Sunday 15th June 2014

Friday.

Believe it or not, we turned down a trip to the great wall so we could have a business meeting back at the factory. I hope my boss and the customer appreciate our commitment to the cause! As ever we met in the restaurant for breakfast, before climbing into an ancient taxi. I guess it could have been a fairly new taxi, only the dents and dust has hidden all that. It is also a gamble as to how the driver is, whether he is a little crazy or just plain mad. This morning the driver was fine, the craziness would happen on the trip back later in the day.

Also as usual, the customer was half an hour late, but once they arrived we sorted out many issue that had been holding both sides for months. As long as the customer’s bosses agree when they see the MoM anyway. And at two, all was concluded, so we all decided to part there and head back to the hotel to relax, pack and generally chill out.

Taxis were arranged, and I know the customer took our, as I had to sign the travel documents for them, and the ride from hell cost me 60 Yuan. The driver was permanently angry, shouting at other cars, whilst, and at the same time, checking google maps, text messages, updates from the Chinese version of e bay, talking on the radio to his office and fielding other phone calls. That we were not killed is a miracle.

We did get back to the hotel, and Anni and I agreed to meet hat 5 for drinks before dinner. I found out that by using the company’s VPN, I could get round the great firewall of China and access Facebook and Twitter, and at the same time IE now failed to crash every 5 minutes.

The afternoon passed, the sun sank in the sky and the traffic thundered past the hotel. Dinner, as ever was the buffet, but this time with free wine, or a glass at least, which was passable. There is nothing quite like a glass of wine with dinner. Unless its two of course.

Saturday.

I awoke at four, and unable to sleep, switched the TV to find the last 5 minutes of the Spain v Holland game on TV. The score was 5-1, although I wasn’t quite sure who to, so I assumed Spain were cruising. They were, for a bruising! It was Holland who were winning, and going for a 6th as I watched. Spain looked shell-shocked, which is good, in that it would be good to see someone else win it.

I had a shower, packed, uploaded some shots to Flickr, and the hours passed until half six and it was breakfast time again. I treated myself to bacon and pancakes, which, all in all, is not very Chinese, but just what felt right. On the next table I watched a guy who looked like Kim Jong Un eat a five course breakfast, very noisily. It what passed for entertainment.

Time then to check out and find the car to take us to the airport. I go outside to find the car, and am nearly run over by a reversing taxi: another life lost! The car is waiting, so I pay my bill and off we go, loading the car into a plush VW, and into the light Saturday morning traffic.

On the way to the motorway, we pass mile after mile of factories, mostly famous western companies, all of which now manufacturing here in China.

Once on the motorway, we pass mile after mile of farmland, lakes and then rising out of the land another mega-development of dozens of huge blocks of flats, and then countryside again. All very odd, and soon enough becomes normal. As we near Beijing, traffic becomes heavier, and the driver is weaving in and out of the lanes trying find the quickest route. We have to trust he knows what he is doing and cling on for dear life.

In time we see the signs for the airport, and we relax, as we had made it. In the terminal, Anni and I part, she has a further two hour wait than I, which means lots of waiting around for her, but then I did wait 5 hours for her on Tuesday when we arrived. I find the desk and check in, and the Chinese adventure is nearly over.