I just received this email and thought I would share it with you. The following is what went through in a 6 month period.
1,854,600 Eggs
138 tons of melon
77 tons of watermelon
2,376,665 pieces of hand fruit
652,136 total KG of fruit
30,768 pizzas
246,144 slices of pizza
10,888 roast ducks
979,920 roast duck pancakes
6459 bags of rice
161,475 KG of rice
4.29 Million 4 oz (100 gram) portions of rice
158,458 KG chicken
102,340 KG pork
4,453 KG of PC jelly
318,000 portions of jelly
261,856 ice cream cones (including all sticks, cones, cups, etc)
0.5 Million yogurt cups
10,500 Liters soy sauce
1824 KG pepperoni
6.5 tons of Sushi
16 tons of bacon
15140 KG sirloin steak
58,945 KG beef
46,298 KG Tilapia
96,289 KG total fish
649,728 Snickers Bars
14,075 KG Cornstarch
6.7 tons of Sugar Packets
10 tons of Kim chi
36,088 KG skewers
505,232 Skewers total (beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp)
573,141 KG protein (beef, chicken, lamb, veal, fish, pork, sausage, etc)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
See Ya China
It's over! My last day of work was today and I fly home in 48 hours..
What a trip it has been. I have had an amazing time here and have enjoyed almost everything China has to offer...minus the gross food I ate. I really can't believe I am heading home. I was here for 3 months and at times it felt like a century but at other times it felt like it flew by.
I was looking back on my first few posts that talked about where I will be working, where I will be staying, and all the nervous feelings I had a month before leaving. Reading it made me kind of laugh. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I just knew I needed to show up on July 1. The first day or two I ironed out the nerves and started meeting people and my journey was in full swing. The experience here was truly incredible. This will be the largest Olympic Aramark ever does. There were 237 international managers and over 8,000 employees. On a busy day we would feed roughly 15,000 meals. Looking back on it all and seeing two villages, AV and MV, go from something to nothing is truly incredible. I was so fortunate to be a part of this project. I was one of the youngest managers here and I was working with people who were general managers, regional managers, and even some corporate managers. The connections I have made will hopefully provide a boost in my career. Not only did I meet great contacts I met some great people here who luckily live close to Philly. We hit it off right from day 1 and hung out the whole time. Granted most of these friends I made were almost old enough to be my parents it was still fun! Polishing off a bottle of vodka with regional managers and then trading business cards is something I wont forget.
Of course living in Beijing for 3 months had its ups and downs. There were days I wanted to just pack my bags and get the hell out of here and then there were days that I wanted to stay longer...actually not really! What am I thinking? Let me rephrase..there were days that I really enjoyed the city.
Now for a summary of the things I will miss and the things I hope I never have to see,smell, or hear again!
I will miss:
-cheap meals, cheap beer, and cheap taxi rides.
-the people I worked with and became friends with.
-hearing the annoying Chinese voice on the Subway.
-having my laundry folded perfectly and returned in plastic bags.
-my boxers being hung on hangers with creases.
-the awesome bread place around the corner.
-amazing dumplings, noodles, and steamed bread.
-crazy Silk Market and all the people who try selling you things.
-the translators who made my life so much easier..I could call them no matter what I was doing and they would translate for me.
-negotiating for everything..even at a hotel
I will not miss:
-the nasty smog filled sky.
-everything being a process when you have a simple task at hand.
-the stench in the taxi cabs.
-the little babies wearing assless chaps.
-walking down the street and getting hit with the worst smells ever.
-having staff that slept more then they worked.
-the chaos of work.
-having to wake up at 1am or 7am to watch Phillies games.
-the awful beds here.
-the traffic!
-the lack of personal space.
-people staring at me everywhere I go ( I have had issues with that since I was little!)
Well the things I wont miss out weigh the things I will miss but don't get me wrong...I still had an amazing time. As you all know being in Bejing for 3 months is something I will never forget. Everyone since the day I said I wanted to go to Beijing has been very supportive. Friends, family, and co-workers all encouraged me to come to Beijing to take on this challenge. I think I embraced the challenge of working on the other side of the world and making the best of everything here. It is hard to believe but I barley speak Chinese and still managed to get by for 3 months.
I look forward to getting back to Philly and back to my normal routine. I will be returning back to the Linc for football season. I think being here and working on the Olympic project will open up new opportunities for me.
I can't wait to see my family and friends and of course Game 1 of the Phillies playoffs. No more skype calls at 3am Beijing time to my father screaming about the Phillies game, no more video chats with my sister and cousin Michael at work, and no more emailing my mother to send me every time of medicine Target has to offer.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this long journey. I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back to share stories. Who knows where my next adventure will take me!
Love,
David
What a trip it has been. I have had an amazing time here and have enjoyed almost everything China has to offer...minus the gross food I ate. I really can't believe I am heading home. I was here for 3 months and at times it felt like a century but at other times it felt like it flew by.
I was looking back on my first few posts that talked about where I will be working, where I will be staying, and all the nervous feelings I had a month before leaving. Reading it made me kind of laugh. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I just knew I needed to show up on July 1. The first day or two I ironed out the nerves and started meeting people and my journey was in full swing. The experience here was truly incredible. This will be the largest Olympic Aramark ever does. There were 237 international managers and over 8,000 employees. On a busy day we would feed roughly 15,000 meals. Looking back on it all and seeing two villages, AV and MV, go from something to nothing is truly incredible. I was so fortunate to be a part of this project. I was one of the youngest managers here and I was working with people who were general managers, regional managers, and even some corporate managers. The connections I have made will hopefully provide a boost in my career. Not only did I meet great contacts I met some great people here who luckily live close to Philly. We hit it off right from day 1 and hung out the whole time. Granted most of these friends I made were almost old enough to be my parents it was still fun! Polishing off a bottle of vodka with regional managers and then trading business cards is something I wont forget.
Of course living in Beijing for 3 months had its ups and downs. There were days I wanted to just pack my bags and get the hell out of here and then there were days that I wanted to stay longer...actually not really! What am I thinking? Let me rephrase..there were days that I really enjoyed the city.
Now for a summary of the things I will miss and the things I hope I never have to see,smell, or hear again!
I will miss:
-cheap meals, cheap beer, and cheap taxi rides.
-the people I worked with and became friends with.
-hearing the annoying Chinese voice on the Subway.
-having my laundry folded perfectly and returned in plastic bags.
-my boxers being hung on hangers with creases.
-the awesome bread place around the corner.
-amazing dumplings, noodles, and steamed bread.
-crazy Silk Market and all the people who try selling you things.
-the translators who made my life so much easier..I could call them no matter what I was doing and they would translate for me.
-negotiating for everything..even at a hotel
I will not miss:
-the nasty smog filled sky.
-everything being a process when you have a simple task at hand.
-the stench in the taxi cabs.
-the little babies wearing assless chaps.
-walking down the street and getting hit with the worst smells ever.
-having staff that slept more then they worked.
-the chaos of work.
-having to wake up at 1am or 7am to watch Phillies games.
-the awful beds here.
-the traffic!
-the lack of personal space.
-people staring at me everywhere I go ( I have had issues with that since I was little!)
Well the things I wont miss out weigh the things I will miss but don't get me wrong...I still had an amazing time. As you all know being in Bejing for 3 months is something I will never forget. Everyone since the day I said I wanted to go to Beijing has been very supportive. Friends, family, and co-workers all encouraged me to come to Beijing to take on this challenge. I think I embraced the challenge of working on the other side of the world and making the best of everything here. It is hard to believe but I barley speak Chinese and still managed to get by for 3 months.
