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Awesome slideshow, some great shots, good memories, and an excellent eye for humanity and reality. Thanks for sharing.
Charlie, you can always buy some of our cookie dough and bake it yourself. Since we bake it fresh anyway we always have stock. We use 250g to make our 9″ cookie, but you can break that up into several smaller cookies.
I’ve been dying to weigh in on this.
We have had a ridiculous number of bikes stolen, most of them belonging to our employees. We have cctv cameras outside our shop, so we always get to watch how it happened afterwards, but it’s always too little, too late.
These guys are fast. They walk up in broad daylight, and when they break the lock, they do it so quickly that you can’t tell they aren’t just using a key. One of our employees’ bikes was taken while the guy from the real estate office was having a smoke less than a meter away, the thief just walked up to the bike like he owned it, and in a matter of seconds…he did.
I don’t know if you guys saw on the news a few months back, there was a gang of thieves who rented BMWs and Audis and then went around stealing electric scooters and putting them in the trunk of the car. They figured they weren’t likely to get pulled over in an expensive car, although they did eventually get cornered and caught in front of BuyNow. Anyway, the week before that happened, they tried to steal one of the electric scooters belonging to the real estate agents beside us, and my mother-in-law saw it happening and alerted the real estate guys. They all ran out to beat the tar out of the thieves, but the thieves were armed with knives and after a few stabs they got away. (My father-in-law got paid 200yuan when our CCTV footage was used on the news.)
Which brings us to last week, and tonight. Last week, an employee decided to leave her 1500 yuan bike, unlocked, in front of our shop instead of where my father-in-law watches the bikes. This guy came along and decided he deserved the bike more than she did.
Fast forward to today. It’s after 9pm, and we just closed the shop. My wife, Aiqing, is behind the counter doing the books when all of a sudden she bolts out of the door. After a few minutes, she wasn’t back, so I went outside to find that she had apprehended this same thief that we saw in the camera last week.
He was being held by my father-in-law and Tangkai, our biggest employee, and Aiqing had taken his phone and his bag and was rummaging through it to find his bike-stealing tools. Of course by then there was a large crowd, and she is telling everyone that this guy is a thief and he stole a bike from here last week and he is begging her, on his knees, to give him another chance and not call the police. After a brief consult with her parents, they decided that he could go, but we were keeping the bag and phone, and if he brings back the bike that he stole then we’ll return his stuff. We’ve got an office pool going right now to see if he actually shows up or not. Either way, he knows we know his face around here, so at least that’s one less thief we have to worry about on this block.
As you can see, the tools are pretty rudimentary…he just uses one of the attachments and puts it in the allen wrench and gives it a yank, the lock pops off just like it’s supposed to.
My wife is fearless, foolish, frightening and fabulous.
I’ve actually always wondered the same thing, but never really had the time or inclination to follow up.
I’m guessing that’s the same bus I used to take, it basically went from the corner where I used to live in Chengdu, by Babao Jie, to my destination in Mianyang. However, it is true that this particular bus is actually for the workers in the (Nuclear?) Research facility in Mianyang, which is their final stop. There’s some kind of science city there. Anyway, there was one day about ten years ago that someone complained about foreigners riding on a bus which contained briefcases filled with military secrets painstakingly stolen from foreign governments and from then on we were told that we weren’t allowed on that bus. So if it’s an April Fool’s Joke it’s nearing the record for the longest running April Fool’s Joke in China.
I’m guessing that’s the same bus I used to take, it basically went from the corner where I used to live in Chengdu, by Babao Jie, to my destination in Mianyang. However, it is true that this particular bus is actually for the workers in the (Nuclear?) Research facility in Mianyang, which is their final stop. There’s some kind of science city there. Anyway, there was one day about ten years ago that someone complained about foreigners riding on a bus which contained briefcases filled with military secrets painstakingly stolen from foreign governments and from then on we were told that we weren’t allowed on that bus. So if it’s an April Fool’s Joke it’s nearing the record for the longest running April Fool’s Joke in China.
Back to the pie…you might try Cakey Butta. They do the desserts for the Lazy Pug, and while I haven’t had their pie, they brought by some Dulce de Leche Brownies the other day that everyone here loved. Their Cakey Butta Taobao Page says they have pie.
