The day got off to a bad start. Jason told me to catch the 8.30 ferry I think to get to the industrial site. I got the 10 am ferry.
Breakfast
I thought a continental breakfast in a Holiday Inn meant a croissant and some dodgy jam, orange juice and coffee...no not in Hong Kong. Thank goodness I had a little kettle in my hotel room and some instant nestcafe. The complimentary breakfast was a choice of tar like coffee, congee (a kind of hot rice pudding with hot pork), noodles and pork or cornflakes with milk. Milk is a no no for Westerners so I had to pass on that....
Getting to the site
Jason, the local contact, got confused about which ferry terminal I should go to...the man behind the desk even when Jason was speaking to him in Cantonese didn't know. Anyway I made it to the terminal with my suitcase. The lady said "You want first class ticket"
Me: "No just regular"
Her Boss "You need first class, first class just $10 difference"
Me: Fine I said
Whilst waiting for the boat I did feel people staring at me but I thought well whatever and there were other foreigner so I didn't feel too bad.
I think I may be a little sea sick or the ferry just went very very fast.....
Shenzhen was HOT. HOT like Hell. It truly was hell. Jason (the local coordinator) finally met me and he said: "Ros-ah, you Ros-ah, nice meet you Ros-ah"
I have endured many variations on Ros, Rose, Rozzy but Ros-ah was a first. Gary was in the taxi too and the start of our many "yes yes" conversations...
We got out of the taxi and the taxi driver spat. I don't mean a silent spit. I mean a hawking sound and then spat....and that carried on throughout my time in China.
The people on the site were lovely, Tony and his boss. I am grateful that I read up about Chinese business etiquette; they were impressed by my little bow, me studying the business card. We exchanged gifts. They gave me a wallet which I will give to big boss.
Lunch
The canteen on the site cooks ONE MEAL and everyone eats that. A LARGE VAT of rice and some kind of meat. They brought the food up to our little boardroom. Well I have never been so happy that there was coca cola on the table and bottles of water. I should probably write to Coke and tell them it was partly them who got me through my week in China. I opened up my styrofoam take out tray and I saw bok choi (green leafy veggie which I like), rice, and pork. However the pork was just chopped up and the hair was still left in the skin. I had 2 mouthfuls of rice and guzzled down a can of coke.
Sleeping at their desks
The office workers nap at their desk after lunch...a disco nap...or I suppose a power nap is more appropriate as they are not going to a disco. Then music is played at 2pm and everyone goes back to work. Genius!
The Journey to Xiamen 5pm until MIDNIGHT!
So after the site visit was done...Jason and Gary left me at the ferry terminal to make my way to Hong Kong airport. I was happily waiting in the queue when I heard someone hawking and spitting behind me! Yes spitting INSIDE the building on the floor....one thought came to mind. TB!
I took Dragon Airlines (a subsidary of Cathy Pacific) to Xiamen and it was fine. I arrived at Xiamen at 11.15pm! I get off the plane and enter Xiamen airport. I manage to find someone who speaks limited English and she tells me that my Hong Kong dollar worthless in China. NO ONE told me they had DIFFERENT bloody money in China. Apparently its called RND or something anyway it has Mao's face on it. I go wait for a taxi outside....I get into the taxi. There are no seatbelts in back. Suddenly I have that fleeting realisation that what if this taxi driver abducts me....I don't speak their language. Would anyone miss Rosette? We get to the hotel - or should I say the other side of the road and the man is pointing at the hotel. "Yes" that's my hotel. Then he carries on driving. "What the fuck....stop I start to scream" Anyway turns out he had to drive a little way so he could turn the car round.
I pay him and am greeted by the doorman of the 4 star hotel. I walk in with my big old suitcase and the front desk man says:
"What you want"
What kind of fucking greeting is that at 11.45pm...but instead I just say in this small voice - "I have a reservation".
The only upside to the hotel is the room....oh yes no more holiday inn. I chose well and the bed is very comfortable....
