Shanghai'd!!!!!
So my boss pulls me into her office with her boss and the HR manager from Hankou. She says
"Lane you know that we started a new branch in Zheng Zhou"
I said "Yeah, you asked me if I wanted to go there yesterday for a month, and I said no."
She says: "Well we really need you to go because Seth is black, Jeff's leg is broken, and Christy is a woman."
"So you need me to go because I'm white and American?" (Jeff is half phillapino and doesn't appear to be caucasian to most chinese people, but he does have a broken leg as well)
She says "Yes that, but also we believe you are a good man, and you are the best teacher we have at NDI in WuHan. You have a lot of experience because you have been with us a long time. And the salary is really good." (Of course only about half of this is true)
"So how good is the salary?" I ask
"7,000."
"So you want me to move away from my home, friends, family, and my new relationship that is a little rocky right now for a whole month, and on top of that train a whole branch on how to do their jobs, and your only going to pay me 2,000 more than usual? That's only 200 USD it's not enough for what your asking me to do. When am i going to be leaving anyway, next month?"
"Tomorrow."
"TOMORROW! You only even mentioned this yesterday! You expect me to get on a train and go to Zheng Zhou tomorrow for only 2 large more? you had better give me more all my bills are due while I'm gone and it's going to be a pain in the ass to get them all paid."
"I already tried to get you 7,500 but they said no."
"To bad I was thinking more like 10,000."
"Lane that's unresonable."
"To you maybe, i need more than 7,000, will you give me more annual leave?"
"How many more days do you want?"
"5 more"
(Talking amongst the group)
"They say they can give you 2"
"Make it three and cancel my last two classes today so i can make arrangments and I will go."
(More talking amongst the group)
"They say ok."
at 11 am the next day I was on a speed train traveling at 156 miles an hour to Zheng Zhou, three hours later I was here. I am living in a small hotel room for the next month, no one here speaks english, it's an awful little town with graffiti everywhere. I feel liek I am in a poor side of Mcallen or a really crowded part of brownsville. I have no computer and although they keep promising to help me rent one no one has done so, perhaps tomorrow. My shoes fell apart so I had to buy a new pair of cons, they look like the american flag so they are pretty cool. I took my laundry to get done by the hotel at 6 am picked it up at three and it had not been done as far as I coudl tell. Not only that it smells like cigs. I am planning a trip back to WuHan in a couple weeks to see everyone. I hate this fucking business trip so far.
"Lane you know that we started a new branch in Zheng Zhou"
I said "Yeah, you asked me if I wanted to go there yesterday for a month, and I said no."
She says: "Well we really need you to go because Seth is black, Jeff's leg is broken, and Christy is a woman."
"So you need me to go because I'm white and American?" (Jeff is half phillapino and doesn't appear to be caucasian to most chinese people, but he does have a broken leg as well)
She says "Yes that, but also we believe you are a good man, and you are the best teacher we have at NDI in WuHan. You have a lot of experience because you have been with us a long time. And the salary is really good." (Of course only about half of this is true)
"So how good is the salary?" I ask
"7,000."
"So you want me to move away from my home, friends, family, and my new relationship that is a little rocky right now for a whole month, and on top of that train a whole branch on how to do their jobs, and your only going to pay me 2,000 more than usual? That's only 200 USD it's not enough for what your asking me to do. When am i going to be leaving anyway, next month?"
"Tomorrow."
"TOMORROW! You only even mentioned this yesterday! You expect me to get on a train and go to Zheng Zhou tomorrow for only 2 large more? you had better give me more all my bills are due while I'm gone and it's going to be a pain in the ass to get them all paid."
"I already tried to get you 7,500 but they said no."
"To bad I was thinking more like 10,000."
"Lane that's unresonable."
"To you maybe, i need more than 7,000, will you give me more annual leave?"
"How many more days do you want?"
"5 more"
(Talking amongst the group)
"They say they can give you 2"
"Make it three and cancel my last two classes today so i can make arrangments and I will go."
(More talking amongst the group)
"They say ok."
at 11 am the next day I was on a speed train traveling at 156 miles an hour to Zheng Zhou, three hours later I was here. I am living in a small hotel room for the next month, no one here speaks english, it's an awful little town with graffiti everywhere. I feel liek I am in a poor side of Mcallen or a really crowded part of brownsville. I have no computer and although they keep promising to help me rent one no one has done so, perhaps tomorrow. My shoes fell apart so I had to buy a new pair of cons, they look like the american flag so they are pretty cool. I took my laundry to get done by the hotel at 6 am picked it up at three and it had not been done as far as I coudl tell. Not only that it smells like cigs. I am planning a trip back to WuHan in a couple weeks to see everyone. I hate this fucking business trip so far.
posted by goemonronin at 4:55 AM
2 Comments:
Zhengzhoued!!!
You've been there a long time?
Well, it will look good on your resume.
I think you got dicked, really, but since you are there for the long run you might parlay this to an advantage.
The other shoe to drop would be if they ask you to extend there ... be thinking about that. In other words, really bid up the deal or be ready to hit the door.
Patrick
Sounds like a Laredo Trip. But you already know this.
Kevin
1 mil pop, not a small town.
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