As I wait for the bus to take me to the airport, I feel it only right to leave one last post for all of you faithful readers. For those who have been with me through the good times, and the bad. Seen my happiest moments, and my worst. This trip has been the single greatest thing I have done in my life. The good times far outweigh the bad, but the bad (there have been many) has made me a stronger person/manager, and has prepared me for anything that could come my way in the future. I've learned plenty about the job itself, but I think more importantly, I have learned just how strong I am. I made it through two months in China!
I want to thank all of you for reading this page for the past few weeks, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have! Thank you for all of the comments, they really made my day!
I hope to see all of you very soon!
And I will close with the words of the great Jimmy Buffett....
"It's Been A Lovely Cruise"
Chris
30 August 2008
24 August 2008
It Just Keeps Getting Better....
You can't tell from this picture but due to the excitement of meeting this gentleman I peed my pants just a little. Any guesses?!?!?!
A Day In The Life of an Olympic Athlete
The other day I had the opportunity to experience something that only a select few people are able to in their lifetime. Being an Aramark employee I have very little restrictions as to where I can go in the city of Beijing, and particularily the Olympic venues, and I wanted to make sure that I took advantage of this perk while I was here. So the other day my buddy Dave and I took the staff subway line (yes, Beijing has built a subway line dedicated to all Olympic staff, athletes, and media) to the Olympic Village. This village houses all Olympic athletes, and consists of everything you could ever imagine; from pool & spa to gameroom to bar/dance club. The idea is to have everything an athlete cold ever need right withing this complex. We decided it was time to live like an ahtlete, and make a day out of the Olympic Village. Of course the first stop we made was to the dining hall in the complex. I know quite a few people who work there, so we fidgured we could get a tour of the facility. And that we did! We were taken all through the immense operation, and I couln't believe my eyes! Here is a kitchen that pushes out 25,000 meals per day, includes the maind dining room which is the size of three football fields, and has about 10,000 employees working during each shift! I would of never belived having not seen it, and I am really glad that I did!
From the kitchen we travelled to the Olympic Store to purchase some much needed souvenirs for family and friends, and then just walked the campus. We walked through all of the residential areas, and just snapped a ton of pictures! It was very exciting being behind the scenes. I was seeing something that not a lot of other people will ever get to see. And since that is the case, I would like to share a few of my favorite pictures from my day. I hope you enjoy them.
From the kitchen we travelled to the Olympic Store to purchase some much needed souvenirs for family and friends, and then just walked the campus. We walked through all of the residential areas, and just snapped a ton of pictures! It was very exciting being behind the scenes. I was seeing something that not a lot of other people will ever get to see. And since that is the case, I would like to share a few of my favorite pictures from my day. I hope you enjoy them.22 August 2008
19 August 2008
Like A Rock
I have expressed in previous posts how taxing this job has been on all of us here in Beijing, right? Well, now the stress, the constant struggle to keep our heads above water, and knowing that our trip home is just around the corner, is really starting to affect people. I don't know if it is appropriate to use the term, "losing their minds", but that is really how I see things at this point. The long hours, the lack of days off, and everything else has caused people to act in ways I would of never expected from them.
It was about 6:00 am on Monday morning. We had just sent up our first round of hotboxes to the dining room. I was walking into the issue cooler, and as I walked by one of my executive chefs, he had a look on his face that I had never seen on him before. I asked my usual, "you alright?", as I entered the cooler, and he just looked at me with a stone face, shook his head, and went back to preparing his paperwork for lunch service. I was in the cooler organizing all of my mise en place for a good five minutes, when the door opened and in came my chef. On a side note, this is usually where him and I would meet on a daily basis to vent about our day, etc., so this really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But what happened next was something I never expected in a million years from him. He walked toward me in the cooler, and as he got closer to me I could see that he had tears welling up in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong, and just as I finished my question he broke down. To paint the picture, this is a 40 year old man, an accomplished chef, and a father of three, and he was balling. "I can't do this anymore", is what he kept saying to me. This is a man that I have looked up to since first meeting him, a man who runs a tight kitchen, doesn't put up with anyone's s*it, and the LAST person I expected to act this way. He really was going through a difficult time here. His family was waiting for him back home, and he was having an extremely difficult time communicating with the students. So being the person that I am, I put my hands on his shoulders and encouraged him as best I could. I talked him through his situation, and I gave him as much inspiration as I could. I didn't want to see anyone get defeated by a job, and it was the bottom of the ninth, and he was three runs behind. I won't get into the details of exactly what the conversation was, but I really think that I was able to get inside his head, begin looking optimistically about our situation, and maybe begin to see the light.
