Realizing that I have not written in such a long time has motivated me to make another blog entry. Hopefully I'm not blogging in a vacuum and someone out there is reading this!
Recently, I've been thinking about living overseas, and the kinds of crazy things that you tend to pay for just because you can't get them normally.
Living abroad for over two years, I've found that most of the things that I've wanted (maybe 90% of them) are available at some point, somewhere, either at a Brick and Mortar, or at an online seller.
The other 10%, I just bring with me when I go back home, and carry two suitcases. The funny thing is, many of the things that I purchase are made overseas where I live, just not available here.
Socks, Towels, Windshield Wipers for the car, Bed sheets, shower curtains, are some of the things that I bring back with me!
Living in a smaller city doesn't help, but figuring out how to use the online auction/buying sure as heck does.
So lets look at the things that I DON'T buy local brands for and pay a lot more for....
The things in italics are actually imported Everything else is available locally but is still considered a foreign brand.
Toilet Paper (Kleenex Brand) - Korea
Tide Detergent
Shaving Cream
Cereal - Korea
Dog Food - Korea
Kraft Mac and Cheese - USA
Juices - USA/etc
Peanut Butter - USA
You really don't realize how much you love and miss that comfort of that Kraft Dinner Mac and Cheese till you click "Buy it now" online and pay 7 dollars American for that box of pasta and powdered cheese product....
What are some of the things that you can't find where you live, and do you still have to go get them from 'back home'?
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Texas on my mind....
I've
been on quite a few adventures. For the National Holiday, XB, one
of my guys that works for me got married, and I was invited to his
wedding (also had to give a speech about his work ethic and what a great
job he does), my aunt came in from Taiwan, and we had a nice visit, I
took her to the grape festival, out to eat at a nice sushi place, and
met some friends that I made here. Overall a very nice time! She's my
first foreign visitor! She left on Saturday, and I had Sunday and Monday
to recover.
The first weekend in October, XB my right
hand guy, Took me to Huangdao, which is across the water from
Qingdao. We drove the longest bridge in the world to get there. In
fact, we had such a good time driving and talking that we ended up
overshooting the exit for huangdao, which was ok, because we ended up in
a very rural area of China, all farmland. It was beautiful, and I'm
bummed that I didn't get a chance to take pictures, but I was
driving. XB and his wife and I explored Huangdao in the
afternoon, and had a nice time. XBs wife teaches college english
there but since she lives on campus, has not had a chance to explore the
town, as her weekends are usually in qingdao with XB
.
.
The second weekend, I took it easy, saw friends, and
Sunday went to Church and ran errands. This past weekend, I was
recovering from a cold, which was no match for Nyquil and Dayquil and
Mucinex, so I got some CHinese medicine, which worked slow, but yielded
results!
This past weekend, another one of my guys got married, and again, I had to do the wedding speech as the boss and talk about work ethic and marriage. Its interesting how much weight they put on your job and how much of a part of your life it becomes, so much that the bosses have their own table at the wedding! Sunday, I met with my friends that are in China from Washington state. We went to Jimo Lu, which is the equivalent of silk street in Beijing (if you're from Houston, think of Harwin Shopping district). There, they had street vendors with food, produce, clothes etc, and that was just on the OUTSIDE of the shopping center. We enjoyed a giant Fritter (Yiu Tiao), as well as some Stinky Tofu (Will, the guy in the picture didn't like it, but his mother, who lived in Taiwan for a few years, enjoyed it). Bought some fresh fruits, and then ended the evening at Burger King at Marina City, along the water. Burger King was actually really terrible, as they just opened, and everyone and their dog was there, so instead of making your order when you pay for it, there's tons of Hamburgers premade. The result is a cold, nasty, soggy burger. I'll come back when they're not so busy and see if the food is better.
This past weekend, another one of my guys got married, and again, I had to do the wedding speech as the boss and talk about work ethic and marriage. Its interesting how much weight they put on your job and how much of a part of your life it becomes, so much that the bosses have their own table at the wedding! Sunday, I met with my friends that are in China from Washington state. We went to Jimo Lu, which is the equivalent of silk street in Beijing (if you're from Houston, think of Harwin Shopping district). There, they had street vendors with food, produce, clothes etc, and that was just on the OUTSIDE of the shopping center. We enjoyed a giant Fritter (Yiu Tiao), as well as some Stinky Tofu (Will, the guy in the picture didn't like it, but his mother, who lived in Taiwan for a few years, enjoyed it). Bought some fresh fruits, and then ended the evening at Burger King at Marina City, along the water. Burger King was actually really terrible, as they just opened, and everyone and their dog was there, so instead of making your order when you pay for it, there's tons of Hamburgers premade. The result is a cold, nasty, soggy burger. I'll come back when they're not so busy and see if the food is better.
Work is going good, if not just constantly frantic. I've
learned quite a bit since taking over the role as operations manager,
and one of the biggest things that I've discovered since becoming a
manager, is that your productivity level generally decreases, because
you're being pulled in 100 different directions in a day. Some of the
biggest headaches are HR issues. Employees that dont pull their weight,
employees that fight, slack off, etc. Now I really understand why its
hard to get a response from managers, because they're too busy putting
out little fires every day. On the good side, you do get to work with
people and the people that are on my team are all eager to learn. I
just need to find the fine line between being friendly while still
trying to be the boss.
