I spent most of last week running around organising my work permit, residence visa and also accommodation. Accommodation is all done, and I moved in on Tuesday. A nice one bedroom apartment in a residence called Cosmopolite. Close to subway, buses, work, shopping, and get this - about 5 minute walk to the Australian Embassy. So if anything goes wrong, I grab my passport and run like hell! It's on the 22nd Floor of Building 25, Unit 1. More pics to come...
My medical came back OK. I was a bit worried about my colour test, but everything was normal. I think a person would have to be on their death bed, or missing a limb, to fail. Then it was a trip to the local police station to register my address, and receive a confirmation slip to include with my permit application. Now the application has been sent in, and I sit back and wait. Once that is approved, I then apply for a residence visa, and I'm set for 12 months.
So what started as a busy week, ended with a team bonding getaway. About 15 of us from the Bejing office jumped aboard a fast train (max speed 245 kmh) from Beijing to the coastal city of Qingdao. About a 5.5 hour trip. For those who dabble in the amber fluid might know it better as Tsingtao - the home of Tsingtao beer. Biggest Asian beer in the world.
I didn't really think about the team bonding thing until we were all sitting down to dinner on the Friday night. Out of the 15 locals who came, only 2 could speak English. The rest, zero. How am I supposed to bond with someone I can't communicate with? It was going to be an interesting weekend.
We were escorted around Qingdao by a tourguide, aboard a mini bus. Problem #2. Tour guide couldn't speak English, and for some reason she thought I could understand Mandarin. So, I just sat back, and looked out the window of the bus. Every now and then our finance guy Allan (who does speak English) translated a few things. So, we went for a tour around the harbour, then a quick stop at the beach, before we went to the Qingdao Polar Underwater world.
That night we had our team dinner, and went to a local seafood dumpling restaurant. I was asked by the team to go and choose the ingredients of the dumplings. Yep, that's right, all fresh ingredients in tanks, some laid out in front of you. The below picture is a shot of some of the team inspecting the local catch.
Now one thing I have learned, the Chinese can eat! I mean, really eat. While they made the dumplings, we were served about 10 other dishes (2 plates of each). Then the dumplings. After I ate what I thought was my body weight in food, Allan said to me "you don't eat much". Really? I felt like Mr.Creosote from the Meaning of Life. One wafer thin mint, and I would have exploded.
What I thought was going to be a night of drinking, eating, more drinking, and perhaps a visit to the local KTV (karaoke bar), turned out to be the complete opposite. We were back at the Idealship Business Hotel (our hotel) by 8:30. A sort of an anti climax, after I spent all day brushing up on the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.
Sunday was a day of more sightseeing, and more one way conversations. I have to say by that night though, I felt I was starting to make some progress. The team seemed more relaxed with me, they tried their best to communicate, and I even cracked a few jokes. So, I felt like we had done some bonding after all. Still no karaoke, but I'm sure that will come in time.
My final thought, and photo, is for Dan Vandermeer. Dan, who put together my farewell video from Mix 94.5 included a verse/video about the Chinese eating donkey penis. Well Dan, it''s not the penis, but it is donkey - and yes I ate it.
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