Day 21 - The REAL China

Due to daily travel, I will have early mornings until I get home. This morning I was up at 4:30 a.m. to catch a flight to a city 300-400 miles into the interior of China. From there we have a long drive to a particleboard mill in the city of He Ze.



Apparently our driver was trained by Richard Petty. The trip from the airport to the particleboard mill we are visiting is supposed to take 2-½ hours. Since we are running between 90 and 100 mph, I am guessing it will take much less than that. This guy is swerving around slow traffic, passing semi-trucks on the shoulder, and honking at the people trimming shrubs along the median. When he greeted us at the airport Vivianne could not understand him because he was speaking a dialect the she could not understand. Even though Mandarin is the official language of China, many of the “county bumpkins” only speak their native tongue.

In spite of the fog, the countryside is very beautiful with poplar trees and farms everywhere. Through the fog I am able to see small limestone or white granite mountains. The four-lane divided highway we are on is nicer than most interstates in the U.S. In spite of the nice roads, not everyone has a car to drive.

After touring the mill and being reunited with Dave, we were invited to eat lunch with them. As we walked to where we were eating, the sound of locusts filled the air. Being in the interior of China, we were able to enjoy fine country cuisine. As you can see, the locusts also filled our plates. I was happy to discover that locusts taste better than duck brain. As a whole, it was the most inedible meal I had eaten since arriving in China.

We met to wrap up our observations and thoughts and then we were off. The trip to the hotel was more exciting than the trip to the factory. For about 40 miles, we drove through congested county roads (see below). We were able to observe the third-world poverty while driving 70 miles per hour. "Modern China is reserved for the large coastal cities.

Day 20 - Seeing Shanghai - Part 2

We ended up going to eat at a Thai restaurant where I enjoyed fresh coconut juice. It was surprisingly good! As we ate, the sun set over the waterfront and we were able to enjoy an incredible lightshow. As you can see in the pic, not only are the buildings lit, but so are the tourist boats.

On the way back to the hotel, our host said something to the driver and he screeched to a stop. She turned around and said "GET OUT! GET OUT!" We quickly ran across to a little tea shop where we sat down to taste several types of hot tea before picking the one we liked best. It was a nice gift that I will be sharing with my family.

Day 20 - Seeing Shanghai - Part 1

Our supplier wanted us to see some of the sights in Shanghai, so he gave us his driver and guide again. We began our day at the ORIGINAL Chinese Super Buffet. This place was huge. The plan was to eat, see some sights, and be back to the hotel in three hours. Our hosts had other plans.

Next, we drove to the Pearl Tower, the tallest tower in China and one of the tallest in the world. To give you an idea of the height, see the pic above of the tallest building in China taken from the Pearl Tower. After coming down, we toured the Shanghai History Museum, which is below the tower. Aside from some interesting exhibits (but no mention of the Communist revolution), I saw something I did not expect. While public urination is common in all parts of China, I was surprised to see it in a museum. As I was walking, I saw a mother set her 7-year-old daughter on a trashcan to take a whiz. Wow!

After we were done at the museum, we walked along the river to find a drink. In addition to a drink, I also found the smallest McDonald’s in the world.

Day 19 - Shopping and Eating and Shopping and Eating

This morning we met in the hotel for a 2-hour meeting with our supplier. After that, he suggested a few places to go shopping and provided a driver and guide for the day. We went to a very cool shopping district called Old Shanghai. Most of the vendors were selling nice Chinese artistic items (don’t get me wrong, the Rolexes were everywhere). With some skilled negotiating, I was able to get some good deals. On one item I purchased for my family, I was able to negotiate from 1240 RMB ($155) to 130 RMB ($16.25).

We ate lunch at a restaurant on the edge of the shopping district that has hosted dignitaries like Bill Clinton. I decided not to ask for the Bill Clinton Special. After our meal, we wend to another market nearby. This was the kind of place where Oriental Trading Company buys all their junk. I was easily able to leave there empty-handed.

