7 Levels of my Hell

This night felt as the most important since my arrival in China.  I've been in a fog since I've returned each time I try to think about everything that happened, how it happened and the course of events that led me to embark to the other side of the Earth in search of something unknown other than an unrelenting urge. Whatever Joe Pesci or the Universe was trying to tell me definitely made it's point because had I not taken this trip I could have never became the man I am today. We take a short walk to a restaurant that's considered hot according to WeChat so in the lobby one of their friends takes the stroll with us. He's Chinese and speaks exceptionally well English and Arabic.  He's just going back and forth like a ping-pong ball with Dave and Shirley in their respective languages like it's second nature. To have the mental ability to speak 3 languages is something I think even the most brilliant admit it's no easy task to learn an additional on...

I wake up and I'm a fucking ZOMBIE.  Holy fuck I drank way too much the night before and it took the first hour to piece together what happened the night before.  By now it's about 6:00 AM and I am deeply hungover.  Something I'm not used to feeling. I jump out of bed and not remembering our hotel offers a fucking amazing breakfast I walk down the block to this restaurant I've been constantly eyeing since I arrived.  They have live tanks in the window filled with fish, shellfish and other shit I didn't know what it was. Inside they had a supermarket resembling coolers you could pick from.  I chose from the picture menu above. It looked like ribs. Tasted fantastic and came with a giant serving of white rice. It could have been dog for all I cared at that point (it wasn't...calm down PETA). I finished most of the protein and ate as much rice as I could and paid my bill.  It came to under $3.00.  I left the RMB equivalent (+ 1.5RMB and tipping is ...

Around 9:00 AM we meet in the lobby of the 5th floor and we descent with our luggage to a taxi.  Before we gathered I decided to cut my baggage in half and leave a suitcase and its contents in the room. I went to the rescue mission before the trip and bought all sorts of clothes that I wasn't sure if my travels would require me to wear. So at least now I've cut down what I have to drag by 50% but little was removed from my backpack that had to weigh at least 20-30 lbs filled with mostly useless shit. We get the taxi and head to the subway to head to the Monorail.  Dave buys us all First Class tickets on the Monorail which was 130 RMB each, just under $19.00.  Difference from coach is more room, cleaner bathroom and you're given a choice of bottled water or a juice box that resembles Hi-C and a prepackaged box that has some snacks inside.  Most notably is the "Braised Duck Gizzard" in a vacuum sealed package. Yiwu (EEE-Woo) is 2,000 miles South-West of Shan...

Dave and Shirley invite me out with them to the Shanghai 24th China International Furniture Expo. One of their businesses is selling furniture to US stores made in China and sent over to the US like pretty much every single thing you can buy now. This place is MASSIVE.  It resembles the NYS fair where they cover an insane square footage and everything is housed inside buildings millions of square feet each.  I've been through 8-9 before the day is out and I saw maybe 20% of the actual show since it was the last day everyone was closing down but Dave and Shirley had been unable to cover as much as they've wanted to the three previous days and wanted to get one last chance to meet vendors. The furniture I saw was so beautiful and stylish. Unlike anything I'm used to seeing here.  Don't get me wrong they had a LOT of stuff you see at Pier 1 and places like that but much of the show is about "what's hot" now and new, fresh.. EVERYONE in China uses WeCh...

Day 2: Pudong New District, Shanghai  After about a half hour I'm already bored and curious so I gather my backpack filled with all my shit at the time was valuable enough to keep on me. I go outside and it's warm, like really warm.  The sun's over the horizon not even out long enough to heat the air or so I thought not possible to happen so quickly.  As I'm sitting outside sitting on the decoration wall of the hotel.  By the way...this hotel was HUGE and beautiful not just because it was but in contrast to the rest of the area that was on the verge of being labeled a shit hole.  Or so I thought because again my understanding how the country "works" I didn't understand what was really going on. Now....something for the last year especially has been itching at my shoulder to go to China.  I don't know what started it, where I was when I realized it or any emotion tied to any of it.  Just a compulsion to GO TO CHINA. How China Works to Enter: ...

Departure Syracuse International Airport 7:15 AM Suddenly I am having doubts around Midnight the night before I'm to leave.  I'm trying to negotiate my way out of what I've spent in airfare as if it was even a possibility since I booked with United and they make it perfectly clear (at least) with flights people that spend the time to "dig" for a deal will ultimately have to pay if ANYTHING is changed.  Is it legal...obviously....is it right...obviously not. BUT....."business is business."  Right? After all we are American's and that is not just the "dream" we learn about as infants and really, is in fact true even in today's world. ANYWHO... I get BOMBED. I'm talking 18 rack of BL....Buh-Bye by the time the taxi driver arrives. THIS event started the cascading effect of my.......Journey...(sounds so fuckin' cheezie) I'm packed..ready to go...Everything is laid out at the door for when I walk out of my house...