The whole of these illustrations and resemblance of images, objects and their interpretations to be honest with you seem to me as being more of superstitions than nothing else. As a foreigner here I must think twice to even consult locals before giving out gifts.
IF YOU HAVE A LADYBOY IN YOUR POCKETS, YOU ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO SNACK ON
We are on our way to the airport for a holiday destination in Pattaya, Thailand. Hong's cough is not getting any better; a holiday in a warm-clean air environment is much timely. Perhaps this would help her to recover quickly. I must admit I am not passionately relaxed and interested in this holiday, because I was still waiting for the developer and financial adviser to update me about the construction project. The whole process started well. All I have done is to transfer money into my Thai bank through HSBC bank in Hong Kong, and then the funds were transferred into my account in Thailand. Regarding the construction project, also received confirmation of the signed contract through the post. What is remaining now is getting a photo of myself.
We are in Bangkok, but Hong is so used to the saving culture.
She booked a low-cost flight package, with no lounge or food facilities, which is why we have arrived here late. On the way to our destination, the coach continues its journey towards the south.
Compared to the flight we came with; the coach is a lot more comfortable, with air-conditioning system. The temperature outside is 27 degrees, inside the coach, it is a pleasantly cool 17 degrees.
Hong is still coughing because of the air-conditioning in the coach.
What the travel agency told us about the coach staying at the hotel was a complete hoax. Chinese travel agencies usually promise their customers "heaven and skies", to convince them to part with their money to make bookings. Hong threatens to complain to the travel agency through which we had booked the holiday, about the coach staying at the hotel. After a very long journey of travelling for hours, I cannot wait to arrive at the hotel, to have something to eat.
Hong gets listened to when she complains about the travel agency. I hope she gets compensation for it. The coach has been stopping to load and unload passengers on our way to the hotel. We were hungry. We have no choice but to look for something to eat.
Luckily, there is a restaurant next to the coach station. We are going there to help ourselves with something to eat and drink. Since the coach is working on a planned schedule, we cannot tell the driver to hurry up even though we need to arrive at the hotel early. The coach is likely to spend a long time here, and our hotel is still a long-distance away. So, Hong and I decide to take a cab.
The owner of the restaurant knows the taxi driver. We have to wait for another hour before driving to our destination. We finally arrive at the hotel in North Pattaya in the evening. After spending here a few days, we move to another hotel in the south, to explore the magnificent city. The hotel we have moved to is more expensive than the first one, but it is worth it because, from our balcony, we have a beautiful view of the entire beach. Hong loves travelling; she is a great travel planner. The morning after is different because the nightly tides have swallowed up the beach, killing our planned chances of jogging along the shoreline.
We also realise that the water in the sea is dirty because of a container port nearby. Therefore, we take advantage of using the hotel swimming pool where we enjoy every morning and evening throughout the holiday. While going around the hotel, I see a pool table in the garden. I think about teaching Hong how to play billiards because she has always shown interest in doing so. I have one problem though because Hong insists that if she is to learn plating the game, she does not want to lose it. I have to make sure that I teach her how to hold the queue and adequately aim at the target.
After a few second down the lesson, Hong becomes too much impatient; she does not want to continue. She quickly jumps off the table and goes to her WeChat. While scrolling, Hong comes across information that the British car manufacturer Aston Martin has made some losses in China. She passes the news clip to me; it reads as follows.
"Buyers wanted to put the purchase costs for certain parts from RMB 800, to RMB 200, but it did not materialise, so the British company had to effect a recall".
When I see this advert, I think buyers possibly didn't check it properly. They could have relied on the supplier's information.
In China, such serious mistakes are common from my own experience. Hong tells me that many foreign workers in Chinese companies here mostly fail because of cultural differences, which, in a way, is simply leadership, based on cultural values. She reminds me that China is a Confucian country where the importance of authority and respect for superiors are highly regarded and protected. I have personally come to learn that when dealing with Chinese bosses, you should behave inconspicuously, and do your best to listen to them.
Still, on her WeChat, Hong comes across Chinese wisdom verses. She asks me.
"What does it mean if you are just a little bird, then someone……? "
Before finishing that one, she adds another.
"…not everyone who puts you in shit is your enemy…., and listen to this one, just imagine you are freezing, and suddenly, a cow
comes up and lets a flatbread swell on you…, or what if an eagle flying by, hears your cheerful singing and eats you?"
She continues, but I cut her short and say that the good thing is, I am not a bird, but I know it is better to keep my head down. She drops the topic of Chinese wisdom and jumps on to another piece of a news item which she passes over to me.
"A Chinese man had to give up his villa by recklessly using his mobile phone because when he was travelling abroad, it automatically connected to the internet".
She says, biting her nails, a sign of slight anxiety since she has open foreign access that she uses to communicate to her parents.
But thankfully, she says she deleted this option. I am a bit confused to know this. Just because your mobile phone automatically connects to the internet, does it mean losing your house? I want to learn more about this. The fees for getting a connection to foreign countries is incredibly high and tightly controlled in China. Besides, what the government wants is to limit travel and businesses of foreign countries and the outflow of money abroad.
In the evening we visit one of the local eating places, where you get a cheap meal. However, here you need to be careful because, in areas such as this, traders want to make quick money, sometimes without thinking about quality, health and safety issues. The rule of thumb is to keep places visited by tourists and Thais, as good and clean as possible. If you see an empty restaurant in busy times; you should be careful. Ask yourself why it has no customers at a busy time. Hong is still suffering from a slight cough; I will buy new cough juice tomorrow.
The following morning, after breakfast of rice soup and fish, we drive to the centre of Pattaya to buy Hong's cough medicine. We go to the beach, take some photos, and then later go to a restaurant overlooking the harbour.
Through the window of the restaurant, I have a beautiful view of the beach where I have seen Chinese tourists in a tour group about to take a boat trip. Since I am in the area, I use this opportunity to survey a piece of land I bought a few years ago, to construct an apartment. I made a down payment, but construction has not started yet. Hong proposes that we go to the building contractor to find out why.
"I am surprised; I am hearing this for the first time. I wonder how you can buy land in a country where you do not even visit frequently. And more so, when you are a foreigner. You should not have bought it in the first place", she reacts furiously.
I explain to her that I did not buy land because I wanted to live here; it was merely an investment which