Zen & Durian

There is a reason for the long gap in time since my last update.  For the past week and a half, I've been completely and absolutely boggled down at work!  With a pretty relaxed work day, I suddenly got catapulted to a super busy schedule.  All of the busy days (almost no time for lunch!) & overtime was in prep for a week's internal meeting in Shanghai.

 

Being my first serious corporate meeting, it was definitely an eye opener.  It was very long days - 8am to 6pm with an average of 45 minutes for lunch.  Besides the long days, I also had a few overtimes as well.  As well, besides just the hectic schedule of the past week and a half, it has also been a pretty tough week at work (in terms of "How can Sheila mess up now?").  A week and a half's worth of stepping on nails later, I'm extremely glad the whole ordeal is over.

 

There are some very nice things about doing business traveling in a large corporations though.  Sitting first class on round trip planes from Beijing to Shanghai was not bad at all (it's only a 1.5 hours ride!).  I also got a free upgrade from a premium room to a suit at the hotel.  Can't complain about that.  When the scheduled food for us, it was very nice as well - German restaurant, decent, proper sandwiches, & a really nice dinner at Zen's, a top notch (and very chic) Cantonese restaurant in one of the trendiest areas of town.

 

While in Shanghai, I also spared some time to meet up with the father of all POSes, Devrim, and Tee (the forced wife - poor girl).  The POS was very nice though, taking us out to a dim sum dinner one night & then to drinks on another night.  However, that does not erase the fact that I'm sorely disappointed at his lack of stamina.  Same old story, "I'm too tired...I have to get my beauty sleep...I reached my limit...blah blah blah."  Not very inspiring, if you ask me.  :)

 

When I got back to Beijing, I was completely knackered.  Spent the weekend more or less in a vegetation state.  Did go out one night for a Japanese buffet though in a nicer restaurant (very popular in China), & had one of their specialty dishes - deep fried durian!!!  Since when did durian become a Japanese thing??  Interesting...  it was very good though.

 

This weekend will be 48 hours of rendezvous in Shanghai again with a bunch of Beijing people & a gathering Shanghai crowd.  It shall be fun.  Keep an eye out for a scandalous update next week!