The weather here has cooled signifcantly, and the days
are getting shorter. IT runs in the mid 50s at night and mid 70s in the
daytime. Kody is doing well, the cooler weather has him shedding his
summer coat and growing in the winter fur! Kody has also made a new
friend, Yiu Yiu is a Collie that lives in the first building in my strip
of apartment buildings. Shes a beautiful dog, and we run into her a
few times a week when we go out for walks. Her owners are nice people,
and we have a great visit every time we run into eachother.
Dining has been an adventure, as I've been eating local fare, and I've attached some pictures of the goodness for your drooling pleasure.
Dining has been an adventure, as I've been eating local fare, and I've attached some pictures of the goodness for your drooling pleasure.
The House in Katy is
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I'm excited that Jennifer and John and the girls are coming. Then after that, I'll be home on the 17th for about 3 weeks! Looking forward to catching up with everyone if our schedules allow for it.
Miss you all and would love to hear from you!
Peace and love,
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I'm excited that Jennifer and John and the girls are coming. Then after that, I'll be home on the 17th for about 3 weeks! Looking forward to catching up with everyone if our schedules allow for it.
Miss you all and would love to hear from you!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Life ain't always beautiful.....
Howdy everyone!
Well its been three weeks since I sent an update, so maybe theres more exciting stuff to talk about! My biggest fear is people will lose interest, but the last week people are sending "wheres the update? Are you still alive? I'm bored, give me reading material!" Haha! OK OK, here we go!
This weeks theme song is "Life Ain't Always beautiful" by Gary Allan
So, since my last update, life is pretty much settled into its own routine. Work, weekends, church, etc. My circle of friends is slowly growing.
A few weeks ago, the power company had a 'planned outage'
on a Tuesday, so I took my guys to the Grape Festival, which was
basically going to an agricultural area, and paying for entry into a
farmers land, and you can pick your own, or they can pick them for you,
and you eat grapes, play cards, visit etc. It was fun, later we had
lunch at a Korean Place. Nice day overall.
Church has been improving a lot, with the teachers all
coming back, church is busy and people reach out and are very social.
I've met more people and I get invited to different groups for lunch
afterwards! The only downside is that it takes a LARGE portion of my
sunday, as I leave the house at 9AM and I dont get home till 3PM or
later if I eat lunch.
I have to own that I have quickly grown complacent in not
taking more weekend day trips. I'm in a foreign country, I have a car, a
license and GPS. I should be taking lots more adventures. I am saying
this to own it and start doing more stuff on the weekends. There are
tons of small towns that I can drive to within an hour or two and make
it back by evening to let Kody out in time.
On the Work front, its been challenging and sometimes
downright incensing. Progress is slow on projects and people are
unwilling to deviate from protocol, and people are thinking very two
dimensionally. ("I'm a mechanical engineer and thats all I'm going to
do"), well this has to change. I had a pep talk with the troops this
week, and explained that we all have to be more dynamic, more flexible.
Also I've implemented a new dress code that goes into effect soon. No
more shorts and t shirts and flip flops. We are all professionals with
college degrees. No more dressing like you're going to the beach. And
its good for self esteem too. Last week I had to go to the engineering
center and find out why it was taking so long. One of the guys says
that he sent an email to a colleague asking for information and never
got a reply.
"When did you email him?"
"When did you email him?"
"August 23rd"
"So you emailed this guy over a month ago and he didnt reply. Where is his office?"
"He sits 2 rows behind me."
"So you didn't think that it would be a good idea to just go over and ask him?"
*Blank stare*
I
had to remind them that we're all very busy, but when someone else is
holding up the work, you need to gently remind them that they are. But
people generally are too afraid to ask a second time once the request
has been made.
The house here keeps improving little by
little. I got new area rugs (plain) but it sure helps with the noise
and Kody likes them too. I bought some for the office to spruce it up
some as well.
The house in Katy is almost back to snuff. Big thanks to
my Mom and Stepdad, the best neighbors in the world, Nick and Ally, my
incredibly talented decorator Sharon, and my great contractor Mark. If
you want to do business with the last two folks on this list, I will
heartily recommend them.
RIght now, fruits and veggies are so fresh and
inexpensive. My supper has been fruits and salad for dinner. After
walking Kody in the afternoon, I put the podcast of "Americas Test
Kitchen" on the ipad, and I wash and peel fruit in the kitchen. Its
very nice and makes it feel more at 'home'. Speaking of home, I have
been reflecting lots on how great it is to have email, facetime, skype
and google voice. Being able to communicate so seamlessly has been a
blessing. Takes the sting of not being at home and makes it less.
Last week, we had a "mid autumn festival" where people
celebrate the fall and enjoy moon cakes, as well as see friends and
family. Next week is Chinas national holiday, and I'll be off the
entire week. My aunt Joyce from Taiwan will be visiting for a few days,
so I'm very excited about that. Also my right hand man at my company
is getting married, so I'll be attending the wedding. I plan on taking
Aunt Joyce to go enjoy some local food, sight see and enjoy time with
her. I've been introduced toa bunch of local restaurants now, so its
been nice to be able to go there and take friends!
