6.30AM..... time to get up to get to Hangzhou! Laura and I will be in hangzhou 3 days a week working for a children's wear company. First we have 30 mins bus ride to the coach station and then 2 and half hours on the coach, luckily I slept most of the way here! When we arrive the company we are working for has sent a driver to collect us and a lovely lady called Vivienne, who's English is really good! We get to the company, the childrenswear company is called Oauto, introductions to the boss, Mr Chen and the lady who's home we will be staying at, Miss Guo. Who also has no English, so I'm anxious about staying at her home twice a week!
They wanted to discuss what work we will be doing for them whilst here! After a quick glance through our work, I don't think they really understand our processes or the way they do things, they have told us they want us to start designing the spring summer 2013 collection! I think they think we will struggle with the way they do things, they call an outfit, a family and they don't really design a collection. They do no research! They have said to use our first week to get some good ideas, I think they mean a concept and start designing next week!
Ah lunch time and i was starving, as I had to miss breakfast because Becca lost the key for the kitchen, with my milk locked in the fridge.... so it was KFC for lunch! The driver takes me, Laura, Tong Tong, Vivienne and Jasmine to KFC, another healthy lunch, although the chicken here isn't as good as back home, I think they use every bit of the chicken, as mine was very fatty! Chips were good and the chicken nuggets were ok!
In the afternoon we spent our time talking to the head designer Joseph, and looking through the samples and the designs they have done before, colour cards, buttons and samples, they have a sample room next door, so the designers send the ideas to them and they create the samples, print, embroidery and fabric! Oh yes as well when we are doing our designs they dont have to be technical, as they have other people doing the technical drawings and making the patterns for us! amazing! We developed our concept and started to play around with some designs and colours, they still need to be ok'd by Mr Chen and Joseph. So we shall see!
We left to go to Miss Guo's home around 6pm, very nervous about this, it was less than an hours drive but the conversation was very difficult, we must write things down for her, as she can read english but can not speak! The conversation was very hard work and tiring, as she had no idea what we was saying She did try to answer our questions but little made sense! When we arrived at her home, we had to climb yet another 5 sets of stairs, everything we do seems to be on the top floor, typical when we have heavy bags and luggage! her husband welcomed us, and then a weird thing happened, we was sent to our room to rest and have a was before dinner! I swear I felt around 5 years old! All I wanted to do was get back to Ningbo, or have a beer!
There was some giant hound like a Lassie dog, in the bathroom we was given to use, in a cage, that just barked like forever, never ever shut up! It was bit strange because if we needed the loo we had to pee with this dog and with it just staring at us?? Very off putting!
We had dinner, with Miss Guo, her husband and her friend, all had no english names, so I have no idea remembering the chinese version! they made us egg fried rice, as Laura and I are just super fussy! I tried the pork or 'PIG' as they kept calling it, which was nice! They attempted to teach us some Chinese words, like rice, and bed, and upstairs but I can't remember any of it now?? it is just too hard, much harder than english for them? surely??
At this point we was pretty desperate for some alcohol, it was pretty uncomfortable for us in this house. the dog was barking, the husband was just talking at us in Chinese! We was made to wear slippers?? mine had been chewed at the end! NICE!!
We asked if they could take us to the shop to buy some beer and food and drinks for tomorrow's placement. As we walked to the shop, we spotted KFC, MacDonalds and Pizza Hut, guess thats tea for tomorrow sorted! Also the conversation seemed to get a little better, in the supermarket, Miss Guo wanted us to compare prices between China and England... she asked me about Whisky, but I didnt know, wine is incredinly cheap over here, and the beer is even cheaper. I bought 4 beers, 4 bottles of coke, Walkers crisp and oreos and the whole lots cost me 37.00 RMB! a total cost of £3.70! Money goes along away here! its great!
When we got back to Miss Guo's home we managed to tell her we was tired and wanted to go to bed! BED, well defo not a bed, it was a fold away thing with a board, a duvet and a pillow, no matress! I wonder how much sleep I would get on this?? We got in bed, with 2 beers, chatted, the stupid dog barked every time we made a sound! In the end we called it a night and tried to sleep on the rock hard bed! we slept ok untill I disturbed us waffling on in my sleep, about some powerpoint I think we should do for the children. The second time this has happened, I think Laura finds it a bit odd, but it doesn't stop her talking back to me! The first time was the best, I shouted in my sleep how happy I was to have breakfast! I had been dreaming about finding dairylea dunkers here in China! lets just say Laura better get used to me talking in my sleep! It happens a lot! Finally back to sleep untill my alarm.....
6.30 AM ......Day 2 at Placement!
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