Ok, wee're starting a small epic here. Ain't no Odissey, but it surely deserves telling.
So, it was a sunny saturday in Moscow. I managed to get to the airport early, like, 3 hours before departure. You see, in China that's the way you do it - arrive early, check in, pass all the security checks and then fire up your laptop and just wait comfortably. So in the big city like Moscow it must be best way as well, right? Right?!
No such luck. I got to the Sheremetyevo-2 and it started to rain, so I had to trot quite fast from the train station (which is pretty modern - just what you would expect from the airport in the megapolis) down to the airport terminal (some 500 meters, 200 of them were NOT under any sort of roof). Inside was... disappointment. Smallish place, most of it occupied by some overpriced eateries (and I mean overpriced, even by Moscow's standards!) - and few rows of seats, half of them broken, the rest filled with Indians (or Pakistanis?), Chinese, Arabs... Well, that was only to be expected - it's an international airport, after all... but there were not nearly enough seats there! Ok, I went to the check-in counter... and they told me that I came too early and the check-in won't start until 2 hours before departure. So I had to seat on the baggage cart and wait, as did most of the people around me.
Well, at least the check-in and security search were quick, and I even got to keep my lighter (sort of unexpected after having to leave it behind when flying Chinese airlines!). By the way, there are no smoking rooms in Sheremetyevo-2 - just some stands with ashtrays near the walls (stupid arrangement, if you ask me - being a smoker myself, I still vote for separate rooms for smoking). Anyway, the boarding started "on time" if you beleive the screen at the gates (or 20 minutes late if you beleive your own watch!), and we got on board - not too soon, if you ask me! The road to Ningbo had started...
Jun 23, 2009
A road to Ningbo, part 1: All's well that ends...
A road to Ningbo, part 4: Finita la comedia!
I don't know how it is elsewhere on this planet, but in China the first thing you do after moving in is go to the supermarket and buy as much disinfectant as you can carry. And then some more. And after that you spend two or three days applying said disinfectant on every surface imaginable and quite a few you didn't even know about. This time it was my poor wife who had to do it as I was running around Ningbo visiting factories and trying to get some sensible picture of what is going on with our orders. Two days of digging and one burned set of lungs later (my lungs, of course - I wouldn't let my wife use that acidic stuff you clean showers with!) - it finally happened! A place where you can live and walk barefoot without fear of stepping onto some long-forgotten bottle cap or used condom from last year!
A road to Ningbo, part 3: Picky, picky!..
As I've said previously, it's not that easy finding a rental agent here in Ningbo. But that's only half of the story. Even when you have caught that agent, you have to find thу apartment where you can live. And that, my friends, is not easy at all.
Well, of course part the blame goes to my employer. Only 2700 CNY (USD 400) to rent an apartment which does not look like there was a pig farm (or roach breeders) there? Agencies that specialize in apartment hunting for the expats will offer flats starting from 3500 CNY. For 2700 you can get yourself a roach-breeder's dream in old building (no elevator, of course!), or some small one-bedroom flat, or something equally unsuitable to your needs. There are a lot of two-level flats here, which may look impressive until you realise that going to the toilet at night you'll risk falling from the stairs, and there is no balcony and lots of noisy streets around...
Finally after seeing 20 or so apartments I chose the first one I've checked. So it's far enough from the center of the city, but there are trees under my window, it was "clean" (no roach breeding here, and that pig farm was small and short-lived), it was within the price range... and I was tired as hell. And so we moved in (but that's another story).
Oh, and I did find the agency that's quite good. It's called "21st Century" or something like this. They may be not efficient enough, but at least they try to meet your requirements and not make you rent something no one wants.
Well, of course part the blame goes to my employer. Only 2700 CNY (USD 400) to rent an apartment which does not look like there was a pig farm (or roach breeders) there? Agencies that specialize in apartment hunting for the expats will offer flats starting from 3500 CNY. For 2700 you can get yourself a roach-breeder's dream in old building (no elevator, of course!), or some small one-bedroom flat, or something equally unsuitable to your needs. There are a lot of two-level flats here, which may look impressive until you realise that going to the toilet at night you'll risk falling from the stairs, and there is no balcony and lots of noisy streets around...
