Back in the USA

My apologies to all for the lack of entries while I was in China. I only have lame excuses (lots of work hours, difficulty posting entries with the restrictions in China, blah blah blah), so I thought I'd post an entry with some random observations and thoughts now that my 4 month assignment has ended and I am back in Topeka, KS USA.

Things I missed from the US while abroad:

I never knew what I'd actually miss from my life until this opportunity. I'm going to not mention the obvious (friends, family, etc) and look at the more mundane and, to me, surprising. The other thing that was surprising to me was that I missed "things" very little. But of the things I missed here were my top ones:

• Being able to drink water straight from the tap
  I learned this lesson the hard way (and found a great doctor in She Kou, the area where I lived). Every day (after that experience) I used bottled water - for drinking, for my waterpik - and every day I spent at least some time considering when I would purchase my next bottle (I bought 6.5 liter bottles from Wal-Mart at least twice a week). Thankfully I never had to worry about not having water, but I became a regular water mule around Shenzhen. I also never considered what effect cool water in my waterpik would feel like on my teeth ... ouch!
• My flavor of toothpaste.
  I took over a couple of tubes of the stuff, but ran out about two months in, which led to a great experiment in, and understanding of, the differences in flavor profiles for China versus the US. I thought, when I bought my first tube of Crest toothpaste that I mistakenly picked up shampoo, but it tasted almost exactly like the shampoo I use. The next tube I picked up tasted vaguely like a floral bouquet. Although I never found one that was similar to what I'm used to in the US, I did have a chance to try other flavors besides shampoo, and bucket of flowers - lemon zest was the best I could find.
• A place to get my haircut
  I should have found this early on, but I put it off and by the time I got ready to come back, I found myself rocking the mini-mullet. This is the longest I've gone without a haircut since I was probably an infant, although I have no memory of that stage due to significant repressive abilities. I knew going in that Asian hair has a completely different texture, so you want to select the barber carefully. What I didn't know was that most haircuts in Asia also include a shampoo and numerous scalp massages. The latter did not appeal to me, so I decided to become shaggy-doo and relish the vast amount of long, gray hairs. Not to worry, haircut happening at noon today!
• Chipotle
  This may seem a little weird, but while I loved the varieties of Chinese food I ate and found great Indian, Greek and Thai restaurants, the one restaurant I found myself missing while in China was this one. Perhaps it was simply missing the ability to consume three times the normal amount of needed caloric intake in one sitting, but I did have a couple of food dreams involving a big veggie burrito. 'Nuf said on that!

And these were the big ones ... there were lots of things I did not have (super high-speed internet with a stable connection, US ESPN (there is a ESPN Asia, but I could only watch so many recaps of the Rubgy World Cup), Facebook and Social Media (I had Twitter twitches from withdrawal initially), my car ... but, as Alisa Saville Lybbert has discovered (check out her blog at http://livingoutsideofthebox.com), there is much "stuff" that simply clutters my life and inhibits my enjoyment. That, to me, was one of the best insights from this experience. I think I'll be more mindful of the important things, as well as some of the little things that I've taken for granted.

I miss Shenzhen, the team and the friends I made there and it is also good to be back home. I'll post a few more entries of thoughts from this experience and then make some other entries as I return to Asia for shorter trips in the future. I've got to figure out a way to turn a trip to Jakarta to another jaunt down to Australia, as it's only about 4.5 hours more on a plane. As long as you are already nearby ...

Mas Culture/Custom Observations

One thing that has taken some getting used to in Shenzhen - Spitting. It seems to be even more prevalent here than in other cities I've visited. So much so it seems expected to expectorate. I'm sitting at the top of a "mountain" just a little way away from my apartment and it sounds like the dugout of a major league baseball team (that would be like the Yankees to all of you people in Kansas City). It just goes to show you, you can take the person from the farm, but ....

