Monday, 26 October 2015
Everywhere and all over the Place : The Great Escape !
Everywhere and all over the Place : The Great Escape !: So , the plan has been born - And the seed , like an unborn baby is starting to grow into a bigger plan and a wider adventure everyday. An...
Everywhere and all over the Place : BEIJING TAXI'S - The Long way home !
Everywhere and all over the Place : BEIJING TAXI'S - The Long way home !: FINDING A TAXI ' 22 Million people , 66 000 Taxi drivers + Rain = No Taxi's ! Beijing runs effectively with a good subway sys...
BEIJING TAXI'S - The Long way home !
FINDING A TAXI
'
22 Million people , 66 000 Taxi drivers + Rain = No Taxi's !
Beijing runs effectively with a good subway system , bus network , pedi- cabs and of course illegal black taxi's and then the regular yellow/blue/white/red cabs !
But in the Urban chaos of Beijing - rain brings fear - of all sorts. Hailing a taxi has it's downfalls - Didi Dache and Uber ( both e-hailing apps ) have the monopoly in the rain , as you see taxi drivers fly by you , red available lights on - but yet waving you away ! And of course you need to speak Chinese pretty well to be using these apps - and hailing this way is cheaper .But alas this laowai ( that's foreigner here in China) needs to hail the old fashioned way - hand in the air -hoping they stop.
Depending where you are - Sanlitun at 2 in the morning becomes nearly impossible to hail cab as they think you are just another drunk foreigner . Guloa at 3 in the morning has you hassled endlessly by pedi-cabs (rickshaws) and unless you have good haggling and negotiating skills in Chinese - you will overpay - but then usually after a few tequilas and sore feet - this seems fairly attractive to get you home - quickly - obviously depending how far you live !
AIRPORT
Getting a taxi from Capitol airport is double or even triple the meter price if you fall into the hands of the touts who seek you out , friendly , speaking English and offering to carry your luggage . After a long haul flight this seems attractive and easy - Don't do it ! Best to go downstairs and wait in the taxi que (it moves super fast ) have your address written in Chinese or attempt to pronounce it correctly to safely deposit you back home or your hotel. Always check the meter goes on - ask for a fapio ( receipt ) and I also check if they have a registration card posted on their dashboard . A taxi ride from Capitol airport to where I live in Dongzhimen is around 70 RMB.
I'm ashamed to say that I have contributed vast amounts of my salary every month to taxi's - but working long hours , days in China all you want to do is get home , pour a glass of wine and wash the smog from your skin! I have also have had my few shares of taxi scams over the last two years and recently a pretty disturbing interaction with an aggressive taxi-driver.
THOSE PESKY SCAMS
So taxi scam number one I was subjected to was giving the taxi a 100RMB note and then him telling me its a fake - therefore giving me back his fake note - making me give him another note -stealing my 100 rmb note and then making me pay the fee still . Cheeky ! So now always have lower denominations in notes to pay the taxi !
Taxi drivers running meters at high rates - usually 13 rmb for the first 3 km's - has had me get out of a taxi in traffic - refusing to pay as we had basically left my house and within 3 minutes the meter had doubled. I tried to take a pic of his number plate but he popped his trunk open and drove off .
And then of course the loooooong way home taxi driver - I now where I live - I can speak taxi Chinese - I can explain how to get there - this is when they are silent - ignoring you and you are helpless and frustrated ! The long way home taxi driver - chooses either the route filled with extra traffic or the route that takes in all the backroads . One taxi driver once told me that I was American and that I can afford to pay his extortinate fee's - It didn't end well - Firstly I made it clear I wasn't from America and that all foreigners are not American - he threatened me with the police ? I mean really - he was scamming me ! then got out of his car - left the back doors open in traffic and left him there - shouting and cursing down the road !
Some taxi drivers are aggressive drivers , some over cautious - leaving you vomitous after all that driving with the foot on the break. Twice I've nearly collided with a bus . Ive had spitting taxi drivers - roll down the window and spit ( quite normal ) smoking taxi drivers - seriously ?? , crazy laughing taxi drivers - One who pretended to be throwing granades and creating explosions in gridlocked traffic , one cursing at me for not being able to speak chinese - You - Beijing - Speak !
