I went to the Internet and using address http://www.wuhanbus.com/, - you should try the address and see what I had to work with - I found where to enter a bus number and obtain its route laid out in a table in Chinese. I knew that the 542, which goes by where I live, goes across the bridge and in the direction of where I think I will find the 704, which goes to their bus stop. I printed the table for both the 542 and the 704 and began my search for common Chinese names. I came up with 机场词. For me the name was just hen scratches and meant nothing. How was I going to use those little marks to know where to get off the 542 and onto the 704?
Jiajing's parents were really concerned over me trying to do this alone, but I told them not to fear. I figured that if I could go all the way to Tajikistan and back alone, I could make it to their home without getting hopelessly lost. I enlarged the above Chinese characters, of the bus stop where I had to make the transfer, onto a piece of paper to use to get help from passengers on the 542. I knew about where I should get off and when I got close to that point I got my Chinese bus stop name out and pointed to it and tried to get a passenger tell me where the place was. A young person standing very close to me figured out what was going on and indicated by pointing and using five fingers that it was five stops away. At the next stop I put up one finger for stop one and she shook her head yes. At the next stop I showed two fingers and by now she and half the bus was getting into this. It was something to occupy their time. At stop three she got off and showed two fingers to indicate two more stops. After she got off another person took over and told the bus driver to dump this guy at stop so and so. He nodded and at my stop I was off.
I must have just missed the 704 because I waited about fifteen minutes before one came by. I got on and now was the problem of knowing where to get off. When I thought I was getting somewhat close I hesitantly took a note out of my pocket, which Jiajing's mom wrote as instructions to some passenger to help this poor westerner who didn't know where to get off the bus. I showed it to a passenger, who read it and started to smile. She hollers to the person across the aisle for information. In a few seconds the whole bus knew this western dude needed to get off somewhere and needed help. The lady behind me realized she was getting off at the stop where I was to get off and was able through grunts and hand signs tell me she would get me off. Just before the stop she gets up and grabs me and drags me off the bus. Now she was really worried about where I was going next. I calmed her fears by digging my cell phone out of my pocket and pointing to it. She was satisfied and left. I called the family I was to visit and was told to stay put that someone would come to walk me to their place. In a short while one of the middle aged girls and her brother came to get me. The little boy grabs my hand and off we went. - The picture below shows the same two who came for me.
When you are willing to be vulnerable and allow people to have fun with you, everyone can have a good time and you can make a good impression on them. I believe I lightened the day for several people. At least there were smiles and friendly gestures.
