This spirit is Huan Huan, my personal favorite.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A nice description
In his spare time at work, Zach put together this little description of what we do in the office. (You may recognize this as the plot to Office Space, if you haven't seen it, and you're particularly interested in my life as an intern, something really resonates from this film. Also, my boss' name has been changed to Cereal. And no, I will not tell you his real name. I have also changed some of the names of some other stuff, but enjoy all the same)
This is a true story that was just made up and going to hit the box office in late 2009:
The film depicts two interns, Sarah and Zach, in the late 2000s at Infotech, a company plagued by excessive management, and the everyday annoyance of office work in a cube farm setting evocative of the Dilbert comic strip. Soon after the movie begins, two consultants (no name 1 and no name 2), nicknamed "The Bobs" since they both have the same first name, are brought in to Infotech to help with cutting expenses. The workers at Infotech are then interviewed in order to determine which employees will be downsized or outsourced.
Zach Holland and Sarah Morgan are interns who spends their days doing senseless busy work that could be carried out by monkeys. Their co-workers include Samir Nainanajad (Ajay Naidu), who complains that no one in the US can pronounce his name correctly; Michael Bolton (David Herman), who is angry that he shares his name with the real-life singer whom he hates; and Milton Waddams (Stephen Root), a soft-spoken, fixated collator who mumbles to himself incessantly (most notably about his co-workers borrowing his stapler) and is repeatedly bullied by management, especially the callous CEO, Cereal. Cereal their nemesis — a stereotypical corporate middle-manager who spends most of his time wandering the office with coffee mug in hand, wears white-collared shirts, suspenders and a belt (a fashion faux pas), and emotionlessly micromanages his employees while engaging them with superficial small talk.
Sarah and Zach finds themselves stressed, burnt out, and ineffective, and will likely be on the Bobs' downsizing list. Fortunately for them, something unusual happens during an occupational hypnotherapy session urged upon him by his soon-to-be ex-friend Anne. The obese "occupational hypnotherapist" Dr. Swanson, portrayed by Mike McShane, suddenly dies of a heart attack before he can snap, or "unhypnotize", Sarah and Zach out of a state of complete relaxation. The newly relaxed and still half-hypnotized Sarah and Zach finds out that Anne is cheating on them but take the news in stride and don't seem to care. They announce that they will not work anymore, instead pursuing his lifelong dream of "doing nothing", and finally asking out Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), a waitress he's long wanted to date.
In a parallel story, Joanna is experiencing a similar frustration with her boss regarding trivial issues, notably the "flair" on her uniform (catchy slogan buttons that supposedly contribute to the "fun" atmosphere of the restaurant). Although she wears the required number, 15, she is constantly harassed for only doing what is required, although it is never explicitly stated that she should wear more. Meanwhile, during his interview with the Bobs, Sarah and Zach open up for the first time about the absurdity of their job and of how Infotech is run, including the issue with having too many managers and not having any real motivation to work except to avoid hassles. The Bobs interpret their candor, easy-going attitude and lack of regard for his job as evidence that he is unmotivated in his current position and thus a prime candidate for a managerial position. Much to his surprise, and Cereal's dismay, Sarah and Zach receive a promotion while their friends Samir and Michael, two of the department's best programmers, are scheduled to be laid off. At a bar with Michael, Sarah and Zach reveals that their strange behavior is not so much due to the residual effects of hypnotism, but instead to seeing the hypnotherapist keel over in front of them, which has given them a new perspective on life, mainly to not waste it on pointless activities.
In order to get back at the company, the two friends decide to infect the accounting system with a computer virus, which will round down fractions of a cent from accrual of interest and transfer the leftovers into their own account over a period of years, leaving them with a slow but steady trickle of cash undetected by the corporation (see salami slicing). Zach and Sarah, when questioned by Joanna about what their had been celebrating, attempts to diminish the sense that he is doing something illegal by comparing the theft to taking the pennies from the penny tray at a convenience store. The plan, however, backfires when a bug in the virus program's code causes it to take $305,326.13 in one day. The three friends are certain that such a large amount going missing in so short a time period will be noticed and result in their arrest. After a crisis of conscience, Peter decides to write a letter in which he takes all the blame for the crime. Peter slips an envelope containing the letter and the money in unsigned Travelers checks under the door of Cereal's office when Cereal is not there, expecting to be arrested soon afterwards.
