Days goes by...

I haven’t updated the blog for a long time, but it is not because I am lazy but because we have been busy like crazy here. This is the end of my first month of work…We work a minimum of 12 hours a day and I had about 3 days off this month. So as you can see, we are working very hard. But it is all good, because I seriously love what I am doing and I do not mind spending all this time at the office. All our workmates are great and the atmosphere at the office is great. As well working with a GM like ours is an amazing experience. I am learning so much just being around him. I don’t think I could have chosen a better job to start my career. The only bad thing is that it does not leave us much time to enjoy ourselves. Our days are usually work, home, sleep….very boring but really need the sleep. Went out a few times, there are quite a few good places to go out in Beijing so that was a very good surprise. The best part is that our apartment is located very close to a few very nice bars... But it is a big change from Manly where we use to go out a lot more. Since I arrived I went out clubbing three times and we had a party at our house once that is about all the night fun I had in a month...which is close to nothing.

Otherwise Beijing is a very nice city. I like it even though it is so huge. It is kind of difficult for us to get around because the of the language barrier. Like Martin said, every time we step out of the house we are up for an adventure. I think this is what I like the most, the fact that you have no idea how things will unfold in most situation. Sometimes the language barrier is so huge that it is impossible for us to do anything. This really makes you feel like you retarded or disabled and it is hard to get use too. Like yesterday we wanted to go to the post office, but it was impossible for us to understand each other, therefore no posting!!! Here simple things are not simple and requires patience. Even shopping is a pain in the arse, everywhere we go we have people trying to sell us stuff. There it is important to start bargaining to not get ripped off… and sometimes it is not very easy.

With Martin we realized that our blog has not been updated to much lately and to make it more interesting for you reader we are going to link to a photo gallery so we can share our pictures directly with you. As always Martin keeps snapping around so we already have heaps of pictures. We will try to set it up ASAP, but it might have to wait until Chinese New-Year next week. There we will have a week holiday and we will be able to catch up on things we have put aside. / Zack

Day off!

Finally got a day off after 6 days straight with an average 11 hours per day. Really needed it. Used it to the full. Took a cab to Hoi Hai, a lake/river in central Beijing to meet up with a few colleagues. Very popular location with both locals and foreigners. Must have been thousands of people on the lake, skating in different styles. Normal skates, tandem-sleigh, bike and motorised bobsleigh. An amazing sight. It was like going to the park. People selling candy, merchandise and balloons. Pay a rental fee and off u went. I got a bike and Zach got a pair of 1920s porn boot skates. Nice one! Must say he was quiet good. Had a bad fall at the beginning due to the lady design of the skates. They had stubbs at the front. So on the head he fell. Sore knee was the result. Was cold but sunny. Nice day on the lake. Went for brunch at a traditional chinese noodle house. We both got the chance to welcome guests at the door by hitting a gong. The gong-boy gave it to us after a few photos. We got a private diningroom inside. Cold though. Were served a number of exotic dishes. What about cow stomach and fish head. Spicy, but good. Zach had the most delicious part of the head....the eye! A bit chewy though. Did some shopping in the afternoon. Got myself a mobile phone thanks to our colleagues. Shops were crazy...sales everywhere due to Chinese New Years coming up. Had a nap when we came back to the apartment. Finished off our day at the W Sports Bar & Restaurant, owned by the famous Swedish ping-pong player Jan-Ove Waldner. Due to me being Swedish, we got the royal service. The bartender put on a swedish documentary about J-Os life on the big screen. Also got to meet J-Os chinese manager, Chris. So now we are speical friends, exchanged cards and we were also given a loyalty card. We will be back when J-O is in town....

SNOW!

Its snowing outside my office window. Not much, but slowly and gently. Its beautiful. Lightens up the otherwise brownish, polluted sky. When it snows in Beijing, there is chaos on the roads, my colleague told me. Right for sure. Add snow to this crazy traffic and you get more accidents. As if there are not enough. Wherever we go we see blue and red lights blinking helping some poor driver out. I am glad I am not driving....

