DAY 11: IS WEED LEGAL HERE? CAUSE I JUST SAW MY CAB DRIVER TAKE TWO BONG HITS

The day started with the usual buffet breakfast.  I have decided that I am “watching my figure” from now on. The days of having three full meals of Chinese food are over… so later I skipped lunch.  By 10am I was in a cab off to solve the mystery of the damaged leather dress.  To be honest I’m surprised that more garments didn’t get damaged in this whole event.  We got to the dry cleaner to realize that they could not do the repair at that location and would have to send the garment out to a specialist, which would take up to two weeks, so that option was off the table.  Hopefully we can figure this out before I am shipped back to America on Wednesday. 

On the way back from the cleaner we stopped to get some coffee, something that I requested so I could go back to the hotel to prepare my presentation for Monday. While I was waiting for Joe to get back from KFC (yes, KFC is EVERYWHERE in China) I noticed the cab driver open his door.  I thought he was just having a cigarette, something people even do in restaurants here, but then got a whiff of smoke of a different breed, weed.  I leaned over to investigate to see the driver holding a bong outside the door.  When he was finished a couple of hits he casually slips the bong between his seat and the door.  Joe gets back with coffee and we drive off.

I was speechless, not only because I could not speak the language but because I honestly didn’t know what to say.  It kind of seems like an anything goes place so I didn’t make a fuss and we got back to the hotel safely.

I spent the afternoon preparing my presentation for the design forum and by 2:30 we were off to visit some of the best fabric stores in the area.  It was truly amazing to se all of the venders on the street, some with great fabric, some not so great.  I was surprised by the amount and quality of denim at the market, something that is difficult to come by in New York.  I bought a few yards of black and dark blue denim, in hopes that it would actually get me to make a couple of pairs of jeans for myself.

After the markets we made our way to a traditional Cantonese restaurant for yet another feast, at least this time I was ready for a meal.  Along with diner we had a Chinese wine, which is actually just shots of rice liquor.  By the end of diner I consumed about 9 little shots and was fully prepared for the hour ride back to the hotel and the night of sleep to follow.

DAY 10: PHILLY FANS IN THE FACTORY

By 10am we had a car waiting outside to take us to yet another clothing factory, except this one was run by George’s girlfriend Vivian.  By the time my hour and a half nap to the factory was over it was lunchtime and we made our way to a local restaurant for an amazing lunch.  Vivian outdid herself with an amazing soup cooked in a coconut and a plethora of dishes of vegetables and meats.

After lunch we made our way back to the factory for the grand tour.  We got to see the many stages of the production line from sample making to assembly line to quality control.  It was truly amazing to see the scale that this factory was working at, each step of the way eliminating any inefficiency. 

On one leg of the journey I spotted something that I hadn’t seen in months… A PHILLYS JERSEY!  I have had people in China come up to me and ask if they could take pictures with me but this was the first time I went up to someone to ask for his picture.  It was just something that was too good to pass up, what are the chances that there would be a Philly fan in a clothing factory in China?  Probably about the same odds that I would have dry pits in clothing factory in China.

DAY 9: “GUYS, GUYS! LETS GET A BEER!”

During the first half of our day I got a good taste of what it would be like to be on a reality TV show, not something I am too interested in looking into.  We had the amazing opportunity to visit some of the most successful manufacturing brands.  While we were touring the showrooms and the factory we were followed by a camera crew and photographers, I felt a little strange taking pictures of the people taking pictures of me.

After a morning of seeing how clothes are really made in China we got to fulfill one of the requests that Leah had from day one, we got our nails did.  I feel bad for the poor little Chinese woman who got my gnarley feet and hands.  The women who got Leah and Helen got to paint pretty colors with glitter on prepared toes and fingers and the girl who got me probably walked out of work with a hernia.  Lets just say that even though I did not get any colors on my nails it still took the same amount of time to sand the rough patches on my feet as it took to apply four coats of different colors and glitters to Leah’s.

