Palms all sweaty, I sat inside my plane’s seat peering through the foggy window that separated me from the gloomy dark clouds that hung over Beijing. For someone who’s going on a first trip to China, I was not the giddy traveler I was supposed to be. All I could think of was the customs form that sat in front of me. The red bloody letters on its opposite side (that sounded more like a threat) warns about bringing ANY materials/publication (in print or in any form) that would demean China’s government policies, beliefs, etc. etc. Surges of both electrical panic and awkward excitement ran through my spine. If anyone would give the time of day to thoroughly search my luggage, they’d find torn pieces of Psalms secretly tucked in between pages of my black work folder. I know. It would have been a lot easier to enjoy China and I would have had experienced less stress if I had followed other people’s advice – DO NOT bring a Bible or pieces of it thereof. (Usually, as far as I have learned, people caught having Bibles, etc. in worse case scenarios are usually detained and all Christian publications are confiscated.) But regardless, it was a choice between two ills – having the fear of being caught or not having to find rest for my soul. I chose the former. I’d rather take that risk rather than miss a day without glancing on God’s Word. Frustrated martyr? Better is a one day in God’s presence than a thousand days elsewhere! So, there I was, switched on to full humming tra-lala mode as both my boss and I, hurdled our way through the throng of passengers and foreign speaking people and out of the arrival protocol in a breeze. Yes, I survived without paying a visit to a dim-lighted prison detainee cell and Bible confiscations [obviously].
Though my trip to China started a little off, I became really excited as we started to head out of the airport. I first noticed that China’s airport was not far from how Manila’s NAIA looked like. Fading yellow traffic barrels outside the terminal were filled with people holding name placards anticipating the next batch of arriving passengers. There were also those smoke-belching buses, vans, cars, etc. that ruled over the highway which forced the pedestrians to run for their dear lives. Then, there were of course, the cab peddlers. This, I was not surprise at all. Funny to say the least, we were snookered into taking a cab that charged us triple or should I say quadruple of the legit fare. Lesson learned and as all the other locals say “Don’t trust a Chinese in China” I have to say, perhaps that goes for, if not all, most country nowadays.
Skipping all work shenanigans and less entertaining experiences, my trip to China was nonetheless, still worthwhile. We went to visit two places China’s been known for – the Silk Market and the Great Wall. The Silk Market had at least or I think 4 floors which were divided into all different sections – clothes, shoes, bags, jewelries, electronics, souvenirs, etc. I had fun haggling with all the vendors Pinoy style. Haha! Then, the day before we left, we all headed (now with our CEO,China contact person, my immediate boss) to one the world’s wonders – the Great Wall. We journeyed past a whole stretch of the wall and went straight to its peak. The whole atmosphere resembled so much of those RPN 9 Chinese fighting movies with its dark bluish-gray walls, rolled-up roof edges, hanging feng shui paraphernalia, dragon printed shirts, red, a little red and then more red. The Wall was a real wonder just thinking about how it was probably built, all those bricks, and how it had stood the test of time. It was amazing! There were a lot of tourists but the wall was huge enough it didn’t look as crowded. Few vendors sat along the wall selling different kinds of souvenirs, too! We stopped by one, who personalizes engraved photos of the Great Wall and then moved on to haggle some more with others. The best deal I bought was the 6 shirts for $5.00! Until then, I was a happy camper!
As it was time for us to leave, we got to the plane already around boarding time. Big surprise! I got held up checking in…but it was not in any way of my Bible smuggling activities. One counter person could not find Guam in the system! Haha! For sure, my trip would not have been complete without it.
Though my trip to China started a little off, I became really excited as we started to head out of the airport. I first noticed that China’s airport was not far from how Manila’s NAIA looked like. Fading yellow traffic barrels outside the terminal were filled with people holding name placards anticipating the next batch of arriving passengers. There were also those smoke-belching buses, vans, cars, etc. that ruled over the highway which forced the pedestrians to run for their dear lives. Then, there were of course, the cab peddlers. This, I was not surprise at all. Funny to say the least, we were snookered into taking a cab that charged us triple or should I say quadruple of the legit fare. Lesson learned and as all the other locals say “Don’t trust a Chinese in China” I have to say, perhaps that goes for, if not all, most country nowadays.
Skipping all work shenanigans and less entertaining experiences, my trip to China was nonetheless, still worthwhile. We went to visit two places China’s been known for – the Silk Market and the Great Wall. The Silk Market had at least or I think 4 floors which were divided into all different sections – clothes, shoes, bags, jewelries, electronics, souvenirs, etc. I had fun haggling with all the vendors Pinoy style. Haha! Then, the day before we left, we all headed (now with our CEO,China contact person, my immediate boss) to one the world’s wonders – the Great Wall. We journeyed past a whole stretch of the wall and went straight to its peak. The whole atmosphere resembled so much of those RPN 9 Chinese fighting movies with its dark bluish-gray walls, rolled-up roof edges, hanging feng shui paraphernalia, dragon printed shirts, red, a little red and then more red. The Wall was a real wonder just thinking about how it was probably built, all those bricks, and how it had stood the test of time. It was amazing! There were a lot of tourists but the wall was huge enough it didn’t look as crowded. Few vendors sat along the wall selling different kinds of souvenirs, too! We stopped by one, who personalizes engraved photos of the Great Wall and then moved on to haggle some more with others. The best deal I bought was the 6 shirts for $5.00! Until then, I was a happy camper!
As it was time for us to leave, we got to the plane already around boarding time. Big surprise! I got held up checking in…but it was not in any way of my Bible smuggling activities. One counter person could not find Guam in the system! Haha! For sure, my trip would not have been complete without it.
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