English Trip to China 2011

12

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Last night we went there again. It was the third consecutive time. This time Mr Nakanaka accompanied us after he had invited us to the best fish restaurant in Guilin. We wanted to go to a concert which was given every evening also on an island in the lake and completed with the most romantic spectacle of a waterorgan being played to waltz music. We wanted to spend another happy evening. But to our surprise, everything was dark. No illuminations, no streetlamps. A power failure. The concert had to be cancelled. So Helen and Mr Nakanaka decided to walk over to the nearby teahouse which had made us feel so relaxed the nights before. The problem was how to help Mr Nakanaka to get there, as there were lots of steps making it difficult to walk in the dark, and protruding rocks that obstructed the path under the trees. Helen walked on Mr Nakanaka´s right side, I on his left. Together we held him by his arms and shoulders, telling him when to watch out carefully for steps and rocks, and how many there were. So we counted in a loud voice. One, two, three, .... seven, eight, ... and one more. And another. All the time using English. It really was sooo funny. Eventually we arrived at the teahouse in the middle of the lake. We were lucky. We could settle down at an empty table right by the water. A candle was lit. Helen respected Mr Nakanaka very much and flattered him by telling me he was an expert on teas. So she passed him the list of teas that can be savoured at this restaurant. He studied it carefully and said he was going to invite us to one of the best teas in China. He ordered the second on the list, a rather expensive one: 70 yuan for the pot. Helen ordered popcorn to nibble with the tea. While we were waiting we wondered how the restaurant people could make the hot water as there was still no electricity.


The popcorn came first. On a plate. Very sweet and crisp. But not very hot. Could it be fresh? Without electricity? It was 30 yuan. The young tea waitress came with the tray. She brought the cups, the teapot with the hot water, and a paper bag, with the deep frosted tea in it. On the bag was a colourful picture and something written in Chinese characters. We should pay now. The total amount was almost 90 yuan. I paid to the waitress. Well I wanted to pay. And a typical Chinese quarrel commenced over who would pay. Mr Nakanaka did not want to lose face, as he thought he had invited Helen and me. I insisted to pay, as I did not want this man to invite me. So I pushed a 100 yuan bill over to the waitress. She gave me 10 yuan back. In China waitresses, taxi drivers, hairdressers, etc don´t expect any tips. 90 yuan, that is a lot of money in China. But it was mainly because Professor Li had asked for this special quality of tea. Professor Li, alias Mr Nakanaka took the bag and had a lengthy look at it. He read very carefully, he felt what was in it without opening it. Then I felt something was going to happen. All of a sudden he became angry, very angry and called for the waitress, and for the landlady. Mr Nakanaka told them that they were trying to deceive us. He could not see the name of a notable tea producing firm on the paper. No sign, stamp or word that guaranteed the tea inside was really what was promised on the bag. He stood up. raised his voice and started shouting so much, interspersing “nakanaka, nakanakanaka“ before, in and after each sentence. The people on the other tables were listening and told him they wanted to enjoy the quiet evening. Helen and I tried to smooth his anger. To no avail. He could not be stopped. So I suggested we better go. He wanted our money back. The landlady came and apologized. She told Mr Nakanaka, she had served us the tea he had ordered and in her eyes it was okay we paid for it. He did not give in. He said, they had tried to cheat us. He wanted the money back. And so the girl brought me 60 yuan back, because she argued that we had already eaten from the popcorn. So Helen asked her to put what was left over - it was still a lot - into a plastic bag so we could take it home. So eventually we left, in a terrible mood, in the still dark path, because the power cut was not yet over.

What a story Udo. Was it ever cleared if the tea bag was wrong? I never thought that Chinese People could be that extreme!
On the other hand he surely knew his teas. Mind you I do not hold back either if I feel I am being cheated. Do you?
The evening was properly spoiled by then. How on earth did you manage the steps down with Mr. Nakanaka?

@yoli

What a story.  I really had lots of interesting and funny moments during my travels in China. I have no idea about the quality of Chinese teas, neither of teas  that are served at European restaurants. I must admit I almost never order tea when I sit down at a restaurant table. At home I prefer healthy teas, such as camomila or rosebud tea. Black tea gives me accelerated heartbeat and keeps me from sleeping in bed at night. When I was travelling in Taiwan I once stopped in a tea-growing area, called oolong being told that this was one of the very best Chinese teas. However I did not try, knowing my difficulties of getting sleep at night. 

As a guest of a Chinese family, I am served something hot as soon as I sit down with the others.. Mostly it´s tea, sometimes it´s just hot water. 

When I feel cheated at a place I usually will never enter such shop or place again. On the other hand, I often have the feeling that doctors´ bills are not correct. but that they aren´t doing anything wrong. However it is not up to me to protest. 

