Meals...
In china it's custom to over serve your guests...as an empty plate is sign of low respect. (In that you didn't feed your guest well).
In the usa, I was brainwashed to think about the starving people in the world. Thus clean the plate.
So what to do? I always find that I eat too much food whilst in China. Plus I drink too much beer, though as there aren't many beverage options you're stuck w/ beer. Thankfully the beer, is extremely light and low in flavor, you can drink cases of it and your get full up, long before you get a buzz, let alone drunk.
So Batman??
I was on the star line ferry this afternoon, going from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, and noticed a helicopter constantly hovering around one of the large buildings in Central. Then it landed, probably to refuel, and came back.
Then I went to Aberdeen, with friends - to the Jumbo Restaurant, and noticed a few people hanging out at the Aberdeen Marina Club with cameras...ah the paparazzi, as I turned the corner, there about 30 or so.
So one of my friends, said they were filming the new Batman today in SoHo on the escalators, and so it all made sense.
So I wonder who was staying at the club? Christian
Bale or Morgan Freeman? Maybe Michael Caine or Liam Neeson. Aberdeen, is definitely more secluded, there would be less tourists and people snooping around.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
Chinese Construction Design, Good Looking - Very Impractical
Over the past few months, I've been explaining to coworkers how badly designed so much of the modern china is...
A good example I always find, is to explain the sidewalks. I'm currently spending most of my time in Shenzhen, which is a very modern city, about 20yrs old. Here most of the sidewalks on buildings built in the last 5 years are polished marble....which you looks very nice and fancy, but it rains here a lot - and you're basically ice skating when you walk; so most people walk in the street. And as the pedestrian is 2nd class here, you best watch yourself or you'll be run over.
My office is one of the first buildings built in Shenzhen, it was completed in 1989; it's 4 stories tall - and was the tallest building in the city when it was built. Now nearly 19 years later, it's one of the shortest. All the buildings around us are at least 30 stories, often 60 stories. Another scary fact...they can build a 60 floor apartment building in 12 days here....how come so fast? Primarily because they're badly built, they work 24x7, and as people are an excess commodity here, they're easily replaceable.
The biggest problem here is that nothing is maintained, when it breaks it stays broken, the building across the street with the marble sidewalk, well 1/3 of it is cracked - will it ever be fixed, doubtful, they're just tear it down in 3-5 years and restart with another monolith.
The genius idea here is to build the entire building out of cement, great idea it's very strong, but crap idea because if you need to install wiring or such, you now have to chisel out crevices, install tiny conduits and re-cement. Here I am trying to get a new network installed and every room has a hub as there is no central wiring area, they're all daisy-chained to each other.
There's a lot of money in this city, it's a lot wealthier then last I was here(just over a year ago); more cars(not all buicks); starbucks, mcdonalds, crowne plaza. They money is being made here, as are 90% of all cell phones and sneakers. There's hope(fear in my mind) that the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong will open soon, rather then in 40 years as planned.
The mass transit is well designed here, but that's because the Germans did it. If memory serves me correctly, a lot of Germans left Germany after WWII; some went to Argentina, China, and so forth. So until last year, the worlds fastest maglev train was here (310 mph), the subways run like Disney world 1 every 10minutes or so.
So with all this new money, and good transit system, can they improve the people...I don't think so. There's still a strong communist mindset here. Imagine if people had to pay for their own apartments and food? How about the invention of middle management?
A good example I always find, is to explain the sidewalks. I'm currently spending most of my time in Shenzhen, which is a very modern city, about 20yrs old. Here most of the sidewalks on buildings built in the last 5 years are polished marble....which you looks very nice and fancy, but it rains here a lot - and you're basically ice skating when you walk; so most people walk in the street. And as the pedestrian is 2nd class here, you best watch yourself or you'll be run over.
My office is one of the first buildings built in Shenzhen, it was completed in 1989; it's 4 stories tall - and was the tallest building in the city when it was built. Now nearly 19 years later, it's one of the shortest. All the buildings around us are at least 30 stories, often 60 stories. Another scary fact...they can build a 60 floor apartment building in 12 days here....how come so fast? Primarily because they're badly built, they work 24x7, and as people are an excess commodity here, they're easily replaceable.
The biggest problem here is that nothing is maintained, when it breaks it stays broken, the building across the street with the marble sidewalk, well 1/3 of it is cracked - will it ever be fixed, doubtful, they're just tear it down in 3-5 years and restart with another monolith.
The genius idea here is to build the entire building out of cement, great idea it's very strong, but crap idea because if you need to install wiring or such, you now have to chisel out crevices, install tiny conduits and re-cement. Here I am trying to get a new network installed and every room has a hub as there is no central wiring area, they're all daisy-chained to each other.
There's a lot of money in this city, it's a lot wealthier then last I was here(just over a year ago); more cars(not all buicks); starbucks, mcdonalds, crowne plaza. They money is being made here, as are 90% of all cell phones and sneakers. There's hope(fear in my mind) that the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong will open soon, rather then in 40 years as planned.
