A Day in the Life...

Several people have asked me what I'm doing, what I'm eating, where we're living - and the list goes on and on.

With that in mind I decide to chronicle my day today!

I started the morning off with a shower while Stephen finished sleeping. Our hot water is in a tank above the shower and you can see the temperature of the water drop as you use it. It takes a while to heat back up so we stagger our showers. The water is about 75 degrees Celsius at first and drops to the 60s (for Dana) or the 50s (for Stephen).                                                             

Hot Water Heater

This is the sink area of our bathroom. It is the only mirror in our hotel suite. Sadly there isn't an outlet in the room.

I've had to improvise and use the flat screen TV to see my reflection as I dry my hair each morning. It works pretty well since I'm not very picky!

After my shower, while I'm waiting on Stephen to wake up I have my quiet time and this morning spent some time messaging with Maria.

When Stephen gets up he makes us some coffee. We have a hot water kettle in our room. Coffee is hard to find here so I brought back these single cup filter style coffee makers and some coffee. Last night we walked to the little rural community down the road and found some milk and sugar.

Coffee Station

Our suite consists of two rooms. A bedroom and bathroom and the sitting area. Thankfully it's fairly spacious as it appears our home is several months from a move in date! The Chinese believe that after a home is built it needs to "air out" for 3 months. I'm working on that.

Once we're both ready we head across the street to the company. Breakfast is served at 7:30am in the company cafeteria. This morning the offering was a red bean and rice porridge, hard boiled eggs, a pastry that had a slight pizza taste and a pastry filled with vegetables. There are also two communal dishes. So far we've had peanuts, bean sprouts, and leftovers from dinner the night before. Breakfast has been my favorite meal so far.

After breakfast we attended the morning meeting and then we both went to Steve's office. (My office should be ready soon). Steve did some design work and I started my lesson plans. I'm not sure when my classes will start but I have a better feel now about the proficiency of our co-workers.

Lunch is at 12 noon. Almost everyone eats at the company cafeteria for the mid-day meal. I forgot to take a picture, but lunch (and dinner too) consists of rice, a meat and veggie stir-fry, a side vegetable, soup (which is more like herb infused broth) and fruit for dessert. Also, everyone is responsible for washing their own dishes after the meal. 

The Chinese don't drink a beverage with their meals. The soup provides hydration. They realize now that Americans like a beverage so at breakfast they put our OJ in our place (I think they may be Baptists since it's assumed we'll sit in the same spot for every meal) and water is waiting for us at the other two meals.

Jutton spot at the end of the table next to the wall

After eating lunch we rest in our suite since lunch is 1.5 hours long. Work starts back at 1:30pm. Today we went over to the new offices and factory with our boss Abraham to see where my classroom will be located.

In the time remaining before dinner I helped Stephen organize his office a bit. It's looking better and we'll post more pictures in the days to come.

The common areas (hallways, meeting rooms, bathrooms) aren't heated at the company. Due to the temperature of the one western toilet seat I have begun using the Chinese stalls. Besides it's a great quad workout too!

It's amazing to see the Chinese engineers and Stephen figure out common ground and overcome the language barrier. Our co-workers are a fantastic group to work alongside.

The factory is ridiculously clean. This is the factory floor from the hallway outside Steve's office. It is mopped EVERY day. Everyday. By hand!

Dinner is at 5:30pm. This was tonight's meal. I'm not a big fan of some of the meats. They don't worry about bones. They just spit them out as they eat. I pick and choose my pieces. I don't like bones in my mouth. All the vegetables have been wonderful though.

After dinner we made a trip to Walmart for a few things. And basically Walmart is as crazy here as home. What's funny is that we're the weirdos that everyone is staring at in amazement!

In the evening we use our VPN and a laptop to watch the news and maybe a show from the USA. We have quite the set up in the entertainment area.

And for right now an early bedtime for me especially, as I'm recovering from jet lag.

Love you all!

Freezing and Malling

Chinese and their (non) use of heat.
The weather here in Jingmen is closely matching the deep freeze in South Carolina.  For the last 3 days, the daytime high temps have struggled to get to 32 deg F.   In this area of China, if you're not sitting in the room continuously, you can assume it's not heated.  For example, the hallways, lobby and other common areas of the hotel are not heated.  The hotel receptionists have their winter coats on all day.  Keep in mind, these buildings are concrete block style with little (or no) insulation.  With the company cook, Mol, on a break, I took breakfast this weekend at the hotel restaurant, a free standing building next door which is completely unheated right now. 

Since it's obviously not tourist season, I've dined alone (everyone feel bad for me now - ready...go), with the poor cook dressed like an Eskimo prepping food in the back.  The goal is to eat before your hands freeze.   The factory, which has been shut down all week is the same way.  Only the offices are heated.  The hallways and factory work areas are not - I feel bad for the production guys!  It's kinda nice for ping pong though, since you can play without getting sweaty :-)

Painting the town
When the going gets tough, the tough go to the mall.  After lunch on Saturday, my driver Sam deemed the roads to be passable for a trip to the Walmart, and the mall it resides under.  I needed some supplies as well as to pick up the laundry.  A couple of young guys tagged along with us.  Maybe they felt bad for the old foreigner, but more likely they just wanted something to do. 

