A 'war' with iron stain! Manuasia Boleh!!!

Amazing leh...

The 'disaster' had over now, and the human proofed that they always has way to solve a problem :D

So, what you need to clean the strain at the iron, that caused by burned cloth, or maybe just dirty after used for long time?

'Weapon':
1. Wax = candle, white color is better I think
2. Cloth, a useless cloth, and preferable 'rough' cloth
3. Vinegar
4. Something hard that used to scratch the stain - ONLY if the stain is very 'strong' -> thick and stick tight to the iron

Vinegar, a shirt, candle, and a key which is not in the picture

Steps:
1. Warm up iron, between 2-3 as state in the iron
2. Use the wax, rub on the stain
3. Iron on that rough cloth.

-> 'Weak' strain should be able to remove by this

4. If it's not removed, use something else to scratch it. Scratch with just enough strength, else, the iron might spoiled also

5. After all, use vinegar to clean the surface again. This to clean the wax on it

Iron with the unused cloth for few times, just to make sure all wax are gone.
While doing this, please be very careful with the iron heat, dun get burn yourself with it

Iron is clean now, but how about this brand new t-shirt??

How to remove this iron stain?? Tolong ah...

Argh.... An article told removing iron stain has to be patient, so, I had tried again with wax, and use a key to scrub it, and it finally CLEAN!! I am too tired now, will post the details tomorrow...thanks for those help :)

Bad luck doesn't only happen once sometime, I am really on a bad luck 'trend' nowadays...
Wanted to iron cloth nicely, who know just before everything done, accidentally put that iron on the iron board, and within 1 sec. the iron board cover was burned, and the iron was stick with stain that look like a flower..
I tried wax, and vinegar with this, but both failed. Geram betul!!
So, any idea how to remove this?? You can say just buy a new one, but this really my last choice... money not much nowadays lah...please help...

Dirty iron

How do you show number with finger??

I am not sure you have the same way to tell number with finger like me, but I found this interesting different between China people and me today.

1. Number 7

I tell 7 in this way

And... surprisingly, my China team mate all look confuse when I told 7, and show my finger to them. They said, that is means Number 8 to them!! So, here is how they show Number 7

Dalian people tell 7 in this way, I assume this the local Chinese way

2. Number 8

Look familiar? Of course, I used to show it as 7 mah :D

3. Number 9

Number 9, like the way I said 'dead'

4. Number 10

Number 10, I use the same way also

And, for those bigger than 10, they told will not use finger to tell anymore, just say the number loud!

Beijing Roasted Duck - 全聚德烤鸭

Duck duck duck... I like duck very much... duck as food OK, dun think too much :D

Taste this roasted duck will be the thing I must do if I am in Beijing, this is what I have in mind since heard about it's story. And finally today I am going to taste it...so excited about this :p

I ordered the smallest portion, which is half of the duck. And again, I did a mistake for this meal, it's quite an expensive lesson for me, later you will see.

Waited for 25 mins, the meal is served.

Half set of roasted duck

The 'main course'

The duck's part, head, tung, and dunno what is the other one

Get the 'phobia kulit', duck to 'dim' source, 'sapu' on the 'kulit', put on some 'chong', and ready to wrap!

Wrapped nicely, it's time to taste it! Yummy Yummy!!!

It was too full after I finished the meal, a bit 'zai' for the last few bite actually. If 2 person, will be just nice.

So, how's the taste? For me, it is very delicious, especially the oily skin part, taste very crispy, sweet, and 'wangi'. I really have very limited vocabulary when telling story in English...sorry for this :p.
Anyway, conclusion is, this is the best roasted duck I had in my life so far, I think the price is worth for it. You might not agree with me, but please let me know where is the restaurant you think it is better than this, I would like to give it a try also :)

Finally, time to pay bill, charges as follow:
1. Half set of roasted duck - RMB 84
2. PuEr tea 1 pot 普洱茶 - RMB 50
3. Service charge 10% - RMB 17 [Rounded figure]

Total; RMB 147!

So, you see my mistake?? It's a big mistake! I shouldn't order the tea!! It cost almost like the half set of duck!!! Some more the price is per pot, no matter you are drinking it 1 person, or 10 person.
Order a beer is much much cheaper than a tea, it could be only RMB 10. I only realize about the tea price when I read carefully the menu after order... fainted when first see the figure...

Short day trip in Beijing

Arrived and start to queue up at the Netherlands embassy since 08.00 am, it's actually not too bad lah, I am the 2nd in the queue, and only 5 person when their office start to work. The visa application working hours is from 09:00 - 11:00, very short.

