Ticket Counters at the Bus Station
Ticket Prices.
L0bby of the Bus Terminal
Our Long Trip Bus...
Our Tickets......
Its a"Don't Spit" Sign
Buses parked, while at Huangshi Rest Stop
Building of the Huanfgshi Rest Stop
Sebastian and Hwee Ping
Sasireika and Khoon Fong
Streets of Anqing
Streets of Anqing
Interior of the Vessel that brings people across the Ynagtze River to the Countryside.
The Engine Room
Chicks in the Backyard of Tom's House
A Well in the Backyard of Tom's House
Tom and his Parent's Home
Tom's Parent's Bedroom
Fishing Nets
Firewood obtained from the Plantations
Radiation Cookers
Their bathroom...
There is no water to clear the toilet. We would have to wash it manually, by using this to scoop up water and wash the area.
A Grape tree on top of Tom's House
Tom fetching water from the well
The Cotton Production Factory owned by his Father.
The Kitchen and the living quarters for staff
Pitchforks-Used to seperate cotton.
Floodlights-Used at Night Time, when there is a lot of orders.
Weighing Machine
Raw Cotton travels through this pipe to the production area nearby.
Conveyer Belt to load the Cotton to be sent for Delivery Purposes
Tom's Cousin.
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Tom's Parent's Plantations
Making Slots for Cotton seeds to be place in them, to allow them to grow.
Sugercane Plants
Our Long Trip Bus...
Our Tickets......
Its a"Don't Spit" Sign
What i find amusing 0f this is that they potray the when someone spits,
the actually referring to the spit as a form of a virus.
Buses parked, while at Huangshi Rest Stop
Building of the Huanfgshi Rest Stop
Sebastian and Hwee Ping
Sasireika and Khoon Fong
Streets of Anqing
Streets of Anqing
Interior of the Vessel that brings people across the Ynagtze River to the Countryside.
The Engine Room
Chicks in the Backyard of Tom's House
A Well in the Backyard of Tom's House
Tom and his Parent's Home
Tom's Parent's Bedroom
Fishing Nets
Firewood obtained from the Plantations
Radiation Cookers
Their bathroom...
Pretty Impressive!
There is no water to clear the toilet. We would have to wash it manually, by using this to scoop up water and wash the area.
A Grape tree on top of Tom's House
Tom fetching water from the well
The Cotton Production Factory owned by his Father.
The Kitchen and the living quarters for staff
The Warehouse
Can you imagine how much Cotton is produced?
Pitchforks-Used to seperate cotton.
Floodlights-Used at Night Time, when there is a lot of orders.
Weighing Machine
Raw Cotton travels through this pipe to the production area nearby.
Conveyer Belt to load the Cotton to be sent for Delivery Purposes
Tom's Cousin.
Looks very much like him though.
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Machines used in the production of Cotton
Tom's Parent's Plantations
Making Slots for Cotton seeds to be place in them, to allow them to grow.
Sugercane Plants
The Primary School that Tom and his Father went to.
The Classroom
A Picture taken along with local Primary Students
A Recycling Point in the Village for Plastic
Tom, His Mother, His 1st Uncle, His Father and the 2nd Uncle
The Classroom
Shh...Lesson in Progress
A Picture taken along with local Primary Students
A Recycling Point in the Village for Plastic
Tom, His Mother, His 1st Uncle, His Father and the 2nd Uncle
(from left to right)
A Group Picture with Tom, his family and the Chefs
This morning, we left for Anqing, Anhui, Tom’s Hometown for our local stay at their countryside village. We left the Hostel at around 8am, after having our breakfast together with the girls (Sasireika, Hwee Ping and Khoon Fong) and Tom.
We headed for the bus stop to bring us all the way to Train Station at the far end of Wuchang. We boarded the bus 907, as it was very empty. After all, since we were carrying much luggage, it was very convenient for us to have a seat to rest our legs as well. Since there was less traffic in the early morning, we were able to get to the bus station within 30 minutes instead of the usual 45 minutes.
At the bus station, we were able to get onboard a bus within 8 minutes. We were considered lucky as usually one would have to wait at least more than an hour to board the bus. We waited for the bus to arrive. Meanwhile, many locals were looking at us in awe. I guess, it was uncommon to see many foreigners travel by bus, as they would usually travel by flight instead.
We boarded the bus, and headed for a 5 Hour Journey to Anqing in Anhui Province. As it was free seating, we sat together so as to ensure that we are always safe. I couldn’t place my bag above the seats as it was too big. Thus, I had to place them along the walkway instead. It was not much of a problem as we were in the seats at the back of the bus.
As many of us were tried and exhausted for staying up late all night, completing assignments as well as preparing for the interview, we decided to sleep it off through the entire journey. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sleep long. After 2 Hours, we awoke again to find ourselves on the expressway. We kept ourselves occupied by listening to our MP4 or by reading books.