I look forward to getting back to Philly and back to my normal routine. I will be returning back to the Linc for football season. I think being here and working on the Olympic project will open up new opportunities for me.
I can't wait to see my family and friends and of course Game 1 of the Phillies playoffs. No more skype calls at 3am Beijing time to my father screaming about the Phillies game, no more video chats with my sister and cousin Michael at work, and no more emailing my mother to send me every time of medicine Target has to offer.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this long journey. I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back to share stories. Who knows where my next adventure will take me!
Love,
David
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dinner with a vegetarian
Jordana and Aaron were in town for the past few nights and last night we wanted to try hot pot. Everyone has talked about how great it is so we thought we would give it a shot. We went to a restaurant recommended by the front desk. It was right around the corner from the hotel and when we sat down at the table the entire menu was in Chinese. We tried to figure the menu out but had no clue what was going on so we left the restaurant.
Down the block there was a Korean bbq which we decided to go to. I had been there before and really liked it so I knew it was a good spot. We sat down and started looking through the menu. For those of you who don't know, Jordana is a vegetarian. This place was good for her because they had fish and lots of vegetables. We ordered a few things and then Jordana showed the waiter a piece of paper that said, " I am a vegetarian." The waiter nodded is his and went about his way.
In China they do not have many vegetarians....meat is a big thing. The first thing they threw on the grill was some fish and vegetables. After about 10 minutes they started putting meat on and Jordana stopped him saying she was a vegetarian. The guy gave us a look like she was crazy and stopped. They switched the grill and then we put the meat on. These people were so shocked to see someone not eat meat or not want anything that touched meat to touch her food.
The meal was great and rather entertaining. Aaron and I ordered a meat platter and the guy was cooking it up for us. Each thing was really good although we did not know what each piece of meat was. This one thing the guy put on we both ate and looked at each other and were like this is kind of chewy I don't like it. We asked the guy what it was and he sticks his tongue out. We ate frickin Ox Tongue. I can now add ox tongue to the intestines I ate the first week I was here.
The time that I spent with Aaron and Jordana was awesome. We went to the Summer Palace which was great and had a memorable dinner. It was nice having some family here for a few days.
I have exactly 7 days left here. I think I have 2 days left of work or maybe 3. They are really pulling my chain with when I end which is extremely annoying. I am planning on taking a bike tour of old Beijing at some point this week and finish some other last minute things in Beijing.....hard to believe its almost over.
Down the block there was a Korean bbq which we decided to go to. I had been there before and really liked it so I knew it was a good spot. We sat down and started looking through the menu. For those of you who don't know, Jordana is a vegetarian. This place was good for her because they had fish and lots of vegetables. We ordered a few things and then Jordana showed the waiter a piece of paper that said, " I am a vegetarian." The waiter nodded is his and went about his way.
In China they do not have many vegetarians....meat is a big thing. The first thing they threw on the grill was some fish and vegetables. After about 10 minutes they started putting meat on and Jordana stopped him saying she was a vegetarian. The guy gave us a look like she was crazy and stopped. They switched the grill and then we put the meat on. These people were so shocked to see someone not eat meat or not want anything that touched meat to touch her food.
The meal was great and rather entertaining. Aaron and I ordered a meat platter and the guy was cooking it up for us. Each thing was really good although we did not know what each piece of meat was. This one thing the guy put on we both ate and looked at each other and were like this is kind of chewy I don't like it. We asked the guy what it was and he sticks his tongue out. We ate frickin Ox Tongue. I can now add ox tongue to the intestines I ate the first week I was here.
The time that I spent with Aaron and Jordana was awesome. We went to the Summer Palace which was great and had a memorable dinner. It was nice having some family here for a few days.
I have exactly 7 days left here. I think I have 2 days left of work or maybe 3. They are really pulling my chain with when I end which is extremely annoying. I am planning on taking a bike tour of old Beijing at some point this week and finish some other last minute things in Beijing.....hard to believe its almost over.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Living the Dream
When we got to the airport we went up to the counter to check in. Once again I was wearing my Olympic credentials just in case. The lady took my passport and asked if I wanted window or aisle. I asked for the aisle in the emergency row. She did not really understand me so I just said forget it.
We start walking toward the huge line for the security check. I have no idea why the line was so long...it was almost one of those lines you see Thanksgiving time. As we are about to get in line this lady stops me. Kind of confused I turn around and she goes, "sir, can you please come with me." I follow her back to the counter and I am thinking maybe they made a mistake with my seat or something. She starts getting on the phone and looking at the computer. I asked what was going on and I got the standard, "wait a moment please." So we waited about 5 minutes and this other guy comes up to the counter. He says, "follow me." We didn't have to go through regular security we went through what they called VIP security. He then gives us our tickets. We went from row 15 to 2....first class! I was carrying a big back pack and then a smaller bag and he takes one of them for me to help me carry it. We start walking toward the gate all I can do is laugh.
On the right side of the terminal is all of these first class lounges. We passed about 3 and then the 4th one he says, "right this way sir." Now I am in the first class lounge at the airport. We sit down and he asks if I would like a beer.....sure why not. He brings out a beer and a fruit plate and asks if I would like lunch. I declined and went about drinking my beer. It was 7pm and the flight was boarding soon. We decided to get up and leave and said thanks. They said, "no you can't go yet we will take you in 15 minutes." I told him I wanted to walk around for a little and he didn't seem to understand why I would leave.
We get to our gate but there is no plane...its a bus! First thing that pops in my head is "when in China." We are one of the first few in line and there must be 80-100 people behind us. They take our boarding passes and tell us to get on the bus. Well the bus was the size of one of the rental car buses at the airports in the states minus seats. I get in and go straight for the back and then watch the entire plane board this bus. It is so crowded and with crowded comes hot and with hot comes smells! The bus sat with the doors closed and no air for about 5 minutes and then drove onto the tar mac to our plane. We board the plane and row 2 end up not being first class but it has a huge amount of leg room. Same seats as coach but more leg room then emergency row.
I put my iPod on and start to doze off. The flight attendant taps me on the shoulder and says, "Mr. Salinger if there is anything you need while on the plane please let me know and we will be glad to accommodate you." I said thank you and just started laughing to myself. The flight was a little bumpy and we were a little late. When I walked off the plane there is a woman right on the other side of the door with a sign that says, "Welcome Salinger/David." I went up to her and she says, "welcome to Beijing I hope your flight was everything you expected." We walked into the terminal and she asks me if I am heading to Olympic Village. I said no because I had no idea what would happen if I said yes. I was not sure if they would arrange a car or what. We took the subway home which was easy!
About my badge. This is the greatest thing in the world. These people must have thought I was someone important for them to stop me in the airport, change my ticket, let me in the first class club, and have someone waiting for me in Beijing. The hospitality was amazing. I gave everyone who was helping me Olympic Pins and they were very appreciative.
With that said...when I fly home in 2 weeks I will be sure to wear my badge and have plenty of pins to give out and see what happens. It was a great way to end a great trip.
I need to get to bed..I am exhausted.
We start walking toward the huge line for the security check. I have no idea why the line was so long...it was almost one of those lines you see Thanksgiving time. As we are about to get in line this lady stops me. Kind of confused I turn around and she goes, "sir, can you please come with me." I follow her back to the counter and I am thinking maybe they made a mistake with my seat or something. She starts getting on the phone and looking at the computer. I asked what was going on and I got the standard, "wait a moment please." So we waited about 5 minutes and this other guy comes up to the counter. He says, "follow me." We didn't have to go through regular security we went through what they called VIP security. He then gives us our tickets. We went from row 15 to 2....first class! I was carrying a big back pack and then a smaller bag and he takes one of them for me to help me carry it. We start walking toward the gate all I can do is laugh.
