Pictures tomorrow for those of you that love construction sites.
We are at the brand, spanking, new Crowne Plaza. Yea, can you feel my excitement?
I got just a little taste of it all today.
I got to see the toddlers in butt crack pants. I got my hair pulled by the idgits on the plane sitting behind me. I got to see how they hand out China turnpike cards to asshats to stupid to pull along side the booth, they have a basket. This would have been a perfect Kodak moment but Big Daddy was in the back seat questioning his supplier on why, if they really did read their email this morning, they did not do shit all day to fix the problems.
When the manager came up to fix the room and explain things we found out why they do not have a book of hotel services. He actually called a hotel menu book, which they do not have. That is because they do not have many services, including the Beautiful Room. And dammit, that is the one I wanted. He did however fix us up with glasses and an ice bucket.
Going down to dinner soon, if BD ever gets back. He went downstairs to get the Superstar Desk Clerk to send a Chinese email to the dumbass supplier where to pick him up tomorrow. Don't ask, I did and the look I got made me pee my pants.
Rant of the day; If your job is to copy my passport and note the Visa information and entry stamps, do not ask me where to find it. It is in Chinese and you are Chinese and that is your fucking job. The next time I will call a manager and make you lose face.
Showing posts with label shenzhen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shenzhen. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Weirdness Continues
I got this the other day, aluminium on canvas. It fit my mood.
Harry Potter movie was actually better than the last book. Glad I am done with that nonsense, but I had to see it through to the bitter end.
Pirates of the Caribbean Part 4013, sucked. But again I am judging this against summer television: The Bachelor Pad and Ice Loves Coco. I would pay good money to talk to the asswipes that agree to go on these television shows if they would really and truly tell me why they thought this was a great idea. Another burning question in my mind is why if you have crappy hair and are overweight would you agree to wear a white bikini and no hat on television.
We are trying to plan our vacation around this stupid tooth implant again, St. Augustine, Florida. Good food and weather in October, plenty of walking around stuff and ghost tours. And The Fountain of Youth from Ponce De Leon, a really old and run-down tourist site with undrinkable water from the fountain. The Hilton looks good and they have carriage rides.
Well it looks like we are flying to Shenzhen tomorrow for a dose of real down-home Chinese, if we stay at the Best Western we can go to the famous fake market and buy some crappy fake shit. Or some seriously under priced South Sea pearls if everything works out to my liking.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The anniversary trip
Well, this is another one of those the good, the bad, and the ugly-followed up by the bizarre. As I used to say to my boss, I can't make up this shit, I am not that good.
Mr. Green is no longer at the Best Western so I had to argue, politely, that I really could not eat lunch on the couch. This whole discussion took 10 minutes and finally they let me sit at the bar. This was after I told them 5 times I did not want a drink of water. Big Daddy was checking in and when he returned we ordered the burgers and fries and answered all the questions (another 10 minutes)and then they brought the food without the mustard. This of course created quite a stir and when they were finally convinced that butter was not mustard they all went off to a meeting. They finally brought over a manager who said, you want mustard, turned to them and said, jabba jabba jabba, and they all left again. Then 10 minutes later we got the mustard. For the cold hamburger. Ya just keep your expectations here really, really low and do not expect to eat on a regular basis with regular food. So we went to the buffet for dinner as it could not get worse. There was this cookie that looked great. I swear to God, this cookie was tasteless. I told Big Daddy and he said, no way. So he took a bite. That cookie had no taste of anything at all, no, nuhuh, no taste. Pretty though. I am getting ahead of myself here, but in the morning in the executive lounge I took this roll that looked like it might be coconut with toasted coconut on top. At first there was no taste. I thought, WTF, another no taste food item. The more I chewed the worse it got. I do not know WTF that was but I thought I was going to have run from the room. Big Daddy thinks it might have been dried fish. He declined to taste it.
On the plus side had our anniversary dinner at the Shangri-La and it was lovely.
