An Open Letter to the Couple That Went Above and Beyond

There I was… in the pitch dark, terrified for my life, when out of nowhere a pack of dogs chased me down and—

Alexa. Please.

I’ll admit, sometimes I can be overly dramatic. Let me start over:

It was around 4PM when my phone died and I started to feel unsettled. The address card I had my hotel write for me wasn’t getting me anywhere with taxi drivers. On top of that, I couldn’t communicate with anybody. Thankfully, I remembered to write down several bus and train routes to get back to my hotel on a small piece of paper, but that wasn’t helping much either.

I took a train to catch bus 903 which was supposed to lead me right to the front of my hotel. Once I got off the train, I asked people which way the bus stop for bus 903 was and they all pointed in the same direction—up the hill. Off I went, in the hopes that my worries had been for nothing and that I was one step closer to home. One bus, two buses, three,… Still bus 903 hadn’t arrived and by now the time was 4:30. Chinese transportation is notoriously prompt, so either bus 903 wasn’t in service that day or it didn’t exist. I asked those around me that could speak English whether or not it would be coming and most replied that I was at the wrong stop— that I should walk further up the hill and wait at that stop. Uh… OK. I walked and walked and still nothing. In fact, I didn’t see any buses. Now I was starting to panic a little.

By now it was dark outside. China, or Xi’an for that matter, at nighttime is much different than other places like New York or D.C. In NYC, my keys are between my fingers ready to defend myself against any perv that tries to bother me. In D.C., I steer clear of certain areas. In Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an though I felt no need to be on the defensive. There is a whole other vibe here. Even the other girls in my cohort feel it. None of us feel as though we can’t go out at night by ourselves or have to be careful about what we wear. Sure, people will stare but no one would dare do more than that. So, though it was dark out and I was alone without any way to communicate, I didn’t feel any sort of paralyzing fear. I felt more on guard, but that’s it.

I decided to keep walking and finally came up on a bus stop. It wasn’t a 903 bus stop, but there were people there and where there are people, I feel more at ease. I approached a young couple, praying that they spoke English. They didn’t *sigh* but they were more than willing to help me. The man, who I later learned was named Mu Feng, downloaded a translation app just to be able to speak with me and ask me what I needed. I told them that I had to get back to my hotel and that my phone was dead. Over the course of our conversation, the woman—Mori— used her public transportation app to find 903 bus stops for me and the man spoke with me to try and find the address of my hotel in Chinese characters. I felt more hopeful about my situation as they continued to research the best routes for me to take to get back. The woman told me that further up ahead there was a 903 bus stop and proceeded to grab my wrist and started walking, all the while yelling behind her for the man to follow. I was tickled by her straight-forwardness and allowed them to drag me along— though still remaining cautious in the back of my mind. Afterall, they were still strangers and obviously had the advantage of speaking Chinese. They could do whatever they wanted if I didn’t stay alert.

We walked a few blocks, found a 903 bus stop, and waited for a bus to arrive so that Mori could speak with the driver. Finally a bus came, but it was the 25 bus. Still, she boarded— still holding on to me— and told Mu Feng to follow. She asked the bus driver what was going on with bus 903 and he didn’t know. During their conversation, Mu Feng paid the bus fare for Mori and myself. Discreetly, I offered him repayment for my ticket and he absolutely refused. Wow, these people were something else! I felt so blessed to have met them!!

Bus 25 drops us off at the next stop and now it’s clear that I’m going to have to figure out a new way to get back to my hotel. Others getting off bus 25 are curious and start to crowd around us. I guess seeing a foreigner speak with two locals was an interesting sight. Anyway, three of the onlookers— a mother and daughter, and a young man— offer to help. I tell them that I could fix all of this for myself if I could just charge my phone and access Apple Maps. The young man immediately pulls out a portable charger and hands it over to me, no questions asked. I swear I started getting teary-eyed. I plugged in my phone and as we waited for it to charge, Mu Feng continued to speak with me through his translation app: What’s my name? What’s the name of my hotel? How will I find the address?

