One Lucky Duck

Friday. July 22, 2011 (7:24am CST)

Talk about an adventure! I have a sneaking feeling that this little trip to China will be absolutely nothing like a study abroad trip to Beijing for six weeks…

After a pleasant flight sitting next to a lovely lady from DC, I am welcomed into Beijing by waiting 40 minutes in immigration and customs and then another 20 minutes to ride the shuttle that takes me to the domestic terminal (aka – other side of town). By the time I arrive at the next terminal and getting my ridiculous oversized bags to the check-in counter, they inform me that they are no longer checking-in customers for my flight to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, and that I should go to the ticketing counter to get a new ticket. It is also clear that all of the pinyin and phrase studying I was so proud of on the plane means poop.

The woman behind the counter said that unfortunately there were no more economy seats left on the two flights leaving that day but that I could upgrade to a first class seat. Knowing I would be reimbursed, but more so just wanting to get to people who speak my language sooner rather than later, I agreed and handed them my bank card. Transaction failed. Transaction failed. Transaction failed. Awesome. This was the only card I brought with me.

I look to my left and I see a man who muttered something in English to a friend. I immediately ask him to verify what is going on. This man became my new best friend for the next hour. Without hesitation he offered me his phone so that I could call Teach for China and ask someone there for assistance. He even went so far as to let me call Bank of America in the US to see if I could fix my card situation. Neither of which was particularly successful. Teach for China suggested that I take a taxi into Beijing and find the Teach for China office and see if someone could help me there. My best friend quickly retorted with (in Chinese), “I really don’t think that’s a good idea. This girl has no idea where she is and doesn’t speak Mandarin and you want to send her into the city to find an office. It’s after five, are you sure anyone is even there?” Thank goodness that not only could my best friend speak English fluently, but he also had common logistical sense. Plan B: Talk to the ticketing counter and really make them sympathize for my cause. After all, that is what kept my best friend by my side. After he hung up the phone he turned to me and said, “I just feel really bad for you.” So off we went so he could rally the China Eastern Airlines folks for my cause. After he was done, I was left sitting in the First Class Lounge waiting standby for any seat on the next flight out to Kunming. I have never felt so much gratitude and so helpless all at once. I guess you find the lucky ducks in China.

Once I landed in Kunming and strapped on my new wardrobe of backpacks and overweight luggage I was set off to find this mysterious hotel that I was supposedly booked for (although now that I spend 9 hours in the Beijing Airport, I only had 3 hours left to enjoy at the hotel before I had to leave again for Lincang, the city where I will be based).

Even though he could only see my little headed popping out of my American rolling suitcase float parade, someone who worked for the airport was adamant about me walking to my hotel. Trying to have some faith in my new fellow countrymen, I took his word for it and exited the airport refusing taxi service and wandering around the parking lot. I took out the paper where he wrote down the address on a sheet of paper in Chinese and started finding random people and asking them (with charades – my new language for the next few months) where it was. Lucky number three was able to turn my head so that I was now actually looking at it about 10 meters away and right in front of me J.

A shower, Internet, and nap later, I left the hotel back to the airport for the final leg of my trip (only 40 minute flight!). Quick note: the airports here are awesome when it comes to food options they have like full on farmers markets in the terminals and mangoes bigger than my head. If only I could have bought one! As I am walking onto the plane, I catch up with the two other foreigners I see walking ahead of me… and oh my goodness! Did I just hear Portuguese!?! Ha! These two men were from Brazil and Argentina and are working in tobacco in Lincang! I got to practice some Portuguese as I boarded the plane, which felt almost more relieving than finding someone to speak English with. Man I am strange!

As I look out the window, floating above the clouds, I can’t help but realize how much my life is going to change. I was quickly asked to put my things away as we were about the land. As we break through the clouds, rolling green hills with beautiful picturesque terrace farming carpeted the mountains. Just when I thought we were landing in one of the fields a short runway appeared below us and a small one-room building sat just beside it. I am here!