June 1st, 2011
I write this ditty from my hotel while on business here in the People’s Republic of China, just moments after receiving a very “interesting” telephone call.
I hopped on the plane several days back to go to Chongqing (Chungking), China, to buy a 15-ton piece of machinery for an industrial client of mine. The trip was a success: the machine worked and I ordered it on behalf of my client.
Work finished, I hopped on a plane bound for my old stomping grounds, Shanghai massage for a few days of sightseeing and play. I’m at a point in my life where I’ve already seen a few things and sown my wild oats, so to speak. So, while Shanghai has plenty to offer on the tenderloin side, going to a meat market hasn’t been on my schedule for the last fifteen years or more.
But sometimes the meat market comes to you. Especially at night in China…
A MIDNIGHT TELEPHONE CALL
As I said, I am writing this minutes after I got phone all.
Earlier I had had a great dinner and a few drinks with some friends – obnoxiously good fun. I came home pretty well soused and was more than ready for bed to sleep off the booze and get going the next morning. After a quick shower, I was quickly on the way to a good snooze.
Just moments ago – about 11:30 PM – my bedside phone rang. I was thinking to myself: “Oh! The guys in the US office are calling with some questions about the machinery. Wow, I hope I don’t still sound too sloshed.”