New ideas pass through three periods...........

...
1) It can't be done.
2) It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing.
3) I knew it was a good idea all along!

I talked with my friend, who hanged out with me in China today, ust to hear the great news. It's not anything big, but it made me so excited!
When I was in China, one friend asked me to help them put with one thing. He and his friends were opening a small hotel, rather hostel, if I may say. Even before opening the rooms were somehow reserved. It's a mystery how they conducted advertising, but no matter what it was, it worked. They opened a hostel-hotel in a nice style, the interior and everything was done by them personally. Those friends have two different shops already, one is called 木里 and is a nice cafe, decorated in a very raw style. Another one, which was actually the first thing they started was a small flower shop, whichh luckily was located close to the place where I was staying in China. Actually this small flower shop started everything.

The Flower Shop.

Everything that I experienced in Xiamen, started from this small Flower Shop. People I met, places I saw, friends I made. It's all thanks to this special place. The name is 花骡子, which is partly a name of an owner. But of course, Chinese names have their meanings, so if I were to translate it literally, it means Flower Mule (you know, Mule like an animal).

So, what I was saying is, the guys who started the Flower Shop, opened a hotel this time. And I suggested them to put it on hostelworld.com website to get some foreign guests too. They conceded and I was asked to help with correcting English desciption of the hotel. And so I did it. I uploaded photos, added my description and I was waiting for my friend to do something more with it.

My time in China passed by quickly, and everyone forgot about hostelworld. As I said, the hotel's business was doing quite good, but it was popular mostly by Chinese tourists.

Here is the hostelworld page about my friends' hostel. It's called Shop No 2, as it was created in a style of Flower Shop, which is the first shop. The interior design is very unique and a bit of an Asian style but a bit modern in a way. It's hard to explain in words, the photos on hostelworld might not be enough either, but click HERE and check it out yourself!

And the good news I heard today was that the first reservation came! Apparently my friend added updated rates and prices on the website, and today they recieved the very very first reervation, made by two UK girls. I already gave some piece of advice to my friend, making him angry almost. Well, but the first foreign guests! It's going to be a big day! 13th of February!

Today is a good day~!

At no time are we ever in such complete possession of a journey, down to its last nook and cranny, as when we are busy with preparations for it. (Yukio Mishima)

Finally, preparations for my Chinese Adventure started. Only now am I becoming aware of what's awaiting me and I'm really getting scared!

Hotel in Xiamen.

AIESEC in Xiamen changed the contact person. This time it's girl called Juno, who's the most active from all three that I was talking to. She sent me all documents right away, helped with understanding visa matters, answered all my silly and not that silly questions. I'm amazed by how nice this girl is. Chinese girl - 100 points to awesomeness!

But new fact came on the surface. I'll be staying in Xiamen for 6 months, another six months I'll be in Shishi where the main hotel of this Wanguard Oriental Chain Hotels Group is situated. When I saw the photos I was like WOAH, so why not. Shishi seems to be famous because of its garmet industry (clothes clothes clothes) and is situated some 100 kilometers away from Xiamen. It's still close to the sea and photos I got from Juno shows it as a quite a beautiful piece of land!
As I suspected, uniforms will be prepared for us. In Xiamen I'm gonna live in dormitories for employees, don't know why but I was given the same address as the hotel itself...... Well, anyway. At Shishi I will have to rent my own flat, I guess. The Chinese are not too sure about the situation in Shishi either. But my own flat...... it sound so cool. I would like to share it with someone of course. I just hope to be able to communicate in Chinese after 6 months!

I heard that Chinese beds are hard as stone....... But this one looks soo... yummy!

Lobby! That's where I'll be working at first!
Welcome to China!!!!!

That being said, I decided to go to Warsaw immediately to take care of the visa matters. I decided it today! And I checked the application for visa again and..... PHOTO! I forgot about the photo for visaaaa! As I had to be at work on 4pm, and it was almost 1pm (and I was still eating my breakfast, chatting with Juno and what's most important wearing my pjs), I started running panically around the house and in 30 mins I was heading to the photographer. When asked by the photographer when do I want my photos? I was like 'ASAAAAAP please'. I got them after 15 minutes ^^)v
I don't have to add that I look really awkward on the photo, right?
But it's still better than my ugly passport photograph. I haven't used my passport even once yet, I never left Europe, never been to Ukraine, so I've never needed it. When my ugly photo will be enclosed to public it will be sooo embarassing....

Why did they set their HQs in the smaller city, I wonder......

But when I think right now..... Damn, only 26 days left for me in Poland. I'm soooo damn scared!!!!!!!!!!


Time left to Noodles in China: too little

Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Tell me it's not true! NO NO NO NO NO! NOOOOO!!!!!

I'm in despair. Everything got screwed! Boohoo!!!!
I think when I finally find myself in China, I will be half-dead, I know it.

Today I got a message from Tom (the guy from Budapest). Hungarian Airlines bankupted and so all the flights from Budapest to China with Hainan Airlines got cancelled. Dunno what's the connection between Hungarian and Vietnamese Airlines, but anyway. MY FLIGHT got CANCELLED! The reason is not important. I didn't get any notice or information at all, but when I checked it, it was true!

Next thing I remember is when I finally got my head straight after having been panicking for a few hours, that is like running in circles, banging my head on a wall, trying to pull out my hair and making other weird stuff that were supposed to change my bad fate. As it didn't really work out, I decided to buy a new ticket. Of course, I had to buy it for the cheapest price possible and this way the date of my departure moved slightly. The new date is 29th. I'm leaving from Warsaw on 29th of March, arriving to Xiamen on 30th in the morning, that is around 10-11am.

Dear God, I hope you don't have another hurdles for me to jump over, because lately I'm quite sensitive. Too much work, I'm telling you. This week too, although I had things planned, everything will fail again, because I need to work overtime again. Ah, one more wish, please oh please, may it not be true that we'll have uniforms at work, very pleaaaaseee!

Well, this way...

Days left for my Big Annoying Chinese Adventure (new shortcut: BACA): 45

Accomplishment is such a patronizing, dangerous word, isn't it? I haven't really accomplished anything. The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived this long.

This time I don't have much to write about. Maybe only one thing. Of all my troubles and worries I got only 1,5 problems left ^^. This one and a half means that one is a real problem and the other might become one. The first thing makes me worried for some time already and it's about money. I don't have energy to figt with my boss, but I have to do something to get my salary, because the company is making problems for me.... But when it comes to money I don't know how to fight. Like last time, I worked like a slave for a week in sushi bar. I couldn't stand an ambience of that place, the work was very hard and I couldn't get used to it, so I quit. And then it turned out that I was working for free. My friends told me to go there and get those money from them, but I just gave up. Whatever. But my 112 hours of overtime this time... Plus the basic salary.... It's hell ton of money for me haha.

Anyway! My new Hungarian friend bought a ticket to Xiamen for 23rd of March, so he will be there a few days before me. Hope he will come for me to the airport. He still doesn't know about it, but he will! Ha!
But what is weird, from the 10 people that were to be chosen for the internship, we're only two. What about the remaining 8? I heard that 5 people failed the interview? Excuse me, what...? Failed? I need to make my own investigation when I arrive there. Mayb they are choosing people depending on their eye colour? Or European accent. My Polish-Japanese-English accent is the best after all! :P

It's snowing a lot in Poland, so I used this occassion to buy sneakers two times cheaper than usual! They're perfect!

...can't wear them at all now ;_;

Time left to CA: 46 days!