nanjing chronicles part 5

nanjing (Feb 8, 2012)

i really am missing waking up with my my wife and my baby at my side..a cold morning again..do the routine..

i happen to forgot looking at my cellphone again..my boss texted me..he's looking for some files..which i have a copy here in my laptop..so i made some emails first in the morning..

breakfast..buffet..yipee..another hearty breakfast..my chopstick skills is improving..in fairness..tasted an authentic almond jelly..they actually used the carageenan and almond fruit i thinks..and it's not that sweet..i actually thought it's the soup of the day..but it happens to be the dessert..

0830H...down to the lobby..out the hotel..and the water outside had already turned to ice..yes its winter..but no sign of snow yet..according to jinjin..it seldom snowed this winter in nanjing..i like to see some snow but i'm afraid of the cool winds..

mr yeng arrived about 0900H..picked us up..drive..not knowingly that kevin is going to the hotel, too..we just saw kevin walking down the road but we did not bother telling mr weng because he does not know english..the driver that we will be going to the training center again but the schedule for the day is the plant tour..not driving that far..he drove us back to the nari office near the hotel to meet with kevin..

kevin brought us to the exhibition room of nari electric..picture picture..ngcp should have a room like this..showed us the office environment..such a beautiful landscape..and maybe way even better during the spring time..i just imagined the greens and the flowers..great place to work indeed..

then go to the other nari location..where we trained the las two days..tour on its manufacturing plant..brings some memories during my maxim days..like semicon assembly lines..you have to wear laboratory gowns and wrap your shoes with plastic..no cameras allowed..kevin has been to the philippines many times so he's more accustomed on filipino's way of life..he even knew some filipino terms..a sales person he is..so he really should be good in talking..


lunchtime..full again..according to kevin..the company only charges employees 1 RMB for each meal..they are very lucky indeed..imagine, a buffet meal..eat all you can..for 7 pesos..what a great benefit..

this is the moment..we're going to the mall..it's auchan mall..a little stroll and then we headed to the supermarket..it's like the sm hypermarkey because almost all items are there..appliances..gadgets..clothes..food..etc..i picked three kinds of tea..and a yoghurt..it's a big store..maybe i'll buy more stuff if we'll be back there..

we're still looking for souvenirs and "pasalubongs"..but maybe they'll bring us to the store tomorrow..save the money for now..we also had the chnace to go the post office due to misunderstanding..he thought we're looking for postcards..harhar..

kevin inivted us for some coffee..had some hazelnut cappucino..it's probably the hottest place we've been..the heater maybe is in the maximum..i nearly sweat..thanks for the coffee..and for the durian rolls of course..

sigh..back to the hotel..i had a nap..

1700H..gen ru picked us up and we just walked to the nearby nari office for dinner..i had a banana overload for today i guess..i still even had two pieces beside my laptop..one from lunch because kevin insist to give us another..now from dinner because one of the meal served is also banana-based..


sigh..back to the hotel..just walked..it's getting colder again..got to get ready for tomorrow..weather forecasted a negative-degree day again..and we'll be practically out tomorrow..

cyberworld again..checked email..read some news..and here i am writing..sir junvil is already in th rem stage..snoring..maybe i should also sleep early today..i need energy for tomorrow..tour day..

gonna go to bed after toothbrush..good night!

nanjing chronicles part 4

nanjing (Feb 7, 2012)


wake up wake up! morning routine..and very happy to see the sun shining..smile..the weather forecasted a probabilty of snow today..but i think it will not happen..but still..layer clothes up..

ready for a hearty breakfast again..with sir jun..we headed to the diner's..but hey..the place seems to be closed..no food..no people..no lights..what the..and then a hotel staff brought us to the lobbby..surprise..no buffet breakfast today..it will be breakfast in bed..o well..that's life..go back to 533..and waited..

breakfast..rice pouridge..sausage..egg with tomatoes..boiled egg..dimsums..sticky rice siomai..ampao..and others i don't know what they call it..watermelon for dessert..

and back to the cybernet..my wife happens to be online..chat..she said that our son will have a new pediatrician..good thing because the other pedia charges us tooo much..we're not that rich..haha..i almost lost track of the time because i almost got late going down and they are waitiing for me already..

back to the training center..thanks mr yeng..now i know mr silent driver's name..nosebleeding moments again..tea break..lecture..picture picture..we requested all the copies of the training materials..after, we requested jinjin to bring us to the bank to change some money..some dollars to rmb..and back to nari for early dinner..good food again..yum yum..and got sir jun's yoghurt for he maybe does not like the taste..