Breakfast
I thought a continental breakfast in a Holiday Inn meant a croissant and some dodgy jam, orange juice and coffee...no not in Hong Kong. Thank goodness I had a little kettle in my hotel room and some instant nestcafe. The complimentary breakfast was a choice of tar like coffee, congee (a kind of hot rice pudding with hot pork), noodles and pork or cornflakes with milk. Milk is a no no for Westerners so I had to pass on that....
Getting to the site
Jason, the local contact, got confused about which ferry terminal I should go to...the man behind the desk even when Jason was speaking to him in Cantonese didn't know. Anyway I made it to the terminal with my suitcase. The lady said "You want first class ticket"
Me: "No just regular"
Her Boss "You need first class, first class just $10 difference"
Me: Fine I said
Whilst waiting for the boat I did feel people staring at me but I thought well whatever and there were other foreigner so I didn't feel too bad.
I think I may be a little sea sick or the ferry just went very very fast.....
Shenzhen was HOT. HOT like Hell. It truly was hell. Jason (the local coordinator) finally met me and he said: "Ros-ah, you Ros-ah, nice meet you Ros-ah"
I have endured many variations on Ros, Rose, Rozzy but Ros-ah was a first. Gary was in the taxi too and the start of our many "yes yes" conversations...
We got out of the taxi and the taxi driver spat. I don't mean a silent spit. I mean a hawking sound and then spat....and that carried on throughout my time in China.
The people on the site were lovely, Tony and his boss. I am grateful that I read up about Chinese business etiquette; they were impressed by my little bow, me studying the business card. We exchanged gifts. They gave me a wallet which I will give to big boss.
Lunch
The canteen on the site cooks ONE MEAL and everyone eats that. A LARGE VAT of rice and some kind of meat. They brought the food up to our little boardroom. Well I have never been so happy that there was coca cola on the table and bottles of water. I should probably write to Coke and tell them it was partly them who got me through my week in China. I opened up my styrofoam take out tray and I saw bok choi (green leafy veggie which I like), rice, and pork. However the pork was just chopped up and the hair was still left in the skin. I had 2 mouthfuls of rice and guzzled down a can of coke.
Sleeping at their desks
The office workers nap at their desk after lunch...a disco nap...or I suppose a power nap is more appropriate as they are not going to a disco. Then music is played at 2pm and everyone goes back to work. Genius!
The Journey to Xiamen 5pm until MIDNIGHT!
So after the site visit was done...Jason and Gary left me at the ferry terminal to make my way to Hong Kong airport. I was happily waiting in the queue when I heard someone hawking and spitting behind me! Yes spitting INSIDE the building on the floor....one thought came to mind. TB!
 |
| Shenzhen ferry terminal...inside |
I took Dragon Airlines (a subsidary of Cathy Pacific) to Xiamen and it was fine. I arrived at Xiamen at 11.15pm! I get off the plane and enter Xiamen airport. I manage to find someone who speaks limited English and she tells me that my Hong Kong dollar worthless in China. NO ONE told me they had DIFFERENT bloody money in China. Apparently its called RND or something anyway it has Mao's face on it. I go wait for a taxi outside....I get into the taxi. There are no seatbelts in back. Suddenly I have that fleeting realisation that what if this taxi driver abducts me....I don't speak their language. Would anyone miss Rosette? We get to the hotel - or should I say the other side of the road and the man is pointing at the hotel. "Yes" that's my hotel. Then he carries on driving. "What the fuck....stop I start to scream" Anyway turns out he had to drive a little way so he could turn the car round.
I pay him and am greeted by the doorman of the 4 star hotel. I walk in with my big old suitcase and the front desk man says:
"What you want"
What kind of fucking greeting is that at 11.45pm...but instead I just say in this small voice - "I have a reservation".
The only upside to the hotel is the room....oh yes no more holiday inn. I chose well and the bed is very comfortable....
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