One of my bikes is at Amy's place so really looking forward to see Amy and her gang. All of them are fantastic people. Ann works for the US embassy in Hanoi while Amy and Julie are both english teachers.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
vietnam-china map
The bus trip from Houjie to Nanning will be a 12 hour gruelling bus ride. I have been warned by several people that it won't be comfortable. From Nanning I will be taking a bus into Hanoi which would be another 7 hours to 8 hours. I had made my research on the net and made sure there have been survivals to tell their story.
The Vietnam-on-Minsk begins
Having able to take a reasonably long break from work, I have decided to do another Vietnam-on-Minsk. Currently located in China, Dongguan City, Houjie town, I shall board the bus from here to Nanning city.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Dongguan-Chang An
I have been in the Dongguan region for approximately close to 4 months. The days go by extremely fast over here. Especially when I'm working 6 days a week. Everyday is sort of a regime. The phone rings probaly about 7.45am, a soothing voice tells me its a morning call that I had pre-arranged the night before. Earlier about 3 months ago when I checked into the hotel, I used to listen to her finished her two sentences out of politeness. The two sentences would go something like this." Good morning sir, I am the telelphone operator. I have in this instance at 7.45am made you a morning call."
Ironically, that same voice is no longer soothing today and deservingly gets interupted. I lay in bed for a couple of minutes thinking stupidly that time will freeze. Then my conscience starts to remind me of my commitment to punctuality.
I get into the bathroom and after emptying my bladder, I look into the mirror. It takes me a few seconds to register what I'm gonna do next. I see this guy staring at me and I tell him straight in his face he stinks. Good as gold he listens, heads for a shower and brushes his teeth at the same time.
Breakfast always disappoints me. I am not a picky person but seriously the variety here is so limited that I need no crystal ball to tell what's gonna be on the buffet spread 10 years from now. There are always a few flys on top of the egg tarts and fruits. It could be easily be mistaken as raisin toppings.
Royal Eastern Hotel (Yi Dong) claims its a four star hotel. I challenge this claim to be very satirical. If it was ever maybe true, they might have got the official rating poll from the Bolivian inhabitant board. Royal Eastern Hotel is one of the many chinese businesses that blankets their main sole revenue; the sex trade. They operate a 'sauna'. In China, a sauna does does not refer to :
1. a bath that uses dry heat to induce perspiration, and in which steam is produced by pouring water on heated stones.
2. a bathhouse or room, usually of wood, equipped for such a bath.
3. to take a sauna: to sauna after exercising.
Source from http://www.dictionary.reference.com
The suana represents a gentlemen's club with massage service followed by sex escapades. I was recommended by the bell boy one day to visit the sauna. I always sort of knew it wasn't a decent place. Cars filled the parking lot everyday and there were just no female customers. The only females were these ladies in thick make-ups and they were dressed in track suits entering the club scuffing. I just had to explore, I had to know what is going on in there. And so I accepted the bell-boy's offer to take me over. I was greeted by four or five ladies in working suits. " Good day sir, are you here for some fun?" she asked me in mandarin. "I'm here to take a look. May I?" She was obliged of course. We took the elevator to the fourth floor. She presented a name card and made some small talk. The usual where am I from? What am I doing in Chang An. The door open and she led the way. In a quene of about 3 rows were probaly about 40 girls facing me. She told me to pick a girl. Soon there were cat calls. My eyes couldn't help but just glaze away. I felt awfully embarassed. It felt like I was on survivor series with contestants who were all Miss Chinatowns. I had just won munity and I was to select one of them to have 'Yam Cha' with me. However, I would never be on survivor series because I don't have the intention to be stuck on an island and be watched on T.V. That goes the same for the sauna, I don't I need a cheap thrill. I just told the mummy I would come back later. Some of the girls (xiao jie) must have overheard that and they started to sit down on the long benches. Not too bad I thought, they don't have to stand in a quene all day for parading.
Ironically, that same voice is no longer soothing today and deservingly gets interupted. I lay in bed for a couple of minutes thinking stupidly that time will freeze. Then my conscience starts to remind me of my commitment to punctuality.
I get into the bathroom and after emptying my bladder, I look into the mirror. It takes me a few seconds to register what I'm gonna do next. I see this guy staring at me and I tell him straight in his face he stinks. Good as gold he listens, heads for a shower and brushes his teeth at the same time.
Breakfast always disappoints me. I am not a picky person but seriously the variety here is so limited that I need no crystal ball to tell what's gonna be on the buffet spread 10 years from now. There are always a few flys on top of the egg tarts and fruits. It could be easily be mistaken as raisin toppings.
Royal Eastern Hotel (Yi Dong) claims its a four star hotel. I challenge this claim to be very satirical. If it was ever maybe true, they might have got the official rating poll from the Bolivian inhabitant board. Royal Eastern Hotel is one of the many chinese businesses that blankets their main sole revenue; the sex trade. They operate a 'sauna'. In China, a sauna does does not refer to :
1. a bath that uses dry heat to induce perspiration, and in which steam is produced by pouring water on heated stones.
2. a bathhouse or room, usually of wood, equipped for such a bath.
3. to take a sauna: to sauna after exercising.
Source from http://www.dictionary.reference.com
The suana represents a gentlemen's club with massage service followed by sex escapades. I was recommended by the bell boy one day to visit the sauna. I always sort of knew it wasn't a decent place. Cars filled the parking lot everyday and there were just no female customers. The only females were these ladies in thick make-ups and they were dressed in track suits entering the club scuffing. I just had to explore, I had to know what is going on in there. And so I accepted the bell-boy's offer to take me over. I was greeted by four or five ladies in working suits. " Good day sir, are you here for some fun?" she asked me in mandarin. "I'm here to take a look. May I?" She was obliged of course. We took the elevator to the fourth floor. She presented a name card and made some small talk. The usual where am I from? What am I doing in Chang An. The door open and she led the way. In a quene of about 3 rows were probaly about 40 girls facing me. She told me to pick a girl. Soon there were cat calls. My eyes couldn't help but just glaze away. I felt awfully embarassed. It felt like I was on survivor series with contestants who were all Miss Chinatowns. I had just won munity and I was to select one of them to have 'Yam Cha' with me. However, I would never be on survivor series because I don't have the intention to be stuck on an island and be watched on T.V. That goes the same for the sauna, I don't I need a cheap thrill. I just told the mummy I would come back later. Some of the girls (xiao jie) must have overheard that and they started to sit down on the long benches. Not too bad I thought, they don't have to stand in a quene all day for parading.
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