Work...in China

Working in China has puzzled me in many aspects.

Our company has been getting ready for international export show. (Its both an import and export, but China doesn't import many goods.) We have been working none stop for the last week. We had to come in on Saturday and Sunday and stay late everyday.

Yet like usual, we take a huge lunch break. From 12:00 to around 2pm, the office stops all work. Some like to nap or play cards, while others go shopping for things. After 2pm though, its all work, and sometimes we go until 8pm or later to finish up on work. (The buses stop running after around 8:30 depending on the route, but the subway runs until 11:30. I have been taking the subway home, because my bus route stops running at 8:30)

Why couldn't we take a shorter lunch break instead of working late or on the weekend? I guess its a ritual in China to take long lunch breaks, and napping after lunch is the norm for most workers. (Even my boss sometimes takes a nap. They also have pillows. They place the pillow on top of the desk and rest their heads on the pillows. I'm not sure if its like this for the rest of China.)

They also take company vacations. (I guess they get a better rate if they go together?) One of the company walls is plastered with pictures of many vacations they have taken together. (Who answers the phones when everyone is gone?) In China, your work family is like your real family. People attach and identity themselves by where they work. I, though do not fully understand.

The Fire

So I was sitting at my desk, filling out some forms for a freight delivery at the office, when I hear a loud bang. I look up and see one of the lights fixtures has gone out and black smoke slowly seeps out. My co-workers and I realize there is a small fire inside the light fixture. I, being native, offer to use water put out the fire. Instead, the fire slowly burned itself out. After a few minutes the flickers of light from flame disappear and all is well in the office. My co-workers shrug off the fire and quickly go back to work.

(For all "The Office" fans, you will probably remember "The Fire" episode in season one, when Ryan starts the fire in the office. Its actually one of my favorite episodes. We didn't evacuate the building or anything though.)

I'm guessing the building codes here are not as strict as those in the States. Public safety also seems to be a issue. One of the factory owner's son (the company buys from many factories) was recently hit by a car and did not survive the accident. I guess I'm living in a still developing country, a "less developed country."

Lets go Hiking up Purple and Gold Mountain

Nanjing is surrounded by a river, the Chang Jiang (translated:Long River) and a mountain call Zi Sin Shan (Purple and Gold Mountain). My co-worker named Jeffery, climbs the mountain (its more of a large hill) quite often for exercise and invited me along. The only thing was he did not tell me it was a hour long climb to the top and he decided to take the hardest path. By the time we reached the top, I was about dead. China is filled with mountains especially in Southern China. People engage mountain hiking as a past time. In Chinese its called Pa Shan.
At the top and about to faint from exhaustion.
The city below lined with skyscrapers. As you can see a cloud of smog steps atop of the city. As I mentioned before the air is terrible, but on top of the mountain is a whole lot better.

My Chinese is not so good...

So for the first time, I think I was of use at work. Its usually me desperately trying to figure out what the Chinese characters in front of me mean. Its made me realize how bad my Chinese is.(The Internet makes looking up things a bit easier.) But today I was finally able to do useful work. The work of course did not involve me reading Chinese, rather I was in Photoshop, editing pictures.

Yet my goal is to be productive and that means the slow journey of learning Chinese. I have to be able to express myself verbally and to read and write. The scary part is I do not how long it will take. It will take time, though. I have been in China for a month and its only the beginning of learning.

On another note, I went to the movie theatre yesterday and watched a Hong Kong/China studio film...it was terrible. For the first time I had the urge of walking out of the movie. Yet, people in the theatre enjoyed their time. I will talk about the matter another time.

China: Becoming Less Capalistic?

I came across quite a interesting article on the Economist. It talks about how a new book purposes the idea of China becoming less, instead of more, capalistic. I'm not a expert on the subject but I actually think parts of the argument is valid. Check out the link below:

http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?source=most_commented&story_id=12333103

First day

So I survived the first day. Everything was lost in translation. Everything was Chinese. (How dare they!)

The most eventful time was lunch. We shared the food like a family and afterwards took naps (or at least some napped.) It was like pre-school except no juice, just green tea. I forgot people in China took two hour lunches and napped, they even have pillows. But instead of going home at 5pm, we leave at around 6:30pm, I guess it makes up for the two hour lunch.

Will work for food.

Christmas came early! I finally start work (actually its more of an internship) tomorrow. Its been a whole month in China and I will finally start. I glad I finally can get my feet wet. I was stuck at the apartment all day studying Chinese and doing household chores, so its a relief to be doing something. I checked out my relatives company today, they manufacture and export collectible gifts such as dolls and lamps. They design the products and manufactures them for export. I'm going to be doing client accounts, although I do not think my Chinese is up to the challenge. (I actually think I will be more of a burden on the company, at least for now.)

So, tomorrow morning I have to be at work by 9. I walk for about 15 minutes, (I'm trying to lose weight so the walk will be quite good,) to the bus station to take the number 4 bus to work. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes. Work ends at 5:30 and (hopefully if I'm diligent) its back to studying Chinese. It will definitely be a learning process. Wish me luck!

To the city wall

The water bill was late and I had to go the water company to pay it. It was quite a journey. (Not really.) I decided to walk to the water company instead of taking the bus. It gave me a chance to take pictures. Unfortunately it started raining by the time I was walking back home.
I think the man on the left was selling razor blades.
I actually live by a river. Its not as nice as it sounds.
The China squat. I have not mastered it.
The streets are lined with shops.

The water company is by the one of the many city wall still standing. Nanjing used to be the capital of China in recent and earlier periods and old protective walls surround the city.
The building is one of the entrances to the city in olden times.
Its the southern "door" to the city.

Its a tourist attraction now fulled with tackiness.
Another "door" to the city.
Nanjing is fulled with artifacts of Old China.

A look though the building though the "door."
Now, cars and bicycles go though "door."
The city walls are flanked by a river. I'm guessing it was for defensive of the city.

I was going to take more pictures but it started to rain. It rains quite a lot in Nanjing.

At the street market

In Nanjing and most of China, people buy groceries at the farmer's market and not the supermarket. Buying groceries is a daily affair because people like their food fresh.
There is a wide variety of vegetables in season currently.
In the morning, around 7 and 8, the market is packed with people.

The Chinese eat more pork than other meats. A pork stand.
Mushrooms and other vegetables.