On the right side of the terminal is all of these first class lounges. We passed about 3 and then the 4th one he says, "right this way sir." Now I am in the first class lounge at the airport. We sit down and he asks if I would like a beer.....sure why not. He brings out a beer and a fruit plate and asks if I would like lunch. I declined and went about drinking my beer. It was 7pm and the flight was boarding soon. We decided to get up and leave and said thanks. They said, "no you can't go yet we will take you in 15 minutes." I told him I wanted to walk around for a little and he didn't seem to understand why I would leave.
We get to our gate but there is no plane...its a bus! First thing that pops in my head is "when in China." We are one of the first few in line and there must be 80-100 people behind us. They take our boarding passes and tell us to get on the bus. Well the bus was the size of one of the rental car buses at the airports in the states minus seats. I get in and go straight for the back and then watch the entire plane board this bus. It is so crowded and with crowded comes hot and with hot comes smells! The bus sat with the doors closed and no air for about 5 minutes and then drove onto the tar mac to our plane. We board the plane and row 2 end up not being first class but it has a huge amount of leg room. Same seats as coach but more leg room then emergency row.
I put my iPod on and start to doze off. The flight attendant taps me on the shoulder and says, "Mr. Salinger if there is anything you need while on the plane please let me know and we will be glad to accommodate you." I said thank you and just started laughing to myself. The flight was a little bumpy and we were a little late. When I walked off the plane there is a woman right on the other side of the door with a sign that says, "Welcome Salinger/David." I went up to her and she says, "welcome to Beijing I hope your flight was everything you expected." We walked into the terminal and she asks me if I am heading to Olympic Village. I said no because I had no idea what would happen if I said yes. I was not sure if they would arrange a car or what. We took the subway home which was easy!
About my badge. This is the greatest thing in the world. These people must have thought I was someone important for them to stop me in the airport, change my ticket, let me in the first class club, and have someone waiting for me in Beijing. The hospitality was amazing. I gave everyone who was helping me Olympic Pins and they were very appreciative.
With that said...when I fly home in 2 weeks I will be sure to wear my badge and have plenty of pins to give out and see what happens. It was a great way to end a great trip.
I need to get to bed..I am exhausted.
Xian pronounced She An
What a great trip. This post will be kind of long….we did a lot in less then 48 hours.
When we arrived at the airport our driver was waiting with a sign that said “Meets Mr. David Salinger.” Our driver drove us right to the hotel and it was 100 rmb, which is really cheap. The weather in Xian was pretty bad. We did not think we would have the smog here but while we were here all there was were grey skies…you will see in the pictures.
When we got to the hotel we met Ariel and Michelle who took the train up. We checked in and were really impressed. The hotel was gorgeous and the staff was very helpful. While we checked in Ariel and Michelle were negotiating with the driver for a price for the day. We were doing the Warriors, Hot Springs, and whatever else he suggested. The girls pushed hard and got the guy for 400 rmb for the entire day. Tha is 60 bucks and we spent at least 6 hours driving all over the place.
The first place the driver took us was a place we didn’t even ask to go to but he thought we would like it. It wasn’t that impressive. It was some excavation site were this tribe used to live. Some of the things inside were really interesting but it was just ok. I don’t even remember the name of the place.
After the first place we headed to Huaqing Hot Spring. This is where the emperors would go to hang out with their concubines. The grounds were incredible. Despite the weather it was really cool to see.
After the hot spring we made our way to the Warriors. This place was amazing and anyone who is ever in China should come visit Xian without a doubt to see this. We watched a brief movie about how all of this was found. It turns out it was two local farmers getting water from a well and when they pulled the bucket up there were broken pieces of the warriors. We could not get a clear answer for why the warriors were built in the first place but I think it was because one the emperors took over 6 provinces and built them to show how powerful he is. There are 3 pits of warriors. When we walked into the first one (it has 6,000) I was in shock. For the most part they are all still in decent shape. The size of this pit was enormous…I am not even sure what I could compare it to….maybe 3 or 4 football fields. Each warrior depending on its rank was built a different size. Your normal soldier was hollow because he was at the bottom of the ladder and then generals were built to weigh about 400 pounds. It was incredible and so worth the trip.
After the warriors we were all exhausted and the cab brought us back to the hotel. We asked for some recommendations where to eat and they told us this area is known for lamb and noodles and we should go down the street to get it. Most people don’t know this but Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and it still has the original city wall. Our hotel was located just outside of the south gate. We walked through the wall and into the Muslim Area. The Muslim area had this huge street market with people selling all sorts of weird crap that I would never consider eating. It also had a mini silk market with everyone screaming and saying they have the best things for the best price. I did manage to have someone paint my name in Chinese and it turned out really cool.
This morning I woke up kind of early and went for a run. I ran along the city wall. It was a lot of fun because they have all of this exercise equipment along the way and all the old people were using it. There were also large groups doing tai chi as well. I was running with a USA shirt and everyone kept looking at me. This city is awesome. It is not crowded like Beijing, the cabs stop for you, and the people are great. Everyone is really friendly. When I got back from my run we decided to take a tour of the wall. This wall has a moat and everything. We walked through a drawbridge to get inside. After walking around on the wall we went to a pagoda that had a huge Muslim temple. It was nice but since the weather was kind of bad it was not as good as it could have been.
We got back to the hotel around 3 and asked the front desk for a place to get noodles. This province is known for noodles so we figured we have to eat them. The main guy at the desk says, “Mr. David Evan if you would like noodles I know just the place for you.” He called me David Evan because they wrote my name down from my passport. Anyways he told us there is a place behind the hotel known for noodles and its fantastic…or as he said “very beautiful.” It took us a little bit to find the place because Chinese and directions don’t go together very well. When we walked in there were maybe 2 or 3 people eating. This one guy comes up to us in English and says, “welcome to Xian..do you like China?” We said yes and told them we need a table for 2. At the front counter they had a menu similar to one you would see at a McDonald’s or Burger King. We couldn’t figure out how we were suppose to order so we just grabbed a seat and they gave us a menu. The menu was all Chinese with a picture here and there. I saw a giant bowl of noodles with some stuff in it and ordered it. I was facing the front counter and they kept staring at me like I was from another planet. When my noodles came out they handed me a set of chopsticks. This was not your normal size chopstick—probably 2-3 inches larger then normal. I can handle the regular size ones but these..no chance! The girl behind the counter starts laughing almost out of control as I attempt to use these giant chopsticks to eat my noodles. My chopstick skills have improved since being here but some days you just have a bad day. As she continued to laugh I was getting a noodle in my mouth about ever 3 minutes. She walks into the kitchen and comes out with a fork. Once the fork came out it was great and the noodles were amazing. It was noodles, vegetables, mystery meat, and some egg. They were fantastic and all for 7rmb. 7rmb is roughly 1 US dollar.
We are in the lobby now waiting for the driver to get us to head back to Beijing. I am on the home stretch. I have 2 weeks left until I fly home. This trip was much needed. It was nice to get out of Beijing and see another part of China. It was nice walking down the street and not getting bumped into because it is so crowded or being able to drive in a cab without traffic. This gave me a taste of what “real” China is like. If I could stay for a few more days I would.
The Paralympics end tomorrow night and all the athletes will be out by Saturday morning. Hard to believe it is almost over. Jordana arrives tomorrow and is going to stay with me because she is not checking into her hotel until the 18th. Going out to eat with a vegetarian in China should be pretty interest. When I get back I will post pictures so you guys can see my trip.
