I do not consider China the enemy of the USA, though there are some members of the old guard in Beijing, especially in the military who would disagree with me.  Competitor yes, but not enemy in the way the Soviet Union or the PRC under Mao was.

Marshall’s famous quote came to mind watching this stunning piece on the new “ghost cities” – an inarguable sign of a serious property bubble.  I know there are major skyscrapers in Shenzhen that look complete on the outside, but are unfinished and completely vacant on the inside.

I cannot urge you enough to spend 15 minutes watching this.

My post the other day which scornfully mentioned the Chevy Volt produced snark from my co-worker Adam, who is from Michigan.  Yes, it was voted car of the year.  It also is insanely expensive, and only in reach of some consumers because of very generous government rebates.  Its sales are also anemic and consumers are reporting serious problems with battery range, especially in cold weather, as was forecast by critics.

The Volt is an interesting idea, but it is still essentially an old idea – batteries and internal combustion.  Maybe a better version of that combo is the future, but I am still keeping my eye on fuel cells.

It is a bit dated – you certainly won’t have any trouble buying condoms in Shanghai today – but one thing that really struck me was the insistance by the shopkeepers that what the customer (Mr. Adams) really wanted, no, what he needed (stupid round-eye), were the pills.

This is why you absolutely MUST specify what you want, and you MUST do so in the local language when you try to buy something in China.  Whether it is condoms or an engineered consumer product like an iPhone, you really have to take the time to put on paper in a language that the seller can understand, EXACTLY what you want.

That’s why we’re in the business.  PassageMaker is your office in China, all our senior employees are at least bi-lingual and we excel at helping you write your Product Quality Manual and purchase orders to properly document your requirements.

So enjoy the video and call us if you need help in China!

People who live in the polluted areas of China know it, and any of them will tell you they’d like things to be cleaner, but most also understand this is a trade-off – one kind of green for another.  Green technology will fly in these markets as long as it works at a reasonable cost.  As I’ve said before, environmentalism as it currently exists in the West is a luxury.  When you are dirt poor, you are far less likely to get misty-eyed about dirt.

I cannot do better to close my commentary on this wretched bit of eco-fascist propaganda than quote the great James Taranto quoting the peerless David Burge, aka Iowahawk:

No, this video was made by green supremacists themselves, and with a high degree of technical proficiency. As 10:10 itself observed in a statement (since removed from its website), the video required the efforts of “50+ film professionals and 40+ actors and extras.” Blogger David Burge notes that “somehow, throughout this entire process, not one of the hundreds of people involved seemed to have questioned the wisdom of an advertising message advocating the violent, sudden death of people who disagree with it.”

Now, the original post, drafted way back in January 2010:

This is an excellent piece on how the “green” movement gets it wrong when it targets human beings as the problem.

Key paragraphs:

But the main, fundamental problem facing the movement after Copenhagen–which none of the green factions have yet addressed–is its people problem. The movement needs to break with the deep-seated misanthropy that dominates green politics and has brought it to this woeful state. Its leaders have defined our species as everything from a “cancer” to the “AIDs of the earth.” They wail in horror at the thought that by the year 2050 there will likely be another 2 or 3 billion of these inconvenient bipeds. Leading green figures such as Britain’s Jonathan Porritt, Richard Attenborough and Lester Brown even consider baby-making a grievous carbon crime–especially, notes Australian activist Robert Short, in those “highly consumptive, greenhouse-producing nations.”

Yet a slower population growth–while beneficial for poor, developing countries–can lead to a dismal, geriatric future in already low-birthrate nations like Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Russia. And although birth rates are dropping in most developing countries, particularly those experiencing rapid economic growth, it will likely be decades before population stops increasing in most of the developing world.

Besides, people in developing countries have much more important things to worry about–such as earning a living and getting ahead. Fighting climate change ranks low on the list of Third World priorities. The sprawling slums of Mumbai need more energy, not less; they want better roads, not fewer. More economic development would produce the money to help clean the now foul water and air, but also provide access to better education, one of the best ways to assure more manageable birth rates.

Instead of looking to make developing countries even more dependent on Western largesse, greens should focus on ways to help improve the day-to-day lives of their people. Rather than prattle on about the coming apocalypse, they could work to replace treeless, dense slums with shaded low-lying clean houses that are easier to heat or cool. Those interested in nature might purchase land and rebuild natural areas. The children of cities like Mumbai should have the opportunity to experience wildlife other than crows, pigeons and rats.

The environmental movement also might as well forget fighting the aspirations of the burgeoning middle class in India, or other developing countries. No developing world politician, whether from democratic India or Brazil or authoritarian China will embrace an agenda that stifles such aspirations. [emphasis added]

My first post when I started this blog was about the passing of Norman Borlaug.  Despite developing strains of wheat and rice that fed millions and helped lift millions more out of crushing poverty, some in the “green” movement saw this as a bad thing.  Feeding people was a bad thing, as it leads to more people.  To those folks, and to the modern “greens” like them, I encourage them to lead by example.  Starve yourself to death if you believe in it that strongly.  Or if you can arrange to have your surviving relatives recycle the bullet, make it quick for yourself.

