Holidays

Figure this out: Last Wednesday to Friday was the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, which means that everything is closed, people watch the full moon and eat these little cakes that taste like hockey pucks.  I wasn’t explained until late Friday that, in fact, Saturday and Sunday were work days in China. Let me explain. The 3 day holiday happened to fall during the week, so in effect, the government gives 3 days off as civic holiday, but as a result,  the following weekend becomes a work weekend. October 1 starts another holiday. It is the celebration of the People’s Liberation Army over the hated Guo Min Tang nationalists, who stole Taiwan after the defeat.  This is an 8 day holiday and guess what? At least one weekend in October (and maybe two, depending on who I ask) become regular work days.  Pretty Standard China for you.

I’ve worked 4 days already.  I’m working at a ‘new media’ art gallery that doubles as an incubator for creativity and business collaborations.  Many interesting people work here and other really cool people pass through everyday.

This morning, as I was in the elevator leaving my apartment, the guy a couple floors down from me was finishing a cigarette as the elevator opens on his floor. He flicks the cigarette down in the hallway on the 17^th floor and steps on without looking back. I haven’t been back yet today. I wonder if my building is still there.

Wish me luck!

Direct flights.

My flight was great. I slept the majority of the flight with small breaks to eat and drink whiskey. I didn’t even check what movies were available on my personal TV. I had a bulkhead seat, which basically means I had more legroom than God. At the beginning of the flight the stewardess told the two Chinese guys beside me something that they didn’t understand. I translated and had a quick conversation with them in Chinese. 13 hours later, as we were getting off the plane, I said ‘zaijian’ (goodbye). They looked at each other and then myself and said: ‘you speak Chinese!?’

I was picked up from the Airport by my boss and his kids. We dropped my stuff off and went straight to Chabad for Sukkot dinner. (Tell my grandparents for me). Yesterday, I woke up and we all went to the nanny’s cousin’s husband’s parents’ farm outside of Beijing to pick fruits and veggies from their organic crops. I swore I would never go to a corn field again after my journey through the Midwest, but it was a great time. The family took us to the nice restaurant in town and of course insisted that I drink two bottles of Baijiu (Chinese rubbing alcohol liquor) while the host goes shot for shot with me (even though he’s drinking beer)

By the time I got back, I was exhausted. I have since slept about 10 hours and have been up since 4 am.

Nothing really eventful or outrageous happened to me yet, but its early in the game. 

Jet lag sucks and I’m hungry.

Here we go again

In 3 weeks, I'm heading back to China.

I have decided to up my game from my last couple stints and decided to learn how to blog rather than provide anecdotes of my journeys via email.

In the past, my objective was to tell about humourous and interesting events that happened in China for those who will never make it there themselves, but now my goal is to entice you to come and see how interesting and different the world can really be.

Before I leave, I will put up some of my old stories to warm you up for what's next in store.

COME VISIT ME!

-josh