The Importance of Being Earnest

What is it about the truth that seems to scare us?

I strongly believe in speaking the truth, to the point that it has gotten me into trouble more than once. That being said, here is my truth today. I really don't like Shenzhen.

"Shenzhen?" you ask. Yes, I was cornered into agreeing to be in Shenzhen for the next three months. It was one of those "it's your choice" (but it really isn't) kind of moments. So once again I packed up my very suitcases and headed to yet ANOTHER airport.

It would appear that my arrival in Shenzhen (and departure from Shanghai) was some kind of foreshadowing of things to come. It started at the airport in Shanghai.

I arrived at the airport and checked in with no problem. I found my way around the various security check points and finally made it my gate. To my displeasure, the gate read that the gate had been delayed. So I called my contact in Shenzhen (yes by this point I have purchased a phone... more on this phone later) and told him that I would be arriving about 45 min late. He said he would contact the driver. Great. After about 45 min of sitting there, there an announcement made (in Chinese) and everyone gets up and heads for the stairs... finally the English translation follows. Our gate has been changed. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought, but I noticed that my fellow travelers do not look happy. We finally arrive at our second gate (it was no where near the first one) and sit down. Then another announcement, our flight has been delayed further. Now my fellow passengers are starting to get angry and a crowd of them gathers by the gate and begin in a lively "conversation" with the flight representative. Ok, they are simply trying to get more information, I thought, no problem. Well, to my surprise, suddenly I hear this "conversation" and overflowed to a full blown argument, people are yelling (in Chinese, which when you don't speak the language just makes them sound even more angry). Then, the announcement. Our flight has been delayed, indefinitely. Huh? So now I try to mosey over to the counter and see that once again, everyone is leaving. I look at the one other white person I can find, he shrugs his shoulders and just says "we should follow the crowd." We do, all the way back to the check-in counters! Back at the check-in counters, more yelling, very boisterous and angry yelling. Finally, after switching line about three different times and getting multiple calls from my office asking me what is going one (and me trying to explain that all announcement thus far have been made in Chinese, a language, I don't yet understand), a nice Korean man translates for me (or rather has his friend translate for him who in turn translates for me). Our plane has some sort of "technical malfunction" and "should be departing" 3 hours behind schedule. The yelling is because people with luggage are not being allowed to change their flights. The yelling has worked apparently, and now people with luggage (like me) are being allowed to switch their flights. So I do. Several translations, interpretations and phone calls later, I go through security again and find my gate (again). This time, the plane leaves on time and I arrive in Shenzhen 2.5 hours behind schedule.

The arrival at the airport is pretty painless and my driver and interpreter/translator are waiting for me at the gate. We drive for almost 45 minutes and arrive at my hotel (which has been selected for me because "it is very close to the office"). I walk in the hotel room and the first thing I notice is the bathroom and the condoms for sale on the counter. I then notice how the walls seems to have remnants of something on them, the carpets look like they haven't been washed in years and the upholstery on the chair is, well, dirty. I don't want to touch anything, I don't even take off my shoes to shower. It is BAD. I call my sister in a bit of a panic, maybe I won't be staying in China that long after all.

The next morning I call my translator (he has said that if I need anything while in Shenzhen that he will be the person to help me get it). I say good morning and say that I need to talk about the hotel. "It is pretty bad, right?" he asks. YES. "We will find you another one." Great, although why they thought I would want to stay here in the first is beyond me. So the driver comes back, and takes me and my luggage to another hotel that "very close to the office." This one is much better.

And so Shenzhen begins.