In This Common Area

I’d committed to being at an 11:00AM meeting down in Wang Jing.  It’s not too far.  But the calls this morning went from eight-to-nine and nine-to-ten and by the end of the second meeting, I orchestrated an unceremonious culmination.  Dial the Didi and text him to confirm my address before the quick shower upstairs.  The water, as always, takes excruciating, extra minutes of time before it heats up.  I call the front gate to make sure they let the driver in and head into our modest shower with its not yet warm enough water, to start lathering up my face.

We head down Jingmi Lu.  I used to be very particular about telling these guys where to go.  As we approached the Beigao entrance to the highway, he speeds right passed it, continuing along on Jingmi.  I start to say something but quickly turn it into a question, rather than a comment:  “Does your GPS say this way is faster?”  Yes.  It’s passed rush hour and the exit at Da Shanzi you’d need to U-turn from getting off the highway is a mess. 

I have a double espresso over at the Costa Coffee on the first floor.  I seem to remember that this used to be a Starbucks, but who cares.  A young girl who reminds me a bit of my own daughter's from years gone by, is playing with an iPad, obviously stationed here to wait for someone else.  Every other of the six or seven tables inside is taken with smart young local people talking confidently. 

Up in the sky I can see all of Wang Jing, such as it is, beneath me now.  We are told we will have our meeting here, in this common area.   We’re to have someone dial in for this call.  He texting me, saying he's ready.  I consider the environment and all the other individuals in the space.  Some people talking.  Some listening to something on their headphones, some Chinese, some foreign and I wonder about the etiquette for all this?  We are the guests.  

A gentleman of Indian descent who has been in China a few years now and two other local fellas all pile in to our table area.  They don’t have any concerns and they do not suggest we move to anything more private, so we have our conference call with the demo there in the public area.  More than once I scan the room to see if this doesn’t sit well with anyone, but no one gives us a glance.   OK.  You're the host. 

Friday, 2/22/19