We've been pushing this last week here in Macau to get all of our testing and inspections done as much as possible because as of right now our contract technically ends at the end of MArch and not only are all of us travelers out here leaving but the actual Macau office is also losing some people to transfers and vacations.
What I'm trying to get at here is we have been working our ass off to get this stuff done which basically means that we are on our feet from 10 or so in the morning to 8 or 9 at night, walking around and around these casino floors. So around 7pm the other night I come back to our central meeting place to drop off some drawings and get some other levels and I get sent out with an escort who unbeknownst to me, until we get like a 15 minute walk out into the field, does not speak english. So here we are, trying to cover one of the more confusing floors that you keep needing to go up and down staircases to access different areas and the guy has #1 no idea what specific areas I want to go to and #2 can not understand what the hell I am saying to him when I try to tell him where I want to go.
Scene:
Just got to correct level (2M)...
me: so where are we on the maps right now? (not a weird question, they give us escorts whose job it is to lead us around)
chinese guy (cg): staring blankly
me: unfolds all maps, points to one. Where are we?
cg: staring blankly, then speaks chinese
me: I try to start comparing the maps to where I am standing and realize that I am nowhere near where I need to be. I try to point at map and show him areas I need to hit. unfortunately we highlighted the correct areas adn then realized that a couple weren't ready.
"Can you take me to these areas (pointing), the purple areas?"
cg: hahahahah, chinese chinese chinese, starts walking away
we walk for like 5 minutes till we hit a locked wall, cg stops and stares, as if confused that he can't fight his way through this locked wall. ultimately this continues for like another 10 minutes, he walking aimlessly with no idea where we are going (chuckling the whole time!), up and down stairs. Me tailing along getting more frustrated and starting to hyperventilate. Finally we go up another set of stairs and he stops and points to the map. I set it down and look around, there's a lift to my right, none of the areas I need to go have a lift. I check all of them just to make sure, nope I'm right. And then start to talk to him again.
me: I don't believe this is right, there is no lift on the map (me pointing at the lift and then the map)
cg: grabs map and points randomly at one section
me: there is no lift on the map! I don't think we are in the right section
cg laughing more, me starting to have a break down. Grab my walkie talkie and start speaking frantically into it trying to get one of my colleagues. Luckily I am able to make connection and they send out an english speaking guy who takes like 10 minutes to find us because my chinese guy is wandering around STILL laughing! Yea, this girl was never closer to breaking down in tears on a job before.... I mean, I know there is no reason for you to speak english but please stop laughing at me. I have been on my feet for easily 10 hours here and I'm exhausted! I just want to get this done, not walk an extra mile trying to figure out where to go.
Luckily it all ended on a good note with one of my colleagues sending me a funny text that made me laugh and the two great other chinese guys who came and found us knew exactly where they were going so we finished it up in like 20 minutes and my good mood was restored. But man, makes you grateful for most people knowing english.
sorry if this is not funny...I'm laughing about it now
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