Chris Toepker is a contributor to Ministry of Tofu. He hails from the United States, has been living in greater China since 1990 and has recently relocated to Beijing.
After so many years in greater China, I thought I had things straight. Sadly, my first-time, full-time working in Beijing apparently presents many new opportunities to learn. So, while I'm not shocked at the surprise, I can't seem to wrap my mind around the confounding New Year holiday schedule!
Before getting started, let me just say this is not my first new year in China. I've been in greater China for a couple decades, living and working in the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Still, most of the living (and therefore paying attention to holiday arrangements) were not in the mainland. Nevertheless, I thought I new what time it was. Sadly, my calendar was off.
It unfolds like this: On Dec. 29 (Saturday) we worked and were told we'd be given the following Monday (not an official holiday) off. That makes some sense. Trade a non-working weekend day for a working weekday and receive a three-day holiday. Terrific!
I thought I'd have a nice day off. Instead, I had a couple doubt filled days and then worked through a weekend. Huh?! Funny thing was, on the January 2, I went to the office. Walking over though, I couldn't help noticing how empty the streets were. Not many cars, no one honking endlessly, very few pedestrians. Seemed strange, but who knew? Maybe denizens of The Jing just party that much harder for the new year? Non-noobs see the mistake already.
Still, when the whole office building was pretty much dark I had my first glimmer that I was the odd man out. When 10:00 o'clock rolled around and not a single other person came in, it seemed clear: I was the fool. So, I checked some websites in English and Chinese, which oddly reported a mix of either January 1 or January 1-3. Any way I cut it, I had the day off.
So, after enjoying the day, but keeping my doubts, I came by the office on January 3 too. Still dark, and I had learned my lesson, so I skipped merrily by, all the while wondering "why the heck take these days off, return for one Friday (January 4) and then take a weekend?"
Despite expectations, this is what really happened. So, Friday morning I come in and finally there are my colleagues, and then things get stranger because I begin to hear them making plans for meetings on Saturday (January 5). I can hear you far-away readers wondering along with me, "What?!?!" Yes. Saturday. After being "given" January 2-3 off, we were required to come to work January 4-11.
No matter how I look at it, I can't accept the "given." They were traded, as I'm sure you'll agree.
I wish that were the end of it, but then I asked about Chinese New Year (CNY, in early February this year). Turns out we're getting the same gift then too! You see, the official holiday falls on February 9-11 (Saturday-Monday) and everyone will be "given" February 9-14 off. But then will have to work February 15 – 22 straight.
Here are the days published as "off," sadly they are on the weekend. Oh well, better a three day weekend than none. I've asked all my colleagues (I'm the only foreigner in the office) about it firstly because I wondered how'd I'd missed it. Certainly, there was no announcement. What I learned was, this is just the way things are. No one felt the need to explain it. Secondly, because I wondered if they'd thought the situation over, especially when a holiday falls on what is already a holiday (like CNY falling on a Saturday).
The reactions came in increasing easier to understand flavors. Firstly, I can't understand the common "we strictly follow the national guidelines" because that just makes no sense. It's a Catch-22 because the national guidelines are *also* to take weekends off. Secondly, I can kind of understand the "that's just how we've always done it," but have little patience for things that are just habit. Thirdly, I can allow for the folks who told me, "well, everyone else is off and I was working when they were not or vice versa, it would be no fun. So, I just go with it." Finally and clearly, the response closest to my heart was "yeah, now we have to work eight straight days. Nice, huh?"
The far sadder thing was, based on my experience in other…dare I say "more civilized"?…China, my real expectations for the Chinese New Year holiday were much grander. Indeed, given the mass migration and the long factory closing and all the rest I've very familiar with, my tickets were already booked for the whole week off. That is to say, February 9 to 17. So, it looks like I'll be burning through my vacation days really early this year. What is the New Year equivalent to "bah! humbug!"????
This is an impossibility in the workers paradise. Bah! Humbug!
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Physically Grueling Waitress Training Exhibition Video Goes Viral in China
Doing anything for the next 16 minutes?
Why not check out the latest viral video in China. Titled “Dandong Arirang Restaurant Training Exercise” it has been doing Gangnam Style numbers across Chinese microblogging sites. The tens of thousands of viewer reactions range from laughter to awe to shame.
If you’re still not decided on whether or not to invest the time, here’s a little rundown on the events that unfold in the video.
■ 0:00 – 6:05
The staff of roughly two dozen waitresses in red dresses line up and await the orders of a stern woman dressed in black. Together they shout motivational phrases such as (according to China Daily) “The fastest way to success is following the right people doing the right things.”
Also, they engage in Beijing Olympic opening ceremony-caliber synchronized routines. It’s sort of a combination of a chorus line, army drills, pattycake, and the Soul Train.
■ 6:05 – 7:56
Now it’s time for the “line of fire” which appears to be a tablecloth stretched and held at both ends by several additional members of the hotel staff. One by one, the women rush towards the line of fire only to be flung backwards by the mighty cloth. The rest of the restaurant staff watch on while steady clapping.
■ 7:56 – 10:57
Unable to overcome the line of fire, the women band together and begin hurling waitresses over the cloth one by one. At this point the viewer wonders what any of this has to do with waiting tables. With only the woman in black and one waitress left, they again try to charge themselves into the table cloth. Then, the woman in black selflessly bends over so that the final waitress may climb over her to get across the line.
■ 10:57 – 12:29
Alone, the woman in black tries again to run across the line. This goes on for a painfully long time until the woman can barely stand by herself. Meanwhile the viewer is wondering how much these people get paid.
Then they just drag her physically drained body across the damn line of fire.
■ 12:29 – 13:37
Exhausted and visibly shaken, the waitress and woman in black prepare for a final rally cry. Unfortunately, they lack the coordination of their previous efforts and some girls collapse here and there. I think at the 13:34 mark one of the girls gets clipped in the face by the woman in black madly waving her flag.
By this time, the whole affair has taken on a creepy cult-like vibe that makes the viewer feel kind of dirty for being a part of it.
■ 13-37 – 15:46
The ladies cool off by doing a quick shuffle step back into formation and shoot off a few more recitations. They then take a bow and head off to the back room to vomit.
The manager of this particular T.G.I Friday’s says he was pleased with the waiting staff’s performance and feels they really made the grade to serve your Tostado Nachos properly. Well done, gals!
Video: Youtube Jing Moco