250 CultureShock! China
SITUATION 2
After eight grueling months in your new China job, you have
decided to take your first R&R trip, a holiday at a friend’s
condo on the French Riviera. You have one week to relax
and enjoy sun, food and no obligations. Better yet, it is one
of the perks that is provided you in an overseas assignment
so you are travelling at the company’s expense.
Your secretary takes note of what you want to do and
makes all travel arrangements. She notes in your diary that
you will be picked up at 3:00 pm by the driver to be taken
to the airport. Thus begins the worst holiday you have ever
had in your entire life. The driver promptly drops you at
the airport at 3:45 pm, only to have you discover that your
fl ight doesn’t leave until 7:00 pm. When you check in at
the counter, because they have not been given your airline
mileage number upon booking, you have been overlooked
for the fi ve free upgrades that were given to people with less
miles than you. Not only that, but when you further check
your ticket, you realise that what should have been a direct
nine-hour fl ight has 16 hours of travel time because of a
connection through Narita and a layover in Frankfurt.
Because your mileage number had not been recorded,
your seating preference was not noted and so you are stuck
in the middle seat of the centre row, in the middle of a red-
cap wearing tour group that is intent on making the most
of their holiday from the time the plane takes off until it
returns to Beijing airport. They are boisterously shouting and
laughing across you. Mid-way through the fl ight when they
fi nally begin to wear out, the man to your left falls asleep
and you discover that his snoring is probably going to cause
you permanent hearing loss.
During the long sleepless hours on the airplane, you
ponder why your assistant arranged your travel the way she
did. Is it because: She was saving the company money by booking you on
the cheapest flights available.
She is getting even with you for making her work until midnight
three nights in a row preparing next year’s budget.