SCARY SCAM !
So my latest incident was horrible to say the least. We had stopped at a traffic light and as I opened the door to get out - a guy on his bicycle went straight into the door ! My fault for not looking but also his for not slowing down at a red light . Shocked I got out to see if he was ok , he seemed fine with a stiff knee and no damage to his bike or the car . By now the grumpy taxi driver had gotten out and saw his opportunity to make some fast laowai cash - he started talking to me ( of course I did not understand a word - except when he was saying to the other guy that Im a foreigner and I don't understand what they are saying ! My friends were till in the taxi and he would not let them get out as he had kept the meter running . I was about to leave as all seemed fine , when well he got aggressive , spitting and shouting and as I turned away grabbed me by my bag and my arm . Infuriated and trying to leave I now had a crowd gathering - of course much to the amusement of passers by - I was now being surrounded and intimidated by not just one but at least 10 Chinese men , who had stumbled form the nearby restaurant to watch the spectacle . Freda and Felecity got out the car and started phoning for support , when a Chinese women who could speak English came by - she then pointed out they wanted me to pay money and that they were calling the police . By now I was trying to remove myself form the crowd but he kept getting more and more aggressive by pulling me around. I decided to calm down and wait for the police . He relaxed a little but kept insisting on money . The man on the bicycle was now giving his Oscar winning performance after her recovered from his initial shock . The cab driver was making endless calls ( none to the police by the way !)
Finally Nikolai arrived and I fell the presence of more foreigners arriving made him realize we are waiting for police and not going to give into their scam. So after 40 minutes of intimidation , the guy on the bike happily cycled off , the cab driver got in his taxi picked up a new client and left - leaving myself and my friends a little shell shocked and traumatized - But fixed by two successive whiskeys , a shower and a little cry ! What the hell !
Lima , Peru had me in another taxi scam before , but a story for another time !
THE NICE ONES
For every unfriendly tale there is also good tale !
The one who knows he needs to drop me outside starbucks on the way to work , the one who repeats everything I say back to me , the ones who laugh when I pronounce Sanlitun as Sanlitur!!! ( beijing lingo) , the ones who amusingly watches your every move in the taxi , the ones who stare at your friends keeping their eyes on them and not the road , the crazy but cool ones , the ones who don't know Beijing ( bless them brave souls ) and you have to give directions or follow google maps on your phone !
So like in the rest of the world - taxi drivers are humans - some assholes , some making the best of what I would think would be a very stressful job ! Driving in Beijing cannot be easy and with a group of loud foreigners in your car pretty distracting !
Nihao , wo xiang chu Dongzhimen nei !
Happy HAILING in Beijing !
'
22 Million people , 66 000 Taxi drivers + Rain = No Taxi's !
Beijing runs effectively with a good subway system , bus network , pedi- cabs and of course illegal black taxi's and then the regular yellow/blue/white/red cabs !
But in the Urban chaos of Beijing - rain brings fear - of all sorts. Hailing a taxi has it's downfalls - Didi Dache and Uber ( both e-hailing apps ) have the monopoly in the rain , as you see taxi drivers fly by you , red available lights on - but yet waving you away ! And of course you need to speak Chinese pretty well to be using these apps - and hailing this way is cheaper .But alas this laowai ( that's foreigner here in China) needs to hail the old fashioned way - hand in the air -hoping they stop.
Depending where you are - Sanlitun at 2 in the morning becomes nearly impossible to hail cab as they think you are just another drunk foreigner . Guloa at 3 in the morning has you hassled endlessly by pedi-cabs (rickshaws) and unless you have good haggling and negotiating skills in Chinese - you will overpay - but then usually after a few tequilas and sore feet - this seems fairly attractive to get you home - quickly - obviously depending how far you live !
