planetbc Adventures

Baby Blog

2008-01-02T01:26:00.000+08:00

Finally set up a new blog for our baby girl. We're keeping it separate from our travel related blog because

A) She can't even travel for the next 6 months until we get her passport.
B) There will probably be a LOT of baby pictures that might drain all but the most avid family members.

The intent for the blog is as much for her as she grows older as it is for other viewers, so no apologies made for excessive amounts of the same baby pictures over and over. But if you are interested, http://blog.planetbc.com/dimsum.html

Think You're a World Citizen?

2007-12-20T15:03:00.000+08:00

This one was passed to me by a friend and it's too fun to pass up. I did okay, but there are quite a few regions I need to brush up on! Guess that's a good excuse for another vacation adventure to somewhere new.

Traveler IQ

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P.S. The TravelPod website has several other version that let you focus on everything from photos to flags to specific regions.

Congrats

2007-10-09T22:26:00.000+08:00

This weekend we were invited to attend a wedding banquet in Guangzhou by one of our partners with whom we have worked quite closely over the last several years. Aldrich, the owners' son, was married to Catherine. We attended with several of our office colleagues, and we all had a great time. The evening was a huge production (over 400 people). Tons of food, kicked off with some fish stomach and shark fin soup and ending with a nice bottle of Cognac. Well actually several nice bottles of Cognac. And of course a little Karaoke thrown in there for good measure.

This was the 3rd Chinese wedding we have been invited to since we moved to Asia- so here is another thanks to the couples who have invited us to experience these great events. :) This also happened to be the 3rd wedding reception within the week for Aldrich & Catherine! The first was in Taipei and the second in Jiangxi- from what I heard they were of similar size and grandeur. Hope they can relax a bit now and best wishes for the future!

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Roof of the World

2007-10-01T11:39:00.000+08:00

A tour of Central Tibet was our way of celebrating our fifth year wedding anniversary. Caro organized the 10 day trip only a few weeks prior to departure (one of the beauties of living in Asia). We learned about Tibetan culture and religion, and took in some fantastic scenery. We were pleasantly surprised with the food- the tsampa, Yak meat, and potatoes were all safe bets and even the occasional cup of Yak-butter tea was palatable. Alas, we couldn't quite stomach 40 cups of it a day like the average nomad there. One of the highlights was scouting the foot of Mount Everest. We are planning to return (some day soon) to camp and bike along the stunning valleys, and make it to the ice seracs above Camp 1.

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The China influence throughout the region was large and at times tedious (read: lots of permits required), but we'll save those discussions for another day so this blog does not disappear behind the Great Firewall of China. Needless to say, with the newly completed train routes bringing in thousands of people per day to Lhasa (many of them Chinese immigrants), the struggle to retain some of the the local culture will not be easy. Signs of construction, some good/some bad, were everywhere - we even had amazing cell phone coverage at Mount Everest! Unfortunately the inevitable ecological tolls were also becoming visible. A little fact from our guidebook: 47% of the world's population (and 85% of Asia's population) depends on the water from rivers originating in Tibet. We feel extremely fortunate to have experienced such a humble culture, and hope their lands are preserved.

But Bacon is Good

2007-03-30T07:38:00.000+08:00

So this is coming a bit late, but we did attend the annual HK Parade for the Chinese New Year. Year of the Pig (hence the dancing children wearing pig snouts in the picture). Not the lucky golden pig as most newspapers and shops would like to have you believe - apparently its actually the fire pig this year. The parade itself was a blast- larger than in past years from what I was told. And extremely crowded. The setup wasn't great in its new location in TST - a lot of construction limited standing places and the street sloped in weird angles that made it difficult to see the performers- but we did finally get a good vantage point behind some shorter people.

As a bonus, our buddy was in town with 30 of the Arizona Cardinal cheerleaders, so we watched the ladies perform and met a few at the bars parting it up in Lan Kwai Fung later that evening.

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Parents Visit Asia

2006-10-09T07:14:00.000+08:00

The last of our guests left today, and the apartment suddenly feels a little quiet. Now I know we are really in for a shocker when we eventually go back to the states- just about anywhere we might live will realistically feel dead compared to the bustling streets of HK or Shanghai or Beijing.

