內地公幹101 Business Trip in China 101

很多人也會往內地公幹, 特別是香港回歸中國之後. 幾年前我也常在一兩天之內往返國內不同城市工作, 以一個不常出門的女子, 實在遇到不少問題. 但經過一段實戰之後, 也有少許心得想與你們分享.

1) 查明當地天氣, 因為中國城市日夜溫差很大, 有時可以相差10度, 絕對影響所需要準備的衣物.

2) 你所乘坐的航空公司決定你是否要先在上機前吃點東西. 經驗告訴我除港龍外(非中航 co-share freight), 如坐其他的航空公司, 還是預先吃一點點好. 特別如果你是一個愛咖啡的人.

3) 不要以為一個人坐在窗邊便不會被打擾, 其實坐在通道邊不但出入及進餐比較方便, 遇到旁邊的乘客有問題, 如嘔吐或鬧事, 閃避也容易一點.

4) 如坐國內航班, 請務必帶備濕紙巾, 薄荷膏, 口罩, 因為空調往往比較差.

5) 行李盡量輕便, 不用寄倉可避免遺失及漫長的等待時間, 特別往國內, 這種事情足以摧毀你整個行程, 切記!

6)  找換, 接送, 住宿等盡量在離境前安排妥當. 不要浪費時間在當地機場與當地人周旋; 除非你有大量時間, 金錢及冒險精神.

7) 如必要乘坐計程車, 不要把行李放在行李箱, 還是放在身邊坐位上好. 這樣不會被無良司機脅持行李講價.

8) 乘車時要行大路, 即使司機提議也不要貪快行捷徑.

9) 緊記抄下車牌, 並肯定收費錶已啓動.

10) 行車時不要睡覺, 留意路線及路標.

好, 暫且說到這裡, 下次再談.

Many of you will need to have business trip in China, especially when Hong Kong was returned, I used to have this short trips rapidly in some years ago. As a lady not had much experience from the beginning, I gained some lessons after those "on site training"and would like to share some tips with you.

1) Make sure you counter check the weather of your target cities, the temperature can varies more that 10 degree Celsius from day to night time, especially to the cities located in the North of China, like Beijing. Your luggage should have proper clothing 

2) According to my experience, if you are not fly with Dragon airline (the non co-share flight with China Airline), but all others from Hong Kong, you better eat something you like before boarding; especially for those who need coffee. 

3) If you are alone, take the seat near the aisle instead of next to window, it may be a lot more disturbance, but your great flexibility while going to washroom and dining, plus the emergency escape from trouble maker next to your seat are still worth. 

4) If you need to take the domestic flight of China, make sure you've got disinfectant wet towel, mint ointment and mask in your pocket, because the poor ventilation without these handy tool may "kill" you in a second. 

5) Hand carry luggage is the first rule, avoid disaster that happen always of luggage lost or keep on waiting at the delivery tracks till the last flight arrive to the airport. This will absolutely spoil your trip into a mess. 

6) Try to arrange all your exchange of currency, local transfer and accommodation before boarding in your own country; don't bother to make those deal in the airport when arrive China with local guys, unless you have a lot of time, money and would like to be a great explorer. 

7) If you really need to take local taxi, carry your luggage with you at the seat area and avoid putting into the storage at the back; then you will not have a chance for the bad guys to  blackmail you for more fee by locking your luggage / document. 

8) Take the usual driving path, never the short cut as suggested by the driver, even you are running out of time. 

9) Remember or mark down the taxi no at once, and make sure the driver did activate the charge meter. 

10) Don't sleep even if you are tired, try to remember the traffic route / time, especially to some landmark or road sign. It always help in case some driver wants to treat you by using a longer path to your destination.


O.K.! just up to here, may share more next time if you feel these are useful.

No risk no gain?

I am addicted to Facebook game after I discovered there is no point to continue invite or connect real friends, who you've actually will keep contact in your daily life. So I just concentrate to a game call "Restaurant City".

This is a game for operating a virtual restaurant or cafe, you can have bigger shop area with more staff by operating day after day to gain your virtual coins and level up. You will have to pay your staff by feeding them after working each 4 hours, you have to buy or exchange ingredients to cook your dishes; and the most attractive part is...you can shop and buy to decorate.

I am not surprise of how this game attracts so many people to play, that can fulfill their shopping wishes and cafe dream. Basically you will never lose and have no pressure to run this business, even if you do nothing and just online every day 24hours, you will gain your shop area and level up. In case you forget to feed your staff, they "died" but can "live" again whenever you feed them. So there is absolutely a risk free business. Will any of player gain an experience to open a cafe in the real world? I just wonder!

