Matt and I arrived safely back in Shenzhen this evening around 8:30 from a 5 day business trip in northern China. It was such a wonderful feeling when we walked in the door. Air conditioning and western-style toilets 24/7 with soft toilet paper – a little slice of heaven on earth!
I am so glad Matt accompanied me on the trip. He was insightful and patient even when I just about lost my cool. Repeating yourself 5 times before being understood can really wear a person down.
On more than one occasion this trip I faced a blank stare after saying something in English to the vendor, waiter, or hotel attendant that I thought spoke fluent English. I’ve learned to not raise my voice when this happens. Contrary to what comes natural, saying the same thing louder does not necessarily make it any easier for one to understand.
Instead, I usually say the same phrase over and over again slowly, but also throw in any new words I can think of that might trigger a lightbulb in the person I’m speaking with.
Example from last night, when I called downstairs in the hotel:
ME to front desk: What time is breakfast served?
Front Desk: I’m sorry… (insert random Chinese characters here)
ME: W-h-a-t t-i-m-e i-s b-r-e-a-k-f-a-s-t s-e-r-v-e-d?
Front Desk: So sorry… (insert muffled random Chinese characters here as attendant covers phone and attempts to discuss with nearby colleague)
Me: Food? Morning? Meal? Hungry? Time?
Front Desk: Oh… uh….
Me: Breakfast? The morning meal? AM? Food? Chi Fan???? (that last bit has something to do with eating lunch I think)
Front Desk: Oh… 6 to 10.
Me: Xie Xie!!!!!!! (Thanks)
Front Desk: Click.
Ah yes, it's really my fault though for expecting what I should not... I am a visitor here and should speak their native language. I should have studied much harder and longer on those Mandarin lessons before leaving Atlanta. Google translator only works when you have internet access!
All in all, the trip was good. Matt and I celebrated our 7-year wedding anniversary yesterday. We were able to spend the day together, even though I had to visit 2 different factories for work, one of which was a 3-hour journey into the countryside outside of Nanjing, China.
We ate a wonderful Chinese dinner of fresh steamed fish head, chicken soup (made with ALL parts of the chicken), mystery green veggies that tasted like buttered spinach but looked like weeds from the side of the road, sliced beef ribs, and fresh papaya with some kind of clear jelly-like fruit. Couldn’t tell you the name – who knows if it even translates to English? – but I loved it.
Matt’s first Mandarin phrase to master was “Tu Pien”, which means “Picture Menu.” He’s very skilled at interpreting what the mystery meats on menus are by the photo. His second favorite phrase sounds like “Da Bow”, or “Doggie Bag” (to-go).
He’s quite handy to have around when I’m hungry.
It’s time for bed now (good morning Atlanta, and our sweet Dean!) - - - only 2 more days until we leave for the U.S. Can’t wait to get my arms around our baby boy. Also can’t wait to speak English to the person next to me and know that they will understand when I say “Sure is hot out, I’m melting. Got any ice cold watermelon I can sink my teeth into?” I can only imagine the confused looks I would get saying that to the average engrish-speaking person I met on the street here in Shenzhen.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
The bus to Shanghai
It's Friday night and we (Matt and Emily - no Dean) are riding on a bus to Shanghai. I'm on a work related trip and I dragged Matt with me. He's very good at problem solving and has more knowledge than me regarding the industry for which Plaid is developing a new product - 2 things which will come in very handy the next few days. My thinking is that he'll get to see a little more of China while Plaid gets free labor.
When I say little, I'm not exaggerating due to the whirlwind nature of the trip. Getting from point A to point B in China can be very time consuming, and we're trying to visit 4 factories within the next 4 days. Even though they are all in areas around Shanghai, it will take many hours and different modes of transportation to get to each.
This morning we got up at 5 am to catch an 8 am flight. The plane was delayed 2 hours, then it took 2-1/2 hrs by car to get to our destination. We arrived around 3:20 pm. We worked fast and furious to cover what we needed to cover with the factory because we had to catch a bus to Shanghai that left at 5:50 pm.
I had just enough time when we arrived at the bus station to use the washroom - an eastern style ceramic hole in the floor. I wish I could post a picture here now for anyone who has not yet experienced The Squatter. Unfortunately, I now have a permanent image of how low the locals can go because I accidentally opened the stall door of a woman using one. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Was all I could stutter as I quickly shut the door.
I must admit, I'm feeling a little cranky right now.
It's hot and muggy on the bus, and little things that normally wouldn't bother me much are getting under my skin. The bus driver spent the first 45 mins blaring his horn as we swayed from side to side traveling through town to reach the interstate.