But since that’s not going to happen (the world needs them too much, don’t you know), I guess it’s back to ignoring the Luddites and finding technological solutions for the problems we face.  Care to make a bet on the Chinese and Indian contributions to said tech solutions?

We got into a discussion with other members of the group and briefly debated the recycled uses of various materials, but the consensus was that clients talk about wanting “green” products out of China but don’t want to pay for them.  Ultimately, the green that matters is money.

Our Sourcing Feasibility Study (sample here) can identify suppliers that meet whatever criteria you like, including environmental criteria.  But 90% of our clients pick suppliers based on price.  Just my observation.

But that got me thinking about what really constitutes “green” or “sustainable” anyway.  A few members of the group talked at length about recycling materials like metals and plastics, but I don’t think this should count, as people have been recycling valuable metals since time immemorial.  I used the example of salvaging steel, iron, brass, lead, etc. from battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars.  As any art historian knows, many of the great bronze statues were melted down to make cannon during this time.

But many “green” products strike me as a scam.  The Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs that have been forced upon us by Congress just plain suck – they are expensive; they cast crappy light; they contain mercury, so you break one and need a hazmat cleanup; despite their supposed energy efficiency, I have seen no significant drop in my electricity bills; and did I mention they contain mercury, so how the heck am I supposed to dispose of the stupid thing when it burns out far ahead of schedule (as every one I’ve bought has done)?  So, which savior of the planet should I thank for foisting this overpriced, under-performing, toxic “green” product on us?  Should the control of Congress change hands in November, don’t be surprised if one of the first acts is repealing the incandescent bulb ban.

I remember my first encounter with “green” products was in the early 1990s while visiting family in Colorado.  They used environmentally friendly dish soap, which in practice meant that you had to use half a bottle for every load of dishes washed.  The stuff was environmentally friendly because it was apparently 99% water.  Nearly 20 years later doesn’t look like much has changed – Cleaner for the Environment, Not for the Dishes (from the New York Times).

And as I was writing this, I just saw the polar bear commercial for the all-electric Nissan Leaf.  Does anyone realize where 50% of the USA’s power comes from?  Hint: It’s a black rock we burn.  And the reports I’ve read about the Chinese betting big on EVs are also followed by reports about how such a move will result in LOTS more pollution.  While the traffic jams in Beijing may be not quite so smoggy and saturated with ground level ozone, the net result will be more pollution from the coal-fired plants that supply most of China’s electricity.

So…remind me again what makes a “green” product?

I lived through such governmental BS in the USA heavy truck industry, but since my escape from the automotive world, I’ve tried not to think about it.  So those stories will have to wait for another day.

Quick note in closing about the Dark Side (as a friend termed my switch to Mac)…my eyes have adjusted.  I love the MacBook Pro and doubt I will ever go back to PC.

The last two weeks have been full to the brim with visitors from central China, Hong Kong and Germany (yes really, here in Salem, VA), sales calls, and computer crashes (my God, does Microsoft suck – Apple, I’m comin’ baby).

I have some great food and travel blogging drafted, but it is 3:15 AM, and I’ve been going since 7:00 AM yesterday, so you get some random dreck, DJ-style, like the great Instapundit (and yes that’s me hoping for some linky love).  I’ve been saving these up for a while, but they are still current and topical.

