Sitting in my hotel room watching BBC World, sipping Tsingtao and
catching up on e-mail. If only my VPN wasn't working!
3 days in Shanghai off to a decent start. But isn't it cold!
Tag: China
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Shangz
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Not Made in China
There is quite a backlash against Chinese produce at the moment, and it is affecting the well-known scare stories like eggs and milk, but also spilling over into other products that I suppose the marketers believe can get some traction with. Hence, batteries; the sticker says “Not Made in China” (非中國： fei zhong guo).
Made in Singapore, none the less – I didn’t even know they had any factories there. -
Victory Beer in Shanghai Airport
After all my stress and anxiety and hard work and rushing around Asia and really feeling rather full up and not myself quite for the last few months, I feel like I am sitting on top of a mountain right now with everything happening down below me.
…. I am now in Shanghai Airport having a beer with my boss Corrado, after finishing a large pan-Asian design strategy project – crucially having a good response and teeing up a second phase. The key difference with the second phase is that I will no longer be working for DEM, but instead working as Design Manager for Dell in Taipei from the end of the month. That’s worth another post.
So…. what a way to finish my DEM experience – beer in hand and staring down the fresh-out-of-the-shrinkwrap Pudong Terminal 2. One day left in DEM, and then two weeks on beautiful Bali. Bloody well done me!
Reflected in the the immense windows of the even more immense Shanghai Pudong Terminal 2 … spot Corrado on the phone behind the taxi.
Say “ahhhhh” -
Shanghai Rendez-Vous
In the spirit of big surprises, it was only fair to jet into Shanghai to see Anke & Lars off before they head back to Germany to pop a sprog. So, an entirely self-indulgent choice for an expensive weekend that was worth every penny to see these guys in their natural setting.
Michael & Tanja had flown in from Singapore also for a nice weekend and we had just about managed to persuade A&L; that there not going to be any surprises, when I turned up at her door, loaded down with luggage bulging with Taiwanese bullshit that would surely set off multiple airport alarms if only they knew.
Street racing in ShanghaiThe weekend was structured as a series of alcohol-fueled toboggan rides around the city, punctuated by extended periods of indulgent massage, good food and generally tuning back into the experiences we all shared in Taiwan together – which took all of 3 seconds.
Taxi rageShanghai is not the most walkable city, so taxi rides in all directions are necessary if you hope to actually get anywhere. The drivers in Taiwan and China do share a certain love of attempting to scare their passengers at every opportunity – usually by jumping red lights or feigning swerves towards static objects or oncoming lorries.
Where they diverge is in their respective communication and friendliness towards their clients – Taiwanese cabbies are a friendly bunch, and the diametric opposite of their colleagues across the water who verbally maul their passengers. In our case we can hardly blame them – we told him to ‘follow that cab’ that contained the lead group and was piloted by the Chinese Fernando Alonso. Particular skills were displayed in lane changing, cornering, and sudden braking. He also had no clue he was being followed, and knew only that he was in a rush to a vague destination. Our driver, on the hand, knew full well that the only person with the address was in the front car, and he desperately tried to keep up, until he exploded with rage, pulling alongside the other car and battering expletives to the bemused driver, all accompanied by a background soundtrack of snorting belly laughter and the flashing of cameras recording the event.
Hangover cure no. 163 – great food at a cute little Italian restaurant
Nice doorways in the area that is being saved, reclaimed and protected by the local design industry – much to the bemusement of the locals who would probably prefer a new shiny apartment building.Inevitably, with Anke and Lars and a farewell party, a trip to a hot spring was in order for the afternoon. Now, I am usually (and perhaps slightly inexplicably) slightly ambivalent about these places, but I knew we had our heads screwed on when I saw the neon rising above the skyline. Think Club Med for Chinese people, combined with the very worst neo-classic Gothic / Greek / Holiday Inn architecture, and several thousand locals running around in ridiculous day-glo pyjamas. Welcome to Shanghai, traveler.
The boys are back in town (but sadly missing Markus, although we all spent the entire time terrified that he would storm in on us … especially while sitting butt naked in the sauna!)
“I would like to add one thing”
I can see you!
Happily detoxed, I was happy to see that retoxing services were also available inside the premises.Luckily, Gerhard and Klara had planned a big house party in his place for the middle of the weekend, and in full Easter theme, they had dressed up as rabbit and chicken. As the alcohol flowed, the costume somehow managed to migrate its way round the party, inevitably ending up with Michaell Lars and I, and predictably howling laughter from the ladies.
The Easter Bunny
Das Rabbit
Abused animalsLuckily, the guys had planned a final Oesterbrucker (or however it is spelled) and this capped off a really great weekend of good food and good people and bad alcohol (I can still taste the Jagermeister, Gerhard). With any luck I should be able to pop in to see the guys again while on business in a week or two, and of course I am sure to see M&T; before too long in Singapore. But what a weekend.
