Van at work!

Introducing Van McClean, the Australian Art Director who I'm currently staying with. Van is a fun and energetic old man :) He speaks good Cantonese and used to stay in Hong Kong for over 40 years. The only Chinese word that he know is 可乐 ~ (Coca Cola!)

Back to work...

Lost in Mandarin Pronounciation!

I was checking my designers work at her PC and I feel that the AutoCAD furniture template (we have a directory of furniture block, basically a pre-drawn furniture in plan and elevation to make our life easier) that she choose need to be change. She's doing a furniture layout with a Victorian concept but she pluged in a modern furniture! I'm trying to communicate with her 'bout this for 10 mins:

Me: could you change the "yí zhǐ "?
She: Huh ??
Me: Zhè gè yí zhǐ chùo le...
She: ??? (still look at her drawing with loooots of questions..)
(maybe I delivered the wrong msg)
Me: (I get frustrated and pointed the chair on her monitor screen... and a hand sign means 'wrong')
She: OOOHHH~~~~ yǐ zhi~~

I was like.... @.@ Well... ok...

Living & Working in Shanghai

As a foreigner living and working in Shanghai, I am enjoying the benefits of being an expatriate of a country which is far wealtheir than the one in which I reside! I dine in expensive restaurants. I have a driver who waits downstairs and fetch me to work every morning. I eat sushi at least once a week. I travel accross China. I call ah yi (maid) to clean my apartment up when it's dirty. My life is nothing different from other thousands of foreigners in China. We all come here for the "China Experience" and still live our lives with the advantages of being a foreigner.

But what is it like to be one of the 6 million rich Chinese residents of Shanghai, especially those wealthy white collar? They bought several properties for investement. They invest in stock market. They buy car and paid by CASH! (This is real... no bull in the sky! @,@) They bring their whole family to Europe for a vacation. They have a driver. They wear gold Rolex (yes.. it's real Rolex!). The Chinese are rich especially those who can travel outside China. Cuz most of the mainlanders never travel in a plane! Train and busses are widely use in China.

Working in China is challenging. Things like communication problem, different working style, presentation format, plans & drawings, ... etc. That's not the hardest.... IT'S IN CHINESE!!!!!!!!!! ALL stuff and the specifications are in CHINESE!!!!!! Can you imagine all architecture and design terms are in ChinESE!!!! (Oh my God~)

Thank GOD that I have a team of designers and draftmen (with a translator) placed under me!

Granite = 花岗岩
Marble = 大理石
Stainless Steel = 不锈钢
Sections = 剖立面图
Display = 陈列品
Air Conditional = 空调

I started getting MAD with all the building materials in Chinese terms!

H-E-L-P ME~~~~~~~