Post from Greater China

The weather over here is rather fine. It's not the freezing iciness that I have anticipated. In fact, the sun's pretty glaring and so that takes much of the chill away. I am not even wearing my thermal top. Perhaps that's mainly because I am not exposed much to the weather elements. It's a routine here. Apartment--> Workplace--> Brunch/ Dinner Restaurant. Ok, maybe some visits to the consultancy firms that are doing the intended project. Need to get their quotations pretty soon to decide on which one to get the job done. Didn't bring my laptop over though. So no photo entries until I find some way to get the SD card to work. Many documents are on my lappie. Oh well.

Life here is great, when you are loaded. Money greases everything in the world, but over here, without that extra element of paper dough, things move so slowly/ or are done with such great reluctance that you will die from waiting.

Just that day, the toilet bowl got clogged again. Bloody hell. The flushing system sucks. In China, there are waste paper baskets placed beside the toilet bowls for users to dump their used toilet paper into them. Nobody throws tissue into the bowl anyway.

But, I am a crazy cleanliness freak from Singapore—land of good sewage treatment. I stubbornly refuse to throw anything into the bin. So unhygienic! Can you imagine the amount of bacteria breeding and thriving in the toilets? YUCKS! I can't to do that. Not unless I am forced at gunpoint.

And so, I tried to flush the toilet paper down. I crossed my (cleanly washed) fingers and stared at the whirling bowl in anticipation. Alas! My prayers were not answered. The terribly uncooperative bowl is now a wasteland of floating whatnots.
To prevent grossing my readers out too much, I shall cut the long story short. I had to call someone to unclog the toilet. I rang for assistance. And it took forever till I wanted to pee again. When the attendant arrived with the plunger, his face was so 'black' I think he's cursing me silently inside. Anyway, after he cleared the clog, I told him to 'buy' himself a drink. I think you know what I did, right? I tipped him. Handsomely, in fact. His muddy mien disappeared immediately and I swore I saw a beautiful glow on his face. He told me to call him anytime I run into any toilet trouble again. I am sure he will make a dash for the apartment when that occasion arises.

But, Ivy is not dumb. We need to adapt, right? Can't commit the same mistake time and again. I was just testing the water (pun unintended) the first time around. Let's just say, necessity is the mother of invention. And I have come up with a good arrangement to solve my toilet woes. ;-)

As for the new 'connection' I have made with the serviceman, I'll KIV his allegiance. Perhaps he will be needed some day when my television set short circuits.

P/S Is it the Chinese operating system over here, or do I see my blog not displaying well on the computer screen? =(