Anyhow, we had a great visit with our parents. First on the B's side, we hit all the major tourist areas of Hong Kong but I think they got a great overall feel for city during their week here and the excitement of this place we call home. I still can't imagine there is anywhere else on Earth where you can go from such a major cosmopolitan area to a quiet isolated hike with amazing sea views through thick forests in literally 5 minutes time. We also managed to fit in the brand new Ngong Ping 360 cable car ride, although we learned after riding that they had just found some cracks in one of the support columns!

Then we were off to Beijing and met up with C's Mom too. This was our first trip to Beijing, and the city was amazing. A modern city that offered plenty of ancient sites to enjoy as well. Again we hit most of the major tourist sites (Great Wall @ Mutianyu, Beihai Park, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen / Forbidden City) mixed in with some great restaurants. We saw a wonderful acrobat show that has me excited for what we might see in the upcoming Olympic ceremonies. And our hotel (Grand Hyatt Beijing) was wonderful.

The city is definitely gearing up for the 2008 Olympics, with signs, souvenirs, and countdowns everywhere and a lot of big construction projects. We actually drove by the main stadium, which is still under construction, and it looks massive. And the best part was we could actually understand a little Putonghua even with their accent which uses so many R's (honestly the accent was not nearly as difficult as we expected).

Parents in HK

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Trip to Beijing

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More to come...

ex-Capital of China

2006-09-07T01:10:00.000+08:00

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We took an extended business trip up to Nanjing to visit a new vendor with whom we want to develop a business relationship. During our extra day and a half over the weekend we got to see a lot of this famed city’s tourist attractions. We sampled the local cuisine- I especially liked this cuisine because it had a little kick to it, which means it would be quite hot for many of you. And I now love the Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐)! We even ran into Tung Chee Hwa, who was the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR after the handover in 1997. Since Nanjing was the capital of China for so long there is still plenty to see for a second trip… especially the momument to the 1937 massacre at the hands of Japanese Troops (which is closed for renovaton until the end of 2007) and the Yangtze river bridge. So here’s to hoping that factory works out!

That Other Republic of China

2006-09-06T14:23:00.000+08:00

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Our trip to Taiwan at the end of last month was great. Caro went for business and I followed a day later so we could do a little exploring over the weekend. We both enjoyed the industrialized commercial hub much more than we were expecting. It seemed to have even more of a Western slant to it than Hong Kong. The people all seemed very happy and content- per Caro their freedoms in every day life may account for a lot of this. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt which was a wonderful hotel with an amazing club lounge if you happen to be on the executive floors. They also had a great contemporary piano lounge, which is apparently quite popular in Taipei. We didn't have quite as much time to try all the delicious cooking because we were too busy exploring all the sites (Taiwan has one of the highest densities of restaurants in the world and it is really known for its food). But what we did try was great, especially the shaved-ice-with-fruit-dessert that was so popular there. Try the one at Ice Monster- it was fantastic.

We went to a number of great spots, including the Shilin Night Market which was packed with everything imaginable (even more crowded than Hong Kong's markets), the tallest building in the world which is shaped like a bamboo shoot (Taipei 101), the Sun Yat-sen memorial, the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial, and the National Museum. The latter of these, which houses what is claimed to be the largest/best collection of Chinese artifacts, is always a source of contention. The mainland will say that it was all "stolen" when it was quickly shipped out of China before the Communist Party took over. Taiwan will claim that if they hadn't shipped it out then it would have all been destroyed during the cultural revolution. Truths on both sides. Unfortunately it was a little under construction when we visited- I'd recommend trying it in about 6 months after that is all complete and before that the Shanghai museum may be a better option.

寶翠園

2006-07-12T10:22:00.000+08:00

... that's Chinese for The Belcher's, our apartment complex, and it's pronounced "bo choy yu" in Cantonese.

