I have been traveling a bit lately, recently visiting Natalie again in Hunan and made my way up to Beijing as well. Beijing was a very interesting city and I will post more about my experience soon. In the mean time, check out some new pictures here. It was very interesting visiting the Olympic sites. Wow, look at the pollution and all the work left to do...
People always ask me about the most shocking thing I have seen so far in Shanghai. At first, I might have said the kids with the crotch-less pants or the men walking around in boxers and loafers but two weeks ago that all changed. Two weeks ago, when LB was here, we happened upon something I had never seen in the Western world. It was a Friday night and we were crossing Fuxing Park, near my apartment, when we came across a large hotel-like building. It had a grand lobby with many rooms and it was packed with Chinese people. As we were taken around the facility, it became evident that this was not a hotel but instead a massive karaoke center. Yes, a hotel of karaoke rooms. This place had multiple floors and every sized karaoke room you could imagine. The Chinese take their karaoke very seriously and it is huge here. Always a good time. I am sure there are plenty of more shocking things about to come my way, especially when I head out beyond Shanghai.
I have not written as much as I would like on here. Between getting settled and three visitors (LH, LB, and Ian), I have been very busy. In addition, I have also tried to take the whole experience in and explore as much as possible. I can’t believe I have been here less than two months, it seems a long time ago that I was wondering through the streets here, amazed at just about everything. Now, I am used to dodging the laundry hung throughout the sidewalks, men with no shirts on, the heat, negotiating for almost everything, and ordering fried noodles in Chinese. The area I am in is great. I have not lived in NY before but I would imagine it is similar. There are tons of little shops amongst the tree-lined streets in my neighborhood. These stores fix motorbikes, make keys, sell cigarettes and beer, fix bikes, sell DVDs, sell wine, and concoct the most interesting food dishes. When stepping out of the cab on any given night, I literally fall into the dining room of one of these street vendors. The woks are fired up, men are eating and drinking beers, and it is time for “late night snacks.” The interesting part is that these places are never open or in existence until after 11 pm or so. I am so amazed by the demand for late night food here in China. Even at 3 am, there are tons of street vendors cooking on most corners. The fresh noodles, skewered meats, and infamous dumplings are the perfect way to end an evening.
I guess it is not that novel for a city to have so many options but one can literally find anything here. One night I can have friend noodles and a beer for $1 and another I can have a burger and a smoothie for $10. As any outsider may guess, there are a lot of western influences here. We have Starbucks, H&M, Gucci, Coldstone, Subway, and even a Hooters. It is fairly comfortable for an expat living here and I enjoying it immensely.
Ok, just finished my first Mandarin lesson and time to head to the office…
Quick China insight story:
I was visiting office space last week in Shanghai. As I was being given the tour of the very modern and pristine facilities, my guide took pride in pointing out a painting at the end of the hall. The painting was a modern interpretation of the dollar sign, nothing special. What made me laugh, was his comment about the painting. He stated that its place within the facility was there to "remind us what we are all here to do--make money." Although he probably gives that innocent line during every tour, I thought it was particularly appropriate for China, and especially Shanghai. It is a place filled with entrepreneurs and opportunists looking to make something happen in the "wild east."
My only comment was that it might be more appropriate to replace the dollar sign with the RMB...
I was pretty excited to find Wired Magazine in Shanghai even with the hefty pricetag. Nevertheless, there is an amazing article on an old computer hand in the Bay Area who disappeared on his sailboat one day. Although sad in itself, the amazing part of the story is the amount of time, resources, and creativity that was leveraged to figure out exactly how this sailboat disappeared without a trace.
This was probably the largest "open source" rescue mission ever and the Silicon Valley (and beyond) resources that were used are unparalleled anywhere in the world or even within our own government--as acknowledged by the Coast Guard itself. Just think if we pooled these resources to find an enemy like Osama...
Clearly this man had made an impact on many people's lives throughout his career and I think you will be equally amazed...find it here.
Shanghai has been great to me and most foreigners would agrre that we enjoy a nice lifestyle here. From the great food, to the nightlife, and cheap massages, it is hard not to enjoy yourself. In addition, everyone will also tell you that Shanghai is not the "real" China and you only need to venture a few cities away to find out what that exactly means. I agree with all of this but there is also something tragic happening to the "real" Shanghai. With the winds of modernization sweeping through the city, a bit of traditional Shanghai dies a little more each day. In China's quest to build a modern city, the traditional dwellings and blocks that give Shanghai it's character are being destroyed to make way for new modern apartment buildings.