When we arrived at the airport our driver was waiting with a sign that said “Meets Mr. David Salinger.” Our driver drove us right to the hotel and it was 100 rmb, which is really cheap. The weather in Xian was pretty bad. We did not think we would have the smog here but while we were here all there was were grey skies…you will see in the pictures.
When we got to the hotel we met Ariel and Michelle who took the train up. We checked in and were really impressed. The hotel was gorgeous and the staff was very helpful. While we checked in Ariel and Michelle were negotiating with the driver for a price for the day. We were doing the Warriors, Hot Springs, and whatever else he suggested. The girls pushed hard and got the guy for 400 rmb for the entire day. Tha is 60 bucks and we spent at least 6 hours driving all over the place.
The first place the driver took us was a place we didn’t even ask to go to but he thought we would like it. It wasn’t that impressive. It was some excavation site were this tribe used to live. Some of the things inside were really interesting but it was just ok. I don’t even remember the name of the place.
After the first place we headed to Huaqing Hot Spring. This is where the emperors would go to hang out with their concubines. The grounds were incredible. Despite the weather it was really cool to see.
After the hot spring we made our way to the Warriors. This place was amazing and anyone who is ever in China should come visit Xian without a doubt to see this. We watched a brief movie about how all of this was found. It turns out it was two local farmers getting water from a well and when they pulled the bucket up there were broken pieces of the warriors. We could not get a clear answer for why the warriors were built in the first place but I think it was because one the emperors took over 6 provinces and built them to show how powerful he is. There are 3 pits of warriors. When we walked into the first one (it has 6,000) I was in shock. For the most part they are all still in decent shape. The size of this pit was enormous…I am not even sure what I could compare it to….maybe 3 or 4 football fields. Each warrior depending on its rank was built a different size. Your normal soldier was hollow because he was at the bottom of the ladder and then generals were built to weigh about 400 pounds. It was incredible and so worth the trip.
After the warriors we were all exhausted and the cab brought us back to the hotel. We asked for some recommendations where to eat and they told us this area is known for lamb and noodles and we should go down the street to get it. Most people don’t know this but Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and it still has the original city wall. Our hotel was located just outside of the south gate. We walked through the wall and into the Muslim Area. The Muslim area had this huge street market with people selling all sorts of weird crap that I would never consider eating. It also had a mini silk market with everyone screaming and saying they have the best things for the best price. I did manage to have someone paint my name in Chinese and it turned out really cool.
This morning I woke up kind of early and went for a run. I ran along the city wall. It was a lot of fun because they have all of this exercise equipment along the way and all the old people were using it. There were also large groups doing tai chi as well. I was running with a USA shirt and everyone kept looking at me. This city is awesome. It is not crowded like Beijing, the cabs stop for you, and the people are great. Everyone is really friendly. When I got back from my run we decided to take a tour of the wall. This wall has a moat and everything. We walked through a drawbridge to get inside. After walking around on the wall we went to a pagoda that had a huge Muslim temple. It was nice but since the weather was kind of bad it was not as good as it could have been.
We got back to the hotel around 3 and asked the front desk for a place to get noodles. This province is known for noodles so we figured we have to eat them. The main guy at the desk says, “Mr. David Evan if you would like noodles I know just the place for you.” He called me David Evan because they wrote my name down from my passport. Anyways he told us there is a place behind the hotel known for noodles and its fantastic…or as he said “very beautiful.” It took us a little bit to find the place because Chinese and directions don’t go together very well. When we walked in there were maybe 2 or 3 people eating. This one guy comes up to us in English and says, “welcome to Xian..do you like China?” We said yes and told them we need a table for 2. At the front counter they had a menu similar to one you would see at a McDonald’s or Burger King. We couldn’t figure out how we were suppose to order so we just grabbed a seat and they gave us a menu. The menu was all Chinese with a picture here and there. I saw a giant bowl of noodles with some stuff in it and ordered it. I was facing the front counter and they kept staring at me like I was from another planet. When my noodles came out they handed me a set of chopsticks. This was not your normal size chopstick—probably 2-3 inches larger then normal. I can handle the regular size ones but these..no chance! The girl behind the counter starts laughing almost out of control as I attempt to use these giant chopsticks to eat my noodles. My chopstick skills have improved since being here but some days you just have a bad day. As she continued to laugh I was getting a noodle in my mouth about ever 3 minutes. She walks into the kitchen and comes out with a fork. Once the fork came out it was great and the noodles were amazing. It was noodles, vegetables, mystery meat, and some egg. They were fantastic and all for 7rmb. 7rmb is roughly 1 US dollar.
We are in the lobby now waiting for the driver to get us to head back to Beijing. I am on the home stretch. I have 2 weeks left until I fly home. This trip was much needed. It was nice to get out of Beijing and see another part of China. It was nice walking down the street and not getting bumped into because it is so crowded or being able to drive in a cab without traffic. This gave me a taste of what “real” China is like. If I could stay for a few more days I would.
The Paralympics end tomorrow night and all the athletes will be out by Saturday morning. Hard to believe it is almost over. Jordana arrives tomorrow and is going to stay with me because she is not checking into her hotel until the 18th. Going out to eat with a vegetarian in China should be pretty interest. When I get back I will post pictures so you guys can see my trip.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
On the Plane
I am currently on the plane and I could not wait to get to Xian to do a post.
I woke up this morning at about 2:30am because I could not sleep so I figured I would check the Phillies score and go right back to bed. Instead I stayed up and spent about an hour on Skype with my dad watching the game and I was able to catch the Mets blowing another lead. If there are any Mets fans reading this…de ja vu?
Before I left the hotel this morning I figured I would wear a USA t-shirt and my credentials to see if I would get preferred treatment in our travels. Getting to the airport was really easy. We took the subway to the airport express line. It is 25 rmb to get to the airport but because I had my credentials on we rode for free.
Once in the terminal we had to go through an initial security check. The line was pretty long but they saw my badge and told us to come up to the front. After the initial security check we had to walk about 15 minutes to the check-in area. The place was a zoo and the lines were killer. We were standing in line and this women came up to us asking if we had to check any bags and we told her no. She said we could check in at the electronic kiosks. We told her we couldn’t read Chinese so that would be impossible. She got a kick out of it and took us to the line with our passports…cut everyone off and printed us our tickets. I asked for 2 aisle seats across from each other.
Going through airport security in China is pretty interesting. There was this huge line and then they allow one person at a time. We waited for a few minutes and then it was my turn. They check your ticket and then it’s the usual security check. I took out my laptop, cell phone, and iPod and put it in a bin and then sent my bag through. They checked my ticket again and I walked through the metal detector. Then another guy signaled for me to come to him. He checked my ticket again and made me stand on a platform where he searched me to make sure I had nothing on me. I passed but noticed they had pulled by bag off to the side. They asked me to open it up and they pointed at my toothbrush and toothpaste. I took it out and they asked what it was! I kid you not they asked what it was. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they maybe have never seen an electronic toothbrush but you never know. I didn’t understand why they checked my ticket 3 times in the security line..a little strange.
Once we got through security we went to look for something to eat. China does not do airports like we do. They had this one place that was selling cold noodles and congee. For those of you who don’t know congee is boiled water and rice. It is the most disgusting thing ever but a staple here. We couldn’t find anything to eat so we just went to wait for the flight. Sitting in the waiting area we noticed a lot of Americans. Xian is a major attraction so it was nice to see and hear Americans.
My flight. Well I asked for an aisle and got a middle seat. I hate middle seats in the states and you can only imagine it here. I tried to sleep but the woman to my right is reading the newspaper and is not very good at keeping it her space. Half the page is on me. The guy to my left is also reading the paper so imagine poor me trapped between two newspapers. The best part about this is they are serving food right now. It is a small white box just like you would get on a states flight except the inside is much more interesting. I passed on the food obviously…I would rather starve! The contents of the box: A small bag of cherry tomatoes, a tuna sandwich (remember we are in a confined area so the smell is just lovely) and congee.
