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!