If you do find wines that you like at Carrefour and you are willing to buy in bulk, it’s worth it to buy when they have their wine sales. They do it twice a year, and it’s an automatic 20% off, plus most of the wines are “Buy 5 get 1” or “Buy 3 get 1.” The last one was in November, so the next one should be around April I think. I usually try to buy 6 months worth of wine to tide me over until the next sale. Auchan also does a sale like that, but I don’t know when or how often.
Two things I would add: I would definitely buy a new property before I bought a secondhand one. As long as you are the one decorating the place, you at least can control the quality of the materials it gets finished with. There are a lot of other posts and articles on Chengduliving about that, if you haven’t already read those. If someone else decorated a place that they never intended to live in, it’s going to be cheap material and shoddy construction.
The other thing to pay attention to, that I never would have known if my wife hadn’t looked into it, is who is going to manage the property. We’ve all seen those places in Chengdu that are supposedly super expensive, but when you walk around the grounds they are dirty and falling apart. We chose Europe City because the management company, Qinghua Fang, also manages the Qinghua Fang villas on Shenxianshu and even after several years they are still in pretty good condition.
I think my situation is most similar to yours, being married and a long-term Chengdu resident. I never would have tried to buy a place here without the wife. The thing to remember is there is a huge difference between buying a house to live in, and buying a house for market speculation. If it’s the place where you are going to live, you are paying rent now anyway, but this way you have something to show for it. The only way the so-called “value” of the place really affects you is if you are trying to flip it and make a quick buck, use it as a tax-free bank account, or find yourself in a position where you need your assets liquidated.
As far as the impending market crash and real estate bubble pop that every seems to be so sure is going to hit China, whatever happens here is not going to be like what happened in the U.S. In Vegas, houses that were built for $300,000 in 2000 were selling for $900,000 in 2004. The houses didn’t change, the material didn’t change, the location didn’t change, the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Banks took advantage of that and offered ridiculous loans with no down-payment and mortgage rates that ballooned after one year, and the people taking those loans agreed to it because they thought they were going to flip the house in 6 months and make at least $100K. They all did, until that last guy who got stuck holding the paper when the music stopped.
China, however, doesn’t let you buy a house without a 30-40% down-payment, the interest rates are regulated, and they are currently very restrictive about allowing people to purchase multiple properties. While there is a lot of speculation in the Chinese market, it’s done by people who can afford to pay cash for these properties, and they aren’t going to end up on the street if the market fluctuates.
Also, you will always see less fluctuation in properties that have high occupancy rates.
Quote:The most important is that you do not own land, you can only purchase a condo for 80 years.I think it’s 70 years, but I do wonder about that…if I still live here, and if this building still exists, are they just going to put me out on the street when I’m 100? I’m going to need you to supply an appropriate .gif to illustrate that sentiment.
Quote:and takeaways don’t deliver out here (yet) as they think it’s too far ooutside the city.FYI, we actually deliver to Nanchengduhui 3 or 4 times a night and our guys only get lost on the way 10% of the time. (Please forgive the shameless plug.)
Waited in line at Kehua, they only have 16g models available right now, grabbed it anyway. I was rocking the 3GS, so I figured I deserved the upgrade.
When I came to Chengdu in the year 2000, we were all told not to drink the water without boiling, and even to be cautious brushing our teeth. But a few years back my wife did mention that Chengdu was pretty proud that it had potable water.
That being said, I’ve also never been brave enough to take a sip of un-pasteurized Chengdu tap-liquid.
And just for those of us not in the bubble, my China Air Quality App showed the U.S. Consulate figure at 395 at 23:00. Good times.
When I came to Chengdu in the year 2000, we were all told not to drink the water without boiling, and even to be cautious brushing our teeth. But a few years back my wife did mention that Chengdu was pretty proud that it had potable water.
That being said, I’ve also never been brave enough to take a sip of un-pasteurized Chengdu tap-liquid.
And just for those of us not in the bubble, my China Air Quality App showed the U.S. Consulate figure at 395 at 23:00. Good times.