However, all their problems are solved when Milton finally snaps due to Cereal, who took away Milton's beloved red Swingline stapler and moved his desk to a cockroach-infested storage room in the basement. Milton's paychecks also stop when the Bobs fix an accounting glitch wherein Milton had, unknown to him, been laid off years earlier but continued to come to work and be paid. Milton sets the Infotech office building on fire, having warned several times that he would "set the building on fire" throughout the film, destroying all the computers and the virus code. The comic strips, pinned to the cubicle walls, seen burning in the fire are from the Cathy series.
After the fire is extinguished, Sarah and Zach finally finds a job that makes him happy: working construction with his neighbor Lawrence (Diedrich Bader) on Initech's former site. Peter finds a red Swingline stapler while shoveling up rubble from the fire, and thinks of Milton. Samir and Michael get jobs at Infotech rival Initrode. They stop by the Infotech site to see Sarah and Zach as they are going to lunch, where Samir asks them if everything will be okay. They assure him the fire destroyed all evidence of the crime. Michael and Samir offer to help Sarah and Zach to seek employment at Initrode, but they replies that they're happy working outdoors and getting good exercise. In a deleted scene on the special edition DVD, it is revealed that Cereal is killed in the fire and none of the conspirators attended his funeral.
Milton makes his way to a resort in Mexico with the $305,326.13 he found in unsigned traveler's checks in an unmarked envelope inside Cereal's office.
I'm not sure how long it took Zach to replace all the Peter's with Zach and Sarahs. And no, we're not stealing money from the company, or anything close to that. But we do have to do something to pass the time between assignments.
This is a true story that was just made up and going to hit the box office in late 2009:
The film depicts two interns, Sarah and Zach, in the late 2000s at Infotech, a company plagued by excessive management, and the everyday annoyance of office work in a cube farm setting evocative of the Dilbert comic strip. Soon after the movie begins, two consultants (no name 1 and no name 2), nicknamed "The Bobs" since they both have the same first name, are brought in to Infotech to help with cutting expenses. The workers at Infotech are then interviewed in order to determine which employees will be downsized or outsourced.
Zach Holland and Sarah Morgan are interns who spends their days doing senseless busy work that could be carried out by monkeys. Their co-workers include Samir Nainanajad (Ajay Naidu), who complains that no one in the US can pronounce his name correctly; Michael Bolton (David Herman), who is angry that he shares his name with the real-life singer whom he hates; and Milton Waddams (Stephen Root), a soft-spoken, fixated collator who mumbles to himself incessantly (most notably about his co-workers borrowing his stapler) and is repeatedly bullied by management, especially the callous CEO, Cereal. Cereal their nemesis — a stereotypical corporate middle-manager who spends most of his time wandering the office with coffee mug in hand, wears white-collared shirts, suspenders and a belt (a fashion faux pas), and emotionlessly micromanages his employees while engaging them with superficial small talk.
Sarah and Zach finds themselves stressed, burnt out, and ineffective, and will likely be on the Bobs' downsizing list. Fortunately for them, something unusual happens during an occupational hypnotherapy session urged upon him by his soon-to-be ex-friend Anne. The obese "occupational hypnotherapist" Dr. Swanson, portrayed by Mike McShane, suddenly dies of a heart attack before he can snap, or "unhypnotize", Sarah and Zach out of a state of complete relaxation. The newly relaxed and still half-hypnotized Sarah and Zach finds out that Anne is cheating on them but take the news in stride and don't seem to care. They announce that they will not work anymore, instead pursuing his lifelong dream of "doing nothing", and finally asking out Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), a waitress he's long wanted to date.
In a parallel story, Joanna is experiencing a similar frustration with her boss regarding trivial issues, notably the "flair" on her uniform (catchy slogan buttons that supposedly contribute to the "fun" atmosphere of the restaurant). Although she wears the required number, 15, she is constantly harassed for only doing what is required, although it is never explicitly stated that she should wear more. Meanwhile, during his interview with the Bobs, Sarah and Zach open up for the first time about the absurdity of their job and of how Infotech is run, including the issue with having too many managers and not having any real motivation to work except to avoid hassles. The Bobs interpret their candor, easy-going attitude and lack of regard for his job as evidence that he is unmotivated in his current position and thus a prime candidate for a managerial position. Much to his surprise, and Cereal's dismay, Sarah and Zach receive a promotion while their friends Samir and Michael, two of the department's best programmers, are scheduled to be laid off. At a bar with Michael, Sarah and Zach reveals that their strange behavior is not so much due to the residual effects of hypnotism, but instead to seeing the hypnotherapist keel over in front of them, which has given them a new perspective on life, mainly to not waste it on pointless activities.