For those who haven't seen our apartment, we're kind of landlocked. On one side are some great hills that eventually lead up to the Peak, and on the other side is the ocean. While this makes for some stunning views, it also means crazy humidity. We empty our dehumidifier twice a day to keep our apartment liveable during the summer months. But the second you step out into the hallway you sweat. No two ways about it.

Anyhow, here is a nighttime shot from our place watchin' ships meander by towards Victoria Harbor.

More India

2006-07-10T16:02:00.000+08:00

In addition to all the slideshows we posted yesterday, here's some more photos from the other members of our nomadic misfits.

This bunch was taken by Hieu and Nhi- primarily Nhi. She has quite a lot of great shots in there, but I did hear Jon and Oli say they hope she takes even more next time around.

Caro and I were with them for the Jaipur and Udaipur legs so you'll see us included in those sets. And we would particularly like to take credit for the Mentos experiment, although Hieu decided to use his mouth as the container on his own accord.

Day 1 (London), Day 2 (Delhi), Day 3 (Delhi), Day 4 (Jodhpur) & (Jaisalmer), Day 5 (Jaisalmer), Day 6 (Jodhpur), Day 7 (Delhi) & (Agra), Day 8 (Agra) & (Jaipur), Day 9 (Jaipur), Day 10 (Jaipur) & (Udaipur), Day 11 (Udaipur), Day 12 (Udaipur) & (Goa), Day 13 (Goa)

Another man down ;)

2006-07-09T13:40:00.000+08:00

Just got back from our second trip to India. Last time was for business (the Delhi Gift Fair), this time was strictly pleasure... watchin' our buddy Kunal get hitched in a traditional Hindi wedding in the western state of Rajasthan. We visited two cities this time. Jaipur, also known as the Pink City because all of its old buildings are made with a pinkish-hue sandstone. And Udaipur, also known as the City of Lakes or Venice of the East. Udaipur was the prettiest and cleanest city we've seen in India thus far. It is home to the Lake Palace hotel, which has been ranked as the world's most romantic hotel several times. And its better known to most Westerners as the home of the international criminal Octopussy. (We didn't have time to visit it this trip, so I guess we'll be making a next trip to Udaipur.)

The flight over was an experience, as anything to do with the Delhi airport always is. This time we flew Air India which has better flight schedules than Cathay from Hong Kong. Our travel agent had warned us that many of her previous customers had complained of the smells on this airliner. She tried to get us to switch carriers. When we politely refused she advised us to bring a mask. I chalked it up to cultural insensitivities. Boy was I in for a surprise. That flight smelled so bad that every time the guy in front of me would lift his arms behind his head it would wake me out of a dead sleep with my gag reflex in full effect. I was amazed. In India most of Kunal's friend were shocked we would fly Air India. One of their later flights had an emergency landing in Delhi while we were there. Needless to say its all Cathay Pacific for us on any future flights on this route.

The trip and the wedding were a blast. The wedding was primarily in Sanskrit, so I'm not even sure how many of the locals knew the details of what was transpiring. ;) But we partied it up non-stop, dancing under the blazing sun. Got a little case of the Dehli Belly on our way back (okay actually it was a big case and we spent a lot of time on the airplane lavoratory), but luckily it was at the tail end of the trip. And now that you know more than you wanted to, here are the pics... (I've included the Dehli & Agra pics from our prior trip for those who hadn't seen them yet.)

Delhi and Agra - Oct 2005

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Jaipur - Jul 2006

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Udaipur - Jul 2006

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Taj Mahal!

