Bus 57 and other interesting events

So today Matthew and I were taken out to lunch by our roommate. His English name is Phillm, I'm still not sure exactly of his Chinese name. He took us to a place near where we live. Matthew and I have wandered around some in the area but mostly it has been in the city center so we had never been to this area. Kunming is a really big city so it would be hard to really get to know all of the city. The restaurant had these small stools and low tables, it was very different from what we are used too. Phillum, unlike Jinpeng, speaks only a little English. He said he was taking us to a local style restaurant. He said, "I don't know if you will like, but you should try." So we tried it. We had pea sprouts in a really good sauce. Pea greens, not the pea pod part but the vine, are eaten here. Nuts, and fried anchovies. I tried one anchovy, it was not my favorite. We also had a beef dish which tasted like something I've had before, maybe when I was in Dubai, I'm not really sure. Then there was a tofu dish, which was really good as well. And last there was a bacon dish, it was a little strange and I didn't like it as much as the other dishes. Over all it was a really good meal. After lunch Phillum went to work and Matthew and I back to the apartment to get ready to go out.

We decided to go to Metro, a food store which has a bigger selection of more Western food, butter in particular, which I've been missing. Matthew looked it up on the Go Kunming web sight and copied the address into google and got directions. It told us to take bus 57 which we did. We got off at the stop on Beijing Lu where it said we should and there was no Metro so we walked a little and asked some people but no one spoke English and and we didn't know the Chinese name for Metro. We finally called Jinpeng, who had suggested we go there, and he said he normally took bus 67. We got back on bus 57 and took it until it turned off of Beijing lu, and then we got off and were going to turn around. At the stop I saw a 67 bus so we got on. 67 quickly left Beijing lu and I was thinking where the hell is this bus taking us. Then I hear over the speaker that the next stop is Beijing something lu and I think, 'we had better get off as this is a road I know,' but we stop and this is not the Beijing lu which I know. Matthew says we should stay on so we stay on and the next stop sounds like Beijing lu again to me and there is the bright blue Metro and I'm wondering how did we miss that. I mean, really, how could we have missed it. This is a really big store. The bus turns and we stop and get off. Then I see a street sign and I understand were all the confusion was. We are not on Beijing lu but on Beichen lu, in Mandarin when people are talking fast Beijing and Beichen can sound a lot alike. This still does not tell us why Google and Go Kunming sent us to the wrong location.

Matthew and I get butter and some cookies and other good things. However, we had to check our backpack at the front so we don't have our shopping bags. I go back to get them and the person behind the counter won't give me my backpack. Finally, just to get me to go away they give me the bag. Matthew has shown up by this time and we need to have a card to check out. But the person by this point is really ignoring us. I go over to the guard and point at the sign which says "please present your card." The guard understands and tells the person, who gives us a card. Then we give back the backpack and take the piece of magic paper and go to the check out. By the time we leave the store it is dark. I think it is like 7:30 but it is really 8pm. I'm really hungry so I open the Oreos. Matthew says not to eat too many as we will have dinner when we get back to the apartment. I only have two. Then we walk to the bus stop. I have some confusion about which side the buses come to so we go to the wrong one and end up walking in a big circle and missing the bus we wanted, number 57, as we have walked back to Beijing lu. While we wait for the bus to come I eat another Oreo, and I see a really big truck full of bananas. I don't even like bananas, but it is really interesting. I've also seen trucks with oranges.

The bus finally comes but there is no place to sit so we stand. I am wearing the backpack which has all of the heavy food in it. It is about a 30 minute ride across town and I think there will be a seat soon. But one doesn't open and the bus just gets fuller and fuller. The backpack isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We finally get to the part of town which I recognize and I'm thinking just how nice it will be to get off of the really crowded bus. We stop at the stop before ours and pull back out into traffic. There is a red light and we stop. The windows in the bus are partly open and a car or truck near us has really bad diesel fumes. I think it will clear up soon and then I'll be fine. We start moving again and I'm starting to get really hot so I unzip my jacket. We go under the highway bridge and my hearing starts getting dim and I'm sweating. I know our stop is coming up and I think I'll be fine as soon as I get off the bus. Then my sight gets a little blurred. I think I just have to hold on. The bus stops and my knees get all wobbly, but I think the driver must have stopped slower as I didn't fall. I turn to go out and I can't see Matthew so I reach out and grab what I hope is his jacket. It feels like leather. He turns and I'm thinking I can't fall on the bus, I just have to get off and sit down. He asks if I'm okay and I say no. We get to the exit and the doors are closing. People yell and the doors open. I don't know how I get down the stairs as I think my legs aren't working that well. Somehow Matthew leads me over the bus stop and down across the bicycle lane. He says step down, I think I see a bicycle or scooter coming but he says it is okay so I follow him. I think I've told him I need to sit down as I'm dizzy and light headed but I don't really remember. We get to the side walk and there is a wall. He takes off the backpack and I sit down and lean against the wall. I'm feeling a little better already, but not up to walking to the apartment yet. So I sit on the dirty sidewalk, I thought it was 20 minutes but Matthew says it was more like 5 to 10 and my hearing comes back and my sight isn't blurred. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't gotten off of the bus.

We walked back to the apartment, me holding on to Matthew as I still feel weak. When we got back I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I felt much better, but I was pretty tired. It was funny how much I felt like I feel right after I've had blood drawn and I've seen my blood. I can't see my own blood, but if I don't look I'm fine. When I do look I pass out. This felt pretty close to what I've experienced when having blood drawn. After the sandwich I'm felt pretty much recovered. It was definitely something I don't care to repeat, even for some butter.