Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Entry area to South China Mall, including amusement park area. Drop ride is the tower on left and log flume ride to rear center. Posted by Picasa

A Wonder of a Mall

It’s gonna be big! It may not be now, but from what I could tell, there was a lot of construction going on behind the walls.

I’m talking about the South China Mall. You may have remembered me mentioning some facts about it last year. It is touted to be the World’s Largest Mall. And it is right here in Dongguan City. It’s just across town.

You may have even read about it in an April edition of Newsweek magazine. There it made the list of the 7 New Man Made Wonders of the World. Quite a feat!

But at over 6 million square feet of space, it is BIG! It consumes the space of more than 150 football fields. That is far bigger than the Mall of America in Wisconsin, and even bigger than that Canadian mammoth entry to mall fame in Edmonton. There is an amusement park area already open, a planned IMAX theater, a Paris and Italian section complete with gondolas, and much more.

A couple of friends and I toured through the amusement area Sunday. It was neat to see locals trying the rides. You could tell that they had never seen the likes of anything like these rides before. They gawked at the thrill seekers jumping on seats that rise to the sky just to drop ya a hundred feet in a few seconds. We rode the log flume ride, a rather sedate version of many I’ve seen and ridden before. But my co-rider, Ivy, didn’t know a thing about the ride. She had never seen anything like it and being the only riders on this day, she had no idea what to expect. When we reached the last slope, she was questioning her decision and ready to get off. As for me, I thought it was great… except maybe for all the water in the bottom of the boat. My socks are still wet.

Not much of the mall is open yet otherwise. A few department stores, a Pizza Hut, and a McDonald’s were some of the few. None seemed to be doing that much business on this wet and rainy day.

The gondola ride was running in a moat that circled right through the huge complex. Even though the gondola resembled the shape of those in Italy or at the Venetian in Las Vegas, that’s where similarities ended. The gondoliers didn’t dress so neatly. And the speed…. unbelievable. These were not sedate little relaxing romantic rides. These boats were powering through the channel creating quite a wake! They didn’t want to waste any time. I couldn't even get a good picture they went by so fast. I guess being so big of a mall meant they had to go faster to get all the way around the complex in reasonable time. Of course, the Chinese move along in most every powered type vehicle in this country. The rain dampened our enthusiasm from riding. Maybe next visit.

It will be some mall. I’m not so sure I would put it in a ranking of the 7 Wonders of the World. But it will be something to behold.

At a fountain near the Italian section of the South China Mall. Posted by Picasa

Map of the South China Mall. Blue moat is for the gondola ride. Only a small area around the left waterway area ("BC") has any stores currently open. Posted by Picasa

Shoppers at the South China Mall. Posted by Picasa

Monday, May 29, 2006

No News is Not Good News

It’s Saturday morning and I’m upset. I’m here watching cartoons on my only good TV channel and the only other English channel is showing reviews of new Xbox games for 2005!?!? This is when I typically watch the ABC Evening News from the US. You may have remembered where I’ve mentioned that I get the evening broadcast from the prior night on the next morning here – approximately live due to our 12 hour differential in time. It’s my best real connection to what is happening at home!

Today Elizabeth Vargas nor Charles Gibson, or whoever is current ABC anchor, is not on!! And just sometimes, mind you, the second channel has the CBS News, but today they have old game reviews. Maybe it’s for historic viewing or that’s the games just reaching shelves here. Actually, tt’s probably just being shown because it’s a cheap show to broadcast.

But where is the News? This isn’t totally uncommon. Maybe it’s just that there is no broadcast from the US today because some ballgame has pre-empted the newscast. But more than likely it’s not being shown here because something has touched a nerve with the censors here and they have decided to hold it off the air today.

Months ago I had a similar morning without the ABC News. I got to work to read an email from my sister saying to be sure and check the ABC Newscast for a special on China. Hmmm, I wonder if that is why it wasn’t shown that morning here. Ya think?

And then there is the pre-news hour from Bloomberg News. Its one of those channels that has about five things going at once: streaming stock market; news highlights, facts and figures, and some live news in a corner of the screen. I often enjoy Bernie Ho and his dry humor and keen financial knowledge as he broadcasts from Hong Kong. Only we don’t get it most mornings. I figure, someone doesn’t appreciate his humor so well.

Instead they keep the scripts running with a headline of some type where you would rather see Bernie interviewing Larry Ellison. And then they play music. It’s more like Muzak elevator music. But it can be a little bizarre. It is the same daily. And I can count on at least one Christmas song and the Wedding March among the regular repertoire. Can you believe that?!?

