Back in Business (Class)Posted on 2008/10/25 18:50:01 (October 2008). [Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th October 2008]
I think that some time ago I had a go at the business lounges in international airports... Well after 2 years of Economy purgatory (or shall we say hell), crammed like a beast carried in those trucks that we see on the highway, finally I make my way back to the business class and enter the new season of travels with the new company in a completely different way. I missed it after all, and I think that whomever works as an employee and is required to travel long distances like I do, should at least fly business on the way in and out of the trip...
First leg of the trip was the mandatory Frankfurt, and then Hong Kong. We stopped a couple of days there, and then moved to Zhongshen. Zhongshen is a new entry for me, an industrial city that here is classified as "second tier city", although it nets a staggering 1 million residents... The place left me a sense of desolation, huge streets (9 lanes sometimes) with no cars, lots of factories, and the usual Chiese madness (like 3 people riding improbable bikes, mopeds and strange means of transportation).
Then it was the day of Guanzhoug, another new entry, the third city in China. Here we went to the exhibition center, absolutely the biggest that I have ever seen in my life. Apparently due to my "being handsome" a lot of Chinese ladies that were taking care registration asked me to take a picture with them... Oh well...
After we moved to Shangai... the city has changed so much after I saw it 3 years ago, it's now like New York or Tokyo, traffic, people, pollution and a crappy weather are not making the first day very nice, but I quite like it. We managed to visit the usual fake goods market, a very interesting CD and DVD shop (all copies) and some restaurants and general shops.
All in all the trip has been very demanding so far, we had so many appointments and at night I get to work until 3 AM to reply to all the mails coming from all the other countries that I am following... This trip is going to be a whopper, in terms of physical and mental strain, but it's necessary because I need to be introduced to all the clients.
My boss is with me, he's a great person (for a change, my other bosses were all quite bad if you remember), and I feel that I am learning a lot from him, which is good of course...
I wanted to post pictures, but I really haven't taken any interesting shots so far.
In Hong Kong I also lost my mobile phone, it was my personal one. So now I have lost also ALL bloody numbers and contacts. This is quite a pain in the arse and will teach me to backup those numbers when I get the chance... :P
Oh well it was old so it's just the inconvenience of having to get a new card and re-establish the numbers directory... But still if I hadn't lost it would have been better... :P
Comment 1
I enjoyed the bit about the Chinese ladies wanting to have their pictures taken with you - somehow I didn't think Chinese people did that sort of thing so much. I knew in Japan foreigners were often treated with a slight sense of wonder but I had the impression in China foreigners were just carefully ignored.
Posted by John at 2008/10/26 08:28:18.
Comment 2
China is getting more and more towards the Nippo-American standard. There is a different situation in the countryside and smaller towns, but the big ones are practically like any other place... There are women stopping you while you walk to chat you up (usually they are ugly as pool of vomit), so in a way their Chinese character is showing out, because they do not stop in front of anything, while Japanese are more shy (normally...)... I must write more impressions on China, but I'll do it later when this leg of the trip is finished...
Posted by Lox at 2008/10/26 09:54:45.
Comment 3
Well I enjoyed it too, Lox! You are my window on the far-east (quite a responsibility!! :-D)
Of course you will have to post some photos!! Sorry about the phone. Perhaps you can now find some bargain out there to bring back with you and make us all jealous!! :-D
Posted by Nigel at 2008/10/26 17:02:37.
Comment 4
Nigel: I actually went to look for phones but they are MORE EXPENSIVE than in Europe. Of course I was offered some copies of the Iphone, and even a smaller version of the Iphone, the chiese version and the one with two sim cards... But I did not feel that buying it even for a 100 euro was good, I cannot try it immediately as my sim card is lost so....
Posted by Lox at 2008/10/27 00:02:07.
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