Walked to Hong Kong in the morning with few incidents, got on the right trains and all this time. However on the re-entry I turn around after securing my passport to see Big Daddy in this special place with this guy looking very seriously at his passport. He was using a jewelers loupe. Not a scanner, not a chip reader, a jewelers loupe. Okey Dokey.
Bought some pearls, pictures on facebook. Got a wash and a blow dry, no pictures it was horrible.
Then I decided to wash my hands on the morning we were leaving. This is before my shower, just wanted to wash my hands. Big Mistake. Floor was wet, they are always wet, cheap hotel slippers, they are always cheap and boom I was down on the floor. I was really lucky I was not seriously hurt. But I was hurt enough to not be able to talk. It knocked the wind out of me and I could not get up. Huge scrape on my chest from the granite sink and very painful. Could not get an ice pack or any help from the hotel. It makes me wonder if something serious does ever happen, what do you do? These assholes do not have a clue. Big Daddy told the check out guy on the exec floor as we were leaving about how no one would respond or help us and the clerk said, Thank you very much.
Mr. Green is no longer at the Best Western so I had to argue, politely, that I really could not eat lunch on the couch. This whole discussion took 10 minutes and finally they let me sit at the bar. This was after I told them 5 times I did not want a drink of water. Big Daddy was checking in and when he returned we ordered the burgers and fries and answered all the questions (another 10 minutes)and then they brought the food without the mustard. This of course created quite a stir and when they were finally convinced that butter was not mustard they all went off to a meeting. They finally brought over a manager who said, you want mustard, turned to them and said, jabba jabba jabba, and they all left again. Then 10 minutes later we got the mustard. For the cold hamburger. Ya just keep your expectations here really, really low and do not expect to eat on a regular basis with regular food. So we went to the buffet for dinner as it could not get worse. There was this cookie that looked great. I swear to God, this cookie was tasteless. I told Big Daddy and he said, no way. So he took a bite. That cookie had no taste of anything at all, no, nuhuh, no taste. Pretty though. I am getting ahead of myself here, but in the morning in the executive lounge I took this roll that looked like it might be coconut with toasted coconut on top. At first there was no taste. I thought, WTF, another no taste food item. The more I chewed the worse it got. I do not know WTF that was but I thought I was going to have run from the room. Big Daddy thinks it might have been dried fish. He declined to taste it.
On the plus side had our anniversary dinner at the Shangri-La and it was lovely.
Walked to Hong Kong in the morning with few incidents, got on the right trains and all this time. However on the re-entry I turn around after securing my passport to see Big Daddy in this special place with this guy looking very seriously at his passport. He was using a jewelers loupe. Not a scanner, not a chip reader, a jewelers loupe. Okey Dokey.
Bought some pearls, pictures on facebook. Got a wash and a blow dry, no pictures it was horrible.
Then I decided to wash my hands on the morning we were leaving. This is before my shower, just wanted to wash my hands. Big Mistake. Floor was wet, they are always wet, cheap hotel slippers, they are always cheap and boom I was down on the floor. I was really lucky I was not seriously hurt. But I was hurt enough to not be able to talk. It knocked the wind out of me and I could not get up. Huge scrape on my chest from the granite sink and very painful. Could not get an ice pack or any help from the hotel. It makes me wonder if something serious does ever happen, what do you do? These assholes do not have a clue. Big Daddy told the check out guy on the exec floor as we were leaving about how no one would respond or help us and the clerk said, Thank you very much.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A touch of Homesickness
As the bus left the terminal today at Hongqiao Airport I felt a lump in my throat. There they were, a sight unseen for many months, rat traps at the perimeters of the terminal. Spaced just far enough apart so there is no waiting at any one rat trap. My goodness I have not seen publicly displayed rat traps since the Plant Loco days. I can remember them like I saw them yesterday with the little tufts of seat foam and covers sticking out the openings just so, with a few chicken bones in front kinda like rat lawn decorations.
Now, don't get me wrong, we got rats in the US too, we just kinda hide the traps from the public. Nothing like announcing, You Bet Your Ass We Got Rats. Big Uns, too. Never forget the one in the yard at Plant Loco named Grandaddy, he was an old tough one. He scared many a greenhorn supplier sent to the yard at dusk.
