Wrong language! How about Mandarin?
Today, at the end of the closing meeting, I embarrassed Bruce by letting the group know it was his birthday. There were probably about 10-15 people in the meeting, and Eve and Geraldine (the HR manager and the lawyer - and clearly running this office!) insisted on singing happy birthday to Bruce in Mandarin. I am quite certain it was a once in a lifetime experience! He was a little embarrassed, but took it well. As much as we pick on him, he has taken very good care of his ladies on this trip! (remember, he is the sweet cream filling in the middle of his queens! Whose crowns are still shining, by the way!)
And on that note, we are back to the hotel, the audit is officially over! Stay warm and we will see you all soon!
~Nicole
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Mobbing
Someone wanted to know what "mobbing" is. Simply defined, mobbing is pushing your way through the crowd to get somewhere, often while you are right smack in the middle of the crowd. It violates every personal space rule we have - we got over it because we did not want to wait all night in yet ONE MORE customs line...
Happy Brithday Kinsel!
Hello all,
Today is Bruce's birthday!! Happy birthday! He says his best birthday present will be coming home. We will take him to dinner of his choice tonight.
Well, hard to believe, we are wrapping up and getting ready to come home. The month has flown by and a lot has happened; we all have a greater appreciation for the things we have and are very much ready to come home. We are even willing to suck it up for the FRIGID temps..
We said good bye to bellhop Ishmail this morning - he gets off at 3PM today and comes in at 6Am tomorrow morning. Mr. Chia is picking us up at 4AM tomorrow morning (gulp) but I am sure we will all be so wired we won't care. We will likely be staying up most of the night tonight since we are getting picked up so early tomorrow morning.
It has been a fantastic experience and we look forward to telling everyone about it. Have a fantastic day and stay warm!
~Nicole
Today is Bruce's birthday!! Happy birthday! He says his best birthday present will be coming home. We will take him to dinner of his choice tonight.
Well, hard to believe, we are wrapping up and getting ready to come home. The month has flown by and a lot has happened; we all have a greater appreciation for the things we have and are very much ready to come home. We are even willing to suck it up for the FRIGID temps..
We said good bye to bellhop Ishmail this morning - he gets off at 3PM today and comes in at 6Am tomorrow morning. Mr. Chia is picking us up at 4AM tomorrow morning (gulp) but I am sure we will all be so wired we won't care. We will likely be staying up most of the night tonight since we are getting picked up so early tomorrow morning.
It has been a fantastic experience and we look forward to telling everyone about it. Have a fantastic day and stay warm!
~Nicole
Monday, February 5, 2007
Hong Kong Pictures
Skyline of HK - I think Bruce might have a better picture.
This was on Sunday - it was much more clear than Saturday and a beautiful day outside.
Sunset atop Victoria Peak. It was beautiful - and not too cold either. I expected it to be chilly up at the Peak, but it was quite pleasant. We saw the view from the peak during the day and at night.
I did not realize how pretty HK was. I took this standing near the Big Buddha. Really cool.
This is the Big Buddha. It is literally this huge statue of Buddha in the hills. It is on Lantau Island, the same island where the airport it. We had to take a 1/2 hr ferry ride and then a 1/2 hr cab ride to get there. But the drive was beautiful - we took in the scenery and the nice warm breeze on our faces. Certainly not something we are accustomed to at this time of year.
Charna and Bruce at the stairs of the Big Buddha.
This is the Big Buddha. It is literally this huge statue of Buddha in the hills. It is on Lantau Island, the same island where the airport it. We had to take a 1/2 hr ferry ride and then a 1/2 hr cab ride to get there. But the drive was beautiful - we took in the scenery and the nice warm breeze on our faces. Certainly not something we are accustomed to at this time of year.
Charna and Bruce at the stairs of the Big Buddha.Shangahi Pictures
My camera was too slow to get the best part of this picture...all the bikes had already crossed.
Got faster - this is what it looks like. And this is not even a lot of bikes! 
Want to take a guess at what this is?
You thought you knew what a traffic jam was until you saw this. Think again and then think about why we are terrified to cross the street!
Skyline of Shanghai taken at M on the Bund (restaurant) by CAH Singapore Finance Director KH Kan. Hope you enjoy these!
~Nicole
Regent Hotel Bellhops
Our bellhops, left to right - Hafiz, Valentine and IshmailToday was our first day back at work since being gone last week. We pulled up in the cab, only to find our three favorite bellhops waiting for us! It was like a reunion! Ishmail opened the door for Bruce, holds out his hand and says, Mr. Bruce, how are you? Valentine likes to kiss Charna on the cheek and Hafiz holds the door for us when we walk in the hotel. Hafiz came running out and took of his right glove to shake our hand and welcome us back and got Bruce's computer bag out of the trunk while he paid the cabbie. We chatted for a minute and told them they had to be there Wednesday night, we were leaving Thursday. Ishmail is the one who clapped his hands and the cab came driving over to take us. (Although improving, Bruce's clapping technique is not quite up to Ishmail's!)
We have received nothing but the highest quality service from all the folks here at the Regent, but these guys always welcome us like we are long lost family. It will be sort of a sad goodbye (but not sad enough I want to stay)
Hope everyone is staying warm. We are relishing every moment of it before we come home and freeze!
~Nicole
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Safely Back to Singapore
Hello all,
I hope you are enjoying the Superbowl, as we are over here in Singapore. Matt Poske is especially enjoying the Superbowl so far - has the monkey finally come off Peyton's back? (Charna and Bruce are hoping what appears to be against hope that Dan Marino will have a friend - all the way to show but not able to get the song and dance).
This weekend in Hong Kong was a lot of fun - it is a really neat place. After a fabulous Italian dinner (all the better, it was in our hotel, so we did not even have to leave the building!) we rested and met up on Saturday. We ended up going to Lantau Island (actually where the airport is) to see the Big Buddha. It is literally just that - this huge statue of a Buddha on top of a mountain. It was gorgeous - very peaceful. We took a ferry over to Lantau and then a cab up to Buddha - we could have taken a bus, but I am glad we did not. The road was steep at times and very curvy - not good bus conditions, at least for me. I think my team agreed. Again, I will try and post some pictures. I was quite surprised at how beautiful Hong Kong is - you would have thought we were at some tropical island as opposed to Hong Kong. The weather was gorgeous - sunny and about 65. We thought about feeling sorry for everyone back home freezing, but decided they would not feel sorry for us if they were here and we were back home, so we quickly got over it.
After seeing Buddha, we took the Ferry back to Hong Kong Central and then headed up to the Peak for dinner. The way to get to the Peak is to take this tram, but the tram was packed and you had to take a bus to get to it. We were in danger of not making our dinner reservation, so we opted to cab it up there. I am not sure where we would have taken this bus to, but the road was steep, narrow and curvy - again, not good bus conditions for me. We made it up to the top and the cabbie dropped us off at the Peak Galleria - and I thought to myself, we came up here for yet another MALL??? Thankfully, I was wrong. We got up there to see the sunset, and it was beautiful. By the time the sun set, it was time for dinner - at a restaurant overlooking the city. Hong Kong has a ton of lights. I think Bruce was able to get a couple of decent pictures, and I will try to get one from him. Dinner was great, company good, chocolate cake for dessert was to die for..umm. It was an adventurous ride down the hill - the cabbie drove like a maniac down the steep, narrow hill while talking on the phone. It was great. We then took the ferry back across the harbor (we stayed on the Kowloon side) and went to the night market on Temple Street. It was the first time we experienced the mob scene in Hong Kong.
Sunday was a much more relaxed day. We went and picked up a few last minute items and then decided we were shopped out. We spent our past couple of hours in Hong Kong shooting the breeze at a Starbucks and people watching.
The ride back to Singapore was rough. We managed to survive getting through customs and security (having to do a little mobbing) and even got a little something to eat. Somehow, we were in the section of the airport for US bound flights, so they hand search your carry on luggage. We got off on time, but it was very, very bumpy - we spent 2 of 3.5 hrs in turbulence. I can only imagine what smaller planes were experiencing - we were in a 747. Thankfully, it managed to calm down, but it was a long two hrs. We got through customs, got our bags and Mr. Chia was waiting to take us back to the hotel. Back to the Regent, and our little safety zone.
We are in the home stretch...next time we check out of hotel, we will check in at home. Next time we see Mr. Chia, it will be for the last time. Next time we are in Hong Kong, it will be on our way back to Chicago. Last night, the pilot let us listen to radio communications...hearing ATC say "United 895 clear to land" were the best words I heard all day. I look forward to hearing those words as we are about to land in Chicago and then in Columbus. The flight we are on goes all the way to Chicago from Singapore - with a stop for fuel in HK. The stop in HK is shorter on the way back than on the way over - we determined it probably takes them 2 hrs to refuel the plane on an inbound flight from the US. Given the 3 hrs it takes to get to HK, it should not take that long to get us a full tank to get us back to Chicago. We looked sadly up the stairs to business class as we got on the plane last night, but we will be headed upstairs on Thursday morning. We will take some champagne, reflect on the trip and get some sleep.
We have had a great trip, but it is time to come home. These last three days in Singapore should go quickly, but it was the right decision to come back, it will be easier to finish up here than trying to finish up back in Dublin with the time difference.
Well, Poske, the monkey it off Peyton's back. Your Colts have earned this moment, so bask in it - I am sure you will take more than your share of grief for it. And when you do, just tell them all one things - SCOREBOARD. Dan will have to find another friend to join him in the ranks of never winning the big game.
Have a great day, we are off to work.
~Nicole
I hope you are enjoying the Superbowl, as we are over here in Singapore. Matt Poske is especially enjoying the Superbowl so far - has the monkey finally come off Peyton's back? (Charna and Bruce are hoping what appears to be against hope that Dan Marino will have a friend - all the way to show but not able to get the song and dance).
This weekend in Hong Kong was a lot of fun - it is a really neat place. After a fabulous Italian dinner (all the better, it was in our hotel, so we did not even have to leave the building!) we rested and met up on Saturday. We ended up going to Lantau Island (actually where the airport is) to see the Big Buddha. It is literally just that - this huge statue of a Buddha on top of a mountain. It was gorgeous - very peaceful. We took a ferry over to Lantau and then a cab up to Buddha - we could have taken a bus, but I am glad we did not. The road was steep at times and very curvy - not good bus conditions, at least for me. I think my team agreed. Again, I will try and post some pictures. I was quite surprised at how beautiful Hong Kong is - you would have thought we were at some tropical island as opposed to Hong Kong. The weather was gorgeous - sunny and about 65. We thought about feeling sorry for everyone back home freezing, but decided they would not feel sorry for us if they were here and we were back home, so we quickly got over it.
After seeing Buddha, we took the Ferry back to Hong Kong Central and then headed up to the Peak for dinner. The way to get to the Peak is to take this tram, but the tram was packed and you had to take a bus to get to it. We were in danger of not making our dinner reservation, so we opted to cab it up there. I am not sure where we would have taken this bus to, but the road was steep, narrow and curvy - again, not good bus conditions for me. We made it up to the top and the cabbie dropped us off at the Peak Galleria - and I thought to myself, we came up here for yet another MALL??? Thankfully, I was wrong. We got up there to see the sunset, and it was beautiful. By the time the sun set, it was time for dinner - at a restaurant overlooking the city. Hong Kong has a ton of lights. I think Bruce was able to get a couple of decent pictures, and I will try to get one from him. Dinner was great, company good, chocolate cake for dessert was to die for..umm. It was an adventurous ride down the hill - the cabbie drove like a maniac down the steep, narrow hill while talking on the phone. It was great. We then took the ferry back across the harbor (we stayed on the Kowloon side) and went to the night market on Temple Street. It was the first time we experienced the mob scene in Hong Kong.
Sunday was a much more relaxed day. We went and picked up a few last minute items and then decided we were shopped out. We spent our past couple of hours in Hong Kong shooting the breeze at a Starbucks and people watching.
