a day in the office

09:30, arrive at the office - Air-condition is broken. In fact – when you want it to cool – you set it for heat, and vice versa – go figure the Chinese interface…

10:00, heading to the (‘sink-less’) kitchen. Preparing instant coffee. Heating the coffee in the microwave (water dispenser reaches max ~90 degrees). Enjoying the first sip - - - to find out that the milk is sour. No coffee for me today. Heading back, disappointed, to the office.

10:30, At least 3 people are sick (flu).

11:30, doing lunch with W, a leader in the team. He reveals his megalomaniac plans to control a bigger team. Ridiculous.

11:35, the waitress serves the noodles and spills the brown souse on me. The day is getting better by the minute.

14:00, All the employees take part in an image movie for the Chinese media

14:32, T put makeup on me (!). Perhaps we take this image movie a bit too seriously!?

15:00, The office gets warmer (air-condition doesn’t work…). I turn on the improvised machine I set up in my room: a combination of a ventilator & a humidifier. For the rest of the day I will be working in a ‘cloud’…

16:00, Another meeting where I need to handle the joint work efforts between J and W. they are way too emotional and struggle like children.

17:00, T attacks a department in a remote office with a nasty email. So much for ‘constructive confrontation’ he preaches for.

Earlier this morning, Z showed up wearing a Tux. Including bow tie and everything. So very unusual.

Surreal.

Year Of The Pig

this is the year of the Pig.

The Chinese think it is a good year; many people choose to have babies this year since babies born on 'pig year' are lucky.

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 begins on Feb. 18, 2007.

Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.

A Piggy Year

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in pig years tend to have excellent manners, make and keep friends, work very hard, and appreciate luxury. They are very loving and make loyal partners.