May 1 marks the start of a weeklong national respite called the Labor Holiday. The government only recently mandated the weeklong closure of most businesses, in hopes that people would spend their time and money at the malls and restaurants. Unfortunately for those working in the service sector, Golden Week is more like shit week. Those miserable souls get to watch and serve all the people lounging around. My attendent at the salon said she didn’t get off for the holiday. However, “I get off one day for every six days worked.” Yeah, some consolation. Poor girl.
So what do John and I plan to do over the break? Nothing. Stay holed up at home. It seems that most locals do the same: they say the malls, parks, restaurants, and hotels are simply mobbed and there’s no point. At least in your home, you have some space and privacy. If you venture out during Golden Week, your family vacation becomes a national vacation. Forget about family pictures. Half the town will appear in every frame.
John and I rode our bikes on some of the warmer days last weekend. We didn’t notice much difference–crowd-wise. However, I heard on the news that all trains to Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing (all popular destinations) were booked. And we haven’t gone to popular places like Carrefour or the malls. We’re gonna hold out for as long as we can!
In other news, I’ve lost probably 20 years off my life trying to get my parents broadband internet service. I should have known better: after all, wasn’t Adelphia the company that made big news a couple years ago because it’s CEO diverted company funds for his personal use? I guess I just got too excited about high-speed arriving at Meadowbrooke. Needless to say, since April 21, my poor parents have endured three unsuccessful service visits. The poorly trained techs go through their protocol of motions and when the connection doesn’t work, they blame it on hardware. I’m still trying to get this mess straightened out. You have no idea how much time I have spent on the phone and on their chat help desk. The process is turning me into a total witch. We’ll see what comes of my demands.