Week 8 Singapore

my career at this point.

I was in Singapore for 4 day. As soon as I step off the plane, I was greeted with warm tropical air even in Dec. and a Giant Christmas display. What catches my eyes was a giant sign of “Mrs. fields” cookies before I even at to immigration. I had never been so glad to see them although I am not a fan, in this case I can’t stop myself, especially I was not even able to find a Starbuck in the Shanghai airport just that morning. That alone is a crime. We all need coffee in the morning, who wanted tea when I only have 3 hours sleep the night before. I should write the airport about that. Mom would you please call them for me.
I stay in a 5 star hotel, with excellent gym and swimming pool to die for, to my dismay, I had no chance of breaking free. Our pitch team took over the bars, restaurants; lobby any place we can work. So I was running all over the place from team to team. That alone was a work out especially I also have to make sure all the teams were well fueled from the bar. After all the work I forgot my presentation board and we went to the wrong office. Never the less it all works out in the end. Without the board, I can actually took of my jacket roll up my sleeves and acting like a true fighter put out the performance of my life time. Can you imagine I am animated more than the real me. I should be onstage.
On the last night after the pitch the team went for a little outing, compliment of the agency to sample a little of Singapore. I was amazed how beautiful the city was. It was lush with greens and trees, the streets are orderly and clean, the natives are friendly. Most interestingly the architecture were modern and innovative. I am very impress. We went to dinner at the waterfront, the river that ran thru the city for a Malaysian dinner, sampled some Turkish ice cream that bought me back to my memories two years ago with my international family in Turkey. We headed to the Sands Casino mall. I really do not wanted to go but the chance to see the Singapore flyer, a giant Ferris wheel, like the London eye, and the modern art museum that shaped like a lotus flower convince me I should join the party. The place is amazing beyond words. That of course it was after a whole bottle of wine almost all by myself. Plus a Martini and more wine before and countless other drinks I lost count, even with that, the pictures as my witness it was a magical place to visits, amazingly it was all in focus as well. WOW.
I return on Friday to a chilly Shanghai, thank God my boxes finally delivered. I refuse to spend another dime on clothing while I had to buy a ripe off of so call suit at Zera the week before for the presentation, I think the pocket is about to come off. Thanks to one phone call from my office, I got my passport delivered to the door. That is connection to the extreme, government or not.
I wonder sometimes whom my boss really is. The company he runs seems to know everything I had in my head and every move I made. I need to leave the country and I had my passport deliver the day before I left, while the official had been holding it for the last three weeks. Just when I return to the freezing cold from the tropics, my assistance call and told me that he will be at my home to supervise the boxes delivery. The week before I had cable problem, I was casually mentioned it at the office, the same evening the IT team was at my apt rewiring the cable network. Have you saw the movie “The Firm”? That is how I feel now. I was busy all weekend check every ceiling light and every like box for hidden camera. But I was not James Boon. I found nothing, not even dust, that was frustration.
There is more positive experience in Shanghai. I came home one night the maid told me that the drain in the balcony is slow. Now be serious, why on earth did she clean the outside balcony in the middle of the winter? I never even set foot outside in all 6 weeks since I move in. I call the realtor for lack of knowledge on who to call. She immediately had service over within 20 minutes. Yesterday I found my light in the master bathroom not working, plus I blow a fuse at the fuse box, so I call the realtor again. The service was over within 20 minutes on a sat even. That is service. I am beginning to like the attention I am getting. May be I should call the agent if she will give me a message. Ha ha
As most of you knew I already a prince in NY, being in the Atelier condo, everyone there will help me do whatever I ask. Little did I know the speed of getting service was nothing compare to the service here in shanghai. Wow, how can I ever return to NY???
