Factory orientation in China (23 July - 05 Aug 2007)
This will be the first time ever that I visit my relative’s factory in China and stay there for two weeks. They are doing printing and dyeing of fabrics which is what my family business is doing. Indeed, it is a very good opportunities for me to get to know what it going on when my client place order. From the time I receive confirmation on fabric quality, colour, handfeel, etc from my client to the moment the factory send out small quantity samples for confirmation and further to make bulk quantities once approve. I can witness every single process involved. One good thing about my relative’s factory is that they do make garment as well. But the main objective of the trip is to see how printing and dyeing are all about. As for garment manufacturing, hmmm… Maybe next time bah…
For the first three days of this two weeks trip, I can say it was heaven to me. Because for that three days, I was staying in Hotel. A four stars hotel! One of my company client wanted to visit our factory and therefore my uncle arranged them to see this factory of my relative. So, to be close to our client, I am arranged to stay with them in the hotel till they leave for some other place on Wednesday. A colleague of mine in the company as well as a cousin of mine accompany me for this trip. Reached Shanghai on 23 July and immediately went to hotel for rest and the next day morning, had a walk in the factory to know the surrounding so that on the next day, which is Wednesday, 25 July, the client will visit the factory in the morning. This client has a very busy schedule. Came from Tsing Dao and immediately leave for another factory after visiting mine.
But once the client and my colleague left on wednesday, leaving my cousin and I over for the next 11 days… I feel that I have drop from heaven to hell… Kekee… Coz I miss the bed, TV, 24 hrs internet services and especially the toilet in the hotel!!! The bed in the factory hostel is hard, TV channels are all so limited to the Chinese channels where without fail, TV commerical can be repeated 3x at one shot or more if I miss count. I got to pray damn hard for internet service to be on as the reception is not that good… Even for now, I am lucky to type this blog out coz there is some connection. Otherwise, no internet means nothing to do… The toilet is the most important thing I consider in my life coz I always need a comfortable place to shower, doing my business… But it is a bit… U know… And worse of all, so far, today is Sunday (29 July), I have encounted two power failure. Imagine w/o air con during a China summer… Sigh… Damn sad… Though it is slightly better than my outfield training… *Sob* but I still 6 more days to go… Er… But I hope that I can convince my elder cousin who is the boss of this factory, to let my cousin and I have our last night in China, staying in hotel. Please…
