Do keep in mind, China operates in it’s own. There are plenty of people who speak Chinese (There is no language called Chinese but for easy of use I’d call it Chinese hereon). They get what ever that is there in rest of the world made in their own country. They produce their own, they operate their own basically most of them do not see a reason to keep in touch with the outside of China. Does not mean that they are hostile to you, sort of most welcoming crowd of people I met. But that is a different story.
Cathey Airways said Ni hao and we stepped into Canton. It was pretty big and part of it was under construction. It was pretty busy. Both of us had little bit of Yuan in our hand. We needed some cash to get by. Well not at Canton but when we get into Xi’an (our destination). Alas they explained to us that they do NOT exchange travellers Cheques. The situation was kind of funny. When my colleague gave them the cheque they looked at her with curious eyes. Then said something that none of us understood. we looked at each other and gave the cheque again. Again the same results they hand it back to us this time laughing at us. Then they said “No no, only US dollar, US dollars” We knew that we are screwed. In a strange country without money. However we called our colleague at Xia’an, who gave us some relief by saying, at Xi’an airport we can get the cheque exchanged.
However that was nothing. We were told by the slightly English speaking airport staff that we must go to the terminal 117 (as i remember) to get the boarding pass and from their to the plane. So we were standing in a queue where plenty of Chinese (by plenty i mean hundreds of them clustered around) around us. Only to look at us and to laugh among themselves. It was kind of humiliating. All I can think was, may be our dark skin and big eyes looked hideous to them. Who knows? Then a lady who seems to be from the airport staff came to us and took our e-ticket then she said in CHINESE, something. Well it was not helpful because we didn’t understand. However she felt our uneasiness then looked around and spoke to another man in uniform who said that this was not the place that they issue boarding passes. Thanking them we turned back, looked for the counter, got the tickets and got into the plane.
It was a Chinese domestic plane. Looking outside the window it occurred to me, I am really going into a strangers’ land. Where I will have to master my sign language and read their minds in order to get by.
Vegetarian's tale in China 