Not only am I jammed in this seat but also both people are going to town on their food. I am trying my best to not get sick. Between the stench of the tuna and other various smells it is making this flight very interesting. Jessica, Michael, Marisa, and Zach….think back to that one flight we took when we were kids and I flipped out….could be the second time I do that in about 5 minutes….The lady on my right just dropped the congee on her pants and is whipping it up with the newspaper!!!
We land in about 45 minutes and we have a driver picking us up and taking us to the hotel to drop our stuff off and pick up the translators. The translators decided to take the overnight train to save some money so they got in around 9am. We are heading right to the warriors first and then on our way back we are going to the hot springs.
I will keep you posted on the rest of the trip later just thought I would share my flight experience.
I woke up this morning at about 2:30am because I could not sleep so I figured I would check the Phillies score and go right back to bed. Instead I stayed up and spent about an hour on Skype with my dad watching the game and I was able to catch the Mets blowing another lead. If there are any Mets fans reading this…de ja vu?
Before I left the hotel this morning I figured I would wear a USA t-shirt and my credentials to see if I would get preferred treatment in our travels. Getting to the airport was really easy. We took the subway to the airport express line. It is 25 rmb to get to the airport but because I had my credentials on we rode for free.
Once in the terminal we had to go through an initial security check. The line was pretty long but they saw my badge and told us to come up to the front. After the initial security check we had to walk about 15 minutes to the check-in area. The place was a zoo and the lines were killer. We were standing in line and this women came up to us asking if we had to check any bags and we told her no. She said we could check in at the electronic kiosks. We told her we couldn’t read Chinese so that would be impossible. She got a kick out of it and took us to the line with our passports…cut everyone off and printed us our tickets. I asked for 2 aisle seats across from each other.
Going through airport security in China is pretty interesting. There was this huge line and then they allow one person at a time. We waited for a few minutes and then it was my turn. They check your ticket and then it’s the usual security check. I took out my laptop, cell phone, and iPod and put it in a bin and then sent my bag through. They checked my ticket again and I walked through the metal detector. Then another guy signaled for me to come to him. He checked my ticket again and made me stand on a platform where he searched me to make sure I had nothing on me. I passed but noticed they had pulled by bag off to the side. They asked me to open it up and they pointed at my toothbrush and toothpaste. I took it out and they asked what it was! I kid you not they asked what it was. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they maybe have never seen an electronic toothbrush but you never know. I didn’t understand why they checked my ticket 3 times in the security line..a little strange.
Once we got through security we went to look for something to eat. China does not do airports like we do. They had this one place that was selling cold noodles and congee. For those of you who don’t know congee is boiled water and rice. It is the most disgusting thing ever but a staple here. We couldn’t find anything to eat so we just went to wait for the flight. Sitting in the waiting area we noticed a lot of Americans. Xian is a major attraction so it was nice to see and hear Americans.
My flight. Well I asked for an aisle and got a middle seat. I hate middle seats in the states and you can only imagine it here. I tried to sleep but the woman to my right is reading the newspaper and is not very good at keeping it her space. Half the page is on me. The guy to my left is also reading the paper so imagine poor me trapped between two newspapers. The best part about this is they are serving food right now. It is a small white box just like you would get on a states flight except the inside is much more interesting. I passed on the food obviously…I would rather starve! The contents of the box: A small bag of cherry tomatoes, a tuna sandwich (remember we are in a confined area so the smell is just lovely) and congee.
Not only am I jammed in this seat but also both people are going to town on their food. I am trying my best to not get sick. Between the stench of the tuna and other various smells it is making this flight very interesting. Jessica, Michael, Marisa, and Zach….think back to that one flight we took when we were kids and I flipped out….could be the second time I do that in about 5 minutes….The lady on my right just dropped the congee on her pants and is whipping it up with the newspaper!!!
We land in about 45 minutes and we have a driver picking us up and taking us to the hotel to drop our stuff off and pick up the translators. The translators decided to take the overnight train to save some money so they got in around 9am. We are heading right to the warriors first and then on our way back we are going to the hot springs.
I will keep you posted on the rest of the trip later just thought I would share my flight experience.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wheelchair Rugby
Well last night I went to wheelchair rugby. I really did not know what to expect. People told me how crazy it was and how they just beat the crap out of each other in wheelchairs while trying to get a ball across the line.
The rules of the game are rather simple. They play on a basketball court and the goal line is probably a little smaller then a soccer net. You score when your wheelchair crosses the line. They will call fouls if you reach in trying to steal the ball or ram someone out of bounds when it is not necessary. The ball they use is a volleyball. There are 4 people on a side with substitutions just like any other sport.
For the first game, New Zealand vs. Australia, I had decent seats. This one guy for Australia who had no legs and very short arms scored 26 goals. He was so fast and I could not figure out how it was possible because his arms were not of normal length. The only bad thing about the first game was being surrounded by people with those annoying thunder sticks. I kept getting hit by them or people would bump into me because they were so excited about the game. These were all locals...nobody from Australia or New Zealand but the way they were cheering you would think they were from there. If they were people from either of the countries playing I would understand but there were local Beijingers going nuts and it was so annoying!
The second game we sat second row center court. It was cool because you could hear them screaming and yelling and talking trash on the court. I guess it doesn't matter what sport it is there is always trash talking.
As for the game itself. I wasn't really impressed with it. Everyone made it out to be this crazy sport where they are knocking each other all over ther place. It was physical but probably just a little more physical then wheelchair basketball.
I am at the coffee shop now and things have died down even more. There are only 4 days left of the paralympics and people have started to head out already. We went from slow to extra slow. I have 15 days left and I am looking forward to them because I only have 8 days of work, I am going to see the Teracotta Warriors, and Jordana will be visiting for a few days.
Hard to believe another countdown has begun. It seems like just the other day I was counting down until I leave for China and now I have a countdown until I go back to the states.
I posted pictures from wheelchair rugby so you guys can get an idea of what it looks like. I understand some people are having a hard time viewing my pictures. If that is the case email me and I will try to send you a direct link.
The rules of the game are rather simple. They play on a basketball court and the goal line is probably a little smaller then a soccer net. You score when your wheelchair crosses the line. They will call fouls if you reach in trying to steal the ball or ram someone out of bounds when it is not necessary. The ball they use is a volleyball. There are 4 people on a side with substitutions just like any other sport.
For the first game, New Zealand vs. Australia, I had decent seats. This one guy for Australia who had no legs and very short arms scored 26 goals. He was so fast and I could not figure out how it was possible because his arms were not of normal length. The only bad thing about the first game was being surrounded by people with those annoying thunder sticks. I kept getting hit by them or people would bump into me because they were so excited about the game. These were all locals...nobody from Australia or New Zealand but the way they were cheering you would think they were from there. If they were people from either of the countries playing I would understand but there were local Beijingers going nuts and it was so annoying!
The second game we sat second row center court. It was cool because you could hear them screaming and yelling and talking trash on the court. I guess it doesn't matter what sport it is there is always trash talking.
As for the game itself. I wasn't really impressed with it. Everyone made it out to be this crazy sport where they are knocking each other all over ther place. It was physical but probably just a little more physical then wheelchair basketball.
I am at the coffee shop now and things have died down even more. There are only 4 days left of the paralympics and people have started to head out already. We went from slow to extra slow. I have 15 days left and I am looking forward to them because I only have 8 days of work, I am going to see the Teracotta Warriors, and Jordana will be visiting for a few days.
