Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Shanghai - November 8

Shanghai, November 8

I met Susan and Martin for breakfast at the hotel, and there were so many options.  Asian people eat noodles, sushi, rice, miso soup, dumplings, etc. for all meals, including breakfast.  There were omelette's, and donuts, and muffins too, so a lot of variety!

We got in a cab, and arrived to the office in 1 piece.  Barely though.  The driving is CRAZY.  Everyone is cutting each other off, merging into traffic, bikes and mopeds are coming in all directions, people are laying on their horns, it is a crazy experience.  To top it off, we had to walk up concrete steps, cross a bridge, and then walk down steps.  I was looking at all the buildings, not paying attention, got my heel caught on the last step, and fell right down the steps, landing on my knees!  The good news - I saved my coffee, didn't rip my pants, and after my coworkers peeled me off the ground, they carried my laptop bag, purse and coffee the rest of the way! 

We arrived to the office and started our meetings with our senior leadership from Milwaukee.  It was a great meeting, and so nice to see some familiar faces.  I had previously worked for both of the directors that came to Shanghai, and know them quite well.  It was also amazing to have a meeting run in a "linear, factual with little emotion" fashion.  It was the best 2 days of meetings!!! 

The team ordered Pizza Hut for lunch, and it was very interesting to say the least.  Chinese people love fried food and chicken wings, so we had tons of chicken wings, french fries, onion rings, and pizza.  The pizza was stuffed crust, very little to no sauce, tasted similar to American Pizza, but very different all at the same time.  The pizza toppings included: seafood, pineapple, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and many other things that I am not sure what they were.

After the day long meeting, I went to the "Black Market" (I am not sure if it's even called that, but that's what I call it).  I went with my VP, and 2 directors.  They wanted to buy jerseys, and to show me all of the fake designer options.  I thought this was going to be some under ground operation since it's "illegal" in China, but this was a full mall - escalators, and elevators, full on builing.  Nothing too secretive about it. 

We started with the jersey lady, who remembered all the of the guys we were with, and then made our way to the 3rd floor for the purses.  The craziest part, is none of the major designers are out in the shop to view.  You walk in ask if they have LV, and immediately go to this shelving unit, that turns into a door, and then a back room.  The back room is filled with purses, wallets, back packs, anything designer.  If you don't like anything here, she will open another shelving unit that doubles as a door, and there is yet another large room with more fakes.  We were about to leave one of the stores, when the lady calls over her son.  He starts walking us to the elevators, we go to the 6th floor, get off the elevator, and we exit into what looks like an apartment building.  He knocks on the door, and in this empty room is shelves and boxes filled with designer purses.  Every designer you could name.  It was the strangest and coolest thing I have ever seen.

After the market, we met a few people from the team at a traditional Chinese restaurant.  When you go out for dinner in China with a group, you get seated in your own room.  It is completely private, and just for your party.  The restaurant we went to serves a traditional Hot Pot Dinner.  (Similar to fondue).  There is a flame in the middle of the table, and you put a large pot with 3 dividers in the middle of the table.  The middle pot is the soup, the two on the outside is what you cook the meat and veggies in.  One side is spicy, the other is not.  The food comes out at all different times as the night goes on, and you throw it in when it arrives to your room.  I can't recall all of the many things that were "thrown into the pot."  I know there was crab, pork, beef, fish balls, all sorts of veggies.

After dinner everyone went home, but one of the Directors from Milwaukee, the Director from Shanghai, Susan and myself.  We went to a German Beer Hall with a live band.  The music was awesome, and we had a lot of fun.  It was a long day, but tons of fun.

Pictures Below.

Mopeds and bikes are eveywhere!



All of the cabs have these plastic shields around the driver. 



Rockwell - Shanghai
This is our office building.  The 2 plants are outside of the city.


Rockwell Shanghai - Lobby


The Market


The Hot Pot
You can't tell by the picture, but everything is boiling.
The middle is the soup, the left red is the spicy broth to cook food, the right clear broth is non spicy to cook the food.  The longer the food soaks in the spicy broth the spicier it gets.  


susan throwing in more food!  The food nevers stops coming. 


Susan bought a new Hello Kitty Ipod Cover at the market - she was very excited!


Tim, Me, Susan and Steven at the German Beer Hall.
Tim was the director that hired me 2 years ago.


Our waitress at the German Beer Hall



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