Chinese Massage

Chinese Massage

Day 3 started off like any other, a banquet of food for breakfast then off to work. Each day there is a different ‘obstacle’ to overcome when getting a taxi to work. Today’s problem was the taxi driver really really not wanting to take us. After he was hailed by the doorman, we showed him the instructions we have written […]

Early start makes Mannan a dull boy

Early start makes Mannan a dull boy

[info_box]Apologies in advance that this is late, as I explain below I was just too exhausted to update the blog.[/info_box] The day began earlier than most because of an important update from the Australian office. As I was up late the night before catching up on work and writing about the days adventure, I was quite tired. As dj-Marksman later […]

Food Overload

Food Overload

Today we woke up at 7am China time to head down for a buffet breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast is set in the lobby/rain-forest that actually contains real tropical birds. When we went to the counter we found fresh fruit, pastries, juice & yogurt. I thought that it was OK, but nothing special. Then j-street walks off and when […]

Chengdu Hot-Pot

Chengdu Hot-Pot

The Chengdu Hot-Pot is famous across China for it’s taste and spiciness. When we went with our corporate partners, they went easy on us and order a very mild one by their standards. What an amazing dish! The Sichuan pepper has an anaesthetic effect that makes your lips and tongue numb. The combination of being cooked in a broth of […]

The First Half-Day

The First Half-Day

So some dramas checking-in, mainly it not being pre-paid and us not having enough cash on us to cover the cost. Due to some quick thinking and negotiation skills by j-street and I, we were eventually allowed to check in. I don’t want to dwell on this as the day was genuinely amazing. The room is great, I would say […]

Flight from Hell

“Flight from Hell” is a dramatic headline that is totally untrue. Now that I have your attention though, there were quite a few memorable moments. Firstly there was the ‘random’ security check where every-time I travel I get selected. Not very random if you ask me. This time I also got a bonus pat-down which was a new (and unpleasant) […]

Let’s take a cab…

Let’s take a cab…

While I was googling “Chengdu” for a nice image, on the first page is “Bus spontaneously explodes”. I think I might stick to taxis while I am over there… This was from 2009 though, so I am sure it’s fine now.

Why China?

Why China?

My work has started a Distributed Agile approach to software development. They have been kind enough to send me to China to work with our partners over there. What that means for me, is a one month trip to Chengdu, China. My good friend from work, Jason, and another friend from our partnering company, Mark, are both coming with me. […]