It's 5:09 AM and I can't sleep so I'm up using the internet while I have it. I'm staying in a nice hotel in Shanghai so I've had internet the past few days. This has been so nice in more ways than one. Easy to email with the office back home and send any revisions to the vendors. When we're in the other more remote locations of this trip I don't know if I'll have internet. I'm crossing my fingers though!
It's really helped with the homesickness factor though! I've been using Skype to talk to Chuck back home and then I don't have to use my calling cards. When I arrived on Wednesday at the Shanghai airport my luggage did not! I've never had this happen before and of course it had to happen on this trip. I had my computer as my carry-on and only packed at t-shirt and undies. I was afraid of wearing the same pants for 3 weeks! But after a lot of praying from me and family back home, and a little haggling on the phone my suitcase finally arrived! I had tears in my eyes as they wheeled it in my room.
I ended up leaving the good camera at home so any pictures you see are with my point and shoot. Since I'm working there's not much time to snap many pictures but I'm doing what I can. I clearly can't stand and size up the situation and make everyone else wait like I'd like but I'm still getting some cool shots.
This first pic is what was on the monitor as we got closer to landing. See the time since departing on the bottom of the screen? 12 hours and 44 minutes! We still had 90 minutes to go. I don't know about you but 14 hours on a plane is enough for me. I don't think I'll ever make it to Australia cause that flight's even longer!
So after Shanghai we're off to Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and I think that's it. I'll be sure to take more pictures as I have the opportunity.
I'm learning so much already. So much more about the business and about Chinese culture. Connie pointed out to me the little kids' "split pants" yesterday. She said they wear them to start potty training them at an earlier age instead of wearing diapers. They wear this split pant that literally are open so you can see their little tushie and whenever the kids have to "go" they just hold them in the squatted position and let 'em go! Heck I even saw one kid go on the sidewalk yesterday. I want to take a picture to show all my friends that have kids in diapers back home.
Well I'm gonna close for now since I have some line drawings to work on. I'll try and keep ya updated more as I go!