During the final stages of my manicure, while my cuticles were loosening up in a bowl of mineral salts and warm water, I was getting a bit antsy (this was the firs time I had ever done all of this) and a group of white men walked by.  By the looks of them they were Italian soccer players and on their way to get a beer or two, I practically jumped out of my purple velvet chair at the thought of a cold beer, but I was a little worried that the woman still working on my feet would cut off a toe.

Luckily at diner I got my wish of a cold beer.  We decided to have Hibachi, the Japanese cuisine where the chef cooks right at the table.  After a meal of mixed seafood and fried rice it was time to head back to the hotel to sleep.

DAY 8: HONG KONG GARDEN

The trip to Hong Kong began early; because the city was a separate colonized state of the British for almost one hundred years there is an entire customs process that we all had to go through.  The day began by waking up early and getting a taxi to the train station, which I of course took it upon myself to take a morning nap.  We got our tickets and made our way through customs without a hitch, although going to Hong Kong did take up my second visa stamp for China.

When we arrived we met up with one of Helen’s partners George and although it did take a bit of wandering around we eventually were picked up in his black SUV Porsche.  Another quick nap was sure to follow.  George drove us out of the city of Hong Kong and into the countryside, which ended up being the most scenic chapter of our entire trip.

The combination of the winding roads through the mountains with the cliffs by the sea and the Chinese music during a light rain made for a magical moment.  After visiting two different beaches we made our way back into the heart of Hong Kong for afternoon coffee and cake.  As usual I was completely stuffed when we walked out but very satisfied.

We made our way past the boutiques of the European designers to a cab to the up and coming art district where we wandered around, shopping for things we didn’t even know we needed.  After an hour or two we were picked up by the fancy black car again and made our way to a surprise diner George had been talking about all day.  And to his credit we were completely blown away.

We parked the car a few blocks from where we were eating diner and fit in some last minuet shopping up the many flights of winding streets.  Being used to the insanely hot climate and knowing the history of SWEAT in the Ferron family, I packed my dress shirt to change into.  I’m sure the locals were intrigued but the hairy white man crouching behind the black Porsche.

We come up to a small door that opened to a space that looked more like a home than a restaurant.  It is surprising how much I have missed a good home cooked meal.  We walked into the kitchen where it looked like someone had been preparing for our arrival for the entire day, which it so happened, was the case.  The restaurant ended up being a personal chef who had previously worked for Gordon Ramsey and had a one table a night policy.

We sat in the lounge for a bit and began drinking delicious white wine, not my first choice as an Irish man but at that point I was looking to get a good wine buzz on.  Soon the rest of the party arrived, including one of his daughters, their two boyfriends and his girlfriend and we began to have one of the best nights of the trip so far.  Between the amazing meal, great company and a great wine buzz we all had an amazing evening.

After many courses of food and a glass of never-ending wine, we made our way back to mainland China to rest for yet another fun filled day!

DAY 7: CANNED CULTURE

Today was the most western day we have had so far on this trip.  In the morning we had breakfast and took care of some post show wrap up and went out to the front of the hotel to get a cab.  On our way out we ran into a group of young workers who helped us with the show yesterday.  They were planning to go to an attraction in Shenzhen called THE WINDOW TO THE WORLD, so we decided to tag along for the day. 

When we got there we decided to get something to eat across the street while we waited for the others to show up.  We went across the street to a huge mall complex but not before a group of Chinese girls wanted to take a picture with us in front of a half size version of the Louvre.  We found a restaurant that seemed to work and I ordered a bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce.  It tasted like a can of Chef Boy-ar-dee, but did the trick.  We walked around for a bit and ran into the group from the hotel that had been forced inside to get out of the rain.  After walking around the mall and realizing that most of the prices were much more expensive that NYC we decided to go see a movie.  Harry Potter seemed to fit the bill.

After the movie we went to a great restaurant in the mall where I got my first martini of the trip.  I would have gotten a beer but a drink with straight vodka seemed to do the trick.