China Southern seems to be keeping with no bread and drink trolleys while on the ground since the reports of the 2 planes with cargo fires. And the Air Traffic Announcement was only a 30 minute delay this morning. Actually got into Shenzhen on time. Unbelievable. Wonder if the airlines on the ATC's ass since they can't keep the pax quiet with a box of bread.
Another thing, China Southern seems to have no PM on these planes as seats and armrests are always broken. And this is not a safety issue with them. Amazing. The seat in front of Big Daddy would not go back into upright position and it was like oh well, have some more bread. The FA knew this at take-off and only worried about it when Big Daddy could not get his tray down to eat his bread. And they are the better airline here in China, they are better than those dogs at China Eastern. And you get more bread.
I am getting better at posting pictures on FB since I cannot get it right on this blog, so my goal is to get a complete album of walking to Hong Kong as that is the plan for morning. It is not so hot but still rainy so that might be a fun walk. And my curling iron is broken so hair should look divine.
Now, don't get me wrong, we got rats in the US too, we just kinda hide the traps from the public. Nothing like announcing, You Bet Your Ass We Got Rats. Big Uns, too. Never forget the one in the yard at Plant Loco named Grandaddy, he was an old tough one. He scared many a greenhorn supplier sent to the yard at dusk.
China Southern seems to be keeping with no bread and drink trolleys while on the ground since the reports of the 2 planes with cargo fires. And the Air Traffic Announcement was only a 30 minute delay this morning. Actually got into Shenzhen on time. Unbelievable. Wonder if the airlines on the ATC's ass since they can't keep the pax quiet with a box of bread.
Another thing, China Southern seems to have no PM on these planes as seats and armrests are always broken. And this is not a safety issue with them. Amazing. The seat in front of Big Daddy would not go back into upright position and it was like oh well, have some more bread. The FA knew this at take-off and only worried about it when Big Daddy could not get his tray down to eat his bread. And they are the better airline here in China, they are better than those dogs at China Eastern. And you get more bread.
I am getting better at posting pictures on FB since I cannot get it right on this blog, so my goal is to get a complete album of walking to Hong Kong as that is the plan for morning. It is not so hot but still rainy so that might be a fun walk. And my curling iron is broken so hair should look divine.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Just Observations Today
Done. I am done. It is too hot.
They wear pantyhose here. They do not get pedicures. They wear sandles. Yuck.
The Ayi went out on the balcony to clean and said yuck, or the Chinese equivalent of this is too fucking hot.
I need a parasol, they all carry parasols because the occasional event of sunshine is brutal. I have sunscreen SPF 50.
Went to the Luhow or however it spelled market in Shenzhen, you can buy anything there. Anything that is fake. And I mean really, really good fakes. I got a Hermes Capitol watch for 75 US and a Bottega Venetta purse for 45 US. Purse has cotton lining instead of the suede but what the fuck.
Went to Hong Kong to get my passport stamped. Walked there. This took 2 and 1/2 hours. Yea well, finding the place took 30 minutes. And you walk over the river to get to Hong Kong and the river is full of garbage and dead fish. Wonder what is killing the fish. Maybe the water? Then you go through imigration on both sides and then you scratch your head. To get back to China you buy a train ticket and get on the train. You get off at the first station, about 10 minutes and walk to the stairs-cross over-go back down and get on the train again. Ten minutes later you go back through immigration and there you are back in China. It was brutal. The heat here is unbelievalbe.
When we got home to Shanghai we ordered groceries, 5 mil thick steaks. More later.
I do know how to spell, however there is no spellcheck anymore and I am too hot and tired to check.
They wear pantyhose here. They do not get pedicures. They wear sandles. Yuck.
The Ayi went out on the balcony to clean and said yuck, or the Chinese equivalent of this is too fucking hot.
I need a parasol, they all carry parasols because the occasional event of sunshine is brutal. I have sunscreen SPF 50.
