A Jew In China- Chapter 5
A Jew In China- Chapter 5
Robbers in Guangzhou, and 24 Hours of Travel with no Desired Results
Dov Glanz 30/08/2009 12:15
After two days of traveling around the wholesale merchandise areas, we realized that we would have to look for what we wanted in the factories themselves. I asked the Chinese members of our team to quickly prepare a new travel plan, so that we could set out as soon as possible. We did indeed begin our journey very soon, embarking on an exhausting trip to Guangdong.
(Click here to read the previous entries: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4)
Guangdong is a province that includes, among other cities, the city of Guangzhou, where the famous "Canton Fair" exhibition is located. Guangzhou is known as a city where pickpockets rob people in the streets, and their rate of success is mainly credited to the failure of the local police force to deal with the phenomenon. Guangzhou is also the location of the largest airport in the vicinity of our destination.
The taxi driver who picked us up at the airport was our first encounter with a robber, though we were the ones sitting behind a thick metal screen, intended to prevent passengers any access to the front seat. We began driving towards the city, in search of a hotel close to the city's Beit Chabad. We later referred to that trip as a "complete tour of Guangzhou". For over an hour, the driver cruised around and around the city, and the Chinese staff members with us who tried to communicate with him had no more luck than they would have had speaking with a deaf person. At first, we tried to get him to stop and let us out, but when we saw that our request only added fire to the already heated atmosphere in the taxi, we decided to sit quietly, and wait patiently to see where our journey would end.
Finally, the driver stopped in front of an impressive looking hotel, about 15 stories high. But Chazal have taught us, "Don't look at the vessel, but rather what it contains." The hotel rooms were quite decrepit, with peeling wooden doors, and the smell in the rooms and corridors was horrific. We had already paid for the rooms with a credit card, and it was impossible to cancel the payment. It was 2:00 A.M., but my travel companions decided they would look for another hotel, come what may, and that is what they did.
After a long night of wandering, I woke up early the next morning and took a taxi to…Beit Chabad. There were about 40 Jews praying in the Beit Chabad sanctuary that morning, and after the services we enjoyed a satisfying breakfast in the dining room.
Every taxi I traveled in provided me with a photocopy of the driver's personal details, as that is the law in China. The "card" that each driver gives out includes his name, identity number, and photograph. Unfortunately, I hadn't managed to photocopy the "card" of the taxi driver who took me that morning to Beit Chabad. Hashgacha struck, and that very same driver managed to steal my cellular phone.
There I was, stuck in the heart of a Chinese city, all alone and without my cell phone, which held the numbers of all my contacts in China. After a few anxious moments, I gathered my wits and decided to try walking back to the hotel. Baruch Hashem, I found the hotel pretty quickly.
Our team set out on another long journey, and instead of the large taxi we had ordered, we were sent a tiny car that we all had to squeeze into, quite uncomfortably. Instead of an experienced driver, who knew the route we had chosen, we were sent a young driver who was so inexperienced he had to stop driving in order to close his window. Incidentally, he didn't pull over to the side of the road, but stopped smack in the middle of traffic. Imagine driving on a main thoroughfare, surrounded by huge trucks, and then suddenly stopping in the middle of the road!
It took the driver over an hour to get out of the city, as he stopped at every junction to call another driver, and ask if he was going the right way. By the time we finally left the city limits, he had managed to hit a pedestrian and a parked car. He didn't even notice hitting the car.
Finally we were out on the highway, and every time we approached an exit, the driver stopped and made another phone call, to ask if it was an exit he should take. It was miraculous that we weren't involved in an accident each time he stopped, and at a certain point we gave up trying to communicate with him. Since we could only explain the route to him in Hebrew, and since his only response was "Yes, yes, o.k., o.k." we knew that our efforts were hopeless.
For the duration of our journey, the driver was constantly on the lookout for police surveillance cameras, and seemed to be extremely anxious each time he wanted to pass another vehicle. We all sighed with relief when we finally arrived in Yangjiang, a city known for its knife manufacturers. We hoped that in this city we would find what we were looking for. One of the local factories had even sent us pictures of its products, and we had been duly impressed.
Even after we had entered the city, the driver didn't forgo the opportunity to get lost, and we only arrived at the factory after circling the city several times over.
Imagine how you would feel after a long, tiring flight and after an unpleasant night in a hotel, and after having your cell phone stolen, and after an exhausting journey of several hours with an incompetent driver. Then you finally arrive at the factory you thought you were looking for, only to realize 20 seconds later that all your efforts were for naught.
After just 20 seconds in the factory, we understood that the entire trip had been a waste of time, and we immediately continued onto our next destination. Another factory that we should never had included in our itinerary… We lost a lot of precious time, but baruch Hashem, in the end we did find what we were looking for. And as usual, I have included a picture gallery, for your viewing pleasure.
(Click here to read the previous entries: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4)
Guangdong is a province that includes, among other cities, the city of Guangzhou, where the famous "Canton Fair" exhibition is located. Guangzhou is known as a city where pickpockets rob people in the streets, and their rate of success is mainly credited to the failure of the local police force to deal with the phenomenon. Guangzhou is also the location of the largest airport in the vicinity of our destination.
The taxi driver who picked us up at the airport was our first encounter with a robber, though we were the ones sitting behind a thick metal screen, intended to prevent passengers any access to the front seat. We began driving towards the city, in search of a hotel close to the city's Beit Chabad. We later referred to that trip as a "complete tour of Guangzhou". For over an hour, the driver cruised around and around the city, and the Chinese staff members with us who tried to communicate with him had no more luck than they would have had speaking with a deaf person. At first, we tried to get him to stop and let us out, but when we saw that our request only added fire to the already heated atmosphere in the taxi, we decided to sit quietly, and wait patiently to see where our journey would end.
