James Huang - Far far away from Scouseland

February - Happy Birthday

James — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:05:35 +0000

I turned 23 in February and celebrated four years as a Christian. I was happy that I had escaped any irreparable screw-ups. However, I spent the time in hospital with a severe eczema flare-up. I needed the time to recover and I intended to do a lot of reading. I ended up playing Civilisation 4 (a computer game) for days on end. The other patients were amused at my explanation of the game.

I got discharged in a satisfactory condition and flew back to Tianjin the next day. My flatmate organised a belated birthday party for me in Starbucks. That was after I lost my camera, so I have no photographs of the occasion - except for a photo of the venue which I took last year.

I get back into the routine of Peace Institute life. It is my last semester in the school. I mark down the 20 weeks in my diary - so I am already counting the days. I manage to keep my pre-intermediate class, which means I can recycle lesson plans. I arrange my twice-weekly Mandarin lessons. Thursday is my new day off and I start my weekly Starbucks routine. I re-assume my role of Coffee House organiser. Coffee House is a monthly school event where the school invites outsiders to come and participate in English discussions for free. There are other activities and a performance by the teachers. It takes a lot of my time and a lot of my stress.

The heating never comes on in my apartment throughout the whole winter. I find out that I don’t have to pay the heating fees, which is a small mercy. But the long term effect is that I’m now scared of the cold.

Economic forecast

Slightly warmer than my apartment. But getting colder. Northern Rock (an British bank) gets nationalised. Property prices are falling. So, I can look forward to buying a house in 2050 when global warming renders Britain’s property stock worthless.

World event that no-one should ignore

Freak weather conditions cripple China’s transportation system at exactly the wrong time of the year (link).

January - The Intermission

James — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:32:12 +0000

January is the month for fresh beginnings in the Western Calendar. It was more like an intermission for me. I tell people that I spent 18 months in China, but it was really three 6-month stints with a month in the UK sandwiched in between. January was equally split between the end of term in China:

This was followed by two action packed weeks in the UK and Denmark. I was already thinking about my future London-life. Wai forewarns me about the hard life of the accountant. I also have dinner with Charles, an good friend from university. We provisionally agree to tentatively look for an apartment together in September. In the end, the tentative agreement becomes a legally binding contract. I come to realise that flat-hunting is not really possible from China and I let Charles do all the leg-work.

I enjoy my time back home but I am already counting the days left in China.

Economic forecast

Just a minor hiccup on the road to everlasting prosperity and happiness. Rising house prices for all. Actually, The Economist reports that forecasted growth for the US, Eurozone and UK are 1.8%, 1.8% and 1.9% respectively.

World event that James ignores

Obama beats someone called Clinton in a minor election in a small North American nation. I don’t expect that there will be any repercussions anytime soon.

Exams passed

James — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:23:02 +0000

I passed my exams. All I have is a feeling of relief. I don’t have to re-take the exams. I don’t have to pay for the resit and use up holiday time. My job is safe (safer?) for a few more months. It’s not like a school exam where you aim for a good mark and to beat your peers. Passing is more than enough. I just have to repeat the process 11 more times.

I’ve finally managed to put up a banner on the site. I was meant to do in when I was in China, and it would have had more meaning then, but it still works for London-life. I would still call Liverpool “home”. Sometime in the future, I will regard London as my home, but not just yet.

I’m planning to do a month-by-month review of the year. Given my rate of blogging, it could take a while.

Exams tomorrow

James — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:10:23 +0000

While trampling through the week the path got strewn with exacerbated clients, emails unsent, dishes unwashed, an untouched fridge, clean gym shoes, discarded post-it notes, work papers that don’t work anymore, to do lists that have been crossed off, amended, added and thrown in the bin and the neglected plan in my bedroom.

I’m left holding 200 pages of unrevised notes and the exams are in 11 hours time. With my free arm there is still a backlog of client work to be cleaned up next week. It’s been hard.

Planning Free Time

James — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:09:00 +0000

The light bulb in my room has burnt out so I am writing this in the dark. I don’t have time to buy a new one.

Actually, I do have time to buy a new one: I just have to be organised enough to buy it one the way home in the local shop. I effectively plan my time when I work - otherwise my brain gets paralysed trying to prioritise what is important. I do battle with a combination of calendars, to-do lists, post-it notes, flagging important emails in Outlook and an accurately calibrated clock.

