GZ meeting? Maybe, maybe not

[owenkrout]

Why do you think that I am not arriving with my wife until Monday morning? Seriously, both my wife and I will be glad to get a chance to meet you all.

[Guest jennifer_lam]

Why do you think that I am not arriving with my wife until Monday morning?  Seriously, both my wife and I will be glad to get a chance to meet you all.

sure, we all will meet on Monday morining. Keep contact!

[AngryTexan]

The Wall Street Journal had a front page piece this morning entitled: "Chinese New Year Brings Mass Chaos As Masses Go Home", detailing the travel/transport nightmare this time of year. I was thinking about Mick and Owen when I read the following paragraph:

 

"Nowhere is the scale of the event more apparent than here in the southern city of Guangzhou. Located in the heart of China's biggest export manufacturing region, it is the busiest New Year hub in the country, expecting the departure and arrival of NINETEEN MILLION (19,000,000) passengers by bus and train over the holiday - almost as many passengers as the entire U.S. railroad system carries in a year."

 

Good luck Mick and Owen, and thanks for all your help Jennifer !!!

[Lurker]

From the WSJ article....

 

The logistics of it all are astounding. Imagine many of the U.S.'s Great Migrations of the 20th century playing out all together in a couple of weeks -- and then reversing themselves just as quickly. Airlines are adding 150 extra flights per day. State radio is broadcasting ticket availability to reduce sales-counter lines that have stretched almost a mile. The government has mobilized thousands of police and soldiers to guide the masses into the Year of the Sheep.

 

In all, some 1.8 billion individual trips will have been made in the 40 days surrounding the holiday.

[owenkrout]

And this happens every year! In fact, because of the great migration that is happening in China right now, (the government just announced that there are now officially more people living in the metropolitan city areas than in rural areas), the problem gets worse every year. Ancient customs cause people to feel compelled to travel to their ancestoral homes, or at least to where they now think of as "home" for the New Year. Think of how hectic it gets in the US for travel around Thanksgiving and multiply it by hundreds of times. It will continue to get worse as more people have more money and the government expects another 100,000,000 people to move to the ciites over the next 10 years.

[Mick]

Tell me about it, huh!!! And all this mass migration has a domino effect within the cities themselves. Every city bus is packed to the gills with folks carrying luggage, bag, and the occasional goose, duck, or chicken. Sat next to a guy day before yesterday (at least I had a seat) who was carrying two chickens. One he kept in a burlap bag on his lap and he had the other one tied to his ankle with a string. Most of these folks are headed either to the bus station or the train station.

 

And Owen and I are headed to GZ. As the Texan mentioned, this is the busiest place of all. Even during normal travel periods, the train and bus stations there are like a tidal wave of people. I can just imagine what we are in for. Whoa.!!!!!

[Eric&Yuhui]

I can just imagine what we are in for. Whoa.!!!!!

better you than me !

[Mick]

I can just imagine what we are in for. Whoa.!!!!!

better you than me !

Ah, so good to hear from the Frenchman!

 

My server connection was down until late in the day yesterday. Couldn't post much til late in the day. Of course, you were snoozing by then. I did post something for you in one of the threads, however. Don't recall which one (must be the Chinese valium).

 

Had to do with your suitcases filled with women's clothes. Just as well you missed it.

 

Thanks for your help and support regarding our mission. Seriously, it is greatly appreciated. I do wish, however, that you were coming along.

 

The GZ bus and train station are "must see" at this time of year.

[Eric&Yuhui]

snip////

 

Had to do with your suitcases filled with women's clothes. Just as well you missed it.

 

The GZ bus and train station are "must see" at this time of year.

I saw that one. Very funny.

I meant "my girl" clothes you twisted mind ! Not some kinky stuff I bought on my way back...

 

As for the bus/ train station... Thanks but no thanks... It's bad enough during low season

[owenkrout]

I haven't even left yet and it is getting interesting. First of all, for those in the States; At least through some of their sources, the Chinese government rates Shenyang as the 4th largest city in China. That is for perspective. This is not a small backwater town.

 

It seems that you can't buy a plane ticket in Shenyang with anything other than cash. We went to six different outlets today, including China Northern Airlines main ticket outlet. All of them said the same thing about taking a credit card, "Maiyo." At one five star hotel they actually laughed at the question. Mind you I have a Bank of America Visa and a Chinese Merchants Bank Visa. They wouldn't even take any of the three Chinese debit cards that we had with us.

 

Worse yet was going to the airport thinking I could use the credit card there. No way. They don't sell tickets at the airport. All we got there was a "Boy, are you stupid!" look from the agent at the booth.

 

So it was back to the bank for a wad of cash and then to the China Northern main office. There I watched in disbelief while people were purchasing overseas tickets and peeling off bills from a huge stack to pay for the family of five that was traveling.

 

Even with the cash, purchasing a plane ticket is not that easy up here. As I remember from Shanghai, I purchased a ticket with a minimum of problem. Even managed to use a credit card. Shenyang though is still more isolated from the outside world and still more traditionally Chinese. Here to get a ticket to Beijing I had to first fill out a form requesting the privilage of doing so. I had to supply my passport number, my name, my reason for being in Shenyang, my reason for going to Beijing, my job and my phone number. Then I had to actually produce my passport and my residence permit to prove that I was in Shenyang legally. I knew there was a reason for prefering the train.

 

At any rate, I have the tickets and will be on my way tomorrow morning.

[tonado]

Owen,

 

Wow. Getting tickets in China is a real pain. I am glad you got the tickets.

[Jatuke]

Good luck Owen and Mick, and others who are representing us at GZ. Have a safe journey.

 

May the force be with you!

[Nicole]

Owen, Hui just wrote to me and she wanted to know that if you need

booking a hotel when you arrived GZ. I will pick you up at the airport.

for you never meet me, I am a small and long straight hair.

[danswayne]

I am a small and long straight hair.

I don't want to be too rude here, but Nichole how many girls do you think that describes. Coming to China and finding a small girl with long straight hair is very very easy. Try doing it in Tennessee or Florida, and you have a different story. I am sure you will be able to find Owen pretty easy though just look for the beard that reaches the floor.

[Mick]

I am a small and long straight hair.

I don't want to be too rude here, but Nichole how many girls do you think that describes. Coming to China and finding a small girl with long straight hair is very very easy. Try doing it in Tennessee or Florida, and you have a different story. I am sure you will be able to find Owen pretty easy though just look for the beard that reaches the floor.

Relax Dan. Couldn't be more than half a billion girls who look like that. I'm sure eagle-eye Owen will spot her with no sweat.

 

And thanks Nicole from this end of the GZ journey. You have been a great help in making this whole thing possible. Without your help, I would have had to go it alone on Monday and I don't want to do that.