Since our conversation in the cooler on that dark Monday, I have come to find out that I am seen in our kitchen as the stable, level-headed individual, who is there for people in their time of need. Not necessarily in situations like the last one, but throughout the day I am there to make people's days. And they look forward to seeing me everyday! I asked a co-worker what it was about me that makes me such an inspiration to those around me and she said, "I look forward to the thirty minutes I get to spend with you everyday because you always have a smile on your face, and you will ALWAYS say something to make me laugh! Without even knowing it, you inspire people in your actions and your words."
Now it really meant a lot to me to hear this. To know that I am going through this difficult time in Beijing, people still look to me to brighten their day. You know what that tells me? That things are not THAT bad here. If I can go to work with a smile on my face each and everyday, and know that I may be able to put a smile on someone else's face as well, I have the perfect job!
And it just took this particular instance to make me realize........
It was about 6:00 am on Monday morning. We had just sent up our first round of hotboxes to the dining room. I was walking into the issue cooler, and as I walked by one of my executive chefs, he had a look on his face that I had never seen on him before. I asked my usual, "you alright?", as I entered the cooler, and he just looked at me with a stone face, shook his head, and went back to preparing his paperwork for lunch service. I was in the cooler organizing all of my mise en place for a good five minutes, when the door opened and in came my chef. On a side note, this is usually where him and I would meet on a daily basis to vent about our day, etc., so this really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But what happened next was something I never expected in a million years from him. He walked toward me in the cooler, and as he got closer to me I could see that he had tears welling up in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong, and just as I finished my question he broke down. To paint the picture, this is a 40 year old man, an accomplished chef, and a father of three, and he was balling. "I can't do this anymore", is what he kept saying to me. This is a man that I have looked up to since first meeting him, a man who runs a tight kitchen, doesn't put up with anyone's s*it, and the LAST person I expected to act this way. He really was going through a difficult time here. His family was waiting for him back home, and he was having an extremely difficult time communicating with the students. So being the person that I am, I put my hands on his shoulders and encouraged him as best I could. I talked him through his situation, and I gave him as much inspiration as I could. I didn't want to see anyone get defeated by a job, and it was the bottom of the ninth, and he was three runs behind. I won't get into the details of exactly what the conversation was, but I really think that I was able to get inside his head, begin looking optimistically about our situation, and maybe begin to see the light.
Since our conversation in the cooler on that dark Monday, I have come to find out that I am seen in our kitchen as the stable, level-headed individual, who is there for people in their time of need. Not necessarily in situations like the last one, but throughout the day I am there to make people's days. And they look forward to seeing me everyday! I asked a co-worker what it was about me that makes me such an inspiration to those around me and she said, "I look forward to the thirty minutes I get to spend with you everyday because you always have a smile on your face, and you will ALWAYS say something to make me laugh! Without even knowing it, you inspire people in your actions and your words."
Now it really meant a lot to me to hear this. To know that I am going through this difficult time in Beijing, people still look to me to brighten their day. You know what that tells me? That things are not THAT bad here. If I can go to work with a smile on my face each and everyday, and know that I may be able to put a smile on someone else's face as well, I have the perfect job!
And it just took this particular instance to make me realize........
17 August 2008
The 24 Hours of Chris (Part 2)
First of all, I would like to congratulate the winner of the most recent chrisuhl.blogspot.com trivia question. It only took him three guesses to finally choose the correct answer, which was foie gras and unagi (barbecued eel). Matt, take a bow! You will receive your choice of anything in this store....
Tuesday, August 11th, 2008
10:00 am- My First Beijing Haircut
It was time to chop the mop. In case you haven't noticed from the few pictures I have posted on the site, I shaved my head before I left for China, thinking that it was just one less thing that I would have to worry about while I'm here. And you know what? I'm kind of getting used to the short hair. I think I might keep it for a while...