DAY 6: IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE; I SWEAT THROUGH ALL MY CLOTHES

I don’t know how many people know how much the Ferron family sweats but it could be considered offensive in many cultures.  I woke up early as usual and went to breakfast in the hotel then headed back up to my room to put on my best white shirt for the interview we had with an extremely influential Chinese textile publication.  I was asked questions about my design process and how I develop fabrics.  I told them in was somewhere between football and sweat stains, which apparently makes for a very sophisticated design philosophy, refined, functional and wearable.  The interview went very well and we all had a great discussion about the climate of the textile industry.  By the time we had to take our pictures I had already went downstairs to change my shirt (Ferron’s curse).  After changing back into work clothes for the day we headed off to the runway show.

I only had one clasp to repair when I got to the venue but shortly realized that some obese model ripped the bottom portion of a dress off (just kidding, the models are all perfect… but she still ripped my dress).  By the time all of the adjustments and preparations were made it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the final show.  We stopped by the hotel restaurant to grab a bite to eat.  I said that I wanted to eat light and somehow that meant ordering a plateful of month old “fermented” eggs.  As good as they actually tasted I couldn’t get over the texture, a jelly like substance with a creamy green/blue center, I consumed everything else except the chicken feet.

The show began at 8pm, a combination of singing, dancing and fashion.  Leah and I had our individual show after the first couple of acts and everything went off without a hitch.  Back stage at a fashion show is absolutely crazy during the show, models running around trying to hit the right mark while the designers and dressers try to get the right look on the right girl.

By the time I got each piece on each girl my navy button up was an entirely darker shade of blue.  I got to watch the first look walk and then had to run back to our dressing room to start taking off the clothes… I heard the collection looked great!!  It wasn’t until later that I actually got to watch a video of my collection.  I could not be happier with the outcome; each model worked it out and really brought the clothes to life!

DAY 5: FASHIONABLY LATE FOR MY RUNWAY REHERSIAL

Waking up late seemed to be a precursor to how the rest of the day would go.  We decided to all sleep in and meet for a late breakfast, which actually meant we missed breakfast all together and had to order and pay off of the regular lunch menu.  Not that I’m complaining, shrimp and chives worked wonders.  After the meal I had some last minuet hems to turn up before the rehearsal later in the day.

Once we got to the VENUE we immediately began preparing for the full dress rehearsal.  After a day of arranging garments and negotiating time sequences we had time to sit back and close our eyes.  The music was set and the video was ready to go so we decided to grab a quick bite to eat.  We all agreed that some form of western food would be a nice break from all the soy sauce so we made our way to a westernized shopping district.  We found an Italian restaurant that seemed to fit all our fancies so we sat down to look over our menus.  The waitress brought me the first glass of iced water I have received in China yet, every glass before it has been boiling… literally boiling (edging a heat stroke).  By the time we had all picked out our choice of spaghetti we were already running late so we decided to leave and ended up at the nearest Starbucks ordering a coffee and a sandwich, cant get more western than that.

The cab ride back to the VENUE was a panic attack in pure form; I can actually be pretty prompt when it comes to presenting my work if you can believe it.  By the time we got back I was practically hyperventilating and we ended up being five minuets early. 

I would like to say that the rehearsal went smoothly but that would be a lie.  The only thing that actually went right was that I got all of the girls in their respective looks and on the runway in time.  The only thing that went wrong was that my models were cued to walk at the wrong time to the wrong music with the wrong lighting with the wrong logo and the wrong walk.  Aside from that it went perfect!  After the rehearsal we met with the director who was extremely helpful and assured me that everything was going to be worked out by morning… so we sleep.

DAY 4: “THIS ROOM IS OLDER THAN AMERICA”

Today has been the longest day of the trip so far, not even waiting five hours for a thirteen hour flight on the first day compares to this, waking up at 7:30am and not getting to the hotel until 1am has something to do with it. 

Breakfast at the hotel was just as good as yesterday… and not just because it was the same buffet.  After I finished my third cup of coffee I was ready for the day to begin.  First stop: The Forbidden City.  Our flight to Shenzhen (the city of our fashion show) was leaving at 1:30pm so, of course, we decided that we had plenty of time to fit in some tourist attractions and history in our morning.  The walls of the palace were the first visible trace of the city, then the architecture of the multiple entrances.  Red like this is hard to come by, it’s a rusty color that is absolutely beautiful.  But really it is the roofs that are the most impressive, golden and concaved.

