Oh, yeah -- the job

Monday was relatively normal. Got up, instant messaged (would that be a new verb?) with Nicole, ate some papaya and drank some tea. In the morning, they offer you either coffee or tea. Try watching someone ask for decaf, it is a lengthy process that involves several members of the management team. Also, like the pervasive chicken, nothing is wasted with coffee -- fresh or not, the coffee from each pot will be served and consumed until gone. Caffeinated coffee is good, but when it has been at the hotel as long as I have -- well, let's just say that while I like a little pick-me-up in the morning, a slap in the face does not jump start my day.

Also, in preparing for the day in China, I have to find a new place to put my remote control. You see, the cleaning person seems to think that the remote must be in the case which is then placed (off center by 2 inches to the left) on top of the television. This game occurs every time they enter the room (once for cleaning, once for laundy on that day, once for turn down). By day three I decided that this was annoying. I mean really, to have to get up from the chair to go get the remote really goes against the definition of "remote". I have not stooped to locking it in the safe, but have been pretty clever so far. Doesn't matter. She finds it. I still have a chocolate next to my pillow every night so I have to think she thinks that this is fun, too. Just a little bit of excitement in the day.

I have also learned that after a week of being completely surrounded by unrecognizable discussion (signs, television, radio, conversations) that you really do tune things out. Yet at random times you will pick up a recognizable connection back to the old world. The "Musack" for breakfast today actually played the Shaker song "Tis a Gift to be Simple" on a piano at quarter speed. Odd.

Oh yeah, the job.... The morning started with training on the reporting system. This guy is pretty brilliant. He had skimmed through the book I brought him ($30 US = $240 RMB which impressed him as a gift). He then immediately caught on to what was going on. For the afternoon, I trained the group on one of the systems -- some really seemed to get it, some will require some 1x1 time -- and I don't mean this as just the cute ones.

Lunch was at a new place which served sunflower seeds like we serve peanuts at a TexMex restaurant. We had more good food -- less of the craziness. I am really starting to like the spicy green beans. Maybe it is because I like to live dangerously with the red/green excitement.

Dinner was a return to the Japanese place where the waitress want to make sure we were bringing Andy back. Andy and I ate 4 orders of salmon sashimi (each) with tuna sashimi, kobe beef filet, lamb, kimchee, needle mushrooms wrapped in bacon, scallops (in the shell) and too many other things to count. This was over two hours... and the waddle back to the hotel was nice.

Oh. It rained today.

6 hours of sleep.