The ride back to Singapore was rough. We managed to survive getting through customs and security (having to do a little mobbing) and even got a little something to eat. Somehow, we were in the section of the airport for US bound flights, so they hand search your carry on luggage. We got off on time, but it was very, very bumpy - we spent 2 of 3.5 hrs in turbulence. I can only imagine what smaller planes were experiencing - we were in a 747. Thankfully, it managed to calm down, but it was a long two hrs. We got through customs, got our bags and Mr. Chia was waiting to take us back to the hotel. Back to the Regent, and our little safety zone.
We are in the home stretch...next time we check out of hotel, we will check in at home. Next time we see Mr. Chia, it will be for the last time. Next time we are in Hong Kong, it will be on our way back to Chicago. Last night, the pilot let us listen to radio communications...hearing ATC say "United 895 clear to land" were the best words I heard all day. I look forward to hearing those words as we are about to land in Chicago and then in Columbus. The flight we are on goes all the way to Chicago from Singapore - with a stop for fuel in HK. The stop in HK is shorter on the way back than on the way over - we determined it probably takes them 2 hrs to refuel the plane on an inbound flight from the US. Given the 3 hrs it takes to get to HK, it should not take that long to get us a full tank to get us back to Chicago. We looked sadly up the stairs to business class as we got on the plane last night, but we will be headed upstairs on Thursday morning. We will take some champagne, reflect on the trip and get some sleep.
We have had a great trip, but it is time to come home. These last three days in Singapore should go quickly, but it was the right decision to come back, it will be easier to finish up here than trying to finish up back in Dublin with the time difference.
Well, Poske, the monkey it off Peyton's back. Your Colts have earned this moment, so bask in it - I am sure you will take more than your share of grief for it. And when you do, just tell them all one things - SCOREBOARD. Dan will have to find another friend to join him in the ranks of never winning the big game.
Have a great day, we are off to work.
~Nicole
Friday, February 2, 2007
Arrived in Hong Kong
Hello everyone,
I hope this message finds everyone well. We have safely arrived in Hong Kong.
As predicted, this last week in China has left us all pretty wiped out. Today was an incredibly long day, even though it was just a travel day. With our inventories last weekend, we pretty much worked 9 days in a row, and by the time yesterday afternoon rolled around, we were all exhausted. We left the office about 2, had some lunch and then went shopping. Remember that experience Charna blogged about the other day? The one she wanted me to have? Well, I got it - both yesterday afternoon and this morning. Yesterday afternoon was not so bad, but this morning was crazy...
This last week has not been such a good sleep week. Our hotel is literally right on a main road in Shanghai, that is very busy all hours of the day and night. You will recall we identified "horn" as another language, and the time of day or night horn is spoken is pretty irrelevant. In fact, Charna has become very good at understanding horn, and she often is called upon to translate. So anyway, I woke up this morning already tired, with no idea what I was in for. Charna thought we would be better off to go where she went previously, and so we did. I am not kidding, before we even paid the cabbie (after it took us in excess of 30 min to maybe go 4-5 miles) there were people flocking to us to take us around. One could consider them personal shoppers - and they escort you everywhere. We were primarily looking at handbags, and I am not kidding, we must have looked at hundreds of them. We would go into shops and be escorted into these back rooms, look around and either start to bargain or say "another store" I came away with one bag and Bruce 4 (for the other women in his life - his mom, sister, etc) When the guy came running up to us as we were getting out of the cab, I turned to Charna and asked her what she had gotten me into. We were only there for 2 hrs, but it was exhausting.
After that, we needed to get to the airport. Shanghai is one of the few places in the world that has one of those bullet trains - I think we got up to 450km per hr. We did it not only for the experience, but because we thought it was perhaps safer than being in a cab for 45 minutes. The only time it was a little scary was when another train passed us on the other track - Charna got a little pale. We made it safely to the airport where we pushed our way through the mob to get on the escalator to get up to the check in counter. We managed to get checked in and then had to go through about 3 levels of security and forms before we finally made it to our gate. To get to our plane, we had to get on a bus - and you guessed it, there were a ton of people on it. I about freaked out..thinking to myself, THE BUS IS FULL. Well then, the driver kept doing this stop/go thing - it was fantastic. We all managed to keep our balance before piling off the bus and then doing the whole mob scene thing again to get on the place.
Recall from the other day Bruce's conclusions about "sardines in a can". Bruce relived the nightmare again today, while Charna and I experienced it for the first time. The plane was packed - you could not move..anywhere. Not left, not right and certainly not forward. There was a screaming kid and about halfway into the TV's dropped down and Chinese opera came on - loudly. I might have lost it had that continued play throughout the rest of the trip. Charna was busily losing it behind me, as I had reclined my seat to try and get some sleep. Not one to usually fall victim to claustrophobia, the conditions inside the place had taken Charna there. Finally, we landed - and the whole mob scene again to pile off the plane. As we came off, Bruce comes running back on saying he left his camera - thankfully, he got it back. I am not sure if I blogged what happened the other night when Bruce got out of the cab and went "OMG my wallet" Everyone's heart stopped, I thought he had been pickpocketed. Well, he hadn't, thankfully, but sure scared the crap out of us. I left my purse (and more importantly my passport) in the hotel when we went shopping.
Going through customs and immigration in Hong Kong was much more user friendly. To get to our hotel, we hired a car. The hotel website said to go to the counter at 18A, so we did. The guy says, you can take a bus or get a car. I asked how much the car was, they said like $80. I said sold - there was no way we were getting in a bus with the masses. Dude behind the desk got a cart, picked up our bags and said follow me. We did. As we went outside, a car pulled up, driver got out and loaded the bags in the car. It was a black Mercedes - very nice ride. The driver was very safe, there was no one else in the car and we did not speak horn to anyone else, nor did anyone else speak horn to us. We got to the hotel safely and in one piece, and not once did we fear for our lives or be concerned that we were going to hit any one or anything. Quite refreshing. On top of that, the hotel was sold out of rooms at our rate, so we got free upgrades to a suite. What a treat - the hotel is very nice. The bellhop came out and got our bags, and brought them to the room, promptly.
After we arrived, we went to dinner at Sabatini, an Italian restaurant that had come recommended by an old colleague of my mom. It lived up to its recommendation. I forgot to add we had the lunch of champions in the Shanghai airport - Pringles, peanut butter and crackers, cheezits and M&M's. By the time we got to the hotel at almost 8, we were famished. And exhausted.
Suffice to say, dinner was very uneventful. The restaurant was quite crowded, and for good reason. However, the service was great and the food was even better. We decided a lunch of pringles and peanut butter and crackers was worth the dinner.
Tomorrow, we will go see the big Buddha at Lantau Island - we will have to take 2 Ferries to get there. We will dine atop Victoria Peak to see the view of the city at night, which will be amazing - it is really very nice here. We don't have plans for Sunday yet at this point, but plenty to keep us busy tomorrow. I got a message from our travel people today telling me there has been some ongoing problem with United's computer system, and they kept cancelling our flights because they thought it was a double booking - we are going back to Sing on Sunday night on the same flight we took to get to Singapore a few days ago. Fabulous. I am glad she told me so I don't go into a panic. You can't even imagine - if I feel the way I do tonight on Sunday, I might have gone into a meltdown if they told me we were not on that flight.
Although I am exhausted, I wanted to get this posted while it was still fresh. I found our time in China to be very exhausting - we worked all weekend at the processors and then were right in the hustle and bustle of the city where things work a little differently than in the US. As a team, we did feel this week would be exhausting, and it has. It was very nice to come into the situation in Hong Kong, where the pandemonium is not as rampant. If I had to describe China, it would be with the word pandemonium, all the time. I personally find it exhausting. There is a good chance today could have driven me to the point where my loved ones would have to commit me as a result of the nervous breakdown I was about to have. Travel today was very stressful.
Accordingly, I am going to go and try to get some sleep. English premier soccer is on, so I will rest and watch that. Hopefully, we have some pictures to post soon of Hong Kong - I am sorry I don't have the energy tonight to try and upload them.
I hope this finds everyone well, and staying warm. We are supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow. Grammie has told little Belle the countdown is on for her mom to come home. She got another special night last night of a walk and getting to chase her pink kong like a maniac. What a good girl..
~Nicole
I hope this message finds everyone well. We have safely arrived in Hong Kong.
As predicted, this last week in China has left us all pretty wiped out. Today was an incredibly long day, even though it was just a travel day. With our inventories last weekend, we pretty much worked 9 days in a row, and by the time yesterday afternoon rolled around, we were all exhausted. We left the office about 2, had some lunch and then went shopping. Remember that experience Charna blogged about the other day? The one she wanted me to have? Well, I got it - both yesterday afternoon and this morning. Yesterday afternoon was not so bad, but this morning was crazy...
This last week has not been such a good sleep week. Our hotel is literally right on a main road in Shanghai, that is very busy all hours of the day and night. You will recall we identified "horn" as another language, and the time of day or night horn is spoken is pretty irrelevant. In fact, Charna has become very good at understanding horn, and she often is called upon to translate. So anyway, I woke up this morning already tired, with no idea what I was in for. Charna thought we would be better off to go where she went previously, and so we did. I am not kidding, before we even paid the cabbie (after it took us in excess of 30 min to maybe go 4-5 miles) there were people flocking to us to take us around. One could consider them personal shoppers - and they escort you everywhere. We were primarily looking at handbags, and I am not kidding, we must have looked at hundreds of them. We would go into shops and be escorted into these back rooms, look around and either start to bargain or say "another store" I came away with one bag and Bruce 4 (for the other women in his life - his mom, sister, etc) When the guy came running up to us as we were getting out of the cab, I turned to Charna and asked her what she had gotten me into. We were only there for 2 hrs, but it was exhausting.
After that, we needed to get to the airport. Shanghai is one of the few places in the world that has one of those bullet trains - I think we got up to 450km per hr. We did it not only for the experience, but because we thought it was perhaps safer than being in a cab for 45 minutes. The only time it was a little scary was when another train passed us on the other track - Charna got a little pale. We made it safely to the airport where we pushed our way through the mob to get on the escalator to get up to the check in counter. We managed to get checked in and then had to go through about 3 levels of security and forms before we finally made it to our gate. To get to our plane, we had to get on a bus - and you guessed it, there were a ton of people on it. I about freaked out..thinking to myself, THE BUS IS FULL. Well then, the driver kept doing this stop/go thing - it was fantastic. We all managed to keep our balance before piling off the bus and then doing the whole mob scene thing again to get on the place.
Recall from the other day Bruce's conclusions about "sardines in a can". Bruce relived the nightmare again today, while Charna and I experienced it for the first time. The plane was packed - you could not move..anywhere. Not left, not right and certainly not forward. There was a screaming kid and about halfway into the TV's dropped down and Chinese opera came on - loudly. I might have lost it had that continued play throughout the rest of the trip. Charna was busily losing it behind me, as I had reclined my seat to try and get some sleep. Not one to usually fall victim to claustrophobia, the conditions inside the place had taken Charna there. Finally, we landed - and the whole mob scene again to pile off the plane. As we came off, Bruce comes running back on saying he left his camera - thankfully, he got it back. I am not sure if I blogged what happened the other night when Bruce got out of the cab and went "OMG my wallet" Everyone's heart stopped, I thought he had been pickpocketed. Well, he hadn't, thankfully, but sure scared the crap out of us. I left my purse (and more importantly my passport) in the hotel when we went shopping.
