Christine Jalleh

Original article in The Star’s “Travel and Adventure” column (28 March 2009).

Wuyishan is south-east China’s most scenic wonder.

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

This quote by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu perfectly sums up a recent trip of mine to Mt Wuyi or Wuyishan in Fujian province.

Visitors scaling Mt Wuyi.

Travelling by train, van and boat together with my husband’s Chinese colleagues, we had such an unforgettable adventure.

Departing from Xiamen, we took the late evening train and arrived in Wuyishan on the south-eastern coast of China the next morning. At the train station, I was struck by the sheer number of travellers (multiply the crowd at KL Sentral by five) and how comfortable the Chinese were eating, drinking, sleeping, squatting or breastfeeding there.

Our motley crew of a grandmother, two men, four women, two young children and a toddler were unprepared for the crowds and the jostling. About two hundred of us were caught in a small corridor when incoming passengers pushed their way (or us) through.

Packed like sardines for 15 minutes, with sweat streaming down our faces and people shouting all around, we felt like singing Born Free when we burst into the open space of the waiting area!

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Do you speak languages or dialects other than English? If yes, use your mother tongue whenever you can with your child.

Because language is the key to open the doors of success in our globalized world, knowing more than one language means that you have a special access card!

Growing up with an English-speaking father and a Chinese-speaking mother, my siblings and I were bilingual from the start. We’d chat with our father in English and automatically switched to Hokkien when we turned to our mother.

Since we lived a few years with my Cantonese-speaking cousins in my grandmother’s house, we picked up a second dialect. Needless to say, I have no problem getting around places like Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong or Shen Zhen.

Furthermore, I’ve found Cantonese incredibly useful in my current adventure of learning Mandarin Chinese (or Putonghua) due to some similarities in tones and word forms…

When I took up German as a foreign language in the university, Bahasa Malaysia helped a lot as both languages are straightforward and pronounced as they appear – unlike English, which can be quite confusing sometimes with its silent “h”, “b”, “p” or other variations in pronunciation.

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Voted the world’s best airport seven times in a row, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)’s clear communications, well-designed layout and thoughtful facilities make it one of my favourite stopovers.

For starters, the minute you get off the aeroplane in Terminal 1, clear signs

- in English and Chinese;
- with internationally-recognized symbols;
- in large, bold lettering visible from far and
- elevated high above the crowds of travellers

direct you towards the baggage or transit areas.

Don’t worry about getting lost in HKIA – it’s impossible!

HKIA’s website, one of the most user-friendly sites I’ve ever found, has an interactive map for travellers that enables you to find exactly WHAT you want and WHERE you want to go.

WELL LAID PLANS
As you head for the immigration hall or exit, trolleys, travellators, rubbish bins, seats, washrooms and hot/cold water facilities are found every few meters – perfect for the jet-lagged, the elderly, the sickly or the harried parent with children.

Other than a tipsy traveller who helped himself to his Scotch in a sealed plastic bag, tripped over his own shoes and fell on to a rubbish bin or the infamous lady from Hong Kong who threw a tantrum, immigration processing is generally smooth and speedy!

After immigration, you can choose to immerse yourself in the rows and rows of branded goods (Burberry, Bvlgari, Coach, Gucci, Disneyland, Godiva, Hermes, Kiehl’s, Prada, Tiffany & Co.) or duty-free shopping (c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e-s, Aji Ichiban, Muji to Go) outlets OR head towards the lonnngggggg row of departure gates.

Either way, you’re well taken care of. I glided through the Coach outlet and checked out Kiehl’s counter before safely immersing myself in the selection of English books at Newslink.

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