I won't play full day, as I do need to take a break from the virtual world and back to reality to face my real risk; but if you ask what do I gain? I can tell besides of layout practice and the pleasure, it will be patience and self control...I am sure you know what I mean.

One at a time

Monday is always the most busy day of the week. I am a rush lady, when there are some tasks stuck up in my brain, I will get rush and want to finish them all at once. This is killing me, because my blood pressure will rise immediately follow with a quick heart beat, then I have to sit down and figure out what is really urgent that should come first in my schedule before I "died".

I have this bad habit since I had my career. The good side is I usually finish my task earlier than it should = rarely miss the deadline, which is very important to me as in the design field; but the truth is, actually I have enough time to finish one by one, rather then complete some of them simultaneously to increase my work load.

Worst of all, this bad habit affects my daily life,too. Say each Monday when I am back to my office, I will want to turn on all lights, copier, printer, air conditioner, server, computer, wash cups, boil water, charge mobile, check email, reading blogs, write blog, flip today's calendar, water the plants......all at once. I know it is insane and no need, but, I do have this feeling to push me through; now, I will take a break after turn on the light, take a big breath, act one after the other.

Although I have to force myself of having a more controllable work path, I do think this is a must, to learn acting one thing after the other. To gain a bit more time of thinking, a chance of changing to the matter which seems no hope; like standing in front of a soft drink vending machine, all sorts of drinks are there, even if you want more than one, you still need to purchase one by one. You may want to select another taste when the one just comes out from the machine, so why hurry to have two or three at the same time?

 

Another sharing channel

Hello all, you may find that I've add a widget of Amazon.com at my side bar this week. Well, one reason is hopefully to gain some coins by recommendation, but truly this is only a dream, I guess. The actual reason is add another channel for sharing.

I've read some blogger's blog who can write good articles to share what they've read, I suppose some of them they are writers. I don't have this ability, but I still want to share with you all when I come across some really good films, books or music, that touch my heart; so I finally choose using Amazon as a channel. Wish you can enjoy it, too. Good day!

Good morning Nanjing

It is not always a bad experience of having business trip to China, like the one I had in Nanjing.

October 2005, I had to go to Nanjing for a short business trip as usual, no big expectation. But when I arrived the airport, I met the first good sign; a local taxi driver who approached me and out of expectation, I agreed to take his car to my hotel. This was not my ordinary choice, because this kind of taxi would usually charge more than the usual fare and you would have a big trouble if the fee couldn't be settled while you were on your way or your luggage was still locked in his car's storage.  

May be it's because of his tone of promise, and the peaceful feeling that I felt. I arrived my hotel safely, the fee was fair charge as seen on the meter. So I agreed to take his cab again tomorrow when I left.

Second good sign was an upgrade to my hotel room, the view was so nice that I almost thought I was in Tokyo rather than in China, a comfortable hotel with good breakfast was the best reward for my work other than cash. 

My job went smooth without big obstacles, and the only bad thing was I had to wake up at five, forgot my deluxe hotel breakfast, replaced by an instant noodle and met Mr. Chan under the cold weather of 4-5 degree, in order to depart at eight.

At six, the street was still dark without much lighting, Mr. Chan had already waiting in front of my hotel, he turned on the heater a bit earlier so I could jump into the warm seat at once.
We had a good travel time within that 45 mins., watching the sky turned from totally dark into a shimmer of silver.Not much communication, but the trust and relaxation was hardly found ever since in China.


When we arrived, I gave him not only the reward he deserved but the sincerely thanks that was difficult to express. I went out from the cab, a cold chilled air hit onto my face, when Mr. Chan's taxi just vanishing, a touch of pink began to spread out from the silver blue sky, so beautiful......I wanted to light up the a cigarette, like those scene in the movies, but as a non-smoker,what I could do was, took a deep cold breath of air in and said : Good morning Nanjing.

Breakfast

I have just returned from busy days, worked for an ah hoc project from last Saturday until yesterday. This morning, besides of having my real breakfast, I take a break to enjoy my virtual breakfast, too.

It's always enjoyable to read blogs, especially for those I've followed, it seems we are connected through sharing of post. I usually started from a quick view in Google reader, then a detail read in specific post, if time allow, I will go to "The Coffee Shop" see what's happening around people, looking for some more new blogs to read.

