After nearly 4 hours of flight from Singapore to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, and 2 hours of waiting for transit and another 1 hour of flight from Guangzhou to Hunan, I reached Changsha. The first thing I noted was the freeze. It was really cold. Much colder than I expected. I was constantly breathing out smoke. It was fun, but at a price.
Xiao Xu fetched us from the airport and brought us to Gold Source Hotel (金源大酒店). The hotel is the second nicest one that I have stayed. The room is big enough for a couch and a coffee table AND a king-sized bed (well almost but definitely bigger than a queen-sized).
The dinner was as usual, full of people. The food is really spicy but its really good. i heart the soup too. Then the usual drinking. Can we drink Wang Lao Ji instead?
After the dinner, Xiao Xu brought us to Carrefour, where we stocked up on some necessities of life.....Cup noodles and other junkies.
By now the temperature is fast approaching zero and its raining. FYI, we had to walk in the awful razor cold wind, piercing rain and the zeroing temperature. It was more than cold. Luckily I brought my fats and some of the Singapore heat with me.
We settled down and went to fourth floor of the Hotel, in search of the Gym. There was a gym alright and it is appropriately equipped. There are also 2 billiard tables, 3 ping-pong tables AND around 7 lanes of bowling alley.
Every room is entitled to 2 free games. As such, the four of us played. In the end, the focus was not on the score but on how LOUD we can slam the bowling ball onto the alley lane. Cold sweat.....
Probably this is the only post on my Hunan trip because I can foresee the remaining days would be monotonously boring.
The one week I have spent serving the nation was not really wasted. I have found new perspectives through the exchange of experiences with my fellow buddies. It was a rather invigorating break from the normalcy of my working life. And the camp was as if another dimension where everyone became another person. Vulgarities, obscene jokes and pranks were just part and parcel of the "new" life in this dimension. I could never have imagined anyone of us doing what we have done in ORQ or at Orchard.
It is very easy to imagine how one would handle challenges. To lie on the bed and dream about strategies to overcome the obstacles. To conjure sentences and words to deceive the rocks and boulders. But when it really happens, it is a totally different set of perception. The pain and lethargy is a totally different experience.
And I thought I wouldn't wake from it. The days dragged on bitterly as the changing tides and waxing and waning of the moon no longer affected me. Sun up, sun down is but a change of the colour of the sky. I lost count of the days and dates and my life was zombified.
The work was tough. The person-in-charge was even tougher. The case of the blind leading the blind. And into the abyss of pain we all jumped.
In the late afternoon, I received a news from my colleague that someone died on the fifth floor. For a moment, I was in shock. Outside of family, this was how close Death was to me. I pondered the fragility of life and prayed for the deceased. Praying, not to assuage my guilt, but to hope that his/her family would not be devastated whether economically or emotionally by the passing.
I suddenly thought of my own mortality. I just feel tired having a constant nagging thought that I will dead next moment. I have always imagined my own death. Through old? That would be quite hard for me to bear because I am an impatient man. I hate the feeling of waiting. Through accident? There is always this "I still have so much to see and do".
With a heavy heart, I resumed to work, as it takes pain and worries away from me......
There are many ugly truths. I witnessed one this morning. The flight to Xiamen was delayed from 9.05am to 12pm. This caused many hoo-haas among the people. They believed that by shouting and threatening they can get what they want. I am disgusted and at the same time, telling myself that this is the way of life here.
I believe that they are only wasting their time and the correct thing to do is to enquire for another way out.
Well, I am stuck at the airport for well over 5 hours.
Heading to Shenzhen in less than an hour's time. Currently eating at Wang's. Decided to forgo starbucks due to the queue.
Feeling a bit comprehensive. And tired. And aches.
Taking silkair again. As again it's an expensive budget airline.
Labels: kenActivities, kenPlaces, kenWork
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