But this is a short trip of only 2 weeks and the purpose is to ensure that everything is ready for our equipment to be installed beginning in January after the USA Christmas Season. Unfortunately, everything is not ready. So I have been a bit busy feverishly and nervously trying to alter some plans and schedules so that we can still start this plant on time – or at least close to on time without our customer figuring out we are behind. But I think he did.
The result of that effort is that I have not really been out and about and doing those fun things that I enjoyed writing about, and hopefully, you enjoyed reading. I know some of you think all I do is goof off and play and go fun places, but this trip has been different. Lots of work. Little playing.
And it’s cold. Not bad temperature wise – usually around 40 – 50 degrees, but since the sun doesn’t shine here, there is no heat radiation to make it feel warmer. So it feels cold all the time.
But enough whining.
I guess the most memorable event so far was last Friday when my boss and I managed one evening to go walk through the “Man’s Cave” apartment we have leased for the guys to use when here for extended periods of time. We leased the “Ladies Lounge” earlier in October and it is now being used by our female team members, but the “Man’s Cave” is almost complete.
Finding apartments with enough western amenities has been tougher than expected –
even in the supposed “western district.” We have been looking for one with multiple bedrooms and multiple full bathrooms. Bathrooms are the challenge. We pampered Americans tend to like luxuries of full showers with standard toilet fixtures that are separate and not shower/toilet combinations. I know. Gross. But the combination shower/toilet seems to be normal over here – and some would argue efficient. But we managed to find one and Steve and I dropped by one evening to check it out and see the progress they have made with the remodeling effort. 11th floor of the building. It was painted and furnished.
Two full bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms (with the right kind of fixtures!). Beds, sofas, tables, home theatre, etc. It has an office – but you have to go through the kitchen onto the back outside porch and then enter the office. Pretty stupid if you ask me, but it is what my boss leased, so I am stuck with it. There is a clothes washer and dryer (both look just big enough to wash/dry one pair of pants at a time). It has a “full” kitchen but the counter height is for short people. Very short people. A two eye gas stove, small oven, dishwasher, dish sanitizer, microwave, refrigerator. I worked up a LONG list of all the things it needed (sheets, towels, soap, pillows, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc, etc, etc) so he could get them purchased.
It was freezing because all the windows were open due the painting. I started closing the windows and discovered the kitchen was missing a window. It had the opening – but not the actual window frame and glass. Makes it tough to warm the place! I’m not sure how they could have said they were complete with the remodeling if it was missing a window – but then again, I am in China and they have a different set of rules here. The floors are all tile, so I asked for some rugs. The style of those should be “interesting”.
The way it is supposed to work is that 4 days/week a maid comes in and cleans, does laundry, food shopping, and cook (if we ask her to). We’ll see how that works out.
The neighborhood is walking distance to a zillion Chinese & western restaurants, tea houses, pubs, and shopping – including the locally infamous Carrefore which is a French version of a Super Wal-mart. It’s actually a good neighborhood for us to be in.
Now here’s the rub. It’s a two bedroom apartment and we have 3 guys on our team. So somebody still has to stay at the hotel – and the whole idea of leasing a “Ladies Lounge” and a “Man Cave” was to get out of the hotel! When I asked my boss if he saw a little snag with his 2 bedroom plan – he seemed totally surprised. Sometimes I wonder what planet he is from. So here are some pictures. I will send pictures of the neighborhood later (didn’t think to take any that day. Sometimes I wonder what planet I am from).
So, in the end, I guess I’ll be a Man Cave resident when I come back in January. Wish me luck!
After the preview, we stopped at Korean Restaurant and had a great meal of grilled beef and chicken with mushrooms and onions cooked on a gas grill at our table. Just like grilling back home. We were quite surprised and very pleased. Mark that one down as a winner – especially since we could only point at the menu pictures and hope it was good!
Later, my taxi driver didn’t want to take me to the hotel (they think its too far outside of downtown, and I readily admit that once they get there, there is no guarantee that they will get a fare back into town which is why some don’t like to go there at night) so he acted like he didn’t know where it was. I just told him “I give you direction. Just drive.” I’ve been here long enough to learn a few roads and so I pointed out all the right and left turns and off we went.
