kindergarten all over again...

some of you know that i am down south for a couple of weeks in hangzhou, my dad's hometown, conducting what I would call an "internship". it's kind of like a job, but without the responsibilities; a quasi-survey of the chinese architectural workplace if you will.

anyways i started working here a few days ago and i have to say, for all the sweatshop stories we hear from china, the setup in this office ain't all that bad. take today for example: come in at 9am. worked on some drawings until 11:24am, when the guy that i'm working with comes in and says, "let's go to lunch!". no complaints from me as we head to the restaurant downstairs and take an hour lunch before heading back to the office.

but here's the best part...everyone pulls out their blue plastic mats and takes an afternoon nap until 2:00PM! the dude i'm working with even has a special foldable lounger and a blanket he keeps behind the door for his afternoon snooze. i woke up today feeling refreshed, but even better knowing there was only 4 more hours left in the workday.

i promise if i ever go back to work in the states again, i am going to be campaigning for the midday nap! who's with me?

hold the pork please...

here's another reason why they call it mystery meat and why you should probably hold back from eating anything you can't recognize. damn, i wish i had my camera for this one.

last week, i was up at the project job site, about an hour and a half drive from the city. it's definitely what i would call BFE, (mind you, BFE in china is still large, its got well over 500,000 people). after the meeting at the local architect's office, it was time for lunch and we went to one of the "better" (relative term) restaurants in town.

the dishes started to arrive one by one, and so far everything looked ok. a few minutes later, the waitress brings in this platter that upon first glance, looked like a dish full of roast pork (seemingly harmless). WRONG! (record scratching) just when i was about to take a bite of it, one of the contractors asks me, "do you know what that is?" "sure, it's roast pork, ain't it?" he chuckled (as if to say, "you dumbass")...it's PIG SNOUT!

yup, as you figured, that piece went right back to the platter faster than you can say "SQUEEEAL LIKE UHH PIG!" but here's the best part, it was a platter full of pig parts, none of which was actual pork. in addition to the pig snout, there was sliced pig liver, pig ears, AND pig tongue. no thanks...not interested in anything that tastes or smells me back!

sorry y'all

so i have to blame this one on work and not on (cough) big brother. i've been pretty swamped since the last posting, but finally taking somewhat of a breather the past few days. i also haven't had much material to post since it's not sweat shop policy to let the workers out and be free to roam the streets. i guess the factory owners are afraid that the neighbors next door might offer me an extra penny an hour to go work for them instead. i don't need the complications (nor the beating) - so i'm perfectly happy staying here making nike's for 18 cents an hour.