Going through customs and immigration in Hong Kong was much more user friendly. To get to our hotel, we hired a car. The hotel website said to go to the counter at 18A, so we did. The guy says, you can take a bus or get a car. I asked how much the car was, they said like $80. I said sold - there was no way we were getting in a bus with the masses. Dude behind the desk got a cart, picked up our bags and said follow me. We did. As we went outside, a car pulled up, driver got out and loaded the bags in the car. It was a black Mercedes - very nice ride. The driver was very safe, there was no one else in the car and we did not speak horn to anyone else, nor did anyone else speak horn to us. We got to the hotel safely and in one piece, and not once did we fear for our lives or be concerned that we were going to hit any one or anything. Quite refreshing. On top of that, the hotel was sold out of rooms at our rate, so we got free upgrades to a suite. What a treat - the hotel is very nice. The bellhop came out and got our bags, and brought them to the room, promptly.
After we arrived, we went to dinner at Sabatini, an Italian restaurant that had come recommended by an old colleague of my mom. It lived up to its recommendation. I forgot to add we had the lunch of champions in the Shanghai airport - Pringles, peanut butter and crackers, cheezits and M&M's. By the time we got to the hotel at almost 8, we were famished. And exhausted.
Suffice to say, dinner was very uneventful. The restaurant was quite crowded, and for good reason. However, the service was great and the food was even better. We decided a lunch of pringles and peanut butter and crackers was worth the dinner.
Tomorrow, we will go see the big Buddha at Lantau Island - we will have to take 2 Ferries to get there. We will dine atop Victoria Peak to see the view of the city at night, which will be amazing - it is really very nice here. We don't have plans for Sunday yet at this point, but plenty to keep us busy tomorrow. I got a message from our travel people today telling me there has been some ongoing problem with United's computer system, and they kept cancelling our flights because they thought it was a double booking - we are going back to Sing on Sunday night on the same flight we took to get to Singapore a few days ago. Fabulous. I am glad she told me so I don't go into a panic. You can't even imagine - if I feel the way I do tonight on Sunday, I might have gone into a meltdown if they told me we were not on that flight.
Although I am exhausted, I wanted to get this posted while it was still fresh. I found our time in China to be very exhausting - we worked all weekend at the processors and then were right in the hustle and bustle of the city where things work a little differently than in the US. As a team, we did feel this week would be exhausting, and it has. It was very nice to come into the situation in Hong Kong, where the pandemonium is not as rampant. If I had to describe China, it would be with the word pandemonium, all the time. I personally find it exhausting. There is a good chance today could have driven me to the point where my loved ones would have to commit me as a result of the nervous breakdown I was about to have. Travel today was very stressful.
Accordingly, I am going to go and try to get some sleep. English premier soccer is on, so I will rest and watch that. Hopefully, we have some pictures to post soon of Hong Kong - I am sorry I don't have the energy tonight to try and upload them.
I hope this finds everyone well, and staying warm. We are supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow. Grammie has told little Belle the countdown is on for her mom to come home. She got another special night last night of a walk and getting to chase her pink kong like a maniac. What a good girl..
~Nicole
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Happy Birthday Chelsie Belle!
THIS IS NICOLE :)
I cannot believe it is already Wednesday here! Yikes! As we predicted, the week has gone by very, very quickly. It is very pleasant in Shanghai - it is in the 50's here, much better than at home. Poor KH is freezing though...this is a little rough for his Singaporean/Malaysian blood. He talks about it being so cold..and the rest of us are actually quite pleased with the temperature, knowing that our poor compadres in Ohio are absolutely FROZEN. I picked a good time to leave - the coldest spell we have had all year. More importantly, I have my furnace set very low. :) Just high enough so the poor kitty does not freeze.
Today is little Chelsie Belle's 5th birthday! I cannot believe she is 5 years old! She was 9 weeks old and 15 squirming little pounds of fur when she came home - she has grown up into a very sweet and wonderful girl who mom cannot wait to get home to! Gammie, please make sure that little Belle gets an empty ice cream cone as a birthday treat. Mom will get her a new birthday toy when I get home next week. It will be so wonderful to get home to her..it is so cold at home it is unlikely she will reject my requests for bonding time. She generates a lot of body heat. :) Happy Birthday Belle, mom misses you!
I tried to post some pictures, but was not successful. I was about to hit "publish" on Sunday night when I lost my connection, and lost my post. I was very disappointed, as it was a pretty good post in my mind. I will do my best to reconstruct the highlights of what I wanted to share with you.
On Sunday, I went back to the plant to finish up my observation. The plant had resumed operation, and I was allowed to go back in, look around and take pictures. Man, what an eye opening experience that was. The pictures I previously posted did not do the plant justice. You cannot imagine how hard these folks work and how efficient they are. This process is a very, very manual process - some processes require 2-3 people working in sync. None of them, not one of them, ever missed a beat. This is not easy work, I will say that much - it is very tedious, monotonous work. Yet these people here are so focused and so diligent - and very motivated, as they are paid by the piece. Therefore, the more they get done, the more money they earn. Money talks, and people listen. It was quite amazing. I had to be sure to stay out of their way - they had things to do.
More than anything, it has made me very appreciative for the things I have. These workers have left their hometowns and their families to work in a factory 6 days a week, far away - lucky to get home to their families twice a year. They live with 5 other people in a bunk on site at the workplace. There was really not much around the plant I was at, except the little "town" or "village" that I described in previous posts that was rampant with poverty. However, as unappealing as it seems to me, this is a better life than they would have in their hometowns, most of them. They have a decent roof over their head, a warm place to sleep (assuming the dorms are heated - the office sure wasn't) get three meals a day and are paid by how much they produce. It is all in what you define as normal. By the time I am finished typing this blog, some workers will have produced hundreds of surgical drapes and gowns.
This trip has also made me much more empathetic to the people that come to our country every day in search of a better life (legally, preferably). Adjusting to everyday life can be a challenge - from figuring out what to eat, how to wait in line, how to cross the street (which is ALWAYS and adventure here) and just how to function in everyday society. When I have gone to Europe in the past, I always knew enough of the language to get by, or could read and guess what signs meant. Not here - I have no way of being able to read anything or communicate with anyone, other than please, thank you and "no more".
This was not exactly what I had wanted everyone to know after my experience this weekend. Such is the curse of modern technology - you love to hate it. Last night in the elevator Bruce was joking that Charna and I "hate to love him". We all laughed - and Charna and I rolled our eyes at each other. There is very little doubt that this whole experience has profoundly changed us in a number of different ways. Despite being together for the last three weeks, we still find many things to talk about in regards as to how this experience has changed us. While there is no substitute for being here, the challenge for us will be to effectively communicate our experience to our colleagues back in the US.
I hope everyone is managing to stay warm. Gammie, give Chelsie an birthday hug from mom. As usual, we are doing fine.
Still a queen with a shining crown,
Nicole
I cannot believe it is already Wednesday here! Yikes! As we predicted, the week has gone by very, very quickly. It is very pleasant in Shanghai - it is in the 50's here, much better than at home. Poor KH is freezing though...this is a little rough for his Singaporean/Malaysian blood. He talks about it being so cold..and the rest of us are actually quite pleased with the temperature, knowing that our poor compadres in Ohio are absolutely FROZEN. I picked a good time to leave - the coldest spell we have had all year. More importantly, I have my furnace set very low. :) Just high enough so the poor kitty does not freeze.
Today is little Chelsie Belle's 5th birthday! I cannot believe she is 5 years old! She was 9 weeks old and 15 squirming little pounds of fur when she came home - she has grown up into a very sweet and wonderful girl who mom cannot wait to get home to! Gammie, please make sure that little Belle gets an empty ice cream cone as a birthday treat. Mom will get her a new birthday toy when I get home next week. It will be so wonderful to get home to her..it is so cold at home it is unlikely she will reject my requests for bonding time. She generates a lot of body heat. :) Happy Birthday Belle, mom misses you!
I tried to post some pictures, but was not successful. I was about to hit "publish" on Sunday night when I lost my connection, and lost my post. I was very disappointed, as it was a pretty good post in my mind. I will do my best to reconstruct the highlights of what I wanted to share with you.
On Sunday, I went back to the plant to finish up my observation. The plant had resumed operation, and I was allowed to go back in, look around and take pictures. Man, what an eye opening experience that was. The pictures I previously posted did not do the plant justice. You cannot imagine how hard these folks work and how efficient they are. This process is a very, very manual process - some processes require 2-3 people working in sync. None of them, not one of them, ever missed a beat. This is not easy work, I will say that much - it is very tedious, monotonous work. Yet these people here are so focused and so diligent - and very motivated, as they are paid by the piece. Therefore, the more they get done, the more money they earn. Money talks, and people listen. It was quite amazing. I had to be sure to stay out of their way - they had things to do.
More than anything, it has made me very appreciative for the things I have. These workers have left their hometowns and their families to work in a factory 6 days a week, far away - lucky to get home to their families twice a year. They live with 5 other people in a bunk on site at the workplace. There was really not much around the plant I was at, except the little "town" or "village" that I described in previous posts that was rampant with poverty. However, as unappealing as it seems to me, this is a better life than they would have in their hometowns, most of them. They have a decent roof over their head, a warm place to sleep (assuming the dorms are heated - the office sure wasn't) get three meals a day and are paid by how much they produce. It is all in what you define as normal. By the time I am finished typing this blog, some workers will have produced hundreds of surgical drapes and gowns.
This trip has also made me much more empathetic to the people that come to our country every day in search of a better life (legally, preferably). Adjusting to everyday life can be a challenge - from figuring out what to eat, how to wait in line, how to cross the street (which is ALWAYS and adventure here) and just how to function in everyday society. When I have gone to Europe in the past, I always knew enough of the language to get by, or could read and guess what signs meant. Not here - I have no way of being able to read anything or communicate with anyone, other than please, thank you and "no more".
This was not exactly what I had wanted everyone to know after my experience this weekend. Such is the curse of modern technology - you love to hate it. Last night in the elevator Bruce was joking that Charna and I "hate to love him". We all laughed - and Charna and I rolled our eyes at each other. There is very little doubt that this whole experience has profoundly changed us in a number of different ways. Despite being together for the last three weeks, we still find many things to talk about in regards as to how this experience has changed us. While there is no substitute for being here, the challenge for us will be to effectively communicate our experience to our colleagues back in the US.
I hope everyone is managing to stay warm. Gammie, give Chelsie an birthday hug from mom. As usual, we are doing fine.
Still a queen with a shining crown,
Nicole
Bruce on Beijing...
Note from Nicole: This is all Kinsel, all the time. Charna and I are happily wearing our crowns and they are shining as usual.
Actually, I was in Shijiazhuang, a 2 hour plane ride from Beijing, but I still haven’t figured out how to pronounce it, so for now…..Beijing. I was assigned to observe cycle counts at one of our glove manufacturing facilities. The facility I visited was one of the Hongray Group Facility. Just to give you a little background:
The Hongray Group is a member of the Encompass Corporation. The Hongray facility I visited is located in Shijiazhuang, China. It is one of 7 Hongray Group manufacturing facilities and one of four Hongray facilities utilized by Cardinal Health. The Hongray Group is a glove manufacturing company and currently Cardinal Health’s largest glove producer. The Cardinal Health glove manufacturing business was primarily located in Malaysia prior to outsourcing the majority of the business to China and becoming a part of Cardinal Health’s Global Sourcing Group in 2005. Daily, a given factory produces ~ 4 million gloves, not just for CAH, however ~60% of their business does come from Cardinal. Yes, you read that correctly…..4 million gloves….A DAY. That is one facility. To be able to see this process and understand this side of Cardinal Health’s business model was an amazing experience.
Upon arrival, I was treated like a King….a little different than the peasant status I have been awarded by the Queens of the Manufacturing Audit Team (Charna and Nicole) (Psss….I will set up my own blog when I get home to give you all the juicy stuff). Nonetheless, I am not accustomed to this treatment. I was greeted with welcoming signs (even in lights), chauffeured everywhere (the processors supplied us our own driver to take us wherever we wanted), wined and dined at the nicest restaurants in town (served some of the great delicacies of the region…pigeon, fishes eye, some of the hottest damn peppers on earth, lobster, and monkeys brain (I had to draw the line there though) and stayed at the only 5 star hotel in the region (I can officially confirm ONLY with my own two eyes). Not all of the trip was riches though…I saw my own share of the rags as well, as the Hongray facility is one of many manufacturing facilities outside of the small rural towns, where poverty runs rapid. I will refer you to Nicole’s write-up for more detail. I believe she did a great job of capturing the mood and environment. Mine was no different. I must add however, that my perception on the life that I live and work has drastically changed. When you travel from the best through the worst daily, you can’t help but reflect and ultimately be affected.
