achtzehn-18

25/3/2011

Visited a winery today. The company is a joint venture between the French and Chinese government as an attempt to introduce wine to the Chinese population. For a place to have its own vineyard, it seems strange to place it in the suburban industrial town. 

When we got off, there was a guide, who showed us around the compound, and explained to us the business of wine making, and the steps and time involved in a 1.4l bottle of red or white liquid that people buy and keep until goodness knows when. Wine does strange things to people, which includes staking your daughter’s marriage on the guess on the origin of wine (Roald Dahl’s “Taste”), and I prefer to steer clear of it.

What I didn’t know was the employee population of a wine factory. There were certainly a lot of people going about, and many looked like students earning extra pocket money during their free time. They didn’t seem mind coming to the wine factory for work. I would have raised a stink about the distance, but they seem to take it all in stride. The factory is deep inside the industrial estate, and the nearest residential area seemed like half an hour away (by private bus), I can only imagine how long they would have to travel each time when they go to work to earn extra pocket money. I hope the company provides worker’s lodgings or private transport. Asking them to commute this distance to work each day seems a little too much for shift work. 

They certainly do not mind going through all that trouble for extra allowance. If it was me, I would pick a place closer to my house although it may have less pay, I spend less time and energy travelling to and fro. 

Even so, china’s sale of alcohol is much more open than Singapore’s, and I keep seeing specialty shops selling imported liquor and cigarettes. I guess these are the more indulgent habits of the Chinese. To smoke and drink, something I do not see any logic in. I prefer sleeping and drawing. 

I hope my dad doesn’t pick up those habits.