Correspondence...
Dear Simon, After reviewing your resume, we would like to meet you in person. I realize this is short notice but are you available for an interview tomorrow, February 28th from 10:00am to 12:00pm? Please let me know if this is convenient and I will send you directions to Microsoft. We look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Communication Specialist Microsoft Global Technical Engineering Center |
Guanxi...
So school has started for a couple of days now. I was helping the school administration out during registration day last Thursday and Friday because I thought they might need some help with translating for the new English speaking students (yes I can do simple translation!). I remember my first day at registration at Fudan was nutty! And can we all think back to the first day I started writing on Xanga from SH??? A whole 6 months ago!
Helping out did 2 good things for me, one was intentional and the second was not. Intentionally, I wanted to help out the administration because I thought it would help me get good with the school. Yes an alterior motive to my naturally kind nature, but in a country where guanxi prevails and bureaucracy is part of daily life, knowing someone in the administration really helps. Most of the administration know me now, they always say hi to me when they pass by, I hope they will help me if I really get fukked.
The second benefit, which was not intentional, was that I got to meet a lot of new people. There are a couple more Canadians here now, including 2 new ones from Queen's (Ben and Alvin - there is a new exchange program between Queen's and Fudan) and 2 from Vancouver (Christine and Aidan). I also met an ex-lawyer from HK (Shirley) and a couple Americans (Josh, Amy and Samantha).
Meeting many of the foreigners was very promising because they came on a whim like me, with a mission to learn the language like me and like me, fully seeing the potential of China. For instance, Shirley and Christine, who were both working in HK were interviewing for several weeks/months before coming here. With the economy as bad as it is there (6.7% unemployment as of late), every interviewer asked them whether they spoke Mandarin. On top of that, Aidan's went with his father on the Team Canada delegation to China and all the business people he went with from Canada all had sights on SH. He said they kept telling him that SH was the place to be. So tell me this, what are YOU doing over there???
That being said, this month is officially the start of my quest for finding work here in Shanghai. I don't know how difficult it will be, there are many government regulations here about hiring foreigners (actually, they don't like it when firms hire foreigners) and my Chinese is still not very good. I think ideally, I would still finish my year here first, but I guess if a good company takes me on, why not work for a bit?
Anyone got any guanxi? Do any of you know of any good sites where I can find work (none of that monster.com shyte)? I did find one that is from SH, but most of the jobs are BS except for this one which I applied to:
Subject: Microsoft Communication Specialist Internship - Shanghai
Microsoft regularly accepts applicants for Communication Specialist Internship. Full-time (40 hours/week) native English speakers wanted for 6-month internship. Responsibilities: assisting Support Engineers with English writing skills and professionalism. Recent grads welcome.
Post Date: 2/19/2002 9:46:57 AM
I'm not sure if I will get it, I don't even know what this job really is about, or what it has to offer. If all I'm doing is translating and brewing coffee (or Chinese tea?) I think I will have to kill someone.
Ah well, the hunt begins...
BTW, I was reading the Lonely Planet China and there is some really interesting stuff in there! For example:
Guanxi: Within their daily life, Chinese people often have to compete for goods or services in short supply and many have been assigned jobs for which they have zero interest and often no training. Those who have guanxi (connections) usually get what they want because the connections network is, of course, reciprocal. Obtaining goods or services through connections is informally referred to as 'going through the back door' (zou hou men). Cadres are well placed for this activity; foreigners will have to resort to some sort of gift giving (bribery?) to achieve the same result.
Last Days
Sadly, tonight is going to be the last night that Cheryl and Gigi will be spending in SH. We hung out at Park 97 last night and just sat and drank and talked.
Although I cannot say that I know them exceptionally well, we do share some of the same memories, and myself and Cheryl, the bond of not knowing when we'll set foot in Toronto next to see our friends and loved ones. But it's funny how things seem to work out in life in the end, I know I'll see everyone sometime, somewhere.
