Heartburn City

Due to my fellow workers' lunch routine on the last day of the week, Friday shall henceforth be renamed Fireday. God I love Fireday. Usually a group of 8 to 12 enjoy an extended lunch together. And when they go out they like to enjoy some really spicy food. There are two restaurants that I've visited with them. I've been to both places now twice. Today we went to a Sichuan style joint. I had eaten here with Jeff and Megan a few weeks back and loved it then. This time around is no different.
Today several of the dishes are new. Even though some of the same culprits are there. Like a rack of hanging beef. Strips of cold beef resembling raw bacon hanging over a stick of bamboo. It is accompanied by a red chili dipping sauce. A plate of grilled string beans that are so flavorful that I can't stop eating them. Next chicken simmering in a bowl of red chili sauce. Excellent. Just keep an eye out for bones. Everything has bones. Like the fish simmering in red chili sauce. Oh this is so good. My scalp is starting to tingle from the heat accumulation.
Next out is beef sprinkled with chili flakes. each piece of beef is attached to a healthy portion of fat. It flaps in the breeze while it hangs from your chopsticks. That's kind of gross so I hurry it into my mouth to get it out of view. Jeez that's good too.
I'm grinning from ear to ear, I can't get enough. the food is spicy but still retaining its flavor. The conversation is loud and friendly. I can't understand a single word and yet I feel apart of the group. Every now and then an explanation is made to me in English and I can follow along.
Another large bowl is set down on the table. I drag a ladle through it and overturn what appears to be mushrooms. I scoop myself a big grayish brown square, everyone stops and looks at me, I ask "are these mushrooms?"
"no, pigs blood."
"OK but there not mushrooms right?" After being assured that they are not mushrooms I pop the square into my mouth. Delicious. it's like a spicy tofu with a slightly salty aftertaste. This is some good eating. A few other assorted beef and vegetable dishes are brought out. All drenched in red chili sauce. To help extinguish the blaze I'm served a bowl of plain white rice. Drizzling the remnants of all the sauces left on the table on top of my rice is like heaven. I go through two bowls of rice. The final plate is served. Sweet fried dough balls filled with what I believe to be a plum sauce. Checkmate. I am so delighted that I pick up the tab. A little over $40. This is good living. I just might be the only guy in history that goes to China and gains weight.

Two hours later sitting at my desk I'm cringing from chest aches and burning belches. My skin crawls a bit from all the chili oil I've ingested. I spend time trying to configure myself on my desk so that I can lay down and still work on my computer.
I can't wait for next Friday.

The view from my balcony

This is the view from my apartment's balcony. The black area in front of the buildings is a giant construction site. A subway terminal is being built around the clock.

In your face men's warehouse!

One trade that Hong Kong is particularly well known for is tailoring. It is a great destination to get a quality suit at a reasonable price. That's where you go if you are a tourist. The locals in Hong Kong however, cross the border into Shenzhen to get their suits tailored for a much lower price. After work yesterday I head to Louwu Station.

It is a border crossing as well as a large shopping complex. 5 floors of flea markets. Small stands selling everything from engraved rice to electronics, to any other kind of black market merchandise that strikes your fancy. You are barraged with "hey sir, you like watch, take a look take a look", "Sir DVD movie?", or "hey amigo! you like shoes, how bout Rolex?" All of the items are suspicious. Most items are blatant knock-offs. I am amused (at first) at how any and every merchant will try relentlessly to sell me their wares. For instance a woman yelling at me to buy baby clothes. I stop and tell her it doesn't fit, but she keeps yelling. I reply "But I have no babies!" Still more yelling. So I walk straight ahead, try not to make eye contact and keep my hands in my pockets holding onto my wallet at all costs.

My destination is the 5th floor where just last weekend I had agreed to buy a suit from a seemingly trustworthy lady. She wasn't as aggressive in her sales approach. Also I was the only laowai at her stand. the rest were locals which I took to be a good sign. Having Kevin with me to interpret was a big help otherwise I wouldn't be writing this story. I choose from multiple fabric swatches the material I want, and then I'm measured out. The woman and I agree to a price for pants and jacket of 700 rmb. Or roughly $100. With the first fitting done with, I am scheduled to return in a few days to pick up my brand new suit.

