Should Be Quick

Guests arriving at 10:00AM to the airport.  They’re flying in from Japan, so they won’t be exhausted.  I am exhausted.  I’ve been pushing indefatigably across a team of colleagues to get a meaningful itinerary together for these guests.  Even as late as the end of last week I wasn’t precisely sure who’d actually, be receiving us.  Somehow, it all came together. I don’t think many of the people around thought it would be possible.  But I suspected we’d manage something substantive. 

One of the guests and I are texting.  She’s landed.  I’m at Starbucks.  “Tell me when you’re through immigration.”  I write.  “Should be quick.  I’ve an APAC card” she replies.  I’ve got my espresso and two lattes for them assuming they’ll want some coffee.  We’ll be heading straight into meetings.  I try to button down some final arrangements for tomorrow’s agenda with this person and that person on Wechat. 

“OK.  We’re through immigration and on the train” she writes.  “OK.  Tell me when you’ve got your luggage.”  Immediately I get a reply: “We just have carry on’s” “Right.  Well  See you soon then.”  And I gather my thing and make my way over to the international receiving line.  First I check the head of the line to make sure they haven’t already left.  A guy asks if I want a cab in English and I resist the temptation to say something snarky in Chinese, though I flip through a number of possible replies, unwittingly. 

“Welcome to China.”  For one of the two it is their first time.  I try to imagine.  He points out that its hazy and suddenly I feel bad about this and it interrupts my train of thought.  He is grateful for the latte but the other person doesn’t drink coffee.  She asks for an energy drink and I assume that is something natural.  “You can have a look in Family Mart” but she comes back empty handed.  Later I realize she means Red Bull, rather than an organic smoothie.  That should be easy enough to find, later in the day. 

Tuesday 6/19/18