I just read this article in The Economist (those bastards didn't call me back yet about the conference) about the problem of obesity in developing countries and it reminded me about many of the children that I see here in SH. Since the one child policy has come into affect here, children have been a very important part of family life. So important that they are often very spoiled, with the parents catering to the child's every whim. It is not an uncommon occurrence where I see children here ordering their parents around. It often reminds me of the movie the Last Emperor. Parents buy anything their children want.
I once read how pshychologically damaging this could be for Chinese society since they are not taught to share, and grow up thinking they can have whatever they want. In a world of unlimited wants but limited resources, I don't know how a country of over a billion people can continue to live and think this way. Children walk the streets with all types of sweets in their mouths all the time. Many of them are obviously overweight, much like big boy in the pic above and continue to widen. McDonald's here are always crowded with people, despite it's relatively expensive menu. I was once told that some think McDonald's is quite healthy offering your foods from the many different food groups of bread, meat, vegetables and coke. I just hope the kids are a bit larger because they eat a lot of sweets and not because of the regular SH diet. I don't ever wanna be Fattie Simon.
Happy birthday Leanne, Tyson, Selina and Johnnie!
Windows...
I'm at a bar now with Cheryl, Gigi and my cousin Elena (who's also going to study at Fudan this semester). 10RMB or $2 CDN drinks... but no we're not getting drunk. Hold on, someone wants to say hello.
Hello (Cheryl..)
Okay, so she was hesitant to say much more. But I did show her MARV's and ced's picture.
Friends
Saturday, February 16, 2002 was probably one of the happiest days of my life. Not only did Jay, one of my best buds, come to Shanghai, two other Torontonians (Gigi and Cheryl) also arrived in Shanghai. Seeing them really made me feel good, a rush of feeling of home embraced me, I so miss Toronto. To top things off, receiving Ming's call and hearing from him, Marvin, Ron etc. really brought a bit of home back to my homesick heart. I love technology. And guys, thanks for the birthday present, getting a personal written message is better than anything money can buy.
So Saturday night, we went karaoke at Cashbox. Kerrey came too, a girl I met that I think is kinda cute but Jay, Gigi and Cheryl don't really like her. I'm very self-concious about shit like this, and I do trust my friends so no, she's just a friend. On Sunday night, I took them to Xin Tian Di and then to Budda Bar. Then on Monday, we went to the Grand Hyatt for drinks and then to Rojam. Cheryl thought I should mention this, since I tell everyone, and have told her a couple times, but the Jin Mao Tower (where the Grand Hyatt is housed) in Pudong is currently the world's tallest hotel, and apparently SH's best. The Jin Mao building itself is 88 floors (if i remember correctly) and consists of mainly offices and hotel rooms. For APEC, George Bush was supposed to stay there, but because of the tradgedy of 911, the US government felt it was unsafe for the president to stay in such a high building and moved him to the Portman's (Ritz-Carleton Hotel).
So while here, Jay got picked up by a couple hookers, tried to pick up a girl at a club, got me hammered enough that I puked for the first time this year (I'm sorry Jay, but damn, it's just like old times I guess...), experienced life in my ghetto apartment (which he thinks is too cold).
And Ming, don't worry about Cheryl. All she's been doing is complaining about how the Chinese local guys here are so ugly. Greasy hair, smelly, not clean shaven, rude-mannered, bad breath, ugly teeth, no fashion sense etc. On top of that, I think she really misses you, a far cry from when you guys first started going out. I envy you guys for having feelings of such. Having it once in life, even if it doesn't last forever, is better than not having it at all. And Ming, I didn't know you were so creative!!! 