My team from teambuilding outing

Apparently just one thumb's up doesn't cut it.

Typhoon, Tysaw, Tyconquered

The wild winds of Hagupit have eased dramatically. All is well. But as I reflect on the sounds of last night I am reminded of the old saying we have at home, whenever it's thundering we like to say the Gods' must be bowling. But after all the random metal clang sounds I heard, could it be that the gods' were naming there kids?

From Looney Tunes to Typhooney Tunes

Holy smokes! There's a typhoon a blowin! It's passed two a.m. on Wednesday morning. What's been reported as a class 8 typhoon, Hagupit (nice name) seems to be passing Shenzhen right now. We were let out of work early to prepare for it's arrival. I crashed out earlier tonight. But now I'm wide awake listening to a cacophony of bangs, slams, thuds, and a screaming wind. The windows in the bathrooms face the center of the building. There are fans over the windows creating a ghostly whine reminding me of Kurosawa's exaggerated wind effects used in his final duel scene in Yojimbo. A glance outside the window I can clearly see trees bent almost at right angles, and only a few cars on the roads. They all appear to be cabs. Across the street there's an enormous pit that is under 24hr construction. It is stopped for the moment but I see the beam of a flashlight bouncing around. A foreman perhaps checking on his machines. On the news ( Hong Kong channel-only one of 3 I get in English) an emergency weather report just showed the projected path of Hagupit. It 's veering west of HK. But just like every other show I watch on this damn channel it is interrupted by propaganda commercials. A practice I'm told used by mainland censors that decide when a program is over stepping it's bounds. Some ladies show is now on. OK I'm off to bed. I'll write about what I wake up to.

Loony Tunes

Sunday afternoon I go to a matinee show at the local concert hall. I had been given tickets by the office and have no idea what I am going to see. I score seats right behind the stage where I notice several large drums, xylophones, and an array of percussion instruments. The lights go dim and a quartet of Spaniards come out and begin a long drum routine. This is interesting. They then move onto the xylophones. OK this is still cool. But then they don't stop. Two hours later I'm ready to get out. I feel like I've been locked in a doorbell factory. I spend most of the second hour observing the audience. Many heads are snapping back and restless people stir everywhere. This is fun to watch. It's even more amusing when at the end of the show people run for the exits.

It's just another Saturday night

Having just experienced my first Chinese massage I am in need of a beer. Perhaps even two or three. Kevin and I head to Shekou for dinner and drinks. This picture was taken in front of this anchored boat that's a floating hotel. (I'm sorry but the name escapes me right now) There is a pub club down stairs called the X-Ta-Sea. It is full of rowdy Australians who are watching Melbourne take on Brisbane in a brutal rugby match. We decide that we should move on and see some other stuff so we guzzle down our drinks and head out. Up above the ship on the main deck there is a German beer garden. The weather this night is actually quite pleasant with a continual breeze. On the deck higher off the ground the breeze is stronger too. We figure this is as good as any place to have another beer. We pony up to the bar and order a round. I look around the deck and notice on the other side of the boat where I assumed there's water, is a golf course. I'm too tired to figure out how this boat got here and my beer arrives so I dismiss this.

Behind the bar there is a stage about 4ft high in a half moon shape. On top of it an old Chinese guy is playing violin through a p.a. system. He's playing over a Cd of violin music. It's a little strange but it's nice background music for the patrons. Who are too wrapped up chatting away or playing liars dice. Halfway into my beer I notice a fuse running from the ground onto the stage and into a series of fireworks along the rim of the stage.The rim of the stage is maybe 5 feet from where I am at the bar. I alert Kevin to this. We decide we should stick around for the big finale. A young kid comes over and checks the wiring before giving an all's-ready cue to the violinist. By which I mean he shook the wire at each firework and seemed satisfied. One happened to fall down pointing right at us but he picked it up and stood it right side up. That seemed safe enough right? The violinist nods while in the middle of a song and at the crescendo ignites the fuse and...

oh jesus. I have the Sunday night news on. Last night a club here caught fire killing 50 plus. 90 injured. Apparently a performer was lighting fireworks on stage during a performance. So don't worry I'm OK.

