Just another day at Beijing International Bilingual Academy, I had grade 1 for 2 hours in the morning and again for an hour in the afternoon concentrating on reading and speaking. Straight after school at 3.40pm, I got a taxi straight to the subway station as I had a real race against time to get to Beijing West train station for my train at 6pm. I got on the subway and figured I had 22 stations to do in 2 hours with 3 changes. As it got to 5pm I still had 11 stations to do so I decided to give it until 5.15pm and then try and get a taxi. At 5.15pm I had 6 stations to go so I got off the subway and got in a taxi which was fine until we turned the corner and I realised it was gridlock traffic! The taxi driver spoke a bit of English and told me it was a 30min walk and I only had 20mins so I had no choice but to stay in the taxi. We turned a corner onto a highway and it was free of traffic and I could see the train station ahead when the taxi stopped (in the middle of 12 lanes of traffic) and told me to get out and run, shouting good luck after me! By this point it was 5.50pm, the train station was in sight, I was thinking “I can do this!” I ran all the way there but then didn’t know where to go once inside so I asked a station/ porter man who shouted something in Chinese and grabbed my arm and started running, so I’m running after him with my wheelie hand luggage towards a train platform just as a train is pulling away, this man runs onto the platform shouting and waving his arms and luckily the train actually stops! I got on and had to walk down a really long carriage to lots of muttering Chinese people and into my little compartment all sweaty and out of breath! In this compartment there are 3 beds on either side (mine was the middle bed, really hard to get up onto) and your luggage goes up there with you, it was really hot and there was not much room and it was a bit smelly!
The train was supposed to arrive at Zhengzhou at 11pm so I set my alarm for 10.45pm and tried to get some sleep. At 11.15pm the conductor came round waking everyone up that was getting off at Zhengzhou so that was a bit of a relief as I was worried I had missed my stop. We arrived at Zhengzhou at 11.45pm and Sam and Sonya were at the station waiting for me and we went for a McDonald's and then to a pool hall near their building for a few games of pool. I’d had enough by 2am (and really wanted a shower after that train ride) so it was off to their apartment building where they each have their own apartment (sort of like a studio flat, it’s ok but I prefer mine!) quick shower and then bed!
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