Back in the Saddle... Lessons Learned from a Thailand Vacation

OK. Remember that quote by Nietzsche? The "what doesn't kill me" one? Consider this: 23 hours from Phi Phi Don Island (in Phuket) to Guangzhou in China. 3 hours on a boat, a quick lunch, a drive to a "gem showcase" where we were pestered by sales drones while looking at a godawful selection of tacky gems. Then, the airport: wait, wait, wait, board the plane. Oops! Back off the plane, it's broken. 5 hours of no answers from Orient Thai Airlines, followed by a 10pm departure, 2am arrival, bus to downtown Hong Kong to a bus to the Shenzen border to a van to Guanzhou, arriving at roughly 7am.

Sigh.

Also, while there were some nice moments (an elephant ride, a half day snorkel trip), Patong really is only suitable for 23 year olds and creepy old men who like young Thai women. Not for families.

So, I need a vacation to recover. Would we return? Well, maybe. But not to the same places.

Hong Kong

We've begun our May Holiday (aka Golden Week) with 3 days in Hong Kong. Shanghai and Hong Kong are often compared ("Shanghai is the new Hong Kong"). What is striking is just how different they are.

• Shanghai is flat and sprawling; Hong Kong is dense and mountainous
• Hong Kong is remarkably multi-ethnic; Shanghai by comparison is just Chinese

The food has been quite excellent, with only one minor exception. Julia had a fabulous time strolling through the Ladies' Market shopping for hair ties and watches.

Plus, of course, the inevitable Mao memorabilia...

17 Hates

Here is a translation of an article written by a Chinese blogger. Interesting read. Some things that are really only Chinese, but you can probably come up with a list of your own for your own town.

Lunch in Shanghai

Here we are having a team lunch in Shanghai. 12 people for about $100 US. Is it any wonder I'm gaining weight?

Photo Albums Online

Finally got around to posting photos from the last 8 months. You can check them out at http://picasaweb.google.com/bill.hofmann.

Life at Ambassy Court

You know you're cool when they do fashion shows for hip urban brands like Van Dutch at your complex. I missed the actual show (got back from Hangzhou an hour too late), but the next morning, the Harley Davidsons and the catwalk were still there. By tonight, it should be like we were never hip.

It's a shame, though. I kinda wish they would leave the red carpet. It's the closest I'll ever get...

We're in the middle of a kind of heat wave (although we're about due for the weather to change). So half of Shanghai is walking around with a coat or sweater, the other half is cautiously considering summer. Me, being a gringo, I'm wearing my bold geometric print shirt.

One of the nice things about the new place is that you can see something from the balcony. We're in the middle of a mostly low-rise neighborhood, with some fairly nice houses that clearly have had money put into them recently. The orange one is actually a restaurant, "Cilantro." Feels like I'm back in California!

Spring Has Sprung

It's hot and sunny here in Hangzhou. What a shock! All of a sudden, it's not cold and windy.

Brief Sojourn in Suzhou

On Sunday, we made the trek to Suzhou, which is a quick train ride away from Shanghai. The pleasant thing is that there are very few tall buildings. I would say, however, that the train station is a major obstacle for tourists. They're doing massive construction across the street, so in addition to all the dust and noise, it's not immediately clear where to go to escape the van touts and hopeful tour guides.We made the decision to escape to the Humble Administrator's Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan), which is a 16th century garden covering many acres. Not always the best choice with a bunch of kids, but it was so nice compared with the train station that it was worthwhile. The weather was excellent, and there is a nice pedestrian street (DongBei Jia) fronting it and the fancy new Suzhou Museum.

The pedicabs, as you can see here, are covered with ads. They seem (as in other places) to be actually used by locals. The good news is that the drivers didn't really seem to be too interested in pestering us to take them. One "no" would suffice...

New Neighborhood

We just moved from right-in-the-middle-of-everything-downtown to out-in-what-in-the-thirties-used-to-be-the-burbs. We're now in Ambassy (sic) Court on Huaihai Zhong Lu. Across the street, the American Consulate. Next to that, the French Consulate. A block away, the German Consulate. And to round it off, around the corner, the Iranian Consulate.

Across the street and down a little is the Shanghai Library, which is huuuge, and quite interesting. Our street, where we are, isn't terribly interesting. But downtown a ways, it's one of the two big shopping streets (Nanjing Xi Lu being the other, in our former neighborhood). South of us, however, is a charming set of sycamore-lined streets with the occasional lovely villa. Also, a few blocks away, Xujiahui Park, which is large, and on a sunny Saturday, full of kids.

Beijing institutes queuing day

Beijing institutes queuing day

"The 11th of every month in Beijing is to be 'voluntarily wait in line' day as the city attempts to eradicate queue-jumping before next year's Olympics, a city official said on Wednesday....

"'The reason for establishing such a day is to mobilise the Beijing population to ensure that where there are more than two people, they should wait in line,'" said Zhang Huiguang, director of the Capital Ethic Development Office."

