I am really enjoying the second hand smoke at my new job.
I sit in the main room with two younger Chinese guys who smoke a cigarette about every 5 minutes. The smoke is giving me a headache; I think I will have to ask James [my boss] to move [although he smokes too, not sure how he'll react!] Besides that, day one at my new job was good. I just sat at my new computer and continued to read through info on my new highly exciting industry of healthcare marketing. First interesting fact: the healthcare market is highly regulated by the Chinese government [not surprisingly]. This includes a ban on feminine hygiene product ads and hemorrhoid ads during mealtime on TV. Ha! No one wants to watch that while eating dinner. [Why they are watching TV at all during dinner is beyond me, that was the original sin at the Nelson home].
So, work was pretty good. After I read through about 12 more pounds of information tomorrow, I may start actually doing something. And today the bus only took me 35 minutes. I think I may purchase a bike, I could probably cut my commute time in half.
Another story of note, I met another woman [Hakim’s wife’s best friend] who gave me her card and said I should call her as she is the General Manager of an executive health club [read: very expensive and luxurious]. So, I called her and went over there to work out. The club was very nice, the same machines as in the US, and we ‘worked out’, although despite her supposed Monday, Wednesday, Friday strict ‘work out’ regime, she was exhausted after using one machine and seemed to have zero strength. I guess I shouldn’t be too critical, but if I were the GM of a health club I would at least know how the machines work? We chatted after the work out, and had some coffee, as she told me about her pretty much miserable life, as her daughter and husband [who she has no interest in] are in Qingdao and she does nothing here but work. So, maybe not my best friend but a good contact.
If I hadn’t already mentioned, it’s my birthday next Tuesday, which is Women’s Day in this country, and saying the date “san ba” [literally “three eight” as they call months by their number] is a euphemism for “bitch”. Love it.
Another thing to note, I am officially an accomplished Beijing bus-rider, and for those of you that have been to China, you know what that means. For those of you that don’t, well I guess it like 9 times more difficult than riding a bus in NYC, except that everything is in Chinese!
So, work was pretty good. After I read through about 12 more pounds of information tomorrow, I may start actually doing something. And today the bus only took me 35 minutes. I think I may purchase a bike, I could probably cut my commute time in half.
Another story of note, I met another woman [Hakim’s wife’s best friend] who gave me her card and said I should call her as she is the General Manager of an executive health club [read: very expensive and luxurious]. So, I called her and went over there to work out. The club was very nice, the same machines as in the US, and we ‘worked out’, although despite her supposed Monday, Wednesday, Friday strict ‘work out’ regime, she was exhausted after using one machine and seemed to have zero strength. I guess I shouldn’t be too critical, but if I were the GM of a health club I would at least know how the machines work? We chatted after the work out, and had some coffee, as she told me about her pretty much miserable life, as her daughter and husband [who she has no interest in] are in Qingdao and she does nothing here but work. So, maybe not my best friend but a good contact.
If I hadn’t already mentioned, it’s my birthday next Tuesday, which is Women’s Day in this country, and saying the date “san ba” [literally “three eight” as they call months by their number] is a euphemism for “bitch”. Love it.
Another thing to note, I am officially an accomplished Beijing bus-rider, and for those of you that have been to China, you know what that means. For those of you that don’t, well I guess it like 9 times more difficult than riding a bus in NYC, except that everything is in Chinese!
posted by Claire at 5:23 AM
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