Anyway, I went to the barber near the apartment. This was not the nicest barber shop in the world, but how could you mess up shaving someone's head, right? Wrong. After getting my hair washed, I sat in one of two barbers chairs in the middle of a smoke-filled, stuffy, room filled with Chinese people (It was like the public transportation of Beijing barbershops), I asked for the #1 blade to cut my hair. He told me that the shortest blade they had was the #3 blade, and my hair is not even that long! So I said screw it. I don't need a blade. So what ended up happening was me getting my head completely shaved! Down to the skin. I felt like an Olympic swimmer getting ready for a meet, you know minus the seven gold medals! After the initial shock of what was happening, I just said, "oh well". It could be worse. The haircut was done, and then I started to feel hands on my scalp. They were massaging my head! It turns out that you receive a complimentary head and shoulder massage with every haircut. It was very relaxing, and I definitely needed it! And then I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep, so I figured I should pay my 20 yuan ($2,75) before I start counting sheep, and I exited toward the apartment.
11:00 am- Painful but Pertinent
As I approached the front doors of the apartment, I noticed the spa that is located just outside the building. I figured what's a better way to spend the 24 hours of Chris than getting a foot massage from a REAL massage therapist, not a barber. I walked in to a beautifully decorated lobby, was greeted by one of the most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on. I picked my jaw up off the floor, and began to look over the "menu". I ended up choosing a ginger soak foot massage for 128 yuan ($17.00). She led me a private room, asked me take my sandals off and place my feet in this bucket of steaming hot ginger broth, so of course I obliged (Note: The ginger broth does not taste like tea or soup or anything else for that matter. I should know, I drank some out of my hand. It tasted more like feet. I have NO idea why!). I sat in a reclining chair and soaked my feet for about fifteen minutes. I just closed my eyes, listened to the silence, and envisioned the radiant beauty who was going to be massaging my feet. The next thing I remember is my feet being pulled out of the soup, being dried off, and being put on this special foot rest to be massaged. As the massage began, I was digging every move. The loving, the touching, and squeezing, and all in the right spot. I finally opened my eyes to take in the beauty of this young woman massaging my feet. It turns out his name was Alan. But at this point I could have looked up to see FUB rubbing my feet, and I wouldn't care. It felt awesome! The foot massage lasted for about an hour and a half, and extended all the way up the leg to the thigh. I had to cut him off at some point, things were getting a little uncomfortable for this guy (two thumbs pointing at me). After the massage, Alan performed the ritual of "cupping" to the bottom of my feet. Where a flame is lit inside what looks like a candle holder, and then suctioned on to the bottom of my feet in order to draw out some the toxins in my body. I don't really feel that it did anything, but it felt good and that's all that matters. I walked out of the spa feeling like Jell-O, and decided to do something I haven't had a chance to do since arriving in China.
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm- I took a nap.
4:00 pm- Dinner at Baijia Dayuan
There is a lot more to a meal than great food. I know, I know, great food makes the meal, but when you add in all of the other elements to a dining experience, food sometimes takes a close second to these things. Take for instance, Baijia Dayuan. This is an Imperial Chinese restaurant, which means that they specialize in the dishes that emperors used to eat. This particular restaurant (there are only a few n the city) was actually the summer residence of Prince Lee of the Qing dynasty. The property is hundreds of years old, and spans ten acres. There are a total of 400 people working at one time, and at least two people are assigned to each table to ensure superior service. Walking through the many courtyards on the way to our table, you can't help but transport yourself to this time period. There is nothing modern anywhere, and even the employees wear traditional Chinese apparel, bow to you as you walk by, and hardly speak English.
We were sat at a table just inside the main courtyard, and we began to peruse the menu. Going on recommendations from the many people who have gone before us, we just ordered mainly from memory. The dishes we sampled included sweet & sour pork, deer fillet with cashews, fried duck hearts, sauteed asparagus, a flower salad (made with flowers I can't remember), beef with peppers, and the concoction pictured below; the fried duck sandwiches.
All in all, the food was exceptional and I have been back to this place twice since my first trip. I would probably go again, but time is running out and there are too many restaurants to try before I leave.
My one recommendation, however, is that be prepared to see some things on the menu that you have never/will never see before/again. The one dish that completely threw me for a loop was the deer afterbirth with chilies. Even I have to draw the line somewhere.
With all of this being said, the 24 hours of Chris turned out to be a welcoming change to the fast-paced lifestyle I have been living, and look forward to the next 24 hours.
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