Category: China

Just Another Night in Southern China

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

It is 10:39 pm on February 17, 2012, what are you doing?

Let me tell you what I am doing.  I am sitting on my bed, watching season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance.

Now I know you are are probably thinking, what are you doing in Southern China. Well, this is were I work.

Why are you sitting on your bed watching TV.  I happen to live in a hotel and don’t have any other other furniture to sit on.

But, why do you live in a hotel? Because I live at a golf resort.

But the most important question you are asking yourself is why is she watching season 8 of SYTYCD.  Well, because it is my favorite show.

But no, why season 8. Because I already say season 7.  Duh! But, season 8. It aired over 6 months ago.  Why are you watching season 8.  Well, I live in China remember.

I have lived here for 4 1/2 years.  So, I don’t know what happen on season 8, yet.  I know you are probably asking yourself now, what doesn’t she just look up the winner online.  She obviously has internet access and she is pretty internet literate.  I mean, she writes this wonderful blog for God sakes.  Look up the winner already.

Well, don’t take my joy away from me.  I am going to stay up until midnight every Friday and enjoy the very few pleasures I am still able to enjoy while still living in this amazingly strange foreign place.

Living in China really isn’t all that hard.  I live in a very westernized place. Westernized with a very thick Chinese accent.  The food is edible, not good mind you, but edible.  The people are nice. Frustrating to deal with a lot of the times, but nice.  My employees do some very strange things at times and I am talking about the American’s as well as the Chinese.  But, business is going well.  And, my job, well . . .  did I mention the people are nice.

But, when things get frustrating and I miss home, what keeps me sane is these little nuggets of normalcy and for me that’s watching my favorite show every week, no matter how late I have to wake up.

I have several stories on this blog about my adventures in China.  I really would not have made it this long with out being able to share them with you. So, check them out under the China Category.  Some of the stories are good, some of them are bad.  All are amazing in the following sense:

1. This stuff would never happen in America and 2.  I am pretty creative, but no way could I have made this stuff up.

Enjoy them and if you care about my sanity even a little bit for the love of God, please don’t tell me who won Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance!

Chinaism

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

Here is a Chinaism that I thought you would like.

At the job, we thought we would do some branding for our instructors – give them a little credit even though they don’t usually deserve it. Our great idea was to put their pictures up on the wall in the hitting bay. Each instructor is now assigned a hitting bay; put their photo up on the wall of their hitting bay. Nice idea right. No! One of our staff told us that putting the photo of a person on the wall means they are dead. Really? Dead? Yes, dead.

Well we may want to kill them, but they aren’t quite dead, yet!!!

Love living in China.

More Chinese Employees Funnies!

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

Some of my staff and I are at this restaurant tasting the food and drinks for an event.  In doing a taste test of beer for a company event, one of my translators tried to explain to me to difference between the two beers I was tasting.  She proceed to tell me that one beer was bitter while the other was sweet because the sweet beer is “Fresh Beer”.  What in the world is fresh beer?  I kept picturing a beer tree out back.  She meant that the beer didn’t come from a bottle or can, it was a draft beer.  SMH.

That same night, I was trying to talk to the cater to discuss the potential menu.  I told them I wanted this and that and went on for a while.  I pause to let my assistant translate for me when she looks up and exclaims, “I am a little drunk, can your repeat that.” Very professional.

Then, that same night we are driving by a bunch of furniture stores and the same translator says, ‘Wow, Furniture Center. What do they sell there?”  Now mind you, she said that in Chinese (no language barrier), she was dead serious and this was before we even got to the beer tasting, so she wasn’t “a little drunk” at the time.  HAHA.

Love my staff!

The Greatest “Chinese People are Crazy” Story Ever!

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

I am sitting in my office.  Probably playing Mahjong for the third or fourth time and DOI comes in and says, you are not going to believe what just happen. He is on the phone trying to arrange for the outside staff to come pick the kids up from the pool.  While on the phone, the outside operations guys come down to the pool.  DOI told outside operations guy that the juniors will be ready in ten minutes.  What does the outside operations guy do?  Sits and waits, no! Goes to grab a bit to eat in the canteen, no! He proceeds to take off his clothes, right there next to the pool and then dives in.  He actually dives into the pool! In his boxer shorts! Just thinks to himself, I have a couple of minutes, why don’t I go for a dip.  In the hotel pool.  Now, this may seem elitist, but her in China, outside operations workers who make 2,000 RMB per month, just don’t go swimming in the pool of the 5 star hotel that they work at.  They just don’t.  In what universe did he think that is was ok for him to do that?  What the hell was he thinking?  Literally thinking, he was off duty and wanted to take a dip.  Amazing!  DOI said he didn’t do anything because he thought it was a culture thing. WTF!!!!

Chinese people never cease to amaze me.  It was damn bold if you ask me.  At first when DOI told me about it, I just sat there with my mouth open.  An hour later, I start laughing so hard, that I started to cry.  Now, I am just crying.  OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SMH and HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!