I’m trying to get into a routine of sitting down for an hour on Sunday and planning my free time. Yes, I am that boring. Here’s a list of stuff I think about:

Work commitments
Study plans
What I plan to eat
When to go to the gym
Church commitments
What I want to read
Who needs to be emailed
When to blog (getting less and less frequent!)
Fun (probably need more of this)
Seeing friends (and meeting enemies)

I haven’t planned a time to buy a light bulb yet.

Banned Business Words

James — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:16:56 +0000

I live with a friend from university, Charles. He’s a solicitor and works long hours everyday. By contrast, I’m an auditor who works long hours occasionally.

Business language was the topic of discussion in the flat this week. After a long, stressful day we decided to ban certain trendy business words. We spend enough of our time at work to warrant controlling out language in order to reclaim our free time. Actually it was just a bit of fun and we don’t have such serious goals. If I have the joy of your company in my home, then please, don’t use these words:

Going forward

Definition	In the future (only for business types, doesn’t mean not going backwards).
Example	Going forward, let’s focus on asking the client the right questions.
Translation	You really messed up. But let’s have a group hug and put it behind us. And, if you want to keep your job, don’t ever do it again!

Touching base

Definition	Keep the team informed of anything that needs to be informed.
Example	See how this develops over the weekend and we can touch base on Monday.
Translation	Tell me what I need to know, when I need to know it and before you know that I know that I need to know it.

Capacity to work

Definition	Availability for work
Example	Do you have capacity for work?
Translation	Hi, how are you doing? Listen, I know that you have been working 20 hours and have a deadline for 5 different tasks within the next 23 minutes, but would you be able to go through the file and change the red ticks to green? Thanks!

Adding value

Definition	Create economic benefit in your work.
Example	How can you add value to your work?
Translation	You aren’t doing ay chargeable work, you are not justifying your salary. Even a paper weight would be more useful because it doesn’t need food.

Going forward, do touch base by the next new moon, making sure that you have capacity to work in adding value to my Starbucks Coffee.

Accountancy Textbooks from Innocent Trees

James — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:31:14 +0000

On Monday I hauled back about 5 kilograms of accounting materials. I have to look at two thirds of them before my next round of accounting exams in December. The remaining third will be examined in September 2009.

My favourite is the literary classic: "International Financial Reporting Standards 2008" (seen on top).

Tianjin Directory

James — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:40:37 +0000

Despite moving back to the UK, Tianjin has not left my thoughts or my life. Yesterday, I got an invitation to join the Tianjin Blog Network. I was flattered to be invited but it didn’t seem appropriate. Anyway the solution was to just have a link to all my blog posts about China.

If you have come from the Tianjin Directory site, then I welcome you to a blog about an ex-expat going through reverse culture shock after leaving Tianjin in July 2008.

A Historic Moment - My Sink Is Slightly Blocked

James — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:40:37 +0000

I stayed up until 3am (GMT) to watch the American election unfold. When Ohio was declared for Obama, I knew it was effectively over. I then got 4 hours of sleep and got up for work. Perhaps it was a mistake in retrospect.

The election has been foremost in the British public’s interest for the past few months - apart from the minor economic setbacks. It might seem strange to the Americans, but this election will probably have a greater effect on Britain than the next British election. There is a lot of expectation on Obama’s president and it would be easy for him to disappoint. Exciting times and a historic moment.

But for now, my main concern is that my bathroom sink is slightly blocked and I don’t own a plunger. If anyone can buy me one, or email instructions on how to make one from accounting textbooks, then I would be extremely happy.

How China Has Changed Me - Part I

James — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:17:40 +0000

I’m impatient. I hate waiting. For example, I will always run to catch the train. I apologise to those I’ve knocked over at London Bridge rail station while trying to catch a train that has already left. Although the next train is usually just 4 minutes away I continue to treat my work shoes like a pair of Nike trainers.

A few weeks ago, I finish my first day at the client site. I had spent a whole day auditing, which actually meant sitting around staring blankly at an Excel spreadsheet wondering how the numbers add up. I went back to the hotel tired and in need of quick food. We ordered at the restaurant but the food had not arrived after an hour. Waiting when hungry is not a good combination for me. So, I got up to the waitress, used some hand movements and asked for the food to come.

This was polite by Chinese standards, but was overly bold by British standards. I didn’t even think it was a big deal because I had got so used to demanding everything quickly in Tianjin. I used to feel that I greatly offended waiters whenever I asked for something. I’d use timid gestures and try to transmit my thoughts by telepathy. That inhibition has now gone, I get to eat sooner but I’m a little less British.