Invariably someone often forgets to set the proper programs or doesn’t flip a switch when the ABC Evening News starts, so the only sound ya get is the continuation of the Muzak soundtrack!! Really great! Finally get the News but music instead of commentary!

Last night I heard a rumor of some kind of trouble near the Capital in Beijing: a shooting of some kind. Of course it turned out to be the wrong Capital! It was the US Capital!! But I had a hard time finding a website with anything about it. News websites aren’t always easy to find here either. They just don’t work for some reason.

I can’t even see my own blog from my apartment in Dongguan. Most of my Chinese friends can’t see it either. I can access it from my work, since our server is through Hong Kong and doesn’t come under the same scrutiny as our service in China. I hope I’m not getting my self in hot water over these comments. I’m just saying that’s the way they control it. It’s their country. I don’t mind. I just miss my news some mornings!

Oh boy, there’s the news finally. But they still have the Muzak music on! Isn’t that neat, here’s the Pope marching across the screen as The Wedding March plays!!

Poultry delivery and another moped with a load of other goods. Just thought I'd add another moped photo from the roads of Dongguan. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, May 25, 2006

To the Movies

Up the escalator for two flights… down a corridor… through a refreshment area…. down a set of stairs… in the left set of doors…. and finally, I was in the theater.  I was in Hong Kong and decided to go see Da Vinci Code at a movie theater.  I probably should have picked a better time to see the movie.  I got one of the very last seats available, and with the assigned seating, that put me on the second row of a theater wider than it was deep.  If I go back to see Da Vinci Code again and then sit on the left side of the theater, it will be like seeing a different movie altogether.

You see they really believe in the assigned seating at the theaters here.  I’m still not sure I like it.  You go up to get your ticket, and there is this big electronic chart where you pick out your seat.  I thought I had really picked a great seat for MI: III recently.  Only I found out when I got inside that I had things backward:  what I thought were vacant seats were occupied and vice versa.  I ended up in the middle near the front, when I thought I was further back.  The amazing thing was that the back half the theater was all filled and no one sat in the front.  Seemed kind of odd to have half the theater full, but everyone sitting tightly packed in the back.  No one dared move.  I wasn’t going to be the lone fool to risk a move, even if it meant more room to myself.  I’m a little uneasy in uncharted waters here.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as any other trip to the movies.  I do always get a little anxious when the previews or commercials start and they are in Cantonese.  “Oh no, am I in a Cantonese theater for the Da Vinci Code???  Am I gonna have to read the screenplay at the bottom of the screen?  AHHHHHHH!  I forgot to ask at the counter!”  ………. So far, the features have always been in English.  Thank goodness.

You do always have to go up and wind your way all around to get to these theaters.  It’s like they must bury them back behind all the storefronts and up several floors.  Most have escalators, but invariably there are a bunch of steps too.  Not much on handicap access here.  

And did I say this theater was wide?  I couldn’t believe it. Charts never make it look the same, do they?  The electronic screen fills up whatever space is available.  But when I went inside, it was like a football field wide.  Great if you are in the back middle.  My head is still crooked to the left from looking down the screen from my seat.  

Oh, I enjoyed the Da Vinci Code.  Book was better though.  And MI: III was good too, but that didn’t look so much like the China I know in the last scenes.  

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Friends at the Next Table

Hey Gene, come join us!” Well, I was a little embarrassed. Here I had been taking pictures in this area of the Royal Lagoon Hotel for about an hour, and I hadn’t even noticed my friends, the Millers. But as I finally headed for a seat, lo and behold, there they were right at the next table!!

But before I could apologize, Suzanne had jumped up and was saying: “You remember Suzanne and Mildred don’t ya? Debra is home sick tonight.” Well, knock me down with a sledgehammer! This wasn’t just any friends they were introducing. No this was Suzanne, Mildred, and Debra from the same college as my ex-wife. Yes, here we were all in China together. It’s only been… let’s just say “a few years back.”

And here we were, halfway around the globe from Raleigh running into each other in China. The most amazing thing about this encounter is that this is not uncommon. I can’t get over how many times I run into or have a connection with someone I see here. You then realize just how small a world this really is!