2006-07-09T12:45:00.000+08:00

Estuvimos una semana en Delhi buscando fuentes de produccion para vidrio/metales/textiles/etc para nuestros diseños. Aunque estuvimos chambeando la mayor parte del tiempo, tuvimos la oportunidad de tomar un tour a Agra donde se encuentra el Taj Mahal. Es la estructura mas bella que he visto en mi vida! El mausoleo fue construido en mármol blanco y piedras semi-preciosas por el emperador mogul Shah Jahan durante los años 1631 y 1654 en honor a su esposa Mumtaz; es toda una historia de amor.
Fue un viaje como muy surrealista para mí por que fue una decisión espontanea de ir. Salimos a las 7:00 am y era una mañana muy linda. El camino hacía Agra fue otra cosa. Viajamos en un pequeño sedan, y el conductor iba sonando el claxon TODO el camino, que resultó en cuatro horas. Después de apreciar los detalles del Taj Majal y el Fuerte Rojo de Agra, nos pasamos a un hotel a comer, y luego a un local de artesanías donde mostraron la técnica que supuestamente se usó para adornar el mármol blanco del Taj con las piedras semi-preciosas como jade, lapis lázuli, zafiro y muchas otras. Esa misma tarde viajamos las cuatro horas de regreso y ahora con otro conductor que iba cambiando entre luces largas y bajas (clic-clic... clic-clic... clic-clic) y sonando el claxon TODO el camino mientras yo entraba y salía de mi sueño con visiones del conductor rebasando coches en nuestro mismo sentido y tambien evadiendo otros que venían en contra, gente, motos con familias enteras, bici, vacas (sagradas), changos, etc... todo entre una nube de polvo. Las condiciones de miseria de mucha gente sí me impresionó. Las facciones de la gente son tan únicas y los atuendos/joyería de la mujeres son tan coloridos (por mas pobre que sean) que hacen un contraste muy marcado con la pobreza... y el polvo y calor de la ciudad. El viaje a Agra fue inolvidable... disfruten las fotos (el link arriba).

Weekend Outing

2006-02-05T19:00:00.000+08:00

We did a great hike in Hong Kong this last weekend. It is listed as a beginner's hike but was still enough to get our heart rate up a little. It is along the eastern edge of Hong Kong island and has some great views of the South China Sea. Anyhow, here are a few pics...

View the Dragon's Back Slideshow

Bangkok Baby!

2006-02-05T16:57:00.000+08:00

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We left Koh Samui wishing we had another day or two to relax in the tropical sun. The only thing that made leaving easier was knowing we were heading straight to Bangkok to party like its 1999! Okay, that didn’t happen. In fact we didn’t even set foot in a club- we were just to tired after touring the whole day. But there’s always a next time.

Bangkok is full of exictement. Along with this comes the prerequisite traffic jams, crowdedness, and more than a little smog. (I didn’t notice it as much as in DongGuan city where my throat always has a slight burn but Carolyn definitely noticed Bangkok’s air quality, or lack thereof.) We stayed right on the river Chao Phyraya at a wonderful Sheraton (free with points baby!). Using the boats for puclic transportation is fun at first but they are definitely slower than the subways. Luckily Bangkok’s subway and light rail system is pretty good and you can usually get to the nearest station for under $2 USD. We both enjoyed the city and it has a lot to offer. Highlights of our trip were:

- Chinatown during their biggest celebration of the year. It was a sea of millions of red shirts. They had a good production going on the main stage but the lack of crowd control eventually became unbearble when we were pressed up against some steel barriers as even more peopl crammed into the streets so we decided to get out before being crushed.

- An excellent 9 course meal at the Peninsula hotel, all traditional Thai fair. We ordered the medium level spiciness, and I enjoyed it so that should tell most of you that it was pretty hot.

- Touring the Grand Palace and surrounding areas

- Shopping, shopping, shopping! Bangkok really does have some of the best malls we’ve seen in terms of the size, grandeur and the prices. Emporium and Siam Paragon are almost as nice as the best Hong Kong has to offer, and yet their prices are much much better. Hone Kong still lacks many mid-tiered brands (its either market goods or Gucci with few exceptions in between). Bangkok had a lot more European and other international brands with much better mid-level prices. And because of CNY everything was on sale. So much so that we were thinking it could even be worth the fligh ticket to come here every year and shop. And to top it all off, at the end of the day Caro won the top prize at a drawing at their big department store so she won a 10,000 baht shopping spree. Lucky me, just when I thought we were done shopping we got to go back the next day to shop even more! :)