We met Jerry for supper at a place called One Thousand and One Nights. It was an Arabian Restaurant serving Middle-Eastern cuisine. I considered standing up and saying "I love George Bush", but I thought that might not be wise. The only thing I recognized on the menu was the Kabob. As with everywhere else, the food was very good.

Day 18 - Shanghai Nights

This morning, we flew to Shanghai to visit a supplier that is working on one of our projects.

DISCLAIMER: DAY 18-20 ARE “RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT” DAYS. IN CHINA, IT IS CRITICAL TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS AS A PREREQUSITE TO DOING BUSINESS. I AM BOUND BY MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DEVELOP SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PARTNERS AND THEREFORE HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE ACTIVITIES IN WHICH I MUST PARTICIPATE TO MEET THIS OBJECTIVE.



When we arrived in Shanghai, our supplier wanted to have a meal to introduce us to some of his key employees. As you can see from the pic, they like to eat in style. Jerry (the guy to my right) is the manager of the company, which is owned by his uncle. It is interesting that most small to medium sized businesses are owned by families. In many cases, cousins and uncles will be partial owners. It was a nice meal and was noticeably different from the cuisine in Shenzhen. As you can see from the pic below, food can also be an art. This item is a famous Shanghai shrimp dish.



We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the factory and meeting with company managers. The weather is much better in Shanghai. It is rainy, but much cooler at about 80 degrees. After leaving the factory, Jerry to us to a district called New World. It is a collection of high-end restaurants and shops. The buildings are replicas 1880's buildings. We ate a French restaurant/cabaret and the staff offered poor service to the Westerners and Chinese equally. The cabaret offered tunes from shows like Chicago and Milan Rouge. I sang along throughout the show (not really).

We are staying at the Jin Jiang Tower. It has 43 floors and a rotating restaurant at the top. It has hosted dignitaries from around the world, including George Bush sr. Unfortunately, that was “back in the day” and it is now 20 years older. I got stuck in a smoking room, but I don’t notice any smell. From the 30th floor, I also have a nice veiw of the city.

Day 17 - Busy Day

HNI was nice enough to provide unlimited personal use of the new company car. I am looking forward to my next trip when I am going to take this baby downtown. I’m sure I will be turning some heads. How do you say "Jalopy" in Mandarin?

For lunch, Dave wanted to take our guests to a traditional Chinese restaurant and eat "real Chinese". This was my third trip to this particular restaurant, so I knew what was coming. This time, we decided to forgo the fried water beetles (think BIG cockroach), which we enjoyed on my first visit. We did have some interesting items though. As you can see in the pic above, I have a duck head on my plate and in my chopsticks is its brain.



I ate it, baby.

Of course, after I ate it I began to wonder if there was such a thing as Mad Duck Disease (like Mad Cow). Towards the end of the meal, we were served Pig’s Knuckle Soup. As you can see below, the first thing we do is take a straw and suck the marrow out of the bone (it tastes kinda’ like duck brain). Everyone really enjoyed this, especially Dave.




After a hard day’s work, we decided to treat our guests to something special. Dave heard about my massage experience, so he forced me to take the group there. This time, I decided to not enjoy it. Everyone had a good time, except for me. As you can see from the pic, when the masseuses were finished, no one wanted to leave. We sat there until they threatened to call the police (just kidding kids).

Day 16 - Among Friends

The calvary came today. I am finally among friends. People who know me and to whom I can speak onpenly. It was a good day. For those who do not know these guys, from left to right, they are Troy Stuart and Butch Klem from one of our U.S. suppliers, Eric Marler from our Oak Laminate plant, and My good friend Dave Schmidt, also from HON. Those with a keen eye will also notice that I have a Mountain Dew in my hand. That was a gift from Mr. Marler (Dew was unavailable once I stepped on my international flight).

We had a nice meal together at the hotel tonight and then we went out and group-purchased about 20 Rolexes (don't worry Pam, I only traded in the broken ones). This is the third time we have purchased from this particular individual, so the negotiations are fairly short. In all, we have probably purchased 40-50 Rolexes from this guy, at 100 RMB ($12.50) each. Dave makes the whole process very fun and entertaining.