Went to the Luhow or however it spelled market in Shenzhen, you can buy anything there. Anything that is fake. And I mean really, really good fakes. I got a Hermes Capitol watch for 75 US and a Bottega Venetta purse for 45 US. Purse has cotton lining instead of the suede but what the fuck.
Went to Hong Kong to get my passport stamped. Walked there. This took 2 and 1/2 hours. Yea well, finding the place took 30 minutes. And you walk over the river to get to Hong Kong and the river is full of garbage and dead fish. Wonder what is killing the fish. Maybe the water? Then you go through imigration on both sides and then you scratch your head. To get back to China you buy a train ticket and get on the train. You get off at the first station, about 10 minutes and walk to the stairs-cross over-go back down and get on the train again. Ten minutes later you go back through immigration and there you are back in China. It was brutal. The heat here is unbelievalbe.
When we got home to Shanghai we ordered groceries, 5 mil thick steaks. More later.
I do know how to spell, however there is no spellcheck anymore and I am too hot and tired to check.
Friday, May 14, 2010
OK, I am back
There has been some serious dental work going on here. 1 of my three new crowns did not work out. Had my mouth open with nitrous for 2 and a half hours. Dentist actually gave me a prescription for mucho Vicodin. Did not take them but I will tough out the pain when I can. Going back Monday for a check on the bite and Thursday for delivery of the last crown and prep for the implant. This just sucks.
Tickets back to Shanghai for June 8 so I hope this all works out. Trying to pack and decide just what stuff if worth taking. What a pain. And I need to buy underwear. Do not think those skinny, tiny Chinese women can sell me underwear. Nope, not happenen.
Big Daddy is so excited. He found the rest of our balcony furniture and manged to get it to the apartment with only minor excitement on the unloading portion of the trip. He said the apartment helpers and the taxi driver got into it as the unloading of the chairs from the backseat was a little dicey. RMB's all around. He said the apartment guard is actually calling him by name now. The Expo training. Wonder how long this will last after the foreigners go home?
From my contacts I cannot say the new launch at Plant Loco is going well. Cannot say that any auto manufacturing I am hearing about is going well. No bites on jobs for me. I am hopeful my interviews in China are at least informative of the hiring practices.
And Big Daddy is happy with my suggestion to start using known hotels and collecting points. Good experience in Shenzhen at the Crown Plaza. They are clean, helpful and speak much better English that the Chinese hotels. He also has a private driver that he can hire now and not be at the whim of the Chinese suppliers that are pissed at him.
Biggest funny of the day: Big Daddy thinks he needs another manicure.
Tickets back to Shanghai for June 8 so I hope this all works out. Trying to pack and decide just what stuff if worth taking. What a pain. And I need to buy underwear. Do not think those skinny, tiny Chinese women can sell me underwear. Nope, not happenen.
Big Daddy is so excited. He found the rest of our balcony furniture and manged to get it to the apartment with only minor excitement on the unloading portion of the trip. He said the apartment helpers and the taxi driver got into it as the unloading of the chairs from the backseat was a little dicey. RMB's all around. He said the apartment guard is actually calling him by name now. The Expo training. Wonder how long this will last after the foreigners go home?
From my contacts I cannot say the new launch at Plant Loco is going well. Cannot say that any auto manufacturing I am hearing about is going well. No bites on jobs for me. I am hopeful my interviews in China are at least informative of the hiring practices.
And Big Daddy is happy with my suggestion to start using known hotels and collecting points. Good experience in Shenzhen at the Crown Plaza. They are clean, helpful and speak much better English that the Chinese hotels. He also has a private driver that he can hire now and not be at the whim of the Chinese suppliers that are pissed at him.
Biggest funny of the day: Big Daddy thinks he needs another manicure.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Purple haze in Shanghai
Everyone is coughing and sneezing today. With the haze this evening am starting to wonder what is in the air. There is so much tearing up and re-constructing along with real new construction I am starting to think we should all be wearing masks just for the dust and junk in the air.
