Because of my friend's soft sleeper tickets, it was made known to us that we could enjoy the 'VIP Lounge'. As we jumped on the escalator to the second floor, visions of attractive waitresses bringing me iced beverages and electric massage chair raced through my mind. Quiet background music would sooth me as I munched on complimentary snacks and enjoyed a foot massage. "What luck!", I thought to myself.
Rounding the corner into the 'VIP Lounge', my daydream was instantly shattered. It was large, dimly lit waiting hall just like the one below. The only difference was a glass wall separating the VIP area from the rest. It consisted of rows of grey, pleather couches and nothing more. An attendant checked my friend's wife's ticket and waved us through. A large, middle-aged, rough-looking woman greeted us. My friends have three children, all under age 5. In a rather gruff voice she said, "Hey. Are those all your kids?", to which my friends replied, "Yes." "Tai lihai!" Though no direct translation, it basically means, "Whoa. That's freakin hard core!" She then proceeded to motion toward the bathroom and instructed my friend 'not to let the kids pee on the floor.'
That was the VIP lounge. That was our welcome. No complimentary beverages. No foot massage. No snacks. In the end I think we ended up walking further to the train platform since we were upstairs and had to go back down to get to the platform anyway.