Sleeping in a Dorm on a Stormy Night in Xiamen, Fujian, China

Greetings,

Last we chatted I was in the back of a sleeper bus. The bus arrived in Xiamen, Fujian, China at ~4:40am and myself and King Chode wandered the streets looking for a guest house, which we didn’t find. After ~2 hours of lugging our gear around we decided to just get in a cab, I was so tired I fell asleep in the back.

We ended up at a hostel, there are not many options here. They were booked full but told us they may have a room. Turns out they do have 2 beds, in a dorm. Having never been in a dorm before I was a bit apprehensive but said “screw it”. I passed out in such said dorm at 3pm and just awoke now at 7:30pm. I will say that when I woke up a gent from Hong Kong was sitting in the dark and when he heard me moving asked if he could turn the lights on. At that moment I said “dude, you can have a party and I wouldn’t care”. Moments later I said to myself, “maybe I was born to be the kinda guy who slept in dorms!?”.

The reason I say that is I truly don’t care if people make noise, come home late or smell. I’ve been traveling and mainly in Asia for ~7.5 months+ now. It’s one thing to be stuck to dorms but to be able to sleep in a dorm and at anytime flip to a single room should one choose is an ~alright place to be in~.

Xiamen is kinda sleepy so far but we’ve met a gent from Germany, the gents from Hong Kong in our 6 person dorm and a couple from Denmark. We may all go for dinner and drinks tonight. It’s raining here and as much as I despise the rain and cold weather, it’s relieving in the sense that lugging my jacket has not totally been for naught. Probably should have gone M though, this large fleece is more like a large moo moo.

I digress.

The German gent is a laugh, he speaks little English but some Chinese and helps us order stuff like the meal below for ~$1.75US. Also he loves hip hop and has all these slang expressions that he says incorrectly in a thick German accent like ‘Show me what you got, mate’. That just doesn’t work but it’s funny. Take a look at what the experience of ordering lunch is like, you may as well just throw a dart and hope for the best. That or go into a crowded restaurant and point at what someone else is having.

I took several photos that I’ve added. So far this place is alright and the staff is what I’ve come used to expecting. My dorm “locker door” was mangled. Instead of changing it they give me the key to go change it myself. I said I’m off to lunch, how about you change it. When I return she says they didn’t get around to it, here is the key, you change it. The people in the town are rather friendly but it’s more legit. In many places in SE Asia that are used to tourists, they are very friendly but very fake. Here it’s just people going about their business, as usual and you happen to be there.

China is growing on me but it’s very different then the rest of SE Asia, there is a reason everyone goes there for there 3-4 months. It has beaches, affordable hotels, a plethora of dining and clubbing options AND MORE. On China, there aren’t any “small towns” unless you go to the mountains I’m assuming. Supposedly there are over 100 cities with over a million people. Do the math, if it has a train or bus station it probably has millions of people. I like that aspect as I love large cities, they just aren’t geared for tourism, whatsoever. I have much respect for people who make another life in some random city on the other side of the globe where they don’t speak the language, I tip my hat to them.

I don’t feel like blogging, I have other decisions to make. Considering I typically sit in front of my computer all night playing on wifi and the market, what are the odds that the 2 nights I’m not online, the market gets deballed, along with yours truly? To sell while losing most of your gains or hold on for potentially more carnage!? That is the question, that is the question.  What I do find comical is the night the market gets kicked in the scrotum, I’m in a dorm for the first time in my life, how ironic.

Where to next? Hong Kong, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Amsterdam, Africa!?!?

Any thoughts or just content lurking?

Tips hat,

P.S: We’re watching these Asian air bands, they are quite hilarious and the Danes just asked if I’d like to assist them in a beer tasting experiment, most definitely.

P.P.S: Added 3 blogs today, I blog daily even if I have no internet. If you’re bored at work, you know what to do.

P.P.S: Congrats to “Phil Basstard”. Looking forward to seeing the little lunker.