Last Dinner and Leaving Guangzhou

It was my final night. And as usual, the last leg of any journey I embarked on has always managed to stretch my purse paper flat.

Hence I decided to stay in and feast.

No actually I do enjoy my dinner time alone in my room. No fuss no hassle.

And what is going to China without trying some of their most eaten meal by bachelors all around.

Instant Noodle.




But being a girl, it's never enough having just ONE plain meal. A reason why I love korean food. I like varieties, if you know what I mean?

So I got myself some pre-packed "za4 cai4" (pickled vege).




and a "cha2 dan4" (egg broiled in herbal tea)




Not forgetting, for there will always be space, the dessert.




Some sugar floss peanut thingy. I used to love this when I was young, not knowing what it's called apart its nickname "dragron whiskers".





There you go. My last dinner in Guangzhou. Damage: RM7 (the egg was RM1)




Pretty darn healthy if not for the processed and instant factors.


I even had Panda for a post-dessert dessert.




you know, to keep me going in the night when I pack.




What? You never heard of a post-dessert dessert?


This was my room which I stayed for a good 4 nights in Guangzhou.




It's the youth hostel just by the river banks where all the pubs are. It's not exactly in the centre of town but it's accessible - a RM0.50 five mins ferry ride, taxi or underground.


Eh hem... Guangzhou.. is really the place to shop. One of my favourite shopping paradise is Hai Zhu Guang Chang, which really reminded me of Chatuchak market in Bangkok. You will find anything wholesale there but I found it rather frustrating because unlike the Thais, Chinese aren't the friendliest people to haggle with.

So yes, after four days of shopping.

*cough* This was my room on the last day.




Hey, I was staying alone. I have the right to be...er.... untidy.




Hmph.


Morning came and I called for a taxi from the reception (taxi were difficult to spot in this area).




And on the way I was driven to the bus station to Shenzhen to catch my flight.




I passed by the Hai Zhu Brige which was really quite a view. It was the bridge I walked on previously when I visited the wedding street.




15 mins later I arrived at Hai Zhu Ke Yun Zhan (Hai Zhu bus station) and was ready to purchase my ticket to Shenzhen.


I know I was pretty last minute, but aren't I always?


This was when the drama started. They issued me a ticket on the bus which was departing in 1 minute! So when I pulled my luggage running towards the gate, the bus had left. They then said they'd put me on the next bus to Hong Kong and said I could get off in Shenzhen.

When I reached Shenzhen, they dropped me off at the custom border connecting to Hongkong. I tried to ask for direction but no one was willing to help because I was a Chinese. And they didn't give a damn that I was lugging my luggage around in the middle of no where under the hot scorching sun.

After panicking that I might miss the flight, I walked to the custom, spotted some custom officers and started speaking in English (out of desperation) in hope that they would know I wasn't a local and when they could not understand me, I immediately switched back to Mandarin and said first hand: "Sorry I'm lost, I'm not a local and I don't know my way around, can you please help me".

They asked for my passport to check if I really was a foreigner. The moment they found out I was from Malaysia, FIVE officers, two girls and three guys, came to my rescue. And worked together to help me get on a bus that came in from Hong Kong that's heading towards Shenzhen airport.

Such is double standard.

But the drama didn't end there. On the way to the airport, having relaxed finally, I took out my phone and saw a message sent from Airasia, informing that the flight to KK (my flight) has been canceled. And if anyone has any question, please contact 603-xxxxxxx.

So panicked I did I called the number to ask what was going to happen to moi! and moi flight! It kept going into this auto machine whereby it asked you to dial 1 for English, then wait.. then dial 2 for something else, then wait again, then after that it would tell you that all the operators were busy. WTF?!
(a month later, the phone bill came and that call costed me RM50!)

Arrived the airport I did and when asked where AirAsia counter or office was, NO ONE understood me. Bloody Chinese female airport ground crew didn't even know what Airasia was?! (they have EVERYTHING in Chinese)

With the amount of foreign visitors they have a year flying in and out of one of the busiest airports (Shenzhen) in China, they have no blinking idea the English term of AIRASIA (which btw, is called "ya4 hang2" in Mandarin).

*huff* *puff* *huff* *puff*

SO! After half an hour of running back and forth the two connecting terminals, being sent by this crew on this terminal to the other end and by another crew of the other terminal back to this end, I finally found myself in the YA HANG office.




Where already an angmo passenger was making a BIG fuss of the cancellation of flight.

Oh .. he wasn't complaining about the cancellation, but more so that they didn't have flights to KK nor KL to KK on that day (they have to KL though) and refused to pay for their extra night stay even though it was the airline's responsibility.




Sigh.. Poor caucasians. such is innocence towards the makings of developing country's system (since when our service cared what YOU think, you think this is first world country huh? look at our corruption).




While I waited patiently for the rest of the passengers to finish their turn, I kept peering out the door to check on my luggage outside (no space inside). You know, in fear that someone might just "casually" pushed it away.




So in the end. I opted for the flight back to KL that night instead. And with the 8 hours I have on my hand.... well...




There's always starbucks and wifi. :D