At around 12.30pm, we stopped at the Rest Stop along the highway, for a 20 minute break for lunch. We went to the washroom to freshen ourselves up. We decided not to buy lunch, as the food was costly in the restaurant in the Rest Stop. Furthermore, according to Tom, they didn’t taste well either. We came prepared with snacks that we can eat during the trip. As I forgot to bring a water bottle, I had to buy a drink instead.
We continued with our journey to Anqing. On the way, we slowed down as there many road works on the expressway, and we had to go onto the opposite lane. We lost some time, travelling through this section of the expressway. To make matters worse, there were several guys at the back of the bus, whom were smoking in the bus, when it was not even allowed. We couldn’t do much as the bus driver was driving and he couldn’t stop them as well, as it would delay the time. We decided to move up in to the empty seats in front, to avoid breathing in the smoke from the cigarettes. Meanwhile, I chatted with Tom about Anhui and Anqing as well. He gave me a lot of insight of Anhui as a whole.
As we were behind schedule, the bus driver drove in a rush, weaving in and out of lanes and even going against traffic one in a while as well. He was driving pretty well and was in control, but I still felt insecure.
Upon arrival at the Anhui Bus Station, we had to rush once more to board the vessel bringing us to the Anqing Countryside, which was opposite the Bus Station, divided by the Yangtze River. We took 2 Cabs and went over to the Ferry Terminal in time, to board the 4pm Vessel. If we were late, we had to wait for another 30 minutes for the next vessel. Good Timing indeed!
Upon arrival in the countryside, we boarded the local bus, and headed for a 10 minute ride to Tom’s House. In the bus ride, we had to squeeze in the bus as it was very packed.
When we arrived at Tom’s residence, we were warmly welcomed by his mom. She welcomed us in graciously, and they had already prepared the tea as well as oranges and apples for us to snack on as well. They were waiting since around 4pm for us. That was certainly very nice of them. We placed our bags in Tom’s room, before heading out to explore the area around Tom’s House.
Firstly, we explored Tom’s residence. He showed us his room, his parent’s room and the rooftop as well. Although his room was small, it was very homely indeed. He and his brother shared one room. This actually reminds me of my room in Singapore as well, as I share the room with my elder brother as well. Apparently his brother was away and would only return on Saturday afternoon. His parent’s room was very cozy indeed. We then explored the backyard, which had a well, a chicken farm, the bathroom and the kitchen as well. As I have been to India before, I have seen how wells have been constructed, but usually the water taken is not very clean, especially village areas. However, their water was almost crystal clear. We were also taken aback when we saw his kitchen and his bathroom. His kitchen had radiation cookers, washing machines and other electronic appliance along with traditional tools as well. His bathroom was certainly of a 5 Star Standard, or very close to it. It was way much better than our Hostel Toilet. It was tiled very beautifully, and it came with a shower as well. The toilet was located at the back of the new shower; they still kept the traditional toilet in the back of the courtyard. There is even a grape tree above their house. In spring, grapes usually are produced. Wow!
After that, we headed out to see his Father’s Cotton Factory and Cotton Plantations. We were amazed of the simplicity of his factory design and layout, yet it was company which was exporting cotton out for commercial use. They had a total of 5 Warehouses in the factory, and 1 Production Plant. We were told by Tom’s Father on how the Cotton is obtained from the plantations, prepared and compressed so as to be sent out for sale. We were certainly impressed with work they had done. We were also introduced to most of his family members who lived along the street. They were certainly very warm and friendly. We headed for the plantation to see their family’s cotton plantation. Tom mentioned that they were very small, but it took the size of at least 4-5 Football Fields. We even tried making pots for the Cotton Seed ourselves, but they didn’t come too perfect. Although, the cotton season was over, the entire plantation was covered in other crops such as wheat, long beans and many more. We combed the entire perimeter of the plantation.
When we came out, we headed to the School (Primary) that Tom and his Father studied at. We were allowed to visit the classes of the School and even met with the Principal as well. We also wanted to know how it was like studying in the class as well. After that, we headed for Dinner at the nearby motel, which was also the accommodation for Sebastian, Tom and Me. The girls were to stay in the house due to safety reasons.
