Sunday, April 20, 2008

Five Chinese Men....



Sorry it has been so long since my last post, Robb and I have been traveling to other parts of China having some unforgettable experiences! Update on Bear: She is fine, has placenta previa and is in the hospital for the next month...(She is going nuts as she has three sweet kids at home that she can't love on, so please keep her in your prayers still...Thank you so much friends)

Allrighty-Roo! On April 13th Robb and I took a 17 hour train ride to GuanZhou for a business meeting that Robb had in Zhonshan. We took a sleeper train and were unable to get soft sleepers(four beds to a room) and thus were left to fend for ourselves with the hard sleepers(six beds to a room). I knew I would be okay as long as I had Robb in the bunk next to me....we boarded the plane and come to find out our beds were in two different rooms! AHHHHHH! My bed was the top bunk of five other bunks in the room filled with Chinese business men. Panic button! Robb had some Chinese people in his room that spoke English and he had the bottom bunk, so I hung out at the "cool table". I tried not to drink too much water as to avoid any bathroom experience I may encounter, but come one....I am a girl and my bladder is TINY! Plus I am not sure I know anyone who can hold it for 17 hours...and if you can or you know someone who can, I want to know them! I venture down the train to find the bathroom and hesitantly open the door to the germ-filled unknown and I saw a toilet in the floor, a bar in front of it half way down the wall and what seemed to be water and dirt wetting the floor I now stood on(okay...I am sure it wasn't water, but I had to use the power of thought) There was no way I could hold it, as much as I wanted to after seeing what lie before me and so it began. The first and only time I had squatted in my life was on a camping trip with my bro and sis-in-law and the woods were much cleaner than this room I was trapped in! I pulled down my pants(sorry if this seems graphic) and was grateful for that bar that was in front of me as I held on for dear life and leaned back to make certain I stayed dry. As I held on with my left hand, I finagled some toilet paper with my right hand with a prayer in my heart that my feet would not slip out from under me and I fall in....This story ends well, as I survived, but was extremely traumatized and had one more horrible experience with a Chinese potty where I actually cried....but I am alive! (Although I am certain I am coming down with some disease as I write, because of the germs in those toilets that could only be truly known with a microscope) Robb the wonderful husband that he is, offered to sleep in the room with the five Chinese Men, and I got the bottom bunk with our new found friends...he is a sweet heart! I am posting some pictures of our trip to this great city in China and our new friends we made along the way. Pigeon heads, shrimp with their eyeballs, fresh water market and much more proved to be a time I will never forget!

6 comments:

Kika VilaNova said...

Hey Annie, that is so sick about that bathroom!! Girl, you are BRAVE!!

And I love the way you write, you're so funny!1 :)

hugs and hugs and see you soon, one month, yay! :)

Kat Clark said...

When in doubt just go out! Outside that is. I understand that you were trapped on a moving train but honestly I would rather squat in the middle of Times Square than have to go in some of the nasty toilets in other countries. Needless to say, I am very glad you didn't fall in!

Kass Martin said...

How fun, you are having so many fun adventures. What an unforgettable time for you guys to be going through together.

Shanna said...

Great post, great pics. Thanks for sharing! I am jealous that you guys are having this experience! I know I have already said this, but it has got to be so great for a marriage!

Jenn said...

Annabelle... Oh my word, talk about a horrible potty experience. It does sound kinda funny though, it's too bad I'm not with you to share the moment. Pigeon heads, eww! Keep having a blast, we'll see you when you get home!

heather telford photography said...

what fun experiences for you guys!! You will have such fun stories to tell your kids someday!! :) Im so glad to hear Bear is doing better I have ben thinking about her!