The past two weeks have not been very adventuresome as I try to get things ready for me to leave for a while. We continue to have more successes at work with each day bringing some new and different challenges so in the Staples fashion you don't celebrate too long because there's always another mountain to climb.
In other part of my life, Susan is off to Japan with her Mom and sister. They return on 12/15 and we all fly out on 12/16, except Susan who is staying in Asia for the holidays (Singapore and Malaysia).
There has been some interesting street activity here. Last Saturday, I went to get my cleaning and there was a mob surrounding the building. As I approached, I noticed a couple of police officers and bunch of screaming. It seems there was an unhappy customer who thought her best protest was to gouge the guy who owns the cleaners with her nails. His head was well marked. Of course, this would remind some of you of the Seinfeld where the cleaner's wife was borrowing the garments of women who dropped off their cleaning and wore them to her outings before giving them back to the customers. The episode is better known for some other things like this quote:
George: I am telling you Jerry, having a secretary is incredible! I don't know why I didn't have one before!
Jerry: Because you didn't have a job?
George: Perhaps.
Then on Wednesday night after having dinner with my co-workers, I was walking home and found this. (Also posted on my FB page.) There's crowd across the street so I had to look. Several cops and a lot of people. There is a guy trying to escort and then drag a female away from the area to a car. The cops stopped him several times because she was hysterical whenever he touched her. Ultimately, the cops let him go and as he dragged her, she vehemently protested and got down on the ground. At this point, two large Western males decided to step in and help set her free. Let's just say he was pretty easy to move. Eventually, she got in a car and got away. Amazed that the cops did nothing. Unfortunately, he will probably end up wherever she is and the situation will continue. The cops were totally useless.
There were two great responses on my FB page, after one person commiserated and told me it's a good thing I hadn't seen this when I first arrived or it would have tainted my image of Shanghai, I said...Really not all that traumatic for me. It was just like another day in my house; lots of yelling and pulling and screaming but no real action.
The other interesting response was from one of my darling children who said, "It seems like they've got things figured out over there."
So as the year winds to a close, there is many unknowns for me. Where will I work? Where will I live? minor things like that. I'm headed back to Shanghai for January and even though my contract expires on 1/31, I believe I will be asked to stay here for an additional period. Not sure how long or what's next but that is adding to the adventure. Either way Chinese New Year which is around 2/1 will find Susan and me visiting the Golden Triangle, no, not the one that includes Port Arthur, Orange and Beaumont, Texas where we used to live. I will be in the India Golden Triangle of Jaipur, Agra and Delhi with a side trip to the Tiger jungle in Rathambore.
So let's end this year of blogging the way it began with some photos of my Alaska journey from the summer. I have just finished processing all of the photos and have some that I think are worth looking at. Here are a few and more can be found by clicking on the link and looking further.
http://spiegels.smugmug.com/Travel/Alaska-2010/14920858_CP2DZ
Have a great Holiday and I hope to see many of you real soon.
Steve