• Reuters – Google phases out Microsoft Windows use: report – GOOD; Vista is a war crime and the entire Office 2007 suite should have resulted in public hangings in Redmond.  How do you screw up Excel with stoopid menus?  I swear they could mess up a calculator.
• Financial Times – Rival tablets ready to bite into iPad lead – and they’re not even talking about the knock-offs you can buy on the streets of Shenzhen.
• The Anchoress – Witnessing the heart as it cracks – UPDATED – this is now quite dated by all the other bad things that happened in the Gulf of Mexico.  I only post it here to make the point whether you like Obama or not, having a President in the White House who the entire world (especially our Chinese creditors) see as an incompetent fool is not a good thing.
• New York Times – Virus Ravages Cassava Plants in Africa – This is quite sad, as Africa has enough problems.  I will be interested to see if the new colonial masters, the Chinese, come to the rescue with either aid or a scientific solution.  Somehow I doubt either scenario, but I sure hope I am wrong.
• AutoblogGreen – Study: Mass adoption of EVs in China will lead to tremendously higher emissions – It took me several minutes to stop laughing after I read this.  That Law of Unintended Consequences really is a bitch.  I love it when the local tree-huggers tell me about all the green technologies in use in China.  I wish I had a clear photo of the street lamps on a showpiece stretch of highway from Liantang to Buji.  The bulbs are fluorescent and the lamps have solar collectors and windmills!  They should be totally awesomely green, right?!  Except there is no consistent wind, the smog blocks out the sun and the bulbs are all broken.  Other than that, they are on the right track.
• The Telegraph (UK) – Chinese hiding three million babies a year – I know far more young people in China with siblings than the One Child Policy would suggest.  Anyway, as Mike is famous for saying, “there are 1.3 billion people in China – people be ****ing.”  Speaking of which…
• The Sun (UK) – Saying Sorry to China with Sex – Well, I for one applaud the young lady for trying to heal such old and deep wounds.  I mean, what have YOU done today to atone for the atrocities in Nanjing?  On a similar note…
• Good**** – China’s looming woman shortage: 5 possible consequences – this blog post is safe, but please note the site itself is NOT SAFE FOR WORK as the blog title suggests.  Despite the location of this post, the point is very valid – such an imbalance (India is said to have a similar problem) is a  huge flash-point as Beijing tries to control China’s rapid ascent.
• Walter Russell Mead – Marx Awakes as China Rises – an erudite end to this post.  If you don’t read Mr. Mead regularly, you should.

Actually, I have to end with some key words to boost our SEO, since that’s the original reason for this blog in the first place.  So here goes:

Contract Manufacturing, Contract Packaging, Contract Assembly – rah, rah, rah, sis boom bah!  Please feel free to contact me about our contract capabilities!

4:00 AM – good night, Irene.

To put that in perspective for those of you who don’t like sushi and teppanyaki, my last trip to our favorite place here in the States ran over US$100 for a very modest date night meal.

I know I have eaten and drunk over 1000 RMB worth at some of our gorge sessions.  As I have written before, I have no idea how they stay in business.

What puts this in mind was this powerful piece by Reason TV, How to save a dying ocean from overfishing…, which primarily discusses the Japanese and USA role in overfishing.  Those roles are well documented (for two great books on the subject, read Mark Kurlansky’s Cod and The Big Oyster).

What is not mentioned at all – and I find it quite curious – is Chinese overfishing.  This has been reported on for years (see here, here and here for examples going back nearly a decade), so I find it very curious that they were omitted from the article.

In any case, I am sure the next iteration of this study will have to involve the seafood appetites of the growing Chinese middle class.  One of the things I love about being in China is the exquisite seafood dishes.  While a great deal of the seafood is now farmed, I know I’ve eaten wild fish, usually the daily special.

I like the concept of a market based solution as proposed in the article, and modern China is so thoroughly capitalist that such a plan would work well.

• MSNBC – Clinton says world must respond to N. Korea
• Financial Times – US warns over Beijing’s ‘assertiveness’
• DER SPIEGEL  – Interview with Economist Nouriel Roubini: ‘We Will Have Even More Crises in the Future’ (hat tip Matt)
• Real Clear Politics – Depression 2010? (whether you agree with him or not, this future is not clear or bright – there is much excitement yet to come I fear)
• Reuters – Factbox: Sources of tension between China and the U.S.
• Reuters – China and U.S. look to close world’s biggest trade gap
• Reuters (again) – Clinton avoids China disputes, hands out teddy bears (avoid confrontation and carry a teddy bear – not exactly what the Teddy for whom the bear is named advised, but then he never had to deal with being in debt to your competitors)
• CNBC – US Plays Down European Crisis but China Worried (as they should be)
• USA TODAY – Private pay shrinks to historic lows as gov’t payouts rise (that’ll work)
• Reuters (yet again) – How Greek debt crisis could save America (God, I hope so)

Maybe get to some travel blogging tomorrow.  Or not.  You’ll have to check back to see.

So I guess I should have known that it was not reliable as an alarm clock.  Suffice it to say I am an experienced enough traveler that I don’t cut things close, so I had planned to arrive 2 hours earlier than needed.  Despite the fact that the alarm failed, the sun woke me and I showered, shaved and “packed” in about 25 minutes.  I say “packed” because I made the decision some days back to leave most of the clothes behind as I will be back in about 6 weeks and didn’t see the point.  Because the driver is waiting and I want to get through the Huanggang border crossing before the Chinese New Year rush hour starts, everything I wanted to take got unceremoniously shoved in the bag – couple small gifts for the kids, some movies and books and medicine and out the door.

It’s a glorious morning, blue skies and lots of fast moving clouds.  It is warming up fast and very humid.  We head to the main Luohu border crossing, Huanggang, which I am fearing will be a mob scene.  Although the official Chinese New Year doesn’t start until Saturday, many factories and offices are already closed.  Around 450 million people travel inside China during the 2-3 weeks that cover the Lunar New Year season.  That’s 1.5 times the entire population of the USA.  And we bitch about travel around Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Last year the blizzards in China had over 250,000 people stranded at the Guangzhou railroad station for days.  I’ve been there on a normal business day, and it is no wonder they had to bring in the police to maintain order.

