Lost in Translation

We’re now in China!

We arrived at the Guangzhou airport at exactly 11:30 pm. Our flight was delayed for two hours! The weather was bad. We literally communicated with the locals on the plane via sign language. They didn’t speak our Chinese dialect and we didn’t speak Mandarin. Worst was, they didn’t speak English! Geez…

Anyway, we arrived at Fuda Hospital at past 1 am. It was more or less 45 minutes from the airport with zero traffic. We were assisted by a Filipino nurse… Thank God! Once we got to our room, I unpacked our suitcases while my Dad got into bed. We were so tired. I slept at 3 am. 

Dad before boarding

Fuda Hospital lobby

Our room

I was still feeling woozy when I got up this morning since I only had three hours sleep. I tried to access my blog and to my horror, blogger is blocked here in China! I can’t believe it! I will be staying here for a month with no blog??? C’mon!!!

Well, as you can see, I figured out a way how --- I asked my friend back in Manila to post what you are reading now. The downside is, I can’t read yours at all! I can read comments when I access my yahoo mail though. May I request you, my dear friends, to please include your email address when you post a comment so I can reply to you via yahoo.

Anyhow, Dad checked the cable channels a while back and you wouldn’t believe this --- everything was in Mandarin! No HBO. This is a nightmare!

I went down the street looking for a restaurant to buy food for lunch. There was one with the menu written in Chinese with English translation. Perfect!!! I just pointed to the vendor what I wanted to buy. Easy right? No!!! She kept talking to me in Mandarin. I was so frustrated. We used sign language all through out. Finally I got what she was trying to tell me --- We deliver at 11 a.m.

Nose bleed!

How do you say I’m going crazy here in Mandarin?

With all that's happening here, I almost forgot that it's Mother's Day today. Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!