Sam (driver), Mol (cook) and Peng Chong at the Mall

Most of them live in 1 room apartments near the factory.  At least a couple I've met have their families in other cities.  Since this is a startup company (and high risk), they haven't made the complete move until the company really gets established.   When the weather is like this, there is not much to do in the immediate area which is several miles away from downtown Jingmen.  Several of the guys come to the factory and just hang out during off days.

Tofu Pudding - don't knock it till you try...ok, just don't knock it.
After picking up some random supplies at Walmart for my room, we explored the entire 5 level mall.  Of course, I was most interested in the food court level, so we spent more time there.  I noticed a couple of booths serving some kind of sweet so I took a close look to check it out.  I thought it was ice cream.  However, when I got closer, I noticed it clearly wasn't. 

Tofu pudding station

The Chinese generally do not eat rich, heavy sweet stuff like the USA and other western countries.  Maybe in the big cities like Shanghai where there is more western influence (I have yet to see another non-Chinese besides myself anywhere), but not here in the heartland. 

My concoction - I saved time and let the guys choose for me.

At the tofu pudding station, you chose from 3 or 4 different colors of tofu.  Then you add toppings, which include fruit, nuts, seeds and I think some beans.  Since I had no idea what many of the toppings were, I let the guys pick mine for me.  Then they add...yes...hot water.  The hot water begins to melt the tofu and you get a kind of soup that is warm and sweet, but not near as sweet as a typical desert of ice cream or gelato. 

Movie and Dinner
So we finished up the afternoon at the top level which contains the movie theater.  I asked if they had The Last Jedi (I had yet to see it) out of curiosity, and the next showing started in 10 minutes.  So, we made a snap decision to go watch it in 3D.  The cost for the movie was 23 RMB (about $3.50 USD).  The movie was in English with Chinese subtitles.  I have a feeling Dana and I will take in more movies than we normally do while we're here.

Finally, we headed out for Dinner.  Sam drove us to a dumpling restaurant somewhere in Jingmen.  I couldn't find it again if my life depended on it, but it was great.

Dumpling assembly line!

Dumplings have become one of my favorite foods here and they have many different kinds.  Some stuffed with meat, some stuffed with veggies, some fried, etc etc.   The restaurant had plenty of other stuff too. 

For the record, pig tails are not that bad - they're not that good either

So, if dumplings aren't enough, and you're really craving a couple of pig tails or chicken feet, you can get those too. 

The biggest slippers I could find at Walmart, fit my big feet just barely

Well, that's all for now.  I just enjoyed a relaxing Sunday mostly at the hotel keeping warm, venturing out only for meals, a run and to play some ping pong at the factory.  My first real work week is about to begin.

Winter weather in Jingmen City

Jingmen Winter
This post will start off with some geeky stuff, but you know - this is me here.  Besides, I'm alone for the next 12 days and need something to do.  Many people asked about how the weather will be in China compared to the upstate of South Carolina.  Jingmen City is actually in the same climate zone as Greenville, SC.  The AVERAGE temperatures are nearly the same, but there are some differences.  Here in Jingmen, and unlike Greenville, they are able to grow citrus crops - I mentioned the tasty oranges in a previous post.  Jingmen is not subjected to the early deep cold snaps we have during the fall in South Carolina (caused by the Jet Stream bringing down Canadian air) that would destroy the fruit near harvest time.   However, there is typically more cloudy days here during the winter and this keeps the daytime high temperatures a bit cooler than Greenville (Red vs  Dark Blue line below).

The nearby lake (at least twice the size of Jocassee in SC) helps to keep our air moist - so a little wind makes it feel much colder here than the actual temp.  Oh, and we're situated a little lower in elevation than Greenville too, which also contributes,I think, to more humidity.  A typical year here will feature a couple of small snowstorms with 1-3 inches each.  And just like Greenville the snow melts quickly.

SNOWMAGEDDON 2018 IN CHINA

However, since I'm here, you can take what I just said (and the graph above) and throw it all out the window.  Starting yesterday afternoon, and continuing as I write this, we're having one of the biggest winter storms in around 10 years!  

Citrus trees near the water,  rows of tea behind those

The factory where I would normally be working is out of power, and it's a winter wonderland everywhere else.  It's also cold and the high temps will not reach past 32-34 for the next several days.  Some highways are shut down today.

Fortunately, the hotel still has power.  I've also solved the problem of the hotel workers opening my windows during the day with help from my translator, Serina.  Now I like the fresh air as much as anybody, but when its 30 deg and windy - not so much.  Sadly, Serina will be flying back to the states tomorrow if the airports are open - but a new employee with some good English skills is starting soon to help me out.