So I am not surprised that Huanggang is in fact a mob scene. The company driver drops me off at the stand where they sell tickets for the mini vans that run you across for 150 RMB.  I usually get a limo for 700-800 RMB, but decide to try this less expensive method.  In the future, I will be using the limo again, more on that in a minute.

Photos inside are strictly forbidden, and I did not feel like taking the risk 4 hours before my flight, so you will have to visualize the chaos of maybe 3,000 people with their luggage squeezed into a room designed to hold perhaps 500.  There were 30+ lines for Chinese and only one for Foreigners, so getting through took a long time.  They were really being critical this morning, usually passport control for a white guy takes 30 seconds, but today he looked through every page of the passport and spent several minutes looking things up on his computer.

If I had hired a limo, I would have been able to go through passport control in my own lane, never getting out of the car.  700 RMB (cost of the limo) – 150 RMB (cost of the van) = 550 RMB = US$80.  That savings is looking less important all the time.

Outside I find our van and it appears I am the last man.  I expected as much, due to the 3rd degree from the border patrol.  Except the driver insists I am not the last, he says we are missing one.  When we buy our tickets, we are given stickers with the van’s number on it so the driver can keep track.  The van seats 7 passengers – 3 in back, 3 in the middle and one riding shotgun.  I did not look in the back when I boarded, but I take it on faith that he is correct – they would never run these things across a passenger light, certainly not on a day like today.  In the van with me are a Singaporean man, four Taiwanese men and one Taiwanese woman.  The Singaporean is mighty worried about missing his flight, and after 30 minutes waiting for the missing passenger in the 80 F warmth and bright sunshine, he is starting to get hot, as in pissed.  The driver placidly insists he can’t leave the 7th (which none of us can exactly remember) because he paid too, we have his luggage, and if we leave he will be stranded, as there is no way to hire a car on this side.  The driver is quite right…in theory.

The Chinese was fast and very heated, but it seems the Singaporean insists there is no 7th, something none of us can confirm.  The Taiwanese woman who was also in the back seat, says nothing and refuses to answer when asked.  Very strange.  He then opens to back and starts counting luggage.  He points to different bags and the various passengers chime in to claim ownership.  When he points to mine, I say “我的”, “mine” which makes him actually do a dramatic double take that the laowai can speak Chinese.  It appears the mysterious 7th has no bags, so we double count, and indeed all the bags on board are accounted for by the six of us.  The driver sees that the luggage is no longer an issue, but still insists on waiting.  The Singaporean in now in a rage and calls over another driver from the same company who just pulled in.  He loudly explains the situation and the other driver agrees to find the missing 7th, who may not even exist, and tells our driver to roll out.

Back in the car, for the the first 2-3 minutes the Singaporean loudly berates the driver, who must be a Taoist, as he is completely at peace and does not get the slightest bit ruffled under this assault.  Finally the Singaporean realizes the futility and quiets down.  I find the whole episode educational and an example of what fascinates me about Asia.  Singapore is wealthy and sophisticated city state (I lived there in 1994 and loved every minute), and this guy acted like he was a typical rich snob from good side of town.  The driver must have a special permit in order to cross the border so regularly, but my guess is he is from the Mainland.  People on the Mainland, especially the older generation, have been raised to just take it.  I’ve seen Singaporeans, Taiwanese and Hong Kongers pull this stunt on Mainlanders, berating them publicly, because they know they can get away with it.  One of my rules for life is to show as much respect as you can to the people who wash your clothes, cook your food and drive you around, etc., because they are the ones who make your life easy.  They deserve more respect than this guy got.

Huanggang border crossing

So many Chinese drivers have these awful perfume dispensers on the dash - note the gold tiger for the Year of the Tiger.

Huanggang - when you are using a Porsche Cayenne for your border crossing van, that's just showing off.

Huanggang - Shenzhen skyline

Huanggang - to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the coolest places on earth.  The drive to the airport is always amazing but is especially so this morning with dramatic and fast moving clouds with occasional bursts of sunlight.  The natural setting is glorious and dramatic, hundreds of mountainous islands covered in verdant green rising out of the harbor.  The cities and towns are built to work with the land, unlike the wholesale flattening of the hills that takes place in Shenzhen.  The bridges that connect to Lantau island and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) are brilliant – one each of suspension and cable-stayed – and the whole setting reminds me of a scale model too perfect to be believed.  My camera stinks, so this is the best I could do.

views of Hong Kong

container ship in the harbor

We arrive at HKG with less than two hours before my flight, far less than I normally allow.  I know before I even get to the airport that there is no chance of getting better seats, not so late and not on the Thursday before CNY.  Nevertheless, even though I checked in online last night, I head over to the United counter and chat up the very attractive lady at the counter (in Asia it is still OK to hire public relations personnel who are good looking – it is often part of the job description) and she tries every trick in the book to get me a better seat.  Nothing doing, flight is booked solid.  Oh well, I appreciated her efforts and gave her a business card (she didn’t believe that I’d been in Asia for 5 weeks with no luggage so I told her to check the blog), so if she’s reading this, thank you very much for your help!