It was great to see the girls together. We got together another night when Debra was feeling better. It wasn’t entirely unexpected to see Debra here. Suzanne Miller’s husband is in the furniture industry, and was at NC State with me. One night at a local furniture session of sorts, we traced our common heritage, and the fact that Suzanne had been at Peace with my ex during the same period. And her good friend, Debra, had been my ex’s college roommate, and had now moved to Korea. But Korea is not like a drive from Rulfton to Frog Level. It’s some distance away.

But here all these friends had decided to congregate together in China! Now that’s an adventure. And they were having a great time! I told them the Chamber of Commerce wanted them to stay and keep spending money. They were good for the economy. And had a great time too!! See folks, China is a good tourist location! Great to see ya ladies!

Reunion at dinner in Dongguan last Wednesday night. Suzanne, Mildred, Suzanne, Craig, Gene, and Debra together at the Dicken's. Posted by Picasa

Flat Tire

I knew it would happen sooner or later.  You know, sometimes you just expect some kind of car trouble.  Well, the other night was my night.  

Coming back to my apartment, we had a flat tire about two miles from my home.  I was riding in our new bus.  It was definitely overkill for just me to be riding in a bus, but then again, I like the 20-passenger bus for spaciousness and comfort.  I can sit in the front row and stretch my legs up over the console.  Stretching in any car over here in China is a rare pleasure.

As we rounded a tight turn coming off the turnpike, we heard an unusual noise.  My driver was looking around and I was thinking: “Please not us.”   Then as we pulled out from a stoplight, a different noise came from under the carriage.  This time there was no doubt about it: “It was the bus.”  But it only sounded like we were dragging something.  My driver quickly pulled over and got out to inspect.  I jumped out too, and soon he was pointing at something protruding from a rear tire.  It was getting flatter by the second.

Well, the fire drill started then.  My driver, in typical, efficient Chinese fashion, moved deliberately, and pulled out the spare and jacked up the bus.  I was pretty impressed with his efforts.  But then he could not get the new tire on the wheel.  The wheel wasn’t high enough off the ground for the new tire to fit.  It was then that I realized he had NOT put the jack under the axle, but had put it under the spring.  The wheel was bending down.  But that didn’t deter him.  Realizing this wasn’t working he went right about correcting the mistake and put the flat tire back on the wheel so he could move the jack to a better location.  But no matter how hard I tried to show to him, he wouldn’t listen to me and now he put the jack under the body.  The tire never even lifted off the ground.  The body went up, but the wheel just stayed down.  Finally, he paid attention to my mumbling and hand motions to put the jack under the u-joint of the frame.  YES… we finally got the wheel high enough to change the tire.  It only took an hour and a half.  

Now I’m not bragging about my prowess or knowledge about changing tires.  I think most anyone knows I’m no mechanic.  No, I’m more relating the typical nature of the way the Chinese go about things.  They often act before they really think it through. [Some of ya might say:  “That’s a typical American male.”  But I didn’t say that.]   And why would he listen to me.  First he didn’t understand me.  And second, I don’t really think my drivers believe I can even drive a vehicle much less change a tire.  All I do is ride.  Why should I know anything about changing a tire?   Little do they know that I’ve been driving longer than they are old.  

Luckily, we weren’t on some busy street at the time.  We were on a wide boulevard near downtown Dongguan City.  That meant there weren’t two or three hundred people walking along the street and stopping to watch us.  Fortunately, there were only a few stray motorcycles.  Otherwise with all these people, you usually get a lot of “help”, but no one really contributing.  

Another new experience that I coulda done without:  a flat tire!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Mandy & Malcolm

 Posted by Picasa

M & M's at a Wedding

M & M’s at a wedding! Now that’s my kind of wedding. And it made perfect sense too! It was Mandy and Malcolm’s wedding! M & M!

Sorry it’s taken me a week to post this, but I have now gotten the over 200 pictures that I took at the reception onto my accompanying photo website. When I walked in the door, Malcolm greeted me and implored me: “Take a lot of pictures!” Well, I obliged. But at the same time, I tried to remain discrete and not in the way of the other two professional photographers capturing the event.

And the reception was great! What a nice event on my return to China. It was just my second night back and I was seeing all my great friends here in a wonderful celebration of family union! I can’t think of a better way to renew acquaintances. Very nice. You see, I work with both Mandy and Malcolm. Malcolm is lead manager of our biggest group of project managers for our hospitality furniture. Mandy manages some retail projects and our showroom in Hong Kong. Great to see the two of them together!

