It Started With A Dirty Sanchez

Sorry it’s been a bit over a week since I last posted, and I’m sure everyone missed me, rather, you at least missed the pointless random titles to my blog.  Honestly, they’re not pointless; they always have some meaning, maybe not the one you’re thinking of right now.  This blog may be a bit long but you have to read it to understand the title.

Regardless, last week was filled with hurried text readings and travel.  The absolute best part about taking my program completely online is the fact that I can pick up and take off if need be.  As I stated in my last post, my wife and I may have to leave China to get new passport pages in our passports, or risk staying in this lovely oil refining town forever. 

Last Tuesday night, my wife got word from the refinery manager to leave and get our passport issues taken care of because the refinery was shutting down the unit to replace tainted catalyst. (That’s another long boring story that I won’t bother telling.) Once she got the call we had to book international plane tickets and hotel reservations in Hong Kong (HK) for as early as possible Wednesday morning.  When you get an opportunity to get out of this hell hole, then you jump on it and make every possible phone call and internet search needed to ensure you get out.  By midnight on Tuesday, we had everything arranged.  We finish packing at 1:00am, we were supposed to leave at 7:00am for the 3-4hr car ride to the nearest airport.  (yeah…that’s how remote we are)  At 6:30am, the translators bang on our door, right as I get out of the shower, just to tell us the driver wants to leave early because he’s afraid of hitting traffic.  (The traffic jams in China are the absolute worst in the world, we once sat deadlocked for 5 ½ hrs on our way to a town only 1 ½ hrs away because of an accident) Long story short..yadda..yadda..yadda..We arrive in HK…FINALLY!!

This was our third trip to HK so we can navigate the airport better than O’Hare in Chicago, where we supposedly live.  We arrange a car, head to the hotel, check in, get situated…then we go STRAIGHT TO OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE (still waiting on that endorsement check Outback!).  I now know where 3 of the 5 Outbacks are.  As I promised via my previous blog, Sancho and I ripped into some steak and ribs and had a few cold ones to top it off.  Needless to say, it was a good night, except that I hadn’t even touch my computer…so Sancho and I hit up the business lounge and did some work.

Basically, the 5 days we were there revolved around eating, drinking, shopping, and getting needed supplies for Jiao Kou River Town (haircuts, deodorant, shampoo, etc).  Forgot to tell you guys that this place is so small that you can’t even by deodorant!!!!   Either way, the trip was long overdue and so was the food and civilization.

I saved the best for last.  We decided to take a day and just hang out..took our passports to the Embassy, went to the peak on Hong Kong Island, got some large beers at a German restaurant near our hotel..did a little school work in between…and then we got dressed up and went out.  My wife loves Mexican food so we went searching for a different Mexican restaurant…there are several in SoHo.  We found a place that looked nice and we decided to sit at the bar, browse the menu, and get a drink. My wife goes to the bathroom and tells me to order (bad mistake on her part)….I started her off with a Dirty Sanchez–basically it’s a tequila margarita made with Patron (WOW).  We left the restaurant to hit up Taco Loco, went to Cochrane’s (favorite Bar), bought a real Cuban cigar (Hecho en Cu´ba), then hit up another place called the “Wheel”, where the night ended taking Jello Shots (unwanted but a gift from the bartender) and watching a 1985 video of “Live Aid” where Queen was rocking out for over 45 minutes…I had to fight the urge to break out the air guitar.  AAANNDDDD….that’s how It Started With a Dirty Sanchez.

So, here I am…back in Jiao Kou River Town….it took exactly 13 ½ hrs from when we left our hotel in HK to get back here…one delayed flight, one layover, and one 3hr 45min car ride back from the airport with a lunatic driver, who obviously thinks he’s Michael Andretti. We almost died when he ran over a large metal strip in the middle of the road, while coming off a sharp curve and passing another car…blew out the back left tire and limped into a service station (which are rare in these parts), where it took 4 grown Chinese men 45 min. to change a tire.  I guess Michael Andretti rolls without his pit crew.

Back to reality….back to school work, back to the same ol’ bullsh!t we dealt with before.  At least Sancho and his new friend will keep me company while I’m reading research articles!

Posted in CU Online, Online Experience, Student Life, Traveling, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

They’re Here

FINALLY, my books have arrived!  It only took three and a half weeks, a few passport photos, multiple conversations via translator to UPS, and three separate couriers to get my books out here.  Who knew it would be that difficult?  At least I have them now, and I can started on the 10 chapters I have to read for this week….Seriously,..10?  Yeah, graduate school, and particularly this semester, is packed full of reading, research, and writing.  Fortunately, one of my professors has placed all of our required reading online, which is available through the Auraria library course reserves.  That kind gesture at least saved me some money on shipping, not to mention just a little bit of sanity.

