Okay, so it’s really not the first week back, it’s been a couple of days. I arrived on Wednesday so I’ve been here exactly 3 days. First off, I’m an idiot (like that’s news to anyone). I thought I had packed the correct cable to hook my camera to the computer, it turns out I had the cable color right but the wrong cable so there will be no photos until I locate the cable here locally (or until my box arrives in 4-6 weeks). So I have my first challenge, find a cable. Something I could do in the States relatively easy may be more challenging here but we’ll see (now before when I would say “we” it would mean Tammy but now “we” is me and “we” is some kinda lazy). I know I could obtain one at the office but the easy route isn’t something I should do in this case in order to prove to myself that I can survive these types of situations. Lesson #1; double check everything. Lesson #2; don’t hook anything to the outlet unless you’re darned sure it has a transformer to convert the power properly. I came here with a Logitech cordless handset that would allow me to send & receive phone calls using the Skype VOIP system like Vonage. So, yesterday morning I decide to test this out while on Skype with Tammy & the kids. I plug it in and it rings but dies out immediately. No big deal, it needs to be charged. I screw around with it and nearly miss the van ride to the office checking out the phone. After work, I look again and notice that the plug in, although it looks like a transformer, doesn’t convert the voltage properly. I realize that I fried the unit…very nice. Not only that but I didn’t change out of my sneakers and realized about halfway to the office that I was wearing sneakers and not my steel-toed shoes. Lesson #3; take off your footwear when you walk in the door. Welcome back dummy!
The 16 hour flight was a 16 hour flight, exactly as you would think….are we there yet? The entire flight was booked solid, a change from Sat. morning when there were a ton of empty seats. The Monday flight to Shanghai was cancelled and so they pushed everyone to the Tuesday flight. I booked this flight specifically to avoid the crush but I think Delta is starting to use their standard practice. If a flight isn’t sold out and you have flights on back-to-back days, cancel the one flight and force everyone on to the other flight….so much the better (for them, customer service is for suckers). They would do this all the time with the flights from Boston to Portland or Bangor. They would claim mechanical difficulties to turn 2, ½ empty flights into one full plane. I was hoping for the empty plane so I could lie across the row and sleep but no such luck. I got to sit next to 2 kids (12-14 years old) from an International School in Shanghai, they were returning home from a 12 day trip to the States and Orlando. Imagine that, in this economy flying halfway around the world to Disney. These kids were from all over and were scattered all around the plane. One of the chaperones threw a hissy fit when he realized the problem (I guess he couldn’t figure it out before they boarded by I don’t know….checking the seat assignments on the tickets). Evidently they booked in October and were promised to all be seated together. What he didn’t factor in was that they booked the Monday flight and when it was cancelled, all bets were off. The flight attendants did all they could for them, asking people to move and such but it was a bad situation. His attitude didn’t help either. I mean what was the point of all of the kids sitting together? Think about it. If the plane went down, would it have helped that the kids were all together (ok, let’s do a head count……...I know that’s bad but I’m still sleep deprived so what are you gonna do?). It wasn’t like kids were everywhere, typically there were two seated together where possible. There were 6 or 7 chaperones so just scatter the chaperones. He was asking adults to take a middle seat in place of the kids…..c’mon dude the kids fit better into the middle seats. Of course, he had to have an aisle seat. They attempted to resolve this on the ground but even after takeoff, once we reached 10,000 feet they were still moving people. The best part and most telling part is that once in the air, I didn’t see any of the chaperones get up from their seats to check on the kids, not once….so exactly why did they have to sit together? After 12 days in Orlando with a bunch of kids, the last thing I would want is to sit by them for 16 hours. I don’t even want to sit by my kids for 16 hours (hey you, Jeffrey Dahmler looking guy in the back….switch seats with me). I watched 2 or 3 movies, who can remember since they are all terrible. It’s a long flight, I’m sure I don’t need more explanation (although I just gave more). Strange food choices from Delta, lunch and dinner were “normal” airplane food; beef, chicken or pork. The snack, a (10 cm; that’s right folk’s….metric, get used to it) small wheat roll with sliced hard boiled egg and cucumbers (I think there was cream cheese as well). Not exactly what I normally have for a snack but it’s not like we could stop at the fly-through for a burger.