Finally after seeing 20 or so apartments I chose the first one I've checked. So it's far enough from the center of the city, but there are trees under my window, it was "clean" (no roach breeding here, and that pig farm was small and short-lived), it was within the price range... and I was tired as hell. And so we moved in (but that's another story).
Oh, and I did find the agency that's quite good. It's called "21st Century" or something like this. They may be not efficient enough, but at least they try to meet your requirements and not make you rent something no one wants.
A road to Ningbo, part 2: Take a good night's sleep before sightseeing!
After eight hours on the plane we had finally arrived to Shanghai. Again, everything was quick (the only disappointment being that I didn't get to ride the MagLev train) and we set off to Ningbo. Now, I do wish I was able to sleep on that damned plane! We were passing the famous Hangzhou Bay Bridge and I was asleep...
Frist sight of Ningbo was actually quite pleasant. Lots of water and trees, lots of people riding bicycles (note to self: get a bicecle ASAP!)... well, it was like going back in time to Shenyang of nineties!
Hotel was good. Big room with king-size bed, fresh fruit delivered every evening... but then came first in the long line of disappointments. You see, I wanted to get a 3G SIM from China Unicom. "No way!" - was the answer. Turns out I've got to request the number first, then wait for up to three days to get it - or go to the central office and get it there. Needless to say I didn't find that office and had to satisfy myself with ole good China Mobile and no way to get a 3G service (unless I buy a phone for that).
Then there was the greatesty of tasks - renting an apartment... and I was in for a major disappointment. Yiu see, when you go out in Guangzhou (or almost any other Chinese city), there will be these small companies everywhere, which will help you rent an apartment, buy or sell one... do almost everything with it. That's not the way it's done here in Ningbo. You have to hunt for these agencies here!
And thus began the next part of my journey...
Frist sight of Ningbo was actually quite pleasant. Lots of water and trees, lots of people riding bicycles (note to self: get a bicecle ASAP!)... well, it was like going back in time to Shenyang of nineties!
Hotel was good. Big room with king-size bed, fresh fruit delivered every evening... but then came first in the long line of disappointments. You see, I wanted to get a 3G SIM from China Unicom. "No way!" - was the answer. Turns out I've got to request the number first, then wait for up to three days to get it - or go to the central office and get it there. Needless to say I didn't find that office and had to satisfy myself with ole good China Mobile and no way to get a 3G service (unless I buy a phone for that).
Then there was the greatesty of tasks - renting an apartment... and I was in for a major disappointment. Yiu see, when you go out in Guangzhou (or almost any other Chinese city), there will be these small companies everywhere, which will help you rent an apartment, buy or sell one... do almost everything with it. That's not the way it's done here in Ningbo. You have to hunt for these agencies here!
And thus began the next part of my journey...
Jun 22, 2009
I'm back!
Well, it looks like I have - finally! - settled down in Ningbo. Two weeks gone by in frantic search for apartment, massive clean-up of said apartment and resting from that clean-up. Internet connection was finally installed and life started that long way back to normal. So, there'll be more time to write... and there are things to write about.
Jun 3, 2009
WTF?! or, Is therу a safe place in the world?
There are all sorts of things that happen to you in the morning. Let's try and make a list, shall we? Like this:
- Work. You have to get up early, when your body is screaming "Just five more minutes, please!". The bus is crowded, the breakfast is like some strange edible stone in your innards... but you get used to it pretty soon.
- Hangover. Life is terrible. You feel like there was a convention of cats in your mouth (cats suffering from explosive diarrhea, that is) — and that convention had obviously moved inside your skull and is having quite a catfight. Or a dogfight. Whatever. And still you know that it will wear off... and who can you blame but yourself?
- ...