I know lots of you have heard me write about how
inexpensive things are in CHina, but thats not always the case. I went
to the Toyota dealer last saturday to get the oil changed in my car, and
was quoted almost 200 US dollars for a plain oil change. I ended up
finding a local place where I have been before and they did it for 100
US Dollars. A regular pair of Jeans, like Lee or Levis that you can get
at Walmart or Academy for 20-30 dollars, is 90-200 US dollars here.
And then you can walk down the street to the hair salon and get a
haircut and shampoo for 3 dollars with no tipping. Go figure.
Last weekend, I had to go to Korea for a day because of
my visa expiring. The Incheon airport is very western, with nice clean
and welcoming feelings throuhgout. Its very "zen" feeling, warm wood,
shiny stainless steel. They have a museum of Korean history inside the
airport, a cultural experience center, a day spa, all kinds of shopping,
cosmetics, electronics, books, etc and TONS of restaurants. I spent
half a day there and didn't even leave the international terminal. It
was fantastic! I had a nice juicy cheeseburger and a dunkin donut!
Other than that, not much else to report. I'm homesick as always but I'm surviving. Jennifers husband, John, is back from Deployment and home safe, so I'm very grateful for that. I'm excited for their visit to China.
Other than that, not much else to report. I'm homesick as always but I'm surviving. Jennifers husband, John, is back from Deployment and home safe, so I'm very grateful for that. I'm excited for their visit to China.
Peace and Love!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Autumn Tactics
This installments "Theme song"
Is "Autumn tactics" by Chicane
Is "Autumn tactics" by Chicane
Last week, my clothes dryer came in! Most people in
China dont use clothes dryers, but if those of you have dried towels in
the sun, you can appreciate what it feels like to use 400 grit sandpaper
to dry yourself with. I was able to get one for a great price and I'm
so happy to have soft towels, sheets and socks. The things we take for
granted.
I also finally passed my driving exam! You need 90% or
higher to get it, and I had to take it three times. Mostly because of
'lost in translation" and strange chinese driving laws. For example, in
China, when a car is rolling out of control on a hill, you must put
your seat all the way back, unbuckle and get on the floorboard and hug
the steering column....Or Jump out of the car if you know its going to
flip over. My favorite is for the driver to crouch into the fetal
position and holding your knees, and turning to the side in the event of
a head on collision.
Much peace and love!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
When it rains (or leaks), it pours.....
Howdy everyone, some of you noticed right away that I didn't send my Wednesday night update this week.
Well, there's a pretty good reason for that.
Lets just pick up from last update. The weekend was the normal routine, not much exciting, though Bob and I did try a German restaurant in town, and had their "giant pig knuckle" which was great. They also had a nice coffee machine inside, so we ordered a cup of joe. It was the nicest cup of coffee I've had in a long time. Afterwards I did my usual shopping. Check out the picture of this HUGE durian. You could smell it from a mile away!
This week has been very busy workwise, deadlines and big management meetings coming up have stretched me pretty thin. Between work, home, and Kody, there wasnt much time to punch out an update. I also finally did join the Gym by the house and went to my first spin class there. I dont know if it was me being out of shape, no fans in the classroom, or the lack of AC, but I only lasted about 30 minutes. The room is dark like US spin classes, but has LED strobes all over the place like a trance club. That, combined with EuroTrash Techno exhausted me. I decided to leave before I had seizures from the lights.
This Wednesday evening, I went to bed, and for some reason forgot to power off my Houston cell phone. I always power it off. About 12:30 midnight, phone rang, it was my neighbor. I answered, completely incoherent, and he was paitent enough to let me get my bearings, and to tell me I had a major water leak in the house. Nick has been checking on the house regularly, along with my Mom and stepdad, and Dayna, so the house usually doesn't go for extended amounts of time without people looking in. Well, the water leak started at the water heater (defective rubber hose), and leaked all over, caving the ceiling in at the guest room, and leaking down the hall, to the office, dining room, living room, and kitchen. I'm so fortunate that my Mom and Step Dad , and Nick and my contractor friend Mark, all stepped up to the plate. I called my insurance agent, and the same day, Mom, Darrell, Nick and Mark, and the insurance company had come out, done estimates, brought in fans and dehumidifiers and were starting the cleanup process. Felt really nice to know I'm in good hands. The damage is pretty extensive, floors, sheetrock and plumbing repair. Still waiting for the final estimate. Thank goodness for insurance.
