Chaos in Airport

I was supposed to attend a Media Plan Release by UYoung today in Beijing, they going to up a parenting channel on IPTV, supposed to be a very "in" thing in next 12 months. Anyway, the conference was 2-4pm today. So, during such cost-cutting period, I also sek joh, make it a day trip, and woke up at blardy 6am, because the flight was at 9am, China Eastern Airline.

Check-in, custom clearance, custom checking, all went through so smoothly, I was starting to think "wow, this is not bad... i really start to like china a lot nowadays."

8.30am -- seated, seat-belt tightened, and I was catching some time to finish off my CBN Weekly magazine.

9.00am -- still in seat, but the crew seems very calm, and as "usual", there's announcement "due to air traffic control, we are asked to wait for turns to fly out. Please be patient."

9.30am -- flight attendants started to offer hot bun (inside got char siu some more, i must admit it was very tasty), tea, coffee, water. Actually, by now, I am very suspicious already, for 2 reasons: 1) I am seating at window seat, so I can see the so-called "air traffic" was not so congested. Not many flight flying in or leaving airport actually. 2) normally when they are not sure when can they fly out due to air traffic control, they will not offer HOT drinks. Because once they were told can fly out, they must immediately prepare for taxing and the air stewardess sure not enough time to collect back the cups and make sure ALL passengers finished their hot drinks, because if not, it will be very dangerous when the plan is taking off and u still drinking hot drink.

10.00am -- I dozed off, after a nice char siu bun, and hot tea.

10.15am -- the plane moved out from the lane, YAY!! I was happy, means can take off soon, and although late for 1.15am, I can still make it to 2pm meeting.

10.20am -- waiting at taxing lane. I dozed off again.

10.40am -- the plan was back to the parking spot again! Some passengers was joking, yelling, "we reached Beijing already?" So funny. But then we were so shocked to hear another anouncement from the captain, "Dear passengers, we discovered aircraft got technical problem during taxing time, so please get all your belongings and leave the aircraft now."

So, earlier blardy simi air-traffic control was bullshit lah. HMMPH!

We left the aircraft, some more need to take the big bus, brought us back to main terminal. whole flight I think got 200++ people, and only 2 crews were there to asnwer question. I wonder why can't they make explanation through the microphone instead of just answer each angry passenger's questions in mandarin and shanghainese (why mandarin and shanghainese only? because those able to fight through the crowd to infront are shanghainese, they their voice are loud so their questions were heard even though they were behind). The flight also got Indian, Guai Low, and I think Japanese. They all have question marks on their face because during such chaos time, no one speak to them in english at all. The indian was a bit impatient, he yelled at the crew in front, "what's going on?" the crew answered him back, "just wait" and continued to yell at other passenger in shanghainese and mandarin. Can you believe this???

I was so shocked.

Finally, some non-chinese reminded the crew, they can speak through microphone so all passengers can know what is next step. "Next flight is coming in at 12.00, you can board at 12.15pm." But yet, the announcement was not made in English.

Niasing, if I board at 12.15pm, reach beijing already what, 3.30pm? reach my meeting place, the whole conference already finished!! I quickly called my boss to tell him I ain't going to Beijing, no point. Luckily I didn't have luggage checked-in so I just leave the airport swiftly, and back to office.

Anyway, now that I am back in office, thinking through the whole thing, I think the crews need to really be trained to react in such critical time. Hey, 2010 Shanghai Expo is coming soon. At least you need to admit that there's a growing population in Shanghai that is foreigners and they are not good at chinese needless to say shanghainese language. Imagine if you are in Brazil, something happen, and you not sure what's going on because everyone is speaking in brazilian language, won't you feel confused?? I think also feel quite pah pah already.

China Eastern Airline, I ain't gonna take your airline in next 6 months!

I am still busy!

There are so many things going on in my life lately:-

1) company axing people in Asia (not in china though)... made me think twice about getting the Wii Fit & the Wii machine. Better safe money than spend money nowadays?

2) adjusting pricing because everything is going to be UP UP UP to secure MC (...painful exercise)

3) talking deals with many players for co-partnership activity- who say economy is that bad??

4) meeting so many magazine people and all they care about "has your next year budget been fixed? any plan?" .... I so busy doing this and that, and all they care is about new deal.. #$%!

5) having cat fight with a bitch in mala office, but she is coming to shanghai office to work (but not working for shanghai office, ain't this weird??). I have never see such double personality creature in this world. Her existence in shanghai office will be eventful to me, according to Purple Mushroom.. You can never believe what that unprofessional creature has done to me.. sigh. Her boss is blind, thought she so great so great. Please ask her colleague to rate her (me!!) and I will tell you her true color!

6) changing new laptop at work - good and bad. New one weigh so much heavier with wider screen... but the speed is definitely faster than my old ones. haha

7) attending classes in gym. Went to a "Body Pump" class, and it made me walk like old-po-po for 4 days!! But I went to the class again yesterday (after resting 1 full week last week), and I realized my muscels get used to the torture, not so painful for second round!

8) train up my new assistant. Hmm... this one I will comment later. She deserve some time to get used to Marketing role so I don't blame her. But I like her attitude, on day 1, i told her, "I can accept you making mistakes, but I cannot accept you made mistake but not admitting it and push the blame to other people." So, she made a stupid mistake yesterday, but she come to me to shy shy admit, so I told her it's OK. It's really OK for a junior to make such mistake, and from her pai seh look, I bet she will not repeat such mistake next time.

I am still busy!!!!!!!

p/s: for those who know which company i working for, please... please... keep my company name a secret by NOT mentioning it.