Training Day 1 & 2

I was excited to be done with orientation as I got ready with less stares than the previous day and headed up to the front office where we joined in on the 10:30 meeting after another tour of the hotel.
They conducted the meeting in English for us, so we could be involved and, since they learned I was from America (not Canada as they previously assumed because of my layover in Vancouver before Shanghai), I've been the English consultant from everything to phrases in e-mails to interpreting meshed lettering of a hand-written form.
It's nice to have a sense of purpose.
I think our trainer is, well, new to training. She doesn't really know what to do and I can't help but see a pattern of people who simply pay their dues and are good at frontline skills that are promoted. The girl has no problem-solving or broad-thinking skills. I imagine she is a great front desk agent, but not really much more. And her superiors don't seem to mind despite her running to them for the answers to basic questions.
We spent most of the day left to ourselves to read over the novels she printed out for us to read on our own. As I quickly lost focused, I realized they clearly don't mind their employees being on their phones - the meeting was interrupted at least 5 times in 20 minutes as no one seemed to care to put their phones on silent and every single one of them proceeded to answer while their peers where talking.
Since no one really paid us much mind, Alex and I sat on Facebook on my phone, growing braver and braver between yesterday and today. This afternoon we didn't even bother to put it away when the manager came walking through the office.
No one cared.
Hmm.
Well, this is new.
The only other highlight was using my trainer for her basic language skills to get a larger skirt from housekeeping. In the midst of their poking and prodding at my skirt to check sizes on the ones I tried on, I felt like a science project of sorts. They made a motion that looked like hips and the trainer squeaked out a broken "tight, here?"
Yes. Tight there.
Big American hips...I smiled awkwardly trying not to feel as if I was being gawked at for my enormity.
When I returned with one that fit, she smiled and said, "Yes, better, that skirt is fatter."
Gulp.
Hold back tears, Madison. She meant larger size. She didn't mean it like that...
Oh, God, someone get my pint of Ben and Jerry's Half-Baked already. I just need to eat my emotions for a while.
Not to worry, I remained calm on the outside as I laughed awkwardly and said, "Yes, the fatter skirt is better for the fat American."
At least I'm only finding the steamed rice edible for dinner. I'll fit that skirt before it's over. I'll show you, uniform ladies.
The day ended much better as Alex, Grace, and I ventured around the hotel at night. Suzhou is much prettier at night. You can't see the pollution, so you forget that you're working on a cancer score card and look at all the gorgeous lights that abound the sky and scenery (so much for saving energy).
I also found a Bueno Bar, which definitely helped me cope with my fat complex from earlier, especially since I haven't seen them since Paris.

The night ended late after staying up with Grace and chatting about her new role in the pastry kitchen.
Drool.
Today was essentially the same day.
Left alone with papers to memorize and Facebook to roam through until lunch, and finally, 5:30 when we were off.
Except I found something better than a bueno bar after.
I found Fresh Market.
In the stack of papers we have to memorize, about 4 pages are on city information: closest hospital, closest worldlink medical care, closest post office, closest bar (other than ours), closest shopping district, recommended attractions, and, the closest market and pharmacy - all for a city I've never been to and in a language I don't even understand in English characters.
I'm a little peturb that they didn't take us around to actually show us these places, but, regardless, the last 2 helped on my continuing quest for some items I needed.
Fresh Market had nearly everything except bread.
I'm talking cake mix, icing, hot chocolate mix, fruits of all kinds (no strawberries), cold milk (most of it, like in Europe is served in room temperature boxes that you have to boil or something), cheeses, candies, American cereals, EVERYTHING.
Well, except tampons.
I'm on a quest to find them. I'm not in desperate need, I'm just really in disbelief that you can't find them.
With such a finding practically adjacent to the hotel, I'm definitely feeling at home now.
I've got a place that has my food, which as a major emotional eater is a big deal.
I've discovered the beauty of Suzhou isn't necessarily consumed by smog.
And a language barrier isn't so bad afterall, it gives me purpose and a laugh for mis-matched vocabulary or every time I say my name and listen to them struggle to pronounce it absolutely correctly. We go back and forth so many times evolving "Mah-soon" to settling on "Mad-ee-son" that I feel like Eve in Wall-E.

And the concierge even gave me a really nice map with lots of spots to hit before we leave. Alex and I spent most of our day choosing what we would see this weekend - trying to cram as much in as soon as possible so we're more useful to guests and also spends future weekends after we get paid in Shanghai.
Well, I'm off!
Much love.