I should also mention, Dave was nice enough to bring a care package from Pam and the kids. Unfortunately, since Dave was about to collapse from jet-lag, I will get it from him in the morning. I am excited to see what they sent.

Day 15 - My Kinda' Store (almost)

Since returning to China two weeks ago, I have been searching for a shirt that is the perfect mix of Chinese and American style. Because I can be a little picky at times (Pam knows what I'm talking about), finding the perfect style, color, and pattern has been difficult. To make matters worse, I am slightly larger than the average Chinese customer. Sure, they always coax me into their store with "Come, come... American size". Then they dig through all the nice shirts and pull out a t-shirt that has a gold horse embroidered across the chest and green buttons sewn on the shoulders! What gives?!?! I am not saying that they do not also have Nike t-shirts, NASCAR t-shirts, or even an Iowa State t-shirt with a cardinal on it (see below). BUT, I DON'T WANT A T-SHIRT!!! I want a nice shirt that is designed for the sub-tropical environment in which I am living. You know, the kind of shirt made out of some exotic material that wicks the sweat from my body and acts like portable an air conditioner.

Tonight I finally found the shop for me! As you can see from the pic above, the name translates to "Fat People's Shop", which is ironic, because the store is only five feet wide (seriously, look at the pic). I went in and within seconds I found the perfect shirt. It was the right style, color, pattern, and most importantly, it was the right size. I asked the shop keeper "how much?" and she typed 230 RMB ($29) then subtracted a 20% discount (because I'm special) and said "184". Realizing that 184 RMB was still over $20 ($23 to be exact), I frowned, pointed to the calculator and said "too high... lower" (pushing the palm of my hand towards the floor). She said "no... 184". I said "no... better price". Se shrugged her shoulders and said "184".

At this point, some of you may be saying "you've been looking for two weeks and have nothing to show for it. Just pay the money and walk away". Obviously you don’t know me. By this point, I am no longer worrying about the shirt... it's the principle that matters. I can walk two blocks and find the same shirt in a Chinese size and buy it for $6. My "American size" shirt doesn't use THAT MUCH more material! In addition, how much business can a "Fat People's" store do in China? There’s like 12 fat guys in all of China! Finally, NOBODY PAYS $23 FOR A SHIRT IN CHINA!!

I walked.

Day 14 - Another Day in Paradise

I was back to work today after recuperating this weekend. It was another smokin' hot and humid day with intermittent rain showers. The kind of day you can feel the weight of the air on your shoulders and if feel almost hard to breathe. I think I will have the chills my first few days back in Iowa.

My next MBA course started today, so I decided to get out of my room to read and redeem my "free drink" coupon at the Gold Rush Bar on the second floor of my hotel. I received it during my last trip in January and it was going to expire in three days. The Gold Rush Bar is a western-style establishment where the staff wear blue jeans, cowboy shirts, and stars-and-stripes bandanas (they look kinda' silly). After carefully looking over the list, I made my decision and presented my coupon to the waitress. She explained that it had a 40 RMB limit ($5) so that nixed the Pina Colada. Next, I tried to order aGuinnesss (38 RMB), but she informed me that with the 15% gratuity I would be over the limit. I offered to pay the difference, but she refused. It finally came down to a choice between Carlsberg (they are the Budweiser of Denmark) and a soda-pop. I chose a 7-up.

Unfortunately, the music was too loud, so after finishing my drink I moved down to the Greenland Lounge. The lounge is an open air coffee and sofa spot on the main floor of the hotel. It offered the quiet space I needed to read. Unfortunately, they said there was a minimum purchase. After looking at the coffee list, I realized that Starbucks would be half the price. So here I am. Back in my room, writing my blog, and thinking I will fall asleep if I open my book.

Day 13 - Sunday

Days like today, I miss Calvary Church. As I walked around this afternoon, I looked at people with a mix of beliefs. Their beliefs include Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, and Atheism. While there are millions of Christians in China, they are a miniscule minority in a country of 1.3 billion people. Most worship in underground (and illegal) "house churches". In many business and some shops, I see religious idols and smell incense burning. They perform rituals to please a God that they cannot know or understand, never knowing if they have done enough.