IKEA

Yeah, we could not stay away. After two nights waking up with sore backs, we had to take action. Had an early one at work today, left at 6. Took a cab in rushhour to IKEA (Ji Tia). All good! Everyone know the shopping haven in blue and yellow. Straight up to the restaurant. Can you believe it...live jazz music!!! Nice! Had the meatball menu, 15 for me and 20 for Zach. Not the cheapest...but very nice. Nearly got lost trying to find the bedding section. We were on the hunt for a top mattress to soften up our sleep a bit. After a little bit of discussion and mostly sign language we got our piece of paper. Down to check out where they told us to pay. But where were our mattresses? In the warehouse...And where is the warehouse..."Fast Fast Fast!!!" Probably meant that it was close by. So we decided to do something that probably not many foreigners do. Take a cab to the warehouse to pick up our stuff. After all, we wanted a night of "soft"sleep. Showed the map for the driver. He nodded. A good sign. But it was easier said than done. He took us all the way to the outskirts of Beijing...dirt roads, dust & exhaust fumes and heavy traffic. And it was completely pitch black outside. This could have been the end. But our brave driver hanged in there and we finally found it!! No signs, nothing. A police officer pointed us in the right direction. Handed over the piece of paper to the warehouse supervisor. A person in somewhat supervisory position always wears a large woolen coat, russia style and some kind of a uniform hat. He got a boy to go and get our mattresses. Into the backseat with me and off we went back home. We left work at 6 and was back home at 9. But it was all worth it! Now we will have some good sleep. Zach needed a haircut so we tried out our local guy in the basement of the building. He got it a little bit shorter than he wanted. The wonders of language barriers. As you can see, every day is a new adventure. We are now fully into project work.. I picked 5 today and Zach another 2 to add to the 3 he already is working on. Very interesting stuff. A lot of responsibility and accountability. Tough time frames, but after all. The hotel is supposed to open in 76 days!!!

Touchdown!!!

Im here. Im actually here. Zach picked me up at the airport. The hotel driver drove us to the apartment. Traffic is crazy. No rules but it seems to somehow work. The police do not do anything. Probably just there for the looks of it. The apartment is amazing. Got what a westerner needs. Zach is happy about the flatscreen tv in the living room. Im happy about the toiletseat warmer. Nice on a cold day! Think I will be spending some days there...stomach already a bit upset. Have a little shop down in the bassment of the building. Like a convenience store but with a huge section of wine and spirits. Nice! They even have Coopers!!! Took at taxi to a shopping centre in the area. Its important to have the destination written down in Chinese as the taxi drivers do not speak any English. We got there in one piece...no seatbelts in the cab. Zach went crazy with the shopping. Got a fake winter jacket and a fake Swiss made watch. Its pretty cheap though. Just need to bargain. Its a shoppers heaven! Found a Starbucks across the street. Tastes the same as in any part of the world. Then we tried to find the bar strett Sanlitun. I had an idea where it was, but Zach wanted to take a cab. The taxidriver took us around the block and dropped us off about 500 metres from where we had caught it. Nice one Zacky! Had a huge walk back to the apartment. Its absolutely freezing here. Nice to feel alive!! Now time to go shopping at the Carrefour supermarket. 10 min by cab! /Martin

Time to say goodbye

I about to leave home! Last items have been packed up and we are about to leave for a two hour drive to Arlanda Airport outside of Stockholm. Mum and Dad will keep me company. Its always the same feeling...I am totally lost! One day I'm in Sydney, the next day its Christmas, then I'm in Norway with Vibeke and a second later I'm by myself on the plane for Sweden. I have never felt it before, but time is actually something scary. It just keeps going and you better hang on, because it will not come back. Ceasar was totally right...Carpe Diem!! Make the most out of your day, because you can never do it again. Anyways, I am very excited about going. Zach will be picking me up and thats all I know... I'm counting on you boss!!

New Year

Happy New Year all our blogg readers. Wish you the best for 2008.
I had a great night in Haugesund with fireworks all around. Zach is now in Beijing and he will update you as soon as he has time. Can not wait to join him soon. But first I have another week of relaxation with Vibeke in Norway.