China - never a dull moment!

[Cruiser Elite]

So who else has departed PEK lately?

OK after check-in – go through the Intl dep entry – you know HK, Macau, Intl Dep – Dom Dep go through different entry – down the stairs – then wait for the train:



And:



But then the train that takes you out to Intl Dep gates also stopped at Dom Dep gates. First time in prolly 50 departures from T3 has the train stopped at Dom Dep drop off point – anybody else experienced this?

To get through Intl Dep entry point you must scan boarding pass – I saw guys being turned back – I assumed with Dom BP’s so then why does the train stop there?

China – never a dull moment – always expect the unexpected!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Your choice Sir - would you like your phone fixed?..............Repaired?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Latest promo from Ctrip – what can RMB100 buy you?

Facekinis? 150 Shanghai dumplings? Cans of fresh air? You betcha – all of the above - What can you do with RMB 100?

 

[Fantic125]

False advertising - all the ones I saw looked grumpy.......

 

[Fantic125]

Maybe they had too many crop circles to eat in the PVG MU Lounge......

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So I arrive into Nanjing at 3pm on Thur Jul 25 - check the temp on arrival:



You guys who have been in the big Chinese cities when it is hot know it is really hot - sticky, muggy, dirty - when it's hot it really hot. So when you head up to the bar at night for a few cooling drinks - this is the last thing you would want or expect to find:



Roaring open fire - you have to be kidding me. YES it was a fake fire - but it still put out heat. I just could not believe it - that kinda warm inner glow that open fires emit was certainly not required. Apologies for quality of pic but Wine Bar was indeed full of customers and having some clown snapping pics willy nilly would even get me upset.

China - NEVER A DULL MOMENT

 

[docjames]

Here she is - back in her office cubicle - sound asleep - 2:15 in afternoon.

I'm not clear if you're implying she is overworked, sick, lazy or other?

If either of the first two, surely the company needs to look at itself if an employee falls asleep at her desk in the middle of the day....

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So I am actually in China to inspect to containers prior to shipping. One container is like 3 mths overdue and the other 2 months overdue - just cannot get these Chinese to perform.

So Saturday id D-day - ALL key staff summonsed into work to complete whatever has to be done to get these shipments on the water.

All is going to plan - but hang on - where has Grace gone? Grace is our No. 1 Chinese office girl who is supposed to be following me around like a lost sheep pad and pen in hand noting each and every query / problem / question / fault I can detect - she has gone missing. I go looking for her - took all of 30 seconds to find her:



Found her in no time - here she is - back in her office cubicle - sound asleep - 2:15 in afternoon.

China - NEVER A DULL MOMENT

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I'm not clear if you're implying she is overworked, sick, lazy or other?

doc nothing unusual at all with Chinese taking a 'nap' at any time of the day in factories / offices etc - it never ceases to amaze me - but it is a totally different culture.

If you want to do business with the Chinese - first lesson - they are DIFFERENT - do not use your western standards to judge their eastern practices - they are just DIFFERENT.

 

[docjames]

OK, so just "usual" work practice then! Interesting!


//thinks about number of times i'd like a 2pm nap........//

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So I am leaving China last Sun July 28 on SQ 831 dep 14:30. On arrival at PVG am coralled at entrance inside 3mtr x 4mtr red taped pen and ALL are subjected to explosives test - no biggie - anything to keep the airways safe.

Check-in is simple and straight forward - except not a departure card in sight at SQ check-in counters - not on any counter - never seen this situation before. SQ staff member scurries off and returns with 1 (one) departure card for me. No thought to grabbing a bunch of them and depositing them at every check-in counter as there should be and usually is - 1 for me and me only - welcome to Chinese logic.

Head to departure entry point and as soon as enter through am confronted with 100mts long / 100pax snaking queue - WTF - ALL hand luggage is being scanned pre immigration - never seen this before. Lines at immigration pretty short but APEC Card gets me straight to immigration agent without waiting.

Post immigration go through normal full scan of hand luggage and body scan - no problems - but have never experienced that level of scrutiny in China before. Don't you love it - Chinese Authorities doing their bit to keep the airways safe.

China - NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

 

[BVT]

Great posts. Conditioning for my upcoming inaugural trip to China.

Cannot wait!

 

[Fantic125]

Great posts. Conditioning for my upcoming inaugural trip to China.

Cannot wait!

Be prepared for a crowd.....

 

[BVT]

Is that the priority boarding queue?

Be prepared for a crowd.....

View attachment 17522

 

[Fantic125]

Is that the priority boarding queue?

No. This one is.....

 

[SeatBackForward]

Yup must be, in both those photos, I can clearly see the signage that indicates which side Probability Boarding is meant to be.

 

[TheEmu]

Surreal crop circles, maybe?

Maybe they had too many crop circles to eat in the PVG MU Lounge......
View attachment 16001

 

[TheEmu]

So I arrive into Nanjing at 3pm on Thur Jul 25 - check the temp on arrival:

View attachment 17489

You guys who have been in the big Chinese cities when it is hot know it is really hot - sticky, muggy, dirty - when it's hot it really hot. So when you head up to the bar at night for a few cooling drinks - this is the last thing you would want or expect to find:

View attachment 17490

Roaring open fire - you have to be kidding me. YES it was a fake fire - but it still put out heat. I just could not believe it - that kinda warm inner glow that open fires emit was certainly not required. Apologies for quality of pic but Wine Bar was indeed full of customers and having some clown snapping pics willy nilly would even get me upset.

China - NEVER A DULL MOMENT

Christmas in July?
Suitable decorations to go with your fire: the salubrious KA "VIP" lounge, NKG.

 

[TheEmu]

Sum total of the food offerings in the aforementioned lounge…
This is at 1pm on a Wednesday - the 4 hot food servers are under the cover - empty and cold - at lunchtime.
Small packets of snacks of indeterminate nature, hot water for tea, a pot of (fresh) coffee, and 2 small cold drinks fridges.


Some things get a little muddled in translation - stirring sticks.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

the salubrious KA "VIP" lounge, NKG.

I hate NKG lounges with a passion. Have spent so many hours in theem with delayed NKG-PEK flts - never again - CRH trains only for me on that route.

Did you notice not even a real toilet to sit on in NKG lounges - only squat pans - yet outside where 'commoners' are housed they have real toilets - go figure. (Do remember to take sufficient paper off the roll at entry though - terrible to get caught short after you have been caught short.