When I came to Chengdu in the year 2000, we were all told not to drink the water without boiling, and even to be cautious brushing our teeth. But a few years back my wife did mention that Chengdu was pretty proud that it had potable water.
That being said, I’ve also never been brave enough to take a sip of un-pasteurized Chengdu tap-liquid.
And just for those of us not in the bubble, my China Air Quality App showed the U.S. Consulate figure at 395 at 23:00. Good times.
Again, thank you Charlie. I picture you with a colossal-connected-console with a massive multi-monitor display which houses the world’s largest collection of animated .gif’s.
Thanks Chris. As for the Fries…they’re dead for now. They were never profitable and with our space being even more limited now they were the obvious choice to get the axe.
And thanks Brendan. Hope to see you soon, don’t forget your earplugs. As for the delivery range, we’re already going farther than we should be, D=r/t. (At least until we all have Jetpacks.) However, we do try to be pretty accommodating, we’ve met people at coffee shops, bars and subway stops in our delivery range if you can’t make it all the way to our place.
Hi Ray.
First of all, I’m really glad you enjoyed the pizza. That means a lot to me. Thanks for saying that.
As for the rest:
As Judith Viorst would say, Monday was a “Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” Thanks for making my shitty day a matter of public inquiry. Isn’t the internet wonderful?
I had one employee call in sick, another one just not show up at all (he’s fired now) and my wife who I absolutely depend on was not available either. We were vastly understaffed. Between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00 I received 38 phone calls for pizza orders, (on average that’s a new order every 3 minutes, but nobody wanted to wait 3 minutes) in addition to having to handle a full house without any people. As you may have noticed, I am the one answering the phone, and making the pizza, and coordinating the orders with the kitchen, and trying to get food out the door. And yes, as you were kind enough to point out, my stress level on Monday was at maximum.
We had an employee’s bike stolen.
And my employees, who know better and usually do better, were walking out the door with incomplete orders, incomplete tickets, or just not walking out the door at all.
As Rachel said, it doesn’t happen all the time. It doesn’t even happen most of the time. However, it certainly happened on Monday.
But let me take a minute and talk about my employees. The ones that I keep/have stayed with me are amazing. They find houses and addresses of people who don’t know where they live and they do it fast. Do you realize how many customers give me incomplete or just plain wrong addresses and these guys still figure it out? And take a minute to compare my people to any other food delivery service in Chengdu. I was watching the security footage today trying to find who stole my employee’s bike, and I was amazed by how fast my people were getting out and back again. And those deliveries are often pretty far away. Also, the girl in the kitchen and the girl helping me on pies and ovens on Monday were flawless. They are superstar class A ninjas at what they do and they saved my ass all night on Monday. I’ll say it again, my people are amazing.
So I’m really not sure what you think you heard, (a lot of Monday is a blur to me right now…I do recall smashing a plate with my fist) but I can guarantee you took it out of context and the recipient was not as offended as you were. They know me and they know how I talk. Yes, when they are washing dishes instead of doing deliveries I will yell, “Get out the Fucking door NOW!!!” When they forget the cheesecake and I have to send out another person who I can not spare to make up for their mistake, I will let them know, in no uncertain terms, that walking out the door without double checking your ticket is UN-FUCKING-ACCEPTABLE. But they know that, and they accept when they made a mistake, and they take responsibility for their actions. And 98% of the time, the same person doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
(And, Jerry, I do have to add that you absolutely hit the nail on the head with the hygiene and the 3 strikes comments. The first time I had an employee walk back from the bathroom and try to get past me without washing his hands, I told him nicely to wash his hands whenever he came back from the bathroom. The second time it happened I SCREAMED. There should not have been second time, I wish there wasn’t, but if the first time didn’t sink in…and there is no third time.)
However, Ray, while we are talking about your sensitive nature, I did not appreciate you giving my employee a lecture on what you thought was or was not polite. He went to your table, in the middle of the 23 other things he was doing simultaneously because he is also a ninja rock-star, to see if you needed anything else. I think that’s pretty polite and considerate of him. But still, for some reason, you had to pull my employee aside and waste his time, and my time, because he didn’t say any magic words before he asked if you needed anything. Was that really necessary?
