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Trip to China Part 3 - The Drive

Have you ever heard that country song about “Jesus Take the Wheel”? Let me tell you, if there was a good lyrical translation into Mandarin, that song would be a hit here in China regardless of personal creed. You want, no – probably more like need, an amazing driver to survive the highways in China.

Let me list off a few traffic laws that, official or not, are definitely practiced by all drivers here in the beautiful city of Chongqing.

1. Seatbelts are only a foreign trinket developed in Germany and the U.S.; they are not necessary (interestingly enough, there are few Japanese cars here)

2. Honking the horn is not a warning of danger; it is an announcement of “I’m coming through!”

3. Lane markers are in place only to give business to Chinese paint manufacturers. If you can fit 5 cars, 3 bikes, 4 pedestrians, 2 scooters, and 1 dog abreast in 2 lanes, go for it!

4. Speed limits are non-existent

5. Policemen are there in the event of an accident. Otherwise, they attempt to direct traffic and wave as people cut each other off and zip by; you don’t need to yield to their cars even with lights flashing

6. Crosswalks are only a formality; the cars will not stop for you

It occurred to me that the reckless, aggressive driving practiced here in Chongqing is not a reflection of personal emotions. Throughout the duration of the transit, our illustrious driver did not so much as raise an eyebrow. Cool as a cucumber, he would cut into a lane (missing a car by literally, centimeters), accelerate faster than a MiniCooper (or so it felt like in the massive bus), and generally make the most daring moves ever attempted by somebody in anything bigger than a sports car.

It was a fantastic ride.

As soon as I overcame the shock, I learned that I needed to just sit back and trust that the driver knew what he was doing. There was nothing I could do either to change the traffic or the bus’s direction. I needed to get to the factory, and this was the method provided to me. Another meaning to “Jesus Take the Wheel”…

After an hour and a half of this madness, we pulled into the factory and proceeded up to the office. All this excitement, and I hadn’t even started my first day yet…

Trip to China Part 2 - The First Morning

I awoke at 6:00 – remembering where I was and recognizing that the van was to leave in 2 hours, I collected my strength and rose, like a monster from his cave, from my bed. I walked over to the window, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and, upon opening the blinds, I came to a startling discovery.

The 35^th floor is a long way up from the ground.

Room 3513 was, in fact on the 35^th floor. To be honest, I’d never been that high above the ground in a static structure, as opposed to a dynamic aircraft. At least, I certainly hoped that static described the building as opposed to the other.

I walked around, gathering the different items that I would need for the day. I opened my computer to check and see if I’d received any word from that now-far-away land called home. My computer had adjusted to the time zone (smart thing that it is) and whilst google mail was coming up, I glanced down at the clock.

7:26

“Funny”, I thought. “My phone, which I personally set to China time says only 6:26”. Looking for some form of confirmation, I looked at my room’s clock.

7:27

Panic began to set in as I recognized that I had to be dressed, packed, and on board the bus in 33 minutes. After showering in less time than I ever have, I gobbled down a pop-tart I’d brought and packed my backpack with computer, cord, phone, and toolbox. I then rushed out to the elevators to head to the breakfast room on floor 39.

Of course, they’d misspelled “breakfast room” on the elevator and instead floor 39 was listed as “executive lounge”, which was funny, I thought, given all the English businessmen they get here, you’d think they could learn to spell things correctly.

What I was very surprised to find was that the breakfast room looked a whole lot like an executive lounge. Glass exterior walls, wood interior walls, marble floors, and palm trees growing out of the floor definitely made the breakfast room look like an executive lounge.

However, I had very little time to admire the place as the clock was ticking. I grabbed a plate and filled it with a very Western breakfast (fruit, bacon, bread) and sat down at a table with two co-workers. At least, if I was going to be late, I’d be late with them. After a waitress came up and asked how I’d like my eggs cooked, I delved into my first Chinese food…

Soon, we were zipping down 39 floors in an elevator I rushed out the door, taking a moment to admire the 3-story tall lobby, complete with marble floors and pillars, and onto a bus. After greeting the remainder of the team, I plopped myself down on a seat and prepared for the trip to the factory.

Our driver was a gentleman in his mid-thirties (I assumed… age seems to make no difference on this populace between the 21^st and 50^th years of their lives). His hair was neatly combed; he was clean-shaven, wearing a suit jacket and white gloves. I expected a perfectly posh drive to the factory.

Have you ever heard the phrase about looks being deceiving?...


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