Now I understand that people would rather have modern dwellings if given the choice but I also question whether those dwellers being pushed out are the same that are going to be occupying the new high rises. I would guess that they do not have the means. Therefore along with losing the traditional blocks and buildings, the Shanghainese are being pushed out further in the way every modern city gentrifies.
I had a fascinating time shooting this phemonenon a few blocks away from where I live. There are many dwellers still living in this site and others are just shifting through all the wreckage. I have always liked shooting buildings, construction, and city life, and I am exciting to continue to document this aspect of the city. Photos located here.
As China gears up for the Olympics next Fall, there has been much talk about what Beijing will do about the pollution in the city. In their Olympic bid, they promised an infusion of cash and technology to deal with this problem. Although I have not been to Beijing yet, it appears that pollution is still a huge issue--I can vouch for the problem at least in Shanghai. Although many have speculated what China will do--from forcing factories in the area to go on vacation to banning the use of cars in Beijing during the olympics--I think their most intriguing idea is weather manipulation. Apparently this is something that already happens in China and it is not a secret at all. Forced rain is just another way for China to get what it needs without letting nature get in the way. Chemical pellets are shot into the air at clouds to create a chemical reaction that produces rain...the government even admits to spending upwards of $90 million on this program!
You can read more about it here in the Asia Times. After being here a month, it just doesn't surprise.
I recently took a trip out to the middle of China to visit sister Natalie in the capital of Hunan Province—Changsha. Nat is currently living there and working as Assistant Field Director of World Teach. As most of you know, she was a teacher this past year in a rural part of Hunan in a beautiful area known as Wulingyuan. As part of my visit I saw her current location in Changsha and we also took a trip to visit her old digs in Wulingyuan. It was very eye opening to get out of Shanghai and see more of the “real China.” Doing so allowed me to understand how unique Shanghai really is…for example in Shanghai babies have pants with diapers (mostly) instead of chaps, and do not use a combination of newspaper and the sidewalk as a toilet. This is only one of the many differences between Shanghai and other Chinese cities. In addition, it is nearly impossible to get around unless you speak the language.
Changsha – I flew into the Changsha airport after about an hour flight and a very exciting snack pack on the plane, which included a relish packet, 3 small cherry tomatoes, and some short of pound cake. Once I found a cab, I got Nat on the phone so she could speak to the cabby in Mandarin. After what seemed like much negotiation we settled on a place and price. As we approached the city I was sure to text Nat every street we passed in case I was kidnapped and she needed to retrace my electronic footsteps. Everything worked out fine and I was dropped off in front of Nat’s school. Hunan was hotter than hell!! I was quickly escorted into her air conditioned office where I met Steve (Field Director) and Rick (current status unknown). We eventually made our way back to Nat’s apartment which was very nice, well let me say, now I think is very nice after seeing her digs from last year. The highlights of my stay in Changsha included a walk to the Subway (yes the restaurant), a visit to Walmart (there are two in Changsha), and eating hot pot. I am excited for Nat as Changsha is a good place to be and it is easy to visit Shanghai from there. It is a pretty average Chinese city and I doubt many tourists or Chinese for that matter will find their way there but that is part of the fun…being one of the few foreigners and totally immersing. The food was also really delicious but very spicy.
Wulingyuan – I really wanted to see where Nat had lived the whole last year as I heard so many stories and video chatted a number of times. The trek out there (which Nat did many a time) was no easy feat. We had to take a 4 hour bus, 45 minute mini bus, and then cab ride. I cannot believe she did this each time she traveled outside of her village! Needless to say it was well worth trip as it was unbelievable to think I finally got to be in the complete middle of nowhere in China and to think my sister, little sister, lived her by herself. The town is tiny and very simple. Most live in very basic makeshift houses with dogs and cows roaming around. Most of the children are naked or wearing their chaps, yes pants with no crotch to easily relieve themselves…these are more rare in Shanghai nowadays. After a tour round the dirt roads in town, where I felt like the mayor on parade as everyone came out of their homes to stare, we found a great little hole in the wall to eat in…now granted, they were all hole-in-the-walls but Nat assured me that she had eaten here before and I would not get sick. The food was actually great and helped to further the “not getting ill” streak. I am sticking to the advice that a beer with each meal keeps you well.
