Day 22 - May 4, 2012

What an insane week. I just returned from Shanghai yesterday, traveling from 6:15am until near 11am, over more than 200 miles, to sit down at my desk and wage a battle with the meaning destroyer until work finished at 6pm. Two days ago at the same time I was boarding a bullet train at Yiwu station with Dodio, sharing a hilarious goodbye in front of what I can only call ‘teeming masses’ of Chinese people traveling to party on the holiday. The multitudes became a river, and the river became a vast ocean when I touched down in Shanghai, coincidentally on the other side of the city and at a completely different station than C______, my unparalleled host. We’ll head to the hospital tomorrow, but for now we must find each other using the metro back at his apartment in order to prepare for the night’s prescribed dose of revelry.

After a shower that left me feeling cleaner than any day since bidding farewell to home soil, we catch a cab to Phebe featuring a $17 (or 100RMB) OPEN BAR, a massive table/dance setup, dance poles, random extravagant non-sensical statues and a great many beautiful women. Dodio would have a stroke for sure. Then, glow sticks. C______ wakes up damn drunk to find out the night before he’d removed all of his clothes save his underwear in the kitchen, completely ignored his vacant bedroom and curled up on the couch. He looked roughed up and possibly sicker/greener than I am in the hospital waiting area. Thank the sweet lord for that place; better medical care than almost anywhere I’ve ever been, and free! It was even outdone by our following lunch, chicken penne pasta with fries and coffee. The WEST! I feel like I’m on vacation before I realize I’m boarding the metro in order to take another 4-hour trip back to Yiwu. But again, the ‘teeming masses’. Upon my arrival at Hongqiao Railway the words have new meaning, as I observe the chaotic fray of shouting, pushing, basically all-out BONANZA of pissed-off Chinese travelers unfolding in front of me. No tickets today, Sorry. Yep. And as the saying goes: Fucking China, Man. Quickly booking tickets for the next available train in the morning, I journey all the way back to C______’s again, exhausted beyond belief. A good night then ensues, watching movies and sharing beers at Asma’s place before sharing a final cig on Sirinat’s balcony with her new roommates from New Zealand and Italy, and C______ of course.

All too soon the alarm is going off and I’m once again heading to the train station. The first workday after the Labor Day holiday sees the crush of morning commuters once again clog the veins of the metro, but lucky for me Hongqiao is relatively tame. Deprived of sleep during the entire ride back due to a hyperactive newborn-toting-mother, I’m glad the excursion is wrapping up while piling in a cab in Yiwu. I don’t even mind when the driver randomly picks up a family on the side of the highway when we’re halfway there to carpool. I chat with the young father and pick up a bit of Chinese to boot. Back at the office and the next 36 hours pass in a blur of patience-testing work. Out of the office after the next day’s (Thursday) tasks and down to the local court for some pick-up bball. Ever since losing big in the first game, I’ve taken things to a completely different level on these CBA-watching brawlers. After scoring a personal victory (making a 3 to end the game against that first and only team to shame me on this continent) I retire to an excellent night of movies, whiskey, laughter and Scopa. Make that 2 big wins.