First night I went out to Casa Rosa, a Tex-Mex place that is popular amongst the Expat community. It was nice, very non-threatening food. Funny how there was pizza on the menu. It seems that many places attempt to cater to everyone so the menus touch a little on everything (jack of all trades, master of none). Not too far from the Chateau, just a short cab ride away that’s near a place called Singa Plaza. I was able to figure out where I was so my memory is still intact. I can’t remember street names and such but I know general directions. Singa plaza has a lot of restaurants, Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, a bakery, etc. More of an Expat experience there than other areas.
First day in the office; as I mentioned previously, I wore sneakers which is a no-no, so I kept in the office for most of the day to avoid any possible issues. I did get to walk through the plant and see all the changes since I was here 3 weeks ago. Equipment is starting to be assembled and it’s going fast. It’s interesting to see how things look when you arrive versus when you leave that same day, they aren’t afraid to get things done. The biggest issue is the fumes from the fork lifts. I might as well go ahead and plan for the lung replacement now to beat the rush (I’d schedule one for China but it would probably be a counterfeit lung….made in China, comes with lung disease at no extra fee). These aren’t propane lifts, think of the crappy truck you see heading down the highway spewing out the black cloud of exhaust. Now put that truck in a warehouse moving stuff around and you’ve got the idea. Nasty stuff! The heaviest pieces of machinery aren’t even here yet….I can’t wait to see what kind of tanks they bring in to move that stuff into the building.
Second night I went out to eat by myself, back to Singa Plaza to walk around and grab a bite. I selected Jack’s Home just because it seemed a little better fit for me at this juncture. While walking along the row of eateries, I happened upon a guy was having a tantrum on the street at a parking attendant (not sure exactly what the job was for the Chinese guy but he was there to collect a fee for parking). Crocodile Dundee (the guy was an Aussie) jumped in his face, screaming in Chinese and English that he wasn’t paying the 4 RMB to park here since he paid it to park over there. The F-bomb was thrown a few times and I thought the guy was going to hit the attendant, the body language was unmistakable. Over 4 RMB…..that’s less than $1 US. I thought it was so odd to see this behavior in a country where “face” is huge. Either this guy didn’t know or didn’t care and decided that he was going to intimidate the guy doing his job. I was embarrassed for him; he could’ve just either paid it or dealt with it better. I mean he was arguing like the guy was trying to take him for $1000 or something. It’s a lesson for me to try and see things with the third person perspective (that multiple personality disorder is really going to dividends now…thank me very much, you’re welcome). The food was good, different but good. As I noted previously, it’s odd to see a menu include Western options (burgers & fries), Mexican options (quesadillas), English options (fish & chips) and local options (curry chicken). The menus are very large due to this and I’m sure it’s demanding to have a decent grasp of the different cooking techniques. A new learning was that once you have finished the meal, there’s no bill. You have to ask for the bill, it seems they will let you sit there and take up space until you are ready to leave. Not really the US method where it is pack ‘em in and get ‘em out. They will bring you the bill, open it and tell you how much for the meal (kind of like a presentation from the Price is Right…..60 RMB [with hand gesture, palm up to show the total]). 60 RMB for dinner, not bad but its Western dinner at Western prices, the meal was actually 48 RMB, its 12 RMB for the beer (local brand, other brands cost up to 20 RMB). Local fare would’ve been cheaper but I’ll dip my foot in the pool first before diving in.