Then when it's my turn, after I submit all documents, the guy ask me:'You hold a Malaysia passport? You dun need a visa for visit that < 3 mths'. Fainted...waste my time to wake up so early in the morning

Anyway, since it's still early to catch a flight back, I take a cab and ask the driver where should I go to spend my few hours before going back Dalian. He bring me to 王府井, and told me just to walk along the way, then will visit few places that is hot tourist spot.

王府井, to be honest, I dun know this place before. By heard this name, I imagine it is an ancient place, since Beijing is famous as it is an ancient city. But, when I get there, it is just a shopping street! Fainted again...
It just a street, where both side is shopping mall, I didn't take any photo at this place, bcoz... I dindn't see anything special here... I am not shopping fancy girl anyway :p

So, the journey continues..next is the TianAnMen, 天安门, a symbolic of Beijing city.

This place, is where they have army marching, national day celebration, and the national yearly meeting and those big big day event, as this is their capital city mah.
A lot of story can be tell, but I am sorry that I have very limited knowledge about China history, so, better not to give wrong information here :D

The TianAnMen Square is just opposite of the TianAnMen. This square is just a big big empty area, remember there is a time where the uni students has 'mogok' against the China government? Here is the place, where a guy standing in front of a tank, a picture shown in the Times magazine.

Center of the square, is the YingXiongBei, the 'hero statue'. Surrounding it, is the national museum, people hall 人民大会堂 [the place where the government held the annual meeting], and the President Mao memorial hall.

President Mao Memorial Hall

You can give a respect to the President Mao body at this memorial hall, his body was kept there for people to visit, or maybe I should say give respect. The visiting hours is Tues to Sun morning, 09:00 - 11:00, 14:00 - 16:00. Have to bow when walking at that memorial hall, I didn't pay him a visit anyway, due to the time constraint :)

President Mao Memorial Hall Visitor Information

Long queue to the President Mao Memorial Hall, it's about 0.5 km I think

QianMen 前门

After this memorial hall, keep walking straight, it is another 'door'. The common name is QianMen 前门. Photo here tell it's story, a picture is worth than thousand of words :p

QianMen 前门 History

Walk walk walk... I have a destination actually -> the famous Beijing roasted duck!! The restaurant is just after QianMen. So, I am heading there for my lunch.
Ah but... when I ask the police about the direction, they told the restaurant was close for renovation! Fainted again!!! Luckily they have a branch at another place - HePinMen 和平门. So, I take the LRT to there. The LRT fare in Beijing is unbelievable cheapest in the world, only RMB2 for whole day trip!!

So, here is the roasted duck restaurant... story continue on another post...

Station exit to the restaurant

The roasted duck branch at HePinMen

A very nice night at Beijing

This trip is something out of my expectation, some more it's on business trip, free for me.... :p

The main purpose to go Beijing is to get a visa for the work allocation to the Netherlands next month. So, went to Beijing on 2007.10.24 (Wed) night, and plan to submit the document to the embassy on 2007.10.25 (Thurs).

Took flight from Dalian -> Beijing take about 1 hr 20 mins. Reach the Intercontinental hotel around 20.30 pm. And surprising they upgrade the room from standard to executive without any extra charge, it's 3 grade upgraded! I am just enjoying so much with the nice room. So, after simple dinner, I went to bed earlier tonight, have to get up very early tomorrow you know... China got so many peoples, have to go queue up earlier, this is my college advise.

A luxury room, but damn cheap dinner :p

For more photo, just click on the image, the whole album is there.

我是不是太自私了

做出让别人担心的决定，是不是一个自私的表现？

可是我已经很努力把自己照顾得很好了，不吃快熟面，吃足两餐饭菜，外加水果和vitamin，喝很多很多的水，应该很健康了吧，在家我都没这样按时吃喝拉便啦。。。还要担心什么woh？？

除了抱怨住的lousy, 一切都还 OK 嘛。。。也许我应该搬个比较好的地方，这样我自己也会住得开心点，你们就担心少一点。。。让我think think and plan plan lah...

Dinner @ Ajisen Ramen

The translated Chinese name is 味千拉面，it's a Japanese style noodle shop, not quite sure is there any outlet in MY, maybe tekko or whistler can give better answer to this.

I ordered a Pork Chop rice, I like pork, whenever has choice for pork, it will be first thing to try :p. But this pork chop really doesn't taste good, it's not crispy, and the rice, taste too salty to me.

