post-Ball....

Hi everyone

The Ball has come and gone; I didn't quite realise until it happenedthat All weekend we were running a mini-conference, so I was a bittired on the sunday when forced to wake 3 hours after getting backto then inspire new members; but actually i think the alcoholhelped :) They even had Baileys at the free bar! I met the LordMayor of London, so I could kindly thank him for his small donationto AIESEC China, which was news to him, not surprised!

Seeing 700 people, almost all british or white was a bit of a shockto the system; I don't know where they hide during the day! Ofcourse, almost all of them are here long-term and almost all of themspeak fluent Chinese.

I got all excited that Spurs actually won a game for the first timein a month or so, then they went and lost again, so back to reality.

I am EVEN more excited that we got a quilt (duvet in england) so nowI can sleep properly without getting cold (you remember thegovernment turn our heating on in 2 weeks). Wow only 2 weeks till weget heating! Right now I am planning my acquisitions of warmclothes, hats, jackets etc.

Thanks to Mel (was in China from AIESEC Canada before me), whoseCanadian paper rna a special on China, to forwarding the link (seehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/generated/realtime/specialChina.html ).
Really interesting is: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041022.wxchi-boom1023china/BNStory/specialChina/
and also more entertaining is: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041023.wxchinaten23/BNStory/specialChina/

My comments on the latter are: yes, mobiles work on the subway andabsolutely everywhere, no idea how (the subway is not that deep, butstill!), the gyms i have mentioned before, the covers thatrestaurants put voer your chair, if your jacket is there, to protectfrom theft and spillage is cool and i experienced that for the firsttime a couple weeks back. The rest of the points are pretty dullyand hardly 'OIC' -only in china, maybe Canada is further behind thetimes that the UK, ey?

We have another flat mate, a girl from AIESEC Germany, yay :), sheis a bit of a fitness freak, so is off at the gym once a day..me, Iam still looking for cheap trainers, before i attempt any exercise -funny how I haven't bought any yet..

I picked up my suit that I had tailored, trousers and jacket costaround £40, which isn't bad! Next purchase will be a jacket, as itscold, not freezing yet, but you really realise its cold withoutheating in your appartment, especially when its your office too!Hence I am now sneezing lots, grr.

work wise, everything is going pretty well, I am developing a prettygood network of contacts out here, partly due to the CSR stuff I amdoing (Shell, BP, citigroup..everyone wants to get involved).language wise, hmm, not so well, need to try harder!!

I had my first hamburger since i left the UK last week, it tastedGOOD (not fast food of course); and at the Ball, it was steak etc; iforgot how much i missed some nice western food. Oh I also won 1 or2 prizes at the Ball, though not exactly sure what yet; apparentlythey might be chinese lessons. there were some prize tickets in someof the goody bags on each chair, and funnily enough our table wonquite a few, and I think Sam encouraged me to sit in a particularseat for a reason....Sam organised the event and stuffed the goodybags ;), now THAT is what they mean by having good connections inChina!

take care everyone.

Adam