My shopping experience is improving as well. I found an out of the world expensive grocery store it is all worth it when I saw “ Tin Foil” not just the thin kind, it is the real thing, the heavy foil. Why is it important? Until you got stuck one day with out a baking pan, at lease foil will do the job in the mini oven. May be I will invent recipe that I can actually cook a turkey in that hard working mini stove. It is a hint that I also find 14 lb butterball frozen turkey all line up to be pick up. Oh lord, thanks for answering my prays. Not that I will actually pick one up.
I though there was no Christmas in china, and I was incorrect. I say “incorrect” because I was not “ WRONG”. I still do not have a day off, but commercially, they are everywhere, they even have a Christmas displace with tree in toll next to a buddist Temple on Nanking Rd. At the shopping district it is full of white light and tress. Although the store does not have a lot of decorations, but the lobby of the mall and outside on the plaza were full of larger than life decorations. I am kind of impress. Especially when I found Christmas decoration in the garden and entrance of my apt, although it was a sorry ancient dusty small tree with lights and some old wrapped boxes they call gift sitting around it in the lobby of each building. I give them credit for doing it.
My apt is not bad, very well run by China standard. I swear they only have one full time concierge at the whole place. I saw he almost every time I go out or comes in. May be they are triplets. You never know. My car driver got lost on his way to come pick me up they ran outside to wait for him to show up while giving him direction from my phone. I was looking for the post office, and they told me they would drop it off for me. I swear this place my company put me in, may be some how connected to the expat watch team and I must be under their watch. The poor gatekeeper on the side gate had to stand outside in the weather, even when it is freezing or raining.
Even the IT team told me that they know I make call in the middle of the night to NY. They even have the time the call was made. Thank God I was on a business call with the head of the US headquarter. You be the judge, am I being watch or hotel Siberia is in my future. Ha ha.
Although no real exciting experience in the last two weeks, I am beginning to feel like home here. May be I let you in some unwelcome romantic advances next week.
So stay tune for the cliffhanger.
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Chance Encounter Shanghai.


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¬¬¬Week 9th Shanghai.
I survived another week in Shanghai.
It is not too much of an exciting week, since I am started to get use to all the so call indifferences as I saw it and accept things as they are. Am I giving in, far from it, if you even think that way, then you do not know me at all.
All week long I was looking forward to the Inter Nation gather, and what is exactly is Inter Nation? It is a world wide organization that is establish for all expats in different countries a place to get to gather to net work, share experiences, good food and an excuse to get a little drunk, or may be even make some meaningful relationships, if you know what I meant. : 0
Never the less, it is not too expensive to go to the event like this. How much you think a buffet dinner that last for two hours with two free drinks and happy hours two for one drinks all night till 11PM.actually cost? By the way it is at the Ritz Carlton Hotel’s Jazz lounge….
(Well you guess wrong).
I said that because you will never believe me. If you are a member, your membership fee is (3 pound a month, that include a lot of other extra events). For this event your cost is 100RMB, or you are not a member, you cost is 200RMB. That is about $33 USD. Now that is a bargain, and of course, I usually I know where the real bargains are, since I am the prince on a budget.
Since it is a Christmas party, so I decided to clean up a little, that means put on my signature bow tie and pocket square, little did I know I was the best dress person in the whole bunch. I mean they dress up, just no bow tie. You know the other devil in US wears Prada, but this devil in Shanghai are equally well dressed in my Brooks Brother, and Paul smith. You can let yourself go for eating fried food, but you should “ NEVER “ dress down on any event. It usually pays off big time I got a lot of attention from both male and female.
Cruising for fortunate or connection tips:
Never look at any of guests that are checking you out when you walk into a crowded room. Focus all your attention at the first open space in the bar, zoom in with your heads up order your drinks and pay cash, save your drinks ticket later. In this case with a two for one drink price, and I immediate have three extra drinks without pay any more money later. Then you turn around walk away. Do not hang in there. If you do everyone knows that you have no friend. Walk around room head up and smile. That is how I got people stopping to say hello and exchange conversation. So horrible of me, but social skill is also like an act on the stage, you need a lot of practice to became a veteran.