In order to get back at the company, the two friends decide to infect the accounting system with a computer virus, which will round down fractions of a cent from accrual of interest and transfer the leftovers into their own account over a period of years, leaving them with a slow but steady trickle of cash undetected by the corporation (see salami slicing). Zach and Sarah, when questioned by Joanna about what their had been celebrating, attempts to diminish the sense that he is doing something illegal by comparing the theft to taking the pennies from the penny tray at a convenience store. The plan, however, backfires when a bug in the virus program's code causes it to take $305,326.13 in one day. The three friends are certain that such a large amount going missing in so short a time period will be noticed and result in their arrest. After a crisis of conscience, Peter decides to write a letter in which he takes all the blame for the crime. Peter slips an envelope containing the letter and the money in unsigned Travelers checks under the door of Cereal's office when Cereal is not there, expecting to be arrested soon afterwards.
However, all their problems are solved when Milton finally snaps due to Cereal, who took away Milton's beloved red Swingline stapler and moved his desk to a cockroach-infested storage room in the basement. Milton's paychecks also stop when the Bobs fix an accounting glitch wherein Milton had, unknown to him, been laid off years earlier but continued to come to work and be paid. Milton sets the Infotech office building on fire, having warned several times that he would "set the building on fire" throughout the film, destroying all the computers and the virus code. The comic strips, pinned to the cubicle walls, seen burning in the fire are from the Cathy series.
After the fire is extinguished, Sarah and Zach finally finds a job that makes him happy: working construction with his neighbor Lawrence (Diedrich Bader) on Initech's former site. Peter finds a red Swingline stapler while shoveling up rubble from the fire, and thinks of Milton. Samir and Michael get jobs at Infotech rival Initrode. They stop by the Infotech site to see Sarah and Zach as they are going to lunch, where Samir asks them if everything will be okay. They assure him the fire destroyed all evidence of the crime. Michael and Samir offer to help Sarah and Zach to seek employment at Initrode, but they replies that they're happy working outdoors and getting good exercise. In a deleted scene on the special edition DVD, it is revealed that Cereal is killed in the fire and none of the conspirators attended his funeral.
Milton makes his way to a resort in Mexico with the $305,326.13 he found in unsigned traveler's checks in an unmarked envelope inside Cereal's office.
I'm not sure how long it took Zach to replace all the Peter's with Zach and Sarahs. And no, we're not stealing money from the company, or anything close to that. But we do have to do something to pass the time between assignments.
What do I do at work?
I’m working this summer for a global outsourcing company and I’m working in their human resources department. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it’s a useful experience all the same. What I have learned is that, as an intern, I pretty much get stuck with all the jobs that no one has bothered to do thus far. And, I get to do it from my very own cubicle! (I am never working in a cubicle again. I need a room with a window or bust.) I do random things, like edit CVs for Chinese employees (more on errors further on!) and I also do English competency interviews, because the company policy is to speak English in the office. Each job applicant has to pass through an English interview and since I am one of the few native English speakers in the office, I get to do them (they’re pretty funny). I also do some other random, boring tasks, which I would most certainly assign to an intern if I were being paid. Today, I was asked to put together a PowerPoint presentation on how to use Excel, since many people in the office aren’t familiar with it. (I thought I would be required to help them understand some of the particularly hard statistical functions that I was forced to learn in class, but really, they just need some help sorting the data and putting it in alphabetical order). I also put together “English Tips of the Week” to send out to employees who are trying to improve their English. I might have a career in copy-editing, but I fear that that job requires that I sit in a cubicle, so perhaps not. I have; however, greatly improved my English skills, which was something I did not expect in coming to China. Zach, on the other, hand, is performing a security audit (the specifics of which I am unclear on), but we keep each other entertained. He claims it’s like being in a real-live version of Office Space, and I can’t help but agree.
My favorite part of editing the resumes is the phrases that people include. I don’t think that Chinese students really have an opportunity to learn about resume formats and interview protocol in school, and my supervisor says it’s not normal for many students to have an internship until after they graduate. As this is the case, the resumes are downright hilarious. Below are a few of my favorite phrases, just from the resumes I read yesterday:
“Furthermore, my family was full of harmonized atmosphere.” This particular applicant also included his parent’s professions. I’m not sure why he was talking about his family or its “harmonized atmosphere,” but there it was.
“I was fond of chating with foreigner for a simple reason that I was delighted to use English to communicate with others.” If only he had realized that he was improperly using English to communicate through is resume. His interview was, as I recall, much better than his resume. I wonder what kind of translator he used to come up with these sentences.
And my personal favorite, from this same CV letter, “However, I always learn English in my spare time, A lofty idea was deeply embedded in the bottom of my heart…” I believe the lofty idea was something to the effect of working for an international company, like the one I am at. I’m not sure my lofty ideas are deeply embedded in my heart, but maybe I just didn’t get the memo.