The palace was crowed but still amazing, so big and so had much workmanship.  It is really something that is missing from modern architecture, and design for that matter.  In every inch of the space you can see the hand of the craftsman, from the carved wooden canopies and stones to the hand painted walls.  But what really stuck in my mind was not only the complex but also how out of place and rare Americans are in China.  As we were walking down a stone staircase a group of five or six children were all taking pictures of us.  By the time it had registered in our head what was going on we were surrounded by people who wanted to take pictures with us!  I think it was good preparation for stardom; I had to actually pretend that I did not hear the parents yelling at me to stop and take pictures with their children.  By the time we left the palace at least twenty families had pictures with a burly bearded white man and a bald black woman… come to think of it that would be a spectacle in most states of the US.

Once we peeled ourselves away from mesmerized stares we rushed to the airport for our three and a half hour flight to Shenzhen.  Upon arrival we realized that the entire cast and crew of the production was waiting to the pair of arrogant American designers so we went directly to the VENUE for model castings and fittings.  Aside from a couple of minor adjustments the fitting went extremely well, but we would not see everything put together until the dress rehearsal the next day… so we sleep.

DAY 3: AT LEAST THE BEER IS SAFE

 Bright and early I ate breakfast, finally feeling rested and getting a fresh combination of fruit and veggies.  The humidity rose this morning and today was supposed to be the first day we needed to look professional so my obvious first concern was my pits.  Luckily, after preparation and a clean undershirt I reduced the circumference by nearly one half!  

The first stop of that day was New Silk Road, the modeling agency sponsoring this entire amazing trip.  Joe Cao lead us to the locked door of the studio, pulls out his hand and puts his hand up to a little green box to the right of the door.  He then proceeds to get his thumbprint scanned and the door opens…. HIS THUMBPRINT SCANNED! (that’s what we’re dealing with here)  We are then taken on a shot tour of the offices and are shown many of that models as well as competitions that New Silk Road (NSR), the FORD of china, has been apart of over the years.  We are then taken to a conference room to meet with the vice President of NSR, Judy Tao, to discuss some of the logistics of the show on Monday.

After a beautiful lunch we head to the largest undergarment company in china, Aimer, for a meeting with the creative director and designer discussing the differences between the Chinese and American markets and how it affects the design process.  Along with a tour of the amazing history of Aimer and the development of perfectly fitting bras we also got a look at the latest collections and most exclusive fitting rooms.

Too fill the time before we have to go to diner at the most amazing hotpot restaurant, where you cook vegetables and meats in different broths over a flame the center of the table, we made a pit stop to 751.  751 is the most influential art districts in china, and also contained, on the whole, much better work then what I have seen in Chelsea.  Although, we had a great coffee and went into many little shops, the quest for post cards is still on!

After diner and a couple of beers the most relaxing part of the trip so far commenced.  The four of us Joe, Helen (our parsons connection), Lleah (the other designer showing), and I all got foot messages.  And let me tell you this was not just any foot message, it was an hour and a half OUT OF BODY experience.  I didn’t know that I could have knots in my feet… I was mistaken.

DAY 2: ARRIVING IN BEIJING

The muggy weather is not helping my handle the heat but I did get a glimpse of the mountains peaking through the clouds as we were descending to Beijing International airport.  The look of clouds going over the wings of the plane was truly beautiful.  Although I didn’t sleep for more then three hours on the plane the five star accommodations are going to help me sleep much easier tonight.

So far China has been very beautiful and exciting.  After carrying all of my luggage up to my room, splashing some cold water on my face (and re-applying my clinical strength deodorant) I was taken to a truly amazing restaurant.  When I order Chinese from the corner in Brooklyn everything seems to kind of taste the same, this was completely different.  Every one of the fifteen dishes we ordered had a completely different flavor.  Although some of the jelly like textures I was not too fond of the flavors were incredible.  And the best part about the food here is that no matter how much you eat it will never sit in densely as American food.  The ingredients are completely fresh and prepared to perfection!

I have made somewhat of an agreement with myself, no matter how crazy the cuisine is I will try everything!  In hopes to expand my pea sized cultural education.