Business Trip Gone Awry in China

Working in the Center- Life in China

The other day I posted about fact that I had to entertain some clients and the 1.87 mph taxi ride proved to be too much for them. As such, they decided to cancel day’s festivities- seeing China.

What I have failed to mention, or post, is that these poor gentlemen had a hard time with Chinese culture. After we had left the cab, crawling at frustratingly slow pace, we chose the subway. The problem is that in China righ tnow, many many many many people are returning to their home villages to spend the Chinese new year, so all forms of public transportation have been swamped.

So, as I strolled down the stairway to enter the belly of the beast, or the fine Beijing subway station, I had to prod these fine Englishmen along. Unaccustomed to seeing such a mass of humanity pushing and shoving to enter a place whose finite space limitations were being pushed to their max, the Brits waited patiently for a ‘less empty subway car’. After about 15 minutes we thought we could board the overcrowded subway and poised ourselves like Olympic sprinters in order to do so. When the doors pushed open, the Chinese per their culture rushed forth en masse, shoving everything in their way. waiting by the side, the Brit’s eyes popped in astonishment. Inside the subway a Chinese local decided that their throat had ingested too much Beijing filth and at that very moment decided to liberate a hack a dark wad of phlegm from their mouths. Sailing straight and true like an arrow from the bow of Robin Hood it landed with a THWACK on the leg of my colleague. Glancing down at the suitleg of his Brooks Brothers double breasted, he shook his head and turned to leave.
When we caught up with him his only comment was, “I think I have seen enough of China to last me a lifetime.”