Two Weeks In
So much has happened in the span of two weeks. I keep having startling moments of realization, as if I woke up from a dream state and realized that I am actually here, in YangZhou, China. And when I have these moments, I can’t help but smile and take it all in, because everything here is electrifying and real. And I know, I know, you’re probably saying, but Eric, YangZhou is only a two hour train ride from your hometown, Shanghai, surely you’re being dramatic. To you dear reader I say, first, stop asking questions, this is my blog and this is my moment in the spotlight. And second, two hours on a high speed rail will take you surprisingly far, and so much has happened in the all but quiet countryside.
Oh did I mention I was in the countryside? Pretty cool right? There are farms for days, wild geese (or swan? Can anybody tell the difference) swimming about, and a great group of locals. It’s beautiful and magical all at the same time. We are living in the factory district, which I’ll admit, is slightly less romantic, but still, it’s a beautiful time to be alive. There’s a small town about three kilometers away but aside from that there is nothing in the area. The city is forty minutes away and it’s really hard to get to, but we visited over the weekend and it was a real ball. Our coworkers took us around and boy do they know how to show tourists a good time.
Speaking of work, we’ve learned some pretty interesting things so far. For starters, I basically know everything there is to know about furniture now (I work at a furniture company), including the specs, price, and manufacturing process, so yea, one at a time ladies. We also learned about the ERP system, which will come in handy in the future I’m sure. On actual “work” work though… there hasn’t really been that much. I know because they seemed genuinely surprised when I asked them what work there was to be done, as if they weren’t expecting the interns to work or something. Whether work will come remains to be seen, maybe I’m just going through a long training period.
Anyway, to recap, I’m in the countryside, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful, I’m beautiful, it’s a good time to be alive. Thanks so much for sticking this one out, and I’ll see you next time.