Is this your daily pattern, too? I will miss if I can't have two "breakfast" each day, thank God this will not cost more or increase my weight, but only brings me more joy.

Sitting cat

It's not easy to sit still, waiting and nothing to do, right? Hello, I am sitting cat, a wooden head cat sitting always and wait.

People ask me why can I doing nothing, but just sitting there, will it be a waste of time? I said, it's easy to make yourself busy, being important to be existing on earth and fill up your every minute; but if you can free up some space in your mind and your heart, it's not only good to yourself to clear up your thoughts, and at the same time, there will be a place always ready for someone who need to access, to retrieve from lost or fail. Would it be nice?

Especially for myself, I will wait to calm down when I am over-reacted, wait to forget the anger, so I can walk away from hatred; wait to forgive and be forgive, wait to be cured when I am sad, wait to think twice before I act......So I am happy to wait and it means a lot to me.

Spring

It must be Spring now, everywhere is sweating,
our walls, floors, furniture, even the air around,
so wet, so uncomfortable.

Small green leaves extrude from the old bark,
telling us a new cycle is happening,
will there be a new hope to the current status?
Seems not but may be the next moment,
who knows?

No more tears

This photo was taken on a beach in front of a hotel located in Phuket, year 2006. These flowers were attractive because they were growth after the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster in 2004.

Here, Nai Yang Beach was not the major affected area during that disaster, but still, the beach was destroyed and was still under reconstruction when I had visited. Staff were busy in their seasonal maintenance, and began to replant in the sand. Gardening and decoration could be re-built, for the sea itself, it was not suitable for swimming yet, it needed more time to recover, like people who lived and worked there.

Whenever I took a break, stood there, and looked at these flowers; the big contrast of the desert like beach to these pure and dedicate petal would remind me how fragile life could be compared with the power of nature, but on the other hand, life could also be as tough as a "Flaming Phoenix" that reborn if only if we have belief......Blessing to Haiti.

Beautiful life

A lot of people said, they own their life, so they will live as they wish. How to live in such a short period? 50 years, 60 or 80 years...... are all depends of what we want it to be like.

We may wish to achieve success in our career, at least be a successful person in others' eye; so we keep on studying, work hard, being promoting, again and again until we get reach to the desire level as we think we should be.

We may wish to be accepted as part of the group, so we talk like them, think like them, dress like them; play what they play, ignore what they hate until we think we were in.

We may wish to tell others that we are meaningful and our life is full of fruitful rewards, so we arrange thousand and thousands of task for ourselves to achieve; helping others, learning new things, doing exercise, seek for new friends, participate in all events, chasing all new or hot technology...until we get exhausted and seems we are not wasting a minute.

Are these wrong? No! definitely not, there is no right or wrong of how we live as far as we know why & enjoy. But if we can take a break, I would like to ask, will it be nice if we can live as simple as a sunflower, it's life time is short, it is small, no pleasant aroma, fragile; but blossoms to reflect it's best, has confidence in her face, be what she is , being true to herself as simply as a small flower who wake up by the sun every morning, the only one task is to deliver the warm to anyone who meet her,I think...... this is a beautiful life.

Bilingual post

Hi! My Dear readers,

I decided to start a Chinese post whenever I have more free time. Originally, I think a Google translator may help, but after some tests, it is not working good, may be it's because of the sentence structure and the existing of some Cantonese. So, I finally prepare a bilingual post, hopefully all of you can enjoy.

In Hong Kong, we are going to have our Chinese New Year this Saturday with 4 continuous public holidays. This year is quite special because our first Lunar date is also Valentine's day, so may I take this chance to wish you all to have a

Happy Chinese New Year
and
Sweetest Valentine's Day
to
your family, lover, friends and pets!

protowork annie @2010

火機?火雞? Lighter ? Turkey?

自從911之後, 各国機場安檢相對變得嚴密. 那天我工幹後由北京機場準備回港, 人己是十二萬分疲倦,冷不防在出境時被叫停, 一位高傲冷漠的女同胞說: huo ji...(忘記告訴大家, 我的普通話實在普通過普通) 哎! 什麼呀? 請她再說一遍 :huo ji...火雞?怎麼可能, 又不是聖誕節.再問, 又是huo ji...開喼嗎?

我在人來人往的通道, 毫無頭緒之際, 突然想起, 呀! huo ji = 火機! 用以點香薰爉燭的打火機. 就這樣把"違禁品"交給那個目無表情的女同胞, 然後才回到現實.