i thought we'll be going to the supermarket but the van would be busy so sorry..sigh..hotel prisons again..had some chat with my cousin rona..watch some naruto episodes..email..eyes need to rest..

good night! got to sleep...

nanjing chronicles part 3

nanjing (Feb 6, 2012)


good morning china! good morning nanjing! i really had a great sleep..and my saliva is all over my pillow..eeww..harhar..

excited for breakfast..morning routine..stretch..and write an email for my wife..while my roommate is in the bathroom..then take my daily number two and number three..a hot shower..perfect for a very cold day ahead..

we came down to the hotel dining by 0730H..and we're the first guests of the day..again, the ambience is not that prestige but it's neat and clean..but the hotel people really don't know english..T_T..so i started grabbing the plate and my chopsticks..buffet it is..all food..chinese..great..had to try them first in small servings and go back for more if it suits my tastebuds..dimsums..like..sausage and bacon..like..tomato and eggs..like..and there is this rootcrop which is just boiled..reminds me of turnip and peanuts combined..full breakfast indeed..thanks thanks!!

back to the room for toothbrushing..and heads down the lobby..mr silent driver is waiting..to nari training center we go..

first day of training..nosebleed moments..this reminded me of my APPS training with the indians..but it is more specific with the NARI relays..good thing the room is well heated..and good thing we had breaks..coffee/tea breaks for us (with junvill and jun) while arwin, bryan and alden also had their cigarette break..2nd half of the lecture for the morning and we're off for lunch..

we walked to another building..their canteen..at the third floor..we were giiven this canteen partitioned aluminum plates..fall in line..buffet it is..chinese food of course..in fairness..the food is delicious..it's even better to other chinese restaurants in the philippines..and i had a milestone..it's my first time to appreciate a flavorless youghart drink..before i could'nt take it..or maybe it's different from the other brands i've tried before..


afternoon session..protection theory..hardware..etc..etc..break..another type of relay..first day of training accomplished..1700H..walk to the canteen again for dinner..and its not yet dinnertime..no choice but to follow..sigh..good food though..

i forgot to tell you that today is the lantern festival..hey it's the lantern festival..the end of your new year..and wishful thinking i am..they would made us experience the festival..but naye..mr silent driver..just took us straight to the hotel..it's lantern festival..and the fireworks are all around us..

T_T

staring at the window..watching the fireworks from afar..

then about 1900H we heard this fireworks like its just near us..sir junvill and i tried to see where it was..it's just near the hotel gates..with no jackets and shoes..we got out..fireworks!!!..i missed lighting up fireworks i guess..but these fireworks in front of me are special..maybe it will worth hundred thousands in the philippines..and we're lucky to have exprienced seen this before our eyes..and the cold night did'nt stopped us to see this..we're like children fascinated..haha..it's really cold..to the bones..so after we hurriedly headed back the hotel lobby..even the chinese women stared at us..wondering why these people are only wearing shirts, pajamas and hotel slippers..they could stand the winter cold..are they superman or just insane..haha..

back to the prison cell..better write another email before i go to sleep..hey it's lantern festival..and we have not seen a single lantern here..stop it..go to sleep..wishing i'll have my lantern festival in my dreams..lights off please..

nanjing chronicles part 2

atmosphere (Feb 5, 2012)


about 0625H..the plane left the phillipine soils.it's my first time in cathay pacific airplane..a big plane compared to those we've ride on last time going to shenyang..and the food is great..the sandwich is good..or maybe because i'm just hungry..have'nt had my usual rice breakfast i guess..watch some videos on board..i wanted to sleep..but i really am having a hard time making myself sleep on a travel..i think about 1000H or more..it's a welcome to hongkong!

hongkong (Feb 5, 2012)

hongkong airport..0825H..fall in line..security..fall in line..security..go to gate 19..which happened to be at the other side of the airport..we chose to walk rather than ride the internal train..the airport is way greater than naia..i'm sorry..but its true..

gate 19..wait..opened my laptop..but i can't sign in to my blogspot..grrr..and i happend to install google chrome and updated explorer..just watched movie trailers..wait..and..ding ding ding..the wait is over..fall in line..ready to board..1040H..dragon airlines..goodbye hongkong..

atmosphere (Feb 5, 2012)


the plane is also as big as cathay..but now i was seated at the middle area..looking forward for lunch..good thing..they had a rice&chicken meal..the wait is worth it rather than eat the potato&pork meal..the flavor is now chinese but in fairness..its delicious for an airplane meal..i enjoyed the video program..i watched a magician documentary..he's "dynamo"..and the climax is when he successfully walked on water..on the river water in london..magnificent huh..then change channel..it's a classic "friends" episode..i had to watch this..guilty pleasure of mine..then a new episode of "two and a half men"..i had a dose of american comedy series again..bringing back the years..

