Tuesday, August 08, 2006
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4:26 p.m.
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Since leaving for China more than a month ago, this blog, for obvious reasons, hasn't been updated much. I expected to get right back into the thick of things last week, but I was tired beyond belief.Coming home is rough.
The jet lag was terrible. You're talking a 12-hour time difference as well as being thrust into the 9-5 world again. Catherine and I would get home, nap, then wake up for two hours before going to bed again at 10pm. I skipped all the normal routines such as going to karate in favour of bed.
Despite my attempts to sleep my life away, it has found ways to creep back in. More than once I've lamented my return to Canada, not because I wanted to stay in China longer than we were there, but because coming back home is coming back to bills, a job, and reality.
Being in a completely different culture changes your perception of things. One, most Canadians seem terribly fat to me, including myself. Very few people are overweight in China and if they are it's more often a symbol of wealth than indulgence.
It's much cleaner here, but the people seem meaner for some reason. There are a lot of harsh, angry looking people on the subway and on the streets. There is little to no crime in China and what crime there is the punishment is swift and severe. Here, things seem much more lax and dangerous because of it.
Life is changing soon, as people keep telling me, but it's not changing soon enough. I don't wish to be at this job any longer and really, five weeks isn't so long to go and the money is helpful considering the large debt looming on the horizon. I'm still sick from my trip and my stomach has yet to fully adjust.
I also got mad at Tivo. I had to send my unit in to get replaced because of a faulty harddrive. The label was large and printed clearly, but for some reason it continues to sit in a post office in Memphis, just three miles from the manufacturer. For a week I've been yelling at Tivo due to unsatisfactory customer service, only to discover yesterday that the fault more lies with USPS.
So I called them and gave them an earful as well, fending off their flippant excuses. They promised to look into it and have someone call me as soon as possible. No one has called me yet.
Tivo called not long after, apologizing for their crap service. They asked for the shipping confirmation number I got from USPS, which I readily gave, and prepared to apologize seeing as how it was USPS that was to blame and not them.
I didn't get the chance. After I gave the number, the CSR said "okay, your replacement unit will arrive in five to seven days."
Not being stupid, I said "okay, thank you."
I have no idea what's going to happen to that little lost box in Memphis. So long as I get my Tivo, I don't care. My next plan is to call all the companies who have expensive products that I want and harass them until they give me free stuff. It appears to work.
Also, my old calendar-stealing assistant got canned. A new one started today. The vicious cycle never ends. I need to get out of here.
I saw Clerks II and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 this weekend. Both enjoyable for entirely different reasons. I think Kevin Smith needs to actually try to make a movie next time.
That's it. I'll update again more frequently. For now, I'll leave you with a fascinating story involving a new bar that has set up shop near Nanjing in China. Nanjing, for those of you who read this blog, is the Chinese version of hell. I hated that city and would spit upon it again if ever I were forced to go there. Then again, it might be worth it to visit this bar:
ANGER BAR
A bar in eastern China has come up with a novel way of attracting clients - they are allowed to beat up the staff.
23 actual days at work left.
Posted by
Parallel
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