Fun with Dick and Jane... errm... with jerk and train
My life have undergone quite a change during this couple of months. New job, family turmoil, meeting old friends in unlikely places — that sort of thing. So naturally I had to travel a lot, and this is an epic about me and international train travel. Now, how do we start?..
Once upon a time there was a train... Nah, forget it. I ain't no fairytale person. So, what happened went like this...
It was the end of this April. I had to go to Russia and — feeling an urge to save money and needing to bring a lot of things with me — decided to take the famous train K19, which runs from Beijing to Moscow. The tickets were ordered and I went to Beijing, knowing not of all the adventures that were lying in wait for me there. The fun started just as I entered the Beijing railway station (the Beijing station, not that abomination called Beijing Western Station). First of all, they... No, Terrance, they did not do that to the pigs!... They made us go to the 2nd floor and stand there in the middle of the long walkway, obstructing it. I don't know why they would not let us into that special "Waiting hall for International train passengers" which is on the 1st floor and is meant to be used by said passengers - just as it was always done before. They must have got a thing against Russians... a not-so-well-hidden grudge or whatever.
Anyway, there we were standing like a bunch of idiots, Russians and Chinese alike when it hit the fan. Along came the guy named Wang Yubao, the Deputy Head of Passenger dept and an epic dickhead, who announced that we're allowed to take only 35 kg with us and that everything above this limit must be sent separately ("I guess it'll be impossible now, time being 10:45pm Saturday", he said with a smirk) or left at the station for anyone to take. Now thing started to get interesting as weight regulations were never enforced, and I mean never.
From that it turned into bedlam. Some girls had to leave most of their things just there on the floor or risk staying in Beijing with nowhere to go, no money and expiring visa. Some Chinese guy had to call his relatives to come and get his bags as he was not allowed to take them. Another Chinese guy was trying to get the stationmaster to stop this insanity. The stationmaster agreed that it was stupid but was not willing to take any action. And I had like 70kg of baggage and no way some jerk was going to make me throw it away.
Luckily there was a friend from Guangzhou who was willing to help... so some luggage went to him to be taken back to Guangzhou. This left me with a 32kg luggage, a bag of food to be eaten on the train and a backpack with my laptop. Naturally the jerk wanted me to leave the laptop behind (and said it aloud in plain Chinese) and when I refused they just won't let me through until the train departed.
So... I said everything I thought about them. Loud and clear. In Chinese. It did not help. The jerk looked like he was having an intense orgasm. You just can see his thoughts: "I was the boss here! I did show them!". And then he just left, happy as... well, as some very repulsive and very happy thing. As I said before, an epic dickhead.
Naturally I tried to return the ticket. Whoopie! Turns out you have to do that in 3 hours after the train left. Ticket office won't take it back 'cos these tickets are sold by and shall be returned to the China International Travel Service office nearby... which works from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. So it's catching the train before it crosses the border or throwing the ticket away and buying a plane ticket. And then they tell me the price for the plane ticket... the same as the price of the goddamned train ticket! My plan to save money failed from the very beginning!
To make the long story short, I had to buy me a plane ticket to Harbin and fly there to catch the train. Did get there on time and nobody said nothing about my luggage... and the journey was uneventful and pleasantly boring from that point. That weight check hysteria must be strictly a Beijing thing. A capital city thing. Jerks...
Once upon a time there was a train... Nah, forget it. I ain't no fairytale person. So, what happened went like this...
It was the end of this April. I had to go to Russia and — feeling an urge to save money and needing to bring a lot of things with me — decided to take the famous train K19, which runs from Beijing to Moscow. The tickets were ordered and I went to Beijing, knowing not of all the adventures that were lying in wait for me there. The fun started just as I entered the Beijing railway station (the Beijing station, not that abomination called Beijing Western Station). First of all, they... No, Terrance, they did not do that to the pigs!... They made us go to the 2nd floor and stand there in the middle of the long walkway, obstructing it. I don't know why they would not let us into that special "Waiting hall for International train passengers" which is on the 1st floor and is meant to be used by said passengers - just as it was always done before. They must have got a thing against Russians... a not-so-well-hidden grudge or whatever.
