Going to government meetings here is one of the reasons why this is a “hard posting”. You need to sit there like you are interested, take notes, look serious with a faint smile indicating how happy and honored you are to be there.
Often my hard disc spins down, ready to wake up from sleep mode when triggered by something interesting. You would not believe how well that works. After years of training. Or I study Chinese.
Sometimes you wonder when those officials do something, they always seem to be in meetings. Actually, sarcasm apart, this is why they have little sleep because after their banquets they start being productive – and start calling us till very late. Many end up sleeping at their office (now you know why they HAVE beds in their offices). Contrary to what foreigners believe they do have a hard life and I don’t envy them (their spouses see them only occasionally…). This is the other side of the coin – others are of course specialized in late karaoke & all but it is wrong to generalize that picture.

Now those guys in DC are lucky. At least they have some fun. That guy deserves a prize for entertainment. We hardly can keep our eyes open over here. (cartoon from the IHT 7 Dec)