and the 2008 Chinese New Year.And let me tell you, when these guys fiesta, they really fiesta!
We all drove out to some Theme Park near Chengdu (called Floral Land). It is sort of a flower themed Disneyworld (without rides). We had a private room and put on quite the shin dig!
There were games, and skits, and dinner, and fireworks, and fog machines, and bubble machines, and door prizes, and gift swap – and, of course, much toasting of the New Year.
The theme was “2008 - One Night in Chengdu”
Each department made up some sort of a skit including costumes and songs, etc. Believe me, there is no inhibition here. Everybody really gets into it. I got asked (“conned” or “rooked” might be better words) into being in the Quality skit.
I was to play some sort of American (duh) so I didn’t have to wear a costume (whew), but I did have to learn two Chinese lines. I performed marginally, but it was fun. To be honest, I am still not sure what the skit was about. The Master of Ceremonies (Zhou Jing from HR) did an unbelievably great job! He was funny, relaxed, and spontaneous and at times was like Phil Donahue jumping and running around with his microphone having people answer questions.
Three ladies performed a traditional Chinese dance with all the costumes and then right in the middle of it, broke into a “fly girl” dance and then back to traditional. It was terrific. These ladies got game!
Some of the skits were a bit long and since everything was spoken in Chinese, I well, didn’t have a clue. But I could enjoy the energy involved.
Yes, there were indoor fireworks (I did recall some rock band in USA burned up a whole club and people died a few years back from using indoor fireworks), so I kept my eye on the fire extinguisher and knew where my closest exit was, but fortunately, no incidents.
My gift for the gift swap was the “Bourne Identity”. It’s either in English with Chinese subtitles or overdubbed in Chinese with English subtitles, I don’t know because the box was in Chinese.
We had a great Chinese dinner (more food than any human should be asked to eat) and toasted everybody and everything and we wore out the cameras. The entire night was filmed and I hope to get a DVD of the evening.
4 comments:
It was a blast ,funny I sat there for hours and Mercer was the only one I could understand.
S'Mitch - the indoor fireworks comment made me cringe. It would have been just too close to home to have an accident that way, that night, with you involved.
Just to add to the detail... that "some rock band in USA burned up a whole club and people died" was right at 5-yr ago, Feb-2003 in West Warwick RI. Great White was performing at "The Station" Night Club, on Cowesette Ave... about 2-miles from my plant.
I drive by that memorial site every day, twice a day... very sad. I had been working very late that night, passed by approx. 10:50pm... and by the time I got home, the big news had just started. The fire started a few minutes after 11pm.
That makes me recall a few other Asian moments that were too close, in hindsight... like episodes on the ferry crossing the Yangtzee River, and several not unlike your early story of the fire alarm in the high rise hotel. Be careful over there man, that culture doesn't yet have the same atention to detail to life safety systems, contingency planning, etc.
That part of your story this time was literally - as they say - too close to home.
S.
From the starring role on the swim starting blocks at HB Plant High School in Tampa, in 1979, now almost 30 years later, see the same guy star in his new role in Chinese live theatre! Remember what the actors say, it's not what you say, it's how you say it!
Dad,
What were you thinking...that jacket with those pants(the gray and brown), mom and i both agree that you are not allowed to wear those together anymore...got it!
Elise
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