Pudding and Chopsticks

This is a typical construction site. However this one sits next to a moat type channel of water. You can see the relationship between the two.

It isn’t really the country. It is, but there are places, further out that are not close to anything that can be referred to as a city. Near where I photographed this area is a hotel where I routinely see Bentelys, Rolls Royce, and other high end insanely priced cars. So does it look like the country yes, is it truly the country side, probably not. Nonetheless.

A couple of panoramic photographs to get you started.

This is a panoramic photograph of the area across the street from the new apartment complex on the left. The local area has deep roots and culture within water. As you can see from the ponds and boats from most of my other posts.

Bricks mostly seem to be the construction materials. From the looks of it, they weren’t that cozy of house to live in.

This women is washing clothes in the very same pond that is in the first panoramic photograph. I’ve personally seem quite a few people wash clothes like this.

It won’t be here for much longer. They are tearing it down to build what I presume are apartments.

Every now and then, mostly whenever the sun is out you will see people drying things. I’ve posted photos of people drying fish, beef, and other kinds of meat. They also dry grass.

I asked him what he was drying and he told me it was leaves from the trees and pointed out to some trees that lined the road. Maybe he meant it was hedge clippings from the bushes that are in the median. He accent was pretty thick. I can’t be sure. I think he was scared to death of me when I started talking with him.

He was basically working his way down the road tilling the greens over so that they would dry more evenly.

Just one of those things. I find that China is more resourceful in areas. Mostly I think because it’s so poor. After it’s dry he can use it for starting a fire, filler for something and a bunch of other uses I’m sure. To him it’s useful and worth the time. I wish sometimes other people would think like that in regards to some areas of life.

I finally got time to go out and shoot some photos.

I’ll see if I can post some everyday for the next few days.

Stay tuned.

I ponied up to a bridge and watched the sunset tonight. Across the water are a unbelievable amount of new buildings going up. Sometime when I get around to it, I’ll shoot them in the morning so you can have a better view. For now enjoy the sun. It’s been quite sometime since I’ve personally seen it, the sun that is.

Working in a Chinese company can be pretty cool, interesting, funny, insightful, but also, a living hell.

Here is a list of things that have happened recently. And, to be fair, I am not directing any of this at China, or at Chinese people. The people that I am going to write about are Chinese, and work at a Chinese company, but perhaps it’s just this specific place of employment that is different from everywhere else. And not a specific China issue. But I will say that on some level they are a sample of what Chinese people can be. So take it with a grain of salt.

We are switching some roles around at work. The gentleman that owns the company asked one worker to do a new set of job tasks. He outright refused, and had the balls to then tell the boss that he will not change his job, and will continue to do exactly what he was doing. Which was nothing.

A little back story to the next tid bit. I ran a department and did a specific task. I then switched departments. A Chinese worker took over my old department. This was all last year. His workers still completed the same task that I did. Now he has decided that he shouldn’t have to do the task anymore but my department should. He then states that he didn’t do it at all last year. I then show him the papers showing him that he did. He refuses to do it. Even after his boss says to him to specifically do it, he doesn’t. I am not lying in the least when I say that this worker does NOTHING. Literally nothing. If I was the boss I would fire his ass faster then making instant noddles. But apparently that would be less than harmonious.

One of our workers heard that another worker was getting a raise. So he writes a letter and wants about a 30％ raise or so. His reason, well, as I interpret them, are because he is doing his job. I do this, I do that, I do a lot, I need more money. Interesting approach. I guess we will see how that goes.

Interesting things happen when workers scrap products. Like no one tells anyone. So when I am looking for 3 specific items, I find two, only to find the third thrown to the side because they completed a step wrong. Do they tell me, no, do they care, no.

When widgets need to be inspected and no one inspects them. Because they thing it’s not their job to inspect widgets. The reason is because they only inspect production widgets and not anything else.

How orders come in and a month later we find out we don’t have the material for the last step. I guess it’s no ones job to make sure you department can actually complete the order until the order arrives at your department. We could of saved a month but, now everything is late because one manager didn’t look at the information that is given to him and deduce that oh, let me check to make sure I have enough material, oh I don’t. I guess I have to tell someone. Nope I guess he is too busy playing chess online to do anything worthwhile.

Oh did I mention that the guy who wants a raise can be caught playing games, and on the internet and not actually working. But he does get things done. I wonder how he feels sitting next to a guy who does absolutely nothing.. Hrmm..

Anyway, I have enough material to actually write a book. Which I am thinking about doing. Whenever I get a massive amount of free time.. so about never..

I took this photo while walking to the bus stop in Hangzhou. Two men crossed the 3 wet pipes over the toxic looking brown stream. Last to cross was a women in her child. Perhaps one of the men’s child as well.

So much for helping. And what did they need to do that required them to take a short cut over a potentially dangerous crossing with a child. Beats me.

Some panoramic photographs from the West Lake. It was a gloomy day. Would of been super great for black and white film, but I didn’t have the film camera with me, nor have I purchased the big bad boy that I have been dreaming about.

Anyway, nevertheless here are some point and shoot shots.

So I checked out Hangzhou’s West Lake yesterday. A mere hour bus ride to Hangzhou and then another hour bus ride to get halfway across town. Doesn’t make sense, yep, that’s right. Takes longer to cross town then it does to get there from a different city.

Super cheap too. Around 80RMB round trip. Or about 11-12USD. nice day trip. I plan to head back this summer. But for now there are some photos.

Always looks like rain.

Finally the sun came out and turned everything into a bright hazy fog.

Awesome.

There was a guy just sitting on this stool directly on the edge of the road. He was rubbing his feet and totally looked like he was enjoying it.