Ahhh....massageee

It's Saturday and I've been here in China for two weeks. I have been asked on several occasions if I'd be interested in a massage. Until now I had always said no, Mostly due to modesty and the fear of getting into uncomfortable situations. But after the wear and tear of two weeks of badminton, ping pong , basketball, taxicab death rides, and a bed I liken to granite, I finally give in. So after a morning of basketball practice and suit shopping my coworker Kevin and I hop a shuttle to Pacific massage. When entering the establishment we are shown to a downstairs locker room. Here we place all possessions including clothes into a locker. We grab towels and are led to the shower room. After a shower in a private stall, thankfully, I find myself in a large room complete with pools and jacuzzis and many naked chinese guys walking around talking to each other like they were at the company water cooler. My coworker meets me and asks if I would like to jump in the pool or maybe the steam room? After noticing the patrons frolicking in the jet pool I quickly recommend the steam sauna instead. It's much harder to see in that room. After a few minutes we leave and go to the nextstation where they give us clothes to wear. I am first given what looks to be a hairnet. Only it has two holes cut out of it. Great, disposable speedos. I put them on and it feels like I've been vaccuum sealed. Then I'm given pajamas to put on. We leave the room and head into another. The clothes I am wearing are way too small (see; Discoverng the giant within) but I continue on.

I am taken into a room that looks like the sportsbook at the Belagio. Only at every lazy boy some patron is being given a back rub or wrist massage, or head squeeze. we are given a drink and a plate of watermelon slices while we peruse the rub-down menu. I am told that we will be getting foot scrapings. This is were the petticurist scrapes all the dead skin off your foot with a file. I get through both feet with out laughing but it is damn near impossible. I felt sorry for the guy scraping my feet. 30 years of dead skin accumulation made it look like he was grating parmasian.

After this ordeal we choose from a selection of massage styles. There's chinese, japanese, hong kong, and thai. We go with the hk. It's basically 1 1/2hrs of pain. My masseuse squeezes my neck and shoulders so hard I think she must be practicing the vulcan neck pinch. then she shoves my feet into the small of my back. Im staring face down through the hole in the table, biting my lip and drooling. Through the thin screen walls I here another man yelling and over the loud speaker Hotel California is being played. Baby oil is used and at first application it is soothing. then the heat kicks in for an additional level of torture. mercifully our session wraps up and I'm asked if I want to keep going. "no, no. I'm fine".

On our way back downstairs we stop at the hair salon for head and scalp treatment. This part I liked. a 45min shampoo. This was heaven. But when it's over it's back to the showers. I finish ahead of Kevin and return to my locker. Unfortunately so does two attendants that insist on dressing me. I snatch my underwear out of there hands and put them on myself, but that's all I can manage as yet more attendants come over to help. "Hey guy, where from?" America "Oh hey, america I love!" I must be a rare sight. Not too many foreigners go into these places. More guys must have heard this because now I'm surrounded by a dozen helpers. Two are untieing my shoes while others put on my socks while others hold my legs in the air. It's ridiculous. I much prefer our American self serve attitudes. I run out of there and pay up. I've been there now for 4 hours. The bill is $50.

That was an interesting experience but one I'll probably save some money next time and just jump in my washing machine for a couple of cycles.

Hey, don't drink that!

Upon the beginning of every meal here there is an edicate to wash your chopsticks in hot water or the tea that's served with the meal. You are given a dish, a bowl, a soup spoon, and a cup. Usually the cup is filled with tea. You are then supposed to dump that into your bowl and you wash your chopsticks in it. Afterwards you pour the bowl's contents into a collection dish. Afterwhich the same tea is poured into your tea cup for drinking. That's at least what I've seen every time I've been out to eat. My problem is that on a few occasions I've drinken the same tea due to thirst or dehydration. Every time, I've been told not to do this because it is uncooth and unclean. I don't get it. It's the same thing everyone ends up drinking but for some reason I've grossed everyone out at the table. That doesn't make sense when I see others drinking the tea after rinsing their sticks or better yet picking their noses before a hand shake. This is definately a land of contrasts.