To top that off, Friday morning, Kody and I went for our usual 5AM walk. Except this guy, walked out the door without his house keys. So here I am, sitting outside the door of the apartment, flip flops, shorts and a Tshirt with Kody. I had my wallet but no cell phone. And knew nobodys phone number here. I hadnt shaved, showered or even brushed my teeth. I was going to walk down the street to the Holiday inn and wake up bob, and have him call my admin who has a key, but it would take two hours to get her to the office, get the key and then come unlock the door. On top of that, they probably dont allow dogs into holiday inn. So option 2 was to take Kody in a Cab and head to work, and twiddle my thumbs still 8am when people came to work to get a key, but most cabs dont allow dogs. So the last and final option, was to bother a neighbor. I had met two neighbors, the one on the first floor, who is VERY nice,but not sure how nice anyones going to be at 5:30 in the morning. The second neighbor lives above me, we met once, but the important part is, since he lives above me, I know what time he gets moving. Which was about 5:30. I knocked on his door, and asked him to lock kody up while I went for keys, and he said that he and his wife go to work at 7. So that wasnt an option. Then he remembered that there was a flyer for a locksmith at our West entrance to the compound. He ran down with me, we got the number, and 15 minutes later, the locksmith arrived, wearing cutoffs, no shirt and carrying with him a hammer and a metal rod. Using the hammer and his scooter key, he punched out the peep hole, and the metal rod was shaped exactly like the door handle. It took him less than 5 minutes to get in. Total cost? 100 RMB= 16 dollars. I was back inside by 6:15 AM.
So, here I sit writing this email on Saturday at 2pm from work (deadlines due!) and looking back, thinking about how very fortunate I am to have so many great people around me. People that I can not express how grateful I am, people that have stepped up, offered help, and responded when called on. So for those of you that have offered help on the house, thanks so much, but its under control so far.
This weekends plans are to look for a microwave, and go to the used furniture market (the renter grade furniture just isnt cutting it), I'm deal hunting!
In other news, SiriusXM.com works in China, so I can listen to Satellite Radio from my desk, and get a taste of US music. I'm working out regularly and just finished the first season of Arrested Development. Presently watching the current season of Hell's Kitchen too. So I'm able to keep sane. Kody is doing good, he's enjoying sharing my after dinner popsicle (Chinese sweet green bean).
Weather here is nice, mid to upper 80s but its stays very humid!
I miss everyone, and I hope this note finds you very well.
peace and love,
W
Well, there's a pretty good reason for that.
Lets just pick up from last update. The weekend was the normal routine, not much exciting, though Bob and I did try a German restaurant in town, and had their "giant pig knuckle" which was great. They also had a nice coffee machine inside, so we ordered a cup of joe. It was the nicest cup of coffee I've had in a long time. Afterwards I did my usual shopping. Check out the picture of this HUGE durian. You could smell it from a mile away!
This week has been very busy workwise, deadlines and big management meetings coming up have stretched me pretty thin. Between work, home, and Kody, there wasnt much time to punch out an update. I also finally did join the Gym by the house and went to my first spin class there. I dont know if it was me being out of shape, no fans in the classroom, or the lack of AC, but I only lasted about 30 minutes. The room is dark like US spin classes, but has LED strobes all over the place like a trance club. That, combined with EuroTrash Techno exhausted me. I decided to leave before I had seizures from the lights.
This Wednesday evening, I went to bed, and for some reason forgot to power off my Houston cell phone. I always power it off. About 12:30 midnight, phone rang, it was my neighbor. I answered, completely incoherent, and he was paitent enough to let me get my bearings, and to tell me I had a major water leak in the house. Nick has been checking on the house regularly, along with my Mom and stepdad, and Dayna, so the house usually doesn't go for extended amounts of time without people looking in. Well, the water leak started at the water heater (defective rubber hose), and leaked all over, caving the ceiling in at the guest room, and leaking down the hall, to the office, dining room, living room, and kitchen. I'm so fortunate that my Mom and Step Dad , and Nick and my contractor friend Mark, all stepped up to the plate. I called my insurance agent, and the same day, Mom, Darrell, Nick and Mark, and the insurance company had come out, done estimates, brought in fans and dehumidifiers and were starting the cleanup process. Felt really nice to know I'm in good hands. The damage is pretty extensive, floors, sheetrock and plumbing repair. Still waiting for the final estimate. Thank goodness for insurance.
To top that off, Friday morning, Kody and I went for our usual 5AM walk. Except this guy, walked out the door without his house keys. So here I am, sitting outside the door of the apartment, flip flops, shorts and a Tshirt with Kody. I had my wallet but no cell phone. And knew nobodys phone number here. I hadnt shaved, showered or even brushed my teeth. I was going to walk down the street to the Holiday inn and wake up bob, and have him call my admin who has a key, but it would take two hours to get her to the office, get the key and then come unlock the door. On top of that, they probably dont allow dogs into holiday inn. So option 2 was to take Kody in a Cab and head to work, and twiddle my thumbs still 8am when people came to work to get a key, but most cabs dont allow dogs. So the last and final option, was to bother a neighbor. I had met two neighbors, the one on the first floor, who is VERY nice,but not sure how nice anyones going to be at 5:30 in the morning. The second neighbor lives above me, we met once, but the important part is, since he lives above me, I know what time he gets moving. Which was about 5:30. I knocked on his door, and asked him to lock kody up while I went for keys, and he said that he and his wife go to work at 7. So that wasnt an option. Then he remembered that there was a flyer for a locksmith at our West entrance to the compound. He ran down with me, we got the number, and 15 minutes later, the locksmith arrived, wearing cutoffs, no shirt and carrying with him a hammer and a metal rod. Using the hammer and his scooter key, he punched out the peep hole, and the metal rod was shaped exactly like the door handle. It took him less than 5 minutes to get in. Total cost? 100 RMB= 16 dollars. I was back inside by 6:15 AM.
