photo courtesy of jingaiping at Depositphotos
“Time to get up, comrades.”
The train’s loudspeaker crackled above my head. I turned over and punched my pillow, trying to reshape the unhusked rice inside to fit the curve of my neck. It couldn’t be more than five or six in the morning.
Suddenly a martial tune blared from the speaker, and then a woman’s voice shouted something in Chinese.
I hung my head over the side of my bunk and looked at my husband. “What did she say?”
He yawned. “She said, ‘Good morning, comrades. Time to get up.’”
It was 1986, three years after our first trip to China. The country that had once been closed to foreigners was beginning to welcome us. Starting this year, 1986, China was also welcoming help from my husband’s employer, the Asian Development Bank. This was a business trip.
Asian Development Bank Bldg., Roxas Blvd.
Eugene had worked for ADB for the past fifteen years. The Bank, which had been in business since 1966, had projects promoting development in countries all over Asia and the Pacific. Until now, China had been one of the few countries left out.
Sharing a room with three men
I sat up in my bunk and glared at the intercom speaker. When would this stream of news and rise-and-shine music stop?
“No off-button, I suppose,” Alberto said from the bottom bunk across from us.
Malik raised his head. “Sorry, Bert. No such luck.” He brushed aside his wavy black hair and smiled “good morning” to me.
I nodded and crawled back under my quilt, turning toward the wall so Eugene and his colleagues could get dressed. It didn’t take them long. Soon they were out in the hall, waiting for me to change clothes.
This was my first time accompanying my husband on a mission. It was fun. While he worked, I took in the sights, either alone or with someone sent by his Chinese counterparts. Evenings and on weekends, we went out together.
His three-week-long Fact-Finding Mission had already taken us to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shaoxing, Shanghai, and Beijing. Now we were heading north to Changchun, a large industrial city in Jilin Province.
The train clattered and swayed past flat, golden fields. It was October, and the harvest, yellow corn and sorghum, was drying on the roofs of small brick houses painted a golden yellow like the Manchurian royal banner. After breakfast, we sat in our compartment drinking mugs of Nescafe Instant and talking.
The men were excited about what they’d seen in the past couple of weeks. The rayon mill, the crystal-growing factory, the petro-chemical plant—all of them with plans for modernization and expansion.
“China is poised to explode in the next few years,” Eugene predicted, his eyes shining. “Mark my word: its economy is going to develop faster than anything the world has ever seen.”
Alberto nodded. “In twenty-five years we won’t recognize it.”
North of the Great Wall
photo courtesy of televiseus
As the train moved north, the scenery changed, the saffron-colored dwellings replaced by houses with blue tile roofs and bright blue doors. “That’s the Korean influence,” Eugene said. “They love blue roofs.” We were still in China, but north of the Great Wall, and north of Korea. It was amazing to think that soon we would be directly across from Vladivostok, Russia.
The intercom crackled to life with a new announcement. Eugene translated for us. “They’re locking the restroom doors until we finish passing through some little town up ahead.”
Malik smirked.
We’d all been to the restroom. We knew why they kept it locked as we passed through towns. There was no holding tank below the toilets. Everything fell directly onto the tracks.
An antiquated system, but it would soon change. China was modernizing at breakneck speed. And my husband was delighted to be a part of it.
photo of high speed train near Shanghai courtesy of Alan at Depositphotos
Next post: Car Trouble: It Could Have Been Worse
(I promised “Fashion Torture” for this week. I apologize for its absence. I moved it to September 29 to make room for “The Train to Changchun.”)
It seems like in some parts of China these old trains are still in use and except for the words “comrade” not much has changed (there’s often music that will wake you up and a person telling you via loudspeakers to get ready to get off at the next station). I’ve been on many trains like that and although personally I’d prefer to wake up 15 minutes before the train arrives at the destination and not an hour in advance, I do enjoy traveling that way.
I didn’t know these old trains were still in use, although I’m not surprised. Thanks for pointing it out.
I’ve been on these old trains numerous times, so I think they are still pretty common (maybe not between Beijing and Shanghai, but definitely in other areas).
My first overnight trip by train was from Shanghai to Beijing in 2008. We had a sleeper birth too. But no loudspeakers. Somewhere down the years, they must have been removed.
:o)
I still want to see China by bullet train and avoid the airports. I understand that China has extended its rail lines to just about every nook and cranny in the country. We have used the mag-lev line from Pudong International airport to Shanghai. Not the same as a cross country trip but it feels good to flash by at a very high speed while the freeway traffic we saw from the train’s windows was bumper to bumper.
We took a slow train from Shanghai to Hangzhou once and that took forever with endless stops and standing room only. Lucky for us, we had seats—hard plastic seats. But the reward was the conversation we had with the family sitting across from us. They made their living by buying fruits and vegetables from farmers and then shipping them into the city to sell to the markets.
Despite a couple of inconveniences, I enjoyed our train trip to Changchun. Seeing China by bullet train would be a great experience.
Most people do not believe me when I say that I have never traveled on a train. (Subway doesn’t count, does it?)
I think I should try it. I just hope that my first train ride will be as interesting as yours in this post! There’ll be no Great Wall but I heard the view from my hometown to the city is pretty interesting! 😀
On a train ride, you have plenty of time to look out the window and enjoy the view. I hope, Hari, that someday you will ride a train through a beautiful landscape.
You are a talented writer, Nicki, and the subject is fascinating, as well. Since LaMont doesn’t DO computers, I’m printing off your posts for him to read.
Thank you, Barb. I really appreciate your comments. What a good wife you are!
Is that George in the picture?
Yes, that’s George Liu on the left in the barong Tagalog.
What a fascinating life Nicki! So glad you’re sharing it with us now.
Maureen