Humble beginnings

So this is it, the girl is in China. Nobody sent me, nobody punished me, I wasn't threatened or coerced. I simply made up my mind that I was going to come to China. And yes, I felt 3 months of Mandarin lessons were enough to tide me over my 8 months stay. I mean, who needed more than 3 months?!

Ha. Simple as that.

DEPARTURE

Being the crazy 'too-known' chick (literally) that I am, I spent 48 hours between 4 continents prior to my arrival in China. Ghana to Frankfurt, 5 hours sleeping on a string of airport seats (no one saw me I guarantee you) Frankfurt to NYC, 15 hours with family and friends, switching luggage, NYC to LA, 1 hour filled with growing despair at being the only black person at the departure gate, LA to Shanghai..whew!

IN-FLIGHT

Yes, I was the only black person. I got a lot of stares. I wanted to sit by myself but some three girls came to sack me from my self-appointed 13hr throne. So I, in turn, went to sack the guy at my seat. Apparently it's not done, the Chinese avoid embarrassing situations like that. And the guy was with his girlfriend too. I felt so bad the entire flight, like I had beaten him up in front of his kids or something.

Halfway through the flight, the cabin crew switched from English to Mandarin...so I slept.

One thing that pissed me off though, the first and business class ate all the Chinese food on the plane so by the time it got to my turn (in the ECONOMY of Economy class), all that was left was Molasses chicken. Yes, molasses chicken.

Also, a lot of people on the fight were brewing something every minute, ginseng, tea,  herbal remedies..so you can imagine what the cabin smelt like.

At this point, with the smells of different herbs stinging my nostrils, reality sunk in. I was going to China!! I felt like asking for a parachute and crawling my way home from wherever I landed. But I checked the flight map and we were over the Pacific, so I scratched that plan out.

ARRIVAL

I had arrived. I still couldn't believe it. The stares started once more. Everyone stared. I mean everyone. So what did you expect me to do? That's right. I made an ass of myself. With the aid of a trolley of course. I was trying to get my trolley unto the escalator but the entrance was narrow...with no help from anyone, I in my wisdom unloaded my three suitcases and my hand luggage (full to max; Gh style, with bulges and everything), lifted the trolley, and reloaded it. Only to get downstairs and realize that there was an elevator right next to where I was suffering........

Watch out...the chronicles continue......