On the walk back “home” I turned a corner and noticed a police car parked on the side of the road. No big deal but then I see the policeman standing near a fence relieving himself. Two young ladies walking towards me don’t really even take notice……what!?! Public indecency….perhaps but he’s the cop and I’ve seen this on the way to work in the morning as well; when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. But it leads me to my new expression, “I’ve got to pee like a cop (you know, replace the word racehorse)”. I took a different road back but still found my way, look to HoJo’s….it’s the monument to find and see where you need to be headed. If I can’t see the sign, I look for the “twinkling building”, there lights on the HoJo that twinkle so from all directions I can pick out the building as long as I am not surrounded in small streets and stuff. Okay, well this is enough to post and I’ll have more soon. Sorry for the length but what can I tell you, I’ve procrastinated and the post has grown by leaps and bounds. Stay tuned for the next episode of 我在哪里.
The 16 hour flight was a 16 hour flight, exactly as you would think….are we there yet? The entire flight was booked solid, a change from Sat. morning when there were a ton of empty seats. The Monday flight to Shanghai was cancelled and so they pushed everyone to the Tuesday flight. I booked this flight specifically to avoid the crush but I think Delta is starting to use their standard practice. If a flight isn’t sold out and you have flights on back-to-back days, cancel the one flight and force everyone on to the other flight….so much the better (for them, customer service is for suckers). They would do this all the time with the flights from Boston to Portland or Bangor. They would claim mechanical difficulties to turn 2, ½ empty flights into one full plane. I was hoping for the empty plane so I could lie across the row and sleep but no such luck. I got to sit next to 2 kids (12-14 years old) from an International School in Shanghai, they were returning home from a 12 day trip to the States and Orlando. Imagine that, in this economy flying halfway around the world to Disney. These kids were from all over and were scattered all around the plane. One of the chaperones threw a hissy fit when he realized the problem (I guess he couldn’t figure it out before they boarded by I don’t know….checking the seat assignments on the tickets). Evidently they booked in October and were promised to all be seated together. What he didn’t factor in was that they booked the Monday flight and when it was cancelled, all bets were off. The flight attendants did all they could for them, asking people to move and such but it was a bad situation. His attitude didn’t help either. I mean what was the point of all of the kids sitting together? Think about it. If the plane went down, would it have helped that the kids were all together (ok, let’s do a head count……...I know that’s bad but I’m still sleep deprived so what are you gonna do?). It wasn’t like kids were everywhere, typically there were two seated together where possible. There were 6 or 7 chaperones so just scatter the chaperones. He was asking adults to take a middle seat in place of the kids…..c’mon dude the kids fit better into the middle seats. Of course, he had to have an aisle seat. They attempted to resolve this on the ground but even after takeoff, once we reached 10,000 feet they were still moving people. The best part and most telling part is that once in the air, I didn’t see any of the chaperones get up from their seats to check on the kids, not once….so exactly why did they have to sit together? After 12 days in Orlando with a bunch of kids, the last thing I would want is to sit by them for 16 hours. I don’t even want to sit by my kids for 16 hours (hey you, Jeffrey Dahmler looking guy in the back….switch seats with me). I watched 2 or 3 movies, who can remember since they are all terrible. It’s a long flight, I’m sure I don’t need more explanation (although I just gave more). Strange food choices from Delta, lunch and dinner were “normal” airplane food; beef, chicken or pork. The snack, a (10 cm; that’s right folk’s….metric, get used to it) small wheat roll with sliced hard boiled egg and cucumbers (I think there was cream cheese as well). Not exactly what I normally have for a snack but it’s not like we could stop at the fly-through for a burger.
First night I went out to Casa Rosa, a Tex-Mex place that is popular amongst the Expat community. It was nice, very non-threatening food. Funny how there was pizza on the menu. It seems that many places attempt to cater to everyone so the menus touch a little on everything (jack of all trades, master of none). Not too far from the Chateau, just a short cab ride away that’s near a place called Singa Plaza. I was able to figure out where I was so my memory is still intact. I can’t remember street names and such but I know general directions. Singa plaza has a lot of restaurants, Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, a bakery, etc. More of an Expat experience there than other areas.