Anyway, there we were standing like a bunch of idiots, Russians and Chinese alike when it hit the fan. Along came the guy named Wang Yubao, the Deputy Head of Passenger dept and an epic dickhead, who announced that we're allowed to take only 35 kg with us and that everything above this limit must be sent separately ("I guess it'll be impossible now, time being 10:45pm Saturday", he said with a smirk) or left at the station for anyone to take. Now thing started to get interesting as weight regulations were never enforced, and I mean never.
From that it turned into bedlam. Some girls had to leave most of their things just there on the floor or risk staying in Beijing with nowhere to go, no money and expiring visa. Some Chinese guy had to call his relatives to come and get his bags as he was not allowed to take them. Another Chinese guy was trying to get the stationmaster to stop this insanity. The stationmaster agreed that it was stupid but was not willing to take any action. And I had like 70kg of baggage and no way some jerk was going to make me throw it away.
Luckily there was a friend from Guangzhou who was willing to help... so some luggage went to him to be taken back to Guangzhou. This left me with a 32kg luggage, a bag of food to be eaten on the train and a backpack with my laptop. Naturally the jerk wanted me to leave the laptop behind (and said it aloud in plain Chinese) and when I refused they just won't let me through until the train departed.
So... I said everything I thought about them. Loud and clear. In Chinese. It did not help. The jerk looked like he was having an intense orgasm. You just can see his thoughts: "I was the boss here! I did show them!". And then he just left, happy as... well, as some very repulsive and very happy thing. As I said before, an epic dickhead.
Naturally I tried to return the ticket. Whoopie! Turns out you have to do that in 3 hours after the train left. Ticket office won't take it back 'cos these tickets are sold by and shall be returned to the China International Travel Service office nearby... which works from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. So it's catching the train before it crosses the border or throwing the ticket away and buying a plane ticket. And then they tell me the price for the plane ticket... the same as the price of the goddamned train ticket! My plan to save money failed from the very beginning!
To make the long story short, I had to buy me a plane ticket to Harbin and fly there to catch the train. Did get there on time and nobody said nothing about my luggage... and the journey was uneventful and pleasantly boring from that point. That weight check hysteria must be strictly a Beijing thing. A capital city thing. Jerks...
I'm back - alive and kicking!
So it was a long interruption in my blogging. Well, I did try to blog from my mobile, but it was useless. Damned software just flushed couple of long posts down the crapper. So much for mobile blogging!
Anyway, it was, like, a long time since I posted anything. It was partly due to some family problems (of which I will not write here) and partly because I had to travel a lot (and I will write about it). Just need a little timme to refresh my memories and decide which part of that "experience" will be described first.
Anyway, it was, like, a long time since I posted anything. It was partly due to some family problems (of which I will not write here) and partly because I had to travel a lot (and I will write about it). Just need a little timme to refresh my memories and decide which part of that "experience" will be described first.
Living in Moscow: Palaces and dirty holes
As I said before, I come from Siberia and that means that I do not have a place to live in Moscow — at least not for a month or two during the orientation at my new job. Of course it means many other things too... but I digress. So I had to rent a place. Hotels were out of question: Nice places more like palaces... with the price per day that will make many royal palaces look cheap.
First idea was: Hostels! A quick check made it clear that the first idea was really bad. There are not that much hostels in Moscow... and the prices are sky-high. So apartment it was... until I saw the prices. 600 euros for a tiny flat?! No way!..
Now I rent a tiny room in what is just barely passes as a distant part of Moscow. There are drunk teens under my window, the smell of urine and shaggy dogs and unwashed people downstairs. There are two supermarkets which are almost empty, with personnel more likely to scwear at you than smile at you. Oh, and a powerplant. And garbage incineration plant. Nice neighbourhood, this one. And only US$ 300 a month. Nice city, isn't it?
First idea was: Hostels! A quick check made it clear that the first idea was really bad. There are not that much hostels in Moscow... and the prices are sky-high. So apartment it was... until I saw the prices. 600 euros for a tiny flat?! No way!..