When we went for Dinner, we were certainly treated to a king’s spread. They made all the necessary preparations that our accommodation and stay in their area was alright. They even made necessary adjustments for the food as well, by reducing the amount of pork and beef. Tom’s Father even treated us to beer as well. Initially, I was hesitant that the beer would be too strong for me to handle. However, I decided to take it as it would be impolite if I were to refuse his kind gesture. We were joined at Dinner, by his Tom’s Parent’s and Tom’s Father’s Brothers. We ate till we couldn’t eat any more. Tom’s Mother even gave me the Chicken Soup with the Head as well. I tried my best to eat as much as I could as it wouldn’t be nice, if we were to leave our food unattended. They toasted several times as well. This meant that they ended up refilling my glass with beer as well. I am not the drinking type, so I decided to switch to tea or soft drinks instead. At the end of the meal, we thanked them for the meal and we had pictures taken with the Chefs as well as Tom’s family as well.
After our meal, we headed back to Tom’s House, where the girls showered while we were talking to Tom and his Parent’s about the next day’s arrangements as well. Once the girls had showered and were settled in their rooms, the 3 guys headed to the motel to rest for the night. After all, it had been a long day, and the next day, we were to go exploring Anqing.
What We Think
This is my 1st time staying in a local’s student’s house in a different province, in China. Although, we initially had a lot of trouble in getting the trip to be finalized due to safety concerns as well as concerns of travelling to another province, we managed to pull though a lot of obstacle to come this far. Many of our friends would be probably be shopping in Hankou, or other areas in Wuhan itself, but this experience is truly priceless. Immersing ourselves in the Countryside, Understanding the Process of a Cotton Plant, visiting the Cotton Plantations and local Schools is a memory that can never be erased.
When we first entered the Countryside, we were treated with a great deal of warmth. We were given refreshments, showed around the area, and given a delicious meal. All our accommodation as well as our meals was taken covered off. All these arrangements were undertaken by Tom’s Parents, showing the amount of time and dedication taken in ensuring that our stay here was well taken cared off. They really treated us very well indeed. We really appreciate their work. We only wished if we could do more to return for what they have done for us.
A Group Picture with Tom, his family and the Chefs
What We Did
This morning, we left for Anqing, Anhui, Tom’s Hometown for our local stay at their countryside village. We left the Hostel at around 8am, after having our breakfast together with the girls (Sasireika, Hwee Ping and Khoon Fong) and Tom.
We headed for the bus stop to bring us all the way to Train Station at the far end of Wuchang. We boarded the bus 907, as it was very empty. After all, since we were carrying much luggage, it was very convenient for us to have a seat to rest our legs as well. Since there was less traffic in the early morning, we were able to get to the bus station within 30 minutes instead of the usual 45 minutes.
At the bus station, we were able to get onboard a bus within 8 minutes. We were considered lucky as usually one would have to wait at least more than an hour to board the bus. We waited for the bus to arrive. Meanwhile, many locals were looking at us in awe. I guess, it was uncommon to see many foreigners travel by bus, as they would usually travel by flight instead.
We boarded the bus, and headed for a 5 Hour Journey to Anqing in Anhui Province. As it was free seating, we sat together so as to ensure that we are always safe. I couldn’t place my bag above the seats as it was too big. Thus, I had to place them along the walkway instead. It was not much of a problem as we were in the seats at the back of the bus.
As many of us were tried and exhausted for staying up late all night, completing assignments as well as preparing for the interview, we decided to sleep it off through the entire journey. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sleep long. After 2 Hours, we awoke again to find ourselves on the expressway. We kept ourselves occupied by listening to our MP4 or by reading books.
At around 12.30pm, we stopped at the Rest Stop along the highway, for a 20 minute break for lunch. We went to the washroom to freshen ourselves up. We decided not to buy lunch, as the food was costly in the restaurant in the Rest Stop. Furthermore, according to Tom, they didn’t taste well either. We came prepared with snacks that we can eat during the trip. As I forgot to bring a water bottle, I had to buy a drink instead.
We continued with our journey to Anqing. On the way, we slowed down as there many road works on the expressway, and we had to go onto the opposite lane. We lost some time, travelling through this section of the expressway. To make matters worse, there were several guys at the back of the bus, whom were smoking in the bus, when it was not even allowed. We couldn’t do much as the bus driver was driving and he couldn’t stop them as well, as it would delay the time. We decided to move up in to the empty seats in front, to avoid breathing in the smoke from the cigarettes. Meanwhile, I chatted with Tom about Anhui and Anqing as well. He gave me a lot of insight of Anhui as a whole.
As we were behind schedule, the bus driver drove in a rush, weaving in and out of lanes and even going against traffic one in a while as well. He was driving pretty well and was in control, but I still felt insecure.
Upon arrival at the Anhui Bus Station, we had to rush once more to board the vessel bringing us to the Anqing Countryside, which was opposite the Bus Station, divided by the Yangtze River. We took 2 Cabs and went over to the Ferry Terminal in time, to board the 4pm Vessel. If we were late, we had to wait for another 30 minutes for the next vessel. Good Timing indeed!