My favorite part of editing the resumes is the phrases that people include. I don’t think that Chinese students really have an opportunity to learn about resume formats and interview protocol in school, and my supervisor says it’s not normal for many students to have an internship until after they graduate. As this is the case, the resumes are downright hilarious. Below are a few of my favorite phrases, just from the resumes I read yesterday:
“Furthermore, my family was full of harmonized atmosphere.” This particular applicant also included his parent’s professions. I’m not sure why he was talking about his family or its “harmonized atmosphere,” but there it was.
“I was fond of chating with foreigner for a simple reason that I was delighted to use English to communicate with others.” If only he had realized that he was improperly using English to communicate through is resume. His interview was, as I recall, much better than his resume. I wonder what kind of translator he used to come up with these sentences.
And my personal favorite, from this same CV letter, “However, I always learn English in my spare time, A lofty idea was deeply embedded in the bottom of my heart…” I believe the lofty idea was something to the effect of working for an international company, like the one I am at. I’m not sure my lofty ideas are deeply embedded in my heart, but maybe I just didn’t get the memo.
Wait, it takes you how long to get to work?
I apologize for the delay in posting things, I started work on Monday and we moved from the hotel we were living in to the dorm we are supposed to be living in, so this week has been rather hectic. So I’m putting up a whole bunch of things at once (lucky you!). In any case, as a lowly intern at a global company, I have my own cubicle, which means I have plenty of time to reflect and formulate new blog entries.
On Monday, we left our hotel at 8am for the bus, because we were asked to get to the office by 9am. Zach and I thought that we would certainly make it to the office in the requisite hour, with time to spare, we really don’t live that far from the office. BIG MISTAKE. We forgot that we had timed our commute on a Wednesday afternoon, not in Monday morning rush hour. We also forgot that the vast majority of the millions of people living in this city rely on public transportation to get to work, school, etc. We made it to the office by 9:30, sweating because the bus was so crowded we had to stand pushed up against what seemed like the entire population of Beijing squeezed onto one bus (side note: people apparently aren’t very fond of deodorant. Suffice it to say, that was the last time I took a shower BEFORE getting on the bus). I cannot believe that normal people choose to jam onto crowded buses everyday of their life to travel to work. Traveling by car isn’t really that much better, since the traffic is horrendous, and there is no possibility of building a cross-town expressway through the city because it’s bad feng shui. After that experience, we started the countdown to the end of our bus riding (24 workdays, 48 bus rides, woo-hoo). I can’t wait to return home to my 15 minute walk to the office or my 5 minute drive to baby-sit. And, I will never again complain about having to stand up on Chapel Hill Mass Transit, since even if I’m standing, I’m not pressed up against some stranger.
When we made it to the office, my supervisor told us we’re lucky if we make it to work in less than an hour and a half in Beijing, and you get used to the pushing and shoving to get on and off. She said that waiting for a cab in the morning is nearly impossible too, she had waited for half an hour in her neighborhood and one person managed to grab a cab (and it wasn’t her, so she was a little flustered at the office). Plus, when you ride in a cab, you have the added fear of watching your life flash before your eyes. The guidebooks weren’t joking when they said that the lines on the road are really mere suggestions, not actual rules. I have never seen so many near-accidents, and the rule seems to be that the largest form of transportation is always right, buses can cut off cabs, cabs cut of bicycles and bicycles cut-off pedestrians. Its like playing a game of Frogger to cross the street (the secret: move in large crowds).
Now Zach and I leave at 7:30, it’s amazing what a difference half an hour makes. The air isn’t quite so stagnant at 7:30, and if we make it to the office at 8:30, we can leave for the day at 5:30, which we do, on the dot, much to the dismay of everyone else who thought they’d sleep in late.
On Monday, we left our hotel at 8am for the bus, because we were asked to get to the office by 9am. Zach and I thought that we would certainly make it to the office in the requisite hour, with time to spare, we really don’t live that far from the office. BIG MISTAKE. We forgot that we had timed our commute on a Wednesday afternoon, not in Monday morning rush hour. We also forgot that the vast majority of the millions of people living in this city rely on public transportation to get to work, school, etc. We made it to the office by 9:30, sweating because the bus was so crowded we had to stand pushed up against what seemed like the entire population of Beijing squeezed onto one bus (side note: people apparently aren’t very fond of deodorant. Suffice it to say, that was the last time I took a shower BEFORE getting on the bus). I cannot believe that normal people choose to jam onto crowded buses everyday of their life to travel to work. Traveling by car isn’t really that much better, since the traffic is horrendous, and there is no possibility of building a cross-town expressway through the city because it’s bad feng shui. After that experience, we started the countdown to the end of our bus riding (24 workdays, 48 bus rides, woo-hoo). I can’t wait to return home to my 15 minute walk to the office or my 5 minute drive to baby-sit. And, I will never again complain about having to stand up on Chapel Hill Mass Transit, since even if I’m standing, I’m not pressed up against some stranger.
