Finally getting the hang of the border crossing/commute from HK tto mainland China which will be handy for all you folk coming for a visit (remember to get your visa! Or else you will be stuck on the other side of the border!). Its amazing how much quicker the crossing is if you have a HK ID card, then all you have to do is swipe your card and put your thumb to the reader and pass through an electronic gate… where as I have to do the traditional custom check with the passport stamping etc! My passport is going to fill up rapidly,., (see the photo) and that is just one week… glad Im moving to China otherwise I would need a new passport every 4-6weeks which would be an expensive logistical nightmare!

This morning I went with my boss Selina to see a factory about an hour away from Shenzhen, once you get out of the city it really is a completely different world! Lots of small houses or homes on the side of the world that look like those static rooms they put up during construction of some sort…saw a woman doing her washing up in a plastic bowl with a jug outside her front door! Speaking of construction, I have noticed a lot of it at the moment, and all the scaffolding is made from bamboo sticks tied with twine… Im thinking the UK metal based version is safer!

The factory was a real eye opener… no sweatshops (for that think Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh). China have really advanced in their production methods and their niche seems to be denim, embroidery and heavily stitched items with more technical detail, and as such the quality of the factories reflects this. Seeing a giant building like the one I visited today really puts into perspective just how much work goes into making ONE garment… and how much profit the clothing labels mark up the products!! It also made a lot of the theory we were taught in uni make sudden sense!

For lunch today the factory owner took us to lunch.. another bizarre one! We went to a hotel where you go upstairs and instead of an open plan restaurant each group is seated in their own private room! Todays menu was mainly seafood based and we had clam chowder soup, crab meat, pork, roasted duck, tofo and egg based dish and… giant King Prawns!! I mean, I have seen them before of course, but these were HUUUGE and as the English guest I was expected to go first but I have never dismantled and eaten a prawn before so was really at a loss plus they had all these funny tentacles things and their little legs hanging down and tiny black glazed over eyes staring up at me! Decided to just rip their heads off (brutal!!) and scoop out the middle.. messy! I then subtly observed the others for the correct technique… I feel like a child all over again having to learn behaviour and language from the adults!

After lunch I headed back to the office (via a company driver) and on my way out I was given a pair of Miss Sixty jeans as a present… (new season, not even in the shops yet) and the size was spot on too… absolute result, I knew there would be benefits to this fashion business malarkey!!

What else is there to tell??... Im still washing up my dishes in shower gel because I have been too lazy to go and buy some washing up liquid and it’s a similar situation with my clothes.. rapidly running out of underwear! Everyone in the China office is slowly introducing themselves to me, they are much shyer than the rowdy HK office! I generally find that if I say hello first and try to communicate then we can have a half conversation! Also, unlike HK everyone in China will rarely work over office hours and everyone leaves on time I have noticed. I also received the phone James sent (thank you) so now I can leave my phone shame behind me (was using the most ancient nokia before) and can finally text without hiding it in the depths of my bag to avoid pitying glances from the locals!

Right, again just showered and its nearly bedtime again now. Weekend tomorrow, more dinners, parties and a haircut planned… Im thinking a fringe but not sure how that would work in the heat/rain, especially considering the natural curl to my hair… mind you if I hairspray the hell outta it, then I stand a better chance on the hair vs weather senario!

Essay over for tonight… are you gutted its at an end already? Promise I will be back with more tales again soon. Lots of love… this much coming at you that you must be stuffed to the brim!

Tx