Sticky buns

When work comes to an end on Tuesday it is time to get some exercise. I am taken to a large sports complex located in an even larger square. When I was first brought here a week ago I was wondering what kind of exercise my coworkers had in mind. The place looks like Qualcomm stadium in San Diego. I am impressed by it's size and wondered just what was in store for me. To my surprise it's badminton and ping pong!

Situated to the right of this large stadium is the rest of the complex. There's a large hall for badminton and above a pro shop there is a ping pong room. the badminton is intense. up until now I've only ever played this at a backyard barbecue with a racket in one hand and a cold beer in the other. Not here. The play is fierce and lively. The amount of whip attained by the really good players causes a loud "thwack!" sound that when first heard scares the bejesus out of me. The reaction time required for a shuttlecock doing light speed towards your chest is less than a second. It is nearly impossible to react in time. I feel like Curly after being pounded atop the head by Moe's clenched fist. I'm left running in place while wiping my hands over my face. "Nya, Nya, Nya!"So I pair off with someone willing to play at my speed. It is fun and draining. There are maybe a dozen or so courts all in use. Even though a few of us are smiling at our foul ups most of the people playing are very serious. There are no fans in this building so the air hangs heavy with the smells and perspiration of all who are inside it. After playing for an hour or so and absorbing every one's natural musk I move up to the ping pong room. Hoping to find lighter air and a sport that I might have a little more success at.

This room is no different in terms of temperature and moisture but it doesn't bother me. I can't believe I'm playing ping pong with the Chinese. This is awesome. While playing I think back to all the times I lost at ping pong and of the certain people out there (possibly reading this) that have had my number through the years. I envision myself training hard for the duration of my stay and coming back to the states for vengeance. Last week I played for 45mins. tonight I played for almost 3 hours. I have even obtained a secret weapon. More on that later. The crew comes to this place twice a week. I could definitely enhance my skills.

Our cripples #1 in world!

Here in China the excitement about the olympics has carried over to the paralympics. Every night on TV I've been able to watch legless swimming, sit down volleyball, wheelchair discus, one arm ping pong. It's viewed and enjoyed here much more so than in the States. The news is triumphantly shouting out the medals won be the Chinese athletes. I don't mean to insult the handicap but I am captivated by the vigorous enthusiasm displayed by the tv anchors and sports reporters here.

I wish I didn't notice this

While singing in the shower this afternoon I noticed that the water heating unit in the shower is electric. Are you sure this is where Confucius came from?

More holiday pics....

here I am on the way up, contemplating heading down
Aw, the almost summit
Here at the top I find the Louvre(?)
Victory is ours!
So let there be snacks and beer