When we made it to the office, my supervisor told us we’re lucky if we make it to work in less than an hour and a half in Beijing, and you get used to the pushing and shoving to get on and off. She said that waiting for a cab in the morning is nearly impossible too, she had waited for half an hour in her neighborhood and one person managed to grab a cab (and it wasn’t her, so she was a little flustered at the office). Plus, when you ride in a cab, you have the added fear of watching your life flash before your eyes. The guidebooks weren’t joking when they said that the lines on the road are really mere suggestions, not actual rules. I have never seen so many near-accidents, and the rule seems to be that the largest form of transportation is always right, buses can cut off cabs, cabs cut of bicycles and bicycles cut-off pedestrians. Its like playing a game of Frogger to cross the street (the secret: move in large crowds).
Now Zach and I leave at 7:30, it’s amazing what a difference half an hour makes. The air isn’t quite so stagnant at 7:30, and if we make it to the office at 8:30, we can leave for the day at 5:30, which we do, on the dot, much to the dismay of everyone else who thought they’d sleep in late.
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Great Wall continued
As promised, here are some more pictures from my hike on the Great Wall.
UNC students take over the Great Wall.
I think this one is my favorite one from the day. I have absolutely no idea what Chase is doing.
This is my roommate, Sam. Yesterday was her first trip to the Wall too. Next time we come, we are most definately taking the cable car to the top.
UNC students take over the Great Wall.
I think this one is my favorite one from the day. I have absolutely no idea what Chase is doing.
This is my roommate, Sam. Yesterday was her first trip to the Wall too. Next time we come, we are most definately taking the cable car to the top.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Great Wall
This one's a work in progress, I have more pictures, but my connection is a little slow right now, so I'm going to try to add more in a bit.
We went hiking on the Great Wall today. We left the city at 8 and drove about an hour to the base. Apparently we were still technically in Beijing, and the city encompasses even the rural areas outside. It was about a 40 minute hike up to the Great Wall (if we had been smarter, we would have taken the gondola up, but we thought it would be easy to walk). I think I could forego a gym membership here and just hike up and down the wall. We spent about four more hours just walking the wall, the stairs are pretty steep in some areas, and not so steep in others, so I got some nice cross-training in, and the view (despite the fog) was pretty spectacular.
When we got to the bottom we were assaulted by villagers selling misspelled t-shirts and every Chinese trinket you could imagine. I wasn't really in the mood to haggle after the hike, but some people managed to talk them down to about one tenth of their asking price, so I'm thinking when we go to the market in a few weeks, I'll be well-versed in getting a bargain.
We went hiking on the Great Wall today. We left the city at 8 and drove about an hour to the base. Apparently we were still technically in Beijing, and the city encompasses even the rural areas outside. It was about a 40 minute hike up to the Great Wall (if we had been smarter, we would have taken the gondola up, but we thought it would be easy to walk). I think I could forego a gym membership here and just hike up and down the wall. We spent about four more hours just walking the wall, the stairs are pretty steep in some areas, and not so steep in others, so I got some nice cross-training in, and the view (despite the fog) was pretty spectacular.
When we got to the bottom we were assaulted by villagers selling misspelled t-shirts and every Chinese trinket you could imagine. I wasn't really in the mood to haggle after the hike, but some people managed to talk them down to about one tenth of their asking price, so I'm thinking when we go to the market in a few weeks, I'll be well-versed in getting a bargain.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Forbidden City
We decided to do the Forbidden City today. It was hot, but beautiful. I'm posting the pictures, but I'm not exactly sure what's what. All of the plants were in the Imperial Garden, but everything else, I couldn't tell you. All of the buildings had names like "The Palace of Supreme Tranquility" and the "Palace of Mental Supremacy" or something like that. I probably should have paid more attention to the audio tour, but it was a lot to take in.