My guess is that this horking habit still exists because just a generation ago or so, Shenzhen was a sleepy backwater, rural village with not many people and almost no modern buildings. However, in the past twenty-five to thirty years, the government of China decided (as only they can do) to create a modern city in Southern China to be a rival to Hong Kong. So now Shenzhen is a good-sized city (about 17 million people) with modern skyscrapers and more under construction all the time. The average age in the city seems to be in the low-thirties, which is amazingly young when you consider China's one-child law. I think I've only met one person during my trip here who is actually from Shenzhen; everyone else is a transplant whose huoko is in a different province, town or village where their family home is located. And how that relates to spitting? My theory is that these folks came largely from rural villages to urbanize and brought their local habits with them. And with so many of them here, fallen fresh from the tofu truck, it's hack-spit-hack-spit all the way down Nanhai Avenue. Not that I'm not accustomed to this. My neighbors where I grew up could spit many different substances (baccy, seeds, etc) with the best of them ... the main difference is the way the population makes an exponential difference. I grew up outside of a town of 300 people and we had about eight neighbors within a square mile. If you spit in a timber and no one is around to hear it ... not the case in this city.

So come on over, enjoy the culture of the city and spit where you please. At least they haven't brought some of baseball's other onerous customers.

Observations in Taipei, Taiwan

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post ... I've been in the PRC, which means very little access to blogspot or Facebook. However, tomorrow I head to Jakarta, Indonesia (bring on the durian ice cream, durian donuts, etc) and so I'm staying the night in Hong Kong prior to flying out. Time to update the blog before heading out into this exciting city. By the way, the best way to come into this city is on the ferry from Shenzhen, right into downtown. It costs a little more than taking the train, but what a great way to see the skyline.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Taipei, Taiwan and had a chance to enjoy the city and the people while visiting our office. Posted a pic on facebook of a cool bookstore, but had a chance to go to a night market and really see the local action. and that led me to the discovery of ...

Stinky Tofu! when you are the city, and you want to truly experience a local custom, you must must must try this. The number of people who asked me to try it made me think this was a trick played on most visitors, but it is truly considered a delicacy, so if you want local flavor, then start achompin'. Given some of the other things I've seen eaten, this one didn't seem so bad.

More on "The Stink" in a sec ... first a comment on food at the night market. Mostly it resembles what you might get at a state fair or carnival in the US. Lots of fried and double-fried foods, bold colors, et al. Even though blue is not a food color that occurs in nature, it does occur at the aforementioned state fairs, carnivals and Taipei. Eat at your own risk, but it is pretty fun. I had a bottle of fresh squeezed sugar cane juice and no illness descended upon me. But do treat as a religious mantra "do not drink the tap water."

Back to Stinky Tofu - according to what I was told, given the amount of tofu produced in Taiwan, there are times when production surpasses consumption. I didn't realize this, but tofu can go bad. At this point, it normally gets discarded. However, where some people see waste and loss, one guy saw an opportunity. He took the risk to try deep frying the curdled curd and then serving it with a sauce on something like a piece of flat bread or on a stick (state-fair certified!). It had a distinctive wang, but a few adventurous folks took a nibble, liked it and a local culinary treat was born. To me, it had a flavor a little bit like blue cheese. So if you have the opportunity (and the stomach for it), give it a try. Bon appetit!

5 Reasons to live in Shenzhen, China

Some thoughts after living in Shenzhen, China for a little over a month - walking the streets, taking the Metro and enjoying the overall vibe. Here are the 5, in no particular order:

Safety - It's easy to forget this is a city of about 17 million people ... I was out the other night as the University Games were ending and kids were riding back on the subways with their friends. I've trekked through many neighborhoods and it certainly feels safer than a number of places I've been in the US. On other note ... I've seen about four traffic accidents since I've been here. they've all been minor fender benders, mainly because people don't speed. There are tons of cars on the road, and they don't always (or often) follow the painted lines, but they keep the speed down and use their horn to let other drivers stay aware. It is pretty amazing in a city of this size.

• Food (and value for the price) - I can eat a well-balanced vegetarian lunch in Shenzhen for about $3.50 US. Four courses with a beverage (purple sweet potato juice - yummy!). If I want to go out for a nice Western-style dinner (for those nights when nothing but a burrito (or the Chinese version of it) will do) and have a beer, it will cost about $15 US. Compared to other places in China, Shenzhen is considered quite expensive, but it is still less than Hong Kong and the variety is nice. I can eat tapas, Indian, Thai, Italian, Mexican, as well as many varieties of regional Chinese cuisine.