Monday Holiday

Sunday is the Autumn Harvest Moon Festival. It is similar to Thanksgiving in the aspect that it is a day for families to get together and enjoy a big meal. But more importantly for me this means no work on Monday! I have been invited by some coworkers to go on a hike with them at a park that's a few miles away from the office. From the entrance it looks like a peaceful and serene place. For the most part it is. with the exception of the stairs you climb on your way to the top. These are tall and the hill is steep. The stairs never seem to end and along the way the heat and humidity begin to take a real toll on me. I have brought a bottle of water but after what turns out to be only a third of the way I've already drank almost the whole thing. I can't stop sweating. Te group consists of 8 people and one of the member's 3yr old daughter. The party is split up travelling at different paces. My eagerness is my downfall and I am quickly winded. I've marched miles of switchbacks in the Sierras, and have climbed the slippery stairs of Chichen Itza's castillo in the Yucatan, but this is one of the worst feelings I can remember. My head pounds as my stomach considers evacuating it's contents. I stop for a long rest. Other members of the party are also having trouble. I feel that my breakfast consisting of a peanut butter sandwich was a bad choice. I fish around in my pockets and delight in finding a sole piece of doublemint gum. Well maybe delight isn't the right word. Right now I'm way too close to passing out to be delighted. Several chews and the last sip of water brings me back to what I think was a close collapse. I rebound and find that the slow and deliberate approach is a wise one. a short time later I find myself at the summit. At least I thought it was the summit. It is a flat spot with several seating areas to take in the view of Shenzhen. If not for the haze it would be a site to see. You could see our office building, a giant stadium, a river winding it's way through a park, and a range of hills that I'm told is considered to be a sleeping dragon. That part is nice but what I need is a new taste in my mouth. As I consider some options of leaving the group for the nearest cab home I am given a hard boiled egg and an orange sized green fruit. The fruit turns out to be a tangerine. It is so delicious along with that hard boiled egg that I instantly recover. I am told that at the top there is a tea house where we can rest and relax.
This is all the motivation I need and soon we are doing just that. My friend Peter grabs three large "family" sized bottles of Tsing Tao while a couple of the girls Hatty and Coleinho produce several packages of breads and pastries from their backpacks. The beer is passed out to every one and we toast to our arrival after the gruelling ascent. Cards are brought out and we play a game called Killer. It is a blast. We switch off to a game called 007 which is also tremendous fun. It has nothing to do with cards. One person begins by saying 0(zero) followed by the next person. The third person says 7. that cues the next person in line to point at any one else in the circle and stick out their finger like a gun and say "pow!" The person who was just shot must say "Ow!" while the people to the target's immediate left and right must put both of their hands up while staying silent. It seems silly but it is hilarious and whoever screws up has take a big bite of bread. it seems easy but the faster the game goes the easier it is to goof up.
We stay at the teahouse for a few hours. Sometimes laughing so hard that my sides ache. I am also able to make them laugh equally hard. It is a good day and I am tired as we slowly walk back down the hill.

My Apartment

Saturday morning I move into my new digs. It's an apartment rented by the company for employees staying for lengthy durations. I'm the third occupant as far as I know. This picture is taken from across the street. Im the second tower to the left, 21 floors up. I've got 2 bedrooms and an office. Not too shabby considering the average living conditions in this town. Not far away are shopping centers that are sharp and new, with plenty of easy transportation available. I opt to walk during this first weekend. I like being on foot. Even in the mid afternoon heat. Around the corner I find a large mall called BOOK. It is coincidently a large book store. Imagine that? There is a music section and I find myself buying a 3cd set of Russian songs and a Universal Music Masters Series featuring Bruce Willis. I am actually listening to it as I type this. I also buy a few books, and head back. There aren't too many foreigners living in this neighborhood. I get hip to this fact by all the stares I recieve. One gentleman walking along side me at a crosswalk runs ahead of me to get out of my way. Looking over his shoulder repeatedly at me like I'm a devil. Curious. I take my fair share of stares and spend the day walking off in every direction from the front of my building. Almost daring myself to get lost. Instead I find a logical road layout and conveniently located stores. It is funny to be the only white guy in the market. I'm left to my own devices. The images on the packaging make it clear what you are looking at. for instance the toilet paper that I've bought myself seems to be very popular with dogs. Or maybe it is made from dogs. Either way I will be properly stocked for the next 7 weeks.

