Homeless in China; or a Night on the Streets

I stood outside on the cold concrete and looked through the glass door of the small, run down hotel. Although i couldn’t tell what they were saying, it didn’t seem promising. After exchanging a few more words, Moon walked back to me, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry. They said You can’t stay here without a Chinese friend. Something about You being foreigner.”

Well darn. It was past midnight and i was fast running out of options. It was starting to look like i might be spending the night on the streets after all.

Today was a Wednesday. It was a day like any other. Except for getting kicked out of my apartment. I suppose that was eventful. I’d been staying there for the past month. It was owned by the school i had worked for up until three days ago when i was told they no longer needed an employee that complained about such trivial things as getting paid and following the contract we’d signed. No, i was too difficult to work with and so now i was getting kicked out.

The superintendent had showed up around 3, a few hours earlier than i had expected, to pick up the key to the apartment and the phone they had provided me. Him being early, i was still in the middle of packing. He tapped his foot impatiently for a bit before deciding that it would take more than 5 minutes until i’d be ready to leave.

"Today, i’m very busy,” he told me, as he turned towards the door. “Just leave key on table. I will pick up later."

I mustered all the warmth i could and thanked him for graciously letting me stay here for as long as he did. He nodded, exited, and i went back to deciding what to bring and what to leave. When You have to carry the entirety of Your belongings, the criteria for what You need and what You don't suddenly becomes a lot stricter. I ditched about a fourth of my belongings, squeezed the rest into my two backpacks, and headed out the door.

Yummy French food.

I’d be playing at Le Loft, a French bar and restaurant, tonight. I’d contacted the owner and booked a gig last week before i knew i’d soon be homeless. After being fired on the spot and told i had only three days to move out, i had texted Pierre, the owner, telling him i couldn’t make it due to my circumstances. Mulling it over though, it struck me that i liked playing music for people and it was foolish to let a bad thing spoil a good one. When i texted him back with my reversed decision, Pierre told me not only to come early and dine with him, his treat, but that i could sleep on his couch if need be. Around 7, carrying everything i owned, i made my way over.

Dinner was some of the fanciest food i’ve ever had; savory roast duck with a rich, creamy soup, all washed down with a lovely dark wine. Pierre and i were joined by two of his friends, an Italian couple, and the four of us passed many hours in pleasant conversation. It wasn’t until nearly 10 that i actually got around to playing. I felt awkward as i picked up my guitar and walked to the corner set up for me. Besides my dining companions and the employees, there was hardly anyone in the building. Additionally, my repertoire of folk songs seemed out of place within such a chic establishment. Still, i got up and sang my heart out. It was brilliant time.

Unlike the situation i was now in.

Pierre had left unnoticed, leaving Moon, the 30-year-old Chinese manager, with money and instructions to find me a hotel to stay in. We wrapped up a bit before midnight then walked 15 minutes to a hotel he said was a decent value. The problem was that they wouldn’t accept me unless i had a Chinese companion with me. We tried a few more with the same results. Now, it was late and i was running out of options. Despite his politeness, i could tell Moon was tired of baby sitting me and wanted to head home to his family and his bed. After another failed attempt, i thought of one last option.

“Tell You what, Moon. If You give me the money Pierre was going to use on getting me a hotel room, i can catch a cab over to Indie Bar and find someone to stay with there.”

Owned by a young Canadian/Chinese couple and frequented by English teachers and foreign university students, Indie Bar is the center of expat social life in Tianjin. Since i had discovered it two weeks ago, i'd made quite a few friends there, many of whom had offered me a place to stay should i ever need it and i figured my current circumstances qualified. It was about 12:30 but things usually didn’t wrap up until 2am or later. It was a gamble but it seemed like my only options.

After giving me the money along with his phone number, Moon went his way. I caught a cab and successfully managed to give the driver the right directions, quite a feat considering how bad my Chinese is even on a good day. After a 10 minute drive, the cabbie pulled up to the alley Indie was down. I thanked him, paid, and stepped into the cold night.Shoot, i thought as i shouldered my massive backpack, this thing weighs a ton. I’m going to need some stricter criteria for what i put in here.

Hands full, i waddled down the alleyway, praying my eyes and ears would catch signs of activity within Indie. But tonight it seems my luck had run dry. As i turned the corner, my hopes went as dark as the empty bar in front of me.

“Damn it!” i swore. Here i was, alone at night. In China. With no place to stay. I’ve been in some tough binds in the past but this might top the list. My mind raced for options. Call a friend? No, i didn’t have a phone. Stay at a hotel? Nope, i'd already tried that. Find some quiet corner to sleep in? Possibly. When i was at my old apartment complex, i’d seen many a nook and cranny that might do. With the skies above threatening rain, the roof wouldn’t do but the stairway might. In the month i stayed there, i hadn’t seen a single person use it for anything but storage (can You say ‘fire hazard’?) 