So, here I sit writing this email on Saturday at 2pm from work (deadlines due!) and looking back, thinking about how very fortunate I am to have so many great people around me. People that I can not express how grateful I am, people that have stepped up, offered help, and responded when called on. So for those of you that have offered help on the house, thanks so much, but its under control so far.
This weekends plans are to look for a microwave, and go to the used furniture market (the renter grade furniture just isnt cutting it), I'm deal hunting!
In other news, SiriusXM.com works in China, so I can listen to Satellite Radio from my desk, and get a taste of US music. I'm working out regularly and just finished the first season of Arrested Development. Presently watching the current season of Hell's Kitchen too. So I'm able to keep sane. Kody is doing good, he's enjoying sharing my after dinner popsicle (Chinese sweet green bean).
Weather here is nice, mid to upper 80s but its stays very humid!
I miss everyone, and I hope this note finds you very well.
peace and love,
W
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Time flies....
Has it been a week already? Time has seemed to have flown by since the last update.
So, since last week, I've been just settling in and exploring more.
I'm still pretty homesick, but being able to facetime with family and friends helps a lot.
On Friday afternoon, I got the windows tinted in the car, and Friday night, I had dinner with a colleague at his hotel. Saturday the A-yi was supposed to come and clean but did not show up. I later found out that shes scared of Kody, but supposedly will be back Saturday as long as he's crated. So Saturday, I cleaned the floors and the bathrooms, and did laundry, and watched it rain outside. In the evening, I went out for a little drive and then stopped at a street food vendor outside my neighborhood for some meat skewers (see pictures). They were good, but eating from a street vendor does have risks.
Sunday, Bob, my colleague and I went into Qingdao for our 'day in town'. He was looking for a hotel that had a nice brunch, but he couldn't remember the name or street it was on, so after 2 hours of aimlessly wandering, I made the decision that we would stop by "Sunshine Center" which is another high end shopping mall downtown. Inside they had a very upscale buffet, which we were lucky to get a table without a reservation. The food was great, international choices and fresh seafood. In the afternoon, I took Bob back to his hotel and went by the farmers market to get fresh fruits and vegetables. I ended up with 4 bags of stuff for about 12 dollars. I went home to meet the AC Repair man (on a sunday!) who misdiagnosed my AC unit, and would be back "later in the week" with the new part. Kody and I went for a little walk, and I headed off to find a place to get a haircut. There was a place close by the house, and I walked in, and it seemed pretty fancy. I got a little nervous because I figured it would be pricey, but the staff told me the haircuts were 38 RMB, a little over 6 dollars, and included shampoo and blowdry, however, If I bought their "preferred customer card", for 200 RMB, (32 dollars), I could get TEN haircuts, which is what I did. And they dont accept tips. I later told a local chinese colleague about the 20 RMB haircut and he told me that it was too expensive, and he pays 10-15 RMB. Go figure. Afterwards, I did some shopping at another Walmart/Target type store, and this one was the nicest one yet.
This week at work, I have decided to leave the office for lunch, as I'm getting a little tired of the cafeteria food. Its been nice to get away for an hour, and also helpful to learn the local area around work. Customer emails have been flying back and forth but it appears that as fires are being put out, people are beginning to mellow out quite a bit.
As far as preventing myself from going insane, this weeks entertainment includes more CHiPs from Itunes, and Hells Kitchen (latest season). There is an expat meetup tonight, but its in town and I'm seriously considering going and taking a cab (police like to do sobriety checks at night, and I dont have an official Chinese license yet). I'll be joining the gym in my neighborhood, but access to cash is not easy right now because china employers pay salary once a month. So I dont get a July paycheck till August. So I go to a bank that actually accepts Visa Logo ATM cards and I pull out the equivalent of 300 USD at a time. Fortunately, I finally got a gasoline card, so that helps with the amount of cash I need to lay out for gas.
Yesterday, I went to a steak place for lunch, Steaks in China are different. Where in the US, we're used to nice, thick cut steaks, with a nice pink center, (rare or medium rare), the Chinese steakhouses serve steaks like Pork Chop thin, on a sizzling plate, well done. I ended up ordering some chinese food they had instead. If I do want a steak, there's a place downtown called "Wang Steak House" , which is a franchise all over Asia, and they're as close as you can get to a western steak dining experience.
Thats all for now everyone, I hope you are all well!
So, since last week, I've been just settling in and exploring more.
I'm still pretty homesick, but being able to facetime with family and friends helps a lot.
On Friday afternoon, I got the windows tinted in the car, and Friday night, I had dinner with a colleague at his hotel. Saturday the A-yi was supposed to come and clean but did not show up. I later found out that shes scared of Kody, but supposedly will be back Saturday as long as he's crated. So Saturday, I cleaned the floors and the bathrooms, and did laundry, and watched it rain outside. In the evening, I went out for a little drive and then stopped at a street food vendor outside my neighborhood for some meat skewers (see pictures). They were good, but eating from a street vendor does have risks.