Team building China style

Friday the majority of the office is whisked away to a secret location for an afternoon of team building. or what I prefer to call "coworker bond enforcement camp". The destination is a beautiful resort situated on a lush hillside with a spectacular view of, what? I don't know because the valley's smog threatens to obscure even the sun. Still this posh entry room is Bond-esque. Note in the picture to the left there is nothing to separate the Bamboo and the outside. Above the stairs is a pond that floats above the lower level. Yet this is all a deceit. A seductive chili waxed quixotic. Red and beckoning yet full of heat and pain. We are lead off and separated into groups of 20. Marched out of this room, up the hillside, and taken to different locations for such group activities as creating a team name and composing a team song and dance routine. followed by catching alternating team members as they fall backwards from a stone wall into our collective grasps. (This part was amusing however as 19 uneasy team members awaited my turn. To their credit they kept me from hitting the ground and many a hearty laugh were shared.) I could not help but think as we trodded up and over this landscape of rope bridges, bamboo obstacle courses, and random huts hidden behind palm trees, that I was on the set of Delta Force 2. A part of me was awaiting Chuck Norris to come swinging in on a vine with a live grenade in his fist yelling at me to hit the deck. Minutes turn into the tens of minutes and then into an hour and a half. Finally after a couple of dance routines we are finally given water. But not before the losers of the dance and song competition are tortured in front of us. These uncoordinated bastards are forced to hold each others ears while singing out loud "we totally suck and blew the most important test of our lives." Well that's what I assume they say. I don't speak Chinese.
After this heinous act we are scared straight and marched to the bottled water hut. God has turned his back on us. There are no water bottles, only dixie cups with one refill per person. Damn, I should learn how to say "more water please" in Chinese but I really don't have the time, maybe later in the hotel I'll get to reading my Chinese for lazy asses book. But realistically I won't. In stead I'll switch on British espn and try to make sense of a cricket match.

Oh no, now I'm daydreaming. Losing focus of the here and now. I get back to reality and find myself passing my team members like rolls of carpet through a giant rope fence similar to a volley ball net. If their bodies touch the ropes then we have to start over. And since I'm the local strong man it is my charge to do the heavy lifting. 24mins later all of the crew has been passed through the net and into my arms. Relief sets in as we are taken to a lovely amphitheater to talk about the afternoon we've just endured. One by one all members stand and give a speech telling of their thoughts on the day. I stand and say "now that I've held you all in my arms, let me just say you are much easier to lift than Americans."

Not a good speech but hey, I've been sweating for 5 hrs in 90 degree heat accompanied by 80percent humidity. I'm tired and need food and more importantly water. To our relief we are taken to a restaurant alongside a giant pond. We are served soup and hot boiling tea.

AAAAAHHHHH! Who's in charge of refreshment around here, Satan? My guess is yes. I eat my food. Tired, stained, and drenched in sweat. My shirt no longer moves against my body. it has become skin. Like a layer on an onion. After an hour and a half drive back through friday night traffic Im back in the hotel and I finally get my hands around a cold cold beer. it is a simple bliss and the reward to another awesome day.

Windows to unnecessary worlds

Don't you hate it when you have visitors in your hotel room and right in the middle of telling a story you have to excuse yourself to use the bathroom? Well that's not a problem anymore! Now you can maintain that all important eye contact while continuing on with your story all while relieving yourself at the same time.

finally!

A night out with the fellas

After work my guys Bill, Robin, and Erik take me to a local community hall for pool. I and my fellow expat Jeff are the only Caucasians in the place. We are first looked at with uncertainty, then disbelief, followed by acceptance. Laughter, loud chattering, and sweat permeate the air. We enjoy Tsing Tao out the can. Pull tabs of course while we play game after game of eight ball. I am able to impress my hosts with good play and strong breaks that lead to more high fives and back slaps. The warmth and kindness of our hosts is immeasurable, as I have found with the other 70 people in the office. I am treated with respect, graciousness, and good humor. It will be an honor to work with these people. As I mull this over I excuse myself during a game to use the restroom. While in a stall and while in mid stream I hear someone enter the restroom and turn on the sink. Suddenly it hits me, "Am I in the men's restroom or the women's restroom?" (Realize that a chinese bathroom is a tiled hole in the ground with a flush lever on the wall). I flush and wait for the person to leave, but they aren't going anywhere. I open the door and find myself staring face to face with a very surprised old woman. She looks at me frozen as the sink runs and I feel my face boil to a dark blush. I've scared her half to death. I wonder how many gwyjo she has run into in the women's bathroom at her local pool hall. "Many apologies!" I stammer as I try to conjure up an international hand gesture for "OOPS! I didn't know any better and I'm so sorry,"

To which she replies by pointing to a sign on the bathroom door with a bunch of chinese characters on it. Underneath, printed in plain english, WOMEN'S BATHROOM

ah good times.

