15/03/2016
Colleen, Micheal and I went to bed quite late after packing all clothes, supplements and first aid supplies. I think I was too excited to sleep. I was still working out what I needed to do the next morning to complete the admin for the Centre. There were still emails, messages and phone calls to deal with that I deemed necessary. (If a tsunami was coming though, I’d happily decide these actions could be let go of). After a few hours sleep, I was up again, finishing off last minute admin tasks. I did an imaginary high-five when I finished just before we had to leave for the airport. I always feel so lost when I leave the country as I’ll be away from my clients that I look after at Oasis Health Centre. Doing the work at the centre is so comfortable and familiar compared to leaving the country to destinations I’ve never been to, although I know there are incredible experiences to be had. I do get a bit concerned when I travel because of my limited vision. This time Colleen and Michael will be my eyes, so it’ll be good.
The flight was long and tiring (9 hours), although I had plenty of games and books on my iPad to occupy me. The food was good. I had arranged for vegan meals for Michael and Colleen, but the Airlines didn’t receive the request, so they managed as best as they could with limited options. They were starving when we finally got to Guangzhou. We hoped that we would find a restaurant to feed their hungry tummies. Not so. Outside the airport, many people with signs showed weary travelers that someone was there to take them to their accommodation. We didn’t think to look for a name. We had no clue that a hotel bus would take us to our hotel. We climbed into what we thought was a taxi that an exuberant well-dressed man offered us. We told him we had no Chinese currency (Yuan) with us he said “It’ll be $80 AUD”! I immediately said “No, no! Too much!”, but he was already putting our bags in the car, conveying directions to the driver while the others were climbing in. I continued to protect the exorbitant price. He wasn’t budging with his decision, and now we were captive in his car. The car pulled over, this charlatan gets out, and the driver takes us to our hotel, telling us the hotel is not a good one. When we arrived, we understood what he meant. It was old, like maintenance and the staff spoke only Chinese. So much for colourful pictures and sweet words of a hotel that may have existed once upon a time. We had no local money, no bottle water and there was no food that could be purchased on a card. Thankfully, we’d all packed protein bars, nuts and snacks. We boiled some water and added a couple of drops of essential oils to kill any bugs. The taste was so unpleasant that we decided to not drink, and wait until we got back to the airport to have water. Breakfast was supplied the next morning, so maybe there was something there that would quench our thirst. We waited the night. I did some training with Colleen.
When we were in the bus to take us to the waiting plane at the Guangzhou airport, we were standing squished together. I immediately noticed that the majority of people on the bus were men. Of 150 people on the plane, 10 were women including Colleen and I. It’s daunting and rather unnerving to know that we are going into a country whose menfolk look down on women, being an Islamic country. My rebelliousness towards oppression of any sort, and particularly dominating men, is being put under many layers of clothing and becoming somewhat tamed. I have an inspiring and rewarding job to do here in Bangladesh, and I am certainly wishing for a calm, peaceful and enjoyable experience, for all of us. So, layer upon layer upon layer, I breathe in calmness and dignity, and show my rebel nature in the bright, outrageous colours and styles I wear. I like being different, and maybe, there is a woman who sees within herself a rebel flame that refuses to be extinguished. Colleen mentioned to me that the men standing behind me on the bus were all leering at me. She found it disgusting that they would be so bold about their lust. There’s a certain ignorance in seeing these things when one is blind. I felt their male presence behind me and decided that should any of them press his loins into me deliberately, I would elbow him, accidentally on purpose. Maybe they felt my displeasure at their intentional looking, because they kept their distance. Oh, I have many things to learn I’m sure with this trip.
Eleni, so good to read this. 🙂