Departure, arrival, quarantine

Three days before departure, I went to Frankfurt to carry out the necessary tests, two PCR tests, a serum test, plus the usual procedure in advance: plan everything precisely, calculate to the nearest hour, observe time windows, book, confirm, codes save, memorize directions, etc. You always ask yourself whether you have entered everything correctly, whether the results are OK, you are always nervous, especially if no result has been sent after ten hours, etc. When everything is finally available, the tests, the visa, the vaccination certificate will be uploaded to a link from the Chinese consulate in Frankfurt - wait again, At some point there will be a green QR code without which you would not even get on board. The flight was great, calm, didn't seem long to me, even though it took 11.5 hours. Maybe I slept through some of it. The plane was full of people from VW, Audi and BMW, from time to time a foreign journalist, etc. It was a nice community and we all helped each other out with filling out the next forms.

At the airport in Qingdao, I felt like I was on Mars. I already read about the fact that all employees there are completely wrapped up and you can only see their faces. It was ghostly. The airport was deserted and since only ten people were let off the plane at a time, it was even emptier. Sometimes I walked through the endless corridors and halls completely alone, saw the empty airport field outside - apocalyptic mood. Then at some point the employees showed up in their suits - it really looked like after a nuclear war. But everything was perfectly organized and still pleasant. The Chinese are friendly and helpful, you don't get very far with English, but your hands and feet do the same, every now and then a friendly nod and laugh, a small correction on the forms and the situation is relaxed. Despite the circumstances, I found entering China much more pleasant than entering the USA. There was no arrogance, but rather something that I felt like hospitality and an interest in handling the formalities together. It is interesting to only see the other person's eyes. That leaves a lot of scope for interpretation of what kind of person is behind it. Some eyes had something sensitive or vulnerable, others were focused and serious about the screens. Strangely enough, a lot of the person came across.

At some point we sat on the bus and we drove to the hotel, it took a long time because the airport is far outside. That was where the next nervousness came: Will paying with my credit card work? In China you pay with Alipay or Wechat, but you need a Chinese account, which I don't have yet. It worked. I was finally in the room. Well! Balcony, view of the beach and the Yellow Sea and a kind of mall consisting of Europeanized buildings. I will stay here for a fortnight and will not come out once. The food is placed on a table in front of the door, you stay in contact with the hotel via Wechat, everything runs smoothly. The room is spacious, so I can do sports, the ceilings are high enough for jumping rope. It was recommended to bring a skipping rope and a sleeping mat. The jump rope, in particular, is an excellent tip; does not take up any space in the suitcase and enables really effective movement. The western internet works perfectly and the data transfer is not delayed, you don't even need an understanding of technology. Everything is available: liters of mineral water, cleaning agent, kettle, Nescafé, tea, welcome gifts, cakes, Bahlsen biscuits, puzzles against boredom, a postcard set with motifs from Qingdao and of course a few cans of beer from Qingdao, the beer city of China. In short: it went really well.