Posts tagged vacation

I learned last night that the Chinese are on really hard beds (at least they say they sleep like love, but I suspect it directly to their budgets are, because I noticed the wealthy Chinese seem to mysteriously very comfortable Sealy and the like opt). Most hotels, except for very high 5 stars have beds that are just too hard for us spoiled Westerners, and this hotel, perhaps a result of their ownership of the Red Army, was a bed that was like concrete with a single cotton covered. Then I woke up early, not knowing if I really slept at all, a shower, and began a long search for coffee, I usually can not start my day without it.

My “Chinese Date” was to last four days, and my companion beautiful Chinese lady came to Hangzhou by train to meet me that afternoon, so after he made the bed, driven by complaints over 6 hours, at least 3 hours before my alarm set, I had to kill some serious time.

Starting with the breakfast buffet was included in my room and was in the what could happen for a mess of the Army (or should I say a red dining Army) I served in the Commons sought, but found no trace always coffee. I also found little evidence of tasty food. The Chinese idea of the breakfast, and then disappointed me and it always disappoints me. They generally seem not to distinguish between breakfast and other meals when it comes to most dishes, except a kind of rice porridge called congee. More and more hotel buffets include a number of Western dishes for breakfast, but this hotel 5 years ago made no effort, in which.

Congee, it is not so bad if you do it right, but even now I can not handle it for breakfast. Bare lumpy rice pudding has the look and taste of the glue, Elmer, which I remember from my childhood equally disappointing, as a culinary item. However, it seems that this series of different things and look strange next to the pot dried rice pudding is really piled the ingredients to spice to add it, and some of them are actually quite good, and rice pudding into something pretty good. However, things tend to spices and ingredients and other items that I’ll never be able to with the word “breakfast”, then disappoint breakfast in China continue to be.

Fortunately, this morning I discovered two things that, apparently, me and the Chinese as for breakfast, grilled tomato and bacon. In fact, it turned out that the bacon as good as any I ever had. Sun, 56 slices later (perhaps I exaggerate, but I have my money in bacon), I ventured in Hangzhou to hunt a little coffee. This proved to be not an easy search with a surprise to be (for me anyway) end.

Hangzhou has been announced in both Chinese and international travel guides, such as “The Rough Guide” as one of, if not the, most beautiful cities in China, which is exactly why I was there my first glimpse of China. The highlight of Hangzhou is what the Chinese call the famous West Lake, so I decided that I check it, because I have so much opportunity there, as elsewhere, have coffee. He was still only 8 clock, and I was a relaxing stroll around West Lake hope. Coincidentally, I am now in a relationship with a beautiful Chinese woman who brought Hanhzhou, I got to know and in fact one of the most beautiful cities not only in China, but perhaps in the world, but my experience that day, one of the busiest days of tourist travel to China, did nothing to Hangzhou love in my heart.

First, I left the hotel in an amazing schmozzle traffic on the street, mostly pedestrian, who immediately broke my dreams of peace. Then I took a taxi to West Lake, a chase of any movie I’ve seen them all beaten. I now realize that every taxi in China is an adventure of any kind, but it was wild, even by Chinese standards. I left the taxi in a sea of people. It was just 8:20.

West Lake in Hangzhou, which is on most days of the year, it turns out, in fact, very quiet and nice, but the first day of May, as you fight through disadvantages the public from the Super Bowl, you’re the only , quantity, without combat experience in a real fight you are fighting involved every step of miles. West Lake Park is a great place and every square meter was coveted by at least 2 people. I have not seen the grass, but looked between my legs, I could not see the sea, except for a small glimmer throug a sea of heads, and if I were not more than 98% Chinese population, I doubt I would be the trees have seen.

After 4 hours, crowd me, although this mass of people who all seemed indifferent, I was restless, I’m with my right elbow and left hand holding my wallet popped out of the crowd to another exit point of the park and stumbled into the street required to park in a commercial area. This area has been much fuller than the big cities I’ve lived like Los Angeles or Vancouver, but compared to West Lake Park was vacant.

Every second building a tea house, tea house, and everyone was packed with customers, not a tea house seemed to even recognize the word “coffee”, not to mention serve. I went so long, long time. It was early afternoon, and I knew I was on my way back to the hotel some of the eagerly anticipated meeting to do with my new Lady Friend Chinese (which I began as a look at my savior), and j ‘were after already looking a taxi when I saw it.

I did not find any expectations as far in a café, thinking that the best I could be a western style restaurant that at least some claims to find would serve coffee. It is therefore with great surprise I found what has become one of the most famous logos in the West. In front was a Starbucks. I will not bore you with my thoughts on Starbucks before he has to say to China, except that my previous boycott of the coffee supplier to an abrupt end came at that very moment. It is with great joy in my heart that Starbucks immediately became my new best friend.

Not only was it a surprise to find a Starbucks in Hangzhou, but it was the biggest Starbucks I had ever seen. It seemed solid, and it was full of customers, all Chinese. Young to know these guys, like Starbucks in the market. I returned to my hotel with not one but two large super mucho largo coffee of the day. And they had exactly the same as the taste almost burnt roast that Starbucks is worldwide and that by that time that I so much hated, but now that I like. Boy, these guys really know how to market. “Making bad coffee, but to keep consistent and they will come (even in a world that only drinks tea).” Who would have thought?

I arrived at my hotel a few moments before I had to learn lesson No. 1 of the web meetings, you will learn about so if you do not know (not me, the only guy in the world to be this naive), so I went and updated my drank two liters of coffee. I just started feeling the rise of caffeine, when the phone rang and Chinese Date # 1 has announced its arrival. Suddenly nervous, I made my way to the lobby.

Lesson No. 1: Do not look like they like her picture.

I would not too surprised. After all, I have a picture that would not betray my fourth month of pregnancy (slight beer belly), and made no sound from the gray in my hair, but at least I had taken in the last two months. Hers may have taken in the last ten years, but I doubt it. Before you fly all the way to China to get to know someone, talk openly and honestly about their presentation for you. Tell them, sorry, but you have had bad experiences before and you just want to be sure it is both the person you expect to attend to, respond. If she waffles problem on the horizon and you might as well cut it at first. to postpone your trip and find a different, or if you like it, to ask him to clean up and send photos to show their power. Maybe they can still work.

In truth, there was another lady quite attractive Chinese, get a lot more than my most recent data at home, but in his photographs, she was beautiful and at least 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter than our meeting. If they are honest from the start, I would probably still take her, but now we have had a bad start. As shyly asked if she was what I expected, with a polished in Canada, I told you wrong, she was very pretty. After translation of the nice word for “beautiful” she was thrilled. With good manners and the fear of a conflict, I immediately put a bad start to a date four days of hell. If only I had more honestly, we could maybe a relationship, friendship or more, but save my own little innocent well-intentioned, I lie very aggravated an already bad situation.

Lesson No. 2: Be honest no matter what. I am not brutally honest, I mean, gently, gently honest. It will save you both a world of pain.

We went to my room.