Finally, I made it to the airport! The bus ride was pretty normal, inefficient as always. The thing is, you buy a ticket at the bus station, then along the way, the bus stops to pick people up. It makes for very slow progress. To add to this, I had to pee the whole way. Right before we entered Changsha, we dropped the guy next to me off on the side of the road under an overpass. While we were stopped, a woman, her daughter, and infant son got off the bus. The little girl hopped right off, dropped her pants, and started peeing. This is one of those, “what the hell is going on?” moments. I just don’t get it, but apparently it is part of their culture.
Another thing that boggles my mind a bit is the gap between rich and poor. I really don’t think this is what Mao had in mind. Even in Changsha, the nice apartments are riddled with crappy messy shops at the base if the buildings. To see this gap between extreme poverty and very wealthy citizens makes me wonder how far behind China really is. We have our poor, homeless, and all around people down on their luck, but it is nothing compared to China.
It is kind of mysterious as you drive around these big cities. Mass amounts of construction is happening everywhere, yet there are many buildings left incomplete. Just shells, then it looks like the construction crews moved to the next lot and started a new building.
I have my doubts that my new roommate, Leona, has time to read my blog, but congrats to her and the rest of the Dutch on their win against Brazil in the World Cup. I just watched the finish at the airport.
In a completely different observation, the kids at the orphanage got their test score results today and I happened to see them. Good in Math and English, horrible in history. Not surprising to see their Math is good.
Now I am sitting in the Airport on the public side of security waiting three hours to check in, then I have another two and a half hour wait. Until my flight leaves.
Chris- Adviser Abroad China
Cultural Embrace @ www.culturalembrace.com
www.flickr.com/photos/cschave
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