My Firsthand Experience in Wonderland China!
Cultural Surprises and Unexpected Help

Kunming International Airport China
Finally I was grounded in the wonderland! It was full of surprises for me. I saw busy crowd everywhere. When I looked at them it looks similar face and I cant differentiated them. Most of them seems look a like.
It was hard to find directions. Everywhere Chinese language and difficult to see the English translation.
I was in a hurry due to a short transit as I needed to catch the next flight within an hour.
Looking for help
I attempted to ask a person wearing an airport uniform for help, but she didn’t speak English. I showed her my ticket and did my best to ask for directions to the gate. She took a while to read the ticket and seemed to understand my request. She directed me towards the elevator and gestured for me to go down.
So, I thought I needed to go downstairs. Upon reaching the lower level, I realised it wasn’t the right place!
I tried to check the monitor for the gate number but couldn’t find it. I followed some signs and ended up back at the same spot again. Unfortunately, the lady was no longer there.
At that moment, I found myself in the middle of a maze. I wondered, was this the end of my journey? Would I need to return to my country?
Fortune
While I was procrastinating, I fortuitously spotted a non-Chinese person passing by. I hurried towards him. He seemed hesitant at first, but when I explained my situation, he kindly helped me find the way to the gate.
The gate was located behind the check-in line. Due to the security screen, I couldn’t see the gate number. He advised me to follow the line. I thanked him and proceeded as instructed. I soon realised that I was the only non-Chinese person there.

Keep moving
It felt like I had arrived on another planet, and people stared at me as if I were an alien. The curious eyes of those around me seemed to wonder what a brown man was doing in the middle of this wonderland!
I simply kept smiling, followed the line, completed the check-in, and finally reached the gate just before closing time.
Second time in airplane
I rushed to the airplane, and guess what? The plane was full, with only one seat left. So, I didn’t have to search for my seat. The airplane was ready to fly to the next stop.
As soon as the plane took off, everyone began preparing to sleep. Within a few minutes, all the passengers fell asleep. I grew concerned when thinking about the pilot.
My curious mind wondered if the pilot was following the same sleeping habit! It was around 11 pm, and I was the only person unable to close my eyes. I started thinking about what awaited me next.
