…………GC Asia…………….

I had to write about this

The other day I decided to finally get a SIM card to activate my phone since I know couple people here in Shanghai and it would be for convenience. So I go to China Mobile, the largest provider here, and got myself a card for 110 RMB, which is around $15. 60 was for the SIM and 50 is my beginning balance. They told me, well showed me on the calculator, that the charge is 0.13 RMB per minute so I will have plenty of minutes to use for the remaining 3 weeks. Well it seemed that way at least. I have them the money, they gave me the SIM and that was it - no paperwork. I made couple of phone calls, sent couple text messages and all seemed ok

My number by the way is +8615021081844. Sorry I couldn’t make it longer. I wanted one with more digits but they said no.

Next day I checked my balance on a supposedly free service and my balance was down to 43. Which is fine, it’s just a dollar, but if it goes with that rate I will be soon needing recharge. I started talking to my supervisor about it and he told me I can check it online. It’s funny but the site is in English as well as Chinese, until the point where you can check your account information, from there you need local supervision. So we started making attempts to log in. For security reasons there were passwords and so on, but it seemed a little more complicated that it should have so it took us 5-10 minutes just to log in to the initial customer service screen. When we finally did, my boss said: Oh they gave you a name:…

My new name is Yin Hong Dong! According to my boss it means…nothing! But you can call me Yin!

So we kept trying to search for detailed balance information and another 10 minutes later we finally logged in. For the services I used I was charged around 1 RMB. But the came the interesting part - 2 RMB for internet message???, some small charges for unknown things, and 5 RMB for a melody feature, that way when people call me instead of a ringing tone they can hear a song - Nice!! Oh and it changes every 5 minutes. If you want you can call me to see what is your luck. When we tried from the office it was classical music. I need to send them some techno beats! I won’t even bother going back and trying to argue these 5 RMB for one thing because it will take me 20 RMB just to go there and for another it’s pocket change and they won’t understand me :). Customer service number - no thanks. But it’s funny how they added bunch of start from the beginning, I won’t even check my balance anymore. But you can call me Yin!

Well couple more days in China working and one crazy weekend and stories are gathering up quickly!

First of all I realized how big Shanghai is. Not only the fact that there is a skyscraper everywhere around you no matter in what part of the city you are (many apartment buildings are over 25 stories high), but also if you start walking for 30-40 minutes you won’t get ANYWHERE! I tried once to make my way home from a ‘nearby’ subway station. The line that I am on closes at 9:30, which is not likely time for me to get home, so I had to take another route. From the map from what I remember the distance didn’t seem much, but I have never walked it. I also didn’t have the map with me at the time, just some basic orientation. Well I started walking thinking I should get in my neighborhood within 30 minutes. After 45 minutes I was facing a huge boulevard that ended in my neighborhood, but I couldn’t see the end of it. So finally took a cab and he drove for another 10 minutes before I got home – that is the second closest subway station from our hotel and we are not even close to the outskirts of the city. Oh and those cab drivers – besides being a little crazy in their driving and not obeying any type of traffic laws, they amaze me with their knowledge of the city. And this is not driving in a little town or in New York, where even I can be a cab driver without a map or gps, these people can read the address before we take off, then 45 minutes later when we are close to the specified address to take several shortcuts and get you there avoiding as much traffic as possible. And they don’t even ask anymore questions on the way or need to look at the address again. And by the way these streets are all randomly names and seem very similar to foreigners but are so far away from one another. One time the driver asked me with gestures if I want to go over or under the river, I pointed at my watch, he nodded understandingly and drove me right to the destination in no time! Nice!

About work – well it’s just work. Food is still with vast variety, again besides the rice, and it’s nice and peaceful. The boss is cool and it’s interesting to hear from him things about China. For example if two married people don’t have any siblings they are allowed to have two kids, some of you may know that but I didn’t. So he will have two kids, at least he is planning for it. So it’s kind of weird – every Chinese either has a sibling or a cousin! Meanwhile in the subway people kept pushing each other but usually avoided pushing bigger people like me.