The mass transit is well designed here, but that's because the Germans did it. If memory serves me correctly, a lot of Germans left Germany after WWII; some went to Argentina, China, and so forth. So until last year, the worlds fastest maglev train was here (310 mph), the subways run like Disney world 1 every 10minutes or so.
So with all this new money, and good transit system, can they improve the people...I don't think so. There's still a strong communist mindset here. Imagine if people had to pay for their own apartments and food? How about the invention of middle management?
Sunday, November 04, 2007
starbucks in china, the caucasian hangout
As today is Sunday, and the group I'm with has split into subgroups to rest or tour. As I'll be back in 2 weeks or so, I opted to rest. I'll have plenty of time to tour about over the next 6 months.
Well even if you have the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, that's not what it means. I was called twice by the front desk, that I needed to leave so they could clean. So on the second time, I opted to go for a walkabout.
Took a short walk around town, just kept the monorail in sight as it was my landmark.It's also the 'rest day' for the locals, so there were plenty of people out for a stroll or laying in the park. There's a octoberfest(in november) at the crowne plaza, so maybe I'll get some better beer?
On my return to the hotel, my will broke down, and as I write this now, I'm sitting in a starbucks. I tried to survive purely on chinese food for 2 weeks, but I really just wanted a small meal - oh and a large latte(I refuse to use starbucks language).
While sitting here, I've seen more caucasians, and caucasian women since I was in HK. It's a welcome sight. This is the caucasian hangout, I think I may come here tomorrow morning and get a normal size breakfast.
It's also the hangout for the wealthier locals, I can see. A single large latte and turnover, probably cost more then one weeks meal for most of the workers here.
Another nicety, never seen this in any other starbucks, endless supply of trials. I've has a vanilla latte, ham/cheese croissant, and now some frappucino in the few minutes of writing this blog. I think this will be my safety haven when I'm stuck here for weeks on my own.
Well even if you have the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, that's not what it means. I was called twice by the front desk, that I needed to leave so they could clean. So on the second time, I opted to go for a walkabout.
Took a short walk around town, just kept the monorail in sight as it was my landmark.It's also the 'rest day' for the locals, so there were plenty of people out for a stroll or laying in the park. There's a octoberfest(in november) at the crowne plaza, so maybe I'll get some better beer?
On my return to the hotel, my will broke down, and as I write this now, I'm sitting in a starbucks. I tried to survive purely on chinese food for 2 weeks, but I really just wanted a small meal - oh and a large latte(I refuse to use starbucks language).
While sitting here, I've seen more caucasians, and caucasian women since I was in HK. It's a welcome sight. This is the caucasian hangout, I think I may come here tomorrow morning and get a normal size breakfast.
It's also the hangout for the wealthier locals, I can see. A single large latte and turnover, probably cost more then one weeks meal for most of the workers here.
Another nicety, never seen this in any other starbucks, endless supply of trials. I've has a vanilla latte, ham/cheese croissant, and now some frappucino in the few minutes of writing this blog. I think this will be my safety haven when I'm stuck here for weeks on my own.
beer, cohiba, foot massage
well what to say of a drunken night....
20 people, 15drinkers, 32 liters of beer, 20 foot massages, and 5 cohiba siglo II cigars. 4 bottles for chinese water(moonshine, 120proof)
heaven maybe?
u can drink like a fish here, as the beer is extremely light, no matter how much you drink you never get beyond a buzz; drank a restaurant out of tsingtao, pearl river, and some other local beer.
One table drank 3 bottle of chinese water, mine only 1; and I stayed away from the stuff...too many bad experiences from it.
then retire to foot massage, for relaxing 1 hour treatment. feet feel great, calves do not.
then a few blocks back to hotel for some cohibas and more beer.
I haven't smoked this many cigars since college, just about 1/night.
Dinner: $150 for 20
Foot Massage: $140 for 20
Cigars: $20 for 5
More Beer: $10 for 10 beer
Cost: Priceless
20 people, 15drinkers, 32 liters of beer, 20 foot massages, and 5 cohiba siglo II cigars. 4 bottles for chinese water(moonshine, 120proof)
heaven maybe?
u can drink like a fish here, as the beer is extremely light, no matter how much you drink you never get beyond a buzz; drank a restaurant out of tsingtao, pearl river, and some other local beer.
One table drank 3 bottle of chinese water, mine only 1; and I stayed away from the stuff...too many bad experiences from it.
then retire to foot massage, for relaxing 1 hour treatment. feet feel great, calves do not.
then a few blocks back to hotel for some cohibas and more beer.
I haven't smoked this many cigars since college, just about 1/night.
Dinner: $150 for 20
Foot Massage: $140 for 20
Cigars: $20 for 5
More Beer: $10 for 10 beer
Cost: Priceless
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