HKG entry hall

HKG entry hall

I head through passport control and security, and get accosted by the eager young folks who are always there taking a survey of foreigners to find out how much time and money you spent in Hong Kong on this trip.  I am in a hurry, but I take a minute anyway to talk to them.  Yes, I absolutely love Hong Kong.  I would move here tomorrow if my wife would come with me.  I’ve been here many, many times and will be back again soon.  It’s awesome and now I have to go.

Five minutes for a quick bowl of noodles and to buy some candy bars (paid for in 1 second with my Octopus card – love it).  Then up and down the seemingly endless series of escalators with the train ride to the other terminal in the middle and on to the gate.  It is very humid and pretty warm and HKG, like Shanghai Pudong, is built to be big and impressive which means by the time I get to the gate, it is now officially sticky uncomfortable.  It is February, so I don’t think they have the AC on, but this not how you want to board a plane.  The security is far tighter than the USA, with every bag searched.

I am in a aisle seat in Economy, which means the next 14 hours will only be mildly tortuous.  My seat mates speak not a word and neither do I.  Both sleep through the entire flight.  Just as well as I’m not in the mood.  United is sticking with the 4 movie format, but at least they are good – The Invention of Lying, Where The Wild Things Are, My One And Only, and The Informant!  The food sucks and is even sparser than last time.  Thank God for candy bars.

Land in Chicago exactly on time, and after a pretty thorough grilling by passport control, out into the airport.  For some bloody reason you have to go back through security again, which in O’Hare is less than fun.  Security in HKG is MUCH tighter than in the States, but nothing for it, so shoes off and laptops out.  My flight to ROA is out of one of the commuter terminals, to one with no good restaurants.  Lunch at McD’s.  blech.

I sit down to read the Wall Street Journal Asian edition they gave me on the plane and wait the two hours for my flight.  There is a great article on Chinese Intellectual Property law that I would love to be able to concentrate on, but instead I spend this time listening to an astoundingly annoying woman tell the lady across the aisle from her nearly every detail of her life and recent travel history, including how her underwire bra sets off the metal detectors EVERY TIME (I feel so much safer now knowing they actually work).  I know this because despite the fact that she was about 100 feet away, her voice was SO LOUD everyone in the terminal heard her.  At least when people in China are loud and obnoxious, they are all loud and obnoxious at the same time, so the result is sort a loud silence.  They all just drown each other out into white noise.  Oh, how I wish I were back in China.

Bumpy flight to ROA with the annoying lady talking only intermittently during the flight.  I think she was airsick.  Thank God for turbulence.

Finally, almost exactly 24 hours after I woke up, we land at Roanoke Regional Airport.  Out into the cold and snow covered mountains.  24 hours ago I was in 80 F weather, now below freezing.  Yipee.

Roanoke Regional Airport

clear and cold at ROA

It’s been a great 5 weeks, but when I see the family again, I know where I belong.

Happy to be home.

Dongmen shopping district

view from the pedestrian bridge - note the construction for the subway

view from the pedestrian bridge

Dongmen shopping district

a micro McD's that only sells ice cream in Dongmen

Chinese New Year decorations in Dongmen - featuring Disney knock-offs

Dongmen - Kobe, skyscrapers (that's Di Wang Da Sha from the front), faux temples and a plaster giraffe

Chinese breakdancers - only 20 years late to the party - as the proprietor of www.theshenzhenrules.com said, "the Chinese will never be able to beat Americans at cool".

yes, that's a Dunkin' Donuts in Dongmen - and no, I did not have one

the incomplete building across from Di Wang Da Sha - it has been this way for years, caught up in another corruption scandal

That evening we head out to meet [name redacted at the request of her employer on 7 April 2011], aka Banana (adopted from China and raised in Germany and Hong Kong – yellow on the outside, white inside – her term), and one of our Endorsed Service Providers, Ms. Li Yan of the JunZeJun Law Firm.  Li Yan and I have been referring people to each other for a while now and she’s done an exceptional job with our clients, 8-0 on IP cases.  It was nice to finally meet her face-to-face.  We dine at the Da Yu (Big Fish) the crazy teppanyaki place with the all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink special for 150 RMB.  The place is packed to the gills for CNY celebrations.  Ultimately we are seated and have a spectacular meal.

