Goodbye Sydney, Hello Xi'an

Reunited at Xianyang Xi'an International Airport.
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你好西安!

I flew out of Sydney on Friday night to Hong Kong on an uneventful flight with Cathay Pacific and I arrived in Xi'an late morning to grey skies. Grace arrived at the airport soon after the flight while her taxi driver waited in the car park. We had no difficulty finding each other since the international terminal is less than vast. We traveled about 45 minutes in a taxi van known as a “Mian Bao Che”, which translates as “bread car” because it is shaped like a loaf of bread. Grace felt that after 6 months of intermittent Skype-chats, conversing in person was rather surreal.

With split-pants the whole world is your lavatory!

One of many ways to keep cool in the summer heat.
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Grace’s place, a one bedroom unit, is located in the Xiao Zhai district of Xi’an in one of the accommodation blocks for Chang’an University. Grace efficiently served up leftover* Thai chicken curry and southern Chinese food for lunch. We spent the afternoon strolling around Xiao Zhai. I sampled a couple of varieties of northern Chinese “pancakes”, the first local fare. I also discovered the wonder of toddlers and their “split-pants” which obviate the need for nappies or a public toilet. With split-pants the whole world is your lavatory! Negotiating Chinese traffic is also an art-form best mastered with someone who knows what they’re doing. The roads are wide and multi-laned. Boldness and trust are useful traits to possess. Boldness as you step out into the ordered chaos on the roads, and trust in the drivers’ ability to see you and that their brakes are in good working order. Still I think the roads in Delhi are worse, as I was nearly run over be a four wheel drive on a pedestrian crossing at the airport!

Grace's Apartment Block.
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The evening was spent over a pot-luck dinner with some of Grace’s expatriate work colleagues here in Xi’an.

Andrew.

*Grace’s comment: We’re going to be away from Xi’an for 3 weeks so wanted to rid my fridge of leftovers!