Pregled posta

Marketing

I've just finally got the time to write a bit since I came back. A frenzy of
panic since we are having a launch this July and the budget is not really
much so we are a bit pressured to go through proposals from the distributors
quite quickly.

Anyway, the trip to China was not easy but the things I saw (and you will,
in the photos) more than made up for it. We went with this tour group of
Chinese students from Shenzhen University. Well, we biked a lot on the way
to Yulong River from the town proper of Yangshuo .. it wasn't a leisure
type but more of biking to get there.. the views were nice so I wouldn't
have minded but it was around 12 noon.. the sun was scorching hot! You
should see my back now, the tan line from my shirt is stark! Anyway, so
there. Almost all the tourists bike, except for those who came with a really
expensive tour (China is cheap but rip-offs are very likely esp since we
don't speak the language!)

So on the first day, we biked towards this river Yulong in Yangshuo and
took the 2 hour bamboo boat along the Moon Hill (called so because there's a
hallow spot atop the mountain which kind of shows the faces of the moon as
you progress through the river-- in short depending on your angular sight
towards it). I was a bit tired from all the biking so I slept.. we only paid
30 Yuan each (around HKD 28). We were pairs in each bamboo boat but much to
Ceha's company, I was fast asleep! Save for the river breaks that send us
holding on to our dear lives lest we emerge wet to the insides! I felt a bit
guilty because the boatman was even singing to us. It's an Asian version of
a gondola ride in Venice?? Hahaha! It was good, pretty much like the
floating market in Bangkok since a lot of old ladies were selling oranges
and drinks in boats of their own.. that was a bit annoying but towards the
end it was quite peaceful and the scenery was all good.

After that we biked back again (I think around an hour or so!!) and had
lunch at this "very" Chinese place (it's so authentic, it looks like one of
those break stops of Chinese movies where villains are flying with swords!)
.. the famous delicacy of Yangshuo is the Beer Fish (fish cooked in liquor)
so we had a taste of that. I don't want to go on tour groups again because
it feels like you are being hauled in hordes.. it's not how I want to travel
at all! So after that, it was time to visit the Water Caves (like the
underground river in Palawan) but since I've done it in Palawan before & I
felt claustrophobic, plus I am dead tired from all the biking, I just opted
to join the group who wanted to get back to the hotel. Besides, I wanted to
take a bath and do a little exploring around town (Ceha and Meicy went to
the cave).

So I got back to the hotel and showered then I slept a bit since a headache
seemed to be creeping in. When I woke up, the girls were not back yet so I
got dressed to get some Italian ice cream in West Street (this long street
where most travelers stay.. so called since it is lined with western-type
cafes, restos and souvenir stalls). Our hotel was just right around the
corner so it was a short walk. It's right in the town center. It's very cute
at night, quite wonderfully illuminated with light posts along the Chinese
bridge. So, I walked around with my ice cream and came upon this pizza place
where I wanted to eat. So off I went to the hotel and met up with the
girls. We went back to the West Street for dinner. We went around a bit,
Meicy shopped and we went back to retire for the night.

The next day was the trip to Guilin for the river cruise along Lijiang. I
read that it is supposed to be one of the most scenic place in China nd
sure, it was! Although the photos won't quite capture the wonder that I saw,
I hope they come close. We saw mountains after mountains of folklore. One
was the Mountain of 9 Horse because you can see formations of 9 horses on
the face of the mountain.. no traveller has yet counted all 9 but we came to
7! Darn close. :) Then we docked at this small island that has for the
backdrop the photo they imprint on the backside of the 20 Renmimbi! It was
beautiful! And I held up the money against it, super exact how it looked.
Hehe.After the cruise it was free time, we just went around and had lunch at
this quaint little Chinese place.

Beijing and Shanghai may have put China on the map, but these little,
provincial gems put China in the hearts and fond memories of travelers. :)

a day for running around!
this morning I had a plan. Get some trousers and a shirt, try and look smart. It was a simple plan, there was not much that could go wrong. I asked for advice at the hotel reception and was told of a good cheap shop to purchase what I needed. I jumped on the metro and headed off to secure my items. I arrived at Barbes Rochechouart and found the shop but it was only womens and childrens clothes, I was a little bemused. I walked through the shop as though I was supposed to be there found the exit and discovered that this place was not one shop in one building but one shop taking up almost the entire street. I hopped from one building to the next and finally found the mens department. WOW, a reasonable shirt for €3.99, I got 3 and then went to the trousers section. Damn my tiny frame, they dont do trousers in my size. Well 1 out of 2 isn't bad. I headed back to the hotel so I could get changed and make my appointment at the wall st insitute. Tyipically for me I procrastinated and then had to rush to the metro. Travelling along I was certain I could get there on time, the metro was just opposite the building I needed to go to. Once the train arrived I left the station and walked briskly to the office. It didn't seem this far last time I visited, I looked at the street numbers and disscovered to my horror that I had chosen the wrong stop and had walked the wrong way! I had about 5 mins to get to where I needed to go and my only option was to run. I ran and ran but seemed to be getting no closer to the destination. 4 o'clock arrived and I was still 10 minutes from the office, i continued to run and finally arrived late sweating like a horse with a face as red as a tomato.
I hate being late and especially for an interview so I just couldnt cool down. Luckily I had made a great first impression so my tardiness was not an issue. I now had a job and decided to celebrate with a meal. I tried a little bistro, it looked quite inviting, I sat down ordered my meal, it was quite enjoyable and as I was tucking in to the food I scanned around the room for nothing in particular, that was when I noticed the sign saying that they did not accept credit cards for values less than €20. I had absolutely no cash on me. There was really only one choice, I wasn't going to be able to explain to the waiter my situation, I just had to order enough to surpass the limit. After eating a starter, a main, a dessert a coffee and a beer I presented my card only to find that thier machine was not working. My extended meal was for nothing. Now I was full and I had to go for a walk to get money. Oh well, at least I got to walk off my dessert and beer.