Back from office at 3am

The difference between my boss and me is that I am not cruel enough to use my staff. :'(

Want to write this long long ago, back to the 2nd week when I start:

“我老板叫人做事如舞女做旗袍，非改不可... ...”

Saturday morning at 10am

checking and replying email until 2am and i finally cleared my in and out box into 1 page.


wake up at 8:46, and again 9:45, thinking there are 4 files need to review, and 2 discussion with seniors at 2pm and 4pm, can't stay on bed anymore ... have to get up and go to office ... hope i could come back before 11pm tonight.


Boring blog, enjoy a picture from before which I am using as background:

China Opens its Banking Market - and impact on me

In accordance with its year five World Trade Organization (“WTO”) commitments, China has now issued the regulations required to fully open its banking sector to foreign banks. The regulations will have a significant impact on China's banking sector.

With the enactment of the regulations, geographic restrictions will no longer exist, as locally incorporated foreign banks will enjoy equal treatment as the domestic Chinese banks.

Nine foreign banks have got approval from China Banking Regulatory Commission ("CBRC") to be incorpoarted in China:

Standard Chartered
HSBC
Mizuho Bank
Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ
Development Bank of Singapore
Citibank
Bank of East Asia
Hang Seng Bank
ABN AMRO

One of my client is one of the nine banks got approval and we have already started to prepare the pre-commencement audit. A lot of researches and communications involved as no one has experience on how to do the engagements. Even the people from CBRC could not explain the exactly procedure and requirements. It is expected to be very busy until end of August. In addition to the already very busy schedule, my working hours has started to be 14 to 16 hours per day.

I am very very tired :'(

Busy Season

I have heard a lot of story of how terrible of busy season in China. It IS busy. Other than the nature of the season, there are some other reasons:

1. too many new client due to the fast growth of the firm.
2. lack of planning.
3. we do too much stuff by ourselves but not leverage to the client.
4. not efficient - similar size of engagement need more hours here. OT allowance, on one side, it is the compensation of the hard work of the staff, on the other side, it is an incentive for people working long hours.

No one mentioned work life balance here. The message I got (hope I misunderstood) is something like "you don't need a life".

I am working 10 to 12 hours from Monday to Saturday, and try to clear my maibox on Sunday. I am definitely not the one working the longest hours. I am still trying to balance myself. The project management training makes me more organized and handle my multi tasks more efficiently.

Did a lot of laundry on Saturday evening - worrying about how to make those stuff dry - no dryer (not well used in China) and the weather is humid.

How to be a boring person

I complained to my husband saying I had wasted so many years before I found I like audit. People here in my age have been partners while I am only a manager. My husband said you should feel lucky that you have had chance to enjoy a gorgeous life and not been a such boring person since ten years before.

Happy New Year & Trip to Hangzhou

Happy New Year everyone.

Sorry for the late greeting. The earthquake in Taiwan straits made me not be able to access my blog again. Hope the marine cable has been recovered.

We went to Hangzhou in the New Year. Hangzhou is the other city in the old saying - up there is paradise, down there are Su(Suzhou) and Hang (Hangzhou). Unfortunately, it was raining and very cold. The pictures I took are not very clear due to the ugly sky.

Hangzhou is located in the northern part of Zhejiang province, and about hours from Shanghai by train. It was set up as the capital of South Song Dynasty in 1129. Hangzhou is famous for the West Lake which is in the city centre.

A walkway around the West Lake.

There're two pieces of dikes on the lake - the Bai Di (White dike) and the Su Di (Su dike), named from two famous laterati Bai, Juyi (Tang Dynasty) and Su, Dongpo (Song Dynasty), who used to be officials in Hangzhou.

Bridge to Bai Di

A Bridge on Su dike

There are ten famous scenic spots around the lake and the mountains, include: Fish-Viewing Flora Harbor, Lotus in the County yard, Spring Dawn of Su Dike, Autumn Moon of smooth lake, Wave of willos with song of orioles, and Breaking bridge with fragmental snow.

Fish in Flora Harbor

Remains of Lotus in the County yard

Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺, "heart of the soul's retreat"), west of the West Lake, is an active Buddhist temple at the bottom of a hill. We went to pray for the luck in the new year.



Hangzhou is famous for the green tea Longjing (龙井 dragon bell). Longjing is regarded as the national tea and has four unique characters as the green color, the sweet scent, the mellow taste and the beautiful shape. The tealeaves are flat and straight in shape and yellowish emerald green in color. When picking the tealeaves, the arly season, the tender leaves and the diligent picker are very important. Tea is usually classified into thirteen grades and only the first three grades are top quality goods. Emperor Qianlong (Qing Dynasty) sampled the Longjing Tea during his tour to Hangzhou. The emperor conferred the title of Imperial tea upon the eighteen Longjing Tea trees in Longjing area. Hangzhou has a lot of elegant tea rooms which could really spend a good time with friends.

No guest in the cold rainy days

A leisure afternoon: Longjing Tea, mellon seeds and lotus root starch (mixed with hot water)

This is the retire life I want to have:

having morning exercise daily in a beautiful garden

Raising a pet who can speak

In China, holiday season is always linked with good foods. We went to two famous restaurants in Hangzhou. One is a well known traditional restaurant called LouWaiLou (Building outside building) http://www.louwailou.com.cn/english/INTRO.ASP. LouWaiLou is famous for four dishes: Westlake Vinegar Fish, Longjing Shrimp, Fried Bell and Beggar's Chicken.

Westlake Vinegar Fish

Longjing Shrimp

Fried Bell

We didn't order Begger's chicken cos' it is too big.

Another one we went is call Waipo Jia (Grandma's Kitchen), a very popular new style Hangzhou dish restaurant. It is said the restaurant is always lined up. We went at 2pm after having tea but the restaurant was taking a afternoon break from 2 to 4:30pm. We went back again at 4:30, and more than half of the seats are already occupied.

I like this dessert best - mashed green bean