And Gigi is still Gigi. Tall, pretty and bossy haha... Hearing her voice on my cellphone here, knowing that she was here in SH brought the biggest smile to my face. Reminescent of when Mars and when Paul came to SH. It's pretty cool being here in SH. It's one of those cities that people have to visit. Kinda like a New York, Paris or London. So I am quite blessed that my friends and family have been able to come out here on average about once every 2 months. I look forward to seeing the rest of you here soon, because I don't plan to go back to Toronto for a while (maybe for quick visit, but I'm afraid that's it - at least for now). Miss you guys!
Happy Chinese New Year, Xin Nian Kuai Le
Happy New Year!!!
Like I said before, the year of the horse is supposed to be an exceptional year for us born in the year of the snake. I called my relatives yesterday to wish them all a happy new year and my grandmother reconfirmed this idea to me - and we all know how wise old Chinese people can be!
I am writing from Zhu Hai, about a 1 hour boat ride from HK. I am officially within mainland China now, and if I say the wrong thing, an unhappy Big Brother will likely take me away to who knows where. Online postings like this are somewhat frowned upon here, so if I don't write for days and days, then something bad has happened (either I lost connection to xanga.com or I am missing). Zhu Hai is in the province of GuangDong (along with cities like ShenZhen and GuangZhou) and is also considered a special economic zone.
Things in China are much cheaper than HK, and being back, with my new laptop and all I went on a DVD shopping spree. I bought about 35 DVD's for $8 RMB a piece! That's about $50 CDN! They're illegal copies, but whatever, until I am working and earning a real wage instead of living off student stipends from my parents and from what I've saved, I'm going to buy fakes.
And in regards to this problem of fakes in the Asian market, I think it will be a VERY long time before something permanent is done. There are so many hawkers out there trying to make a living. If the government arrests them (they're not even the masterminds behind it all), the government has to spend billions building jails to hold them all. If they force them to stop through other means, these people would just turn to forms of crime that would disrupt the social order of things here. There are so many of them! They can't find jobs! There aren't even enough jobs for them to work in. Put the dick down! (Chris Rock reference).
Forget China, even in HK, walking down the Ladies Market, LV bags, Gucci sunglasses, Tommy Hilfiger sweaters all out in the open. Cops walk by without even a second glance! And in other places, where there is 'supposedly' no fake things sold, there are photoalbums on the desks where the people sell their wares. You just point to a picture of an LV purse/wallet/bag that you want, and the sales person runs off into some store 'under renovation' and emerges with 2 or 3 of them for you.
Anyhow, just wanted to wish everyone a happy Chinese new year. May the year bring those of you reading this, many blessings and fortunes.
Shanghai in 2 days...
Beautiful Babies
No matter where you are in the world, there are beautiful women. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Toronto they are everywhere. I think I just notice them more here because you see so many people in a day, I've fallen in love at least once a day (figuratively speaking of course).
I blame much of my superficiality on the media. Its constant badgering of buy, buy, buy. Telling us we need things because we need to look good. Swimsuit babes selling power tools and sports cars, skinny people selling fattening food, half naked people doing commercials for clothes. Such is the paradox of consumerism I suppose. I feel sorry for those who aren't socially defined as attractive, the ones whose looks stray very far from the billboard babes. We are so dependent on our visual perception of things, it takes so much effort for me to keep reminding myself of Antoine de St.Exupery's saying that "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." I really believe in this, but my body is much stronger than my heart right now.
People have always been asking about the women in SH and in HK but I don't really like talking about it because I find it not very respectful to write about my idolization and objectification of the women here. Yes they're beautiful, some of them are fucking gorgeous, but many of the girls I've met in SH so far are master golddiggers. Because I'm not overly wealthy, I've been trying to steer clear away of these women, but hormones always get the better of a young and virile boy.
I saw the coolest phone at the markets with Frankie yesterday. It's the new Motorola GSM phone. CNET gave it a quick review. The phone sold for over $7,000 HKD (about $1,500 CDN). I got to touch it... it was so beautiful. I have still not learned my lessons in life yet.
Happy Birthday Amy, Brandon, Val and Lisa!
