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Today I returned to YIWU, but I bought my huoche piao yesterday-so I arrived at the station in good time with no drama. I was told this was a fast service, using the new gleaming white trains which I went on yesterday to NANJING again.
On seeing the decrepit ex German railway train of dubious age, I realised that again, things get lost in translation sometimes- however, the ride was smooth and quiet-apart from many Chinese people playing PUKE and shouting as loud as they can to each other-maybe this is part of the game, but alas the rules were lost on a Laowai like me! The trains are clearly well maintained, and once again everything was on time. Unlike the UK where most trains are late.
The toilet was very interesting, being a hole in the floor where you could see through generations of excreta the rails underneath as the train thundered on at a reasonable pace. Of course-no toilet paper-luckily I didn’t want to go! This time we visited a restaurant where the locals enjoyed my displeasure as the continually hawked and spat onto the slimy floor, smoking evil smelling cigarettes which hung from their mouths as they ate food which was covered with a light sprinkling of ash. They were dressed in clothes, which had never had the acquaintance of a washing machine, the grime imprinted into the fabrics.
After they finished arguing about who was paying the bill, surprisingly they all got into a nearly new Mercedes and drove away. Arriving into the City of Yiwu, despite the fact that it was a tiny car, filled completely by myself, the agent and my luggage, the driver insisted on waiting for more passengers so he could turn off his meter and con everyone for double the fare. I said POLCE to him- which was translated, and he turned round, sweat dripping off his pockmarked face, his one remaining eye stared at me, and he turned round in a flurry of insults and drove like a drunk who was tripping some bad acid, scraping two cars on the way to the hotel-Best Western in the centre of town.Of course, as always the room was not cleaned and ankle deep in cigarette smoke, however this time there was the added bonus of a Japanese porn magazine, stuffed on top of the bin hastily as the previous occupant realised he couldn’t take home to Tokyo with him! This now sits as pride of place in my friend Jimmy’s collection of such exhibits. Lunch was a mix of the previously digested, with the shortly to be ejected, the only good thing was the Hotel now sell Red Bull- or at least a version of it!
Each day I try to learn something new, but in China, it is hard not to learn this, as everything is SO different.
I asked a friend where the best restaurants were in YIWU for local food – and I headed with the hotel car to an area called LUGIAWAM. There were two restaurants there, one of which was empty, and the other was buzzing, full and surrounded by Porsche Jeeps and large Mercedes cars. I figured I would live longer by going to this one. I walked around downstairs not recognising anything which even vaguely resembled food with would stay down, so I pointed and hoped.
Near me I the restaurant I noticed a large party in full swing, maybe a birthday, then I noticed a man collecting money (I keep a low profile at these times!!) but he was going round to his guests and writing things down on paper. Many bottles of drink were put under table-unopened. Then I noticed an old man wearing a beige polo shirt with a square of black fabric pinned to his sleeve. The man collecting money also had this, so I guessed maybe a party after a funeral. When everyone left, many people took the hidden bottles of drink, and some left with enormous containers of cooking oil- another local custom, which needs researching. The food was surprisingly good but it was so noisy, I left early.
Just finishing this off on the train back to Shanghai booking at a notice, which said in English and Chinese – Please keep noise quiet! This form of Chinglish is evident everywhere, but my fellow passengers clearly cannot read, as the noise level coupled with dreadful scratchy Chinese folk music is more than a match for my new ipod with BOSE headphones, so I sit and stare at my fellow passengers, the girls sending SMS, the men shouting and playing PUKE and everyone has their shoes off, with un-washed feet littering the floor, giving off aromas of dying animals.
I risk the toilet again, but I forgot my knee high waders, and the floor was awash with foul smelling urine – of course there was no water in the tap, and the smell was a particular joy !!
Rural China
Shanghai is a few hours away as we go through urbanised areas and stagnant ponds before the now familiar arrival at Shanghai where I will have to fight to get through the hordes of heavily laden country people squatting outside, waiting for trains which will take them back into the peace and poverty of rural China, a world away from Neon lights, mobile phones, soap, and the ‘cry of the Johnny’ (see previous blogs for the uninitiated.