Nevertheless, we completed our mission at the facility and returned back to Shanghai, where I met back up with the two cookies of the Oreo we have formed. Of course then there is me, the SWEET cream filling in the middle. Man…I will hear it for that one. All the same, upon meeting back up in Shanghai, I have returned to my peasant status. Oh well, I am a little more comfortable here. This trip has really confirmed one thing in my mind. I am an independent person and no matter how much money I accumulate over my lifetime, I will stay that way. Nice is nice, too nice is just too damn nice. Middle class is high enough for me.
I guess the only thing left for me is to give you …..
Bruce’s top 10 learns from Beijing
10. How are Chinese people NOT 600 pounds!!!! Every meal is 10 courses.
9. DAMN….How many people can you put in one place…..
8. Cooking is easy in China #2…..just deep fry it and put a sauce on it….add some peppers and call it a masterpiece.
7. There is LITERALLY NO translation for the phrase “Excuse me” in Chinese because it DOES NOT APPLY…..JUST PUSH like everyone else….
6. Trying new THINGS (and I used this term “things” LOOSELY) takes on a whole new meaning.
5. Brian (My Translator): Bruce….you know everyone is looking at you.
Bruce: Yes Brian…..I know everyone is looking at me….I am NOT CHINESE!!!
Brian (MY TRANSLATOR): I have no idea what they are saying!?!?
Bruce: What?!?!?!…GREAT….Well, now you know how I feel!!!
4. The phrase sardines in a sardine can originated in a China Eastern Plane ride from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang and was coined on the plane ride back. My knees are still red from the seat in from of me!!!!
3. Traffic lights translations…..RED- Get back from the road, if possible stand against a building and close your eyes. YELLOW- Don’t move yet, open one eye and begin to pray. GREEN- Open your eyes for a split second, hold your breath, and RUN…RUN LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER RUN BEFORE….closing your eyes during this may eliminate heart attacks. Once across THANK GOD!!!!
2. Cooking is easy in China #1…..just throw it in WHOLE, shell, skin, bones, eyes, extremities….it is all a DAMN DELICACY.
1. Lost in Translation ….. Massage 158 rmb….???? (That is a whole other story….)
All, more stories when I get home. As for all of you that have emailed me in the last 3 days, when my email works again, I will get back to you. Until then, have a great week and I will see you soon….one week and counting. God Bless you all and the USA….BK
PS from Nicole - Don't let him kid you, he had never been so glad to see his queens in his life upon our reunion at the hotel on Monday morning!
Actually, I was in Shijiazhuang, a 2 hour plane ride from Beijing, but I still haven’t figured out how to pronounce it, so for now…..Beijing. I was assigned to observe cycle counts at one of our glove manufacturing facilities. The facility I visited was one of the Hongray Group Facility. Just to give you a little background:
The Hongray Group is a member of the Encompass Corporation. The Hongray facility I visited is located in Shijiazhuang, China. It is one of 7 Hongray Group manufacturing facilities and one of four Hongray facilities utilized by Cardinal Health. The Hongray Group is a glove manufacturing company and currently Cardinal Health’s largest glove producer. The Cardinal Health glove manufacturing business was primarily located in Malaysia prior to outsourcing the majority of the business to China and becoming a part of Cardinal Health’s Global Sourcing Group in 2005. Daily, a given factory produces ~ 4 million gloves, not just for CAH, however ~60% of their business does come from Cardinal. Yes, you read that correctly…..4 million gloves….A DAY. That is one facility. To be able to see this process and understand this side of Cardinal Health’s business model was an amazing experience.
Upon arrival, I was treated like a King….a little different than the peasant status I have been awarded by the Queens of the Manufacturing Audit Team (Charna and Nicole) (Psss….I will set up my own blog when I get home to give you all the juicy stuff). Nonetheless, I am not accustomed to this treatment. I was greeted with welcoming signs (even in lights), chauffeured everywhere (the processors supplied us our own driver to take us wherever we wanted), wined and dined at the nicest restaurants in town (served some of the great delicacies of the region…pigeon, fishes eye, some of the hottest damn peppers on earth, lobster, and monkeys brain (I had to draw the line there though) and stayed at the only 5 star hotel in the region (I can officially confirm ONLY with my own two eyes). Not all of the trip was riches though…I saw my own share of the rags as well, as the Hongray facility is one of many manufacturing facilities outside of the small rural towns, where poverty runs rapid. I will refer you to Nicole’s write-up for more detail. I believe she did a great job of capturing the mood and environment. Mine was no different. I must add however, that my perception on the life that I live and work has drastically changed. When you travel from the best through the worst daily, you can’t help but reflect and ultimately be affected.
Nevertheless, we completed our mission at the facility and returned back to Shanghai, where I met back up with the two cookies of the Oreo we have formed. Of course then there is me, the SWEET cream filling in the middle. Man…I will hear it for that one. All the same, upon meeting back up in Shanghai, I have returned to my peasant status. Oh well, I am a little more comfortable here. This trip has really confirmed one thing in my mind. I am an independent person and no matter how much money I accumulate over my lifetime, I will stay that way. Nice is nice, too nice is just too damn nice. Middle class is high enough for me.
I guess the only thing left for me is to give you …..
Bruce’s top 10 learns from Beijing
10. How are Chinese people NOT 600 pounds!!!! Every meal is 10 courses.
9. DAMN….How many people can you put in one place…..
8. Cooking is easy in China #2…..just deep fry it and put a sauce on it….add some peppers and call it a masterpiece.
7. There is LITERALLY NO translation for the phrase “Excuse me” in Chinese because it DOES NOT APPLY…..JUST PUSH like everyone else….
6. Trying new THINGS (and I used this term “things” LOOSELY) takes on a whole new meaning.
5. Brian (My Translator): Bruce….you know everyone is looking at you.
Bruce: Yes Brian…..I know everyone is looking at me….I am NOT CHINESE!!!
Brian (MY TRANSLATOR): I have no idea what they are saying!?!?
Bruce: What?!?!?!…GREAT….Well, now you know how I feel!!!
4. The phrase sardines in a sardine can originated in a China Eastern Plane ride from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang and was coined on the plane ride back. My knees are still red from the seat in from of me!!!!
3. Traffic lights translations…..RED- Get back from the road, if possible stand against a building and close your eyes. YELLOW- Don’t move yet, open one eye and begin to pray. GREEN- Open your eyes for a split second, hold your breath, and RUN…RUN LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER RUN BEFORE….closing your eyes during this may eliminate heart attacks. Once across THANK GOD!!!!
2. Cooking is easy in China #1…..just throw it in WHOLE, shell, skin, bones, eyes, extremities….it is all a DAMN DELICACY.
1. Lost in Translation ….. Massage 158 rmb….???? (That is a whole other story….)
All, more stories when I get home. As for all of you that have emailed me in the last 3 days, when my email works again, I will get back to you. Until then, have a great week and I will see you soon….one week and counting. God Bless you all and the USA….BK
PS from Nicole - Don't let him kid you, he had never been so glad to see his queens in his life upon our reunion at the hotel on Monday morning!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Charna on China...
Hello all,
Well, we all made it to Shanghai, alive and in one piece - and all quite relieved to see each other. In catching up over the last few hours, it has become quite obvious that all three of our experiences have been very unique. In the spirit of the blog, the entry below is from Charna. Bruce will be contributing his entry to the blog later this evening.
DISCLAIMER - All I did was copy and paste. :)
What I learned in my first 24 hours in China:
1) Traffic lights are really only suggestions. If the light is red, you don’t have to stop.
2) Crossing signals are just for show, they came with the traffic light package. Green does not mean you have the right to cross, merely that if you choose to take your life in your own hands, this would be as good a time as any due to item #1.
3) Dormitories are not just for colleges; they’re for plant workers too. Yep, people live with their co-workers and are fed three meals a day so there’s rarely an opportunity (or need) to go offsite.
4) Motorcyclists and bikers are fearless. They don’t care if they pull out in front of trucks or buses and they don’t care if they take out pedestrians.
5) I haven’t figured out why they painted lanes on the roads. It’s quite acceptable to make up your own or pass on the left over the yellow line if the person in front of you is going too slow.
6) Honking the horn is another language and means many different things including: hello, get out of my way, I’m right here beside you, we’re celebrating or it’s too quiet around here.
7) There is no concept of personal space. (See traumatic shopping experience below.)
8) If someone asks you if you want more food and you reply “I’m fine,” that means you’re still hungry and they will order more food.
9) There is no wasting any part of the animal you killed for dinner. They serve the whole darn thing. I’d prefer not to eat something else’s stomach or brain, thank you. Pigeon on a stick was a delicacy in the city I visited - PohBeng asked me if I wanted to try some, and I politely declined. It was quite interesting to see people walking around eating a bird on a stick.
10) If you’ve never heard of the city, chances are they won’t speak English but everyone will continue to speak Chinese to you.
While shopping here can be very cheap, if you have issues with your personal space or hate being pressured, this is definitely not the place for you. Thank God PohBeng was with me. The first ‘mall’ we went to had stalls and stalls of goods. Everyone starts talking to you trying to get you to come into their space to look. “Just come inside and look, just come inside and look.” If you make eye contact, there’s no getting away. And with six people trying to get your attention, it’s okay to ignore them. Finally we make it to the stalls you hear so much about in the US – you know the ones where you can find Louis Vitton, Coach, Channel, etc. rather inexpensively. If PohBeng had not been my guide, I would have left immediately. There are hundreds of people to greet you outside the place. Two or three will ‘latch’ onto you as their customers and you cannot lose them, they won’t allow it. They will also yell at other people who try to take you away. They took me into the first store. It’s a small store, no bigger than a Claire’s Accessories back home, but it didn’t seem like much. Boy was I wrong. There was a hidden door behind a mirror and a little cubby hole where they guide you and shut the door behind you. You have about two minutes to look around before they try to negotiate a price. If you don’t like anything right away, no fear, as they will guide you to other stores behind more hidden doors until you find just what you’re looking for. Then, let the negotiations begin. I’ve learned – always start with 100 RMB. If you’re willing to walk away, they will come down until you can settle on an acceptable price. It was an experience and no matter how many times someone explains it to you, there’s no real way to comprehend until you’re there. I think I got a nice purse, for a nice price. I think I may have to experience it again though as Nicole was not along and will surely want to find a deal of her own. Who knows, if I can get past the shock of it all, I may find another bargain.
Note from Nicole: I am seriously considering how much I really NEED any bargain. The email does not do the live story justice. If I need it this bad, I think I will just wait for Hong Kong this weekend. I am really thinking I don't need anything at all. :)
As usual, we hope everyone is well. ~Nicole, Charna and Bruce
Well, we all made it to Shanghai, alive and in one piece - and all quite relieved to see each other. In catching up over the last few hours, it has become quite obvious that all three of our experiences have been very unique. In the spirit of the blog, the entry below is from Charna. Bruce will be contributing his entry to the blog later this evening.
DISCLAIMER - All I did was copy and paste. :)
What I learned in my first 24 hours in China:
1) Traffic lights are really only suggestions. If the light is red, you don’t have to stop.
2) Crossing signals are just for show, they came with the traffic light package. Green does not mean you have the right to cross, merely that if you choose to take your life in your own hands, this would be as good a time as any due to item #1.
