Eric Gillaspie
713-345-7667
Enron Building 3886
----- Forwarded by Eric Gillaspie/HOU/ECT on 04/16/2001 09:33 AM -----

	jonathan gillaspie <jongillaspie@emailvista.com>
	04/14/2001 04:44 AM
	Please respond to jongillaspie
		 
		 To: Eric.Gillaspie@enron.com
		 cc: 
		 Subject: Re: ching-chong bliss


Daddy-o:

If you want I can recommend some hotels we stay in. If you're traveling with 
Dan and Gayle you probably won't be searching out the cheap, flea-bag, opium 
stalls that I frequent. Shanghai has oodles of hotels. If you browse through 
a China "Lonely Planet" travel book you'll see a breakdown of the various 
hotels based on prices and accommodations. If you're pinching pennies we can 
get you decent rooms at a new hotel for about 400 yuan ($50 USD), but the 
joint is no where near the Bund (waterfront). Shanghai ain't cheap.

Ai Ping will most likely be in Qingdao doing wedding preparations when you 
arrive in Shanghai. I don't know exactly what my work schedule will be like, 
but I'll be there to meet you. In regards to the Shanghai>Qingdao flight, 
we'll try and book for everybody. I don't think we'll need your credit card 
info. I'm hoping we can arrange for all of you to just pay in the airport 
when you get there (ie. we'll reserve it).

The itinerary below looks fine. I'd take the morning flight to Qingdao on 
June 8th. That way you can get settled in your rooms, hit the beaches, stroll 
the streets, drink fresh Qingdao beer, and familiarize yourselves with the 
city. June 9th is the big day.

June 10th you can hang out for another day in this coastal city, or move 
north to Beijing. I'd say spend the extra day in Qingdao and relax a little 
bit before entering the tourist madness that is Beijing in June. You'll need 
a day to rest after the wedding because you'll be expected to consume about 
three vats of rice liquor at the wedding banquet eating extravaganza. I shit 
you not- this will get ugly. You'll be expected to go native and vomit on 
your wife. I'm fuggin serious! Every fat-assed, 60-something, sausage-eating, 
big-nosed, camera-toting Western devil ever born in the history of the planet 
will accompany you on your trip through the Forbidden City in Beijing. Bring 
lots of benevolence and Buddha-like patience or bring lots of heavy weaponry.

The only pre-wedding activities will be a group dinner somewhere and a night 
at my French buddy's pub on June 8th. We'll probably eat at a shithole 
reataurant downtown that serves the wickedest squid bbq in the Eastern 
hemisphere. You won't be expected to assist in any way other than making 
yourself extremely groovy. We could also arrange a group boat ride on the 
ocean to a couple surrounding islands. Qingdao itself translates into "Green 
Island." But, as you know, it's not an island, it's just surrounded by 
several.

Yep, I'm now nearing freak out mode. In a way I've just got to do what I do 
best: be a stupid foreigner and stay out of the Shang family's way. It's Ai 
Ping's wedding in Ai Ping's motherland- I'm just here to be me and play the 
role of the goofy Western monkey who marries the Chinese princess. Please 
god, mail me some dope.

Write again soon. Looking forward to the chaos....

Hugs and booty-smooches all around,

Jon



--- Eric.Gillaspie@enron.com
> wrote:
>
>Jonny-son:
>
>I think we'll take the plane from Shanghai and Qingdao if its only $85.00
>instead of the 22 hour train ride.
>
>I think Dan is taking care of lodging in Shanghai, do you have any best
>bets or recommended places or locations, if not we can take care of it.  If
>you want you can just crash in my room to save some yuan.  I assume Anna
>won't be with you in Shanghai, or will she?
>If you think it is a good idea to get the Shanghai to Qingdao flight ahead
>of time (seat availability, etc.), we should do that.  Do you need some
>credit card information?
>
>Does this updated itinerary make sense: (I'm suggesting this with no
>working knowledge of anything but logic):
>June 5th: Arrive in Shanghai @3:15p.m.; I assume we'll be frazzled & cashed
>and the rest of the day & night will require a bed or plum wine.
>June 6th: Shanghai
>June 7th: Shanghai
>June 8th: fly to Qingdao in the morning, sightseeing?, etc.
>June 9th: Wedding
>June 10th: Further sightseeing in Qingdao or leave for Beijing/somewhere
>else...
>
>Basically I'd like some guidance on how soon/late should we get to
>Quingdao? Where/What would be the best use of our sightseeing time? Are
>there any pre-wedding activities we could/need to help you with?  How long
>should we stay in Qingdao for sightseeing, etc?
>We bought some travel books and I'll start getting acquainted with what
>attractions are in those areas, but I'd like your input as well.
>
>Sorry for all the questions, I'd call you and we could get this resolved in
>a 5 minute phone call but I hear the rates are high.....Are wedding
>preparations making you freak out yet?
>
>Eric Gillaspie
>713-345-7667
>Enron Building 3886

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