I replied with my middle name because I still didn’t really know these people and provided the name of my hotel. I planned to find it using Google. I knew I was in for a long night when MuFeng responded, “What’s Google?” I swear I choked a little and took a moment to respond. There was no Chinese equivalent that I could come up with (that I knew of) to get him to understand, so I simply told him that I would show him once my phone finished charging.

Finally two hours later— Alexa, stop. Ok, ok…

Finally, 15 minutes later my phone was at 10% and we were back in business! I quickly went to Google and typed in the name of my hotel and requested for the address to be shown in Chinese characters. Didn’t work. Ok…. I checked my photo app for screenshots I took of the hotel and its English address. That didn’t mean anything to MuFeng and Mori, but I tried to input the address into Apple Maps and it didn’t work. Ugh… Ok. Next try was using WeChat (the instant messaging system used in China) and searching for the Google Maps link I sent my travel companion, Ann-Lyssa, before the trip. Yes! It worked! The young man who had allowed me to borrow his charger smiled and gave me a thumbs up the moment the translation app informed them all that I had found a route. The others started cheering and smiling! It was really something else. I started getting a little emotional because by now it was 9PM and Mori and MuFeng had stayed with me all this time, refusing to leave me until I was settled. It was truly heartwarming for me.

The mother and daughter left and I returned the charger to the young man. By that point, my phone was 20% charged and I knew where I was heading. Yet, surprisingly, Mori and MuFeng decided to accompany me to ensure that it was the correct address. We boarded the next bus together (again, MuFeng paid my fare) and arrived at what I thought was my hotel, but NOPE!

A single letter had been wrong in the address and Google Maps had sent me to the wrong location. I felt so bad and, frankly, embarrassed. Here I am, a 19 year-old young woman incapable of navigating her way home. I had to keep reminding myself that I was letting the stress get the better of me and wasn’t focusing how I should.

For their part, MuFeng and Mori weren’t impatient or upset. I expected them to be at least a little exasperated but after apologizing to them they responded that I was a foreigner and that honestly, they too sometimes got super lost and they lived in Xi’an. They told me to stop apologizing and that everything would be fine. By the end of the night, I would be home and comfortable. For these people, who barely knew me, to be so incredibly kind and eager to help was a true blessing. Paying my bus fares and insisting to accompany me when they could have simply said, “Sorry, we don’t speak English,” goes to show just how special they are.

After our little sentimental moment, we found a different hotel and asked them to locate mine using their computers. Success!! They wrote the address on a card and gave it to me. MuFeng hailed a taxi and we all climbed in. On the way there, MuFeng, Mori, and I shared little tidbits of our lives. I went to Fudan and was here in Xi’an for the holiday. They had a friend that had just opened a restaurant and wanted to know if I would like to visit the next day. Unfortunately, I would be leaving the next morning, but thank you for the invite. No problem at all. Mori and I had our little girly moment and bonded over perfumes. She spritzed a little on my wrist and the scent was divine (I wish I remembered the name).

Soon, we’d arrived at my hotel. Don’t worry, it was the right one this time! The taxi was over 100RMB and I insisted on paying the taxi driver. MuFeng absolutely did not allow it though and Mori took the money I gave the taxi driver and stashed it in my jacket pocket, “This for you! No take out!” At that point, I couldn’t hold the tears in any longer. I hugged both of them and expressed my deepest thanks. They had gone above and beyond for me and I couldn’t be more grateful.

“It was nothing! The least we do,” the robotic translation voice churned.

All I could do in response was squeeze both of their hands.

So to you, MuFeng and Mori, thank you for showing me the side of China that I had been missing. I was so preoccupied with the stares, touching, and photo-taking, that I had completely blocked myself from seeing the beauty: the kindness of the people and warmth of their hearts. MuFeng and Mori, you truly touched my heart and gave me something I didn’t know I had been missing. Before going to Xi’an, I was stuck in a rut of writer’s block and confusing emotions. My lens on life had been fixed on a negative filter that I so desperately needed to rid myself of. With an ease I didn’t know was possible, you wiped it clean and gave me a new perspective on life in China.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you MuFeng and Mori.

Love,

Alexa Claire

I know I look rough, but that is not what matters. These people did so much for me and they deserve some recognition for that. I wish them only good fortune in their lives. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to meet them again in the future!