Discovering the giant within

This sure is great for the self esteem! Ok, I'm 5' 11" and 217lbs (was 225 last week when I left). That is almost twice the size of your average person here. To the left is a picture of me in my cubicle. Notice behind me the top of my coworker Allan's head. When this was taken every other cubicle was occupied. It's a riot. Even funnier is that the picture taker is standing in the entry doorway to the design office so that all who enter are greeted with this view. It looks like I might become the official lightbulb changer. or if I stay long enough I'll be placing the star ontop the xmas tree.

More HK pics...

5pm on Sunday.
Across the street from my hotel. The Langham (which incidently was ground zero for the SARS outbreak several years back)
Giant neon signs, giant head.
Narrow streets packed with double decker buses.
This is a mall that is 7 floors of mirrors and blinking lights causing one to think that you are lost in a maze.

Hong Kong photos

Here I am at the waterfront on mainland HK. Behind me is HK island.


This is a statue of Bruce Lee. Along the walkway is the walk of stars. Similar to Hollywood Blvd you will find stars dedicated to Chinese film stars.

He of the Iron Stomache

Late Monday morning finds me in my destination town of Shenzhen. Finally. I've waited a good three hours for my driver to pick me up in Hong Kong. Another hour is spent on the road followed by a series of checkpoints that you must go through to be allowed into the mainland. Needless to say that when I check into my hotel and get down to the office I'm famished. It's 12:30 and the design crew is ready to take me to lunch. It's a good thing that I'm hungry because this is the "let's see what the American can stomache" test.
After a round of tea is dispersed a bowl of inch long crispy brown things is placed on a lazy susan. I'm told it is fish. it is very tasty. On closer inspection these tiny shreds of meat are entire fish. reminiscent of what you might see at PetCo in the tropical fish department. Next is boneless chicken feet. they are served whole and look exactly like chicken feet. The table stops and waits to see my reaction. I grab the largest one I can find in the bowl and stick the whole thing in my mouth. I'm in China I figure and this is where I earn the respect of my hosts. Several extra chews for good measure and down it goes. Actually it's not that bad. Now don't go ordering me any the next time we eat together but it is tolerable and distantly tasty.
The rest of the meal consists of battered smelt (I usually keep this in the bait compartment of my tackle box- and that's where it should stay!), whole shrimp exoskeleton and all, and pigeon. Which I find to be absolutely delicious. Who knew that the feathered rat could be such a delicacy.
Also eaten (enjoyed) are several dishes that are vaguely white and yellow with chewy and meaty consistencies. After lunch I have earned several pats on the back from my peers and I am taken back to the office to be introduced to the rest of the office.
I am satisfied walking back in the sticky heat. Realizing that like my lunch this experience will have it's uncertainties, mild terrors, and wonderful surprises. I can't wait to find out what else is in store for me.

I'm sleepy NYET!

Okay, now it's even later and I'm starting to feel a little, lets say, wacky from jet lag and chinese beer. We are at a Russian bar called Balalaika. There is a tradition of sorts to drink welcoming shots of vodka while standing in a freezer. There is a coat rack at the entrance that has an assortment of fur coats and hats to wear while standing in the freeze. But after the shots you don't really need them. Outside the freezer a Russian girl in her 20's is in traditional dress playing Russian love songs on a keyboard. A drum machine cranks out cheesy beats while a tiny disco ball reflects the miniature laser light show. This place is way too much fun. After shots we return to our table and order one giant bottle of an unpronouncable brand of vodka and drink till it is empty. Afterwhich we return to the street to march on to the next destination. And the next, and the next. When I return to my hotel I have been awake for about 28hrs. and it is time for bed.

Off and Running

It's 9:pm in Hong Kong and I've been in town long enough to get from the airport, to the hotel, drop off my bags, and hop a cab to a bar up the street where the Shenzhen team is awaiting my arrival in an area called Norksford(?). After a long flight with minimal sleep I am far from tired. the sights and sounds of this place are invigorating. not to mention the smells. yikes. Regardless, the coworkers that I am about to meet are very friendly and boisterous. We continue to party late into the night, hopping from bar to bar.