With the camp over, everyone went their separate ways. It was kind of sad, because in just one week we'd gotten to know each other pretty well—maybe I felt this way because I had been in contact with everyone weeks before for the preparation. I had to say goodbye to Mrs. Wang (see pic), who became a very good friend and someone I have a lot of respect for. On the bus I got to sit next to Chris (see pic), one of my students. He's quiet and shy, but really interesting and very hard working—at the Olympic Quiz Bowl I saw him in the crowd taking notes. He's one of those kids who's so cute you contemplate squeezing him in your suitcase taking him home with you.
After arriving in Shanghai, the utopia of Western goods, the first three things I bought other than a hotel room (no, I didn't stay at the Ritz...I just had to get a pic in front of it) were Gatorade, Tylenol, and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (my Chinese-English dictionary had sufficed for pleasure reading for long enough). After that first late night in the hotel, I moved to Thomas's place. I met him last summer at study abroad—he was keeping the dream...he'd been in China ever since. He and his roommates were cool enough to let me crash on their couch.
His summer job (he's now a grad student) is pretty cool: he represents Western companies like Proctor & Gamble and makes sure that fake goods aren't getting on the market. So what he'd do is find out where the fake goods are being produced, go there, pretend to be an interested buyer (he usually plays a greedy Westerner), take pictures, then bribe the cops to bust them. It's pretty sad that you have to bribe the cops to do their job, but that's sometimes how things get done with the Chinese government—they turn a blind eye in order to benefit. The day I got to Shanghai Thomas had just gotten back from a raid where he played a Russian trader...he said seeing thousands of fake Umbro, Wilson, Nike, etc. socks all being produced in a nice warehouse was pretty surreal.
Anyway, he would go to work while I played in Shanghai, and then we'd meet up afterward for dinner and/or drinks. I did some bargaining at YuYuan (bought some art for 80 kuai, and the artist started at 480 kuai...felt kind of bad about that one), but the main reason I was there was to set up my volunteer work with McDonald's and the Olympics.
After arriving in Shanghai, the utopia of Western goods, the first three things I bought other than a hotel room (no, I didn't stay at the Ritz...I just had to get a pic in front of it) were Gatorade, Tylenol, and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (my Chinese-English dictionary had sufficed for pleasure reading for long enough). After that first late night in the hotel, I moved to Thomas's place. I met him last summer at study abroad—he was keeping the dream...he'd been in China ever since. He and his roommates were cool enough to let me crash on their couch.
His summer job (he's now a grad student) is pretty cool: he represents Western companies like Proctor & Gamble and makes sure that fake goods aren't getting on the market. So what he'd do is find out where the fake goods are being produced, go there, pretend to be an interested buyer (he usually plays a greedy Westerner), take pictures, then bribe the cops to bust them. It's pretty sad that you have to bribe the cops to do their job, but that's sometimes how things get done with the Chinese government—they turn a blind eye in order to benefit. The day I got to Shanghai Thomas had just gotten back from a raid where he played a Russian trader...he said seeing thousands of fake Umbro, Wilson, Nike, etc. socks all being produced in a nice warehouse was pretty surreal.
Anyway, he would go to work while I played in Shanghai, and then we'd meet up afterward for dinner and/or drinks. I did some bargaining at YuYuan (bought some art for 80 kuai, and the artist started at 480 kuai...felt kind of bad about that one), but the main reason I was there was to set up my volunteer work with McDonald's and the Olympics.
I met pretty much every high-level employee in McDonald's China, including the CFO and CEO. All the business cards made me feel like I was back collecting baseball cards—except these were probably a little more valuable. The meeting with the CEO was really special. I was half an hour late due to my driver getting lost and then dropping me off a mile from the office. Oh, and I got hit by a car, so all my clothes were pretty dirty. Add all this to the sweat that pouring down my face from the mile-long walk, and I looked like any old smuck that got drug off the street. But he didn't seem to care. We had a great conversation for over an hour about everything from VSS to what it was like to carry the Olympic torch. I made it clear that I'd like to work for McD China—he didn't say anything substantial, but he mentioned hitting me up with Olympic tickets if he has any extra...I'm pumped.
Also, the employees plan to set me up for the volunteering in Beijing. Everything I experienced at the office was great—everyone was really nice (but not overwhelming), spoke very clear Mandarin, and had everything planned out before I ever came. I was just really impressed by everything, and I'm looking forward to working with the Beijing crew.
(Btw, I don't know why I can't move the pictures...I guess they are in reverse order all at the top.)
2 comments:
Most people would consider getting hit by a car on the way to an interview as a sign that "maybe" it wasn't to be - way to persevere, and congrats on what sounds like a great meeting.
Dad
haha yea, and those were my good pants...just got em back from the cleaners today
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