Club InterContinental Week 7/16

There are few times in my life when I feel an extreme sense of freedom as when I went home sick from high school, contemplated and consequently skipped class in college on the basis of nice weather (or better yet, having cancelled class), or, now that I am finished with each, getting sent home from work.
Yes, it feels just as freeing in China as it does in the states.
Actually it feels better because I'm technically still getting paid.
I'm supposed to work 40 hours every week. Occasionally, I am schedule only one day off in a week.
I know not everyone is a math expert, so before I make you pull out your calculator, that would mean I am going 8 hours over my 40 hour work week.
Overtime doesn't really exist in China. So, now, the hotel "owes" me hours, eight of them, to be exact. By sending me home early when we were over-staffed, they have eliminated four of these "debt hours."
So, while I was paid the extra money in my monthly paycheck, it wasn't multiplied as overtime. They were just normal hours.
Also, there is no PTO. You just work a lot to make up for time you're going to be gone.
So, even though I'm not working. I was already paid the money for the rest of the day I won't be working.
Crazy, I know.
But still.
What a great start to the work week.
The next day was the worst of the typhoon and I struggled just to remain upright walking from the bus to the hotel. The wind had kept me up most of the few previous nights so I was pretty exhausted. Never in my life have I heard such a wind, it sounded like the sobs of an old woman attending a funeral.
That was a little specific, but still.
It was a loud and horrendous shrill.
This week also began the mandatory make-up policy.
For those of you that know me, I don't do make-up, so I'm not down with this.
Pro of working in the U.S.: threatening to sue over equal opportunity employment laws.
Con of working in China: No equal opportunity employment laws
In essence, I can't legally bitch about being forced to wear make-up.
This policy also requires us to wear the company-issued heels as opposed to black flats that everyone finds and buys themselves to wear instead. Having bad knees, I also kind of hate this as it means I probably won't be able to do any running now.
I could probably fight my way through each of these, citing eye allergies to mascara and the knee injury for the heels, but I feel as though that would not be very acceptable to the boss.
No matter what I do here in China, the first hurdle I have to jump is language, and this is a big, bitch of a hurdle. I have to ensure that I speak basic-level English and just hope that it is understood as intended, which happens 40% of the time.
Even if I brought up the issue to the boss and even if they completely understood enough to let the stupid thing go, it would be a deep and bad mark on their memory for a future recommendation for international work. Essentially, it makes me appear inflexible to other cultures.
And this is definitely cultural.
The Chinese place a lot on how you look and a "professional" look is essential to getting ahead, especially for women, who are still not thought of as completely on the same plane as men (close, but no cigar). A "professional" look requires panty hose, heels, and make-up - across the board. These women truly believe it is part of moving up, just as we value education and experience for promotion material.
I've never been a huge China fan, which is why it is weird for me to end up here as my first job out of college. It makes me feel a little guilty since I have so many friends that are just crazy about this country and even actually speak the language really well, yet I'm the one here, not them.
For me, China is a means to an end. It is the place I work not really because I've been dying to, but because I'm willing to do it to work in a country where I am dying to be.
Don't get me wrong, I love the experience of working in another country and I don't hate China, but I do have to admit I'm using it for something else.
I guess that's why I can justify going against my personal make-up morals for the next three and a half months.
Here's to natural beauty and all the countries that embrace it.