There I was, starting my travel to china in a swiss snowstorm, where I wasn’t sure if I would reach the airport in Zurich alive. Lucky me I did! The plane took off with one hour delay because of all the snow on the wings they had to put off first. But off we go and started with dinner at local swiss time one o clock in the morning, which made no sense at all, because it was neither dinner time in Switzerland nor in Hong Kong where we were flying towards. But I guess the Swiss Airline always serves dinner before they took out the light and the passengers can go to sleep, because this is what you do, before going to bed, eating something!
I didn’t think that I could sleep, because I never can, neither in airplanes nor in cars or trains. But I could, at least sleep some hours, waking up from time to time. The flight was a bit turbulent, we all got shaken nearly the whole night, which could explain why I felt so dizzy after landing all evening. After waking up in the plane the next food was breakfast, I mean, what else should you eat after sleeping? Therefore I got two perfectly meals all lactose free with some also celiac diet bred, which was so dry I couldn’t eat it and two cakes I set aside for later. The warm part of the meal was yummy, but altogether I didn’t eat much.
Next to me sat a young swiss man, who studies in Hong Kong and we talked a little. He gave me some hints how to get the train at the airport and said that it was all very easy at Hong Kong. And true he was! I get my baggage fast and the way to the airport express was just natural. I hadn’t got a plan how to get a ticket and the train just arrived, so I asked a man just waiting next to me, where to get one. He said that the queue is just too long and that I can still buy one when arriving and so I mounted the train. After arriving on Hong Kong island the last shuttle bus of my hotel has already left, therefore I took a cab. The cab looked very old, the trunk and seats very used. The driver didn’t speak at all with me, but read the address on my note and brought me to the hotel very fast and very cheap. 
The hotel was a recommendation of a friend and as good as she told me, a nice (for Hong Kong even big) room with enough space and at a good price: The Bishop Lei. I was on the top floor, 23th, because of the great view, but the elevator also takes longer.

That’s the point where I started to feel really dizzy. I thought this was because I didn’t sleep and eat so much and completely forgot the all night shaking flight. So I went downstairs and even more down to the city Hong Kong to find a place to eat. Hong Kong made a real good impression to me, very modern, very international. Of course I could see more Chinese faces than in Switzerland, but I saw also many european faces as well and heard many people speak English and even at one corner swiss german! The restaurants also were very international, Pizza, Steak House and I wanted to eat Chinese food! I found a little and nice Chinese restaurant where the waiters were very kind. I didn’t feel all so hungry but more and more dizzy and decided to order just some vegetables and noodles. But I got a big plate of noodle side dish, which seemed to be for 2 or more people like the waiter told me later. I couldn’t manage to eat this all! But the friendly water just gave me a food bag with the rest of it for take away and I already had some breakfast. 
Sitting all alone in the restaurant (which I don’t like much, that’s why I don’t like to go out alone), I felt like sitting on a wave and suddenly remembered the troubles of the flight in the night. It’s like getting of a boat back to the ground and I got sort of sick.
I wasn’t far away from the hotel, for I could find it again (my sense of direction actually sucks!), just following the escalators and taking them back up again. After that little walk I returned to the hotel and tried to sleep, which wasn’t so easy with that dizzy feeling and my inner clock all turned upside down after the seven hour time shift. The room was very cold but I had a thick blanket and a cosy bed.
I slept longer than I thought after waking up several times during the night and watching my handy if there is any news from home. I eat my noodles, took a shower and packed my bags to get the shuttle bus of the hotel this time. A very nice service bus which took me safely back to the central station where I felt a bit lost the first time. But it wasn’t a problem at all, I found the metro and had my printed plan which line to take. I had no idea how to pay for the ticket again, but again it was very convenient, there was a ticket vending machine where you could just tap on the station you want to go and pay the price. I had to change lines several times, but it all was very easy and last I took the east rail line to the futian checkpoint where I should cross the border to China. I had to wait about an hour at the immigration queues. First you have to pass the queue to leave Hong Kong and then another one to enter China, where I had to fill out another form. The police people don’t really talk to you, just look at you and your passport and your data, that’s all, but my validation took a bit longer and I’m sure that I was the only european face in the whole queue. But lots of Chinese with diapers bought in Hong Kong were in front of me. I cannot imagine diapers being cheaper in Hong Kong, for the prices and the shops seemed very common for me. All the big names I’ve seen in Hong Kong, also a Porsche Design Store (and other very expensive labels). But maybe the diapers are better for the children? I have no idea!
But they let me in and there I was in China and yes it looked different from the very first sight than Hong Kong. Until now all seemed so easy to me! I was afraid how to find my way to the hotel after my landing and how to find my way to Shenzhen the next day, but it was really very easy, easier than I thought! 
Getting a ticket for the metro in Shenzhen was a bit harder, but nevertheless easy enough. I queued up but recognized watching the people in front of me, that my smallest banknote was 50 yuan which was far too big for the ticket which costs about 2 yuan. So I went to the ticket counter and got some change and a ticket afterwards. There were just one change of line and a few stops of the subway left. 
I should meet my contact person of the school at the Gangxia station exit B, but I was nearly one hour early, so I stood around and observed the people. The corner wasn’t very nice, a building lot and some begging people around the corner. My contact person, a very young woman arrived on time and lead me to my new home. 
Until now it was all so easy, really, but it couldn’t just continue that way, couldn’t it? No, of course not … I will tell you about my start in Shenzhen in the next post.
I hope you forgive me if my china posts are not well layouted. But I cannot preview them for my page is blocked. The wordpress app is not, phew! But I can’t access neither facebook, twitter or google from here now so please leave your comments on the blog for I can’t see it when you comment on twitter or facebook!