daisy

Saved by the Ball 
27 May 2010, 2:00am

I thought i could walk to the crazy Guangzhou Hyatt when i got off the airport bus. But it turned out it is just, you know, huh, I THOUGHT

Guangzhou currently is a big messy construction locale because of the coming Asia Game. The Hyatt in Guangzhou is middle of nowhere, or middle of all the construction. Walking to it from 100 meters away in 10 minutes is an impossible mission. Yesterday, I walked all the way round and round, only found several roads that were blocked for the construction, also blocked my way to the hotel. The dark night was coming, i was still in the middle of the big mess. Fortunately, we have a thing called taxi which will take you to anywhere if you speak out, well, most of the time.

The other thing about Guangzhou Hyatt is no taxi drivers really know where it is or what it is? Shangri-la? no,no,no, Hyatt. Are your sure it's not Shangri-la? Yes, I am sure i want to go to the Hyatt. Really?……

They don't even know the street where the Hyatt is.

So, when I jumped into another cab going to see my colleague and have dinner together. I looked around all the other buildings around Hyatt, trying to find some other buildings near Hyatt but may be easy to recognize for the taxi drivers.

• Please take me to Hyatt. I told the taxi driver who needs to drive me back to the hotel, after dinner.
• What? Where?
• Hyatt, at Zhujiangxilu (West Zhujiang Road)
• Never heard…..
• All right, please drive me to Guangzhou Women and Children Health Center. The hotel is near there.
• (Silence…)
• Do you want see my map, i have a (google printed) map……
• No, no, no, i know where it is
• yeah? you know? the building has a big blue flashing ball in front. (i want to make sure there is no second GWCHC, haha)
• Yes! That big ball!!

When we finally saw the big blue ball, i knew the direction to the hotel

So the driver at the end, turned to me and said: "Just say the big blue ball, then everybody knows".

Here we go! Thanks, big blue ball!