And there might be one more option. It was a sliver of a chance but just maybe...


I ran back to the road and caught the taxi just as it was pulling away. 

"Xienan Jiao,” i said as i collapsed inside  It was a silent ride with the cabbie stealing the occasion perplexed glances my slumped form. I stared out the window at the lights that passed. Blink. Blink. Blink. Suddenly, i realized the blinking was of that of illuminated floor lights inside of an elevator. Apparently i had paid the taxi and made my way to my old building, although the memory of it alluded me. Then i was standing outside room 1505, my home until today, fingers crossed. Before i booked a room in the stairwell, i would try my one last option. It was a lot to hope for but maybe, just maybe…

Carrying everything i own.

I breathed a prayer, reached out my hand, and tried the doorknob. Unlike that of Le Loft, Indie Bar, and every hotel i’d tried, this door swung open to me, revealing the apartment just as i’d left it. Apparently, the superintendent hadn’t gotten around to picking up the key. I dropped my gear on the couch, stumbled to the bedroom, and collapsed onto my bed. I had no idea what tomorrow would bring or the days and weeks that would follow. I didn’t know where i would stay, what i would do for work, or how i would manage. All i knew was that tonight i had a place to lay my had. As sleep crept over me, it didn’t matter. Not now. 

Tonight, i had a place to lay my head. That was enough.

Pampered in China; or How to Turn a Bad Day Around

“Let me get this straight,” i said, taking the flier from him. “I’ll go in and say i want to buy a house, but i don’t really need to buy one.”

“Yes!” he responded, nodding eagerly as i began to catch on. “They show You houses, but You don’t need buy.”

“Yeah, because You’re handing out fliers so You must get some kickback or reward for getting people interested, right?”

Truthfully, i wasn’t interested in the least. Oddly enough, after being betrayed by a colleague, getting fired from my job, and being told that i had only three days to find a new place to live, all while being in a foreign country where i hardly spoke the language or knew anyone, looking at some dirty apartments for the next few hours didn’t seem very tempting. Even if i wanted to stay in Tianjin - which i wasn’t too sure about - i knew for a fact i couldn’t afford to buy a place.

And yet there was something keeping me from just turning around and starting my hour long commute home. Maybe it was his persistence, or something in his eyes, or maybe it was the way he had asked for help in his broken English. I looked over my shoulder in the direction of home, sighed, and turned back to him.

“You know what? If it will help You out, sure. There’s no reason both of us have to have bad days and it wouldn’t hurt to sow some good karma. Where do we go?"

As he led me through the dusty streets, Jian - that was his name - began to tell me about himself. His English got better the more we spoke and soon we were standing in front of a massive apartment complex that towered over the surrounding buildings. Although it was still under construction, it had an air of wealth and grandeur to it.

Two well dressed doormen, done up in 19th century finery, turned ornate doorknobs on a set of large glass doors and i was led through small atrium and into a much larger main showroom. Looking around at the polished granite floors laid with thick Persian rugs, high ceilings hung with delicate chandeliers, and servers carrying trays full of drinks, French pastries, and fancily carved pieces of fruit, i realized that this would not be the dull afternoon spent looking at seedy apartments that i had feared.

As a young lady in a business suit approached us, Jian leaned in and whispered, “Pretend You don’t know me.”

That made sense. It wouldn’t do him any good if they knew i was only here to do him a favor. No, and it probably wouldn't do to be a broke 21 year old without a job either. Okay, time to get creative. And yes, by ‘creative’ i mean 'blatantly lie about most of my life.' Normally, i try to avoid such things but i was starting to like Jian and couldn’t help but feel it was for a good cause.

Skip forward half an hour and i’m standing on the top floor of a luxury apartment, shaking my head.

Jian and me.

“No, no!” i say emphatically, pacing the floor. “This won’t do. True, the view of the river is exceptional, but there’s only two bedrooms. My kids,” here i motion with my hands, one at my waist, one slightly above, “each need their own. Tom's only three so he doesn’t mind sharing but Megan will be turning six soon.”

Okay, i’m probably overdoing it with the theatric enthusiasm and slight Southern drawl but at his point i’m enjoying my alter ego. Jian, turns and translates my words to the lady standing next to me. Once they had found that not only was i an American, but an American who was a professor at the renowned Tianjin Medical University to boot, the head sales director herself had come to show me the various apartments that were available. Not speaking much English herself, Jian was kept on as a translator.

We tour through a handful more apartments, each more lavish than the last. I sip jasmine tea, eat fancy treats, and give them a good show.

“This is fine!” i say, nodding. "A nice big closet for my wife. That’s what we need. I love her but let me tell You, she has a wardrobe the size of a small thrift store.”