Friday, June 20, 2008
On the Town
Last night, we took over a bar in Chaoyong (I think it was Chaoyang, I could be wrong). There are about 30 or so other kids in a different program at Capital Normal University, so we all piled into cabs to take on the town. I was surprised to find that the girl at the door was American, and the guy who was in charge of handing out drink tickets and dancing was also American. It was an interesting place. I'm wondering if all of the clubs are inhabited by Americans.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Chopsticks
On Fridays, we have lunch after class with our Lao Shi, our teachers. We're supposed to meet and talk and point at the food and try to identify it. We only just learned the food things today, so the conversation was a bit choppy. I'm starting to think I sound like Joey on Friends on the episode where Phoebe tried to teach him French. I hear the sounds, but I'm pretty sure they don't sound the same coming out of my mouth.
The food is interesting, and since I can now say pork and chicken, I can avoid the things I don't like, and Rao Lau Shi thinks we're quite entertaining, mostly because we can't actually pronounce anything correctly (there are four different tones in Mandarin, so if one word can be said four different ways and mean four totally different things).
I think I have finally gotten the hang of using my chopsticks (kuazi) and I've managed to get to a point where I only have to change my shirt once from dropping something on it. I think the chopsticks might be one of the reasons Chinese people stay so thin though, you get kind of tired when you have to eat your corn kernals one at a time.
The food is interesting, and since I can now say pork and chicken, I can avoid the things I don't like, and Rao Lau Shi thinks we're quite entertaining, mostly because we can't actually pronounce anything correctly (there are four different tones in Mandarin, so if one word can be said four different ways and mean four totally different things).
I think I have finally gotten the hang of using my chopsticks (kuazi) and I've managed to get to a point where I only have to change my shirt once from dropping something on it. I think the chopsticks might be one of the reasons Chinese people stay so thin though, you get kind of tired when you have to eat your corn kernals one at a time.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Pizza in Haidian
Chinese people really don't eat a lot of dairy, no cheese, no milk. It's been about a week, and we're all starting to miss cheese. You can find it, just not in every restaurant.
We went to lunch a few days ago at a local pizza place, The Cat's Eye. It came recommended by a Chinese roommate, and we thought with a pleasant english name like the Cat's Eye, maybe we'd find some pleasant english speakers and some American music. We found those things, and the restaurant was fairly western, western music, western writing on the walls, and no one spoke English. Not even a bit. The booths were packed with young university students, who seemed to enjoy the music and liked smothering their pizza in ketchup (Yes, ketchup, not tomato sauce) and we still had to point at things on the munu or frantically search through our phrase book for a little help with our communication.
We went to lunch a few days ago at a local pizza place, The Cat's Eye. It came recommended by a Chinese roommate, and we thought with a pleasant english name like the Cat's Eye, maybe we'd find some pleasant english speakers and some American music. We found those things, and the restaurant was fairly western, western music, western writing on the walls, and no one spoke English. Not even a bit. The booths were packed with young university students, who seemed to enjoy the music and liked smothering their pizza in ketchup (Yes, ketchup, not tomato sauce) and we still had to point at things on the munu or frantically search through our phrase book for a little help with our communication.
Finding Fe Fe
We left Monday (I realize now my blog is a little out of order, but I haven't been at my computer for a long while, so now I have time, and a book I don't want to read, so here we are), in search of Fe Fe, the tailor who came highly recommended by a personal friend of one of the guys on the trip. According to Chase's friend, anyone who's anybody has a suit custom made by Fe Fe the tailor, who does really great work for super cheap. I'm not really in the market for a suit, but I was in the market for an adventure in the Chaoyang district so I tagged along.
We left around three and hopped on a bus to Chaoyang (that's where I work). The bus took about 45 minutes (which, I've been told is most excellent in Beijing) and when we hopped off, we were sent in six different directions by six different people (it's impossible to ask directions to anywhere).
When we finally found Fe Fe, we found a tiny little woman in a tiny shop with a small back room stocked with suits and dresses. She kept all of her orders in little brown books, all of which looked exactly the same, and I spent like an hour trying to figure out how she keeps herself organized. I also watched her mark a piece of fabric for a pair of pants. I noticed that she didn't use spit marks, like the crazy puppet maker on Project Runway (I can't remember her name), but rather some quick marks with some chalk. The woman knows what she's doing. After poring over her magazines, some new, some not so much, we found suits for Jen and Chase, who were then measured and then we spent another painstaking hour picking out fabrics. I think Fe Fe needs to expand the shop.
After we left Fe Fe's, like three hours later, we set out to find some food before we headed back to our side of town. We wandered for at least half an hour before we decided to go to a place recommended by the handy guidebook. When we got to the restaurant, we found that it had been ranked "One of the Ten best restaurants in the world" by the New York Times, and we were pleasantly surprised that it actually was some pretty good Dim Sum.
And how much, you ask, does one of the best restaurants in the world, cost? Our bill for 6 people was less than 500 RMB. We spent about $10 a person. Gotta love that exchange rate.