3) Dormitories are not just for colleges; they’re for plant workers too. Yep, people live with their co-workers and are fed three meals a day so there’s rarely an opportunity (or need) to go offsite.
4) Motorcyclists and bikers are fearless. They don’t care if they pull out in front of trucks or buses and they don’t care if they take out pedestrians.
5) I haven’t figured out why they painted lanes on the roads. It’s quite acceptable to make up your own or pass on the left over the yellow line if the person in front of you is going too slow.
6) Honking the horn is another language and means many different things including: hello, get out of my way, I’m right here beside you, we’re celebrating or it’s too quiet around here.
7) There is no concept of personal space. (See traumatic shopping experience below.)
8) If someone asks you if you want more food and you reply “I’m fine,” that means you’re still hungry and they will order more food.
9) There is no wasting any part of the animal you killed for dinner. They serve the whole darn thing. I’d prefer not to eat something else’s stomach or brain, thank you. Pigeon on a stick was a delicacy in the city I visited - PohBeng asked me if I wanted to try some, and I politely declined. It was quite interesting to see people walking around eating a bird on a stick.
10) If you’ve never heard of the city, chances are they won’t speak English but everyone will continue to speak Chinese to you.
While shopping here can be very cheap, if you have issues with your personal space or hate being pressured, this is definitely not the place for you. Thank God PohBeng was with me. The first ‘mall’ we went to had stalls and stalls of goods. Everyone starts talking to you trying to get you to come into their space to look. “Just come inside and look, just come inside and look.” If you make eye contact, there’s no getting away. And with six people trying to get your attention, it’s okay to ignore them. Finally we make it to the stalls you hear so much about in the US – you know the ones where you can find Louis Vitton, Coach, Channel, etc. rather inexpensively. If PohBeng had not been my guide, I would have left immediately. There are hundreds of people to greet you outside the place. Two or three will ‘latch’ onto you as their customers and you cannot lose them, they won’t allow it. They will also yell at other people who try to take you away. They took me into the first store. It’s a small store, no bigger than a Claire’s Accessories back home, but it didn’t seem like much. Boy was I wrong. There was a hidden door behind a mirror and a little cubby hole where they guide you and shut the door behind you. You have about two minutes to look around before they try to negotiate a price. If you don’t like anything right away, no fear, as they will guide you to other stores behind more hidden doors until you find just what you’re looking for. Then, let the negotiations begin. I’ve learned – always start with 100 RMB. If you’re willing to walk away, they will come down until you can settle on an acceptable price. It was an experience and no matter how many times someone explains it to you, there’s no real way to comprehend until you’re there. I think I got a nice purse, for a nice price. I think I may have to experience it again though as Nicole was not along and will surely want to find a deal of her own. Who knows, if I can get past the shock of it all, I may find another bargain.
Note from Nicole: I am seriously considering how much I really NEED any bargain. The email does not do the live story justice. If I need it this bad, I think I will just wait for Hong Kong this weekend. I am really thinking I don't need anything at all. :)
As usual, we hope everyone is well. ~Nicole, Charna and Bruce
Saturday, January 27, 2007
More On China
Hello everyone,
As usual, I hope this post finds everyone doing well. I am still alive and kicking in China.
I forgot to blog one important detail last night. Yesterday, my "facilities" fears of China were realized, at our processor. "Finding a ladies room" took on a whole new meaning. I secretly wondered if KH and Lulu were having a laugh to themselves, knowing I had never quite seen a facility like this before. But there it was, a hole in the ground - a plumbed hole in the ground, but a hole in the ground all the less. It was OK for a day - I will make sure I do NOT have to do that again today when we go back. Today should be a short visit. I had breakfast with KH and will rest until we meet here in 2 hrs. Yesterday was very long and exhausting.
As I have had time to reflect on yesterdays experience, I am starting to realize a number of things. Life is very different here - as I watched all the people from the car window on the way to the processor, I caught myself thinking, Man, what a place. The area outside the facility is filled with poverty - and it is hard to imagine these people will ever know any other life. The places they live are dirty and rundown, and really, I am not sure how they make money - and therefore, am not sure how they would ever afford to be able to get out of there. I saw a lady carrying a bucket on her way to the river - the river to me looked dirty and I would never want to have to wash my clothes in it, yet drink it or cook with it - or feed it to my kids either.
Once I realized all of this, I began to understand a little more about the people that work for our processor. They have a job, they know where their next meal is coming from, they have a roof on their heads, a shower to bathe in and they have toilets (all be in a hole in the ground). I understand their motivation a little better. I am sure not all of China is like this, but with a country that has in excess of 3 billion people, it is probably much more the rule than the exception. As I said, the workers were very diligent and always came running over to count when I asked for a recount.
A lot of people criticize American companies for manufacturing over here, and taking jobs out of America. One thing that was really evident to me yesterday was the difference in the workers in the plants I have been in domestically and over here. In the US, your typical (and I say typical based on my own experiences - as a auditor, I participated in my fair share of inventory counts in plants) plant workers are people that make $10-12 per hours - that you have to light a firecracker under to get them to do anything, they complain about this, that, etc. Over here, if you work in a factory, typically, you have a roof over your head and food on the table - and probably are in better shape than they would have been in their home province. I am not saying this is right for every company, but I certainly have a much better idea of why it is so attractive. Also, I have a better appreciation for every one's "normal". What may seem awful me is probably very normal to someone else - it has certainly made me more appreciative of what I have, I can tell you that.
My concerns about driving in China were reinforced yesterday. Our driver joined us for dinner last night, and I thought to myself, we have to feed the poor guy, he must be adequately nourished to survive the stress of driving in China. Again, yesterday, bikes and people were everywhere - with over 3 billion people in the country, I imagine enforcement of traffic laws is not high on the priority list..I have first hand knowledge and can confirm this is indeed the case. The shopping area we were in last night was quite crowded - Lulu was very concerned for my safety, that I might get run over by a car or bike. I told her I would walk where she walked and follow close. Thankfully, I did not manage to get hit.
Anyway, I am going to go read my book for a bit before we have to go back to the plant..hopefully, it is an early night. Dinner last night was quite the production - I swear it took us 20 min to order, and the food was quite spicy. Good, but spicy. This morning's breakfast was light, and KH and I did not meet for lunch - it would have been too much. So I am going to get my book and my granola bar..and quite possibly fall asleep in the sun.
Have a great Sunday! ~Nicole
As usual, I hope this post finds everyone doing well. I am still alive and kicking in China.
I forgot to blog one important detail last night. Yesterday, my "facilities" fears of China were realized, at our processor. "Finding a ladies room" took on a whole new meaning. I secretly wondered if KH and Lulu were having a laugh to themselves, knowing I had never quite seen a facility like this before. But there it was, a hole in the ground - a plumbed hole in the ground, but a hole in the ground all the less. It was OK for a day - I will make sure I do NOT have to do that again today when we go back. Today should be a short visit. I had breakfast with KH and will rest until we meet here in 2 hrs. Yesterday was very long and exhausting.
As I have had time to reflect on yesterdays experience, I am starting to realize a number of things. Life is very different here - as I watched all the people from the car window on the way to the processor, I caught myself thinking, Man, what a place. The area outside the facility is filled with poverty - and it is hard to imagine these people will ever know any other life. The places they live are dirty and rundown, and really, I am not sure how they make money - and therefore, am not sure how they would ever afford to be able to get out of there. I saw a lady carrying a bucket on her way to the river - the river to me looked dirty and I would never want to have to wash my clothes in it, yet drink it or cook with it - or feed it to my kids either.
Once I realized all of this, I began to understand a little more about the people that work for our processor. They have a job, they know where their next meal is coming from, they have a roof on their heads, a shower to bathe in and they have toilets (all be in a hole in the ground). I understand their motivation a little better. I am sure not all of China is like this, but with a country that has in excess of 3 billion people, it is probably much more the rule than the exception. As I said, the workers were very diligent and always came running over to count when I asked for a recount.
A lot of people criticize American companies for manufacturing over here, and taking jobs out of America. One thing that was really evident to me yesterday was the difference in the workers in the plants I have been in domestically and over here. In the US, your typical (and I say typical based on my own experiences - as a auditor, I participated in my fair share of inventory counts in plants) plant workers are people that make $10-12 per hours - that you have to light a firecracker under to get them to do anything, they complain about this, that, etc. Over here, if you work in a factory, typically, you have a roof over your head and food on the table - and probably are in better shape than they would have been in their home province. I am not saying this is right for every company, but I certainly have a much better idea of why it is so attractive. Also, I have a better appreciation for every one's "normal". What may seem awful me is probably very normal to someone else - it has certainly made me more appreciative of what I have, I can tell you that.
My concerns about driving in China were reinforced yesterday. Our driver joined us for dinner last night, and I thought to myself, we have to feed the poor guy, he must be adequately nourished to survive the stress of driving in China. Again, yesterday, bikes and people were everywhere - with over 3 billion people in the country, I imagine enforcement of traffic laws is not high on the priority list..I have first hand knowledge and can confirm this is indeed the case. The shopping area we were in last night was quite crowded - Lulu was very concerned for my safety, that I might get run over by a car or bike. I told her I would walk where she walked and follow close. Thankfully, I did not manage to get hit.
Anyway, I am going to go read my book for a bit before we have to go back to the plant..hopefully, it is an early night. Dinner last night was quite the production - I swear it took us 20 min to order, and the food was quite spicy. Good, but spicy. This morning's breakfast was light, and KH and I did not meet for lunch - it would have been too much. So I am going to get my book and my granola bar..and quite possibly fall asleep in the sun.
Have a great Sunday! ~Nicole
Made in China - Live
Today, I visited one of our processors - actually, our biggest processor - in Suzhou, China. (Suz - jhou) We are about 180 kilometers north of Shanghai. I was not sure where I was going - thought perhaps I could be in some small town in China. Not so much - Suzhou is a pretty big city. Apparently, each province in China has in excess of 10 million people. Above is a picture of the hostels at the factory. Many workers live in these hostels, as they come from provinces far away. For example, our driver and his wife both work at the factory, but their home province is north and takes 30 hrs to get there by train. They have a son, who stays in their home province with his grandparents. This is very common. Today, all the workers who were not counting inventory were out shopping for New Years. They will get from 2/14 to 2/25 off - because they can spend up to 4-5 days traveling to get home. Where the plant is in Suzhou, factories with hostels are very common. Cardinal's business relationship with A+ is one where we pay them to manufacture our goods - surgical masks, drapes and gowns. All the fabric you see in the pictures below are the raw materials - the base products in surgical gowns. Gloves are not made here - some are made in other parts of China, but mostly in Malaysia..JPG)
Our raw materials - you can see they are neatly stacked in a warehouse, so that a quick, easy count can be facilitated. We require them to count inventory once a month, which is a very cumbersome, tedious and time consuming process. Our management team in Singapore has worked extensively with the plant to make sure they have good processes in place when it comes to managing our inventory. At this time, we are unable to locate a supplier of this particular type of raw material in China. Therefore, all the rolls you see here are shipped to China via El Paso, Texas. Not ideal, but we are working on it.
Further prof that I made it. This is another local factory we have, off the main one I was at earlier. For the record, I do have more pictures, I can put them out on Shutterfly if you wish to see them - if you want to see them, send me the email address you want the shutterfly access to and I will give you access.
Today was a once in a lifetime day. "Made in China" has a whole new meaning. While I did not actually see production (hopefully I can see that tomorrow) to see the plant, the workers, and the life style around here was unreal. I am not even sure I can accurately put into words what I saw today. Our management team in Singapore and Shanghai have worked very hard to make the relationships we have with our suppliers a mutually beneficial one, and you could really see that here. The people at the plant were very, very helpful - you ask them to recount something so you could see and 10 people came running over to do it. The finance manager at this plant, her name is Lulu. She actually lived in the states for quite some time, but is relocating to Hong Kong. All of the people were so nice and so willing to answer questions - I even felt comfortable saying thank you in Chinese. And they understood me.