AIRPORT
Getting a taxi from Capitol airport is double or even triple the meter price if you fall into the hands of the touts who seek you out , friendly , speaking English and offering to carry your luggage . After a long haul flight this seems attractive and easy - Don't do it ! Best to go downstairs and wait in the taxi que (it moves super fast ) have your address written in Chinese or attempt to pronounce it correctly to safely deposit you back home or your hotel. Always check the meter goes on - ask for a fapio ( receipt ) and I also check if they have a registration card posted on their dashboard . A taxi ride from Capitol airport to where I live in Dongzhimen is around 70 RMB.
I'm ashamed to say that I have contributed vast amounts of my salary every month to taxi's - but working long hours , days in China all you want to do is get home , pour a glass of wine and wash the smog from your skin! I have also have had my few shares of taxi scams over the last two years and recently a pretty disturbing interaction with an aggressive taxi-driver.
THOSE PESKY SCAMS
So taxi scam number one I was subjected to was giving the taxi a 100RMB note and then him telling me its a fake - therefore giving me back his fake note - making me give him another note -stealing my 100 rmb note and then making me pay the fee still . Cheeky ! So now always have lower denominations in notes to pay the taxi !
Taxi drivers running meters at high rates - usually 13 rmb for the first 3 km's - has had me get out of a taxi in traffic - refusing to pay as we had basically left my house and within 3 minutes the meter had doubled. I tried to take a pic of his number plate but he popped his trunk open and drove off .
And then of course the loooooong way home taxi driver - I now where I live - I can speak taxi Chinese - I can explain how to get there - this is when they are silent - ignoring you and you are helpless and frustrated ! The long way home taxi driver - chooses either the route filled with extra traffic or the route that takes in all the backroads . One taxi driver once told me that I was American and that I can afford to pay his extortinate fee's - It didn't end well - Firstly I made it clear I wasn't from America and that all foreigners are not American - he threatened me with the police ? I mean really - he was scamming me ! then got out of his car - left the back doors open in traffic and left him there - shouting and cursing down the road !
Some taxi drivers are aggressive drivers , some over cautious - leaving you vomitous after all that driving with the foot on the break. Twice I've nearly collided with a bus . Ive had spitting taxi drivers - roll down the window and spit ( quite normal ) smoking taxi drivers - seriously ?? , crazy laughing taxi drivers - One who pretended to be throwing granades and creating explosions in gridlocked traffic , one cursing at me for not being able to speak chinese - You - Beijing - Speak !
SCARY SCAM !
So my latest incident was horrible to say the least. We had stopped at a traffic light and as I opened the door to get out - a guy on his bicycle went straight into the door ! My fault for not looking but also his for not slowing down at a red light . Shocked I got out to see if he was ok , he seemed fine with a stiff knee and no damage to his bike or the car . By now the grumpy taxi driver had gotten out and saw his opportunity to make some fast laowai cash - he started talking to me ( of course I did not understand a word - except when he was saying to the other guy that Im a foreigner and I don't understand what they are saying ! My friends were till in the taxi and he would not let them get out as he had kept the meter running . I was about to leave as all seemed fine , when well he got aggressive , spitting and shouting and as I turned away grabbed me by my bag and my arm . Infuriated and trying to leave I now had a crowd gathering - of course much to the amusement of passers by - I was now being surrounded and intimidated by not just one but at least 10 Chinese men , who had stumbled form the nearby restaurant to watch the spectacle . Freda and Felecity got out the car and started phoning for support , when a Chinese women who could speak English came by - she then pointed out they wanted me to pay money and that they were calling the police . By now I was trying to remove myself form the crowd but he kept getting more and more aggressive by pulling me around. I decided to calm down and wait for the police . He relaxed a little but kept insisting on money . The man on the bicycle was now giving his Oscar winning performance after her recovered from his initial shock . The cab driver was making endless calls ( none to the police by the way !)
Finally Nikolai arrived and I fell the presence of more foreigners arriving made him realize we are waiting for police and not going to give into their scam. So after 40 minutes of intimidation , the guy on the bike happily cycled off , the cab driver got in his taxi picked up a new client and left - leaving myself and my friends a little shell shocked and traumatized - But fixed by two successive whiskeys , a shower and a little cry ! What the hell !
