Pudding and Chopsticks

Well maybe today is not particularly special but something is in the air lately. At our widget factory everyday my workers tell me that their salary is too low. Maybe it is, but I can’t do anything about it. Maybe because I am a foreigner they think I can. We are in the height of widget making and today we have a mini strike. In fact we have them all the time lately. Salaries are too low everyone says.

Take the two people today that stopped working and demanded more money. They watch a machine work for a few minutes then place more material into the machine and them watch the machine tun again for a few  minutes. This is one of the easiest places to work in the factory. They are in their own room. Have air conditioning, work at their own pace for the most part, but yet they want more money. A cool place to work doesn’t mean food on the table but it has to account for something.

Everyday more money. It only took one hour at work for someone to tell me that they want more money. I’m not lying, everyday a worker complains to me that they don’t get enough money. It’s kind of ridiculous. I bet that if you give in and raise the salaries, that a month down the road they will want even more money.

A few days ago a girl wanted to quit. She said she could make more money somewhere else, then she left. I think she’ll be back but that’s the way it is here. There is no worker loyalty. The only thing they are loyal to is money. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s rampant. It’s like an epidemic. No one is happy. And by god they will tell you about it. Complain to you everyday.

It irritates the hell out of me. Jesus people. Just work.

Sometimes I think shit rolls uphill in China.

UPDATE: I just found out that the guys that wanted a salary increase had rigged a machine not to work. If we agreed to a salary increase no one would know, but we fired them and had someone else use the machine which didn’t work. A few minutes later we found what they did and it was back to making widgets. Can you believe this country sometimes, damn… Well that’s what you get for no law enforcement and judicial system.

UPDATE #2: I found out how much they made salary wise, it wasn’t low either. Actually quite high compared to others for the amount of work that they had to do. I guess that some people most all people in China will never be happy with what they got. Or so it seems.

I might be generalizing but I would imagine that us Americans would consider this guy an A-hole, but in China, he’s just a normal ordinary guy.

This was on the bus that picks you up from the plane and takes you to the terminal. The bus was packed, but this little gem thought he would take up two seats because, hell, I don’t know. But not one person said a word. I thought about throwing my ass down next to him but I was too tired. Next time.

Sometimes I like the fact that I can do what I want, but sometimes I hate it when other people do what they want. Double standard but whatever.

I took these photos over a course of a week. There are 52 weeks in a year, and a whole lot of other industrial areas in China.

Par for the course I recken.

Probably all empty but you know. It compliments the sky.

A little night time something or another. My guess is pesticide or fertilizer, but let’s be frank. This being China, it’s probably not healthy.

This is how you potty train in China.

Squat with baby, make whoosing sound, spread cheeks and well, other things. Do this where ever you like but on the top of every hour. Eventually whoosing sound means potty time.

Save loads on diapers.

Some photographs from HK

So what’s been going on lately. Uh, I just got back from Hong Kong. Which means that I officially have a Z working visa. Next up is completing the residency permit. Them bam. I don’t have to leave China until a year is up. I can also get a drivers license and open a bank account. I finally have arrived you could say.

Also I had made an appointment to see an ENT specialist while I was in HK. I made it last week. I was feeling too god last week and decided that I had to bite the bullet and see someone that knew what the hell they were doing. I had headaches and really didn’t feel like I was up to par. Fast forward to a day ago when I went to see Dr.Buddy. Awesome name. Anyway, he sakes me what has been going on. He was a doc in Canada, speaks native English, is a chief of medicine at the hospital, and basically should know what’s up.

I tell him and he takes a look. He says I am fine. He can’t see any problems and if I hadn’t told him that in the past I had some issues he would say that I had nothing wrong with me. So I probably kicked it last week or kicked it enough that he couldn’t see anything wrong. Probably needed more sleep and more relaxation. Anyhow, I am calling this case closed. Unless it comes back then I have to investigate a probable cause. He had an idea what it might be but that’s not him, it’s a different doc. So that’s over with.

So that’s about it.

I started dating, no I shouldn’t say dating because I’m not sure what that implies in China. I have started hanging out with a Chinese girl. I’ll have more on that in the future.