事實上, 這絕對是我的錯, 因為国內習慣把完整字句縮短, 例如 : 廣交會 = 廣州交易會; 奧運開幕式=奧運開幕儀式; 無論如何總得比原文短一點. 所以, 除了學好普通話之外, "自動句子還原系統"設置是必需的......如果市面上有供應的話, 我想, 我很需要!

Security checking is more & more important in the airport after the disaster of 911, I remember I was returning from Beijing after a business trip, so tired that I wish I could sleep right away in the airport at least for an hour or two. When passing the security check, an airport officer - a cool lady stopped me in Putonghua :huo ji...what? Turkey? how come? it's not Christmas, there would not be a turkey in my suitcase. So I asked her again, she replied in the same tone: huo ji...(by the way, I have to confess that my Putonghua is only in kindergarten grade) did she said open the case? I wondered......

My mind was full of question mark, no body was willing to give a helping hand as they were rushing into the gate. Suddenly, I know what it should be, the lighter (similar pronunciation as turkey in Putonghua, except it's normally in 3 words in Cantonese). The one for my aroma candle that fly from Hong Kong. So, it was sacrifice and I was free.

Truly speaking, this is my fault, not only because of my poor Mandarin, but I forget people in China,they used to speak in short form, like : 廣交會 = 廣州交易會; 奧運開幕式=奧運開幕儀式,
one or two word less is still good to them; so if there is a kind of built in software something like "recovery to original phases", I definitely need to install one to survive !


廣州交易會= Guangzhou trade fair
奧運開幕儀式 = Olympic Game opening ceremony

Kunming - My first fly

Six years ago, I started my China business trip for one of my client. To me, it's a bit excited but not attractive; because I am the kind of person who don't have much good impression to the China cities, especially I had to deal with a big problem that time - my first client, my first project and my first fly.

Kunming is well known as a good travel spot, it has brilliant weather and scenery. It is quite far away from H.K., as far as I've remember it took almost 4 hours for me to fly, but fortunately was I took the Dragonair, so the facility and airplane lunch were good enough to me.

I was travel with my client, so we went to the site straight away after arrival and worked till 9 p.m., followed by a very deluxe dinner with their franchisee (actually I was already exhausted, so I needed a coffee instead of chicken) and went back to site by 11:30p.m. until......1 a.m. something......

It was around 8 in the morning, I was sitting in the hotel coffee shop, waiting for the confirmation of whether I needed to stay for another day to assist. The coffee was not good to taste, the world outside window was not attractive, but this was the moment that I waited so long, alone. I knew there were much more for me to discover other than the business zone here; but my time was so limited and my thought was full of work.

A few hours later, I left the city, the problem had not been totally solved yet, it had to be continue treated remotely from H.K.; but I have to say, you will forget all your tired when you saw your client feeling relief from their difficulties. By that time, I understood that, we are under the same sky.

中文網誌? Chinese Blog?

仍然考慮是否加入中文網誌? 因為打字很慢, 卻很想聯繫到"中文人". 或許先登出這篇呼籲, 看看有沒有人回應. 如果機緣巧合給你看到, 請留言提議, 謝謝!

I am still thinking whether I should add some Chinese blog here, so I can share with Chinese reader without open another blog in Yahoo, I like to use Blogger, especially when I discover "pages" can now be easily added. So I make an announcement here to see if the search engine can help me to connect any Chinese blog reader.

But I will continue to post my English blog, because it is where I've started and I enjoy a lot.

Being positive

The weather is very bad, cloudy and wet, it is the sign of Spring in Hong Kong. It also makes me depress and don't have the mood to write my blog. To deliver a positive message to reader is the original idea to this blog, but these days, I fail.

I try to gain some energy by reading others, it do work a bit. Hopefully I can return to my normal situation and write some good stuff next week!

Hi ! Stranger

Have you ever fear of one day when you wake up, you are no more in a place that you are familiar with? I am not talking about travel or work in other countries, but your hometown, the place where you've grown up.

I had this fear since Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997; and recently, this uncomfortable feeling do affect my daily life.

I love H.K. very much, I grown up here, we have our local culture as a small city, we work hard and play hard,too. This small international city was built bit by bit though different generations, so naturally.

