This morning I left early for work, in order to arrive early because our big boss was coming in today. I set off on my routine journey to the subway and headed for my usual 35-minute train ride.
Two stops before my transfer station, the subway opens at Shaoyaoju station, but only after some hesitation. Then the doors never closed. Not for 10 minutes, anyway.
Back story - I am claustrophobic. This is a semi-recent fear of mine since I began traveling. Sure I'm brave at moving across the world to live in a foreign country, but I'm still claustrophobic to an extent and scared to death of heights. Both of which I have been trying to overcome. I realize these two fears are all mental, but that doesn't make it any easier.
My claustrophobia comes more from the amount of people in small places, not specifically small places. The fact that people pile 25 deep into an elevator or 300 deep into a single subway cart. In China, the only place you can find space is your own home. There are 19 million people here in Beijing, not including all the tourists and resident foreigners. No place is mean to hold so many humans comfortably!
Normally, if the subway is moving I am fine. It's when it stops for extended amounts of time that I get nervous. I don't like the idea of being underground trapped between concrete walls.
Now that you have a background I will tell you my story, although I am sure you can guess what happened.
After 10 minutes of waiting at Shaoyaju station inside the cart with the doors open, as patiently as I could, the doors closed and the train finally took off. We arrived at the next stop, only to have the yes previous 10 minutes repeated, yet this time, add about 5 ting to minutes. So I'm here for 15 minutes attempting to block out my nerves by reading my book. A man and woman come over the loud speaker to make announcements multiple times, but seeing as I don't speak Chinese, it was of no comfort to me. No one else on the train seemed alarmed, either. I texted my boss and tried to contact all of my co-workers to let them know I'm obviously going to be late, instead of early like I intended when I'd left my apartment 45 minutes ago. I got no responses.
Five minutes later, the train takes off headed toward my transfer station and I feel a hint of relief. One minute later, the train begins to slow down and gradually comes to a halt between the concrete walls. I said a few choice words along with, "you have got to be kidding me." Along with me, the Chinese people surrounding me in the cart also sighed and cursed under their breaths so this time I worried more.
In this moment, one of my co-workers returns my phone call. I answer, in tears, telling him I have no idea what is happening but now the train has completely stopped. He tells me to breath and take my time and not rush getting to work and everything is fine, etc. I said, "I don't even care if I'm late anymore. At this point I just fear I'll die in the Beijing subway and never see my family again."
Drastic I know, but I was panicked and angry. finally, the train continues and lets me off at my transfer station.
In the stations, at both ends of the tracks, there are timers that let you know how long until the next train will arrive. The lights were not on at all. At this point I assume the entire subway system of Beijing is on the rocks. I called my coworker back and asked him to text me the school's address because no way in hell was I chancing getting onto another subway cart after the events of the last 40 minutes of my life.
I walked out of the station and grabbed the first taxi I saw. My school is four subway stops from here and a straight shot north. The subway becomes above ground halfway there and my cab driver points, gestures a straight motion with his left hand, then makes a 'vroom' noise. What he was saying is, that's the subway line you were just in and it would be faster to take that and it'll take you right where you want to be.
All I did was point at said subway line and say, "zhege, mei you, bu yao."
I literally said, "that, none, I don't want."
Ha. I used my hand gestures to elicit "broken," to him and he laughed, but surprisingly I think he understood me.
After it all, I made it to work only 45 minutes late. What a start to a Monday!
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