Finally, the driver stopped in front of an impressive looking hotel, about 15 stories high. But Chazal have taught us, "Don't look at the vessel, but rather what it contains." The hotel rooms were quite decrepit, with peeling wooden doors, and the smell in the rooms and corridors was horrific. We had already paid for the rooms with a credit card, and it was impossible to cancel the payment. It was 2:00 A.M., but my travel companions decided they would look for another hotel, come what may, and that is what they did.
After a long night of wandering, I woke up early the next morning and took a taxi to…Beit Chabad. There were about 40 Jews praying in the Beit Chabad sanctuary that morning, and after the services we enjoyed a satisfying breakfast in the dining room.
Every taxi I traveled in provided me with a photocopy of the driver's personal details, as that is the law in China. The "card" that each driver gives out includes his name, identity number, and photograph. Unfortunately, I hadn't managed to photocopy the "card" of the taxi driver who took me that morning to Beit Chabad. Hashgacha struck, and that very same driver managed to steal my cellular phone.
There I was, stuck in the heart of a Chinese city, all alone and without my cell phone, which held the numbers of all my contacts in China. After a few anxious moments, I gathered my wits and decided to try walking back to the hotel. Baruch Hashem, I found the hotel pretty quickly.
Our team set out on another long journey, and instead of the large taxi we had ordered, we were sent a tiny car that we all had to squeeze into, quite uncomfortably. Instead of an experienced driver, who knew the route we had chosen, we were sent a young driver who was so inexperienced he had to stop driving in order to close his window. Incidentally, he didn't pull over to the side of the road, but stopped smack in the middle of traffic. Imagine driving on a main thoroughfare, surrounded by huge trucks, and then suddenly stopping in the middle of the road!
It took the driver over an hour to get out of the city, as he stopped at every junction to call another driver, and ask if he was going the right way. By the time we finally left the city limits, he had managed to hit a pedestrian and a parked car. He didn't even notice hitting the car.
Finally we were out on the highway, and every time we approached an exit, the driver stopped and made another phone call, to ask if it was an exit he should take. It was miraculous that we weren't involved in an accident each time he stopped, and at a certain point we gave up trying to communicate with him. Since we could only explain the route to him in Hebrew, and since his only response was "Yes, yes, o.k., o.k." we knew that our efforts were hopeless.
For the duration of our journey, the driver was constantly on the lookout for police surveillance cameras, and seemed to be extremely anxious each time he wanted to pass another vehicle. We all sighed with relief when we finally arrived in Yangjiang, a city known for its knife manufacturers. We hoped that in this city we would find what we were looking for. One of the local factories had even sent us pictures of its products, and we had been duly impressed.
Even after we had entered the city, the driver didn't forgo the opportunity to get lost, and we only arrived at the factory after circling the city several times over.
Imagine how you would feel after a long, tiring flight and after an unpleasant night in a hotel, and after having your cell phone stolen, and after an exhausting journey of several hours with an incompetent driver. Then you finally arrive at the factory you thought you were looking for, only to realize 20 seconds later that all your efforts were for naught.
After just 20 seconds in the factory, we understood that the entire trip had been a waste of time, and we immediately continued onto our next destination. Another factory that we should never had included in our itinerary… We lost a lot of precious time, but baruch Hashem, in the end we did find what we were looking for. And as usual, I have included a picture gallery, for your viewing pleasure.
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| Metal bars inside a taxi, separating the passengers from the driver. | צלם |
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| Another Beit Chabad, this time in Guangzhou. Here are some of the people who came to daven Shacharis, and then stayed for breakfast afterwards. | צלם |
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| Frying eggs for the congregation. But not before the cook asked me to light the flame for him | צלם |
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| Chinese tea: The benefits of Chinese tea are well known, and Chinese tradition attributes different health benefits to each different brand. Tea shops are very common, and every store has a large collection of tea on display. | צלם |
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| After my cell phone was stolen, the first thing I did when I got into any taxi was take a picture of the driver's "card". I think that Israel should adopt the same rule. First of all, the driver's tag must be displayed in full view for the passengers, in order to see his name and ID number – in case a complaint is necessary. The tag is supposed to be next to the driver, and a copy must also be affixed to the back of the front seat, so passengers in the back can also get a clear view of his credentials. Another feature that Chinese taxis have is a digital screen to inform people on the street whether or not the taxi is available. As soon as a passenger gets into the taxi, the driver turns off the digital screen, and the meter begins running. | צלם |
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| A tall building – just one of hundreds that house exhibition displays in Guangzhou. For some reason, the air conditioning wasn't working in this particular building, and the heat inside was unbearable | צלם |
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| A huge factory – that is the only way I can think of describing what it's like traveling on a four-lane highway in China. For four hours, almost all we saw was trucks, trucks, and more trucks. For every private vehicle there must have been ten trucks transporting all sorts of cargo, and they were a glaring indication of just how much manufacturing and construction goes on in China. | צלם |
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| A picture taken inside the knife factory. This machine has a small cutter that is lowered with a tremendous amount of force onto a sheet of metal, producing a piece of metal in the shape of a knife blade. | צלם |
Venice Photo Gallery This is the first photo gallery that was sent to us. We present to you Venetia on the water in the spring.
Jenin: The Location Where Joseph Was Sold into Slavery Our forefather Jacob sent his son Joseph to a place north of Jenin, near Dotan (Dotina), where he was later sold into slavery by his brothers. What does that place look like today?
Working Up High How can we appreciate the self-examination and thorough cleaning of the high windows of the Etrog building? Here is the historic opportunity.