Voice of Will: Going Postal

2006-06-27 - 5:53 p.m.
Have you ever had a postal or nuclear moment? If so then you can understand this story.
We have had to leave china. If you are a reader of this blog, then you know what has been happening and the "Why?' of the story already.

Well yesterday we actually had finished packing, mailing stuff, and left to the airport to fly to Beijing for 5 days before we leave China.
Now lets paint this picture. 11 full sized suitcases weighing in at about 50 lbs each. (international weight limits are 50 pounds per suit case), 5 large carry ons (could be considered suitcases if people actually look carefully, since they actually weigh more than our suitcases in 2 cases), 3 children, wallets and purses. So the day starts out, and it continues this way. we get up at 6 am (after being up to 1 packing) and then have to load our luggage in the van the school brought. That is nice, but when we got here, the school loaded it for us. you can tell we aren't welcome any longer because the help has officially ended.

We get to the airport and find out that our domestic luggage allowance is 20 kg per bag (44 lbs) and we ahve to pay a fee for the extra weight. 1600 rmb ($200) for the extra weight. It doesn't matter that we are taking an international flight, because the domestic flight has this limit. Ok. we have to pay this fee.

On the plane some local yokels decide to start making fun of me, staring at me, making jokes at me. I am already starting to boil, but this helps. In fact I believe the statement I made was something about minding own business or I'd make their faces my business. I'm sure they didn't understand it, but they got the message.
We get off the plane in Beijing and start gathering our stuff. All 11 bags make it fine, so we have 4 large baggage carts full, and now have to get them to from the airport to the hotel. And I need cash to pay for this since the 2000 RMB I had in the Zhengzhou airport is now gone. So I have my friend Dean call the hotel to find out about their shuttle, and have another friend Carrie ask about ATMS. WE find out there is a bank of beijing ATM (which does me no good, only bank of China will take an American debit card), and the shuttle is to take the city bus. Dean says he found a Bank of China ATM, so we go off to check. No. Bank of Beijing. Which accepts bank of china atm cards, but not American debit cards. So we are stuck at the airport, w/no way to get cash from the debit, and having to transport the bags to the hotel.

I manage to find a currency exchange machine and cash in one of my $100 bills. For 10% fee. We go to the shuttle, and it is a glorified city bus, that I have to load the luggage on, while being yelled at by the local Chinese bus driver to move "faster", only to find out there isn't enough room. I completely loose it when my youngest son stands on the bus steps going "it's too heavy" and not even trying to lift his sisters bag. I'm holding a 60lbs bag full of our stuff, after getting half way through our luggage (and filling the underside of the "shuttle) my back is killing me, and here is my adorable son being a shit. I believe my exact words were "LIFT THAT F*ING BAG AND GET YOUR A** ON THAT F*ING BUS!!!"

Not one of my better moments. at that time, Dean (he is really only trying to hlep) tells me that I need to stop using "THAT" word because everyone in beijing understands that word. I will say my next statement also is a classic of "You don't F*ING say? REALLY, they f*ing know what that f*ing word means? Well f* me. If they don't have a good idea that I'm f*ing pi*ed off, then f* them!" Again, I can only really plead insanity caused by stress.

it doesn't get better. we get the bus loaded (by we, I mean I get the bus loaded while the kids whine, criss gets in the way, and dean and carrie flounder around and get in my way w/out really helping with the physical work) The bus doesn't go to the hotel. No. It goes to the train station where we have to "find a way" to the hotel. So I then have to unload all of my stuff, stand there in the sun while Dean tells me we need to find TAXI's to get to the hotel. for 11 full suitcases, 5 carryons, kids, students, and us. I finally completely melt down. And unfortunately I go off on dean. It wasn't his fault. he isn't used to travelling with kids, or luggage. To his credit, when he travels he worries about himself, his bags, and he rides the bus, or takes a taxi.
We did manage to find a hustler who was somewhat honest, and he helped us find a large van to carry our baggage from the train station to the hotel, and we will be using these same people to take us to the airport tomorrow. That will save a repeat of my meltdown.

Once we made it to the hotel, it was all better. In fact I have enjoyed my last 3 days in china tremendously.
It is unfortunate that I may have terribly insulted a friend who only wanted to help. After the melt down he decided to go and stay with his cousin, and then took the next train back to zhengzhou even though he was supposed to travel with us for 2 days. I really hope that my anger at this situation and the surrounding issues hasn't ruined a friendship.