Big Daddy and I got manicures today. He was quite the unwilling character. First manicure and he says the hand massage was not good. Hmmm. We wandered and window shopped on Shaanxi road.
Tomorrow flying to Shenzhen, if the person has the tickets right, and another day at the Parkview hotel. Will try the gym this time. Gym here at the hotel is great.
Priced some furniture at the place close to our apartment. I don't think so and he was not a dealer. About 900 dollars US for 2 chairs and a table for next to the entry door.
More tomorrow, with pictures if I am successful with the camera transfer.
Big Daddy and I got manicures today. He was quite the unwilling character. First manicure and he says the hand massage was not good. Hmmm. We wandered and window shopped on Shaanxi road.
Tomorrow flying to Shenzhen, if the person has the tickets right, and another day at the Parkview hotel. Will try the gym this time. Gym here at the hotel is great.
Priced some furniture at the place close to our apartment. I don't think so and he was not a dealer. About 900 dollars US for 2 chairs and a table for next to the entry door.
More tomorrow, with pictures if I am successful with the camera transfer.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Back to Shenzhen at the beautiful Parkview Hotel
Flight was ok this morning, Boeing 777 to Shenzhen. That was kinda weird. Big plane for an hour and 45 minutes and it was full. Nice flight tho without too much turbulence. I will say these Chinese get off the plane fast. Like that.
Checked into the Parkview and had lunch. Weird lunch. Chef salad but really more of arranged pieces around a few lettuce pieces on a plate. Need to go for a walk soon.
Tired and gloomy outside right now. Windy and a bit chilly. No sun and once again no blue sky. I wonder if the sky is ever blue in China.
Hair fluffy bordering on puffy.
Going to start a new Anne Rice book tonight, her return to religion. Read Lisa Scottoline "Look Twice" yesterday and I was disappointed. Oh well, can't hit a home run every time. I have 4 books left and no magazines.
Checked into the Parkview and had lunch. Weird lunch. Chef salad but really more of arranged pieces around a few lettuce pieces on a plate. Need to go for a walk soon.
Tired and gloomy outside right now. Windy and a bit chilly. No sun and once again no blue sky. I wonder if the sky is ever blue in China.
Hair fluffy bordering on puffy.
Going to start a new Anne Rice book tonight, her return to religion. Read Lisa Scottoline "Look Twice" yesterday and I was disappointed. Oh well, can't hit a home run every time. I have 4 books left and no magazines.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Reality Shift
Things are different here in China. Little things that you take for granted cause me wonder here in the land of the new norm.
Right when you think you are on track and understand what is happening things go awry. First, there is a list in the hotel of the items that are complimentary-water for example-and things that are not-hair dryers for another example. At this hotel I found a list that included the price of the shelving and the headboard. Now I have to wonder as there is a difference between sticking a towel in your bag and a headboard in your carry-on, but hey I was excited. Every since my first trip to China I have told Big Daddy we need clocks. And in this hotel there is the perfect bedside clock. Gorgeous brown tones with silver accents, perfect size and when you pick it up to check the time a light comes on bathing the dial in the soft glow of a perfect moon. Well, WTF, guess what the one item in this room is not on the stupid price chart. The clock. Big Daddy says then it is complimentary. Yea, right.
Second conundrum is the wait staff in the restaurant. They come to your table. They meaning multiple people. They bring you menus. You make every attempt known to mankind to order. They leave. They come back. Repeat the above. You get frustrated and say things, things like-I am ready to order, or I would like a glass of wine, or I would like some food. Then they have a meeting. There are always 5 people in the meeting. Then you repeat the above. Then you go and get a manager. Now there are six people in the meeting. What about serving food and drink in a restaurant is so hard for these people. Pointing does not work either for those of you wondering. They said on CNN that Shenzhen is like the new wonder on the world financial market. But they can't get food in hotel restaurants and cafes.
Ordering room service breakfast tomorrow as we have to pay for me anyway and I do not think I can contain my enthusiam for the restaurant another day. Leaving Shenzhen tomorrow for Shanghai.