Now I rent a tiny room in what is just barely passes as a distant part of Moscow. There are drunk teens under my window, the smell of urine and shaggy dogs and unwashed people downstairs. There are two supermarkets which are almost empty, with personnel more likely to scwear at you than smile at you. Oh, and a powerplant. And garbage incineration plant. Nice neighbourhood, this one. And only US$ 300 a month. Nice city, isn't it?
Work can be fun!
It finally happenned... well, it happened in the end of April actually, but... who cares? I did find a work after freelancing and being picky for a year and half. It means moving again, this time to Ningbo, and it meant that I have to go to Moscow for orientation course (and I did go to Moscow... actually I'm still in Moscow).
Now I'm a tech representative of a big Russian company in China, which means that I should enjoy the stability of a big company and the freedom of working away from the bosses. Neat, eh?
Now I'm a tech representative of a big Russian company in China, which means that I should enjoy the stability of a big company and the freedom of working away from the bosses. Neat, eh?
Fun with Dick and Jane... errm... with jerk and train
My life have undergone quite a change during this couple of months. New job, family turmoil, meeting old friends in unlikely places — that sort of thing. So naturally I had to travel a lot, and this is an epic about me and international train travel. Now, how do we start?..
Once upon a time there was a train... Nah, forget it. I ain't no fairytale person. So, what happened went like this...
It was the end of this April. I had to go to Russia and — feeling an urge to save money and needing to bring a lot of things with me — decided to take the famous train K19, which runs from Beijing to Moscow. The tickets were ordered and I went to Beijing, knowing not of all the adventures that were lying in wait for me there. The fun started just as I entered the Beijing railway station (the Beijing station, not that abomination called Beijing Western Station). First of all, they... No, Terrance, they did not do that to the pigs!... They made us go to the 2nd floor and stand there in the middle of the long walkway, obstructing it. I don't know why they would not let us into that special "Waiting hall for International train passengers" which is on the 1st floor and is meant to be used by said passengers - just as it was always done before. They must have got a thing against Russians... a not-so-well-hidden grudge or whatever.
Anyway, there we were standing like a bunch of idiots, Russians and Chinese alike when it hit the fan. Along came the guy named Wang Yubao, the Deputy Head of Passenger dept and an epic dickhead, who announced that we're allowed to take only 35 kg with us and that everything above this limit must be sent separately ("I guess it'll be impossible now, time being 10:45pm Saturday", he said with a smirk) or left at the station for anyone to take. Now thing started to get interesting as weight regulations were never enforced, and I mean never.
From that it turned into bedlam. Some girls had to leave most of their things just there on the floor or risk staying in Beijing with nowhere to go, no money and expiring visa. Some Chinese guy had to call his relatives to come and get his bags as he was not allowed to take them. Another Chinese guy was trying to get the stationmaster to stop this insanity. The stationmaster agreed that it was stupid but was not willing to take any action. And I had like 70kg of baggage and no way some jerk was going to make me throw it away.
Luckily there was a friend from Guangzhou who was willing to help... so some luggage went to him to be taken back to Guangzhou. This left me with a 32kg luggage, a bag of food to be eaten on the train and a backpack with my laptop. Naturally the jerk wanted me to leave the laptop behind (and said it aloud in plain Chinese) and when I refused they just won't let me through until the train departed.
So... I said everything I thought about them. Loud and clear. In Chinese. It did not help. The jerk looked like he was having an intense orgasm. You just can see his thoughts: "I was the boss here! I did show them!". And then he just left, happy as... well, as some very repulsive and very happy thing. As I said before, an epic dickhead.
Naturally I tried to return the ticket. Whoopie! Turns out you have to do that in 3 hours after the train left. Ticket office won't take it back 'cos these tickets are sold by and shall be returned to the China International Travel Service office nearby... which works from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. So it's catching the train before it crosses the border or throwing the ticket away and buying a plane ticket. And then they tell me the price for the plane ticket... the same as the price of the goddamned train ticket! My plan to save money failed from the very beginning!