Today was an incredibly long day - inventory counts are always very physically demanding, as you are on your feet on concrete all day. Clearly, I never worked in retail. After the count, Lulu took us shopping and to dinner. We went to a very popular shopping area, and of course there were a ton of people. KH (Kok Heng - thankfully, he does not mind us calling him KH) bought a very nice jacket at a very good price, and he was happy about that. We also went to dinner - tonight, I did not have to eat fish! It was very spicy, but man was it good. Best dish - green beans with dried chili peppers. Spicy, but fantastic.
I am beat, but wanted to come home and blog about this so everyone could see some pictures. It was very chilly and I am still trying to warm up, despite having my gloves and wool socks. I have received and email from Charna, they had a good day and finished. She will go back to Shanghai tomorrow. Unfortunately, the hotel we have reserved for the rest of our stay is booked tomorrow night, so she will have an extra hotel move. KH and I are going back to the processor tomorrow, to see how they record all of their counts from today. We will stay here in Suzhou tomorrow night and head to Shanghai Monday morning. KH tried to call Bruce and Brian, but was not able to get hold of them. I will have him call again tomorrow.
On that note, I am signing off. I am re-reading The Pelican Brief - the book and the bed are calling my name! We are doing just fine. ~Nicole
Friday, January 26, 2007
Welcome to China
Hello everyone,
c
Well, we officially made it to China. I have made it to my hotel, where I just got the living daylights scared out of me by a paper getting slid under my door.
I am in Suzjhou - don't ask me where that is. I had to fly to Shanghai to get here, that is about all I know. That and it took us nearly three hrs to get here. Charna had to go about an hour further and poor Bruce had to go to another airport..he could still be sitting on the ground in the airport. I have had dinner, had a nice hot shower and am blogging one last time before bed. Half the stuff on this site is in Chinese and the other half is in English..I hope I don't mess it up. Suffice to say, I am ready for bed.
China is interesting. Go figure - there are people everywhere. On bikes, in cars, on motorcycles - and they literally walk down the middle of the road. Basically, they just walk wherever they want - in front of cars, bikes, on the road. I would not want to drive here, I would definitely hit someone. Not on purpose either. One the way to the hotel, a couple of buses came on to our side of the road, no big deal. No one seemed worried about it, everyone just went on about their business. Lots of horn honking too - I have not figured out what warrants horn honkings, seems like just about anything.
Tomorrow, we go to the factories to count their inventory - it will bring a whole new meaning to "made in China". I have been pleasantly surprised by everything I have found so far on this trip, and I hope that continues tomorrow.
I just wanted to take a second and catch up and let everyone know I was OK (and hope that Bruce and Charna are too) They are with 2 other people from the Singapore office, so they are not alone. I think we will truly miss each other this weekend - all of a sudden, we had our bags and then we were off in different directions. I think it will be a joyous reunion on Monday..at least for Charna and I. Bruce might have enjoyed the peace without us and his man time with Brian. :)
Have a good Friday and a good weekend! ~Nicole
c
Well, we officially made it to China. I have made it to my hotel, where I just got the living daylights scared out of me by a paper getting slid under my door.
I am in Suzjhou - don't ask me where that is. I had to fly to Shanghai to get here, that is about all I know. That and it took us nearly three hrs to get here. Charna had to go about an hour further and poor Bruce had to go to another airport..he could still be sitting on the ground in the airport. I have had dinner, had a nice hot shower and am blogging one last time before bed. Half the stuff on this site is in Chinese and the other half is in English..I hope I don't mess it up. Suffice to say, I am ready for bed.
China is interesting. Go figure - there are people everywhere. On bikes, in cars, on motorcycles - and they literally walk down the middle of the road. Basically, they just walk wherever they want - in front of cars, bikes, on the road. I would not want to drive here, I would definitely hit someone. Not on purpose either. One the way to the hotel, a couple of buses came on to our side of the road, no big deal. No one seemed worried about it, everyone just went on about their business. Lots of horn honking too - I have not figured out what warrants horn honkings, seems like just about anything.
Tomorrow, we go to the factories to count their inventory - it will bring a whole new meaning to "made in China". I have been pleasantly surprised by everything I have found so far on this trip, and I hope that continues tomorrow.
I just wanted to take a second and catch up and let everyone know I was OK (and hope that Bruce and Charna are too) They are with 2 other people from the Singapore office, so they are not alone. I think we will truly miss each other this weekend - all of a sudden, we had our bags and then we were off in different directions. I think it will be a joyous reunion on Monday..at least for Charna and I. Bruce might have enjoyed the peace without us and his man time with Brian. :)
Have a good Friday and a good weekend! ~Nicole
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Nicole, you ate WHAT!!!!???
Ok, now I do have some news. For all you that know me, you better sit down.
Today, we went to lunch with the operations guys (one of them was the same guy that took us to lunch when Mr. Grouper came to the table). We went to a very nice hotel and they had an outstanding buffet. Fouad, one of our colleagues convinced me to try raw fish - said to mix it with wassabi and soy. I told him to get a few pieces and I would try it. Charna and I shared a plate. Believe it or not, it was not bad. Granted, right next to it on the buffet was a duck - head and all. it was on a rack, like you would see lamb on for gyros in the US. It had been deep fried of course, but it was the whole duck.
I still can't believe it did it. It blows my mind.
We are getting ready to head to China, our ride to the airport comes at 8AM. Have to head back to the hotel and pack - a little different than packing for my 1-2 night trips. As usual, I way overpacked. Oh well. God forbid should I want to wear something and not have it.
I am not sure of our Internet connectivity in China, so it could be a few days before I have a chance to update again. I hope everyone has a fantastic day! ~Nicole
Today, we went to lunch with the operations guys (one of them was the same guy that took us to lunch when Mr. Grouper came to the table). We went to a very nice hotel and they had an outstanding buffet. Fouad, one of our colleagues convinced me to try raw fish - said to mix it with wassabi and soy. I told him to get a few pieces and I would try it. Charna and I shared a plate. Believe it or not, it was not bad. Granted, right next to it on the buffet was a duck - head and all. it was on a rack, like you would see lamb on for gyros in the US. It had been deep fried of course, but it was the whole duck.
I still can't believe it did it. It blows my mind.
We are getting ready to head to China, our ride to the airport comes at 8AM. Have to head back to the hotel and pack - a little different than packing for my 1-2 night trips. As usual, I way overpacked. Oh well. God forbid should I want to wear something and not have it.
I am not sure of our Internet connectivity in China, so it could be a few days before I have a chance to update again. I hope everyone has a fantastic day! ~Nicole
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
No News is Good News
Hello all,
Well, I wish I had something exciting to tell you, but I don't. No news is good news.
We are headed to China this weekend to observe inventory counts at some of our manufacturing sites this weekend. We realized on the way home from dinner tonight it will be the first time we have been separated on this trip. We are not going to China alone - three people from the Finance department will be accompanying us to the sites, which is a VERY GOOD THING. As we have literally spent every waking moment together, it was funny to realize we would miss each other. In the land far away from home, we have become each other's security blankets..and it will be very strange to be apart. We truly have had a great time together - hard to believe we have been gone for 2 weeks! I should also add that it is only the weekend we will be separated - we are splitting up after we get to Shanghai. Somehow, Charna and I will manage to survive without Bruce. It will be hard, but we will overcome.
The general feeling is that after this weekend, this trip will fly by. We bid farewell to the bellhop Ishmail for this trip - he is going on leave because his daughter is getting married on Saturday. He is the bellhop that claps his hands and the cab comes over and picks us up. He calls Bruce "Mr Bruce" and is always very fast with a handshake for him. He opens mine and Charna's doors and always takes our computer bags out of the trunk. We assured him we would be back after next week and would see him again. This week in China will be a little rougher as we will move hotels twice and then travel again on Friday to Hong Kong. We have gotten very comfortable at the Regent over the past 15 days - not a bad place to come home to every night on the road!
I hope everyone is well - we are doing just fine. Grammie tells me little Chel had a visitor that took her to the park to chase her kong. Rumor has is she chased her pink kong like a wild thing and then was so tired the next day she had to sleep all day! It made mom's day. She is a good girl and mom misses her. There will be lots of bonding (and a few new toys) when mom gets home!
Stay warm - not a problem for us! ~Nicole :)
Well, I wish I had something exciting to tell you, but I don't. No news is good news.
We are headed to China this weekend to observe inventory counts at some of our manufacturing sites this weekend. We realized on the way home from dinner tonight it will be the first time we have been separated on this trip. We are not going to China alone - three people from the Finance department will be accompanying us to the sites, which is a VERY GOOD THING. As we have literally spent every waking moment together, it was funny to realize we would miss each other. In the land far away from home, we have become each other's security blankets..and it will be very strange to be apart. We truly have had a great time together - hard to believe we have been gone for 2 weeks! I should also add that it is only the weekend we will be separated - we are splitting up after we get to Shanghai. Somehow, Charna and I will manage to survive without Bruce. It will be hard, but we will overcome.
The general feeling is that after this weekend, this trip will fly by. We bid farewell to the bellhop Ishmail for this trip - he is going on leave because his daughter is getting married on Saturday. He is the bellhop that claps his hands and the cab comes over and picks us up. He calls Bruce "Mr Bruce" and is always very fast with a handshake for him. He opens mine and Charna's doors and always takes our computer bags out of the trunk. We assured him we would be back after next week and would see him again. This week in China will be a little rougher as we will move hotels twice and then travel again on Friday to Hong Kong. We have gotten very comfortable at the Regent over the past 15 days - not a bad place to come home to every night on the road!
I hope everyone is well - we are doing just fine. Grammie tells me little Chel had a visitor that took her to the park to chase her kong. Rumor has is she chased her pink kong like a wild thing and then was so tired the next day she had to sleep all day! It made mom's day. She is a good girl and mom misses her. There will be lots of bonding (and a few new toys) when mom gets home!
Stay warm - not a problem for us! ~Nicole :)
Monday, January 22, 2007
Subway in Singapore
Bruce learned the hard way that jalapeno peppers at Subway in Singapore are a little different than jalapeno peppers at Subway in the US. After eating just a few, he became quite flush and commented that they were quite strong. I can vouch for that - a whiff of them was enough for me.
Pictures
This is the skyline of Singapore, taken from the top of the Merlion Statue on Sentosa Island. Take a look at the sky. After we got down from the top of the Merlion, we sought shelter. Right in the center of the picture is the port of Singapore - one of the largest, busiest ports in the world. There are literally thousands of shipping containers there. These containers are similar to the ones that carry Cardinal's products made in the Far East across the ocean to our distribution center in Fontana, Ca.
Three giraffes eating dinner. It is hard to see, but they are eating what would probably be considered yard waste in the US. A trainer comes out with a stack of twigs and leaves tied together and pins it up on a post at the giraffe's eye level. Hardly looks appetizing but they seem to enjoy it. The animals have "keen" senses so you are not supposed to take flash photos. Our Little rule breaker Kinsel obviously did not follow that rule! Ha! (For those of you that don't know Bruce, he is of very high character and would generally never do things someone specifically told him not to do, however, all that goes out the door when he has his camera in his hand)
Nothing exciting..a sign for the Night Safari.One other interesting thing about dinner last night. Apparently bird's nest is a delicacy here. People will climb up in trees and get them and pull them down. I am not sure if many of you know how birds nests are made, but it is actually quite disgusting. You are supposed to pull all the vegetation out and then eat it - and I guess people spend hours doing it. It literally almost ruined my appetite last night - do a little reserach and you will understand why!
Well, it is Tues morning here and the grind calls. Have a great night! ~Nicole
Crab Anyone?
Ok, so I was wrong about dinner - we had a very nice dinner at a very nice restaurant. Everything was dead and cooked, an added bonus right off the bat.
