The application process for our Chinese visas turned out exactly as I anticipated. That's why before any trip, I need to do sufficient homework. I'm OCD like that. There's a reason why I'm very very very good at what I do. Now you see why I cannot fathom traveling in a group on a leisure vacation. I deal better with the requirements on work trips. It unsettles me when I'm not commanding a position that gives me oversight to all logistical arrangements.
I'm all for spontaneity but I can't deal with the mindset of "Let's play it by ear" when it doesn't have to be so. To my questions, I don't like non-answers which are provided as redundant lines of "Oh don't worry, it's sorted, the local organizers will take care of it." 还真的是应酬我，当我是小绵羊。I'm not sheep and am certainly not interested in being led by the nose in circles. But this isn't a work trip I'm in charge of; I can't order people around, and our counterparts are certainly not trained to provide details in a format or a structure to my satisfaction. So I have to work around these...limitations.
I can manage hiccups. Those are troublesome and frustrating but easy to resolve. It's when major things go haywire that I must learn to shut my mouth and not reiterate "I told you so." I'm resigned to screw-ups. May I not morph into a fierce Flareon to hiss fire at irritating humans more than twice on this trip.
I've been immersed in the platforms of Weibo (微博) and WeChat (微信). Didn't really bother about these prior, so gotta familiarize myself with them in order to sort out social media stuff and necessary communication. If superficial conversation is necessary when interacting with acquaintances, then shopping, the weather, celebrities and television scripts are the safest topics especially in China. Forced myself to watch three recent Chinese television series, scanning plot summaries and fast-forwarding through the episodes- 'Nirvana in Fire'《琅琊榜》, 'The Virtuous Queen of Han'《大汉贤后卫子夫》 and 'The Legend of Mi Yue'《芈月传》. I deserve a pat on the back for going through them all. 😒😐😶
I'm all for spontaneity but I can't deal with the mindset of "Let's play it by ear" when it doesn't have to be so. To my questions, I don't like non-answers which are provided as redundant lines of "Oh don't worry, it's sorted, the local organizers will take care of it." 还真的是应酬我，当我是小绵羊。I'm not sheep and am certainly not interested in being led by the nose in circles. But this isn't a work trip I'm in charge of; I can't order people around, and our counterparts are certainly not trained to provide details in a format or a structure to my satisfaction. So I have to work around these...limitations.
I can manage hiccups. Those are troublesome and frustrating but easy to resolve. It's when major things go haywire that I must learn to shut my mouth and not reiterate "I told you so." I'm resigned to screw-ups. May I not morph into a fierce Flareon to hiss fire at irritating humans more than twice on this trip.
I've been immersed in the platforms of Weibo (微博) and WeChat (微信). Didn't really bother about these prior, so gotta familiarize myself with them in order to sort out social media stuff and necessary communication. If superficial conversation is necessary when interacting with acquaintances, then shopping, the weather, celebrities and television scripts are the safest topics especially in China. Forced myself to watch three recent Chinese television series, scanning plot summaries and fast-forwarding through the episodes- 'Nirvana in Fire'《琅琊榜》, 'The Virtuous Queen of Han'《大汉贤后卫子夫》 and 'The Legend of Mi Yue'《芈月传》. I deserve a pat on the back for going through them all. 😒😐😶
4 comments:
Imp is no 小绵羊 but 小老虎！ Haha！
Heh!
so much effort especially re the TV series !
wl: already a lot less homework than the work trips previously taken! But man, the tv series are like.... phoarrrrrr.
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