Lima , Peru had me in another taxi scam before , but a story for another time !
THE NICE ONES
For every unfriendly tale there is also good tale !
The one who knows he needs to drop me outside starbucks on the way to work , the one who repeats everything I say back to me , the ones who laugh when I pronounce Sanlitun as Sanlitur!!! ( beijing lingo) , the ones who amusingly watches your every move in the taxi , the ones who stare at your friends keeping their eyes on them and not the road , the crazy but cool ones , the ones who don't know Beijing ( bless them brave souls ) and you have to give directions or follow google maps on your phone !
So like in the rest of the world - taxi drivers are humans - some assholes , some making the best of what I would think would be a very stressful job ! Driving in Beijing cannot be easy and with a group of loud foreigners in your car pretty distracting !
Nihao , wo xiang chu Dongzhimen nei !
Happy HAILING in Beijing !
The Great Escape !
So , the plan has been born - And the seed , like an unborn baby is starting to grow into a bigger plan and a wider adventure everyday.
And let's see if it will be a 9 month human "pregnancy" or an giraffe or camel pregnancy - I know you're googling right now !
Hopefully not !
A travel adventure of a lifetime , or a lifetime travel adventure or let's say : Time to make my lifestyle - Just Travel. Is this possible I've asked myself so many times , what would I love to do permanently and earn money doing it ?
We all have dreams to be doing that one dream job - and getting paid to do it . Don't get me wrong , I love what I do now , but always wanting to expand my horizons and learn new things - a small little "hummingbird" tells me that the time is coming for complete change .
From medical Microbiology , to studying wine (in more ways than one) Hotel management , Catering , art teaching and finally Developmental drama for children . Now what ?
If I reflect back on my life in the last 20 years - most of those years have been spent abroad away from South Africa -My last 6 years in one place was well, great ,amazing , life changing and somethings changed for the better and well we all now the rest of the story ...somethings had to end.
With this I paid a price for my Freedom - and set my life on fire once again !
What is that thing that puts FIRE in our bellies? That makes your heart beat faster , that fills you with excitement , ideas , inspiration My fire is Travel - everything about it - arriving in a new place - not knowing the language - not knowing where I am- exploring , watching and meeting the people - exploring the culture, eating the food .
It isn't always easy , travel has long moments of solitude , living simply , constantly budgeting and longing for family and dearest friends, home comforts and soft places to be.
But the rewards are endless and worth these moments of being "uncomfortable ".
LIFE is INCREDIBLE..even in its moments of routine and mundanity - there is beauty , our day to day life is filled with incredible moments if we just see them . Some choose these moments in their day to day life and I choose mine , well in as many places as I can.
Why would we not want to explore every inch of life , all the beauty of this planet, all the people of the planet. We are so lucky in this day in age to explore , have access to everywhere and anywhere ( well most places ) and we can dream it , because we can make it happen !
Nothing in my life or your life is perfect , but I strive to create something new , beautiful , free , away from the old paradigms and extending this journey I started 3 years ago . Travelling through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,Nepal,Tibet,Argentina,Bolivia,Peru has ignited my spirit and living and working in China , Beijing has made these dreams possible. As tough as living here can be it has created opportunity and been my safety nest as such . Thank you China . And of course Ive had the pleasure of Beijing, its food, its people and the amazing , amazing children !
So the safety net is slowly starting to disappear , a new cliff , another Great leap and where will I land ? When ?
Who Knows ?
Small steps every day towards the big travel - setting my goals - planning , staying inspired : Closing my Eyes and Trusting !
And let's see if it will be a 9 month human "pregnancy" or an giraffe or camel pregnancy - I know you're googling right now !
Hopefully not !
A travel adventure of a lifetime , or a lifetime travel adventure or let's say : Time to make my lifestyle - Just Travel. Is this possible I've asked myself so many times , what would I love to do permanently and earn money doing it ?