And my frend had order the Ramen, 味千拉面, I guess this might be the shop 招牌面, since the name is exactly same as the shop name :D. But since it's soup, I didn't order it this time

And a side dish of dumpling, although it claim it's Japanese style, but I didn't taste any different, except it was fried a bit.

Jadi, berikut adalah harganya:
1. Pork chop rice 猪扒盖烧饭 - RMB 25
2. Ramen 味千拉面 - RMB 16
3. Dumpling 日式手造饺子 - RMB 9

I am now a valid foreign worker in Dalian

Went to the police station today to verify that I have all kind of documents to be stay valid and protected by the local law here.

Anyone interested to has same experience like me, can refer these few points before you come:
1. Get a 'Z' visa from KL China embassy, this will be stick on your passport
- This, required the employer in China to send you the require documents before you can apply
- And, you are required to have medical checkup pass in either any government hospital or the TongShin hospital
- Take note of the 'Duration Of Each Stay', it state there '000' days after entry. WHY is it 000? this means that you MUST register yourself to the local police station WITHIN 24 hours after you landed in China, then the police shall issue you a Registration Form of Residence 住宿登记证.
- Alternatively, if you are stay in hotel, you can ask hotel to give you this form.
- WHAT happen if you didn't do so?? You will be fine RMB 50, count start on the day after entry date printed on your passport

The Z visa stick on passport

2. With the Registration Form of Residence(just a small piece of written paper), passport, original medical checkup result, 1 color photo, the co. then help me to get the work permit. This cost RMB 820

3. After few days, normally will be 7 working days, but you can ask to speed up the processing. I got mine in 3 working days.

Finally, you will get an employment permit, and a residence permit stick on the passport. Only with these 2 docs, then you are valid to stay and work in Dalian. If you move to any other place, even within Dalian, you are require to register again at the residential area police station

The employment permit, I am an Alien now :p

The residential permit stick on passport

Cannot read Blogspot in Dalian??

At first I though I was wrong, since I tried and it can access. But recently I have problem to access again.

Search thru the web, the government here do block some side, and I think the blogspot really sometime is block, sometime is open.

Anyway, I found the way to hack it, hope this can work until I left China, else this blogsite will have bad and sad ending...


I want to take back my comments about accessing blogspot here.

Just found that it's actually CAN read and edit, not as what I said how stupid it is before.
It is true there are some place couldn't access blogspot, but now I think that could be due to the network connection or something else. Although I had failed few time in the CyberCafe, but somehow today I can access it in the office network... I dun know y, dun ask me.

I just want to take back my words, and apologize for the previous wrong information :p

I am sick now...

After 2 weeks of getting sweat at morning, and cool until shivering during night time...finally I am sick now...

I catch flu instead of leng zai... :(

Start to work!

Got a laptop today, setting up environment taking long long time... downloading speed is very very bad.

During lunch hour, on our way to lunch, we pass thru a quite big space area between office block to the canteen, and this place was full of people that
playing badminton, and 踢毽子, no matter is girl/guy, wearing casual/formal

There is not much choice to get food in walking distance, only this canteen and the McD. And as I told McD is very expensive, so, this canteen is really no worry about their business

Yes..finally ELT is over!

Finally, the training was finished today!
The last assignment is group presentation, every one has to be present to the class-room, and there will be 2 judge to select the best team.
Well... I think I do better this time, much better than the time I did in the Uni group presentation :D

And, without any surprise, we loose!!
Reason ?? Hmm....Preparation is not enough lor.. what else...
Anyway...no excuse lah, loose is loose...

The instructor 'kesian' me as the only foreigner, give me a book as souvenir

What a joke... @ 2007.10.11 - Thurs, Autumn - Sunny

Well, back in MY, we may say 'cheese' when taking photo. Here, they say 茄子 :D

And the instructor make a good joke today:
IBM = I Believe M$ ? - NO
IBM = I Believe Macintosh? - NO, it is
IBM = I Believe Myself

:D, but i agree with the answer :p

Entry level training @ 2007.10.10 - Wed, Autumn - Sunny

A new trainig start today, Entry Level Training, for those involve in technical department only. It's a very school style way, start with yelling loud 大家好!
And there will be an exam after 1-2 mths, am I back to school now? Where am I ??