Upon arrival in the countryside, we boarded the local bus, and headed for a 10 minute ride to Tom’s House. In the bus ride, we had to squeeze in the bus as it was very packed.
When we arrived at Tom’s residence, we were warmly welcomed by his mom. She welcomed us in graciously, and they had already prepared the tea as well as oranges and apples for us to snack on as well. They were waiting since around 4pm for us. That was certainly very nice of them. We placed our bags in Tom’s room, before heading out to explore the area around Tom’s House.
Firstly, we explored Tom’s residence. He showed us his room, his parent’s room and the rooftop as well. Although his room was small, it was very homely indeed. He and his brother shared one room. This actually reminds me of my room in Singapore as well, as I share the room with my elder brother as well. Apparently his brother was away and would only return on Saturday afternoon. His parent’s room was very cozy indeed. We then explored the backyard, which had a well, a chicken farm, the bathroom and the kitchen as well. As I have been to India before, I have seen how wells have been constructed, but usually the water taken is not very clean, especially village areas. However, their water was almost crystal clear. We were also taken aback when we saw his kitchen and his bathroom. His kitchen had radiation cookers, washing machines and other electronic appliance along with traditional tools as well. His bathroom was certainly of a 5 Star Standard, or very close to it. It was way much better than our Hostel Toilet. It was tiled very beautifully, and it came with a shower as well. The toilet was located at the back of the new shower; they still kept the traditional toilet in the back of the courtyard. There is even a grape tree above their house. In spring, grapes usually are produced. Wow!
After that, we headed out to see his Father’s Cotton Factory and Cotton Plantations. We were amazed of the simplicity of his factory design and layout, yet it was company which was exporting cotton out for commercial use. They had a total of 5 Warehouses in the factory, and 1 Production Plant. We were told by Tom’s Father on how the Cotton is obtained from the plantations, prepared and compressed so as to be sent out for sale. We were certainly impressed with work they had done. We were also introduced to most of his family members who lived along the street. They were certainly very warm and friendly. We headed for the plantation to see their family’s cotton plantation. Tom mentioned that they were very small, but it took the size of at least 4-5 Football Fields. We even tried making pots for the Cotton Seed ourselves, but they didn’t come too perfect. Although, the cotton season was over, the entire plantation was covered in other crops such as wheat, long beans and many more. We combed the entire perimeter of the plantation.
When we came out, we headed to the School (Primary) that Tom and his Father studied at. We were allowed to visit the classes of the School and even met with the Principal as well. We also wanted to know how it was like studying in the class as well. After that, we headed for Dinner at the nearby motel, which was also the accommodation for Sebastian, Tom and Me. The girls were to stay in the house due to safety reasons.
When we went for Dinner, we were certainly treated to a king’s spread. They made all the necessary preparations that our accommodation and stay in their area was alright. They even made necessary adjustments for the food as well, by reducing the amount of pork and beef. Tom’s Father even treated us to beer as well. Initially, I was hesitant that the beer would be too strong for me to handle. However, I decided to take it as it would be impolite if I were to refuse his kind gesture. We were joined at Dinner, by his Tom’s Parent’s and Tom’s Father’s Brothers. We ate till we couldn’t eat any more. Tom’s Mother even gave me the Chicken Soup with the Head as well. I tried my best to eat as much as I could as it wouldn’t be nice, if we were to leave our food unattended. They toasted several times as well. This meant that they ended up refilling my glass with beer as well. I am not the drinking type, so I decided to switch to tea or soft drinks instead. At the end of the meal, we thanked them for the meal and we had pictures taken with the Chefs as well as Tom’s family as well.
After our meal, we headed back to Tom’s House, where the girls showered while we were talking to Tom and his Parent’s about the next day’s arrangements as well. Once the girls had showered and were settled in their rooms, the 3 guys headed to the motel to rest for the night. After all, it had been a long day, and the next day, we were to go exploring Anqing.
What We Think
This is my 1st time staying in a local’s student’s house in a different province, in China. Although, we initially had a lot of trouble in getting the trip to be finalized due to safety concerns as well as concerns of travelling to another province, we managed to pull though a lot of obstacle to come this far. Many of our friends would be probably be shopping in Hankou, or other areas in Wuhan itself, but this experience is truly priceless. Immersing ourselves in the Countryside, Understanding the Process of a Cotton Plant, visiting the Cotton Plantations and local Schools is a memory that can never be erased.
When we first entered the Countryside, we were treated with a great deal of warmth. We were given refreshments, showed around the area, and given a delicious meal. All our accommodation as well as our meals was taken covered off. All these arrangements were undertaken by Tom’s Parents, showing the amount of time and dedication taken in ensuring that our stay here was well taken cared off. They really treated us very well indeed. We really appreciate their work. We only wished if we could do more to return for what they have done for us.