Preparations
View from their apartment down to the boats chugging by below.
Team Taipei (minus Markus) in full effect … with ‘Made in Taiwan shirts that I believe everyone will cherish for eternity. -
Hot Crossed Buns
Inexcusable behaviour by ‘fake’ flat eric and the Easter chickenHere I am, sitting in Hong Kong airport eating a hot crossed buns
(two, if I am being truthful) for the first time in four years. Part
of the collateral damage of living abroad is losing connections with
the festivals and annual habits from home that help form your own
personal calendar.I am no religious person, but Easter is one of those times of the year
that helps punctuate the start of the good weaker, and living in a
culture where that does not exist can be quite hard -especially as the
disappointment usually sinks in on November 6th that you just missed
Guy Fawkes night. Again.And Easter? Well I don’t even like chocolate that much, but what I do
love is a toasted hot crossed bun laced with melted butter and served
steamy hot. I didn’t get the toasted bit, but I did make up for it
with the butter. Happy Easter everyone!
Destination: Shanghai (Secret) … photo by the Helds -
Taipei Institute of History and Philology
Our teacher, Austin, arranged a school trip for us today to visit the catchily-titled Taiwan Museum of the Institute of History and Philology. The name might not be world-class, but the exhibits certainly are, and they have a very nicely designed exhibition space. I was impressed.
The Oracle BonesI was especially excited to see the ‘Oracle Bones‘, since I have recently finished reading the book by the same name by Peter Hessler, which punctuates his observations of modern Chinese people and the changes taking place in the society with a history of archeology in China. The ‘Oracle Bones’ are the roots to the written language, and were used by priests to divine the future, based on the inscriptions that they marked. It’s almost certainly worth another post, when I am feeling more academically inclined.
Walking around the museums in Taiwan makes me think back to my Grandfather, who was an amateur scholar of Chinese porcelain. I have no doubt that if he was still alive today I would have weekly requests to visit the museums and gather information. He never had the chance to visit Asia, and sometimes I wonder if I am in some way finishing off his work. Certainly, I wonder if my interest in Chinese culture indirectly comes from my childhood memories of his precious collections – especially the Ming dynasty vase that my Dad thoughtfully dropped me into head-first when I was but a wee nipper. Again, a story for another day.
Is there something we should know about? -
Tianjin
Keeping my feet on the ground in TianjinThe research wagon sets out for northern China, and we set our sights upon Tianjin – a city not too far away from Beijing. I was pleasantly surprised by the place, seeing as it had been populated by various Europeans at the start of the twentieth century, and they had left a decent legacy of colonial buildings and handsome streets. Although there were few actual attractions to speak of, it was really an interesting location and a notch more ‘Chinese’ than Shanghai or Beijing. It must be said that it is still unlikely that I have seen the ‘real’ China after my forays onto the mainland. None the less, interesting enough to entertain us for a few days of business.
The handsome side streets west of the city centre were packed with vendors selling classic Chinese tat. Sadly, no Christmas presents were found! But this was perhaps due to the very cold weather.
Old boys play games in the streets, away from their wives (much like Taipei!).
Somewhat reminiscent of the Hutongs in Beijing
This guy was one of the most characterful people I met – down from the north in Hubei, he ran a Xinzhuang (need to check) BBQ that just pumped out the best lamb kebabs … after a tip from Lars in Shanghai, I now seek out these chaps. Killer, every time… and worth returning to! This type of BBQ can be seen on the streets quite regularly.
… which we did, when Alfie arrived a day later (with beer added).
The guy insisted we take a photo together, but then entirely lost interest when I suggested I send it to him … he thought I should just give it to him the next time I see him!And why was I seeking out the street food? After recommendations from several people, I was to check out the internationally famous ‘Gou Bu Li’ dumpling restaurant. The name (狗不理）comes from a story of the original owner who used to cook dumplings of astoundingly poor quality. Some say, the quality was so bad that when he dropped one, even dogs would not eat it … hence ‘Even Dogs Wouldn’t’ as a name. When this happened, he went away and learnt from a great master (I am somewhat making this up) and came back to great acclaim, but the name stuck.
Walk in and taste the food… and well, the only thing I would add is that ‘Even Rich Dogs Wouldn’t’, as they were pretty bland and very expensive. The photos of George Bush Sr. and various Chinese dignitaries didn’t help me change my mind.
‘Even Dogs Wouldn’t’
Rows of electric bikes, which are ubiquitous in ChinaAfter a day of seeing the same shops and hearing the same blaring music, I happened upon a Starbucks opposite a rather an attractive old Church. Clearly, this was what all the other foreigners in Tianjin thought too, and I bumped into a pair of fresh-faced English teachers who pointed me towards a couple of night spots. Well, ‘the’ night spot…
Dubbed ‘Alibabas’ it is down a dark, dark street, down a dark, dark lane, behind an unassuming door and a large piece of carpet… the only place to hang out for those living in Tianjin, it was none the less lively and fun enough to return with Chinese people in tow.