I will comment and say that our pre-trip readings had led us to believe this sprawling urban jungle was going to be an eye-opener for its debauchery. But we have also seen a few comments that Patpong nowadays draws more sightseers than flesh seekers. We didn’t see any of these more infamous sections of town. And while we did see our fair share of old, overweight weight Western men clinging to scantily clad young thin Asians, it was not as bad as I expected (Caro may want to counter me here). We saw plenty of other mixed race couples of equal age that seemed like a normal relationship. Actually I think Bangkok gets somehwat of a bad wrap for this. Personally I think it is simply a combination of the heat influencing their dress, their more-flirtatious nature, and the fact that in general they were the thinnest of the Asian countries we have visited. So while there are definitely seedy areas, I think you could find the same in many other countries of the world and here it is somewhat overhyped because of its storied past. Point is, there is plenty else to see and do in Bangkok and it makes for a great vacation from Hong Kong.

Tropical Paradise

2006-02-05T14:53:00.000+08:00

It’s the last day of our Spring Festival break (Chinese New Year) so I have a little time to finally post some more pictures.

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Here is a little slideshow of our time in Koh Samui, Thailand last week. This island is in the Gulf of Thailand, not the Andaman Sea / India Ocean hit last year by the tsunami. It was a fun town with plenty to do besides the beach and water activities. I could definitely go back there for another week. The people were very nice and gracious. I found their smiles infectious, along with their overall desire to constantly have fun. I loved the traditional greeting (instead of a handshake their gesture is the wai, which is basically a little bow with the palms pressed together accompanied by a nod of the head and the Thai hello: sawat-dii). Besides Chinese and Japanese, most toursits seemed to come from the UK and Europe (France, Denmark, and several eatern block coutries had big numbers) although we did run into a few Americans.

We had excellent weather. The resort was great, we had a wonderful couples massage and some great breakfasts. Carolyn thought the beaches themself weren’t quite as nice as some in Mexico or the Carribean, but we still loved it. And since several people have now asked- although the Thai are traditionally modest, their were still the occasional topless Westerner crowds on the beaches… I guess the Fench will be Fench. It is probably looked down upon by the locals, but then so is crossing your feet at the ankle and you still saw plenty of people doing that as well. (I for one tried to avoid the leg crossing - this is because your foot may point at someone which is very disgraceful in Thai culture. But it’s amazing how hard it is to stop a habit like that when you are being overly conscious about it!). I’m sure they think all of us farangs are uncivilized barbarians anyways. :) Other highlights included:

- A honeymoon package upon our arrival. Somehow they were confused and we didn't have the heart to set them straight.

- A day trip to Koh Tao. About an hour north of our island by speed boat, the trip itself was quite exciting. They don’t have quite so many regulations there in Thailand, so the speedboat was going well over 45 in the water with a load of about 25 passengers. We were airborne several times. The island itself had decent snorkeling but the coral could have been a little brighter. In their defence, we didn’t get to dock on the best side of the island because the waters were a little too rough there that day.

- Kayaking around Chaweng beach.

- A hike up the waterfalls that left both our quads sore for the next 4 days. It was pretty steep (parts requires the use of guide ropes to pull yourself up) and I clearly was a little out of shape. The scenery was amazing.

All in all, a great relaxing time.

There's No Place Like Home

2005-09-07T15:08:00.000+08:00

For a little taste of home, there is something quite refreshing about hearing 20+ Chinese waitors/waitresses say "Hola" as you enter Taco Bell Grande. Even if it is in a thick accent, they all just seem so excited to be speaking Spanish! I even think I heard an "Adios" or two on the way out.

Caro Gets Brave

2005-09-06T06:49:00.000+08:00

The perception of most Americans with China is that everything is less expensive here. In actuality this is not always the case. And when this preconceived notion is not true, Caro has difficulty justifying the purchase of the things that are more expensive here compared to the US. (Being the bigger spender in our relationship, I rarely find myself with this problem.) Drinking water is one of these things. This especially becomes an issue at nicer restaurants that may only have Evian still water or San Pellegrino carbonated water to choose from, both at exorbitant prices.

