Well I left Hong Kong. Got on the big train. Went to my 4 person soft sleeper cabin and an old lady came in. She left wrong cabin.... I wondered who would I meet here? More rice wine drinkers? Soon the train began moving... I realised.. it was just me in this cabin... all by myself... I walked all the way down one end of the train, then all the way back up the other. The only westerners I saw was a couple that kept to themselves. Not one other person on the train spoke english, not even the staff, not a word. The announcements were in Chinese. OMG! I read, I listened to music. I eventually found the food cart where i asked for food by demonstrating the shovelling of food to the waitress. She then pulled out a menu which just had chicken rice on it. Ok then. I ate, then went back to my cabin, eventually started to go insane. The cabin had music constantly playing in Chinese, I couldnt turn it off. There was a volume knob, but it wouldnt turn off!!! I put on my mp3, eventually started singing songs like "All by myself" and "My baby takes the morning train" out loud. No one could understand me.
I fell asleep, woke up at about 10, went to the cart for breakfast, i must have missed it, no one there, i went back to my room, sat there hungry!! Realised i didnt have any toilet paper! Would pages of a book do??... I went back to the dinner cart at 12:30. I asked for food again. She yelled at me for a little bit, then said rice? I said yep. I waited nearly an hour, about to leave, she came out with RICE and CHICKEN and Pork:( dont eat pork! but food yah!. I was packing it on the train as I had to declare whether i am sick or not. I have the worst cough at the moment, i didnt declare it, but i walked through customs holding my breath. The train stopped, I got off, found a hostel (first time back in dorm since bangkok) and then headed to PIZZA HUT!! was slightly dissapointed by the chinese version, lacking some of the pizzas back home. Shanghai looks shite by day, but at night its amazing, more so than Hong Kong, lights everywhere. I will go take some pics after writing this.
Walking down the main shopping street in Shanghai, I was approached by a girl called bo bo and her sister who asked me to join them for a drink, i said see ya here at 6 then never went. Im glad, beacause it was most likely a scam, since them i have had countless girls asking where im from, inviting me for drinks or tea, i found out later that there is big scams going on where they take you to a bar, you see a menu, then they give u a bill of like 500 oz dollars and there is nothing u can do.
I did however get scammed today. I was walking down the street and some nice 22, 23 year old chinese boys and girls asked me to see their universitys art exhibition. I was like what the hell, ok. I looked, they said i can buy something if i want, because they want to be famous one day, and to buy one of their works helps them all. I later found out that it is a common scam in china to be taken to art exhbitions and that the 60 oz dollars i spent on chinese art was all copies. I feel really stupid right now, but ohh well. I do like the stuff i bought anyway! Im still not sure if my guys were dodgy or not. They told me every single piece of art which one of them did it, what was its meaning, and how long it took them to do it, they then went shirt shopping with me (to a department store) and helped me pick out a gay shirt. They then asked for my email and asked me to send the photos through which you will see, and they made me remember their names. They didnt force me to buy anything, or though i could have sworn when i walked in one of them locked the door (she did something with the door anyway, maybe she was just closing it to keep the air conditioning in) if they scammed me, they were good. Touche!
I sit in maccas. People ask me to join them and talk to them so they can practise their english. Im sure some are genuine, but its so sureal. I go stand in the street and people walk up to me, usually couples, once a 40 year old man who asked me to have tea with him (as if!!). They ask the same things, "How are you, where are you from, ohh Australia, Kangaroo country, i would love to go there, how long are you staying in Shanghai" They all seem to be students too. Im sure i met one genuine couple earlier who said all university students from xian have to come to shanghai to do the big English Compentency test. They just were happy for the practise. WHO KNOWS!! I should always remember what my sister said "Trust No-one" But then, I wouldn't have such fine art!
I saw a bit of a punch up today between a couple of 50 year old chinese men in front of my hostel. Was pretty funny. Should have recorded it.
Been feeling a bit woozy latley, maybe its the maccas, sticking to the western food for a few days. Relaxing a bit. I bumped into a few kiwis in a shopping centre, who are part of the cast of the lion king who were in Oz, now there in china. They said to meet at some flash bar, but i wouldn't get in and its too far away. The internet cafes here are huge, with at least 200 computers in them. Going to walk outside where as last night, numerous guys and girls will walk up to me and ask me to come see the lady bars, where the girls will do anything i want. I will say no thanks, then they will say, what you dont like girls? Ill laugh and say, only if there for free...
Will do another Shanghai update.
Take care
Brett Bird Flu Harden
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