• Hong Kong - just an hour away, by train or by ferry (and I recommend the ferry, even though it costs more). HK is perhaps the most exciting city I've been to in the world and has a great vibe - like Manhattan, NY on a perpetual endorphin drip. Shopping, dining, both high and low end right next to each other and a mish mash of cultures that might be unparalleled (although I haven't been to Singapore). Prices are expensive there, but just over the border you're back in a less expensive Shenzhen.




• Metro (subway) - new and modern with six lines (four of which just opened in June of 2011 for the University Games. You can go almost anywhere for one or two dollars US. On most lines its not too crowded, although I think there is a game played by the Shenzhenians in trying to see how many of them can fit into a metro car. I think the slogan of the game is "there's always room for one more." The same game seems to apply to elevators, as well, although there is a buzzer that sends an alert when the max is surpassed on the elevator, and then everyone seems to understand that one of the last people on gets off, one at a time, until the buzzing stops. Very orderly. No such limit applies to a subway car ... the game stops when the doors close and everything can become quite intimate.




• People - it's a young city with young people who are surprisingly friendly for a place this populated. It's not difficult to stop someone to ask for directions and there seems to be an enthusiasm for things West, so a lot of curiosity. Aside from the children staring at me because of my size, I've had people come up just to try out their English and so I regale them with the little Mandarin I know. If they want an even more hilarious experience, I try out a little Cantonese, as well. I talk like a two year old ... thank you, hello, good morning, puppy, coconut, coconut juice, correct, incorrect. Most of the time I point at things I know the word for and say it. I'd be cuter if I tottered on my legs and had pudgy little arms.

If you have a chance to travel here, I recommend it, especially if you can stay for a week or two.

Hong Kong!

Wish I had a cool photo of my first trek into Hong Kong, but alas my blackberry was too low on juice. So instead I will insert a photo of the breakfast of champions for The Hulk ... a Green Tea latte. It may not come across in the photo, but this was a nice, vibrant green. The taste was not to my liking, but I'm trying out everything I can that has green tea in it. Dunkin' Donuts even has a nice green tea cruller.

Will likely only be in Hong Kong for a day as I renew my visa. However, assuming I am able to obtain a multi-entry F visa good for six months, I am hopeful that I'll be returning a few times. Initial impression of Hong Kong is that it is like Times Square on growth enhancing hormones. Took the metro to my hotel at about 10:30 PM and streets were crowded, lights were flashing. I was fading, but the city was definitely very alive. Will be back over during holiday week (Oct 1-7) with Meredith and Max and that should be outstanding. They will have fireworks over Victoria Bay when they arrive and we should be able to view them from the exec. lounge at the Marriott where we are staying. Crossing the border from Shenzhen to Hong Kong ... it seem like you are entering another country, which you are to a certain extent, as China has a one country, two systems approach for Hong Kong. More English is spoken, the cars drive on the British side of the road, it's a little cleaner and the service at the restaurants is impressive. Shenzhen is also quite nice, but Hong Kong steps it up to the next level.

Where Shenzhen is better and more modern than Hong Kong is in two areas: the subway and electric current. Because Shenzhen is a city that has been developed over the past 30 years and is still heavily under construction with new high rises being built, I haven't yet found a need for a converter. All of the outlets are built to handle both types of plugs. Not the case in Hong Kong, although converter kits are ubiquitous. The second area is the subway ... because Shenzhen just opened up three of the five lines in June (the other ones had opened a few years before) everything is clean and smooth running. A new subway car does not have a new car smell, but it does have a new "subway car" smell, which is vastly superior to the subway smells I've encountered in New York or Chicago. The subway cars in Hong Kong seem to be clean, but they are a little older and more rickety than the ones I've experienced just over the border.

My visa documents are with the courier, so should know by early evening what, if any, visa I'm able to secure. Hopefully the adventure will continue! If so, plans for the next two weeks are to go to Shanghai, Xiamen, Indonesia and Taipei.

