food was also in the USA!
Have a great trip here.
Willy
JustJim:
Visa Rite came through again. It has been a year and I needed a new Chinese visa and their service is impeccable. This time I used an invitation letter from Mei. I wrote the letter, sent it to her by QQ, she signed it, and sent it right back to me. That and copies of our marriage license and her ID card and we had everything we needed.
I am going back on Sept 27, exactly one year from my first trip. Meanwhile our paperwork is moving through the system, seemingly on "schedule."
I am going Cathay Pacific again. I figure if it ain't broke don't fix it. I am used to their service, and in my opinion it is very good.
Every trip is better than the last. My biggest struggle is with the food, and not because it is not good. It's just different, and I know it is more mental than anything. Slowly my mind is making comparisons and coming to the concept that their food is good. I am eating more adventurously at home. One thing I do like is that a lot of their foods are spicier than ours, and I like spicy. I look forward to when Mei and Xiao Hui are here but I also worry that she will have a hard time finding food here that she likes.
I know one thing, and that is that my food budget will increase, and not just because there will be 3 mouths to feed. Mei loves her seafood, and she lives in an area, the Pearl Delta, where seafood is plentiful and cheap. I am 2 hours north of NYC, and I think there is only one seafood store in my town that gets their fish fresh from the docks in NYC. I don't know the prices, because I don't buy there often, but I know it will be more than what I am spending on food now. On the other hand I will also be eating better quality food, so that is a benefit.
So this is my update. I am becoming a seasoned traveler now.
JustJim:
I am back in China again for my fourth trip. It will be exactly a year to the date - even to the minute of the first time that I came to China.
I was talking with a friend the other day and he asked what was going through my mind the first time I went to China. Well, I told him that I was he prepared to be disappointed. I did not want to be disappointed but I knew it was a possibility. So I told him that I knew I was taking a big risk. He even reminded me that of the thought that what if there was nobody there? That was a possibility also.
Sometimes Mei asks me when I fell in love with her. I like to say that it was love at first sight. Of course I had seen her pictures, and we had communicated at length on QQ, and I knew I was talking to a real person, but there was so much I did not know until I saw her for real, and I held her in my arms.
So when I saw her for the first time in the airport, I knew right away that I was a lucky guy. I knew right then that the feelings that I already had for this person were real and that I would not be disappointed. That first day in China was magical, and those kind of days keep happening with us. Every trip there are days that I file away in the memory banks, and they seem to get better every time.
I hope this trip is the best of them all. I know now to expect that I might bet a little "homesick" at some point. That's not really the best word to describe it, but I think you all know what I mean. At least this time I will be expecting it and I can deal with it. It is usually hits me around the 2 week mark and just lasts a day. Mei and I talk it out and then I am fine for the rest of my trip. Like I said, it is not so much "homesick" but more the accumulation of missing good coffee, good bagels, familiar settings, and not being able to join in on too many conversations. Mei and I do alright on our own but her family gets together for tea often and they love to talk about everything, but I can't follow any of it. Anyways, I am really looking forward to this trip. My plane from Hong Kong to Guanzhou will be boarding soon, so I will post at a later date. Take care, all....
Pineau:
Have a great reunion. Although China has a pretty tight control on the muslims, Guanggzhou has a significant amount of them and the other war mongers from Ürümqi ... be careful.
Wish I were there.
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