Upcoming New Year
I saw this guy (in the middle) yesterday at a bar in Causeway Bay. Nick Cheung Kar Fai, Hong Kong actor. I'm turning into a fob.
No I'm not a groupie.
And Hsu Chi is sooooo HOT! (But BOO she wasn't there!)
For people born the year of the snake, 2001 was supposed to be a relatively bad luck year. Actually, I am told that the year you are born is supposed to be a pretty bad luck year for you. Perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy, but in retrospect last year, for me, was not so great a year. Unemployed, alone, broke and relatively unlucky, I'm looking forward to this year because the year of the horse is supposed to turn things around. This is supposed to be a kick ass year for us... and I'm slowly seeing signs of that happening.
I was in Macau on Sunday. For those of you who have never been, it is another Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR) handed over recently by the government of Portugal. About an hour's boat ride from HK, Macau is where everyone in HK (and closeby) go to gamble, and the Chinese love to gamble. So think of it as the Vegas of China (ever been Mars? Ian?) because no where else in China are casino's allowed (legally). I went with my mom and some relatives for the day, ate some Portugese food, went to the horse races and the casino for some blackjack fun. Unfortunately I lost about $200 CDN that day. The minimum at the tables was $200 HKD or about $40 CDN, I searched and searched but couldn't find the $5 CDN tables (I am but a poor Chinese boy). I've realized long ago, that if I'm going to be rich, it will be because I've worked my ass off for it, and I am DETERMINED to work my ass off.
I was at the horse races again last night. My uncle's friend had a horse that was racing, it was one of the favoured horses so I bet on it. Noble Boy (the horse's name) kicked ass. Because we were with the owner of the horse, we got to take a photo with it for the newspapers. My uncle also offered his place downtown HK for me to stay last night. It's right against the water in the commercial area of HK, by Wan Chai station. It is such a phat pad!!!! It's a corporate suite for people coming and going to HK for short periods of time and rents out for $30,000 HKD a month. GADDAMN!
I'm going back to SH in a couple of days though, I kinda miss it out there anyways so it will be good to go back and live off pennies again. Jay is flying in from Japan for a couple days so it will be great seeing another good friend and party it up with him. Still missing everyone, and hoping y'all can come party it up in China.
I saw Lord of the Rings recently, very long, but very cool. I can't wait till Xmas 2002. Oceans Eleven just came out today. I wanna see that too!!! (Yes, it's a bit behind here).
Lan Kwai Fong
So it turns out that it wasn't a bank robbery the other day (see how rumours get started? Old men and women talking shit out their ass). Anyhow, what REALLY happened was that some rich old man was in his car on his way to work when a bunch of kidnappers nabbed him and tried to take him for ransom. People noticed the kidnappers get into the guys car and notified the police. The police were pretty quick to react (I've also noticed many policemen patrolling the streets here) and chased the kidnappers a couple blocks (quite a long stretch actually, from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok) and cornered them in some building. Shots were fired during the chase, the report is 17. After about 5 hours of stakeout, the cops gave up and left the scene, only to nab the robbers later on in the evening (not quite sure how).
Scanning the news headlines, it is kinda scary hearing that this whole kidnapping thing is not an uncommon experience. Most recent tagline being:
Second kidnapping drama as tycoon's grandson released The kidnapped grandson of a tycoon was released early yesterday after part-payment of a huge ransom - just hours after an elderly businessman escaped another group of abductors following a shoot-out with police. |
Ain't that shit messed?
Shopping in HK is pretty cheap, the economy, I am told, is pretty shyte here. Restaurants aren't as full, bars aren't as happenin' and store sales are very low. Many stores are offering 90% discounts on items. I bought a bunch of dress shirts for about $12 CDN. I'm going to Lan Kwai Fong tonight with Caroline, Frankie and some others, I hope the alcohol is discounted too.
Here's another messed up article. We are doomed.
Happy birthday Wai-Ke, Jane, Kel and Amy.
My new laptop.
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