That is too much information. Before you all change your perception of the sweet innocent me. I better move on.
I met a lot of very interesting people, a lot of Germany engineers and their wife’s, everyone had a story to share, and I am just listening. Can you imagine? I gave out no details I am the spy. At the end of the evening, I collected so many business cards, and I though oh well, just another one of those formality and I was wrong, hate to say again. There were emails and invitation following almost immediately to join other interesting groups to explore the city, travel, culture, food and wine. I am actually overwhelmed of the success of my first evening out, and the friendliness of the people there.
I also met two very interesting Americans, which are few and far between in China. One is a corporate lawyer here in China with his wife; the other one is a young student from Austin Texas that is also studying in the Chin Wa University School of law as an exchange student from Howard. I met CEOs, and Managers and many more. I think I hit the jackpot.
I also hit the jack pot at the end of the evening those high price hookers seize the opportunities when they saw all my friends were leaving, they swamp me with all their wits before I even have a chance to put down my drinks. But don’t worry, I only have 50 rmb in my pocket and the taxi will take up 14 rmb, unless they wanted to work for free. I am not a big spender even with the suspender and bow tie. I don’t even know how they got into the bar. But never mind that.
On the weekend, I went out for drink of course in some shaky and hairy places and met three other Americans, they were all English teachers here, therefore they did not required having language skill. That makes it hard some times to get around. One of them is really home sick, it was sad, because his school is a littler further out from the Central Shanghai. Therefore he was denied opportunities for a lot of the expat functions usually happen during the week. I felt bad for him unfortunately that is the reality for a lot of them. I only encourage his friends to keep in touch with him more often. I will also try to help them a little.
The reason I mention them is that I was glad that these kids being much younger than I am, their understanding of the Chinese society is in tune with my conclusion that Chinese students are so afraid to step out of line on their thinking. At times it is frustrating for teachers like them and mentor like myself to pour our heart out to guide them.
My assistance reminded me again today that there are too many people in China, with one less one does not hurt any. When I advice him to watch out on what he ate, and the others to smoke less, but that is their attitude, that was sad.
How are they ever going to learn that all lives are precious not just American lives? Sorry I am not spreading many cheers here this week am I?
While all of you are prepare for the celebration of Christmas. I am looking forward for having friends visiting from HK, as well as NY. However from what I saw in the email, the kind of boa that my NY friend is looking for; with a straw on the top is kind of alien for me, I hope I can find out if that is for real. Just like when my team took me for a BBQ, they actually feeding me beef tongue rather than beef. Too late, I already ate it. I really need to watch my team. They took me out for a wild day in the city. As an excuse of Team Building, so the Boss (ME) can write it off. After lunch we went to K-go-car race. Have you ever in one of those cars that goes around the track burning gasoline, no helmet, and no breaks. Well believe me. Remember I told you earlier life worth nothing in China.
Afterward we went into the park trying to learn how to fly a kite that never got off the ground, these kids of mine just running around like bunch of mad man and girls. They try to play catch ball that the suction cups does not stick to the paddle and fleesbie that weight a ton, I am running for my life to avoid that thing landing on my head.
Then we try those crashing car things, that ran by electric, with sparks came out from the ceiling, I do not even have a name for it.
Then I was drag to the Karaoke bar. Let’s get real, I had never went to one with my team in NY. However I have no choice, I was baby sitter for the day. Imagine me singing if that is not bad enough, it is all in Chinese that I cannot read, and music I never heard of. Get the picture? To be honest I actually enjoy being with them. They made me realize they do not need much to be very happy because they never had much to start with.
No wonder when I gave Goddiva chocolates as thank you gift, no one even know that just cost me almost my month’s salary. That is the truth, because it is import that means those Chocolates probably is about three months old, and cost three time as much as in the US. LOL. But the wrapping is still fresh.

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