Recently she tried to explain to the waitress at one of these nice Shanghainese restaurants that she did not prefer bottled water but instead wanted some “distilled” water or pre-boiled drinkable water. The waitress responded with a fast “OK sure” and quickly hustled off into the kitchen to return with two glasses of semi-cold water. After she had taken the first gulp of water and noted the pungent aroma in her mouth, Caro politely asked the waitress where the water was from. In a thick accent, the waitress replied, “no bottled water- from the pipe.” We both ordered San Pellegrino.

Yummm

2005-09-05T19:38:00.000+08:00

And just when I was starting to think Shanghai fits the mold of any other major US metropolis...

As we were walking towards the subway this afternoon some man in a lawn chair on the sidewalk reached into a big bucket and pulled out a large writhing snake/eel. Holding it by the neck tightly in midair, with it still very alive and none too happy, he took a pocket knife and began slowly splitting it open lengthwise, right as we walked past him. We quickly tiptoed around the mess it was making on the sidewalk. I'm not sure who was more surprised, the eel or Caro.

Pastimes

2005-09-05T17:04:00.000+08:00

It is interesting to watch the simple pleasures that one gravitates towards when placed in unfamiliar surroundings out of their comfort zones.

Caro told me she has rarely seen a bigger grin on my face then when we ate at the Brazilian Steakhouse the other night. I am always a fan of a good steak, and this was a wonderful reprieve from our otherwise "new" diet. After my 8th or 10th type of meat (multiple helpings of each type of course), brought to me tableside straight from the kitchen by Chinese waitors dressed like cavemen in boots, and a pile of scraps and bones heaped on my plate, I couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be at that moment in time. Honestly, who could turn down succulent all-you-can-eat meat for just over 7 USD per person!? (Yes, I'm sure my sisters and other vegetarians could quite easily, but as the saying goes, "I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.") About the only thing that would have added to the experience would have been for waitors to roll up a cot to the table so I could have slumped right into it after shattering those USDA recomended daily allowances.

My tai tai (that's wife in Mandarin) on the other hand, seems to reach a state of pure bliss, dare I say a little possessed, with the inordinate amount of shoe shops here in Shanghai. Now I must agree there are probably more shoes for sale here than every city in the US combined. But I find it instantly overwhelming and it makes my head start to spin. Who'd of thought there could be that many designs for sandles even mathematically possible? Regardless, Caro somehow seems to conjure up some previously unknown energy to window shop each and every last one of them. And she is rarely happier than after a hard days work of shopping for shoes.

Cuisine

2005-09-05T07:43:00.000+08:00

One great thing about Shanghai- there is plenty of cuisine options to suit just about any palette. We have been trying a lot of them, and while I would not go so far as to say we are adventuresome eaters (no chicken feet or ox tongue just yet), we have done a good job of sampling the regional options. (Forks are even beginning to feel foreign to us in Western restaurants.) What has been simplified down to Chinese food in the US is actually many very different regional styles (Cantonese, Shanghainese, Dongbei, Sichuan, Hunanese, Xinjiang). Our favorite so far has been Sichuan. It has a great variety of flavors, and it is all hot!

The restaurant we ate at yesterday had several dishes where they serve fish fillets in a liquid of oil and spices, with the fish and vegetable mixture immersed. It is common for them to spoon out some of the chilies that have been cooked in the oil before they set the bowl onto your table. I watched the waitress spoon out no less 15 heaping scoops of pure chili peppers from the bowl intended for the table next to us before serving their dish. Given the spice level of our lunch, I feel a little sorry for what that dish must have done to their stomachs.

I consider myself fairly capable of eating spicy foods. But in case the flaming mask on the door of this restaurant doesn’t help you guess that it was hot, allow me to serve as testament to the fact that there is a definite recovery period required after eating food that spicy! Mom & Dad you should probably pass on this one. :)

Weekend Activities

2005-09-05T00:41:00.000+08:00

Added a few more pics of this weekend's jaunts to the touring slideshow from the 1st of this month...

View the Shanghai Touring 2005 Slideshow

Baijiou For Everyone on the House

2005-09-04T01:00:00.000+08:00

Shanghai has some serious nightlife. Some argue it is now the best in the world after overtaking London and Paris- I'm not sure I'd go that far but it is very cool. We have just scratched the surface, but here are a few pics and highlights...