The result of that effort is that I have not really been out and about and doing those fun things that I enjoyed writing about, and hopefully, you enjoyed reading. I know some of you think all I do is goof off and play and go fun places, but this trip has been different. Lots of work. Little playing.
And it’s cold. Not bad temperature wise – usually around 40 – 50 degrees, but since the sun doesn’t shine here, there is no heat radiation to make it feel warmer. So it feels cold all the time.
But enough whining.
I guess the most memorable event so far was last Friday when my boss and I managed one evening to go walk through the “Man’s Cave” apartment we have leased for the guys to use when here for extended periods of time. We leased the “Ladies Lounge” earlier in October and it is now being used by our female team members, but the “Man’s Cave” is almost complete.
Finding apartments with enough western amenities has been tougher than expected –
even in the supposed “western district.” We have been looking for one with multiple bedrooms and multiple full bathrooms. Bathrooms are the challenge. We pampered Americans tend to like luxuries of full showers with standard toilet fixtures that are separate and not shower/toilet combinations. I know. Gross. But the combination shower/toilet seems to be normal over here – and some would argue efficient. But we managed to find one and Steve and I dropped by one evening to check it out and see the progress they have made with the remodeling effort. 11th floor of the building. It was painted and furnished.
Two full bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms (with the right kind of fixtures!). Beds, sofas, tables, home theatre, etc. It has an office – but you have to go through the kitchen onto the back outside porch and then enter the office. Pretty stupid if you ask me, but it is what my boss leased, so I am stuck with it. There is a clothes washer and dryer (both look just big enough to wash/dry one pair of pants at a time). It has a “full” kitchen but the counter height is for short people. Very short people. A two eye gas stove, small oven, dishwasher, dish sanitizer, microwave, refrigerator. I worked up a LONG list of all the things it needed (sheets, towels, soap, pillows, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc, etc, etc) so he could get them purchased.
It was freezing because all the windows were open due the painting. I started closing the windows and discovered the kitchen was missing a window. It had the opening – but not the actual window frame and glass. Makes it tough to warm the place! I’m not sure how they could have said they were complete with the remodeling if it was missing a window – but then again, I am in China and they have a different set of rules here. The floors are all tile, so I asked for some rugs. The style of those should be “interesting”.
The way it is supposed to work is that 4 days/week a maid comes in and cleans, does laundry, food shopping, and cook (if we ask her to). We’ll see how that works out.
The neighborhood is walking distance to a zillion Chinese & western restaurants, tea houses, pubs, and shopping – including the locally infamous Carrefore which is a French version of a Super Wal-mart. It’s actually a good neighborhood for us to be in.
Now here’s the rub. It’s a two bedroom apartment and we have 3 guys on our team. So somebody still has to stay at the hotel – and the whole idea of leasing a “Ladies Lounge” and a “Man Cave” was to get out of the hotel! When I asked my boss if he saw a little snag with his 2 bedroom plan – he seemed totally surprised. Sometimes I wonder what planet he is from. So here are some pictures. I will send pictures of the neighborhood later (didn’t think to take any that day. Sometimes I wonder what planet I am from).
So, in the end, I guess I’ll be a Man Cave resident when I come back in January. Wish me luck!
After the preview, we stopped at Korean Restaurant and had a great meal of grilled beef and chicken with mushrooms and onions cooked on a gas grill at our table. Just like grilling back home. We were quite surprised and very pleased. Mark that one down as a winner – especially since we could only point at the menu pictures and hope it was good!
Later, my taxi driver didn’t want to take me to the hotel (they think its too far outside of downtown, and I readily admit that once they get there, there is no guarantee that they will get a fare back into town which is why some don’t like to go there at night) so he acted like he didn’t know where it was. I just told him “I give you direction. Just drive.” I’ve been here long enough to learn a few roads and so I pointed out all the right and left turns and off we went.
He grumbled.
I laughed.
We got there.
So now you are caught up on what has been happening in these parts.
1 comment:
Now, you are making comments about your boss in your post. Do you think he will ever read your blog? Is he from such a far away planet that he doesn't do the internet or blogs? Does the western part of the city get spruced up for Christmas, any decorations, trees, ornaments, lights?
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