Lamb, sushi, grilled fish, beef cooked several ways, raw kobe beef sashimi, and copious amounts of beer, sake and fruit smoothies to keep it healthy

Since we were one of the last tables to eat, the chef used our grill to make a massive batch of egg fried rice for the staff’s dinner.

that's a dozen eggs at least

you should have seen the slab of butter he threw in this thing - a pound at least - say it with me now, egg fried rice is NOT diet food

whole process took only about 90 seconds

The group breaks up after dinner, though some of us go for a few more drinks – Erdinger at McCawley’s (my favorite German beer).  Banana is with us and says I’m pouring it wrong.  That may be so, but I’m pouring it the way I like it.  Besides, my way is more fun for entertaining the wait staff.  No way to describe it, just have to show you the next time I see you.  Starts raining which sort of kills the fun sitting outside.  Head for home.

Day 33 – rained hard all day, forcing us to cancel our trip to Hong Kong and Macau.  We did nothing except sit inside all day working and watching movies.  When the rain finally started to abate, headed out to get some KFC.  Yes, I know, but sometimes you feel lazy.  We pay for it later with wicked acid indigestion.  KFC is much spicier and greasier than in the US.  Later in the evening we head out to Shekou to get rooms at the cruise ship so we can watch the Superbowl live in the morning at the sports bar downstairs.  We take our clients to dinner at Tasca, the Spanish tapas bar and have a grand time.  Early to bed.

ship hotel room at Seaworld - that's a port hole in the upper right of the "window"

Day 34 – Up early to watch the Superbowl.  I don’t care about either team, but fun nonetheless.  Our clients head out early via hydrofoil ferry to HKG, which is much quicker than crossing by land (the “business” excuse for our trip to Shekou – have to take care of those customers).  This is the first time I’ve been to Seaworld in the daylight in years, and after the rain it is a gloriously clear morning.

Seaworld in Shekou on Superbowl morning

This is the boat where Deng Xiao Ping signed the paperwork for the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone

It now houses a hotel, a Western sports bar, the New Orleans nightclub and a German brewpub where we ate breakfast. Communist...right.

The water is to give the illusion it is still afloat

Little Foreigners Town

The opposite of China Town

Starbucks, KFC, McDs, 7-11

It's far from perfect though. This was all filled in (it used to be a harbor) and this area is below sea level. All the water has to be pumped out.

Merry Christmas in Shekou - in February

Because it’s Monday (China is 13 hours ahead of the east coast of the USA, so Sunday night is Monday morning), after the game we head to work.  We have to stop by B&Q again.

I was thrilled to see this in the parking lot at B&Q - tool trucks that deliver make plant life in the USA much easier and it is a good thing this in now available in PRC.

On the way home from the plant, we see a VW Santana with a big involved graphic across the back of the trunk lid.  It says “SOCCER” and has a picture of some famous footballer.  Only one problem – it’s backwards, a mirror image of what it’s supposed to be.  You see this kind of stuff all over the place here – English words on t-shirts, handbags, advertisements, etc. that are misspelled or upside down or backwards or just thrown together at random.  My wife has a t-shirt from our time in Taiwan that says “I’m Fine Muck”.  Yes you are, sweetie.

We are interviewing a Filipino process engineer to work with me at the Assembly Center.  He looks like he’ll be a good fit.  He’s got loads of plant level experience working for major global companies and has lived in Shenzhen before.  He has family in Dongguan up the road.  He tells us a harrowing story about his last time in China when he was kidnapped and robbed at knife point in broad day light.  I have heard these stories about SE Asians in China, but never about a Westerner.  I guess the gangsters assume the police will care less about the SE Asians.  Sadly, they are probably right.

Day 35 – Last day at the Assembly Center.  We hired the process engineer, Harold Roman, this morning and he’ll spend today and tomorrow with me reviewing our kaizen agenda for the next couple months.  I intend to return for the month of April, but don’t want things to go cold after CNY.

The last lunch is celebratory, the first lunch with beer since I’ve been here.  Had I been doing the factory visit two-step, every vendor would want to treat me to an alcohol-soaked luncheon.  I was not here for that, but in this case, a couple cold beers in the afternoon is an appropriate reward.  Only problem, no cold beer.  No problem, we’ve got ice.  Iced beer.  That was honestly a first for me.

The chicken was exceptional - Teresa asked me to pick a dish (I chose the little fish), but of course when they accidentally bring the mushroom dish in the foreground, my choice is the one that gets canceled. Lao wai's don't know how to order anyway.

sizzling black pepper steak - this was great - eat it off the bone with chopsticks - easier than it sounds

the chicken feet were not eaten by the ladies because they were 'too small'

It was a beautiful day, bright sunshine, 75 F, low humidity, so we walk to and from lunch, about 10 minutes each way. Landscaping on a street in an industrial part of town. The new China takes civic beauty increasingly seriously

typical traffic on a Chinese SIDEWALK

When we get back the postman is delivering the mail on his green China Post motorcycle with saddlebags.  Very cool.  We get back to work until Julien Roger of China Quality Focus calls and asks me to join him for a business dinner.  The schedule requires me to wrap things up early and head back to Liantang.  We have our closing meeting and say our goodbyes.  I’ll be back in April, but will miss these folks in the meantime.  A good team all around.