It could be a long couple of days since they do not have the equipment here to move snow.  It's actually pretty crazy considering back in South Carolina, the city of Charleston just got an equally rare 6" of snow also the last 24 hrs.  I feel you Charleston!

Brrrr...snowy and breezy...in front of hotel about 1 hour ago.

Hotel workers clearing the driveway.

Then again, China has a lot of people who can wield a lot of brooms and shovels!

Just now, the snow slacked up and the workers made some headway.

The plan is to pick up my laundry and make a return to Walmart when the road conditions improve - no earlier than tomorrow I think.  If anyone needs me, I'll be right here :-)

Dirty Clothes, Dates and Donkey skins

Just a short post today. 

First stop - Banks

We ran a few errands in the main part of Jingmen City.  First stops were at a couple of banks to get my Chinese debit card working with WeChat.  WeChat is an app like Facebook messenger.  It has a "Wallet" feature that you can use to pay for things with your phone like many people are doing in the states.  With my limited language skills, paying for stuff with just a phone scan is a nice feature!  While you wait for service at the banks, someone usually comes by and serves you hot green tea (or maybe that's just for me) - pretty cool huh?  I also found a bank that will take my american travel Visa card in their ATMs, so a successful trip so far.

Laundry Service

Next stop was the laundry place.  Until our house gets built (we will have a washer/dryer), we're staying at a hotel near the factory that does not have a clothes washing service.  So Sam (our driver) took us to a place in town.  I was a little concerned when Serina (my translator friend) noticed I had included underwear in my laundry and said they might not wash those!   I told her that getting the underwear washed was kind of a priority, LOL.

Laundry lady counting my dirty garments one by one

The laundry lady counted each of my dirty pieces of clothes one by one to figure the price.  The pile below was priced at 220 RMB ($33).

180 RMB ($27) to wash this pile

Sam told me the laundry lady was a friend so he got 40 RMB knocked off the price.  Yes, I know I posted my dirty laundry on the blog - don't judge.

Natural Remedies
While I was getting my clothes counted, Serina and Victor went to a nearby Pharmacy.  Serina bought some natural snack foods that supposedly have medicinal properties.  The Chinese are very big on natural remedies.  On the right is a kind date.  It basically tasted like a large raisin.   The square one on the left was something Serina had trouble translating.  It is supposed to have some health benefits for females at certain times (I'll just leave that there) and other general benefits for everyone.  After a little bit of work, I figured it out.  It's sesame seeds (of some sort) pressed into a donkey skin gelatin.

Yeah, I know your mouth just waters at the mention of donkey skins.  Anyway, I did eat one (cause that's how I roll) and it's really not that bad.  However, I think I will stick with the dates in the future.

Walmart in China

We've visited two malls during my first week here in Jingmen City.  The first one contains a Walmart on the basement level.  The Walmart was really interesting and may require some follow-up posts when Dana gets here.

Anyway, Walmart does not have a whole lot of competition in this smaller than normal Chinese city (2-3 million) from any other western chains. 

The product selection here is far different than the typical Walmart in the states, especially in the food section.    Even the familiar stuff, like Lays chips, have flavors you will not see in the states (at least not in most places).

And if you need a snack of chicken feet (mild or spicy) or some duck tongue - you're good to go.

I found some Chinese chips to try and passed on these.

Mild or spicy flavors - for those who are picky about their feet

There are some familiar brands, but you'll pay more for many of the imported stuff like Milka chocolate.  Some western brands, like Dove chocolate,  have partnered with Chinese companies to make their products here - and those prices tend to be more competitive with the Chinese brands.

The brown sugar section with several shades.

There was an incredible amount of spices in different places in the store.  My translator friend Serina tried to tell me what some of them were that were unfamiliar to me (which would be the majority of them) but it was overwhelming.  Even the familiar ones (salt, brown sugar, sugar) had several different varieties.

A couple of pictures really doesn't do the spices justice - this is a very small portion.

Decorations for the Chinese New Year - coming in mid February!

You can also get rice here, who knew?

It really gets interesting, however, in the fresh food section.  The "seafood" area looks in many ways like a pet store in the USA.  There are aquariums with several different kinds of fish (the large carp bringing back memories from Romania), shellfish, and other critters.

The sign says "American" frogs - only the best baby! #Merica

You will see these turtles in restaurants also - select your own victim meat for your soup.

Another big difference in the China Walmart compared to the USA is the service (one reason I will rarely be seen at stores in the USA).  There are 2-3x as many workers in the store than in the states.  If you need help, you're almost never more than 20 feet away from someone.  And they are incredibly helpful and eager to serve - even for a foreigner with a language issue ;-)  One lady offered a sample natural health drink made from various ground up nuts and sesame seeds.

Health Drink - yeah, it looks terrible but wasn't too bad.

She literally chased us down a couple aisles to give us seconds.  Maybe she was paid on commission?  Either way - she was super nice.  Ok, that's all for now.  Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!