Hard to believe another countdown has begun. It seems like just the other day I was counting down until I leave for China and now I have a countdown until I go back to the states.
I posted pictures from wheelchair rugby so you guys can get an idea of what it looks like. I understand some people are having a hard time viewing my pictures. If that is the case email me and I will try to send you a direct link.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Noodles
Last night I was hungry and did not feel like going anywhere far so someone suggested this noodle place that is around the corner from the hotel. It was nice to see a menu with English translation when we sat down.
The one thing that drives me crazy about going out to eat here is that when they seat you and hand you the menu they sit there and wait until you are ready to order. We always tell them to go away and give us some time but they just smile and wait...I hate it! Of course as we looked through the menu the waitress sat over my shoulder until we were ready. I ordered some chicken and noodle dish. As soon as we ordered she came back 2 minutes later with the bill. It is very common here to pay for your meal before you even eat it. It is kind of nice because when you are done eating you dont have to wait around for the bill but at the same time they never check up on you because once you are paid they dont come back.
This noodle place probably had about 30 tables and it was pretty full. Naturally we were the only Americans in the place. Everyone around us was busy eating as we waited for our food. I could not stop laughing because all you could here were SLURPS!!! It was the most disturbing thing ever. I was looking around and peoples faces were in their soup bowls making the loudest slurping noises ever...it was gross. Their technique is very interesting. They get the noodles on their chop and then go to eat them but as they are slurping them up they keep putting more on the chopstick so the slurp session could last a good minute. My Uncle Gary would kill these people because I remember having Friday night dinners at the Simms house and if you made the slightest slurp we would get "the look."
Looking past the gross noises coming from around the entire place the meal was really good. A good meal for 3 bucks...you can't beat it.
I have two days until I depart for Xian. I can't wait to go.
The one thing that drives me crazy about going out to eat here is that when they seat you and hand you the menu they sit there and wait until you are ready to order. We always tell them to go away and give us some time but they just smile and wait...I hate it! Of course as we looked through the menu the waitress sat over my shoulder until we were ready. I ordered some chicken and noodle dish. As soon as we ordered she came back 2 minutes later with the bill. It is very common here to pay for your meal before you even eat it. It is kind of nice because when you are done eating you dont have to wait around for the bill but at the same time they never check up on you because once you are paid they dont come back.
This noodle place probably had about 30 tables and it was pretty full. Naturally we were the only Americans in the place. Everyone around us was busy eating as we waited for our food. I could not stop laughing because all you could here were SLURPS!!! It was the most disturbing thing ever. I was looking around and peoples faces were in their soup bowls making the loudest slurping noises ever...it was gross. Their technique is very interesting. They get the noodles on their chop and then go to eat them but as they are slurping them up they keep putting more on the chopstick so the slurp session could last a good minute. My Uncle Gary would kill these people because I remember having Friday night dinners at the Simms house and if you made the slightest slurp we would get "the look."
Looking past the gross noises coming from around the entire place the meal was really good. A good meal for 3 bucks...you can't beat it.
I have two days until I depart for Xian. I can't wait to go.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
My 2 days off
I had Monday and today off and it has been a great 2 days. I was able to get tickets to see wheelchair basketball and I was finally able to make it inside the Birds Nest.
During the day on Monday I went to Tiananmen Square. The square is directly across from Forbidden City. It really is a sight to see...it is huge. For the olympics they made these flower gardens that were really cool. I took a million pictures so you can see.
Monday night was the basketball game. All seats for paralympics are general admission which creates such a nightmare. Everyone pushes and shoves to begin with so just imagine a few thousand people trying to get the best seat. We got lucky and found 2 seats at center court. The game is pretty fun to watch. It is impressive how atheltic they are while being in a wheelchair. I also bought tickets for wheelchair rugby this Saturday night which should be interesting.
This morning I woke up pretty early because I bought a ticket to see athletics. I wasn't really interested in seeing any special event I just wanted to get inside the Birds Nest. Let me tell you, it is as cool as it looks on tv. It is such an awesome building. Walking into it I had the same feeling I get when I walk into Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day or the first time I ever went to Yankee Stadium. You walk in and get chills because the stadium is so huge and all the best athletes were under this roof for 2 weeks. I wandered around for about an hour or so and took some really cool pictures.
My two days off have been great but kind of ended on a bad note. I was told my last day of work would be the 22nd. Today I got an email that said I can't stop work on the 22nd. They said I could have off the 23-26th and then work the 27-30th. There isn't much I can do and because I have to work the last few days I won't be able to travel anywhere. The whole plan was to have 8 days off and spend 4 days in Beijing seeing the things I haven't seen yet and then 2 days in Shanghai and 2 days in a province just south of Shanghai. They also told me I need to work the 30th. I fly out the 30th so that does not make any sense. They claim I can't have time off because they really need my help with closing AV down. I can't see one person making all the difference...to say the least I am really pissed.
I updated my pictures just now. As promised I took a picture of the alley that the student claimed was so small and the wall he backed up itno.
For those of you keeping track..and I am sure there are a few of you....I will be home 3 weeks from today!
During the day on Monday I went to Tiananmen Square. The square is directly across from Forbidden City. It really is a sight to see...it is huge. For the olympics they made these flower gardens that were really cool. I took a million pictures so you can see.
Monday night was the basketball game. All seats for paralympics are general admission which creates such a nightmare. Everyone pushes and shoves to begin with so just imagine a few thousand people trying to get the best seat. We got lucky and found 2 seats at center court. The game is pretty fun to watch. It is impressive how atheltic they are while being in a wheelchair. I also bought tickets for wheelchair rugby this Saturday night which should be interesting.
This morning I woke up pretty early because I bought a ticket to see athletics. I wasn't really interested in seeing any special event I just wanted to get inside the Birds Nest. Let me tell you, it is as cool as it looks on tv. It is such an awesome building. Walking into it I had the same feeling I get when I walk into Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day or the first time I ever went to Yankee Stadium. You walk in and get chills because the stadium is so huge and all the best athletes were under this roof for 2 weeks. I wandered around for about an hour or so and took some really cool pictures.
My two days off have been great but kind of ended on a bad note. I was told my last day of work would be the 22nd. Today I got an email that said I can't stop work on the 22nd. They said I could have off the 23-26th and then work the 27-30th. There isn't much I can do and because I have to work the last few days I won't be able to travel anywhere. The whole plan was to have 8 days off and spend 4 days in Beijing seeing the things I haven't seen yet and then 2 days in Shanghai and 2 days in a province just south of Shanghai. They also told me I need to work the 30th. I fly out the 30th so that does not make any sense. They claim I can't have time off because they really need my help with closing AV down. I can't see one person making all the difference...to say the least I am really pissed.
I updated my pictures just now. As promised I took a picture of the alley that the student claimed was so small and the wall he backed up itno.
For those of you keeping track..and I am sure there are a few of you....I will be home 3 weeks from today!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
My New Bed
What a great night sleep! I actually woke up late this morning because I was so comfortable. It is nice to be in a real bed. I felt like a little kid staying at a hotel when you get to sleep in a big bed...it was fantastic.
Tonight is opening ceremonies for the Paralympics. I do not think the ceremony will be anything like the regular olympics. We might try and go down to hang out around the stadium.