The first week of classes hasn’t been that bad; however, I’ve already turned in one assignment, taken one easy quiz, and started on an extra credit assignment involving researching IRS form 1023 (Application for tax-exempt, charity status). Anything involving the IRS is fun, right?  At least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.  Of course the first week is always full of introductions to your classmates, many of which live all over the country and others that live in Denver and take other classes on campus.  The best part about online learning is the ability to be involved with a diverse array of people who have a myriad of professional work experiences.  And, since one of my classes is a seminar and involves more discussions than usual, I get the fortunate chance to learn, not only from my professor, but from people who have been working in the public sector for many years. 

Other than school, nothing else exciting has happened on my end this week.  The refinery unit is functioning OK, for now, but we’re still unsure of when we’re getting out of this rat hole of a town.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that either: 1) The refinery managers releases the work crew very soon before their planned shutdown, thus we leave for good. 2) My wife’s passport is out of visa pages, so we have to leave by Sep 2 to renew her visa and get more pages, which means a trip to Hong Kong and the US Embassy.  If the latter happens, then rest assured I’ll be in one of the five Outback Steakhouses in Hong Kong pushing great food (Ribs and Steak) down my flavor deprived gullet.  Even Sancho will get his fill and then we’ll head back to the hotel to read some more about nonprofit financial management, while my wife goes out looking for the latest knock-off Fendi bags.  (Also note the good review I’m giving Outback….I’m hoping they’ll send me a check for promoting their fine culinary organization.)

Until I find out more about our hopeful departure out of here or trip to Hong Kong, here’s hoping all of you have a good semester and a great online experience!

Posted in CU Online, Classes, Online Experience, Traveling | 2 Comments »

Customs and a Monkey

Hello again, I hope everyone has gotten off to a smooth beginning to the fall semester.  I put the link to my blog into the introductions of both of my classes so maybe some of them will read the first few blogs I wrote to get an idea of who I am and why I’m trying to take online classes.  And I state ‘trying’ as about as intensely as you can.  I’m trying to get my semester going but something always seems to get in the way…..mainly China.

First of all, my books, which I ordered three weeks ago, have yet to arrive.  Trying to figure out why was enough to make my blood boil.  I spent an entire afternoon trying to get something that resembled decent information out of the call centers from Amazon.com and UPS.  Finally, after 4 separate calls to Amazon and 2 to UPS I find out that my package was stopped by Chinese customs in Xi’an.  I didn’t realize text books about financial nonprofit planning were a threat to the government, but apparently they are.  I had to get a translator to help me find the phone number for the customs department in Xi’an; the translator called and they were unable to verify if they had the package or if it was at the post office. (WHAT??) How do they NOT know if it’s there or not?  Next, we called another translator, who just so happened to be on his way to Xi’an for the weekend, and had him check the local post office…and guess what?  Yep,…no books.  Finally, the first translator called UPS in Xi’an and they did confirm that my books were stuck in customs, I only had to send a copy of, not only mine, but my wife’s passport.  As of this morning…..the books were supposed to be cleared…..(if Sancho had fingers, they’d be crossed). 

NOW,…so not only are my books missing but the internet has been super slow, so slow that I couldn’t even log onto my classes.  Fortunately, it has been better today, but it did go out for about three hours this afternoon.  Just another headache that I have to deal with, but like I said, nobody said this would be easy.  AND to top it off, as soon as the internet came back on this afternoon an electrician came into my room to fix a fuse….the guy cut all power and my computer goes black.  I had to wait for him to get to, and into, the fuse panel which is located at the WORST location in a room ever. Finally after 20 minutes he finished and power is restored to my computer.  I’m hoping that we leave this location in a couple of weeks because my patience is wearing thin and it’ll be the next thing to go, right along with my sanity.

So far the first two days of school have been tough, to say the least; however, tomorrow is my birthday and it has to be a great day, if not, then I’m going to go to the roof and start throwing whatever I can get my hands onto over the edge. Of course, there is a good probability that I may do that anyways; after all, it’s a celebration.  Not like the celebration you do when a monkey jumps onto your shoulder and your happy that it has a leash on it, at that point your just happy that you can get it off before it goes Mike Tyson on your ear lobe.  I know this post has been a bummer so I decided to put two links up to two of my youtube videos.  The first is from my birthday trip last year to Chengdu China…we went to Hooters for dinner, where they sang me the “fishy song”..hahaha Hooters in China.  The second is a video of some of the many many fireworks I’ve let off in China.  ENJOY!!

Posted in CU Online, Classes, Online Experience, Traveling, Uncategorized | No Comments »