View the Shanghai Nightlife 2005 Slideshow

- Bar Rouge was one of the most fun clubs we have ever been to. Packed with people and pumping with techno remixes, the view from its terrace overlooking the Bund and Pudong were some of the best views we have seen of Shanghai. And the manager was just crazy- he would randomly start spraying lighter fluid all across the DJ's table and then light it on fire.

- Shintori was a great Japanese restaurant with awesome decor. The cold noodles in an ice bowl was a first for both of us. It definitely tested our chopstick skills.

- Right next to Shintori, People's 7 wins the award for coolest bar I've ever seen. The entrance is a giant steel door with holes. There is apparently a pattern wherein you must put your hands into the holes in the right combination to open the door. Every time I tried it just opened to a glass panel that read "Gotcha". Eventually I waited for someone to exit and we snuck in behind them. Inside, they serve their drinks with these great metal straws and have an awesome bucket of "test tube wine". The bathroom doors have hinges purposely placed on the wrong side of the door, which leaves you looking like an idiot pulling on a handle that does nothing until you eventually push on the other side of the door to get in.

I'd could go on and on adding more, but I don't think the writing does any of this justice so you really just need to experience it for yourself.

Simon Says

2005-09-03T10:40:00.000+08:00

One of our classmates took us to the fabric market today, which was surprisingly a much more enjoyable than my last market experience (previously discussed here). Thankfully they were not nearly as pushy and seemed much more used to basic interaction with Westerners.

Anyhow, our colleague described her memories of her first visit to mainland China around 20 years ago. It was uncommon at that time to see many Westerners in China (there were definitely no McDonald's). It was even more uncommon to see someone with blond hair. So when Eva went to the fabric market in Tianjin, she quickly noticed a crowd of 20+ following her about 10 feet back. They were not comfortable coming too close, but were definitely intent on staring and watching her every move. When she finally picked out a purse she liked and purchased it, she noticed the entire entourage gathered around the stall as soon as she moved on. When she returned 10 minutes later to buy a second one for her sister, the vendor told her that every single one had been purchased. She glanced behind her and saw an entourage with 20 matching purses.

Explorer Extrodinaire

2005-09-02T15:54:00.000+08:00

Caro says this proves I’m not the world traveler that I claim to be, but it really did take me a while to understand why the flush button on the toilet has two sides that you can push to flush. (She has supposedly seen this in many other places.) For all you other uncultured people like me, the smaller side flushes half the water volume of the larger. So depending upon how things flow for you that day, you can select your appropriate rinse. And it is definitely considered TMI to come out of the bathroom and say, “That one was a large button flush!”

Reminds me a little of our honeymoon trip to Water Island in the US Virgin Islands, where their only sanitary water is via rainwater collection. There they teach all newcomers their jingle, “When you’re having fun in the sun, don’t flush for number 1.”

At least these water conservation concepts make sense, unlike the separate water faucets for delivering hot and cold water on our last trip to Scotland. I know this is common in some places as well, and I just don’t understand why you would want to have to rapidly move your hands back and forth between scalding and freezing water just to get something lukewarm for washing your face.

Mecca of Malls

2005-09-02T08:00:00.000+08:00

No trip to Shanghai could be complete without a comment on the inordinate amount of shopping that is present here. The city thrives on an entrepreneurial spirit, and everyone here seems to be selling something. There appears to be little in the way of consolidation at this point- the competition is still too fierce. Testament to that would be the 40+ mega-malls now located throughout the city (and I’ve personally counted at least 4 others in development.) There are four competing ones situated within 1km of each other on Nanjing Road! And they are all huge! I’m not convinced yet that people actually buy anything from them, as most of the brands inside seem to be Prada, Gucci, Cartier, Fendi, Armani, and other expensive sounding names I can’t even pronounce.

As an aside, we did see a very packed series of booths at the bottom floor of one of the malls last weekend- it was one of the first companies that is beginning to offer mainstream personal credit cards in the mainland– let the race towards consumer debt begin!