We went down by the Marina - on the water, very near the lion statue. Geraldine (the lawyer) and Evelyn (the HR manager) were very concerned about me finding something to eat, and they made sure there were pork and chicken dishes. The way you eat here is you order a number of dishes, and everyone shares. We had pork, chicken, crab, asparagus. There were 2 kinds of crab - pepper crab and crab in a chile sauce. I know a lot of people think crab is too much work - gotta eat it here. The waitress stood at our table and cut it with scissors. She was there for most of our meal.
And then it happened - I actually decided I would try some crab. I tried it with the chile sauce and it was not bad. They do a very good job here of added spices to their food. At any rate, we had a very enjoyable dinner. I ate way too much, and am having a hard time settling down. Charna and I walked for an hour trying to get our food to settle..I think I am passing on food tomorrow, I could possibly still be full when I wake up tomorrow morning.
Today at work was very interesting as well. The project is going well for the most part and I am looking into some very interesting stuff. We have also discovered that our contact person is very intelligent - I mean, we knew he was smart, but he is very well read on issues in the region. Tonight, we spoke about the political climate in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. I think all three of us were really engrossed in what he was saying. We hear bits and pieces of what goes on in this part of the world, so it was really interesting to hear it from the perspective of a local. I cannot put into words what this time I have spent over here has done for me both personally and professionally. To get to see the likely future model of our business first hand and experience a culture and people I have never experienced before is amazing.
Well, this is a very late night for me..almost 1 AM. I hope I sleep better than I did last night - I think my odds are improving the later it gets. I might be a zombie tomorrow, but it was a good night.
Have a great Monday..it is Tuesday here.
~Nicole
We went down by the Marina - on the water, very near the lion statue. Geraldine (the lawyer) and Evelyn (the HR manager) were very concerned about me finding something to eat, and they made sure there were pork and chicken dishes. The way you eat here is you order a number of dishes, and everyone shares. We had pork, chicken, crab, asparagus. There were 2 kinds of crab - pepper crab and crab in a chile sauce. I know a lot of people think crab is too much work - gotta eat it here. The waitress stood at our table and cut it with scissors. She was there for most of our meal.
And then it happened - I actually decided I would try some crab. I tried it with the chile sauce and it was not bad. They do a very good job here of added spices to their food. At any rate, we had a very enjoyable dinner. I ate way too much, and am having a hard time settling down. Charna and I walked for an hour trying to get our food to settle..I think I am passing on food tomorrow, I could possibly still be full when I wake up tomorrow morning.
Today at work was very interesting as well. The project is going well for the most part and I am looking into some very interesting stuff. We have also discovered that our contact person is very intelligent - I mean, we knew he was smart, but he is very well read on issues in the region. Tonight, we spoke about the political climate in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. I think all three of us were really engrossed in what he was saying. We hear bits and pieces of what goes on in this part of the world, so it was really interesting to hear it from the perspective of a local. I cannot put into words what this time I have spent over here has done for me both personally and professionally. To get to see the likely future model of our business first hand and experience a culture and people I have never experienced before is amazing.
Well, this is a very late night for me..almost 1 AM. I hope I sleep better than I did last night - I think my odds are improving the later it gets. I might be a zombie tomorrow, but it was a good night.
Have a great Monday..it is Tuesday here.
~Nicole
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Little Chelsie Belle....
It has been brought to my attention that not everyone knows who I am referring to when I make mention of little Chelsie Belle. One could say she is not really little, but she is a puppy at heart..just ask grammie, who has had to do numerous repairs on her toys in the week and a half she has been there. Grammie's sewing maching is good for the shelf life of her toys - she very much enjoys beating herself in the head with her toys. As a lab, it is instinct for her to "kill it dead" - including her toys. For those of you who have seen her "kill" her kong on a rope, she has never let go of it and sent it flying. That kong is in transition - her old one went in the garbage after she got all her new Christmas toys and mom will get her a new one when I get home. One of her favorite new toys is her pink kong to chase, which she got from Onyx the Newfie at Christmas. We have three different types of kongs in the house - one that she chases (the pink one) one that she gets her peanut butter in when mom leaves for work in the morning (the black one) and the kong on a rope, which she beats herself in the head with. She is generally satisifed to chew only that which belongs to her, and for that mom is greatful.
It should also be noted Chel is about to become a dog with a job. As a certified therapy dog, we will begin visiting patients at Dodd Hall when I get back. For those of you not familiar with OSU Medical Center, Dodd Hall is the long term rehab center on the campus. As of right now, we are the only certified team that will be visiting there.
Be sure to wish little Chel a happy birthday next Tuesday - it will be her 5th birthday. Sometimes, I think she is 5 years going on 5 mos..but she is a great dog. Mom misses her very much and looks forward to hearing all about her days with grammie (grampie is away in California enjoying some warm weather) Her days have been filled with play dates with Ella, her chocolate lab cousin, car rides with grammie and play periods where grammie throws her ball down the stairs. She has a pretty darn good life!
And for the record, Kinsel, you are very much a gentlemen. You have looked out for us for the last 2 weeks. We won't know what to do next weekend when you go to Beijing and we are in Shanghai!
Hope everyone has a great Monday!
~Nicole and little Chel
Stay tuned...
For the story of dinner tonight. They are taking us out - I think most of the management team is going. Personally, I am praying that is is dead and cooked, but I am quite certain that something (at least one thing) at the table will be raw - quite possibly alive as well. I am sure you will all get a laugh out of it..
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Chinese Birthday Cake
Hello again,
Well, I was not meant to stay in the hotel tonight..we ended up going back to Clark Quay, an areas we had been to before. Charna and I tasked young Kinsel with finding us some dinner - he came up with a couple of options, and we decided on Italian. While it was hot and steamy outside, it was not raining. When we went back to the taxi stand, there was a cab right there waiting and no line. Can't ask for more - and we got a nice cabbie.
Tonight at dinner, there was a group celebrating an event - what we later found out was a birthday. I t was a group of Chinese people - I recognized a few words Nan had taught us. Nothing fancy - hello and thank you. But it com firmed they were indeed Chinese. Anyway, the birthday girl shared her cake with us - all of a sudden, she brought three pieces of cake over to our table and said these were for us. We thanked her and wished her a happy birthday. One could consider it our daily contribution to managing Cardinal's SGA expense - we did not get dessert tonight because it was given to us for free!
We are back to the hotel safe and sound..and ready for bed, at least in room 737. Watching a little English Premier League Soccer, settling down. Hope everyone has a great weekend. ~Nicole
Well, I was not meant to stay in the hotel tonight..we ended up going back to Clark Quay, an areas we had been to before. Charna and I tasked young Kinsel with finding us some dinner - he came up with a couple of options, and we decided on Italian. While it was hot and steamy outside, it was not raining. When we went back to the taxi stand, there was a cab right there waiting and no line. Can't ask for more - and we got a nice cabbie.
Tonight at dinner, there was a group celebrating an event - what we later found out was a birthday. I t was a group of Chinese people - I recognized a few words Nan had taught us. Nothing fancy - hello and thank you. But it com firmed they were indeed Chinese. Anyway, the birthday girl shared her cake with us - all of a sudden, she brought three pieces of cake over to our table and said these were for us. We thanked her and wished her a happy birthday. One could consider it our daily contribution to managing Cardinal's SGA expense - we did not get dessert tonight because it was given to us for free!
We are back to the hotel safe and sound..and ready for bed, at least in room 737. Watching a little English Premier League Soccer, settling down. Hope everyone has a great weekend. ~Nicole
Hello everyone -
Well, my computer time says it is 6:30 in the AM, so it is 7:30 PM here. I know you all will find this hard to believe - it is raining in Singapore. I mean really raining.
Today, we went over to Sentosa Island by cable car - not the like the SF cable cars, but like the sky cab ride at Disneyland (not WORLD, LAND, in So Cal - where the weather is normal) It was a lot of fun. There is not a whole lot going on over there, but we wanted to ride the cable cars. There are some touristy things over there to do, but none that really sparked our interest. We did go to the top of the Merlion - which is similar to the statue I posted a picture of a few days back. The merlion is part mermaid and part lion, and is the symbol of Singapore. The story goes that a prince found the island of Singapore - and when he and his men landed, they were greeted by a ferocious lion. Their eyes met, and in that moment, a mutual understanding of no harm came about. The prince decided the land would be called Singapore - the symbol is a mix of a lion and a mermaid. The lion is to honor the lion the prince encountered and a symbol of the lion watching over them, and the mermaid is the connection to the sea. There is a large statue over on the Island you can go up in - we went up and had a great view of the city (I will post later). While we were on top of the Merlion, a nasty storm started brewing - we quickly got over the the tram, which took us to Vivo City, the city's newest mall. Charna and I have guessed that there must be in excess of 50 malls on this island..shopping here is overwhelming. You can't make a lap in a mall and end up back where you started. We decided we had enough shopping and went to grab a taxi..and then all hell broke loose - it started pouring. We made it back to the hotel, but the intersection to the hotel had flooded out, so the cabbie dropped us across the street. We were pretty wet from just crossing the street, and it is still raining. We are meeting in 20 min for dinner, and I am hoping the verdict is to just stay here..it is hot, humid and nasty out. Plus, Charna and I went down to the hot tub, so I am feeling pretty relaxed right now. The only thing missing was my adult beverage!
Last night, we had a great time at the Night Safari! We had a perfect night for it! It is a good thing we went last night, tonight would not have been a good night to go! We got a cab out there and got there about 8 - getting a cab on Friday night in Singapore is difficult. We waited for 25 min for a cab that never showed up at the office. Traffic here is nuts too - Charna commented she is surprised there is not more road rage. :) Anyway, we got to the zoo and were all excited about the Bongo Burger..not so much after we ate it. It was, well...a little mushy in the middle..I only ate half mine. Thank God for Ben and Jerry's!
The animals were really cool. We ended up taking a tram around and then walking on the Leopard trail. We saw elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, leopards, tigers..and a whole host of other things. Sorry Jeff, no photos - the animals have "Keen" senses and flash photography was not allowed. I think Kinsel might have broken the rules and taken a pictures of the giraffes, I will check with him. Kinsel is a photo nut, for those of you that have not traveled with him. His memory card holds 2,000 pictures. I bet he fills it up before we leave! Haha - we love Kinsel to death - he will be one tough cookie when he gets back, that is for sure!
As for tomorrow, I think we are going to little India and then will take it easy. As I have made mention of earlier, the jet lag has really caught up with us and we are crabby campers without 9 hrs of sleep a night. But we are all fine, the project is going very well, and that is nice. We are all in agreement that Thailand would have been nice, but staying put is working out OK.
I hope everyone back home is doing well. In case anyone is worried, grammie says little Chelsie Belle is doing fine - misses her mom of course, but has very busy days going for car rides with grammie, playing with her cousin Ella (the brown brut) and taking all her toys out of the toy box and putting them all over grammies floor. Grammie has had to fix frog and cow more than once..don't you wish it just took playing with a frog and a cow to make you happy???
Have a great weekend! ~Nicole
PS - We ate Thai again for lunch today. Guess what was on the paper place mat we had at the restaurant, Kim B. ???? HA! You got it..Mr Grouper! We all had flashbacks...and HE DID NOT grace our table again!!!
Well, my computer time says it is 6:30 in the AM, so it is 7:30 PM here. I know you all will find this hard to believe - it is raining in Singapore. I mean really raining.
