In the morning, I woke up, found some food, and met a few more people at the hostel. I spent time talking with two people working there: Athena and Sherry, who was volunteering during a break from university in Hong Kong. Both were kind and enjoyable company. Athena spoke excellent English after studying it at university, while Sherry was volunteering partly to improve hers.

I was waiting for a call from a work colleague in Shenzhen. We had spoken about business by phone but had never met in person. At about 2:00, we made contact and arranged to meet for coffee half an hour later. I chatted with Sherry and Athena until it was time to leave, then took a taxi to the cafe.

I enjoyed finally meeting my colleague and putting a face to the voice. I am sure we both had different mental pictures of each other: he was not quite as I had imagined, and I had not shaved in about 12 days. After coffee, he took me to IBM’s offices to show me where he worked. Several leading universities were directly across the street. I walked around the Shenzhen Hi-Tech District for a while, then caught a taxi back to the hostel. After a short nap and more food, I tried unsuccessfully to call home. Internet connections outside China were also unreliable, which was frustrating. I assumed that an “upgrade” was underway somewhere in the Great Firewall.

Later that evening, Sherry and Athena invited me to Happy Wonderland, a large theme park. I do not particularly enjoy amusement parks, but this seemed like a worthwhile cultural experience, so I agreed and took a taxi there. I ate a piece of chicken on the way, a decision I soon regretted. Our first ride involved a large spinning wheel. Rides had never frightened me because they felt controlled, but throughout this one I felt distinctly unwell. The chicken had clearly been a mistake. After the ride, I walked around and watched a performance depicting the Japanese invasion of China. It offered little historical context, but I noticed that much of the audience laughed throughout. Given the history and suffering behind the subject, I found it difficult to treat lightly.

Afterwards, I briefly visited a concert hall and listened to some musicians whom others around me were critiquing rather harshly. I eventually decided to walk back to the hostel, a journey of about an hour that suited me well. I tried again to call home without success, but managed to borrow a phone and send a text message. When I did not receive a reply, I became a little worried.

Before bed, a new roommate arrived. He was from Hong Kong and had originally lived in Beijing. We chatted for a few minutes before I turned off the light and the three of us went to sleep.