I laugh then look at my watch and give an exaggerated wince. We’ve been at this game for two hours which is long enough, i decide. I wrap things up on the pretense that i have a plane to catch. After snapping a few pictures, the director gives me her business card, and we head downstairs.

Back in the showroom, i’m offered cream truffles and pamphlets about the complex (with all the info in Chinese, of course.) Before i leave, i’m taken to a table laid out with small woven pouches. They hand me one and i open it. Inside is a bracelet with heavy black stones. I’ve seen similar ones worn by a handful of locals. They’re supposed to be good luck.

“Thank You so much,” i  say as i slip it on.

Good luck bracelets for my
nonexistent children.

I give a slight bow and head towards the door, making it about half way before i hear, “Wait!” I turn to see the director rummaging through the pouches on the table. Selecting two smaller ones, she hurries over and hands them to me.

“I get three?”

She motions with her hands, one at her waist, one slightly above.

“Ah,” i say, understanding. “For my children. Thank You. I’m sure they’ll love them.”

As we walked away, it was quite the effort of self control to maintain our composure. When we were finally beyond eyesight, we high-fived and broke out laughing. After praising his good work, Jian’s boss had given him the rest of the day off. Jian insisted on walking me to my subway stop. On the way, he made sure we ran into his girlfriend so he could introduce us. With the sun shining and Spring’s flowers in bloom, it was a good walk there. We spoke of life, of America and China, and just about silly nothingness. As we arrived at my stop, he gave his phone number, thanked me again and told me to call him if i should ever need his help. Then we headed our ways.

As i descended the steps of the subway, i couldn’t help but laugh about the humor, yet also the depth, of the whole situation. When i was young, i heard that if You’re having a bad day, You should try to make someone else’s better and it might just turn Yours around while You’re at it. I guess it’s true. In the middle of being fired and not knowing where i’ll be sleeping in a few days, i’d just had one of the most ridiculous times of my trip so far.

Fired

I was in a foul mood, to be sure, though perhaps not as foul as You'd expect given the circumstances.  Still, as i exited the mall to start my long walk home, i gave the revolving door a kick just to prove how angry (and mature) i was.

Moments ago, i was called into the manager's office at the private kindergarden where i'd been employed for the past three weeks. Things had started off on a good note there, everyone seemed friendly enough, and it looked like i was well on my way to having a good year teaching English in China. And then the school started to do annoying little things. Things like, uh, change my contract.

"Hey, we're not actually going to train You or let You use our teaching resources like we'd said we would. I'm sure You can make it all up."

"Hey, i know we said we'd get You a legit working visa but that was a bit of a hassle so here's a tourist one instead. Don't let any cops find You!"

And of course, "Hey, we're actually going to give You 45 hours of work a week instead of the 25 we'd agreed upon. But don't worry, You won't get paid anything extra!"

Now, i like to pride myself on being a flexible, easy going individual, but finally i hit a point where i had to object to these changes. And apparently, they don't like objectors.

"Today will be Your last day here, Dallas."

Her words hit my ears before my butt even hit the seat of the chair she offered me inside her office.

"We find," she continued slowly, "that You complain too much and are impossible to work with. But," she added, folding her hands and smiling, "the school has generously decided to give You an additional three days before You have to find a new place to live."

I knew things had been growing tense between us but i hadn't seen this coming. On the other hand, the thought of not having to work with them any more was a bit euphoric. Whether this would be good or bad, it did complicate things.

"Um, wow. I'm sorry to hear that," i said, shifting in my seat. "I wish things could have worked out between us." I meant it too. Despite their dishonesty, i was trying to make things work with them. Her "generously" giving me three extra days to stay in the school-owned apartment was preposterous though.

"As for the whole firing me and kicking me out of my housing: what about the clause in the contract that says You have to give me seven days written notice before You can terminate my employment?"

She didn't remember there being such a clause so i pulled out my laptop and showed it to her. Her eyes scanned the document once, twice, and then a third time before she sighed and looked up at me.

"I'm sorry. We just can't work with You. You have three days."

She stood up.

"I'm very busy and have things to get to." She began to leave then, reaching the door, she stopped and turned back to me. "I do hope things work out for You, Dallas." Then she was gone.

Now, outside, i was impatient to get home. If i only had three days left, i would have lots of planning to do. I took hurried steps as i fumed over the situation. I couldn't believe their dishonesty. I couldn't believe their incivility. I couldn't believe...

"You want to buy house?"

My dark thoughts were interrupted by the broken words of a teenage boy, fliers in hand, walking beside me. While i knew for certain that i didn't want to buy a house, what i didn't know was that i was about to have one of my most ridiculous adventures yet.

But that's another story...

~~~

Click here to read about how i ended up being pampered in a luxury condo, got free souvenirs, and more!