Aug. 11, 2008

Ni hao my friends...so how about those Opening Ceremonies?! I was a big fan of the U.S. outfits - nicely done Mr. Ralph Lauren.

A bunch of our staff actually received tickets to the ceremonies at the last minute, but the rest of us watched it from a club atop our hotel. It was actually pretty cool because we could see all of the fireworks around the city. We were all very impressed with the performances and choreography - quite a show. Some of our guests told us today that it was literally the hottest they had ever been... ever. It took them almost two hours to go from the bus to their seats. But they said it was definitely worth it.

In other news, every day this week at six o'clock there has been a live tai chi demonstration in our lobby. The funny part is that the performance occurs right in the middle of a bar/restaurant in the lobby area. So people are walking around, talking, eating and drinking while this woman performs her beautiful tai chi moves. But it is still pretty neat, and very relaxing to watch.

Speaking of the lobby bar, it is kind of the hub of all the activity in the hotel - not unlike many hotels in the U.S. But every night from about 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. there is live music. And it's the same every night - a man at the piano, and two young Chinese women singing American classics... over and over. "Dancing Queen" and "I Will Always Love You" are the only songs that I can remember hearing every night so far, but the girls who sing are quite good and the guests seem to enjoy them. The scene could be taken right from the script of the movie "Lost in Translation."

Another facet of our hotel worth mentioning is the sheer number of staff who work here. If there are 1.4 billion people in China, then 200,000 must work here at the Westin. Seriously. You cannot go five feet without someone greeting you, holding a door for you, calling you an elevator, or just doing their regular work. There literally seem to be hundreds of waitresses on staff at all times. They are all so pleasant and nice, however, that you don't really mind... but at times you kind of get tired of saying "Ni hao" 18 times on the way from breakfast to the office. It is hospitality on steroids. I may have to start doing the American nod in order to save my voice.

After my workout yesterday, I went out of the hotel to go to the ATM and during my trip I was asked by three Chinese families to take pictures with them and their kids. I am pretty sure they thought I was an athlete, but I have no real idea since they spoke no English. But it was very amusing, and I think I made their day. Just spreading some joy in China.

Until next time...
~Nino