Saturday we went up on the TV tower 350 meters from the ground. It was the first day where we saw the sun for longer than 20 minutes!! So the view was nice. Some pictures are in the China album with link below. On Sunday though was the big attraction! The ‘fake market’! At that place you can buy Northface jacket for 10-15 bucks or Rolex for under 20. Of course not originals, but definitely look and feel like it and of course not without you bargaining. Massive bargaining. The market was huge, on the first(zero) floor of their Science and technology museum. Heh, what a coincidence?! There are some pics of that too, but it was basically small stores for clothing, souvenirs, electronics and again the same over and over. First purchase I made was jeans – I wanted some new ones so I went in a store and like myself a Levi’s pair. Actually two. The original price was 450 RMB per pair. That is around 65 bucks, yeah right! I tried them on, there was no space in the shop for fitting room, so they basically pulled a little curtain and I did it in the middle of it. After I tried them I offered the lady 150 … for both. She said I am crazy and should offer her something more reasonable. I kept repeating it while she was bringing it from 900 for both down to 800, 700, 690!!!, then got near 300. I pulled 200 (27 bucks) out of my wallet and said – do you want them or not? Hah, she kept saying 230, 220? And all that while putting them in a bag. I put them on the counter, she gave me the bag with a frown on her face and we said goodbye! Got several other things and everyone called me a bad customer, but for crazy reason they kept selling them to me! It was nice experience. Eric got a watch also, the first store they took him to, was for bags or something of that sort, then they pulled out one of the suitcases and opened it full of watches. While he was choosing a lady pulled the bottom from her counter which seemed just like peace of wood, but there were more watched in there! Hidden product for special customers hehe. Those pics are also on there. I haven’t washed any of the clothes I bought yet, but hope they will last me at least couple of months. If not - oh well. The weekend ended with a walk on the river on the Puxi side. People there were selling things too and it was interesting to bargain with them. The most interesting ones were selling … pictures of the view with you in them. You stand on the view, they take a picture and print it right away. It seemed normal until one Chinese guy, probably visiting the city, wanted to use that service but he wanted us to be in the picture. So he came and asked us, while we were sitting on the rail next to the river, to take a picture with us. Then the person taking the picture wanted us to pose with him on another 2 views, then that Chinese customer thanked us and went ahead and paid for his picture! We are famous down here. (Probably because I told couple people in bars that I am member of the Bulgarian Olympic soccer team). Then while we were relaxing on the stretch 3 more random people wanted pictures with us on their personal cameras or phones. I put one of those online, too. It’s probably the haircut!

More to come…

China

Laos

Cambodia

Thailand

Well we started working at the company. We are working in manufacturing area, where most buildings are with offices and factories. We are on the first floor with several cubicals in the front office and factory and warehouse in the back. Total of 20 people work there. It’s clean and people are able to perform their job. Our boss is pretty busy but finds time for us and our project. We get there 9 after we get picked up by a mini-van hired by the company to transport several employees that live locally. 11:30 is lunch time - the company provides it. It’s typical Chinese food and so far there has been variety - of course not counting the rice, that’s a must! I will admit - all my life I have been wondering how Chinese are eating rice with chop sticks, but now I am doing it and it’s not too bad! I am not hungry after lunch so I guess I am doing well.

The people in the office are nice. Many don’t speak English but we understand each other for simple things. The other day I went to the factory area and many of the people haven’t seen me before, so by looking at this westerner they thought I am a corporate guy checking out the process, so two of them stopped and froze for a sec - I had my hands crossed so the bossy look was a fact - but they quickly put their eyes on the products and kept working. They did good!

Meanwhile I had more experience with the local transportation and people. The other day I took the subway for first time. Usually when people use public transport the ones that are leaving the train or bus get out pretty easily because everyone on the outside gives them room. Not here! As soon as the subway goes to a complete stop a person stands from the inside and outside right in the middle of the doorway and awaits for the door to open. It’s always funny - like a duel. You can sit down on a subway station and watch it all day and make bets who will have to move away for the other person to go through the door. It will be even funnier at rush hour, but I will pass visiting that sight right now. But if you simply await around 5 seconds the crowd from inside and outside would have pushed their way through and the path is clear and there is still 5 more seconds before the door closes. But in general the subways are nice and clean. Safety glass walls are put on most lines that way nobody can fall on the rails.

Traffic - ridiculous! The two best things are bicycle/motorcycles and right turns. The first ones don’t worry about anything. You have a bigger chance to get hit by a bike then by a car. Those people don’t care about lights or about which lane or part of the road they are driving. I am still waiting for someone to hit me and see what happens. And they cut off each other’s ways too but I did notice that nobody is yelling at each other or making any kind of noise. The second part - right turns, that stands for all types of vehicles. Basically everybody makes a right turn at any point without looking to its left. And nobody, I mean nobody honks at them. Today on our way to work there was this bus that cut us off and we had to slam on the breaks along with two other cars and nothing - our driver didn’t even make an implication that he is mad. Try that in Bulgaria, you will be pulled over one time and beat up pretty bad! Besides the gestures and the nice words said about your family.

But we are safe and so far food is good! Maybe that 2 week trip to southeast Asia prepared my stomach well enough. I am a chop stick master!!!

Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a minute. What is going on here? We took a flight from Bangkok to Guangzhou and had 2 hour layover. It’s a little smaller city than Shanghai - just 5 million less for total of 13 million, and we faced our first Chinese experience. Our flight to Shanghai got delayed … by 1 hour … and I felt that the people were going to strangle the airport personnel. They were pissed! Also personal space wasn’t a factor with them. You go to the bathroom, and especially for guys you should hope there is no line, because the line starts immediately after you. Couple times I gave space to people in front of me on counters or in stores like 2-3 feet and guess what – I got cut, by more than one person. I was thankful for my size in those situations, because as soon as I made an indication to those people to go back in line, they looked up, saw I am a foot taller and acted sorry and went behind me. When the plane started boarding, I thought people were afraid it will leave without them -  the line was so long and clustered. We were the last ones to get on board.