Then the woman across the aisle from us started clapping. That's right, clapping aloud. To herself. For the next 45 minutes. We're not sure what she was doing, but we're guessing it was either her form of entertainment or exercise.
We just finished a 15 minute stop at a Chinese rest joint for fast food dinner that makes KFC seem gourmet. I wolfed down my rice and stewed cabbage, the only things that looked even remotely appealing among a lineup of mystery meats. I got a short workout sprinting to the bus, since the driver was backing up to leave when we came out of the cafe. Now we're on our way again, lumbering towards Shanghai.
Hopefully my bladder will forgive me for not taking my chances on the restroom. The odor wafting from the doorway combined with the mental image of the last time I used the pee pit today kept me away.
The man in front of me is snoring loudly. Is it time to cue the crying baby to chime in?
I'm going to risk sounding a little snotty here, but Chinese public transportation is not my idea of fun on a Friday night.
We should arrive in Shanghai around 11 pm, and if we're lucky, to the hotel by midnight. Ahhhhh, I can't wait to crash into bed.
When I say little, I'm not exaggerating due to the whirlwind nature of the trip. Getting from point A to point B in China can be very time consuming, and we're trying to visit 4 factories within the next 4 days. Even though they are all in areas around Shanghai, it will take many hours and different modes of transportation to get to each.
This morning we got up at 5 am to catch an 8 am flight. The plane was delayed 2 hours, then it took 2-1/2 hrs by car to get to our destination. We arrived around 3:20 pm. We worked fast and furious to cover what we needed to cover with the factory because we had to catch a bus to Shanghai that left at 5:50 pm.
I had just enough time when we arrived at the bus station to use the washroom - an eastern style ceramic hole in the floor. I wish I could post a picture here now for anyone who has not yet experienced The Squatter. Unfortunately, I now have a permanent image of how low the locals can go because I accidentally opened the stall door of a woman using one. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Was all I could stutter as I quickly shut the door.
I must admit, I'm feeling a little cranky right now.
It's hot and muggy on the bus, and little things that normally wouldn't bother me much are getting under my skin. The bus driver spent the first 45 mins blaring his horn as we swayed from side to side traveling through town to reach the interstate.
Then the woman across the aisle from us started clapping. That's right, clapping aloud. To herself. For the next 45 minutes. We're not sure what she was doing, but we're guessing it was either her form of entertainment or exercise.
We just finished a 15 minute stop at a Chinese rest joint for fast food dinner that makes KFC seem gourmet. I wolfed down my rice and stewed cabbage, the only things that looked even remotely appealing among a lineup of mystery meats. I got a short workout sprinting to the bus, since the driver was backing up to leave when we came out of the cafe. Now we're on our way again, lumbering towards Shanghai.
Hopefully my bladder will forgive me for not taking my chances on the restroom. The odor wafting from the doorway combined with the mental image of the last time I used the pee pit today kept me away.
The man in front of me is snoring loudly. Is it time to cue the crying baby to chime in?
I'm going to risk sounding a little snotty here, but Chinese public transportation is not my idea of fun on a Friday night.
We should arrive in Shanghai around 11 pm, and if we're lucky, to the hotel by midnight. Ahhhhh, I can't wait to crash into bed.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Too expensive
After two months living here, I've found I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with RMB currency. At first it felt like we were spending Monopoly money, especially since for every 1 dollar exchanged you receive almost 7 Chinese Yuan (Renmimbi, aka RMB, and Yuan are two words for the same thing). 6.8 is more exact, although China made a formal announcement early this week that they will allow their money to float a little more freely in the market. Experts predict the exchange rate will be closer to 6.5 to 1 US dollar by the end of the year. It's been steady at about 6.8 to 1 for the last two years.
The feeling of knowing what the money in your hand is worth is really nice. I mean, it's something I took for granted at home, and found really challenging when we first arrived in China.
It seemed no matter what we paid for something, my coworkers were always telling us it was too much. How were we to know though? And who's to say what is really too much - it varies by person and by the situation. Some things cost less here than they do back in the U.S., and others are the same price or much more.
Even though we're more comfortable with the money values now, we still judge everything by what it would cost to buy it back in Atlanta. Maybe over time that will change?
The feeling of knowing what the money in your hand is worth is really nice. I mean, it's something I took for granted at home, and found really challenging when we first arrived in China.
It seemed no matter what we paid for something, my coworkers were always telling us it was too much. How were we to know though? And who's to say what is really too much - it varies by person and by the situation. Some things cost less here than they do back in the U.S., and others are the same price or much more.