Reflecting on religion
New friends
The Liverpool matchEntertainment from our Chinese hosts takes rather a different form, and mainly revolves around displays of taste and wealth. Lunch on the Saturday consisted of one of the local banquet restaurants, and in typical tourist fashion I went around taking photos of everything moving… which it turns out is quite a lot!
The welcoming committee
Yes, that is a turtle, and yes, it probably has a price on it for cooking
Delicious frogs
I’ll take the snake in Black Bean Sauce… seriously
Charming location in front of the freeway… with good parking. China and Korea often seems to have this sort of hazy light that is quite hard to describe.
Great views.And to top off our ‘cultural research’ we went to check out the tallest tower in Tianjin, and a building that has clearly seen better days since opening in 1991. There was almost nobody there, and I for one felt particularly fidgety at this height!
The ‘TianTa’ (天塔）- China’s scariest building
My guides walked straight out onto the glass-floored deck. Normally, I think I would have no problems doing this, but my whole body only wanted to do one thing, and that was to go DOWN, away from this shaky, rickety building with wobbly floors and bumpy elevators.
It’s very traditional for lovers to put locks onto the gratings of such buildings to signify their love for one another. With this symbolic gesture, the lock then spends the rest of its life looking out across the pollution of northern China …In this photo you can definitely SEE the pollution just hanging in the air – and today was not a bad day. Combine it with the dust storms coming from the ever dustier north, and you can palpably taste the air whenever you step outside. So, even sunny days are reduced to hazy, foggy experiences which leave you squinting into the grey distance, dry of lip and scratchy of eye.
And as an industrial designer actually making these
goods, I have to feel a major pang of guilt when I experience it. -
Shanghai & Hangzhou
Well, there is a reason they call it a ‘kickoff’ meeting … we waited six months to start this project, and now I am spending more time abroad than I am at home. I can’t relax as much as I might like, but if you know me well you’ll know that I maxed out on the fun, frolicking and food – and most importantly had the chance to meet up with Anke, Lars and Bump (a huge part of the Singapore story that I was not allowed to divulge is that Anke is preggers with a baby – Made in China of course – and she announced it on the beach… hang on, this is too important for brackets…)
So – congratulations guys! You have your own paragraph now… look how spacious it is!
Anyway – I spent the days visiting clients and factories, and the nights heading out with the crew and meeting some new and old friends, and some like Simon that I know through multiple contacts, but never actually saw face to face. Anyway – not too good with words right now, so here are some pics. Ahh.
Shanghai World Financial Centre – not without its fair share of controversy… its original (elegant) shape had a large circle in the top … but the locals are still rather sensetive about the whole Japan thing, and so dropped that for some kind of melted square hole. And in the process of the delay lost top spot as the world’s tallest building.
Not quite the world’s tallest building … on the streets of Shanghai
View from one of the client offices – quite funny to be up above one of the recognisable locations in Shanghai – The Pacific Mall (same name as the one in Taipei!)
Elevated
Sunset in Shanghai
View from the Galaxy Hotel (translation ‘Star River’)
Road block
Hangzhou sunset – really rather wonderful
Loch Ness
Shattered mirror (just look at the texture on that one, Michael and Markus!)
Totally ridiculous – the only thing missing was the whiny Chinese music
It’s really amazing to be around Taiwanese guys when they come to China… there is all this tension, but at the end of the day their culture is rooted here, and they know all of these stories… quite touching. Here is Alfie contemplating things.
Bikes – Shanghai Style -
Off my feet
Kicked off the project, and I am now going to Hangzhou tomorrow morning to visit a factory, and at this rate will be in Seoul and Tianjin (near Beijing) next weekend.Great trip so far – busy but successful, and great food courtesy of Da Marco's Italian restaurant.Onwards and upwards! -
Travel
Well, here I am in Hong Kong airport, on my way to Shanghai. I am coming over at the last minute to kick off one of my projects. In typical DEM style, schedules were changing by the minute right up until I left work yesterday, as we juggled schedules from people flying in from all over Asia. Quite a feat.
And here I am, waiting for four hours in arrivals, waiting for the Visa to be processed. I can’t really go anywhere as they have my passport, and all the fun stuff is really in departures. One bright light is the fact that Cathay Pacific have (cynically) offered me free membership to their ‘Marco Polo’ business club, and with the Silver card have access to all the lounges and cool stuff I have for so long been denied access to. Finally! Of course, it coincides with my almost having enough air miles for a return trip to London, so it is a sweetener to make me stay loyal, obviously, before I splurge it all on going home. But, the quicker check-in, extra 10kg and sense of elitist satisfaction I have more than makes it worth it!
Next stop Shanghai … there for two days on business, then a weekend of fun with Anke & Lars … and who knows, I might be in Korea and Beijing next weekend. It’s all to play for!