Adding Stamps

Quick trip to the Train Station, sorry mom your hearts just gonna have to pound for another few paragraphs, but hey I’m alive and writing this post so how bad could be stupidity have been!

 

Tickets aren’t sold or atleast I’m not getting up that early to get the first train out. So I go the day before and stand in line. One thing Adam was clear about is the time posted above each window. I have yet to find a method to the madness of window times but each window is only opened for so long, and when times up times up, they could care less if the line was out the door which it sometimes is. You can either wait in that line for the 30min break before it reopens or join the mad stampede to the window next to you, of course it is always your choice. I knew and noted I had exactly 5min before the window with 4 people in front of it closed. Okay lets be optimistic, the next shortest line had 25, so maybe the people in front came in pairs! I was watching my watch and noticed the guy in front of my getting waved at, panic, make the run now or wait tell I get to the window and have absolutly no idea what she is saying and leave frustrated anyway. Which do you think I chose, if you don’t know me the later of course! So I came to the window pushed the 3×5 card under the window and gave my best pleading look. She said something to no avail, duhh, the proceded to write something on the card, characters, thanks that is oh so helpful! There was a number 13 but I didn’t see any numbers of the window that said that and the time was 16:49 according to my watch so the window should still be open for a min, and I was going to demand that min! So out came the dear in the headlights look sure enough! She motioned for the paper back and proceeded to print a ticket. I still have no clue what she wrote but I’ll ask Adam tomorrow. My guess go to another window!!

 

 

Triumphant with my ticket which I double checked twice against last weeks I headed back to the bus stop. I was so glad I didn’t have to cross the street to get back. Oh and I now have a cell phone thanks to the members in Qingdao. So talk about a sense of freedom. I called Dantzelle to make sure I took the right bus back, I always confuse the 26 and the 28. While at the stop a kind older gentleman motioned for which bus I was looking for I pointed to the board saying 63, okay I knew that 63 went back to the school for sure but if one of the other buses came first I wanted to be able to hop on. He then asked or I should say, said teacher? repeatedly until I finally caught the jest of it and nodded. He pointed to himself and said teacher. I sure hope he wasn’t an English teacher because that was practically the longest part of our conversation. No buses were coming and finally a 63 drives by but it was fully so the driver just waved, wasn’t that kind. I didn’t have to get back for anything so just stood there smiling trying not to notice all the stares.

 

 

Then the kind teacher had an idea, he said something and motioned to the cars in the street. I had no clue but grabbed for my phrasebook. So what proceed I took as a sign maybe I was wrong. I flipped randomly to the Chinese → English section and pointed to a word asking him to look it up. He said yes over and over again with no attempt to take the book from my hand. It was then I noticed my finger just happened to be on the word for Taxi. I nodded my head before I really understood what I had agreed to. I just agreed to get into a cab with a complete stranger. But hey he had said he was a teacher right, so he must be trustworthy. I pulled out my wallet to signal I would be willing to split but he declined. So a taxi pulls up and in we get. To be fair was only three stops a way so hey if we go any further I could just tuck and roll right? The possibility of us going a different direction didn’t occur until I saw the blinker signaling a u-turn. I still can’t say I positively know the word for college yet either. So panic did strike a little. I pulled out the cell phone, THANK YOU Qingdao members, and had Adam and Dantzelle ready on speed dial. To my relief the blinker was turned off and we continued south. I was very much relieved when we pulled onto the college’s street. The Teacher kindly paid and shook my hand with the customary, “Nice to meet you!”

 

 

So mom, I’m home safe and sound and realized taking cabs with strange men is probably not the best mode of transportation. But in my defense Dad did remind me to accept help from those who offered, not my usual habit.

 

 

So now I’m off to bed to avoid the skype call and get some much needed rest for my solo trip to Qingdao tomorrow morning! Lets hope the following directions work out as well as today’s.

I have to admit this one isn’t as clear. So Wendy if I’m not back by class on Monday I’m most likely still sitting at the Qingdao Train Station!