Even though we're more comfortable with the money values now, we still judge everything by what it would cost to buy it back in Atlanta. Maybe over time that will change?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Traveling Dean
My parents left on Thursday to head home. We are traveling back to Atlanta on July 1st, less than two weeks away, so we did something a little unusual… we sent Dean home with them! He doesn’t have to have a seat since he’s under the age of two, so he’s traveling home in their arms.
Hard to believe the little guy is only 11 months old, and already I can’t remember what we did with our free time before he was born.
It’s Sunday evening as I type this and Matt and I have been total bums all weekend. Friday night we went to Cheers to watch the World Cup USA game, but other than that, I’ve laid around all weekend reading a new book and relaxing.
Tonight we went to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. It was odd to not have the usual stares and attention we receive when Dean is with us. I felt a little out of sorts, since I didn’t have to chop up all of my food and the best cuts of meat/veggies/etc for eager little fingers sitting in a stroller nearby.
Hopefully traveling Dean isn’t missing us too much. I’m already looking forward to having the chaos he brings back in my life. 11 days to go…
Hard to believe the little guy is only 11 months old, and already I can’t remember what we did with our free time before he was born.
It’s Sunday evening as I type this and Matt and I have been total bums all weekend. Friday night we went to Cheers to watch the World Cup USA game, but other than that, I’ve laid around all weekend reading a new book and relaxing.
Tonight we went to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. It was odd to not have the usual stares and attention we receive when Dean is with us. I felt a little out of sorts, since I didn’t have to chop up all of my food and the best cuts of meat/veggies/etc for eager little fingers sitting in a stroller nearby.
Hopefully traveling Dean isn’t missing us too much. I’m already looking forward to having the chaos he brings back in my life. 11 days to go…
Saturday, June 19, 2010
World Cup
It’s Saturday – we made it through another week! The weather is so beautiful outside today, sunny and clear. It’s rare to see so much blue sky here in Shenzhen. A combination of pollution and tropical, humid weather means there are many days when the sky is hazy or completely white, and it feels like we live in a cloud.
Right now the talk about town is the World Cup. Any restaurant I’ve walked into the past week is showing it on TV, and many are offering food or drink specials and World Cup viewing parties.
I know I’ve heard of the World Cup in the past, but I can’t recall ever watching a game. Matt knows much more about it than me – I’m still learning. He explained to me that it’s like a soccer tournament that only happens every 4 years, and the teams are made up of players from the country they are from. (I learned this last bit when I asked if I would get to see hottie David Beckam playing for the U.S. Important to note – he would normally play for England, but he’s injured right now and can’t play at all).
For anyone out there like me, ignorant to the world of soccer, here’s a few more tidbits: the World Cup location changes, kind of like the Olympics. Since soccer is not as big in the U.S. as it is in other places around the world, often games are only shown on TV live, which could mean they are on TV in the middle of the night. There are 32 teams (countries) playing and the entire event lasts a month.
I’ve seen a lot of advertising for the World Cup in Shenzhen, such as Lego-like doodads and soft drink cans covered with pictures of players. China’s team didn’t make the cut, but the people here are still so passionate about this sport.
Matt read in a local paper that the Chinese government received a large number of tickets from North Korea, which they then distributed to Chinese celebrities or well-to-do businessmen. I did a google search on the topic and came up with this article, which is pretty interesting…
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23845657-north-koreas-world-cup-fans-who-are-really-volunteers-from-china.do
Rest assured we will be cheering on team USA, and we hope they go all the way!
Right now the talk about town is the World Cup. Any restaurant I’ve walked into the past week is showing it on TV, and many are offering food or drink specials and World Cup viewing parties.
I know I’ve heard of the World Cup in the past, but I can’t recall ever watching a game. Matt knows much more about it than me – I’m still learning. He explained to me that it’s like a soccer tournament that only happens every 4 years, and the teams are made up of players from the country they are from. (I learned this last bit when I asked if I would get to see hottie David Beckam playing for the U.S. Important to note – he would normally play for England, but he’s injured right now and can’t play at all).
For anyone out there like me, ignorant to the world of soccer, here’s a few more tidbits: the World Cup location changes, kind of like the Olympics. Since soccer is not as big in the U.S. as it is in other places around the world, often games are only shown on TV live, which could mean they are on TV in the middle of the night. There are 32 teams (countries) playing and the entire event lasts a month.
I’ve seen a lot of advertising for the World Cup in Shenzhen, such as Lego-like doodads and soft drink cans covered with pictures of players. China’s team didn’t make the cut, but the people here are still so passionate about this sport.