First day in the office; as I mentioned previously, I wore sneakers which is a no-no, so I kept in the office for most of the day to avoid any possible issues. I did get to walk through the plant and see all the changes since I was here 3 weeks ago. Equipment is starting to be assembled and it’s going fast. It’s interesting to see how things look when you arrive versus when you leave that same day, they aren’t afraid to get things done. The biggest issue is the fumes from the fork lifts. I might as well go ahead and plan for the lung replacement now to beat the rush (I’d schedule one for China but it would probably be a counterfeit lung….made in China, comes with lung disease at no extra fee). These aren’t propane lifts, think of the crappy truck you see heading down the highway spewing out the black cloud of exhaust. Now put that truck in a warehouse moving stuff around and you’ve got the idea. Nasty stuff! The heaviest pieces of machinery aren’t even here yet….I can’t wait to see what kind of tanks they bring in to move that stuff into the building.
Second night I went out to eat by myself, back to Singa Plaza to walk around and grab a bite. I selected Jack’s Home just because it seemed a little better fit for me at this juncture. While walking along the row of eateries, I happened upon a guy was having a tantrum on the street at a parking attendant (not sure exactly what the job was for the Chinese guy but he was there to collect a fee for parking). Crocodile Dundee (the guy was an Aussie) jumped in his face, screaming in Chinese and English that he wasn’t paying the 4 RMB to park here since he paid it to park over there. The F-bomb was thrown a few times and I thought the guy was going to hit the attendant, the body language was unmistakable. Over 4 RMB…..that’s less than $1 US. I thought it was so odd to see this behavior in a country where “face” is huge. Either this guy didn’t know or didn’t care and decided that he was going to intimidate the guy doing his job. I was embarrassed for him; he could’ve just either paid it or dealt with it better. I mean he was arguing like the guy was trying to take him for $1000 or something. It’s a lesson for me to try and see things with the third person perspective (that multiple personality disorder is really going to dividends now…thank me very much, you’re welcome). The food was good, different but good. As I noted previously, it’s odd to see a menu include Western options (burgers & fries), Mexican options (quesadillas), English options (fish & chips) and local options (curry chicken). The menus are very large due to this and I’m sure it’s demanding to have a decent grasp of the different cooking techniques. A new learning was that once you have finished the meal, there’s no bill. You have to ask for the bill, it seems they will let you sit there and take up space until you are ready to leave. Not really the US method where it is pack ‘em in and get ‘em out. They will bring you the bill, open it and tell you how much for the meal (kind of like a presentation from the Price is Right…..60 RMB [with hand gesture, palm up to show the total]). 60 RMB for dinner, not bad but its Western dinner at Western prices, the meal was actually 48 RMB, its 12 RMB for the beer (local brand, other brands cost up to 20 RMB). Local fare would’ve been cheaper but I’ll dip my foot in the pool first before diving in.
On the walk back “home” I turned a corner and noticed a police car parked on the side of the road. No big deal but then I see the policeman standing near a fence relieving himself. Two young ladies walking towards me don’t really even take notice……what!?! Public indecency….perhaps but he’s the cop and I’ve seen this on the way to work in the morning as well; when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. But it leads me to my new expression, “I’ve got to pee like a cop (you know, replace the word racehorse)”. I took a different road back but still found my way, look to HoJo’s….it’s the monument to find and see where you need to be headed. If I can’t see the sign, I look for the “twinkling building”, there lights on the HoJo that twinkle so from all directions I can pick out the building as long as I am not surrounded in small streets and stuff. Okay, well this is enough to post and I’ll have more soon. Sorry for the length but what can I tell you, I’ve procrastinated and the post has grown by leaps and bounds. Stay tuned for the next episode of 我在哪里.
Scott
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