Which brings me to my final point. I hope that you are a rational human being. I sense that part of you might be. You might also have had a bad Monday, like me. But this shit:
Quote:Mike, if i talked to anyone like that (staff/stranger/friend) I’d expect a swift slap to the face, and no offence dude, but you ain’t big enough to be talking like thatis unacceptable.
First of all, as I said before, I guarantee you are taking something out of context.
Secondly, the masked threats of violence diminish your attempt to make a rational statement. Everyone who knows me knows that I one hundred percent appreciate constructive criticism. And the fact is, I am grateful to you for voicing a reminder (ill-phrased though it may have been) that disciplining employees in front of customers in our tiny, open kitchen causes awkwardness and discomfort. However, when what could have been constructive criticism is, instead, phrased as both a threat and an insult then how am I supposed to engage you in any kind of intelligent discourse?
Which brings me to the third point:
Quote:and no offence dude, but you ain’t big enough to be talking like that.I have to be honest with you, Ray, I do find that offensive. In fact I find that very offensive. If someone made a similar comment about someone’s race or ethnicity you would call them a bigot, wouldn’t you? But why, then, do you feel it is okay to make denigrating remarks about my genetics?
And what exactly are you trying to say there? If you follow that argument to it’s logical conclusion, then short/small people everywhere should choose their words carefully because there will always be a tall/big person waiting around to smack them down.
Is that really the argument you were trying to make? At exactly what size does one become, ‘big enough to talk like that’?
And who is the bigger person that is going to make me regret ‘talking like that’? Is that you?
The rational part of me knows that the rational part of you did not mean it that way, yet those were the words you chose. So maybe both of us chose words on Monday that were ill-advised and could be taken out of context?
I didn’t choose to be short, anymore than you chose to be tall. Yes, I happen to be shorter than you are, but if you feel superior because you happen to have been bred by taller parents, through no choice of your own and with no action on your part, that really says more about you than it does about me, doesn’t it?
Anyway, Ray, I’m glad we had this talk. Thank you for voicing your concerns and thank you for letting me vent. (Who am I kidding, no one has the time to actually read this whole post.) Today was actually a much better day, we were just as busy but things ran so much smoother because my amazing wife was there to do all the managing and coordinating and all I had to do was answer the phone and make pizza, which is what I love doing anyway.
@Charlie: Thanks for making me laugh, I really needed that today.
@Wes: Thanks, and you are absolutely right about the atmosphere of my tiny 40 square meters of heaven. At it’s best, it is a cleverly choreographed cacophony of chaos; and at other times it’s just chaos.
@Jerry: Remember that post you put up after the Lazy Pug Halloween last year? I’ve been dying to tell my side of the story, but you have to PROMISE that you won’t get mad.
@ Federico Rossi: Why do you have to lie? You have never set foot in my restaurant. There are only 4 tables here and I see every customer personally, as well as make every pizza myself. If you had actually walked through my door you would know that. And there has not been a single customer who has EVER left 3/4 of their pizza on the table. If you like Pizza Mandolino that’s fine, I like it too. You are absolutely correct in saying that Italian Pizza is different from American Pizza, and I am proud to say that my pizza is definitely an American style. But that’s no reason to lie about having actually eaten in my restaurant.
@ Charlie: Thanks a lot for your kind words and support. On a side note, my wife is always very impressed with your comments on Weibo. Yeah, we just opened a new (real) location on Tongzilin Nan Lu under Singapore Garden, if you have time I’d love to see you here.
@ Stefan: FYI, I updated the prices on the website a month ago, but I gave a bit of a grace period for my regular customers, like you, and didn’t charge the new prices until now. I figured within 3 weeks people would have a chance to check out the website, but all the same, sorry for the sticker shock. In the two years since I’ve been open prices have been on a continuous uphill climb and until now I have just tried to find ways to deal with it myself, but now that I am paying real retail rent, which in Chengdu is ridiculously expensive, and am properly registering (taxes), my prices have to reflect that. Still, I have made sure that I am lower than my competition, which is still somewhat unfair since pretty much all my ingredients are imported and more expensive.
Gotta love how the exact same statistic means completely the opposite depending on who is reporting it.