Sunday, Bob, my colleague and I went into Qingdao for our 'day in town'. He was looking for a hotel that had a nice brunch, but he couldn't remember the name or street it was on, so after 2 hours of aimlessly wandering, I made the decision that we would stop by "Sunshine Center" which is another high end shopping mall downtown. Inside they had a very upscale buffet, which we were lucky to get a table without a reservation. The food was great, international choices and fresh seafood. In the afternoon, I took Bob back to his hotel and went by the farmers market to get fresh fruits and vegetables. I ended up with 4 bags of stuff for about 12 dollars. I went home to meet the AC Repair man (on a sunday!) who misdiagnosed my AC unit, and would be back "later in the week" with the new part. Kody and I went for a little walk, and I headed off to find a place to get a haircut. There was a place close by the house, and I walked in, and it seemed pretty fancy. I got a little nervous because I figured it would be pricey, but the staff told me the haircuts were 38 RMB, a little over 6 dollars, and included shampoo and blowdry, however, If I bought their "preferred customer card", for 200 RMB, (32 dollars), I could get TEN haircuts, which is what I did. And they dont accept tips. I later told a local chinese colleague about the 20 RMB haircut and he told me that it was too expensive, and he pays 10-15 RMB. Go figure. Afterwards, I did some shopping at another Walmart/Target type store, and this one was the nicest one yet.
This week at work, I have decided to leave the office for lunch, as I'm getting a little tired of the cafeteria food. Its been nice to get away for an hour, and also helpful to learn the local area around work. Customer emails have been flying back and forth but it appears that as fires are being put out, people are beginning to mellow out quite a bit.
As far as preventing myself from going insane, this weeks entertainment includes more CHiPs from Itunes, and Hells Kitchen (latest season). There is an expat meetup tonight, but its in town and I'm seriously considering going and taking a cab (police like to do sobriety checks at night, and I dont have an official Chinese license yet). I'll be joining the gym in my neighborhood, but access to cash is not easy right now because china employers pay salary once a month. So I dont get a July paycheck till August. So I go to a bank that actually accepts Visa Logo ATM cards and I pull out the equivalent of 300 USD at a time. Fortunately, I finally got a gasoline card, so that helps with the amount of cash I need to lay out for gas.
Yesterday, I went to a steak place for lunch, Steaks in China are different. Where in the US, we're used to nice, thick cut steaks, with a nice pink center, (rare or medium rare), the Chinese steakhouses serve steaks like Pork Chop thin, on a sizzling plate, well done. I ended up ordering some chinese food they had instead. If I do want a steak, there's a place downtown called "Wang Steak House" , which is a franchise all over Asia, and they're as close as you can get to a western steak dining experience.
Thats all for now everyone, I hope you are all well!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Just figured I'd send my weekly update of being in China.
So, most of you guys know that I got Kody out of customs last week. That was a huge relief in itself! The first few days, I couldn't get more than 5' away from Kody. He stayed very close to me. He's better now, and enjoying the wood floors (they stay nice and cool). High rise life doesn't really seem to affect him that much, He's been sleeping on the couch or the carpeted front door mat when I get home.
The house is coming together nicely. The AC in the bedroom was repaired on Tuesday, so now its nice and cool when I sleep at night. I hired an A-yi (auntie) to clean the House every saturday. Until I get to know her more, I'm only having her come around when I'm home. Really theres not much of a mess thats made, other than the Kody fur on the wood floors. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for any expats moving home, so I can snag a deal on their furniture. The rental property furniture isnt exactly of the best quality.
Work is going ok, though there's lots of stuff to get cleaned up, folks that were supposed to be assigned here were living in other cities and coming in every 4-6 weeks, and that wasn't really cutting it. I'm starting to meet more of the staff and see how things operate. Not always the most efficient or the best way to do it, but the wheels of progress grind slowly.
I have found most of the Target/Walmart type stores already close by, and the Farmer's Market, which is pretty much walking distance from my place. I did actually go visit the Wal Mart on Saturday, and its pretty much like the Walmart in the US. Meager quality stuff at meager prices. I have been on the hunt for a toilet mat. Nobodys heard of one here. Afterwards, I went and had my car hand washed, Vacuumed and new wiper blades installed. The cost? 55 rmb (less than 10 dollars). The Farmers Market is the place to go for the meats, and fresh fruits and veggies. I really enjoyed it, its very much like the Farmers mkt in houston where each stand is operated by a different owner.
This past Sunday, I went with a co-worker into downtown to attend the Qingdao International Christian Fellowship. This is a church service thats non-denominational and allows anyone that holds a foreign passport. The service was ok, but we were late, so we missed some of the beginning. I will return next week to check it out again. Afterwards, we went to HiSense shopping center (which is like the Galleria). This was high fashion, and upscale. They had a Swaorvski crystal store, all the expensive boutique clothing stores, that you find in the high rent districts. Wouldn't you know it? They had a toilet mat here. I paid...40 dollars for it, but its the nicest toilet mat you've ever seen. I'll pick one up for the other bathroom when I'm in Houston at Christmas time! This center is 4 stories tall, the basement is a food court and grocery store.The grocery store pretty much has everything that you would find in a typical Chinese grocery store, with the exception that its more like a supermarket, air conditioned, well lit, and clean. On top of that, they have LOTS of expat products. Cheese, Cake mix, tomato sauce, breads, jell-o etc. Anything that you may need, they probably have. You may pay 4X the cost for it (Betty Crocker cake mix was 5 dollars), but when you're 8000 miles away, you'll probably be willing to pay for it.
