DIM SUM AT 1am
Last night in Dongguan, China

I'm a bit out of order date-wise here, and may be for the next few entries. I experienced some time in China without electricity...so I'm now catching up. AND - Shutterfly is "down" so I tried using Ofoto --- the clarity is BAD! I'll reload the photos later when it's back up...

So: From Jan 24th ~ Monday night
Work tonight ended around 12:30am. I realized that I hadn't had dinner... and neither had my team - - who usually kindly reminds me that it's time to eat when I'm in full-swing work mode.
That's when I found out it was the plan to go for Dim Sum to celebrate a last meal with both Ho and myself. Ho was leaving for a long journey by train to his hometown for Chinese New Year and the celebration of his father's 60th birthday. It will take him 5 days to get there. He hasn't been home in 3 years because it's such a long and expensive journey! This trip he's also bringing his girlfriend to meet his family -- so it's an EXTRA special trip!



So Dim Sum --- all the usual specialties --- noodle soups, chicken feet, dumplings/ buns/ veggies --- YUM!


Mag, Ho, A-Sau, Yee, Min and myself (Yes - blue sock & pink trousers -- I got dressed with only one eye open...what do you expect...)
And the team (darn it all -- Mag has her eyes closed!)

I was in bed by 3am and started my next day too early...OY - but packed and got the factory in time to get it all done before starting the journey by car to Hong Kong.



This is a shot of the view from the factory --- it's all dirt, that's a bucket-loader in the distance -- a factory is 1/10th built across the street.


This is a shot of what it looked like in 2002. The local government decided that they could make more money if there was a factory there so they relocated the farmers (not onto farms mind you) and sold it (really a 20-30 year leasehold deal) to the highest builder for a factory to be built upon --- a job that has now been stalled for atleast a year.

**sigh**

This region is growing too fast and they are not keeping up with the enviroment - only to the "progress of the economy." Although not for those farmers who have mostly taken up factory jobs now.

Again... **sigh**