Hello everyone,
I just want to say I managed to get in Shanghai, the weather is very good and everyone is very friendly to me, so I don't got any reasons to complain so far! On cultural level I have to say it is very shocking to see how poor and rich people live through each other. There is a big lack of hygien here, and I have to watch out out what I eat and drink. But I've got to say, this city is mindblowing, no doubt about that.
Communication is the biggest 'problem' so far, but since i agreed with some friends not to use the word problem to anymore let's call it a challenge! It took me 2 hours to buy a phone in the phoneshop cause none of the 6 employees could speak english and I couldn't make clear that I wanted a prepaid card. I even took out paper to draw a prepaid card or at least try to make a schedule with icons so they could guess it was prepaid card and not a contract. And this morning i asked 10 people for the office of Ji Qing, but none could help me, luckily i realised later i had her phonenumber with me on a paper; I would't know how else i would have found her. Even getting a taxi is a nightmare, cause you need to have the address with you Written in Chinese, otherwise they can't read it! Or to say it in the words of little korean superman: " So Challenging!"
I just had lunch here in the cantine, with the some of the other designers and lots lots of assembly line workers. To be honest, it feels a bit surreal to sit there and having lots of these assembly line workers looking at me like they have never have seen a european! Besides that they have tv's there with non stop commercials about VW during lunch! Very strange!!!!!
But you don't hear me complaining, One of the female designers even asked me today if I wanted an icecream, cause the weather was so good! Hell yeah I want icecream!!!!!
Greetz Joris
