新年快乐!


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January 3rd 2013
Published: January 3rd 2013
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Jenny attempts the number 1Jenny attempts the number 1Jenny attempts the number 1

left to right: Amanda, Peter, Jenny, Jonathan, Jacob
Happy New Year, everyone! My New Year’s Eve was spent working, but I did spend New Year’s Day with friends. Yesterday my coworkers and I had a team building exercise. In China, it's important to foster friendships with one's coworkers, so several times throughout the year a company will release a small budget for the employees to get together and do something fun. Our 'team building exercise' included a stop at a, well, I don't know what to call it. It's a place where you can reserve a table to play board games. In the city, apartments are too tiny for large groups to hang out so most people do everything 'out.' This particular place was a converted apartment. We had what had formerly been a bedroom fitted out with a table and chairs. The employee there brought us drinks and a selection of games and when all the party was present she came back in to teach us how to play one of the games. It turned out to be a lot like Cranium. Only it was called Happy Stupid. I wish I had taken a photo of the Chinglish instructions on the box. They were priceless, especially when dramatically read by our Londoner, Peter. We had a good time. My coworkers, Chinese and foreign alike, are fun people.

After our allotted time was up (Jacob and I proclaimed ourselves winners) we went to go have dinner. Amanda had a coupon from the Chinese equivalent of Groupon so we were able to have a really nice meal. At the beginning of the meal the waitress managed to spill two full glasses of ice cold beer down my back. As the waitress, Kiki, Amanda, and I tried to dry my clothing I said to the table at large, "So, who wants free food?" Simon said, "What do you mean?" "I just had beer spilled down the back of my trousers. That should be worth some free food." This seemed like a novel idea to all my Chinese coworkers and to the manager who came out to talk to us. She offered to pay for my laundry bill. I laughed and said, "I can do my own laundry, thanks. But I can't cook some of the delicious food you have here." In the end, a menu was brought to me and Kiki and I chose something equal in value to beer
Seriously, Jonathan?Seriously, Jonathan?Seriously, Jonathan?

How were we supposed to know that a Pteradactyl being eaten by a Venus Fly Trap represents a Phoenix??
soaked underpants. At the end of the meal, Kiki said, "Who wants dessert?" and mimed spilling a pot of tea over my head.

On the way home Peter and Amanda showed me where the decent supermarkets are hiding in our area. We stopped for a drink at Peter's favorite bar before walking to our apartments (they live just five minutes from my current residence). All in all, it was a fun day.



I didn't think I had had that much to drink yesterday but this morning I awoke to find some unexpected company in my bed. As I folded my blankets a bee crawled lazily out of them. I didn't even know his name. It was so awkward! He didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. In the end, I scooped him up onto a Ziploc bag and put him out on the balcony. What happens in Shenzhen stays in Shenzhen, right?


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C'mon, Amanda!C'mon, Amanda!
C'mon, Amanda!

A person flailing around the solar system does not a playground make.
Macau!Macau!
Macau!

Somehow Jonathan was able to guess the correct answer.
Peter was very proud.Peter was very proud.
Peter was very proud.

His drawing was successful. I guessed 'milking' right away.
Serious poseSerious pose
Serious pose

from the left: Me, Peter, Amanda, Jenny, Fairy, Jonathan, Jacob, Kiki, and Simon
Strike a pose!Strike a pose!
Strike a pose!

from the left: Me, Peter, Amanda, Jenny, Fairy, Jonathan, Jacob, Kiki, and Simon
How embarrassing!How embarrassing!
How embarrassing!

I forgot to ask his name before I shooed him away.


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