najing (Feb 5, 2012)

nanjing this is..1315H..the airport is not that big..fall in line again of course..immigration..fall in line..security..and we're now looking for gen ru..the person who will take us to the hotel..and there he is..the silent guy..which later seems to be silent only because i think he is having a hard time communicating in english..

and then the winter wind slaps me..oh my..this is what they freezing cold..and i have not yet pulled out my big jacket out my luggage..the walk in the parking lot really gave me the realization that winter temperature is not a joke..i better add more layers to my clothing i must..the van took us to the hotel..

1400H..hotel check-in..the hotel is just a walk away from the NARI plant..it's a decent hotel..but i guess not that extravagant compared to the hotels i've been before..do i need to comment more..i rather not..i should be thankful for all of these..room 533..i'm sharing the room with sir junvill..the oldest in the group..and you know who is the youngest in the group (me, of course)..i think he's as old as my father (i guess i'm missing my daddy more..i thought of what if my dad joined me in china..hmmm..)..upon putting my bags and things down..i headed to the table and set-up my laptop to check the internet connection..success..so i browsed a little..check my mails..facebook prohibited in china..even blogspot..so i have no chance to blog this week..now feeling restless..i headed to the bed..and with no less than a minute i think..sleep..zzzzZZZZ..

woke up past 5pm..just watched tv..bbc or cnn..cnn or bbc..the onyl english channel in town i guess..


by 7pm we were picked up by the van..and i must say..until now i haven't had a conversation with the driver..he's a silent type..just drive..no words..mouth shut..maybe i just missed the loudy filipino drivers..harhar..or maybe our driver just don't know even a single english word..i don't know..should i know..oh well..

our first dinner in china is at a cantonese restaurant..we were joined by gen ru and kevin..among all the food served..the one that striked me is the little fried pigeon..it's crispy and tasty..and the tsingtao beer..light beer..and chinese loves beer..so we ought to join them drink to thank their hospitality..we also had red wine..some vegetables..dimsum..some dishes i don't know..but i just ate them..i'll be hungry if i'll be picky..

i can't forget the walk from the doorways to the van..its awfully cold..please hurry up..i'm freezing..

hotel again..thanks mr silent driver..i even don't know his name..

watched some tv news..tv off..sleep..end of day 1..

nanjing chronicles part 1

Manila (Feb 4, 2012)


i barely slept that night..i dont know if its the bed..if its the bloodsucker issue..or if i was just excited of what to happen..i can't tell if i had a good sleep..i can't remember myself dreaming..but i have to thank sir ronald for letting me sleep in his quarters..

Manila (Feb 5, 2012)

i woke-up about 1 am..i don't know but i tried to sleep again..but i can't..i just take a pee..and back in bed..up in the upper double-deck bed..and seconds after laying down again..what is that peculiar noise i'm hearing..i fell like there is something crawling..near me..near my head..i hope it was nothing..just my imagination..i opened my eyes..turn left..sigh..nothing..turn left..and in that instant..a silhouette (tama ga spelling..whatever) is right at my head..4 inches near..i did not move at first..tried to calm down..and now i see it's two antenna moving..oh no it's the bloodsucker..all the horrible stories re george's case did not fail to get me up..i got to kill the bug before it bite me..opened the light..and slowly walk towards the back of the headboard..sigh..its just a cockroach..but i noticed..its of different specie..not the common roach i see everyday..this one is brown but of earth color shade..maybe the medieval kinds..and happened to grab a slipper beneath the bed..automatically..kazam..wush..tsak tsak tsak..fatality..and it was still alive i think..but barely alive to creep me i hope..0130H..okay i'll just wait 30 minutes to pass for me to go to the office..

2am and i decided to go to the office already..leaving behind the poor cockroach outside the doorway..still moving..but i got to go..

ngcp lobby..i feel like i'm starving..so i head to the office and got me some milo and oat cookies..thanks to the security gurads for allowing me to eat there at the lobby..then i called the driver..off to transco dorm to meet my companions..
five mtd personnel from mindanao..wait a little for them to come down and we're off..0245H to the airport please..


0315H..airport..fall in line..security..fall in line..tickets..fall in line..passport fee..fall in line..immigration..fall in line..take a pee..fall in line..got to finish my number two..fall in line..security..wait for boarding..fall in line..hello cathay pacific..welcome aboard..