Sunday evening, I had some co-workers over for dinner. I made Spaghetti, sauce from scratch. The house still smells wonderful from all of it!
Thats all I really have to report. I'm keeping myself sane by downloading TV shows from Itunes. Right now I'm working through Arrested Development, COPS (2012 season), The office (season 2), and CHiPs ( the motorcycle cop show from the 70s). I found a gym close to my house, walking distance actually. They have spin every night, and are pretty nicely outfitted. The cost is a little higher than I expected, but I must factor in how close to my home that it is.
So, most of you guys know that I got Kody out of customs last week. That was a huge relief in itself! The first few days, I couldn't get more than 5' away from Kody. He stayed very close to me. He's better now, and enjoying the wood floors (they stay nice and cool). High rise life doesn't really seem to affect him that much, He's been sleeping on the couch or the carpeted front door mat when I get home.
The house is coming together nicely. The AC in the bedroom was repaired on Tuesday, so now its nice and cool when I sleep at night. I hired an A-yi (auntie) to clean the House every saturday. Until I get to know her more, I'm only having her come around when I'm home. Really theres not much of a mess thats made, other than the Kody fur on the wood floors. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for any expats moving home, so I can snag a deal on their furniture. The rental property furniture isnt exactly of the best quality.
Work is going ok, though there's lots of stuff to get cleaned up, folks that were supposed to be assigned here were living in other cities and coming in every 4-6 weeks, and that wasn't really cutting it. I'm starting to meet more of the staff and see how things operate. Not always the most efficient or the best way to do it, but the wheels of progress grind slowly.
I have found most of the Target/Walmart type stores already close by, and the Farmer's Market, which is pretty much walking distance from my place. I did actually go visit the Wal Mart on Saturday, and its pretty much like the Walmart in the US. Meager quality stuff at meager prices. I have been on the hunt for a toilet mat. Nobodys heard of one here. Afterwards, I went and had my car hand washed, Vacuumed and new wiper blades installed. The cost? 55 rmb (less than 10 dollars). The Farmers Market is the place to go for the meats, and fresh fruits and veggies. I really enjoyed it, its very much like the Farmers mkt in houston where each stand is operated by a different owner.
This past Sunday, I went with a co-worker into downtown to attend the Qingdao International Christian Fellowship. This is a church service thats non-denominational and allows anyone that holds a foreign passport. The service was ok, but we were late, so we missed some of the beginning. I will return next week to check it out again. Afterwards, we went to HiSense shopping center (which is like the Galleria). This was high fashion, and upscale. They had a Swaorvski crystal store, all the expensive boutique clothing stores, that you find in the high rent districts. Wouldn't you know it? They had a toilet mat here. I paid...40 dollars for it, but its the nicest toilet mat you've ever seen. I'll pick one up for the other bathroom when I'm in Houston at Christmas time! This center is 4 stories tall, the basement is a food court and grocery store.The grocery store pretty much has everything that you would find in a typical Chinese grocery store, with the exception that its more like a supermarket, air conditioned, well lit, and clean. On top of that, they have LOTS of expat products. Cheese, Cake mix, tomato sauce, breads, jell-o etc. Anything that you may need, they probably have. You may pay 4X the cost for it (Betty Crocker cake mix was 5 dollars), but when you're 8000 miles away, you'll probably be willing to pay for it.
Sunday evening, I had some co-workers over for dinner. I made Spaghetti, sauce from scratch. The house still smells wonderful from all of it!
Thats all I really have to report. I'm keeping myself sane by downloading TV shows from Itunes. Right now I'm working through Arrested Development, COPS (2012 season), The office (season 2), and CHiPs ( the motorcycle cop show from the 70s). I found a gym close to my house, walking distance actually. They have spin every night, and are pretty nicely outfitted. The cost is a little higher than I expected, but I must factor in how close to my home that it is.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
China Update #1
Hey guys!
First off, sorry for the silence since I have been here. I have only really been keeping in touch with a small handful of people because its been sort of a nightmare since I arrived. So how can I narrate this for you all?
Kody and I drove to Dallas this week, saw friends on the way up, had dinner with friends in Dallas, and then spent the night, and flew direct from Dallas to Seoul the next morning. Because of the crate size, (and probably some greed from the agent that I used), they insisted that Kody go as Cargo to China, not as excess luggage. This was a big mistake. Lessons learned.