My trip to see the terra cotta warriors has been postponed. Poor planning on my part is not going to allow me to go this week. I went to buy a train ticket yesterday and it was a nightmare. The train station is one of the largest stations in Asia. I walked in and luckily was able to find the ticket area rather quickly. I saw in the distance a ticket window that said "English Speaking Teller." Jackpot!! I walk over there and the line was about 50 deep. 50 deep with Chinese people. I did not understand why they were all in the English line. My sarcastic self taps the guy on the shoulder in front of me and asks, "sir do you speak English?" He responds with hand motions and I just rolled my eyes. Two kids get behind me who were also Chinese. Kind of punk looking kids with spikey hair wearing the jeans that are really tight. Just looking at them I wanted to puke. Anyways, I asked them if the spoke English and they respond "mayo" which means no in Mandarin. An hour rolls by...I am about to lose it. The combination of standing in a long line, the heat, and the stench were getting to me. Once I got to the front of the line I asked for a ticket to Xian. The lady punches it in the computer. The total price comes to 1100 rmb. My friends who went last week paid 800 rmb round trip. I tried to explain that and she didn't understand. I asked for a cheaper ticket and she didn't understand. The people behind me were screaming and yelling and I was shouting back, "this is the English line!" IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
I got out of line and left. I did some research last night. I am going to fly. It will cost me about 130 usd to fly and I won't have to spend 11 hours on a train with strangers in a 4 bunk cabin. The thought gives me the chills. Since I am going to fly I am going to spend 2 days there. I will get in at 10am on the 15th and check into a hotel. The first day I will go see the warriors and the second day I plan to go to the hotsprings and walk around the city. I am looking forward to it. Someone else might join me or I will fly solo. Either way I am looking forward to getting out of Beijing for a little and seeing other parts of the country.
Work is dead today. Slower then ever. Maybe 3 people have come in. It is time for an espresso and lunch.
Tonight is opening ceremonies for the Paralympics. I do not think the ceremony will be anything like the regular olympics. We might try and go down to hang out around the stadium.
My trip to see the terra cotta warriors has been postponed. Poor planning on my part is not going to allow me to go this week. I went to buy a train ticket yesterday and it was a nightmare. The train station is one of the largest stations in Asia. I walked in and luckily was able to find the ticket area rather quickly. I saw in the distance a ticket window that said "English Speaking Teller." Jackpot!! I walk over there and the line was about 50 deep. 50 deep with Chinese people. I did not understand why they were all in the English line. My sarcastic self taps the guy on the shoulder in front of me and asks, "sir do you speak English?" He responds with hand motions and I just rolled my eyes. Two kids get behind me who were also Chinese. Kind of punk looking kids with spikey hair wearing the jeans that are really tight. Just looking at them I wanted to puke. Anyways, I asked them if the spoke English and they respond "mayo" which means no in Mandarin. An hour rolls by...I am about to lose it. The combination of standing in a long line, the heat, and the stench were getting to me. Once I got to the front of the line I asked for a ticket to Xian. The lady punches it in the computer. The total price comes to 1100 rmb. My friends who went last week paid 800 rmb round trip. I tried to explain that and she didn't understand. I asked for a cheaper ticket and she didn't understand. The people behind me were screaming and yelling and I was shouting back, "this is the English line!" IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
I got out of line and left. I did some research last night. I am going to fly. It will cost me about 130 usd to fly and I won't have to spend 11 hours on a train with strangers in a 4 bunk cabin. The thought gives me the chills. Since I am going to fly I am going to spend 2 days there. I will get in at 10am on the 15th and check into a hotel. The first day I will go see the warriors and the second day I plan to go to the hotsprings and walk around the city. I am looking forward to it. Someone else might join me or I will fly solo. Either way I am looking forward to getting out of Beijing for a little and seeing other parts of the country.
Work is dead today. Slower then ever. Maybe 3 people have come in. It is time for an espresso and lunch.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Handicap Restroom
I just got to work and had my daily espresso and muffin. About 20 minutes ago my stomach started to hurt really bad so I ran to the bathroom. I open up the first stall and it is one of the hole in the ground things...no way! I open up the second stall and its filthy...no way! The third stall, a handicap stall, is available. I open the door and it is really clean inside. I think to myself...self...these are the paralympics and a majority of the guests are in wheelchairs, canes, etc. and maybe I should not use it.
I didnt want to go in because I had a flashback of a Curb episode when Larry David uses the handicap bathroom and someone in a wheelchair was waiting to use the bathroom. While sitting there and laughing to myself about that episode my stomach starts turning. I look around and nobody is around so I decide to use the bathroom. I take care of my business and take a deep breathe before opening up the stall door. OF COURSE!!!!! There is an athlete in a wheelchair. He was not American so I could not explain myself. He was from Iran and I just looked at him and said sorry. Hopefully he understood me and hopefully he was not waiting long. What are the chances that early in the morning someone would be waiting to use a public bathroom?
Tonight I am going to purchase my train ticket for Sunday. There is an English speaking window but from what I hear the woman at the window knows just as much English as I know Chinese so it should be interesting. Tomorrow is opening ceremonies and the coffee shop closes earlier. I have not been asked to help out tomorrow night but I am sure I will.
Oh yeah! Tonight I will also be moving into a real bed! One of my roommates went home so I now have a real bed and a door. I will also have my own bathroom..it is not in my room but its always nice to have your own bathroom. This is a pretty big day for me. I have been fighting for this since July 2nd and they finally took care of it. I guess my weekly email to the same lady got to her. I can't wait to go to bed tonight.
Hard to believe that I only have 25 days left in China. Time flew and I feel like I just got here.
It is another beautiful day in Beijing. Everyone said September is the best month here and so far they are right.
I didnt want to go in because I had a flashback of a Curb episode when Larry David uses the handicap bathroom and someone in a wheelchair was waiting to use the bathroom. While sitting there and laughing to myself about that episode my stomach starts turning. I look around and nobody is around so I decide to use the bathroom. I take care of my business and take a deep breathe before opening up the stall door. OF COURSE!!!!! There is an athlete in a wheelchair. He was not American so I could not explain myself. He was from Iran and I just looked at him and said sorry. Hopefully he understood me and hopefully he was not waiting long. What are the chances that early in the morning someone would be waiting to use a public bathroom?
Tonight I am going to purchase my train ticket for Sunday. There is an English speaking window but from what I hear the woman at the window knows just as much English as I know Chinese so it should be interesting. Tomorrow is opening ceremonies and the coffee shop closes earlier. I have not been asked to help out tomorrow night but I am sure I will.
Oh yeah! Tonight I will also be moving into a real bed! One of my roommates went home so I now have a real bed and a door. I will also have my own bathroom..it is not in my room but its always nice to have your own bathroom. This is a pretty big day for me. I have been fighting for this since July 2nd and they finally took care of it. I guess my weekly email to the same lady got to her. I can't wait to go to bed tonight.
Hard to believe that I only have 25 days left in China. Time flew and I feel like I just got here.
It is another beautiful day in Beijing. Everyone said September is the best month here and so far they are right.
My Coffee Shop
I am currently at work. It is my 3rd day in AV and things are going great. I come in at about 8:45am get the place up and running and then relax until about 4:30pm when I head home. I have about 8 students working all of which speak enough English to make the job very easy.
When I get in I walk to the main office to pick up the keys and golf cart. I drive to the coffee shop and let the kids in. We set up everything and then one of the students and I go pick up the sandwiches from the kitchen. We have runners in the coffee shop and they are the ones who drive the golf cart back and forth and pick up food all day...by all day I mean the one time in the morning.
