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
Friday, February 2, 2007
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)