Spent some time on Flyertalk.com today and advice tells me hotel chains are the way to go here and not these pseudo 5 star hotels with no service and no points. Next week I hope to review the Holiday Inn and find out all the I Choice properties.
Weather cooling into the 60's, smog? and frizzy hair.
Right when you think you are on track and understand what is happening things go awry. First, there is a list in the hotel of the items that are complimentary-water for example-and things that are not-hair dryers for another example. At this hotel I found a list that included the price of the shelving and the headboard. Now I have to wonder as there is a difference between sticking a towel in your bag and a headboard in your carry-on, but hey I was excited. Every since my first trip to China I have told Big Daddy we need clocks. And in this hotel there is the perfect bedside clock. Gorgeous brown tones with silver accents, perfect size and when you pick it up to check the time a light comes on bathing the dial in the soft glow of a perfect moon. Well, WTF, guess what the one item in this room is not on the stupid price chart. The clock. Big Daddy says then it is complimentary. Yea, right.
Second conundrum is the wait staff in the restaurant. They come to your table. They meaning multiple people. They bring you menus. You make every attempt known to mankind to order. They leave. They come back. Repeat the above. You get frustrated and say things, things like-I am ready to order, or I would like a glass of wine, or I would like some food. Then they have a meeting. There are always 5 people in the meeting. Then you repeat the above. Then you go and get a manager. Now there are six people in the meeting. What about serving food and drink in a restaurant is so hard for these people. Pointing does not work either for those of you wondering. They said on CNN that Shenzhen is like the new wonder on the world financial market. But they can't get food in hotel restaurants and cafes.
Ordering room service breakfast tomorrow as we have to pay for me anyway and I do not think I can contain my enthusiam for the restaurant another day. Leaving Shenzhen tomorrow for Shanghai.
Spent some time on Flyertalk.com today and advice tells me hotel chains are the way to go here and not these pseudo 5 star hotels with no service and no points. Next week I hope to review the Holiday Inn and find out all the I Choice properties.
Weather cooling into the 60's, smog? and frizzy hair.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
China Snippets
Just a few takes on this new life in China:
Domestic flights in China have a 20% ARRIVAL rating.
This causes you to smell the horrific breath of the China residents a lot more than you would like to. This also causes you to thing just how bad would it be if you just pulled the rotten teeth out of these MF's on the runway. Hmmm.
Big Boss gave Big Daddy today a giftas we left BFE for Shanghai, a bottle of what is known as the "crazy wine". I guess this shit makes people go insane. Big Daddy told me never to drink this stuff. It leaked in our luggage and smells like crap. Very expensive stuff. Nice bottle smells like crap.
Ran out of Dramamine at the Shenzhou airport this morning and thought I would die, air sickness is pretty bad. Nice lady that was very uncomfortable speaking English took us to first aid where they sold me a patch, same shit as sold in US, for 9rmb or about a buck fifty. Sells in the Us for about 30 bucks. With a prescription only in the US. Ate at Tony Roma's at Portman Center on out return, it is nasty. and the washroom is nasty too. What is it about China and toilet paper?
Domestic flights in China have a 20% ARRIVAL rating.
This causes you to smell the horrific breath of the China residents a lot more than you would like to. This also causes you to thing just how bad would it be if you just pulled the rotten teeth out of these MF's on the runway. Hmmm.
Big Boss gave Big Daddy today a giftas we left BFE for Shanghai, a bottle of what is known as the "crazy wine". I guess this shit makes people go insane. Big Daddy told me never to drink this stuff. It leaked in our luggage and smells like crap. Very expensive stuff. Nice bottle smells like crap.
Ran out of Dramamine at the Shenzhou airport this morning and thought I would die, air sickness is pretty bad. Nice lady that was very uncomfortable speaking English took us to first aid where they sold me a patch, same shit as sold in US, for 9rmb or about a buck fifty. Sells in the Us for about 30 bucks. With a prescription only in the US. Ate at Tony Roma's at Portman Center on out return, it is nasty. and the washroom is nasty too. What is it about China and toilet paper?
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