Beijing - Day 1

Friday, August 12, 2011


As I sit in a Pizza Hut in Beijing, I weep for the future of the Chinese children. After a lunch in the outskirts of Beijing that was extraordinarily healthy with crisply cooked vegetables, sticky white rice and green tea, what China's youth is being introduced to (at least in the major metro areas) can do nothing but train their taste buds to want the things that are exactly contrary to good health and proper nutrition.

Having said that ... I never thought I'd see escargot on a Pizza Hut menu, or any number of other things. I ate a large garden vegetable pizza (green peppers, mushrooms, corn and pineapple), drank a red bean smoothie, a 7-Up, and then topped it all off with a slice of Green Tea ice cream cake (kind of like an Asian tiramisu). Yummo!

I chowed like a hound because it was my first chance to eat some serious calories in about three days and I tried to take advantage of it. My tour tomorrow ends late in the day, depending on Beijing traffic, so want to be sure I have Carbo-loaded. Today I found the challenge of a lifetime (for someone else, not me) as I visited The Great Wall. Words can't express how awesome it is. You have to see it and walk on it to believe it. It is a wonder of the ancient and modern world. It stretches about 6,000 miles and took over 1000 years to build. Designed to keep out the Mongol hordes (and other minorities) from the Han people, it is now serviced by a ski lift going up and a toboggan ride going down (think a luge on wheels going down a stainless steel track - really fun and not necessarily something you can do in a country with stricter safety laws).

I hiked (and it was a serious, sweat-inducing-wring-your-shirt-out-at-the-end climb) from tower 6 through tower 14 and saw beautiful lands. If I were to go back, I would have taken the lift to tower 16, walked over to tower 20 (which seemed to be the highest nearby) and then walked back to tower 6. However, this structure is awesome. I have a friend who hiked the Appalachian Trail in the US, which is something like 2,172 miles ... I have a new challenge for him. Our guide told us that Olivia Newton John hiked 220 kilometers of The Great Wall as a Climb for Cancer fundraiser in the mid-2000s. She hiked about 10 k a day and I thought, before going onto the wall, that it was not a bad achievement for someone a little older than me, but probably no big deal for someone younger. Holy Misunderestimation, Batman. I'd be lucky to make 10k the first day and I'd sure not make it hte second. If you ever have the chance to go to it, make the time - it is worth it. Also, go to the Mitianyu section and not the Badaling section (which is closer to Beijing). The Badaling section is the one that is most crowded and the pictures you take will not be as good. It's worth it to go about 50 miles out of town (although still in the pollution!) and enjoy a more relaxing time.

Tomorrow four more treats are lined up: Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace

Here comes the rain ...

I woke up this morning at 5 AM to the sounds of heavy rain, strong winds and thunder; almost sounded like Kansas in April. Wondered if I'd need to take my umbrella to work today, but just a light sprinkle as I set out, so decided to leave it at home. As I walked in, I was struck by two things ...

#1. How much more I pay attention when I'm not in a familiar environment. Even this will change as I get used to my daily route from She Kou to the office, but for right now I notice buildings, colors, smells, sounds as a constant frame of reference. I know, for example, that in the morning when I smell garlic, I am about two blocks from the subway station. Happens every day in the same place. I also know that the highest number of people I've seen packed into an elevator (that I was also in) is sixteen. Fortunately, none of them weighed nearly as much as me or we would have been exploring floor -3 instead of going up.

#2. How much rain improves the smell of the city. We had gone a little more than a week without a good shower and the smells of thirteen million people were starting to get a little pronounced. But today I could smell flowers, trees, cologne/perfume, and even baked goods. (Which smell a lot better when not mixed with the smell of fermenting trashpiles.) Even the streets looked better with all of the dust cleared off. I think Shenzhen employs a huge number of people to go around with brooms to sweep up debris as I see them everywhere. They pick up leaves, spare bits of trash and wear uniforms. Even with all of these people, an hour of rain does quite a bit more effective work than this (probably) several hundred thousand people workforce.
Nature is powerful.

Off to one of our factories tomorrow and then heading to Beijing for the four-day weekend!