Matt read in a local paper that the Chinese government received a large number of tickets from North Korea, which they then distributed to Chinese celebrities or well-to-do businessmen. I did a google search on the topic and came up with this article, which is pretty interesting…
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23845657-north-koreas-world-cup-fans-who-are-really-volunteers-from-china.do
Rest assured we will be cheering on team USA, and we hope they go all the way!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Dragon Boat Day
Today China is celebrating Dragon Boat Day. I’m not sure of the history of this national holiday, or what it means for the average citizen here. What I do know is that the China Plaid office was closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but only due to the fact that we worked Saturday and Sunday as an exchange.
Some of my coworkers traveled home to visit family, while others talked of how much they looked forward to lying around, watching movies, relaxing, and sleeping a lot.
In celebration of the national holiday, we ate sticky rice wrapped like a triangle in green plant leaves. Actually, we ate it on Monday because we’re silly Americans and we didn’t know any better.
Mom and Dad Adgate are visiting, which is partly why it’s been almost two weeks since I posted the last blog entry. They arrived late on the evening of June 6th after about 20 hours of travel. Whenever I am not working, I am spending all of my time with family.
It’s been great sharing all of our new experiences with them, from eating sesame seed covered duck bought on the side of the road to teaching Dean to giggle like “huhuhuhuh” or say “wow!”
We celebrated Matt’s birthday on the 14th with a delicious dinner of amazing, fall off the bone baby back ribs at Matt’s new favorite place to hang out – a restaurant/bar
named Cheers. He’s only been there a couple times, and yet everyone who works there really does know his name! At any given time, at least one of the five owners can usually be found sitting at the end of the bar. I believe they are all from the U.S., and the atmosphere they've created reminds me of a Taco Mac or Loco's sports bar back home - two places Matt and I love!
The food available at Cheers is reasonably priced, although very expensive in comparison to the local Chinese restaurants. Ribs with a baked potato will set you back 20 RMB, which is about $18, while the yummy chicken sandwich or a burger costs 45 RMB, about $6.50.
One thing Matt found out when talking with the owners is that is was very difficult for them to purchase the right kind of cuts of meat to make burgers and ribs the way we do in the U.S. Meat is just not prepared that way here. For one thing, it is almost always still attached to the bone. The bones add flavor, and probably moisture as well. I get tired of always eating meat off the bone and I wish I could just buy prepackaged Tyson Chicken breasts or ground hamburger meat at the store, but Matt doesn't mind it. He's happy to have meals with flavorful, delicious meat at each one.
I am thinking about asking the guys at Cheers if we can buy raw hamburger meat from them or direct from whoever their butcher is so we can cook with it at home. Hamburger Helper, anyone?
Some of my coworkers traveled home to visit family, while others talked of how much they looked forward to lying around, watching movies, relaxing, and sleeping a lot.
In celebration of the national holiday, we ate sticky rice wrapped like a triangle in green plant leaves. Actually, we ate it on Monday because we’re silly Americans and we didn’t know any better.
Mom and Dad Adgate are visiting, which is partly why it’s been almost two weeks since I posted the last blog entry. They arrived late on the evening of June 6th after about 20 hours of travel. Whenever I am not working, I am spending all of my time with family.
It’s been great sharing all of our new experiences with them, from eating sesame seed covered duck bought on the side of the road to teaching Dean to giggle like “huhuhuhuh” or say “wow!”
We celebrated Matt’s birthday on the 14th with a delicious dinner of amazing, fall off the bone baby back ribs at Matt’s new favorite place to hang out – a restaurant/bar
named Cheers. He’s only been there a couple times, and yet everyone who works there really does know his name! At any given time, at least one of the five owners can usually be found sitting at the end of the bar. I believe they are all from the U.S., and the atmosphere they've created reminds me of a Taco Mac or Loco's sports bar back home - two places Matt and I love!
The food available at Cheers is reasonably priced, although very expensive in comparison to the local Chinese restaurants. Ribs with a baked potato will set you back 20 RMB, which is about $18, while the yummy chicken sandwich or a burger costs 45 RMB, about $6.50.
One thing Matt found out when talking with the owners is that is was very difficult for them to purchase the right kind of cuts of meat to make burgers and ribs the way we do in the U.S. Meat is just not prepared that way here. For one thing, it is almost always still attached to the bone. The bones add flavor, and probably moisture as well. I get tired of always eating meat off the bone and I wish I could just buy prepackaged Tyson Chicken breasts or ground hamburger meat at the store, but Matt doesn't mind it. He's happy to have meals with flavorful, delicious meat at each one.
I am thinking about asking the guys at Cheers if we can buy raw hamburger meat from them or direct from whoever their butcher is so we can cook with it at home. Hamburger Helper, anyone?
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