Udo

13


Holding him tight by his arms and shoulders so that Mr Nakanaka with his shaky legs could not slip or stumble in the darkness on the uneven path with lots of steps and protruding rocks, we moved away from the most romantic place in all Guilin. Helen and I were very unhappy about this change of event, but she did not want to tell Mr Nakanaka how rude he had been and that he spoilt our fun. This would certainly mean she would lose one of her best students and consequently a lot of money, which she relied upon as her income. So we slowly moved towards the main street. In one corner a beggar was asking the passers-by for some money. I walked over with the bag full of popcorn, opened it and started pouring some of it onto the plate that was on the ground in front of the beggar. Helen protested. She told me, we wanted the popcorn. So I only gave half of it to the man. The main street was lined with hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of things mainly meant for tourists to take home: fashion accessories, fake antiques, watercolour paintings of the beautiful surroundings of Guilin, pirated Montblanc pens, scarves, etc.
We walked on and on, until at long last we arrived at Guilin Universal Hotel near the big bridge across the Li Jiang. Professor Li insisted we entered the hotel, which seemed one of the very best in town. He led us upstairs where he knew the whole second floor was specially arranged for people who wanted to drink tea. There were so many guests that we could not find any table with a good view of the river and all the lights outside. So we settled down in the middle which was also okay. To heighten the atmosphere the lights were kept very dim. Helen went to one of the tables where seeds, peanuts, mandarin oranges, Chinese dates and other titbits were arranged for the customers to pick. She knew I love oranges so much, so she brought some for me. Mr Nakanaka had a lengthy look at the tea card, then ordered a very special tea. He pretended this was the tea President Nixon always drank when he was visiting China. Mr Nakanaka served the tea for us. He did his best to show that he was an expert. As usual the first cup of tea was not for drinking, because it was too strong. So the professor poured it away into a pail under the table. The second cup of tea was for us to be enjoyed. Mr Nakanaka loved it very much. Helen and I, however, found it was a little bitter. Well, not just a little. It was rather bitter, so we only drank little of it and very slowly, more for being polite than for enjoying the taste. In a whisper Helen jokingly said to me, if this really was the tea President Nixon had got, she understood why he did not often come to China. I offered Hel en to eat some of the popcorn, but when I mentioned that there had been the electricity failure, so the popcorn most likely was leftovers from the days before, she refused and said she was sorry we did not give all of it to the beggar. All the time we had a nice conversation in English, especially to help Professor Li improve his oral English. He told us that he had travelled in all provinces of China, except Xinjiang. His specialty was dermatology. So he had been invited to congresses all over the country. As he wanted to be friendly and nice to me, he invited me to go with him to a very special place in the countryside, where I could take lots of pictures of sculptures made by artists from all over the world. I was not very keen on visiting that place, but in order to please Helen and give Mr Nakanaka more chances to improve his knowledge of English, I agreed.
 

14

Well, this morning I got up early. Mr Nakanaka will come to Helen´s school dorm to pick me up. So I have plenty of time to walk across the bridge, have a look at all the swimmers in the Li Jiang. When I saw the big Universal Hotel I remembered that most hotels have a tourist and travel information desk. I wanted to get more information about how to get to Yanshuo, which is a wonderful town about 50km south of Guilin, also situated on the Li Jiang and most tourists go there joining a river cruise, which is said to be one of the greatest things to do in China. Can you imagine my disappointment, when the young woman at the tourist and travel information desk did not understand anything, although on the wall was a big list of all the places the hotel guests could go to, in English. She called a young man from the reception desk, and together they tried to help me. They told me it would be best to be booked on one of the guided tours. This included transport from the hotel to the place where the ships started the cruise, have an English speaking tour guide, a big multi course meal onboard, and the bus tour back to Guilin. This tour would last all day and cost 470 yuan. My plan was quite different. I wanted to be taken to the place where I could start a two-day walking tour along the riverbank enjoying the lovely scenery and the steep karst rocks leisurely. But the woman could not help me. So I left and walked slowly back to the dorm. There I was told that Mr Nakanaka had phoned and cancelled the appointment.
 

 There I was told that Mr Nakanaka had phoned and cancelled the appointment.
 Your comment Udo
 
Tell me, you were very sad.. smile.. about this cancelation?
I always thought that the Japanese are tea drinkers. IT seems the Chinese are no different.
What prizes to go on a river tour!
I do hope Udo you put all these interesting articles in a book?

@yoli

Dear Yoli, of course I was very happy, Mr Nakanaka was not taking me to that place. Instead I took the bus to Yanshuo, a city very cherished by young Chinese and foreigners. I was staying there for several days and even got a chance to get on a guided daytour to a village of Yao minority people who live some kilometers west of Guilin. Their village fits marvelously in the hilly countryside with unbelievably daring terraced rice fields.Yao women never shorten their black hair which often reaches almost down to the hollow of their knees. 

Well, I´m not an author like Pearl S. Buck. I can´t tell stories as well as she did. You seem to be the only one who ever showed any interest in reading about my adventures in China. 

Hi Udo
It seems, yes, I seem to be the only who comments on your travels to china.
I have a fascination for that country and the people.
I have a look on the Atlas where the different places are which you describe.
 That is why I started another thread about spring and sorts.
We have this China Thread.
Believe me, it would be difficult to find a book that has description as accurate as yours and as interesting as your telling’s.
I LOVE it.
Will you please carry on?
Tell us Udo, how was your cataract OP? Did all go well? Do you obey in putting in the medication as well? And carry that little cup at night J
 
We can always write something in another place.
Will you help me to keep that part going as well?

Sunny greetings from
​​​​​​​Yoli