The agent that I hired was helpful in getting Kody checked in, and Korean air took very good care of Kody in Dallas and Korea. They left his crate inside their offices so he would have some AC. My flight was uneventful, got to Korea, checked into the hotel, and then got a decent nights sleep, and flew out the next day. Here is where the trouble starts. Arriving in Qingdao, my co-worker meets me, and we go to pick up Kody from the Air Cargo terminal. which should have been showing them my passport, Kodys rabies certs and health certs, and taking him home. Well, because he went cargo, its the same as shipping a box of shoes, or documents etc. They really dont 'belong' to anyone until they clear customs and the consignee can pick them up. Long story short, we spent Friday afternoon with the freight agent in china and a korean air rep trying to get kody out. We were unsuccessful. The good news is, that the customs warehouse people were VERY nice, and allowed me go in twice a day, feed, water and walk him. They even walked him and played with him. I'm so glad Kody is a nice dog and not aggressive.
Every day when I went to go see him and let him out, we drew a crowd of about 12 people that wanted to take pics, pose with him and ask all kinds of questions "is he famous?" etc. So, my days were consumed with being at customs, talking to the agents, inspection people, and freight forwarder regarding Kody NOT being 'freight' but a pet.
Every day, we've been making a little headway. And yesterday (tuesday) we finally made progress. So, today, I have to pick Kody up, pick up our freight agent, and then take him to the airport for an 'inspection' (they just want to pet him), and then he can go home.
Everything else is progressing. The apartment, which was supposed to be cleaned twice before I arrived. was not even cleaned once. I stayed there Friday night, frustrated and upset about Kody, almost no sleep because I had almost nothing, no sheets, pillows etc. I woke up at 4 am and started cleaning the wood floors with just a wet rag. The dirt that was on the floor was incredible. They didn't clean.
I visited Kody saturday, and my coworker took me out to buy some stuff at "Leader" which is like a super Wal mart. I didnt even have a shower curtain! Sunday, my coworker and I drove to the east coast of Qingdao, saw the beach and had some fresh seafood. In the afternoon, my dad and his wife came down from Beijing with my car and his car loaded full of stuff for the apartment. Slowly but surely, the apartment is coming together. I brought soft scrub with bleach from the US, and I've been cleaning little by little. Its getting there! I like the neighborhood I live in. Theres lots of people out walking around, so it feels very community like. I dont have much else to report.
I've been doing a lot of driving here, trying to get Kody out, and going to visit him. The thing you must remember about driving in China? There are no rules.
First off, sorry for the silence since I have been here. I have only really been keeping in touch with a small handful of people because its been sort of a nightmare since I arrived. So how can I narrate this for you all?
Kody and I drove to Dallas this week, saw friends on the way up, had dinner with friends in Dallas, and then spent the night, and flew direct from Dallas to Seoul the next morning. Because of the crate size, (and probably some greed from the agent that I used), they insisted that Kody go as Cargo to China, not as excess luggage. This was a big mistake. Lessons learned.
The agent that I hired was helpful in getting Kody checked in, and Korean air took very good care of Kody in Dallas and Korea. They left his crate inside their offices so he would have some AC. My flight was uneventful, got to Korea, checked into the hotel, and then got a decent nights sleep, and flew out the next day. Here is where the trouble starts. Arriving in Qingdao, my co-worker meets me, and we go to pick up Kody from the Air Cargo terminal. which should have been showing them my passport, Kodys rabies certs and health certs, and taking him home. Well, because he went cargo, its the same as shipping a box of shoes, or documents etc. They really dont 'belong' to anyone until they clear customs and the consignee can pick them up. Long story short, we spent Friday afternoon with the freight agent in china and a korean air rep trying to get kody out. We were unsuccessful. The good news is, that the customs warehouse people were VERY nice, and allowed me go in twice a day, feed, water and walk him. They even walked him and played with him. I'm so glad Kody is a nice dog and not aggressive.
Every day when I went to go see him and let him out, we drew a crowd of about 12 people that wanted to take pics, pose with him and ask all kinds of questions "is he famous?" etc. So, my days were consumed with being at customs, talking to the agents, inspection people, and freight forwarder regarding Kody NOT being 'freight' but a pet.
Every day, we've been making a little headway. And yesterday (tuesday) we finally made progress. So, today, I have to pick Kody up, pick up our freight agent, and then take him to the airport for an 'inspection' (they just want to pet him), and then he can go home.
Everything else is progressing. The apartment, which was supposed to be cleaned twice before I arrived. was not even cleaned once. I stayed there Friday night, frustrated and upset about Kody, almost no sleep because I had almost nothing, no sheets, pillows etc. I woke up at 4 am and started cleaning the wood floors with just a wet rag. The dirt that was on the floor was incredible. They didn't clean.
I visited Kody saturday, and my coworker took me out to buy some stuff at "Leader" which is like a super Wal mart. I didnt even have a shower curtain! Sunday, my coworker and I drove to the east coast of Qingdao, saw the beach and had some fresh seafood. In the afternoon, my dad and his wife came down from Beijing with my car and his car loaded full of stuff for the apartment. Slowly but surely, the apartment is coming together. I brought soft scrub with bleach from the US, and I've been cleaning little by little. Its getting there! I like the neighborhood I live in. Theres lots of people out walking around, so it feels very community like. I dont have much else to report.
I've been doing a lot of driving here, trying to get Kody out, and going to visit him. The thing you must remember about driving in China? There are no rules.
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