We all have dreams to be doing that one dream job - and getting paid to do it . Don't get me wrong , I love what I do now , but always wanting to expand my horizons and learn new things - a small little "hummingbird" tells me that the time is coming for complete change .
From medical Microbiology , to studying wine (in more ways than one) Hotel management , Catering , art teaching and finally Developmental drama for children . Now what ?
If I reflect back on my life in the last 20 years - most of those years have been spent abroad away from South Africa -My last 6 years in one place was well, great ,amazing , life changing and somethings changed for the better and well we all now the rest of the story ...somethings had to end.
With this I paid a price for my Freedom - and set my life on fire once again !
What is that thing that puts FIRE in our bellies? That makes your heart beat faster , that fills you with excitement , ideas , inspiration My fire is Travel - everything about it - arriving in a new place - not knowing the language - not knowing where I am- exploring , watching and meeting the people - exploring the culture, eating the food .
It isn't always easy , travel has long moments of solitude , living simply , constantly budgeting and longing for family and dearest friends, home comforts and soft places to be.
But the rewards are endless and worth these moments of being "uncomfortable ".
LIFE is INCREDIBLE..even in its moments of routine and mundanity - there is beauty , our day to day life is filled with incredible moments if we just see them . Some choose these moments in their day to day life and I choose mine , well in as many places as I can.
Why would we not want to explore every inch of life , all the beauty of this planet, all the people of the planet. We are so lucky in this day in age to explore , have access to everywhere and anywhere ( well most places ) and we can dream it , because we can make it happen !
Nothing in my life or your life is perfect , but I strive to create something new , beautiful , free , away from the old paradigms and extending this journey I started 3 years ago . Travelling through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,Nepal,Tibet,Argentina,Bolivia,Peru has ignited my spirit and living and working in China , Beijing has made these dreams possible. As tough as living here can be it has created opportunity and been my safety nest as such . Thank you China . And of course Ive had the pleasure of Beijing, its food, its people and the amazing , amazing children !
So the safety net is slowly starting to disappear , a new cliff , another Great leap and where will I land ? When ?
Who Knows ?
Small steps every day towards the big travel - setting my goals - planning , staying inspired : Closing my Eyes and Trusting !
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Clear Skies , Coffee and Hutong Contemplation
In the unravelling of the last few months of my life - I've come to the conclusion that this unravelling is indeed a building of something new .
I've learnt much about myself these last few months even after years of self-exploration , China has this effect of peeling the layers so painstakingly laid on by my conditioning.
So another layer slips off ( Just wish it would slip off my thighs ! ) and seemingly thoughts that were impossible to navigate are now starting to find their North .
Sigh ! A relief as I wander the Hutongs in the Autumn morning and revel at the life - the awakening of the morning, the simplicity of the old man on his chained down chair as he smokes contemplating his life.
What makes us so different , so separate , culture?,life experience,male /female - Nothing - we are both just here trying to be present , be happy .
Suddenly I need a cigarette - maybe the long drawn look of his face , the pursed lips holds some revelation - and maybe in that deep inhalation and the strong exhalation the answer is revealed. And there it is - the answer in a puff of smoke - floating into the early morning air - disappearing slowly ! And then he spits as if rejecting the answer he just received.
Across form his home is a cafe and I settle for a coffee instead of a cigarette - I watch them make artisan coffee - Wow ! for all the tea in China - the concentration from two chinese men ! - brewing , weighing , steaming to produce a perfect cup of coffee. And it is perfect , delicious - not tainted with sugar and soft pillows of foam ( yes, sorry I am a flat white , cappuccino heathen)
One thing one time - this a friend told me once - focus on one thing -one time. Is this where I constantly go wrong as my life consists of multitasking , multi managing, multi, multi - exhaustion.
If I had to choose one thing - what would it be ?
The journey to my divorce , the exorcism of my old life was the choice - the choice was to live . Right ?
Is that one thing ?
I wonder as I watch the man light another cigarette - One thing in and exhale -one thing out
I put my head out the window to smell the smoke - maybe there is an answer for me .
What will I choose next ? Maybe a Voyage !
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