To make the long story short, I had to buy me a plane ticket to Harbin and fly there to catch the train. Did get there on time and nobody said nothing about my luggage... and the journey was uneventful and pleasantly boring from that point. That weight check hysteria must be strictly a Beijing thing. A capital city thing. Jerks...
Once upon a time there was a train... Nah, forget it. I ain't no fairytale person. So, what happened went like this...
It was the end of this April. I had to go to Russia and — feeling an urge to save money and needing to bring a lot of things with me — decided to take the famous train K19, which runs from Beijing to Moscow. The tickets were ordered and I went to Beijing, knowing not of all the adventures that were lying in wait for me there. The fun started just as I entered the Beijing railway station (the Beijing station, not that abomination called Beijing Western Station). First of all, they... No, Terrance, they did not do that to the pigs!... They made us go to the 2nd floor and stand there in the middle of the long walkway, obstructing it. I don't know why they would not let us into that special "Waiting hall for International train passengers" which is on the 1st floor and is meant to be used by said passengers - just as it was always done before. They must have got a thing against Russians... a not-so-well-hidden grudge or whatever.
Anyway, there we were standing like a bunch of idiots, Russians and Chinese alike when it hit the fan. Along came the guy named Wang Yubao, the Deputy Head of Passenger dept and an epic dickhead, who announced that we're allowed to take only 35 kg with us and that everything above this limit must be sent separately ("I guess it'll be impossible now, time being 10:45pm Saturday", he said with a smirk) or left at the station for anyone to take. Now thing started to get interesting as weight regulations were never enforced, and I mean never.
From that it turned into bedlam. Some girls had to leave most of their things just there on the floor or risk staying in Beijing with nowhere to go, no money and expiring visa. Some Chinese guy had to call his relatives to come and get his bags as he was not allowed to take them. Another Chinese guy was trying to get the stationmaster to stop this insanity. The stationmaster agreed that it was stupid but was not willing to take any action. And I had like 70kg of baggage and no way some jerk was going to make me throw it away.
Luckily there was a friend from Guangzhou who was willing to help... so some luggage went to him to be taken back to Guangzhou. This left me with a 32kg luggage, a bag of food to be eaten on the train and a backpack with my laptop. Naturally the jerk wanted me to leave the laptop behind (and said it aloud in plain Chinese) and when I refused they just won't let me through until the train departed.
So... I said everything I thought about them. Loud and clear. In Chinese. It did not help. The jerk looked like he was having an intense orgasm. You just can see his thoughts: "I was the boss here! I did show them!". And then he just left, happy as... well, as some very repulsive and very happy thing. As I said before, an epic dickhead.
Naturally I tried to return the ticket. Whoopie! Turns out you have to do that in 3 hours after the train left. Ticket office won't take it back 'cos these tickets are sold by and shall be returned to the China International Travel Service office nearby... which works from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. So it's catching the train before it crosses the border or throwing the ticket away and buying a plane ticket. And then they tell me the price for the plane ticket... the same as the price of the goddamned train ticket! My plan to save money failed from the very beginning!
To make the long story short, I had to buy me a plane ticket to Harbin and fly there to catch the train. Did get there on time and nobody said nothing about my luggage... and the journey was uneventful and pleasantly boring from that point. That weight check hysteria must be strictly a Beijing thing. A capital city thing. Jerks...
I'm back - alive and kicking!
So it was a long interruption in my blogging. Well, I did try to blog from my mobile, but it was useless. Damned software just flushed couple of long posts down the crapper. So much for mobile blogging!
Anyway, it was, like, a long time since I posted anything. It was partly due to some family problems (of which I will not write here) and partly because I had to travel a lot (and I will write about it). Just need a little timme to refresh my memories and decide which part of that "experience" will be described first.
Anyway, it was, like, a long time since I posted anything. It was partly due to some family problems (of which I will not write here) and partly because I had to travel a lot (and I will write about it). Just need a little timme to refresh my memories and decide which part of that "experience" will be described first.
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