These days, everything around me are so weird. The most frequent heard language is Mandarin, limousine buses to China cities everywhere on the street follow by hundred and hundreds of people nearby, bicycle rider on the pedestrian, fake products occupy the low end market; rarely international T.V. advertisement but wine, snack & health product from China. When I walk to the tourist area that used to be like Tsim Sha Tsui & Causeway Bay, what I can find are extraordinary luxurious brands target to big spender from China, too. Our city is operating only to serve our motherland - China.

I know this is the fact that I have no hope to change, but before I become a total stranger to this place, I wish I can take a break, just for one day, one hour or one minute, back to the H.K. that I loved, the place that I would like to spend the rest of my life there and stop being criticize like a "devil".

Vanishing Beauty

When I saw this on the grassland of a park in Japan, I thought it was a manhole cover; when I walked closer, it's not what I thought but a decor or a sign - a beautiful metal piece with bird, tree, sakura and the park's name.

You may say "why bother?"if comparing with the size of the park, this icon is so small even visitor may not aware of it's existing.

Actually this is something that I admire - detailing with sense of beauty. Not only Japanese, there were lots of good craftsmen found in Europe, or even old Chinese; they had technique as well as good sense of beauty, but are now vanishing !

Technology creates new materials which control the outlook of the end product, see what we've got in our modern architecture ? curtain wall, curtain wall and lifeless curtain wall......designers or architects are no more working by their design sense, but the availability of product or technique in the market.Where are the architecture master like Gaudi who left us the marvelous Sagrada Familia, Guell Park, Casa Batllo'? Human feel stone structure with fine metal details......

Hey! protowork annie, you must be insane, we are in the year 2010; there is no luxury time waste for such an art piece. We need "landmark" that draw money to our city !!

I know, but I just want to take a break from the reality of what money oriented lifestyle that surround me; and that's why I can only write a post to express my never come true desire here.
I will wake up then, just give me one more minute.

Mrs. fox & her little fox

I am sitting in the window display of a small shopping mall, there are 5 of us - little fox. When I see a girl standing in front of us, I try my best to stand straight and shout to her: Hey! I am here......bring me home...

I don't have confidence because I am the only one who has a torn ear, I am not perfect......but surprisingly she choose me as she said, I am special; so I follow her and live happily in her house.

***one year later***

I can't remember when was the date I began to sit here - the trolley of Salvation Army Second Hand Store.I don't know what will my destiny be, as a doll, I am a bit large; as a gift, I am not as attractive as barbie; and I am second handed.....while I am still depressing as usual, I was held by a girls hand and bring me home; she said, I must be the mother of her little fox. Yes, my little fox, where are they?

Life is amazing, even if you think you are not as good as others, God made you unique; what you need is to accept and treasure what you have and what you are. There is always an invisible link to bring you back to someone that care about you and whom you belongs.

Secret Garden

Walking in Akihabara of Tokyo, it's quite the same as other small modern city; lots of people, mini size residential, lots of small shops, promotion advertisement everywhere. A stunning scenery that attracts me...greenery around hundred steps of staircase among red brick architecture, that leads to a Torii ( A traditional Japanese Shinto gate) in bright red, I think there must be a shrine behind, a place for city people to find their peace of mind if only if they are willing to take a break.

We have our own secret garden, too; a place deep into our heart, where we can be true to ourselves. We can take off our mask, no matter it's the role of an employee, a father, a wife, a professional, a son, a friend, a lover, a supporter......we can express our happiness, sorrow, depress, anger, fear...without affecting anyone.We can also gain recovery, rejuvenate our body and mind by just load down our burden for a little while.

It's not difficult to create one, but never ever stuck into it and refuse to come out and face the reality anymore, or otherwise we will make such an amazing place as a trap in our life, a place where we refuse to grow up......this is for sure not the intention of a "secret garden".

Coke or Pepsi ?

This is the first post in year 2010, what should the content be?...... Let's talk about blogging.

Have you discovered that when you are thirsty and need something to drink, you may be attracted by those beverage in hundred of choices, full of colourful packages and new taste? But at the end, you may still go for Coke or Pepsi?

This is my experience, like reading blogs. I have my special preference of blog that I like, same as you guys; I like blogs that is not too long, meaningful and have true feeling of the author. Or in another approach of informative only with good selected content.

At the end of year 2009, I take a break and think, may be I should try to stay a little longer on those blogs that are not my usual cup of tea, some blogs which tell special experience, weird inventions, boys and girls, DIY fashion or music...,etc. See if they can inspire me, too. A change of taste to wider our view may be good, O.K. so how about lemonade or fruit vinegar?