I believe what with the "open for business" sign on China, they are also "open for ideas". It is impossible to separate the two. Every Christian who comes to China has the opportunity to reveal the idea that there is a God who loves the rich and the poor, the Buddhist and the Atheist, the Cantonese and the Hakka. As I took this picture of friends and families eating supper by the market, I realized that we may some day eat from the same table, where my bad knees will not keep me from sitting on an eight-inch-tall stool, language will not separate, and eternal paradise with a loving God is all we know.

Day 12 - Two Extremes

I am dividing this post into two parts. First, is the incredibly stressful experience of shopping at the Lo-Wu market. Second, I will describe how I relaxed after the market.

Part 1 – "Ello, buy DVD? Golf club? Rolex?"

The Lo-Wu market is the single most famous (and notorious) market in Shenzhen. Upon arriving, before I even made it in the building, I had people approaching me wanting to buy DVD's (Superman Returns is already available), Big Bertha golf clubs, Rolex watches, Gucci purses, computer software, iPods, and everything else imaginable. The rule of thumb for me is that I will not buy anything that I will miss when it doesn't work or is confiscated at U.S. customs.

Speaking of U.S. customs, their rules are funny. According to them, I cannot take any copyrighted movies or music CD's into the United States. But, when it comes to knockoff watches, purses, clothing, and golf clubs, I can take one item from each product type. Last time I came through U.S. customs, they told me to pick the Rolex I wanted to keep and then they confiscated the rest. On the same trip, a friend of mine had a set of golf clubs confiscated (including two of my putters), but they let him keep the empty bag. The rules are kind of strange, but if they let me keep something, I am not going to argue.

Now, back to the market. I decided to take the escalator to the fifth floor and work my way down. Each floor is more-or-less divided into a product category and each "store" is about 8X14 ft (see pics). The fifth floor is electronics. As a fairly young western male, they see me as a walking cash cow. When I looked down the first isle, I saw at least 30 Chinese salespeople waiting to "help me". Some of them are waiting just outside their store, while others are planted there to take me to a store on a different floor or even to a "warehouse" in a nearby apartment building. With each step, I had someone step in front of me, grab my arm or shirt, or walk up beside me and offer their help. It’s funny how fast they would let go of my arm with a little intense eye contact. They all say the same thing: "Ello, buy DVD? Golf club? Rolex? I give you best price. Top quality. Come with me. Many, many". A reasonable person would think that after ignoring them or saying "Pu Yow" (I think it means "no thank you" or "screw off") to the first 15 salespeople the remaining 15 would realize that I am not interested… They don’t.

On this trip, I have a fairly short shopping list: gifts for the kids, a gift for Pam (which she says she doesn't need, but I'm not that stupid), exchange broken Rolexes, buy a few DVD's, and some Chinese tea. In two hours, I managed to cover two floors, get gifts for both Pam and Jake, and buy a backpack for our future laptop. I think I got some pretty good deals (I never pay more than 40% of the original asking price). Sometimes, I can negotiate a 70% reduction, but that can require 20-30 minutes of haggling and several "walk-aways". Needless to say, I was physically tired and emotionally exhausted when I left the market. That brings us to part 2 of this posting.

Part 2 – A little R&R

Before you read this section, I want to offer a disclaimer:

"At no point during these activities am I alone or without proper attire. At all times, I am within visual contact of those responsible for my safety and good moral conduct." (I love you Pam)

Earlier in the week, I mentioned to my host that I would like to get a haircut on Saturday or Sunday. Since I had time after shopping, she made the necissary arrangements. Now, let me explain that in China a haircut is not just a haircut. It begins with a "shampoo" that takes around 30 minutes. For a shampoo, they had me lay on an elevated chair (think of a dentist's chair, but more flat) that houses six massage motors. They proceeded to shampoo my hair twice, condition once, and then I think I received a facial (let's keep that between us). At each step, the person working on my hair spent several minutes massaging my scalp. After the wash, they brought in some kind of "pillow" that must have been filled with boiling water and placed under my head. As I lay there waiting for my brain to turn into a poached egg, a person massaged my arms. She went from my shoulders to the tips of my fingers, being sure to hit all the pressure points in between. Then, she performed the same type of massage on my legs. Now that all of this is complete, I am ready for my haircut.