Today, we went over to Sentosa Island by cable car - not the like the SF cable cars, but like the sky cab ride at Disneyland (not WORLD, LAND, in So Cal - where the weather is normal) It was a lot of fun. There is not a whole lot going on over there, but we wanted to ride the cable cars. There are some touristy things over there to do, but none that really sparked our interest. We did go to the top of the Merlion - which is similar to the statue I posted a picture of a few days back. The merlion is part mermaid and part lion, and is the symbol of Singapore. The story goes that a prince found the island of Singapore - and when he and his men landed, they were greeted by a ferocious lion. Their eyes met, and in that moment, a mutual understanding of no harm came about. The prince decided the land would be called Singapore - the symbol is a mix of a lion and a mermaid. The lion is to honor the lion the prince encountered and a symbol of the lion watching over them, and the mermaid is the connection to the sea. There is a large statue over on the Island you can go up in - we went up and had a great view of the city (I will post later). While we were on top of the Merlion, a nasty storm started brewing - we quickly got over the the tram, which took us to Vivo City, the city's newest mall. Charna and I have guessed that there must be in excess of 50 malls on this island..shopping here is overwhelming. You can't make a lap in a mall and end up back where you started. We decided we had enough shopping and went to grab a taxi..and then all hell broke loose - it started pouring. We made it back to the hotel, but the intersection to the hotel had flooded out, so the cabbie dropped us across the street. We were pretty wet from just crossing the street, and it is still raining. We are meeting in 20 min for dinner, and I am hoping the verdict is to just stay here..it is hot, humid and nasty out. Plus, Charna and I went down to the hot tub, so I am feeling pretty relaxed right now. The only thing missing was my adult beverage!
Last night, we had a great time at the Night Safari! We had a perfect night for it! It is a good thing we went last night, tonight would not have been a good night to go! We got a cab out there and got there about 8 - getting a cab on Friday night in Singapore is difficult. We waited for 25 min for a cab that never showed up at the office. Traffic here is nuts too - Charna commented she is surprised there is not more road rage. :) Anyway, we got to the zoo and were all excited about the Bongo Burger..not so much after we ate it. It was, well...a little mushy in the middle..I only ate half mine. Thank God for Ben and Jerry's!
The animals were really cool. We ended up taking a tram around and then walking on the Leopard trail. We saw elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, leopards, tigers..and a whole host of other things. Sorry Jeff, no photos - the animals have "Keen" senses and flash photography was not allowed. I think Kinsel might have broken the rules and taken a pictures of the giraffes, I will check with him. Kinsel is a photo nut, for those of you that have not traveled with him. His memory card holds 2,000 pictures. I bet he fills it up before we leave! Haha - we love Kinsel to death - he will be one tough cookie when he gets back, that is for sure!
As for tomorrow, I think we are going to little India and then will take it easy. As I have made mention of earlier, the jet lag has really caught up with us and we are crabby campers without 9 hrs of sleep a night. But we are all fine, the project is going very well, and that is nice. We are all in agreement that Thailand would have been nice, but staying put is working out OK.
I hope everyone back home is doing well. In case anyone is worried, grammie says little Chelsie Belle is doing fine - misses her mom of course, but has very busy days going for car rides with grammie, playing with her cousin Ella (the brown brut) and taking all her toys out of the toy box and putting them all over grammies floor. Grammie has had to fix frog and cow more than once..don't you wish it just took playing with a frog and a cow to make you happy???
Have a great weekend! ~Nicole
PS - We ate Thai again for lunch today. Guess what was on the paper place mat we had at the restaurant, Kim B. ???? HA! You got it..Mr Grouper! We all had flashbacks...and HE DID NOT grace our table again!!!
Friday, January 19, 2007
TGIF
Hello all -
Well, I have heard from a few people I have not posted recently - for that I apologize. The time change really seems to have caught up with us over the last few days. For the first time in many moons, I was in bed shortly after 9PM last night.
The rest of the week has proven to be very uneventful. No more fish at the table or anything weird like that. Yesterday, it POURED all afternoon..followed by some very loud claps of thunder. My little baby angel would have been terrified...she does not like thunder at all. We worked a little bit later than usual yesterday, and because of that, we just stayed at the hotel for dinner. Tonight, we are going to the zoo to see the Night Safari - all the nocturnal animals coming out. We are pretty excited about that. We are also going to eat at Bongo Burger..although lunch today did not pose too much harm, we are all in the need for some good old fashioned American grease. Today, we went to lunch with PohBeng, Brian and Jevens - went over to a food court type of deal where they go about once a week. We got a number of dishes and shared them - I am really a fan of the sharing. Of course most of them were seafood, so lunch was rather slim for me.
Tomorrow, we are going to Sentosa Island to look around, and I am not sure what we are going to do Sunday. The general feeling is that this week flew by..and I am sure next week will as well. Next Friday, we go to China and then it will really fly by after that.
For now, we are off..to the hotel to change and to Bongo Burger. Hopefully, I will have some neat pictures from tonite's excursion to post.
Have a great weekend!!
~Nicole
Well, I have heard from a few people I have not posted recently - for that I apologize. The time change really seems to have caught up with us over the last few days. For the first time in many moons, I was in bed shortly after 9PM last night.
The rest of the week has proven to be very uneventful. No more fish at the table or anything weird like that. Yesterday, it POURED all afternoon..followed by some very loud claps of thunder. My little baby angel would have been terrified...she does not like thunder at all. We worked a little bit later than usual yesterday, and because of that, we just stayed at the hotel for dinner. Tonight, we are going to the zoo to see the Night Safari - all the nocturnal animals coming out. We are pretty excited about that. We are also going to eat at Bongo Burger..although lunch today did not pose too much harm, we are all in the need for some good old fashioned American grease. Today, we went to lunch with PohBeng, Brian and Jevens - went over to a food court type of deal where they go about once a week. We got a number of dishes and shared them - I am really a fan of the sharing. Of course most of them were seafood, so lunch was rather slim for me.
Tomorrow, we are going to Sentosa Island to look around, and I am not sure what we are going to do Sunday. The general feeling is that this week flew by..and I am sure next week will as well. Next Friday, we go to China and then it will really fly by after that.
For now, we are off..to the hotel to change and to Bongo Burger. Hopefully, I will have some neat pictures from tonite's excursion to post.
Have a great weekend!!
~Nicole
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Clarification
It should be noted that Charna was as equally grossed out as I was by Mr. Grouper today at lunch. As for Kinsel..well, go figure. Mr. Adventure Eats ate some of Mr. Grouper - Mr. Grouper was served bones and all. Needless to say, we ate at Dan Ryan's of Chicago tonight, where COOKED cow was the main course for most parties (baked ziti for me). Bruce was threatening me at dinner about going to get the jaws of Mr. Grouper and tormenting me with them for the rest of the trip...I had to let him have his fun, at least for one day. Tomorrow I will get him...somehow, someway.
Have a great Wednesday...it is bedtime here on the other side of the world. ~Nicole
Have a great Wednesday...it is bedtime here on the other side of the world. ~Nicole
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Whole Enchilada - Literally
Well, today it finally happened...my worst night mare. The whole fish came to the table. Literally. The number one question I field from everyone is "How are you guys eating?" In short, we are not starving or missing any meals. At the current rate, we will come back +25 as opposed to -25.
Today we went to lunch with Beng Guan and Agnes. Thai was the genre of the day. We went to a very, very nice Thai restaurant. This restaurant was very traditional, according to Beng Guan. As is custom here, a number of plates were ordered and we all shared. They have been very polite about asking if there is anything we don't like. No surprise, I speak up every time and make it known I do not care for fish.
So today, we were eating a very nice meal - good appetizers, with the main course on the way. And then, IT CAME. Apparently, Beng Guan had ordered grouper. Grouper at this restaurant is served whole..literally, it looks like they stick the whole fish in the grease and take it to the table. Eyes, tail, tongue, the whole enchilada. For those of you that know my complete disdain for fish, you understand why this was an issue. Unfortunately, his head was at my end of the table the entire meal. I thought it rude to ask someone to turn it the other way, so I put my water glass in front of his face. It did not help.
Some how, some way, I managed to make it through lunch - with Mr. Grouper looking at me the entire time. It was a struggle, but I managed to keep what I had eaten down. I did not eat any more after Sir Grouper graced us with his presence. Bruce and Charna got a chuckle out of it..because as soon as it came to the table..they knew.
We will be seeking something normal for dinner tonight..McDonalds?
Today we went to lunch with Beng Guan and Agnes. Thai was the genre of the day. We went to a very, very nice Thai restaurant. This restaurant was very traditional, according to Beng Guan. As is custom here, a number of plates were ordered and we all shared. They have been very polite about asking if there is anything we don't like. No surprise, I speak up every time and make it known I do not care for fish.
So today, we were eating a very nice meal - good appetizers, with the main course on the way. And then, IT CAME. Apparently, Beng Guan had ordered grouper. Grouper at this restaurant is served whole..literally, it looks like they stick the whole fish in the grease and take it to the table. Eyes, tail, tongue, the whole enchilada. For those of you that know my complete disdain for fish, you understand why this was an issue. Unfortunately, his head was at my end of the table the entire meal. I thought it rude to ask someone to turn it the other way, so I put my water glass in front of his face. It did not help.
Some how, some way, I managed to make it through lunch - with Mr. Grouper looking at me the entire time. It was a struggle, but I managed to keep what I had eaten down. I did not eat any more after Sir Grouper graced us with his presence. Bruce and Charna got a chuckle out of it..because as soon as it came to the table..they knew.
We will be seeking something normal for dinner tonight..McDonalds?
Monday, January 15, 2007
First Day of Work..
Hello everyone,
As you can see, I have attached a couple of more pictures. Obviously, the bottom 2 are of our hotel. As you can see, we are not hurting when it comes to our accommodations. I mean, when we travel domestically, we don't stay in Motel 6's or anything, but this is probably the nicest place I will ever stay in my life. Maid service comes twice a day - to give new sheets/towels/etc and then to take the decorative pillows off your bed and refill anything you might have taken out of the refrigerator. Everyone is ready and willing to wait on you hand and foot - we have made friends with a waiter in the restaurant and one of the bellhops. The bell hop claps his hands and then a cab comes from the parking lot to take us where we need to go. He has been trying to teach Bruce to clap the same way - as Charna and I expected, he is a diligent clapping student, working hard to perfect his art. He is getting there. :)
The other picture is a picture Bruce took of Charna and I in Chinatown. Bruce and I have deemed Charna our chopstick champion - she is by far the most apt of the three of us with them. Bruce and I are proficient - we are not starving or anything like that, so we must be doing something right. Even our colleague in Singapore commented at lunch today that he was impressed with our chopstick skills! Lunch today was Japanese fare.
Today was our first day of work, and it went very well. We had a kickoff meeting that was very successful and then we got a presentation to help us understand Singapore's role in our organization. It was good to hear, because we knew a lot of what he was saying - shows that the planning time and effort spent was time well spent.
A few interesting things to note. First, this is not like any of the audits we typically do, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we are in a high rise building down town. We have a great conference room, with a huge table and a lot of windows. Sounds like a small thing, I know, but we are typically used to auditing at a plant in whatever space they can make available - usually with white walls and no windows. The office is just like an office in the US, in many respects. A receptionist, offices, cubes - all pretty normal. In Singapore, they conduct most of their business in English, so language is not a problem. This audit is also different from other audits in that the work we do here is one piece of whole group of audits we are doing related to this operation. As you can see, this is a pretty neat project - I can't believe luck would have it that I would get to do this. The team has said several times how lucky we are to have this experience. We will get to see the projected future model of a portion of our business from start to finish in this process - when we go to China in 2 weeks to see 3 of our manufacturing sites.
One other important thing to note. When it comes to adventures in eating, Bruce wins that award. He ate ox tongue the other day at breakfast, and a large portion of what he ate today for lunch was uncooked and of the swimming genre. For those of you that know me well, you know the swimming genre is very low on the list of food choices for me. Thankfully, chicken rice is a local favorite around here, so I am not starving. If you could see the breakfast (which I might add is included in our room rate - otherwise we would be looking for alternative breakfast options!) you would know that we are not starving. They have chocolate croissants to rival those I had in France.
I hope this posting finds everyone well. It did not rain much today, but it looks like it is clouding up. We are meeting in a bit to go find dinner..I am still full from lunch today..ugh. Take care and have a great day! ~Nicole
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