Chinese postman - note he just drives right into the building - walking is for sissies.

Our team at Buji. Wonderful folks. L-R: Mr. Tang, Teresa Chen, Josephine Ji, me (man, am I not photogenic), Candy Cheng, Marc Yue, Honey Wu, Hebe Wang, Bruce Li (yes, really) and Nancy Lan.

On the way home I finally get a not-completely-blurry photo of the “staircase street” we pass every day.  They are not good, but this is a very cool little oddity of Shenzhen.

I tried everyday to take a photo of this 'staircase street' which we passed on the way back from the Assembly Center - these are the best two - very cool

Can you imagine living on this street?

When I get back to Liantang, the driver drops me at the end of the street.  Our street is private, meaning that you have to pass through a gate and take a ticket to get in.  If you stay on the street for more than a few minutes, you have to pay to get back out.  We have a parking spot outside the wire, so this is typical.  Nearly every shop is already shut down for the Chinese New Year, a bit of a ghost town.  I come across one scene outside of a restaurant that is very cute and hugely disturbing at the same time.

This is a lot less cute when you realize that the bunny is dinner.

Julien and I head out to meet up with Renaud Anjoran of the Quality Inspection Blog at a northeastern style restaurant.  I love this style, and was wickedly disappointed by the last place I tried, so I went in hoping for a good experience.  Julien said this was his favorite place and I see why.  It was excellent across the board.

This is the best salad in the world - warm onion and cilantro with peppers.

This is by far the best fish I ate on the trip - boneless, deep fried, sweet & sour with pine nuts - what's not to like?

A light meal for 3 people - sweet potato noodles, pai huang gua (bashed cucumbers), sweet & sour fish, lamb & vegetable dumplings, some meat dish with chilies, cilantro salad, potato 'noodles' with 9 beers for a total of 178 RMB or US$26! I love this place!

After dinner, I go for my last massage of the trip.  I have a bad back, had to wear a back brace when I was a teenager and am used to regular pain and discomfort.  On this trip, I have definitely been spoiled by the affordable and effective massages.  My back feels better than it has in years.  The woman tonight is in her 40′s and her experience shows – she is an expert and despite the momentary thrashing when I wake up in the morning I feel like a million bucks.  Total cost around $25.  Love.  This.  Place.

Day 36 – Last day at the office.  Beautiful morning.  We battle the usual chaos before the CNY, mainly problems with customer payments clearing in time to release goods to get a berth on a freighter.  Customers often can’t envision the traffic at the ports during this time of year, and think that if they get the check out on the last day that that will translate to goods on the water.  To clarify, no it won’t.  If you are one of these customers reading this blog, it is nothing personal and trust me you are not the only one, but in the future, send the money early.  The earlier the better.  The Chinese have been celebrating CNY for 5,000 years.  It’s not like you weren’t warned, and trust me, there is NOTHING I can do about it.

last morning - beautiful

Our favorite local restaurant is still open and so we have our final lunch there.  All the favorites plus this that I’d not had before.

last lunch - very good sizzling beef dish - the dish was so hot it was still boiling 4-5 minutes arrived it arrived at table

We have a very productive day and then select Mao’s House for the final dinner.  How I love those chili shrimp skewers.  We have at least 4 plates between us – Mike Bellamy, Brian Garvin, Adam Supernant, and Harold Roman of PassageMaker and Julien Roger and Ludovic Larry of China Quality Focus.  Much later we head out to meet up with Dave Learn at Viva, running into Banana and other friends on the way.  How bizarre it is to have such a dual life.  And how exciting as well.  I am looking forward to being home and seeing my family, but I will miss this place when I am gone.

Home at a reasonable hour and to bed.  Early day tomorrow.

Articles, articles, articles…

• Chinese diplomat:  Ties with US deteriorated recently – no, really?
• More from Reuters
• This is just wrong – Chinese girl, 9, becomes one of world’s youngest mothers after giving birth to a baby boy
• India forms new Climate Change body
• Uh oh – Fears of sexual frustration among workers in China
• Proof there is a God
• China’s Debt Bomb – as good a reason as any for Washington to quit spending so much money
• Dazzled by Asia – a different perspective, far less rosy about China’s future, and hard to argue with
• Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China – a rather silly article in Time magazine, which again reminds me why I no longer read Time magazine.  As Dave Learn put it, “it sounds like an article written by someone who read a book about China”.
• And this also popped up on the Google search (from the Business Insider) – TIME Magazine’s Ridiculous Five Things America Needs To Learn From China
• China PLA officers urge economic punch against U.S.
• Stay rates for foreign Ph.D.s rebound after decline

A little random tidbit from Dave, who is going on another Asian adventure for the Chinese New Year.  Airlines are just no damn fun anymore (from the terms and conditions on his plane ticket):

- Guests can no longer carry guns and/or ammunition on flights to or from Indonesia

Killjoys.