The next morning we headed to the big national park at the center of this recent NY Times article. Nat had seen this place many times and during all seasons. What she hadn’t seen was Wulingyuan National Park during tourist seasons. Between the Koreans and Chinese tourists we definitely got a taste of what Beijing ’08 will probably look like—massive lines to do just about anything. Now these are not just lines, they are Chinese lines, which in itself is actually an oxymoron. A line, as defined in China, is a group of people who group together in order to all push each other forward in the hopes that despite having no where to go and the gates being closed, they will somehow magically get through. There is no mercy in these lines. Even grandma gets shoved to the side because as Nat says, she can’t fight back as easily. Please check out video of us in line here. The heat, unbearable tourists, and our tight timeline meant we had only a brief view of these beautiful mountains and valleys. Nat was so lucky to be able to see these throughout the various seasons as it is a truly magnificent park. There are a few pictures here. After we found our way back down the mountain (through yet more lines) we, after less than 24 hours in Wulingyuan, began our trek back. Although the time was short, I am glad we went and I think that was about all I needed to experience. The family envoy to Nat’s remote town had completed its mission.
As stated previously, it was great to see other parts of China to put Shanghai into perspective. When I returned home to my apartment here, I truly felt like I had entered back into a little paradise where once again I had access to any and everything in this city. First thing I did, ordered a ruben from Sherpas.com, the food delivery service here in Shanghai. Tasty!
Just finishing up day 2 of living in my new place apartment. To my amazement I managed to get the Internet installed and the A/C fixed, and even a ticket to visit my sister in Changsha delivered. This of course involved the various service people trying to speak to me in Chinese, I having no idea what they are saying and me repeatedly saying "wu bo ming bei" or "I don't understand." This would repeat for a few minutes until eventually some signing and calling the landlord usually got the job done. I even figured out the washing machine today but in China there are no dryers so I got to hang my clothes outside the window on long poles. You see this all throughout Shanghai. Some people just hang them on wires in the streets. I felt very Chinese needless to say, hanging my clothes out in the humid and polluted Shanghai air! I head into the Booz Allen office tomorrow morning and then off to see my sister in Changsha, Hunan for a few days. I am looking forward to being with someone that speaks the language, maybe I will even get three meals a day again.
Hope everyone is well. Once I get more settled hope to put up more pics and write more. New apartment pics here.
Happy 4th of July to all!
Today we celebrated it in Shanghai. On day four of my new adventure, I found myself at an expat 4th of July celebration hosted by the Shanghaiist. The event featured some American music fused with some Mongolian vocalists, a burger cook off, and "fireworks." It was great to hear American music, eat burgers, and drink beer under a scorching hot sun. Sun is a loose term as you rarely see the sun here, more of a haze of smog and pollution--the Shanghai haze. It was great to actually be out meeting people and speaking English. To date, my major accomplishments have included finding and using the subway, procuring a map, and eating at a a non-expat restaurant.
Shanghai is an amazing city, completely overwhelming and crowded but so much going on. With a plethora of expat and "going out" guides to choose from, there is something for everyone here on any given night. There is even a Shanghai Mac User group to please my inner geek. Maybe we can count down the days until the iPhone is released next year in Asia. So anyone able to get one in the US?
I found a great apartment that I will move into tomorrow (Monday) after I sign the contract. It has two bedrooms and is fully furnished...plenty of room for all you visitors out there. I will head out on Wednesday to visit Natalie in Changsha, Hunan and hopefully we will get to visit the area she has been living in for the past year. I also hope to get a crash course from her on how to order food, bargain down the white guy price, and tell a taxi where to go.
All in all it has been a great fews days and I am excited for what is to come...especially to get more of the language down.
All my pics from Europe are now up (just added St. Petersburg) here.
Take care!
Hello from Shanghai!
The new Nankeen site and product line has officially launched! Please visit nankeenstyle.com and enjoy 15% off all purchases through the month of July. Just enter Nankeen07 when you check out. This offer is for all friends and family of Nankeen so please pass along...
We would also appreciate any feedback!
More to come...
Just arrived in St. Petersburg and now have an Internet connection again. Will give more details soon but uploaded some photos here.
I am especially excited about the Seacloud set, some really great shots of the boat when we got to go out on the zodiacs.
Finally got a reliable Internet connection in Lithuania after no luck on board the ship we are sailing. I am a few days into the trip now and have been through Copenhagen, Poland, and now Lithuania. Tomorrow we head to Riga, Latvia, which is supposed to be great. So far the highlight has been Copenhagen but it is not really fair to compare the other Baltic states since history, and especially the Russians, have not treated them well.
Nothing major to report yet as most of our time has been spent on board the ship either eating, drinking, or singing show tunes by the piano. When we docked in Poland we did have the former Polish President, Lech Walesa, come on board for a brief discussion on the future of democracy both in Poland and throughout the world.
More later when I have a better connection. Enjoy some new flickr sets:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsolomon/
Heading out today, first stop Copenhagen and will arrive in China on June 28.
Check back for updates and photos.