After explaining to my host that I have had only two different people cut my hair in the last 20 years, she asked for the most qualified stylist (I think his western name was Stephan). As picky as I am about my hair, I realized I would have no good way to explain exactly what I wanted, so I took my chances and pointed to my head and said "like this, only shorter". About halfway through, I asked my host how often she gets her hair cut here. She responded "Oh, I never get my hair cut in China. I only come here for the shampoo". That didn't make me feel any better. She apparently waits until she returns to Taiwan to get her hair cut. When I asked her how often she gets a shampoo here, she said "about twice a week". I was envious. He proceeded to cut and buzz for about 20 minutes, until it looked pretty good.

I thought he was finished until he directed me back to the shampoo area. After another application of shampoo and conditioner, I returned to the stylist where he blow-dried my hair until I looked like a 1980's Emilio Estevez (minus the rippling abs). The total time for my Chinese haircut was a little over one hour. The cost? 43 Yuan ($5.38). If I only want a shampoo, the cost is $3.50.

After leaving the barber, we went next door to a business that offers massages. I opted for the "Thai Body Massage", which lasts 70 minutes and the "Chinese Foot Massage" that lasts 60 minutes. Let me begin by saying that the Thai must be a very angry people. The massage involves a lot of twisting, punching, slapping, and hitting (now I know what bread dough feels like). As soon as I would begin to relax, the masseuse would unexpectedly start beating on my legs or arms. I also learned that the elbow can be used as a weapon.

The foot massage began with the masseuse placing my feet in boiling turquoise colored water that appeared to be mixed with gelatin and it smelled like Mentholatum. My host said it was a Chinese medicine that improves circulation. I think it was a disinfecting antiseptic (I don't blame them). I thought that a 60 minute foot massage was a little long, but apparently the foot has over 2000 pressure points that involve varying levels of pain, and they have to hit each one of them. Each time I would flinch or whimper in pain, the masseuse would look up and chuckle. I thought of my kids as she popped every one of my toes (they hate it when I pop theirs). After the oftentimes painful massage was complete, the masseuse left and returned with what appeared to be a 8X10 inch bag of marbles. When she placed them on my feet, I realized that they were stones that she had retrieved them from the bottom of a fire pit. WHAT IS IT WITH THE CHINESE AND HEAT?? DO THEY ENJOY THIRD-DEGREE BURNS?? I held my feet in place until the sweat from my brow ran down into my eyes (about 30 seconds) and then I pulled them out with a "yow!" Again, she laughed. She then directed me to put my feet on top of the bag. It's a funny thing about stones; they can radiate heat for a REALLY LONG TIME!! After a few minutes of standing on the surface of Hell, she took the stones away and returned with tub of clean boiling water for a final washing.

As I sat there for a moment before putting my shoes on, I realized that I felt really good. Aside from being a little tired, my body and mind were free of stress and I felt better than I had in a long time. As I got up to leave, I also noticed that the pain in my left foot that had been bothering me for a few weeks was gone. When I got out of bed this morning, instead of being greeted with sore ankles, I stood up pain-free. This is what cortisone shots must feel like, but without the long needles. The total cost of my two-hour-plus doctor-free pain treatment? 65 Yuan ($8.13). I know that sound cheap, but they were running a special. The full price was $12.75.

Day 11 - Pretty Lame

Things are beginning to get too routine here. The pic below was my big thrill of the day. When I received my laundry back today, I found that the hotel noticed that the button was about to rip out of my shorts, so they fixed it. I performed a thorough inspection, and their quality was excellent. Pretty lame, huh.