Today I went to drive and in broken English the runner goes, "no i drive car." I let him take the wheel. We had to make a 3 point turn in this somewhat small alley way. For us in the states it is a huge space for locals the space is very tiny. The kid puts the car into drive and then as he reverses he slams into the side of the building putting a huge dent in the siding. My natural reaction is, "what the fuck." The kid looks at me and goes, " i no drive well...so sorry." I figure what the hell, I will let the kid drive the rest of the way and see what happens. There is this one stretch to the kitchen where nobody is and you can hit this little red button that allows the cart to go faster. I showed him the button and he hits it---the car goes from 5mph to probably 8mph and he starts flipping out. He screams, "sir, make stop--it goes so fast." I can't stop laughing and the kid slams on the breaks. We finally make it to the kitchen and I tell him to leave the car out front and I will grab the stuff. He decides to follow me and forget to put the parking break on. The cart rolls back like 20 feet and just missed nailing another car. Long story short...a 5 minute trip to pick up sandwiches took about 25 minutes. I drove on the way back and he was gripping onto the side of the cart because we were going 8mph. We are going to practice driving later if I have enough patience. I felt like my father when he was teaching me how to drive.
Back to the coffee shop. I do not drink any coffee. I will have the occasional latte from Dunkin Donuts but I would not call myself a coffee drinker. Working in a coffee shop where it is really slow there are only so many things I can do. I can be on my computer...walk around...talk to the students in English and watch them laugh at me or I can drink coffee. Well---I now drink all types of coffee. When I get in I have a double espresso. Then I will have a bagel or muffin while talking to the kids. A little later on I will have a cappucino and on the way out I will grab a latte. The stuff is pretty good. Being a novice coffee drinker it is probably crap considering it comes out of a machine but I am enjoying it.
I am still finalizing plans for my trip to see the warriors this weekend as well as trying to figure out plans for the end of the month. I really would like to go to Thailand or Vietnam but at the same time there is still so much I have to see in China. I would love to do everything but time does not allow it. I may do Shanghai and some other small provinces instead of going to another country. Airfare is out of this world and a train can only take me so far.
When I get in I walk to the main office to pick up the keys and golf cart. I drive to the coffee shop and let the kids in. We set up everything and then one of the students and I go pick up the sandwiches from the kitchen. We have runners in the coffee shop and they are the ones who drive the golf cart back and forth and pick up food all day...by all day I mean the one time in the morning.
Today I went to drive and in broken English the runner goes, "no i drive car." I let him take the wheel. We had to make a 3 point turn in this somewhat small alley way. For us in the states it is a huge space for locals the space is very tiny. The kid puts the car into drive and then as he reverses he slams into the side of the building putting a huge dent in the siding. My natural reaction is, "what the fuck." The kid looks at me and goes, " i no drive well...so sorry." I figure what the hell, I will let the kid drive the rest of the way and see what happens. There is this one stretch to the kitchen where nobody is and you can hit this little red button that allows the cart to go faster. I showed him the button and he hits it---the car goes from 5mph to probably 8mph and he starts flipping out. He screams, "sir, make stop--it goes so fast." I can't stop laughing and the kid slams on the breaks. We finally make it to the kitchen and I tell him to leave the car out front and I will grab the stuff. He decides to follow me and forget to put the parking break on. The cart rolls back like 20 feet and just missed nailing another car. Long story short...a 5 minute trip to pick up sandwiches took about 25 minutes. I drove on the way back and he was gripping onto the side of the cart because we were going 8mph. We are going to practice driving later if I have enough patience. I felt like my father when he was teaching me how to drive.
Back to the coffee shop. I do not drink any coffee. I will have the occasional latte from Dunkin Donuts but I would not call myself a coffee drinker. Working in a coffee shop where it is really slow there are only so many things I can do. I can be on my computer...walk around...talk to the students in English and watch them laugh at me or I can drink coffee. Well---I now drink all types of coffee. When I get in I have a double espresso. Then I will have a bagel or muffin while talking to the kids. A little later on I will have a cappucino and on the way out I will grab a latte. The stuff is pretty good. Being a novice coffee drinker it is probably crap considering it comes out of a machine but I am enjoying it.
I am still finalizing plans for my trip to see the warriors this weekend as well as trying to figure out plans for the end of the month. I really would like to go to Thailand or Vietnam but at the same time there is still so much I have to see in China. I would love to do everything but time does not allow it. I may do Shanghai and some other small provinces instead of going to another country. Airfare is out of this world and a train can only take me so far.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Almost the end
Tonight was the last night for the majority of people who worked at Media Village. The guys I have eaten almost every meal with and drank multiple beers with depart tomorrow. Our group of international managers has really shrunk as we enter the final stretch of the 2008 Olympics.
Today was my first day at Athletes Village and what a day it was. I am in charge of a coffee shop in the International Zone. This area is where there is a dry cleaning place, the big Olympic store, a newsstand, etc. etc. The coffee shop on average during the regular Olympics was doing about 50 people a day....at media village we were doing 50 people in about an hour. Anyways, they sell sandwiches and coffee. It is a nice little place where you can find some media members hanging out all day interviewing the athletes as they come in.
For the past two months my life has been crazy. We were putting in long hours and always on the move at work. This last month will be the complete opposite. I am working 9a-5p Wednesday through Sunday with Monday and Tuesday off. A pretty sweet way to end my 3 month assignment in China. All of my off days will be spent touring what is left on my list of Beijing.
This Sunday night my plan is to take an overnight train to Xian. Xian is where the Terra-Cotta Warriors are. It is about a 12 hour train ride so we will leave Sunday night and get in early morning Monday. We are going to tour the city and the warriors all day Monday and then get back on the train Monday night and be home Tuesday morning. I am really looking forward to seeing other things outside of Beijing.
The rumor is that my last day of work will be September 20th. If I can get written confirmation that I will be done work then I am going to try to plan a trip somewhere. I figure if I am in this area right now I might as well take full advantage. I am considering Vietnam or Thailand.
I went back to the Great Wall yesterday. It was even better this time because there were no clouds...it was a perfect day. I was suppose to go in September on a private hike but the guy had to cancel so I tagged along with some other people. The first time I went the weather was terrible and I still thought it was awesome. Adding a bright blue sky to the mix made it amazing. I took pictures so if you click the link to the right you will be able to see it.
Time for bed.
Today was my first day at Athletes Village and what a day it was. I am in charge of a coffee shop in the International Zone. This area is where there is a dry cleaning place, the big Olympic store, a newsstand, etc. etc. The coffee shop on average during the regular Olympics was doing about 50 people a day....at media village we were doing 50 people in about an hour. Anyways, they sell sandwiches and coffee. It is a nice little place where you can find some media members hanging out all day interviewing the athletes as they come in.
For the past two months my life has been crazy. We were putting in long hours and always on the move at work. This last month will be the complete opposite. I am working 9a-5p Wednesday through Sunday with Monday and Tuesday off. A pretty sweet way to end my 3 month assignment in China. All of my off days will be spent touring what is left on my list of Beijing.
This Sunday night my plan is to take an overnight train to Xian. Xian is where the Terra-Cotta Warriors are. It is about a 12 hour train ride so we will leave Sunday night and get in early morning Monday. We are going to tour the city and the warriors all day Monday and then get back on the train Monday night and be home Tuesday morning. I am really looking forward to seeing other things outside of Beijing.
The rumor is that my last day of work will be September 20th. If I can get written confirmation that I will be done work then I am going to try to plan a trip somewhere. I figure if I am in this area right now I might as well take full advantage. I am considering Vietnam or Thailand.
I went back to the Great Wall yesterday. It was even better this time because there were no clouds...it was a perfect day. I was suppose to go in September on a private hike but the guy had to cancel so I tagged along with some other people. The first time I went the weather was terrible and I still thought it was awesome. Adding a bright blue sky to the mix made it amazing. I took pictures so if you click the link to the right you will be able to see it.
Time for bed.
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