Thursday 2nd October 11:54AM Shushu’s Flat – Yesterday’s activities
We went to see the biggest foreign export trade center in China yesterday. 560 thousand square meters per floor, and about 10/12 floors. This wasn’t yet completed, but is due to open in a month time, which is why Shushu wanted to have a look around, as the market he is at at the moment is due to move there. It was massive to say the least. We saw a few people looking around, and Shushu took down some phone numbers of cubicle owners who had purchased space in this center and were looking to rent it out to others. Some people were already building their cublicle store, as we saw some workers sawing wood and doing other work like things. We then visited the 3 other foreign trade wholesale markets that were nearby, sporting shops that sold tinsel, plastic toys, remote controlled cars, wrapping paper, umbrellas, and all sorts of stuff. There were lots of kids running around, that I guess are the children of shop keepers, and Shushu felt that the regulation should be changed to stop them, to keep it safe for the children, as it is not a day care center. Saw many people having a sleep on the benches in the centers, some with children in their arms. We also saw something that sported itself as some sort of Italian coffeeshop that had lots and lots of fake statuettes outside. And a Chinese copy of Starbucks Green and Circle logo branding. Yesterday evening brought us to the same restaurant as on tuesday evening, two of Shushu’s cantonese competitors/colleagues (father and son) at the shoe wholesale market were hosting and paid the bill. The manager and other attendants came and drank with us again, clinking everyone’s glass and emptying their cups, you expected to do the same. Apparently this signifies respect and thanks for dining at the restaurant. Yesterday they were advertising a new line of “Tsingtao” beer (a famous and popular brand in China) by using it in their Thanksgiving but it didn’t get much by way of approval by Shushu and the others. Afterwards, they came round to Shushu’s house (and thankfully not onto KTV) and started drinking tea, and conversing in the very Chinese way of speaking quickly and loudly, and smoking lots of Chinese brand cigarrettes. The normal practice of offering fruit fell upon Miao and I, and some others arrived that appeared to be some other collleagues /friends of Shushus. The Cantonese father and son, were trying to convice him that drinking tea was good, but he was not to be convinced. The traditional Chinese way of making tea is very wasteful of hot water. 2/3rds of which is wasted, and only 1/3rd actually drunk. The cantonese son said that a real waste would be to puke up after drinking so much beer, and that tea can help to soothe your stomach before bed. A story was told of a “lao wai” foreign person, in this case a lady, coming into one of their shops and trying to pay for a large order of goods (20000 yuan) with only 100 yuan. Usually 3-5% is required as a desposit, and the foreign woman couldn’t understand, and finally when she did, she called the man crazy. They all found it hilarious. Another was said about a man trying to get out of his parking space, and not seeing a foreign person who was knocking on his car. he looked around again and again, but didn’t see, and said “crazy fool” in his local dialect. Then then foreign man made himself seen and asked if he had called him a crazy fool as he spoke good Chinese. At which point the man drove off. They stayed really a long time, and all three of us were quite tired, Shushu said later that the Cantonese men like to talk over tea in his house, and find it hard to let them know to go away or “Zou Kai” (go away).
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