Train Chaos

“One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.” — Edith Wharton

My first few months in China I had so many frustrating, confusing and stressful train experiences.  And after my first few stressful weeks in Xiao Shan I was dreading the train trip to Suzhou. 
The night before I left on my journey to Suzhou I started asking my Chinese friend, Rachel, a bunch of questions about the Xiao Shan train station, I was determined not to have another catastrophic train experience like so many that I've had in China.  
After the first few inquiries she said to me, "What time are you going?"
Me: 11am
Rachel: Ok, ok I will go with you and wait with you until you leave on the train.
Me: Really?! Are you sure? You have to work tomorrow, don't you?
Rachel: No am the boss I am very free.

So the next morning we went for a nice breakfast and then went to the station.  When we arrived there were a ton of people outside the station, funneling into a small entrance, manned by a couple of guards.  The people outside were pushing and shouting.  They were obviously stressed that the line was moving too slow and that they might miss their train.  
"They are expressing their emotions," said Rachel.
Me- "I can hear that. They don't sound very happy."
 
Rachel looked at crowd, shook her head and started pushing to the front. She started gesturing to me and my suitcase and obviously saying in Chinese, "Let me go through. My friend is foreign and she'll miss her train!" The amazing thing was that people would stop shouting, look at me, and move over to let me pass.  She got up to the gate and did the same thing to the guard and he just smiled at me and let me though ahead of everyone.  I shuffled through, thankful and a little embarrassed and once inside Rachel showed me how to find my train and to tell when it's boarding.  The Xiaoshan is a chaos of crazy, with people packed in two small rooms.  Most of it you can deal with ok...until you see a baby peeing on the floor.  
As soon as people started shuffling through the boarding gate to get on the train Rachel said, "I will see if the guard will let go with you to find your seat." She walked right over to the guard and started telling him,  "Let me go through and help her, she is foreign and she doesn't know what to do."  
He just looked at her and didn't respond, I'm sure because he didn't want to say yes or no, so she walked right by with me in tow.  She proceeded to climb onto the train with me, convince some man to help me with me my bag and then she gave me a quick hug and turned to jump off.  She ran to the automatic door and just as she was about to step out, it slid closed locking her into the train!
It happened so fast all she had time to do was say NOOOOO into the glass as the train pulled away from the station! So there she was stuck on the train to Suzhou! 

I felt horrible! Rachel had to stay on the train and get off at the next city (30 min. away) then wait for another train back! I felt like such a stupid jerk for allowing her to get into this situation because she was helping me! Though I must say I was pretty impressed with how quickly she recovered and laughed about it. Something like that would've ruined my day, but Rachel just smiled and started texting her office and telling them she'd be late. Very late.
Then she made me sit down in my seat while she pulled out her tablet and balanced it on the back of my chair while she stood in the aisle and worked.
Before she got off at the next stop I offered to pay for her train home but she mumbled some half truth about not having to pay, wished me a good trip and left.         
She was so good to me and after some seriously stressful experiences in China, her kindness meant so much to me.  In truth, coming to China has renewed my faith in how really awesome people can be.  Since I've been here I meant some crazies but there's been more people, Chinese and foreign alike, that have shown me real kindness.  Living abroad is more challenging then I ever thought, and I'm thankful for all of my good friends and acquaintances.
Once when Jesse was helping me at the bank and I was thanking her profusely she said, "It's ok. Anytime you need help you can ask me.  I can imagine how hard it is to come to a new country. And I think at home you probably help people too."
Me- "I especially will now, because I know how impossible it is to survive on your own without friends. When I go home I feel like I want to walk around with a sign on that says, 'Who needs help?"  
I'm in a strange phase of my life where I have to rely a lot on others, but I'm learning a lot too about how important each of us are in the lives of others.