The First Entry from China

Hi Everyone,

Greetings from Beijing! I got here last night after what seemed like an interminably long flight and have already had quite a few amusing experiences in the process. When I checked in for my flight in Corpus Christi, I was told that my bags would be checked through to Beijing but that I would need to I would to stop at the Air China counter in San Francisco to get my boarding pass for that flight. When I got to the there, the Chinese clerk asked for my passport in a very crisp, no nonsense tone that signaled that she meant business! I quickly pulled my passport out of my security wallet and laid it on the counter as instructed. After inspecting my visa, she demanded to see my baggage claim check in the same abrupt tone. My baggage claim check? Where in the world had I put it? Had I even taken the boarding pass sleeve with the claim check sticker off of the last flight? I started frantically searching the pockets in my backpack as the clerk looked on in obvious disapproval. After what seemed like the longest couple of minutes, I located the crumpled boarding pass sleeve in the bottom of my backpack and placed it on the counter for the clerk to inspect. After examining the claim check to make sure everything was in order, she gave me a look that said "crazy American" and handed me my boarding pass. My passport was checked a couple more times before I got on the plane.

Once I got to the gate area, an employee from Air China came over the loudspeaker and announced that passengers were allowed to hand carry only one bag. Those with more than one carry on bag were instructed to see the attendant at the counter immediately. Uh oh! I had my backpack plus a tote bag that I had stuffed my winter jacket and gloves into. I didn't want to pack those items in my suitcase in case I got to frosty Beijing and my luggage was missing or delayed. Plus I thought I might want the jacket to use as a blanket or pillow on the plane. After my experience with the first Air China clerk I wasn't about to approach the counter again so I decided to just wear my jacket on the plane and stuff the tote bag into my backpack. I quickly rearranged all the items in my backpack to accommodate the tote and my hat and gloves. It was really bulky but I managed to get everything in. However, when they called my row to board, I realized that I was one of the few people who had taken this rule seriously! All of the Chinese passengers blew off the announcement and headed to the plane with multiple bags in tow. Nobody said a word about it. Once I got to my seat, I took off my jacket, repacked it in the tote and stuck it in the overhead bin.

On the Air China flight, I really felt out of my element as I was one of the few people on board who wasn't Chinese. I had the good fortune to sit next to a delightful young Beijinger named Melody who was a graduate student in the United States. Her family was originally from Hunan Province but she had lived in Beijing for many years. We had several nice conversations about China and Chinese culture. She also introduced me to a very interesting new food that she had brought on board as a snack, spicy mango. It was, well, interesting! Very interesting. It was dried mango coated with the same spices used to make spicy Chinese food. It was a strange combination but it kind of worked. If you'd like to try this food Melody says you can buy it at World Market.

We landed at the new Beijing international airport terminal. It was built for the Beijing Olympics and it's HUGE! I can't even begin to describe how enormous this facility is. It required a train ride to the passport check area and yet another one to baggage claim. Now that I think about it, the word "huge" could be used to describe a lot of aspects of Beijing. I was met at the airport by Michael, our Beijing guide, and others in my travel group. We had our own private driver and mini-bus for the weekend. Michael turned out to be an amazing guide. He was just fantastic and took great care of us throughout our stay. Not only did he give us great tours of the sites, he took care of all our practical needs where language was a barrier. When we got to the hotel Michael asked if anyone wanted to get some dinner. I was the only one who was interested so, after stopping by an all night convenience store to buy bottled water, Michael and I went to a casual Chinese restaurant by the hotel. Michael asked if I liked spicy food and I eagerly replied yes! He recommended the kung pao chicken and since I'd had it before in the U.S. I felt pretty safe in ordering it. Michael ordered some for me along with a Coke before leaving for the evening. When the chicken came, it was s-o-o-o-o spicy. Seriously, this stuff could peel paint! If someone in China asks you if you like spicy food beware! It's about ten times hotter than the U.S. version. My solitary Coke wasn't nearly enough to quell the burn through even half of my meal. With Michael gone, I didn't know how to order anything else to drink. Fortunately, I had the bottled water I had just purchased and opened it to douse my burning mouth!