Who is Winning the Lottery of Life?
A. The British
B. The Chinese
C. The Americans
D. Anyone/everyone else.
Answer: B?
Regardless of what you think the answer should be, the article puts the rise of China into an interesting light.
A. The British
B. The Chinese
C. The Americans
D. Anyone/everyone else.
Answer: B?
Regardless of what you think the answer should be, the article puts the rise of China into an interesting light.
If your name is Rick and you called me on Saturday from the US and are still waiting for me to call you back–I’M SO SORRY. I’ve lost your number; it didn’t record in my phone and I’ve just been praying that you’ll call me back on your own–please do.
Sorry, Rick. And sorry to the rest of you for making you read this post.
Flying from HK to LAX is just like going to the moon. American in general, and LAX in particular is like visiting a miniature UN, a fat farm, and a shock-therapy treatment center all in just a few hours.
First person off the plane that I talk to is the customs agent. He asks me about living in China, how long I’m back in the US for; all the typical questions. He wonders why I’m home for the holidays without my wife (she’s already here). He then lets me go with “You can come back and live here forever, you know.” I’m sure my parents paid him to say that.
But things go downhill from there. In the next 3 hours, all while still in LAX, my luggage gets lost, found, lost and then found again. As I try to check in for my domestic transfer, I find out that Delta won’t accept luggage over 50lbs from international flights other than Delta flights. No exceptions. 62lbs means another bag or $50. What ever happened to an “overweight” tag? I guess all the Delta flight attendants are wearing them on their butts. Anyway, I repack my bag into the extra duffel I brought and not so politely inform the desk agent that I have a choice with whom I fly and I no longer will chose to fly Delta. You’d think that during a well publicized hostile takeover the service would be better than average rather than worse than usual.
Then, joy of joys, I get selected for screening and set off the security screening alarms not just once but twice. “Male Assist. Double Alarm.” They offered me a private room for the impending pat down—really! Then my shoes register some chemical residue and have to be completely wiped down, re-x-rayed and check by a supervisor. I get “wanded” twice and then patted down. After that every single piece of electronic equipment (watch, camera, phone, mp3 player, computer, extension cords, portable hard drive, jump drive) gets wiped down and tested for chemical residue. Of course everything is unpacked and I’m unzipped and standing spread eagle in the hallway by the time we’re done. One more “beep” from the wand and I’d be naked—they told me that. Next time I’m taking the private room.
Now, I’m glad that someone is helping us be safe, but honestly, wouldn’t it suck to work for TSA?! I mean, there is no one that is happy to be selected, is there? These TSA people have to deal all day with people who are basically pissed off that they’re just doing their jobs. Cudo’s to Fernando Jr. for being polite the entire time.
So now, finally, I’m at the gate. Delta announcer says: “This is a beverage flight only. You still have a few minutes to run and get some food to bring on the plane if you want.” Are you kidding me?! While air service is getting better and better around the world, why does it seem to be really digressing in the US? Security delays aside, why is flying in the US such a pain now days? Flying in the US today means poor service, rude air hostesses and fees for everything. FYI: it costs as much to fly one-way from LAX to SLC as it does to fly roundtrip from Hong Kong to Bangkok; but HK-BKK flight is longer, uses a bigger planes with more passengers per flight, flys out of the biggest airport in the world, offers a full meal each way and I get great service to boot!
It took me three hours just to get from terminal 3 to terminal 5! At least I got to people-watch and didn’t miss my flight. And, since I have time while I’m waiting to board (zone 9, of course) I can say that after 6 years in China, I love that American is more and more (obviously) multicultural each time I come back. The security guards in customs were African Americans, the customs agents seemed to be all Asian or White Americans. The baggage guys were all India(n) Americans. The Delta employees were all old White or Asian American women wearing way too much makeup. The TSA people were all African or Hispanic Americans except for the supervisors who where all white—everyone. The “missionaries” outside were African American while the Salvation Army people were all old Whiteladies. The counter workers in every one of the shops were Hispanic Americans—I stopped into a few extra shops just to make sure I wasn’t just over generalizing. And, just so I’m not called a racist—remember, this is just what I saw waiting and waiting and waiting in LAX.
Finally, EVERY ONE REGARDLESS OF RACE IS GROSSLY OVER WEIGHT!! We obviously need to start exporting more food to Asia—let’s balance out the trade deficit and drop some lbs at the same time, eh?
Welcome to America.
SRI welcomes our newest team member to China–Tyler Hooper. Tyler will be in charge of project management for current client projects while here in China.
Tyler comes to SRI with a degree in Business and Chinese. He’s worked in Taiwan as well as in the Banking/Finance industries in the US. He also comes married to Andrea, his wife of 4 years.
SRI is proud to include them in our family. 欢迎!
On a personal level I really enjoy working and living with the Chinese. They are interesting, interested, and very kind. But environmentally, I’m not all that pleased with living in China.
On Thursday, as I was coming into Shenzhen from Hong Kong, I was robbed at the boarder. It happened right in the middle of the metro station with video cameras, police and security all around. I was glad to have two young ladies report the theft to the security guards and try to help me identify the robbers. But ultimately the security guards and the video surveillance operators all said “it’s not really my responsibility. You should be more careful.” The police came 45 minutes later and said the same thing and added “you’ve lived here a long time; you should know what it’s like.”
In addition to this bad experience, the fourth time in 3 years that I’ve been robbed here, there were four news articles in the last week identify separate issues that ultimately will and currently do now limit China’s potential and influence. The four issues are increasing pollution, a new bird flu outbreak (reported in HK but not in China), limited housing options for the middle class and limited civil and human rights for those opposed to or even reporting on the government.
Now, despite the pollution and the theft I’m obviously in China because of the opportunities. But with each theft, each new disease outbreak, each new scare, I plan ways to leave. And despite the head-long lemming-like plunge of foreign money and companies into China, I’m not alone. Chinese people would love to be able to leave, if only for a visit to somewhere else (as evidenced by the rapidly increase numbers of Chinese tourists abroad). Even though people want to leave, I’m not predicting a brain drain any time soon. China’s economy is too robust for that. But I am claiming that the Chinese people are China’s greatest resource. And the lack of government enforcement of environmental and social regulations combined with the increasing corruption (as defined by the World Bank) to me means that the bureaucratic infrastructure is what is sucking a healthy % out of the economy and the spirit of individuals.
While every conceivable degree of growth is monitored and ostensibly controlled by the government, more influential is the lack of security, both moral and physical, that people fell and fear in China. With an increase in corruption, pollution, disease (and subsequent lack of reporting) and a glass ceiling for the new middle class means that more and more Chinese are becoming disenfranchised with “just” economic growth. Chinese are much better off, especially in the urban centers, than ever before, but at what price? Economic growth has served as a brilliant distraction from the host of problems that accompany rapid and uneven economic growth for many Chinese.
Another equally effective and must less costly distraction has been the arrival of the World Cup. China didn’t make it into the World Cup (and it looks the US will soon be out too) but that hasn’t limited the Chinese from participating. There were/are fears that Chinese gambling syndicates will try to influence some of the matches. Everyday in the office buildings in Shenzhen I see people coming to work wearing shirts of their favorite teams (Brazil and England mostly). You can’t help but hear the cheers and groans of people staying up all night to watch the matches live (matches are from about 9pm to about 5am each night). The World Cup has generally given everyone in China something else to talk about, drink about and enjoy together. Chinese I know were even disappointed to see the way that Japan lost their first match to the Socceroos. Empathy for the Japanese is a major achievement!
Maybe the Chinese government should get out of the environment and crime control business and into football more. It’s working on a personal level already.
DD