Take Anshan Off the List

Hot as Chinese Temple Dog in July

Evening ~
I'm sure that there are wonderful things about Anshan to recommend to your friends, but I just didn't find any.

The education exhibition I participated in here was held in the lower hall (basement) of a "science center". The temperature yesterday was 90 F, and the humidity was at least 90% and .... the "lower hall" was not air conditioned, and not well lit. About half of the exhibitors folded up their stuff and left within the first hour. Not me! I sweated it out, and made certain that everyone who came by my exhibit space who looked even mildly interested, or able to read English (or not), walked away with a brochure. If they didn't learn anything about La Verne, at least they had something imported with which to fan themselves. The day ranks up there with one of the longest ones I've ever experienced. I vote for not sending me here next year.

When I returned to my slightly air conditioned room in the not grand Wuhan Grand, there was a brochure stuck on my door. I entered my room and slipped off my clothes, (which was easy to do since they were drenched in sweat), sat down, and perused the brochure. It was printed in Chinese, with a picture of the hotel in the background. I found the strategically placed English subtitles on the brochure to be intriguing.

"Customing the room card, you will have a surprise!" boasted one phrase. A few lines down below more Chinese characters it read: "Sing the passion in our heart. Set free the burning flame. Lead the trend of the times. Sing with the wine. Health depends upon preserving." ....... ..... what????

I called it a day, packed my bags and made ready for the bus trip to Dalian in the morning.

Thursday Morning ~

I was taken to the bus station, a ticket was purchased for me, and I was told to wait till the Dalian bus was called for boarding. After sitting in the terminal for about 45 minutes, the thought occurred to me, "What if I get on the wrong bus?" The place is a Chinese puzzle. There is nothing written or spoken in English anywhere. Buses coming and going, people crowding to get a seat, or to get their bags loaded, children crying, announcements (who knows what they're saying) being shouted over the public address system. I began looking around for someone who looked "foreign", like me, so I could ask, "Have I missed my bus?"

Apparently I looked sufficiently clueless enough for a uniformed person with an official red sash (obviously left over from the Red Guard) to approach me and ask (in English!), "Where are you wishing to go, sir?"

"Dalain; am I in the right place?"

"Follow me, sir". She kindly barked at the assembled masses of my fellow travelers, thus clearing a path, and led me to the proper exit door for the Dalian bus.

Happy to be pointed in the right direction, I settled in for the three and a half hour trip. The elderly man that I sat down next to did not look thrilled with the fact that a "loawai" (foreigner) had become his seat mate. I happily and wholeheartedly assured him that I would make the travel time fly by with entertaining stories of my life and travels. He stared at me for a few seconds, then mumbled something to himself in Chinese as he turned his face towards the window. I did not take this personally. Sometimes it takes people a while to know what a fun guy I am.