Day 27 – A client from the USA arrived today, one of a group of three we were expecting.  The other two were delayed by fun winter weather in the USA, so they will arrive tomorrow.  After a long day at work, I met the client for drinks at our preferred corporate hotel, the 999 Royal Suites.  Nice rooms for a very reasonable price.  The bar caters to foreign businessmen and they have the standard Filipino cover lounge singers.  Some have been there for years and it was catching up with old friends.  The Filipina hotel day manager, Queenie, looks great and I am glad to see her rising in her career with the 999.  I once spent 5 weeks living at the older 999 hotel across the courtyard, so I got to know the staff pretty well.

Day 28 – We have visitors today from [company name redacted 7 April 2011], a German 3PL based in Shanghai with offices in Shenzhen [and no sense of humor apparently].  The head of the Shenzhen office is a self-described “banana”, yellow on the outside and white on the inside.  She was adopted from China as a baby by a German family and raised in Germany and Hong Kong.  Very interesting young lady.  We have a great lunch and then they head off to tour our facilities.  Here they are with Mike heading into our medical assembly center with clean room and sterile packaging capabilities.

L-R – Mike Bellamy, founder of PM, and anonymous employees of an anonymous German logistics company that no longer wishes to be named in this blog [as of 7 April 2011], prepare to enter our Clean Room Assembly Center.  Too funny.

Later the rest of the clients arrive and off we go to the traditional first-night-in-China Xinjiang dinner.  Great time.  The highlight was the staff practicing their traditional dances out in front of the restaurant late at night.  I’ve seen them do this before, and really don’t understand it, because none are from Xinjiang and they don’t work in local costume and don’t perform at the restaurant.  But this is one of my favorite scenes from China.  I’ve tried before to take photos and this is the first time they were any good.

Dance Practice

I have no idea if the dance has any significance.

Kind of like a square dance.

They finally realize they have an attentive audience and fall out laughing.

Day 29 – Very productive day of meetings with our clients from LimbGear and our Endorsed Service Provider, Camrett Logistics.  They have a great new family of products and I expect we will see great things from them in 2010.  At night we head out for a Northeastern style dinner, normally one of my favorite styles, at a restaurant called 东北人, dōngběirén, literally “northeastern person” or “northeasterner”.  We were told it would be awesome.  It wasn’t.  The food was a warm cup of OK, but the service was bloody atrocious.  After waiting more than 10 minutes I actually had to get up to go find a waitress and mildly berate her for leaving us sitting so long with no tea.  She was embarrassed enough to come immediately and take our drinks order, but the service stunk throughout the meal.  This is extremely rare in China, where most of the time you have almost too much service.  If you are in Shenzhen, Dong Bei Ren near King Glory Plaza (GuoMao station on the subway) is one to skip.

It's not MONS beer.

Day 30 – Another day at the Assembly Center.  I am starting to feel the end of the trip and have so much to do I eat lunch at my desk.  When I lived in Taiwan, I loved the lunch boxes (bien dang in the local dialect).  Today’s take out was not the same (bien dang are more complete rounded meals) but it reminded me a bit.  A good light and healthy lunch all the same.  Now if I can just get my TrekDesk (one of our clients!) set up in China, maybe I could actually LOSE weight on these trips.

lunch at my desk - better than 95% of American Chinese food

On the way to dinner, we saw one of the more memorable sights of this trip.  We are fast approaching the Chinese New Year, and families stock up on fresh produce to last through the long holiday (1-2 weeks).  And when I say fresh, I mean live.

This is 3 chickens and 2 geese caged on top of an SUV, with cardboard rigged up to block the wind. These birds will be kept on the guy's balcony or in his yard until required at meal time during the CNY. Sorry, but this is the best photo I could get in the moving traffic and low light.

Dinner was one of the best of the trip, which is really saying something.

personal hotpots - chicken broth seasoned with garlic, ginger, thousand year old eggs - you add green onions, cilantro, miso paste and chiles to a soy dipping sauce to taste - cook the raw ingredients yourself in the broth and dip in the sauce - lamb, beef, tofu, wood ears, golden needle mushrooms, lettuce - wonderful

RAW BEEF SASHIMI with soy + wasabi dipping sauce - this is the best thing in the world - ZOMBIELAND be damned

Everyone’s tired and a little lubricated, so early night.  More adventures tomorrow!