T.G.I.T.

It's (was - but for story's sake play along) Tuesday the 30th of September and it's the last day of the work week. Wednesday is the beginning of the National Holiday. Which here in China they call National Holiday. On this day I'm heading off to visit a customer's manufacturing site. It's located somewhere vaguely north of Shenzhen about 3 hours by van. I've asked where exactly we were headed but I can't seem to get a direct answer from anyone. Besides if I was told the name I probably wouldn't be able to pronounce it.
The company driver Mr. Lee picks up myself and my two associates Rock and Robin early in the morning and shuttles us off into the sunrise. Passing through the Shenzhen border into the real, non-SEZ (special economic zone), China. The city landscape continues on for an hour or so. Big block buildings, with chipped paint, ripped awnings, clothes hanging from every balcony drying in the dirty breeze. Cruising along the three laned highway has a kind of familiarity to it. Just like driving the 5 through East L.A. or perhaps the valley. There are some differences. Like passing a guy on a moped who's stacked about a thousand sticks onto his backseat. Piled 10ft high and maybe 8ft wide. Chugging along at maybe 25 miles an hour in the center lane. We pass him doing what feels like 60. These are common sites to me now. I've seen way worse.
After a while the never ending tide of buildings and human sprawl begins to ebb. Replaced now by banana trees. Millions of them. Scattered about on both sides of the highway. Only to be interrupted by winding brown rivers, the occasional cistern, and big ugly smokestacks. There are so many smokestacks. Belching nasty black plumes into the air. It's weird, the banana trees obscure the buildings that the smokestacks are connected to, making these large chimneys appear even more mysterious. Another hour and a half passes. We turn off the road and pay another toll. Rolling down an industrial strip, passing one giant factory after another. Each one having wretched looking apartments built on the edge of their properties. Housing the workers that travel far and wide for an opportunity to make some kind of a salary. They live here year round, sending there money home. Each apartment block is fenced in with guards manning the gates.
Mr Lee finds the driveway he's been looking for and we pay our customer a visit. Measuring products that can't leave the premises. After 20mins. of measuring we are in the van heading back. I'm glad we showed up when we did. If we had shown at 12:30 or later we would have had to wait until the lunch break is over (2pm) to do what we came to do. Instead we are heading back to the toll road, but at the left turn we were supposed to take Mr. Lee keeps going straight.
I glance at Robin, he anticipates my next question and answers, "we get some food."
An uneasiness washes over me. There isn't a decent looking building, let alone restaurant for miles. We turn down a half empty street that is occupied by a dozen or so dilapidated apartments. These look god awful. Facades appear to have been scraped by tropical storms or even bombs. Some even lean a bit sinking into the ground, 5 stories tall with people in the windows doing there daily business. Below on the dirt street ancient tents with ducks and chickens hanging off the backs of plastic chairs and wooden benches. Trash is strewn all around, some pushed into piles against the tents. People, sitting in random places in the common China squat. knees bent at a 180 degrees, pressed into the armpits. Forearms out straight, hovering over the ground. There's a couple of discussions going on, a few card games, but mostly they stare off into the distance. The van comes to a stop while Rock and Robin discuss what they'd like to eat, then Rock asks me if I'm hungry. As I think of a tactful way to pass Mr. Lee says something in Chinese to Rock and turns the car around. Rock tells me, "he say you probably get sick if you ate there, we go home now."
Thank you Mr. Lee.
On the way home, while Rock n' Robin sleep, I dig out a granola bar from my backpack. Silently chewing and contemplating.