OK lah.. back to +ve point, I try hard to think +ve in order to keep myself stay strong here :-x
It's teaching about good value we should adapt to our work and life. Although the experience with the people I get in touch here so far,
mostly, can say 90% of them all having -ve thinking, for e.g. complaining about others, showing bad face while that's the job they should be doing..
Anyway I always think, we should always take the +ve from a place, and let -ve to be our 'mirror' to tell us not to do the same.

After all, this co. has survive for > 50 yrs, if all people are so -ve, then what make them lasting long?? Must be something with it right??

'Snake' day @ 2007.10.09 - Tue, Autumn - Sunny

Curi tulang today, I skip the class. I have good reason one lah, my reporting manager want me to meet with the team today mah

A 100 pages use cases for the component I going to develop is given by him already, means expecting me to start straight after training??
Dun care lah :p

Went to CyberCafe, then realize no matter which cyber I going, will need a card, '实名卡'. Is MY also need something like this??
There I send a regard mail to those has drop me mail before in my GMail account, just to tell how unhappy my current situation is... :(

Onboard day @ 2007.10.08 - Mon, Autumn - Sunny

On board today. There are total 24 peoples in the group! 3 foreigner included me, 1 S'pore, 1 angmoh, and this angmoh can speak and listen mandarin properly, dun play play

It's scheduled to be training for the whole week! So many thing need to learn meh?? Some more it's only about how to survive in this co. leh...

Summary:
- Wear in formal no matter what day. I dun like this, but still acceptable since it doesn't force me to wear skirt :D
- Reason is due to the main customer is Japanese, and they are visiting quite frequent. So, for corporate image woh...
- But what lah, the instructor in some of the course, wearing jeans also what...
- And some other small small regulation, I just feel it's like back to school,
the dicipline teacher is telling this and that cannot be do, and lot's of confusing process need to go thru if you need to apply anything, even a pen!!

So, I definitely wouldn't be surviving happy with the culture here, it's just no freedom, restricted by so many regulations!

Finding @ 2007.10.07 - Sun, Autumn - Sunny

Chinese working culture is really 'cow' style.
The bank is open 7 days a week, it's good for consumer, but if I am a bank worker, I will cabut without looking back, crazy.
And from the broacher in bank, their saving interest seems very low, bcoz, even with fund investment, they mentioned guarantee > 2.5% annually.
So, I guess the saving interest must be much lower from that. A 'synthesis' based on MY experience, hope I am correct in this case.

Another costly thing in China
- phone call charge!

I get a prepaid, it cost RMB 0.40/min during peak hour, and their peak hours is from 07:00 - 21:00. This is really expensive I think.
The IP card, kind like our IDD card, is expensive also.
The card where 'face' value RMB 100 is sell at RMB 25, and it's only valid for about 25-30 mins.

Food, already start to feel bored. Every where is the same choice, 馄饨, 水饺, 面, 馒头..taste are about the same, of course I am
talking about food at street. Oh ya...fast food here is very very expensive, 1 piece of KFC cost RMB 7.50, McD set cost > RMB 35.

See, RMB has no good value for money!

Landed at Dalian @ 2007.10.05 - Fri, Autumn - Rainly

Landed safely in Dalian, ZhouZhiShui 周子水 airport around 11 a.m

Airport is small, can see the flight is flying to this airport very frequent, from Japan, Korea, Beijing, Shanghai. Approx. every hour will be a flight arrived.

So many people waiting to get their guest, but none of them are welcoming me...

It is not like S'pore airport where the taxi were queue up just in the front door, need to walk a bit distance, I think KLIA is the same case.
So, I had get the wrong type of taxi service, it charge me RMB50 to get to my new house, new house for at least 1 year.

Leaving airport, going to new house

Finally met with the guy and his girl friend which I have contact thru messenger while I am in MY.
And first thing first, they bring me to a shopping mall to buy necessaries in order I can start my life here.

And you know what, I had spend about RMB 650 for those ding-ding-dong-dong!

After few hours of cleaning up, the place look much better. What a tire, and cooling night, I will have a great sleep tonight!

Feeling?
- Shock with the high rental, with the kind of house we rent, and location
- RMB has small value, spending easily cause big figure. Just like RM
- Food is not cheap as well, most common price is RMB 6, it's very big serve, for eg. 馄饨 (wantan - big size), for 10 biji, 饺子(dumpling) got 20 biji.

But if you are eating alone, this is pointless, it's just waste of food, I rather they have choice RMB4 for small, 6 for big

Some photo taken at Shanghai Pudong 上海浦东 airport, my flight need to transit here

Quiet airport at the early morning

The roof