I have been following John Robb's Blog for about a year now and he always has a lot of great insight into issues of national security, especially terrorism, insurgency, and infrastructure protection. He recently completed a new book, titled Brave New War. I have not read it yet but it apparently relates to a lot of what he writes about on his blog. Wired has a great two part series on John Robb's new book:
Part 1
Part 2
This book focuses on fourth generation warfare and how conflict is moving towards insurgent type attacks (Iraq, Lebanon, etc.) instead of state-on-state conflict. I think it is very interesting that Hugo Chavez is studying the tactics of Iraqi insurgents.
Two key items I took from this:
1) Robb's emphasis on culture and language training is great to see and we all know what happens with a lack of this--Iraq.
2) The current Federal bureaucracy is based on an outdated system (maybe this is too much credit to say it was once 'dated') that is not flexible enough to adapt to these new threats. I could post pages and pages on this but probably won't until I have time to reflect on working in it the past 4 years.
Robb also has a great post on the latest conflict between Russia and Estonia, or what he deems the new 21st century state on state conflict--cyber war.
Great article in Wired today on how Bill Gates is the new Mao in China. He has apparently become the new idol of youths across China. I thought this was very interesting:
"During his recent tour of China, Gates predicted the next global leader might be born here: "There was a survey done in the U.S. that asked where the next Bill Gates will come from," he said. "Sixty percent of the U.S. said the next stunning success would come from Asia.""
Will report back...
I have been following Jonathan Coulton for a few months now after hearing about him on Merlin Mann's (43 Folders) new podcast. Impressive to see him featured in NY Times Magazine and the quasi "poster child" now for independent musicians trying to make it on their own through the use of the Internet. Coulton sells most of his music through his website and iTunes without the middleman record label.
He quit his day job as a programmer back in 2005 to pursue his online music career. His popularity rose out of his "thing a week" series where he would write a new song, some becoming very popular, each week for I believe a whole year.
Although I had heard of Coulton previously, one thing really struck a cord with me--his fan base. The article recalls countless stories of fans helping Coulton with everything from graphic design to song lyrics. He receives hundreds of emails a day and countless myspace friend requests. But why? People love a good story. His popularity is largely based on the exciting idea of a fledgling musician trying to make it on the Internet--no less with a girlfriend and kid to support. Who doesn't like the idea of someone sticking it to the man by quiting the day job and sticking it to the music industry by going out on his own. No royalties to the big labels here. And throughout history we keep falling for this same great tale.
We all love this story and cheer for Coulton because we are all living vicariously through him. Who doesn't want to quit the day job and be a musician or artist? Although Coulton will argue that it is not that simple and I could only imagine so but still, lets keep it simple, he is the underdog that we all want to see succeed. A modern day seabiscuit or the current Golden State Warriors
The Internet is clearly a major force in leveling the playing field and changing the way we can access art, music, news, and information. Call it Music 2.0, Art 2.0, or whatever, either way it changes the game. This honesty and transparency is awesome and we are seeing it more from governments to major corporations. I can only hope to have the same results as we continue to push forward with our efforts in bringing our crazy idea to the masses.
Recent inspiration for my next move in life as I finish up my thesis, defending on Wednesday, and close our current client engagements...
I am not sure if I am enough of a nihilist to enjoy such a life but it would be fun to try. This guy also has some interesting posts on his blog.
More to come...
As you may know the new family business, Nankeen, is making huge strides as we get set to launch the new website and product line. I have been assisting in various capacities over the past year mostly on the business and technology side.
Currently, I am up in Rhode Island and have been spending my days at the new factory with our mascot (left). Mostly I have working to get the new business applications to work on the back end of the new site. Right now the trick is to get the shopping cart to talk with our order processing center in Rhode Island. In an ideal world, the order comes in, we process it through the web interface, print out the shipping label, invoices, and send it to the packaging group (right now my mother). These web application are both remarkedably smart but also very complex. You can do almost everything from the web control panel from changing product descriptions, to cross-selling, to tracking inventory. Now once this is all up and running it will be awesome and so efficient, getting there is another story.
I find this a lot when developing business processes and applications both at Booz Allen and in
this environment. The "bells and whistles" solution is only as good as the ease of use, training, and user capability. The ultimate solution may appear to solve every problem but if your employees cannot even figure out half the functions it can be a waste. That is why smooth and simple user interfaces are so important. I believe this is why Google has been so successful. They make it simple but also include advanced features hidden in shortcuts to allow the more advanced user to really dig in.
As I continue down this journey, helping get the family business off the ground, will report back. The new site will soon be up at www.nankeenstyle.com so start spreading the word.
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