We got in Shanghai and things didn’t change much. These are not anymore the calm southeast Asian people – this was about life and death situation any minute. At least that is what it felt like. I took a cab to my hotel and it was during the day – driving is not their best skill. At one point on the two lane highway a guy from the left lane decides to cut off a car and get off the exit suddenly, people slammed on their breaks, horns, normal stuff, but the guy that was driving behind him decided to cut off too, but it was too late and he hit the left front blinker/light of the car in the right lane with his door area. He didn’t stop or get off the exit, instead he just slammed on the gas and took off and we are two cars back watching this with the cab driver. So the hit car pushes hard too and starts the chase! And we are following all this! Finally 3-4 minutes later he catches on, passes him, gets in front and slams on the breaks, both cars stop and the arguments started, by that point we were too far ahead to see if there is any physical activity but I wouldn’t be surprised.

The Pudong area where our hotel is, is generally calm and newer. Many westerners live here but still plenty of locals. You think driving in Manhattan is hard and crazy – try navigating a cart in the local supermarket! It’s not a joke and takes a lot of time to go around the store. People just don’t care about anyone and block off the tiny isles and look at similar soaps for 15 minutes. You are trying to turn around and go the other directions since there is no way for you to go forward - too bad - it’s the same the other way. So you got to wait and hope they don’t hit you too much with the carts. Pictures are uploaded. I think this is the most hectic experience I have ever had – much worse than riding a cab in New York, tuk-tuk in Bangkok or the subway in Moscow.

As soon as our GC positions got settled, five of us decided to do a little tour around southeast Asia before the beginning of work. Alex, Henry, Eric, Andrew and me were on our way to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos for 2 weeks to get some feel of Asian people and culture before heading to Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City.

First stop Thailand.

We arrived at Bangkok on the 8th of May and right away hit the touristy Khao Sarn Rd. Interesting things happen there and it’s surprising how that street changes within hours. I won’t go in too many details on this blog, but it was a definitely astonishing experience, especially for Andrew who got chased by a rat on the sidewalk. The ladies were attractive and bars full!
Next day we took a walk around town and decided to take a night train to the second largest city up north - Chiang Mai. That was much more cool-down, chill place and we fit perfectly. It was amazing how many foreign people, primarily english, are backpacking around Thailand for months. So we were surrounded by plenty westerners but we blended with the locals as well.
We spent total of six days in Thailand, visiting one more town, Pai, and the impression I got from that country is that they are using the money from tourism wisely and have developed their infrastructure well. They are not a third world country and keep improving. Food is great and everyone in our group loved it, women are very beautiful, people are generally happy and most speak some sort of English, at least the ones that have direct connection with tourists.

 

Cambodia

 

Here we were for 3 nights which we spent in the city of Siem Reap. It was close to the Angkor temples (wats) and tourism was also a big money bringer for this area. But unlike Thailand, here recent wars brought a lot of troubles to this country and people from the older generations are simply missing due to recent genocides and civil war. The country is definitely struggling. With over 2 million land mines still out in the fields, many people have personal experience with fatalities or permanent injuries. But many charities are established in the area which is promising. Young kids are learning English and I think within 20-30 years the country will be able to run a little smoother.

The Temples of Angkor are incredible. I recommend everyone to visit them, but make sure you bring lots of water with you. The heat was ridiculous but the temples are worth it. They are surrounded by lots of local people living around the area and selling various goods to tourists. They are comprised of a great sales force of around 10 year old girls who can amaze you with their sales techniques. They tried so hard and made us laugh many times so we were ‘forced’ to buy something from them. Bargaining of course is a must, but many times we just folded and gave them an extra dollar, just to make their day.

 

Laos

 

This was the third country on our trip and was the most relaxed one. We were in Luang Prabang, Vang Viang and Vientiene. In all three towns you can feel not pressured by time. People are calm and not worrying about too much. Happy to see tourists and generally under strict governmental order – you can see the USSR flag on multiple places, it’s pretty funny. There is a curfew at midnight, but tourists are not bothered with that, well if there is anything open. Usually a club or two might be. In the one we went Alex was the fifth biggest person in there after the other four from the group. People are generally small and friendly. Very good experience!

 

In general the people from those three countries are happy to see tourists but not really showing any smiles on their faces when they see us - rather not knowing what to expect. But as soon as you smile at them you get this amazing smile back. Kids are cute and innocent looking. They don’t have much to play with but are happy with what they got and have a careless life while they are young. When they start growing up they face the reality a little more and you can tell the sadness a lot of the times. Crime is not a big factor here and I felt completely safe, especially coming from Europe. I put some pictures on this blog.