Of course, one of the most striking things to a Californian living in Shanghai is the mob scene to get into anything, and how people will just walk up and cut in front of you, and often shove you just because. Queue-jumping is hardly the word for it. On the upside, however, when you're in a bad mood, it's nice to be able to shove people and cut in line.

For folks from New York City, though, no big difference. Boarding a plane at Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai or in LaGuardia Airport in New York is pretty much the same....

Imagethief : What do the kids think of Starbucks in the Forbidden City?

When you enter the Forbidden City, besides the droves of Chinese tourist groups and the occasional group of international kids on field trips, one of the things that you will see is a rather well integrated Starbucks. Those of you who have been following the news from China may have heard that a Chinese Scholar is up in arms about this.

Imagethief : What do the kids think of Starbucks in the Forbidden City?

Interesting link...

What a Contrast: Hangzhou

You get used to being in a big (big) city like Shanghai, and you can forget that there is a countryside, or green space that isn't maintained by an army of gardeners. A couple of weeks back, we spent the weekend in Hangzhou, which is an old town a couple of hours southwest of Shanghai. It was dang cold, but we lucked out - it was crystal clear.

This is a view of part of Xihu (West Lake), a mostly man-made (via dredging) lake that is the center of Hangzhou.

Another thing you forget about in Shanghai (being a river delta kinda city) is that there are hills. What a pleasure to walk up hill for a while - just like being in San Francisco.

Hangzhou isn't a small city, it's roughly 3 million urban residents. But compared with Shanghai (18 million municipal, 9-10 million urban), it's small.

Almost Like Being at Home...

Just got back from a glorious week doing absolutely nothing at all in Sanya, on Hainan Island. We stayed at the Hilton Sanya, a five star resort at the end of a row of 5 star resorts (Sheraton, Marriott, etc.).

Weather was mixed, no rain, but not quite as hot as I'd hoped (but, on Christmas, what can you expect?). The last 2 days were nice and hot, though.

We all had fun sleeping late, eating at the buffet, and lounging on the beach or by the pool (pictured here).

Pedal Power

It's impossible to visit China (Shanghai, Kunming, Lijiang, whereever), and not see bicycles being used for practically everything. My favorite most recently was a pressure washer sidewalk cleaner bicycle.

The photo to the left was taken in October in Lijiang (in Yunnan province), and is the classic flatbed bicycle that you see adapted so many different ways (with an arc welder, full of bootleg books, carrying 8 giant bottles of water, you name it).

New Frontiers of Advertising

Just when you think you've seen it all, Shanghai ad execs come up with a new way to put advertising in your face. Up to now, I've seen:

• LCD TVs running ads outside elevators in apartments
• LCD TVs in elevators
• Little LCD TVs in cabs
• Old-fashioned printed ads in elevators
• Ads on the back of airplane seats

New to the world of advertising

• Advertising on escalator handrails
• Large video displays on street corners

And last but not least:

Yes, you got it right: a large boat (now, two large boats) with giant TV screens motoring up and down the Huangpu.

This is Too Good

You may recall stories about American car companies naming their cars in silly ways for the foreign market (like the Chevy No va). Check out what SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industrial Company) did with its newly-bought marque, Rover.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/10/25/295174/SAIC_makes_its_marque.htm

The Rong Wei 750!

A Brief Side Journey to Japan

China has three major holidays: New Year's, May Day, and National Day. These are each officially 3 days, but people work 6 days the preceeding and following weeks, so it ends up being 3 5 day vacations. (Of course, as you'd expect, it's awfully quiet on the Saturday.)

This year, since we're here, we decided to go someplace. We were advised by everyone to not travel in China. So, off to Japan. My former roommate, Lang, lives in Tokyo with his wife Mari, so, heck, we figured we'd stop by. Of course, he was traveling on business. So...

2 1/2 days in Tokyo: Ginza, temples, shrines, the fish market
1 day in Kyoto: temples
1 day in Yudanaka: Snow Monkeys!

You know, I'll never complain again about San Francisco being expensive. Geez. An OK, not excellent, sushi/tempura dinner in Kyoto for 3? 13,000 Yen ($100). A room in a Ryokan that hasn't seen renovation since 1978? 14,000 Yen/night.

Everyone is orders of magnitude more polite than in China, everyone queues up, like the British, everyone keeps to one side of the escalator if they are not walking, even the punk'd out kids.

But. Entirely different cellphones, so you have to rent one at the airport. Most ATMs only take Japanese cards, and using credit cards seems to be unheard of. Mind boggling.

Back in Shanghai, I can be in a bad mood and take it out on people on the subway and not feel guilty. I guess that's OK :-). And dinner for 3? Hmmm. Maybe $10.

Back in the US...

Back for 12 days of meetings and errands.

Someone asked me this morning how I was adapting to life in the U.S.

"Well, there're Starbucks on every corner, just like in Shanghai."

Well, so much for sun.

Nothing but Blue Skies...

Woke up today, the sky was blue, and it was almost cold! What a difference 10 degrees Celsius makes!