We left around three and hopped on a bus to Chaoyang (that's where I work). The bus took about 45 minutes (which, I've been told is most excellent in Beijing) and when we hopped off, we were sent in six different directions by six different people (it's impossible to ask directions to anywhere).
When we finally found Fe Fe, we found a tiny little woman in a tiny shop with a small back room stocked with suits and dresses. She kept all of her orders in little brown books, all of which looked exactly the same, and I spent like an hour trying to figure out how she keeps herself organized. I also watched her mark a piece of fabric for a pair of pants. I noticed that she didn't use spit marks, like the crazy puppet maker on Project Runway (I can't remember her name), but rather some quick marks with some chalk. The woman knows what she's doing. After poring over her magazines, some new, some not so much, we found suits for Jen and Chase, who were then measured and then we spent another painstaking hour picking out fabrics. I think Fe Fe needs to expand the shop.
After we left Fe Fe's, like three hours later, we set out to find some food before we headed back to our side of town. We wandered for at least half an hour before we decided to go to a place recommended by the handy guidebook. When we got to the restaurant, we found that it had been ranked "One of the Ten best restaurants in the world" by the New York Times, and we were pleasantly surprised that it actually was some pretty good Dim Sum.
And how much, you ask, does one of the best restaurants in the world, cost? Our bill for 6 people was less than 500 RMB. We spent about $10 a person. Gotta love that exchange rate.
How many entrepreneurs does it take to find a restaurant for dinner?
The answer: Twelve. Plus one chinese roommate.
Twelve of us (the other four had a scholarship dinner. We aptly called this the anti-scholarship dinner) set out last night to find dinner in the Hadian district (that's where I live).
Armed with a map, bus passes and a vague idea from our "Insider's Guide to Beijing" guidebooks, we set out at seven to find a restaurant on the other side of the district. One bus ride and a fifteen minute walk later, we were completely lost. And, if you ever visit, you will find that in order to get directions, you should ask at least 5 people and take the general consensus, because no one seems to know where anything is (this city IS that big).
After another hour, we determined that we should just abandon the search for whatever restaurant we were looking for, and go into the first restaurant that looked half-decent. We ended up in a place that served hot pot (like fondue). It turned out to be pretty good, though the lone vegetarian in our group really suffered, since hot pot is meat and vegetables.
Almost four hours later, we made it home in cabs. This is the third night in a row I've come back from dinner after ten. No wonder my roommate always opts not to join and instead stays home to study. She'd never get it done otherwise.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
This Week
This week the sixteen of us were lucky enough to start Survival Chinese lessons. And, while I know that sounds fun, since we all would like to survive here in Beijing, Survival Chinese class lasts for FOUR hours in a row starting at 8am.
So far, I've mastered my name, hello, thank you and how are you doing. I'll be able to survive, but I don't think I'll be able to ask directions. My mime skills have certainly improved though, and my pointing skills.
This is my only full week of class here in Beijing, so I'll suffer through. Four hours of class in the morning, and a two and half hour class in the afternoon (three chinese economic system classes and one chinese culture class)and after Friday, I'll only have class on Friday (language, entrepreneurship and another culture class).
Next week when I start working, I'll probably wish I was on my way to class at 8am.
So far, I've mastered my name, hello, thank you and how are you doing. I'll be able to survive, but I don't think I'll be able to ask directions. My mime skills have certainly improved though, and my pointing skills.
This is my only full week of class here in Beijing, so I'll suffer through. Four hours of class in the morning, and a two and half hour class in the afternoon (three chinese economic system classes and one chinese culture class)and after Friday, I'll only have class on Friday (language, entrepreneurship and another culture class).
Next week when I start working, I'll probably wish I was on my way to class at 8am.
Pictures!
Here's a few of some streets, signs, etc. The pictures with the trees are at Capital Normal's North Campus. These are just a little taste of this gigantic city.
A few pictures
Here's a few pictures from our Beijing Scavenger Hunt. The one inside with the Olympic spirits and the one with the umbrellas (it's the rainy season alright) is in Wanfujing (the upscale shopping district.
The other two are outside Tiananmen Square, outside the Forbidden City. We didn't get to go in on Saturday, because of the rain and because we were losing the Scavenger Hunt (very badly, I might add) and we had to get back on the subway to get home.
The other two are outside Tiananmen Square, outside the Forbidden City. We didn't get to go in on Saturday, because of the rain and because we were losing the Scavenger Hunt (very badly, I might add) and we had to get back on the subway to get home.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
I can't read my blog!
