For over a year effort has been put
forth to assemble a team, raise funds and search for a location for a second
Mr. Mai’s. For some strange reason, so I felt, the decision makers were leaning
toward fixing up an old boat, that was rusting and rotting away and producing a
layer of mold and a crop of mushrooms, for their second location.
I was asked to come for a look,
since I was experienced in construction, and give my opinion. At my first look
I wondered why they even considered it a remote possibility. In my opinion it
was truly a disaster in the making for donors money. I felt even the location
was questionable so the search continued.
Down the road three bus stops from
the boat is a new development designed to attract people and businesses. There
is also a university not far away and also our international school and team
apartments. The location is on a main street with very good bus stops. Negotiations
took place and a five year contract was worked out for space in the corner of
the building on the right of the above picture.
It was a two story space with only
one floor.
This space used to be two stories
high, but now a second steel ceiling/floor has been installed with supports
attached above to hold it up. Before long this space and the one above will be
filled with chairs and tables. When the meeting took place with the designer
and contractor a question was asked which I found quite amazing. They asked,
“How long do you want this build out to last; one year, three or five?” When we
responded, “Ten” they responded, “That will be very expensive!” So with a five
year contract you try to keep it together while your contract is valid.
Just looking at the mess on the
floor gives you some idea of our battle for quality here in China. The wall
materials between the concrete columns are made out of old bricks from
buildings that were torn down. The bricks are laid up with some mortar between
them and then the surface is smoothed over with a layer or two of mortar.
Instead of taking old building materials to a land fill someplace, they stack
it up in new buildings and cover it up to form walls. Any building movement,
and there is always some in these tall buildings, results in diagonal cracks in
these walls. In my apartment, when I had one, all the walls had cracks in them.
Here is an opening for a stairway to
the second floor. You can see three supports attached to the above ceiling used
to hold up our second floor. I believe this steel floor will be a potential
noise problem.
The above picture shows another view
of our space. Food preparation will take place in the room behind the ladder.
A view of the upstairs showing the
steel floor that will be very noisy if not covered with a carpet, which is not
normally used here. I will try to get more pictures later to show their
progress. Unfortunately it won’t be finished until after I return to the
states, but I plan to spend some time having conversation with students when I
return in the spring.
The above link is to a short article
that is worth looking at.
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