I'd just like to apologize if there are any misspellings or space issues when you're reading this. I can't actually see my finished blog ( I think it might be blocked by a firewall) so I can type and post, but not see what it looks like.
If the spacing is off, or something is spelled wrong, please don't judge me (as I am want to do when I read poorly edited things) it's hard for me to see what's happening to my posts!
I also apologize for the pictures without captions, I can't really see what order they're going up in, I just see code.
Thanks for keeping up with me though!
If the spacing is off, or something is spelled wrong, please don't judge me (as I am want to do when I read poorly edited things) it's hard for me to see what's happening to my posts!
I also apologize for the pictures without captions, I can't really see what order they're going up in, I just see code.
Thanks for keeping up with me though!
Adventures in the Electronics Store
After our start of summer banquet yesterday (where I think we were served enough food for 40 people, instead of the 10 at our table), I ventured over to the electronics store to buy a cell phone, so that I can finally communicate with the outside world.
I had read in my guidebooks about the way you pay in a Chinese department store, but yesterday was my first attempt. It was a rather complex process. First, with the assistance of William, one of the Chinese roommates, I picked out a phone (with Chinese radio on it! A feature that I don't necessarily need, but the phone was pretty cheap, so here we are), and then I got a slip of paper, which I think took upstairs to the cashier to pay. After I paid, I took my two receipts back down stairs where I handed one to the shop assistant, who took it to the storeroom to pick up my phone and then brought it back, where they took it out, inspected it, gave me a quality certificate, and then let me leave. I then went to another store to purchase a cheap SIM card and airtime (there are no phone plans in China, everyone has prepaid phones, in case you ever want to buy a phone) and then with the assistance of William again, I loaded up my phone. This whole process only took a whopping two hours. Its a good thing I had a free afternoon. Now, if I have to return it, I might need to free up a whole day.
I then had the brilliant plan of calling home to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! only to find that I have to pay another 800 RMB (about $100, some of which is a deposit) and register my passport to get access to make international calls. What I did discover is that I can receive international calls, at no charge, and its cheaper to buy phone cards to call China, so I will have to wait for the fine people at home to call me.
I had read in my guidebooks about the way you pay in a Chinese department store, but yesterday was my first attempt. It was a rather complex process. First, with the assistance of William, one of the Chinese roommates, I picked out a phone (with Chinese radio on it! A feature that I don't necessarily need, but the phone was pretty cheap, so here we are), and then I got a slip of paper, which I think took upstairs to the cashier to pay. After I paid, I took my two receipts back down stairs where I handed one to the shop assistant, who took it to the storeroom to pick up my phone and then brought it back, where they took it out, inspected it, gave me a quality certificate, and then let me leave. I then went to another store to purchase a cheap SIM card and airtime (there are no phone plans in China, everyone has prepaid phones, in case you ever want to buy a phone) and then with the assistance of William again, I loaded up my phone. This whole process only took a whopping two hours. Its a good thing I had a free afternoon. Now, if I have to return it, I might need to free up a whole day.
I then had the brilliant plan of calling home to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! only to find that I have to pay another 800 RMB (about $100, some of which is a deposit) and register my passport to get access to make international calls. What I did discover is that I can receive international calls, at no charge, and its cheaper to buy phone cards to call China, so I will have to wait for the fine people at home to call me.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Attempting the Beijing Transportation System
Tonight, we were scheduled to have a cocktail meet-and greet with our new employers at one of the restaurants where some of the CEI interns will be working (doing management stuff, not actually working at the restaurant).
Our scheduled cocktail party started at 6, so at 5 we set out from our dorms to find cabs to get all the way across town. Apparently, I didn't read my guidebooks closely enough, because June-August is the rainy season here in China. So the 16 interns set out, professionally dressed, in torrential downpours. We had to separate into cabs, because Chinese cab drivers strictly enforce the four-passenger rule, and we divided up based on who had a cell phone, so they could get in touch with our Chinese speaking professor should we (or the cab driver) get lost. It took us 20 minutes and getting soaked through to our undergarments to realize that there were no cabs, so we made our way to the bus, so we could get to the subway to get across town. From the subway, we took three trains and managed to lose three girls and our professor. When we finally managed to hail cabs, we were taken to a restaurant in a developing part of town. When the cab dropped us off, there was no apparent Block 8 restaurant on the street, but a quick trip around a newly constructed wall revealed our location.
And how long, you ask, did this experience take? A mere 2 1/2 hours from when we started. It looks like I'll be getting up veerrry early for work. Two and half hours late to a cocktail party? Mildly acceptable. Two and a half hours late to work? My Swiss Special Forces trained boss might seriously hurt me.
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