And the wedding reception was of course, very beautiful! It was held in the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel in Kowloon. Mandy was gorgeous in all three dresses! She is always beautiful, but was even more stunning in the formal wear of her wedding night. Malcolm even looked handsome and, okay, let’s be honest: a little more reserved than usual. He was a gentleman and wonderful host too. He was doing great! He worked the crowd like a real pro.

I got in early enough to see the elder ladies of the family share tea with the married couple. I understood this to be some kind of fertility rite. And in the meantime, at least a dozen tables of four patrons at each were busy playing mahjong. That is a type of domino game. I sure don’t understand all the fast action of turning the domino like blocks and stacking them in a row and….. oh I give up.

The meal was the usual multi-course celebration of Hong Kong treats. I guess most receptions start with the suckling pig. And somewhere along the way there is always traditional shark fin soup. Very tasty!

And of course, the wine flowed strong throughout the night. Toasts were prevalent, and everyone enjoyed a wonderful celebration! It was good to be back in China!

Photos can be reached from the link on the right or by pasting the following in your browser: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=abrysoninchina&p=1A55&AID=3457603

Mandy & Malcolm with the Decca Hospitality Project Management Team. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, May 11, 2006

For the love of a good shower

I know…. I’ve been complaining a lot about my apartment lately. Well, sorry, but I have something else to complain about: my shower!

I got back from being away for three weeks and hated the thought of my lousy shower. Boy was that an understatement. It was even worse on return than I expected. Turns out not only did I have the usual low water pressure. I didn’t have hot water either!!

The really bad thing was, I didn’t realize this until I got in the shower the first morning. See, I got home on Monday evening and went right out to have dinner and drinks with a few friends. I never really got a chance to test the water that evening.

So Tuesday morning, I hopped into my shower…. And WOW! What another rude awakening to my return to China! No matter how I tried I couldn’t get hot water. Luckily, it was warm enough for me to survive a quick cold shower on this day. But to hell with shaving! I went to a bad beard look.

Calling the apartment maintenance to come and check my water situation was better than expected. The “engineer”, as they like to call them, promptly came right over when I got back to my apartment on Tuesday evening. Before I knew it, he pulled open a compartment on the bottom of the gas tank that sits above the toilet and plucked two “D” batteries from within. I’m sure he was asking if I had any others. Of course, I didn’t. Hell, I would have never guessed I needed batteries to make my water hot.

Off he ran and soon he returned with two new batteries to fix my situation. That gas tank is sure working better than before. It really gets hot! But notice that I didn’t say I can make it warm. That is still an impossibility. I’ve tried everything I can imagine. But all I get is a minute of warm water before it shuts the gas off and turns frigid cold. So there I go turning off the cold to get the hot to fire up again, only to be scalded. ………. And then the cycle renews again.

At least I get a good dance every time I take a shower! I’m definitely back in China!

Monday, May 08, 2006

A Warm Welcome to Hong Kong

Nothing like a warm welcome! …….. Okay, I coulda done without that kind of warm! Here I just finished circumventing this beautiful earth, had left Colorado with temps in the low 40’s some 22 hours before, and as I left the cabin of the airplane at Hong Kong International, I was met with a rude welcome: A very HOT welcome! What a blast of heat! A wave of hot, humid air hit me like a breaker of waves. Why do they not air-condition the jet way? It is like I walked out of this refrigerator of a plane and stepped into a tunnel used for testing heat and humidity. And then zip into the terminal and its cool again.

The pilot had actually given us a warning. As we were landing he announced it was 33 degrees Celsius. That’s around 88 degrees Fahrenheit! And the humidity musta been over 90!

But I am back in Hong Kong! Not sure what day it is, but I’m in China, at least I know that much. I can tell by how I can’t step three feet without running into people… people, people, people. Everywhere! I have had a couple of good night’s sleep, saw Mission Impossible III, and even got a nap yesterday. That was almost a mistake. The cleaning personnel awoke me to change bathroom towels in my hotel room, just in time for me to get ready to go to Malcolm and Mandy’s wedding!

And what a wedding! Just beautiful! Great food and wine…. As always here! Hard to get up and head back to work on a day after that. But I got to do it now, so I’ll write more about the wedding later!

I’m back in China! Soon back to Dongguan! And I’m ready! Really looking forward to getting back to regular work after seeing the world and +10 cities along the way!

Friday, May 05, 2006

Back to China!

Almost time to get back to China. Yeah, I’m ready to head back. This has been a long trip. I’ve loved every minute of my stay. But I want to get back to a regular life again. I’ll miss family and friends, and the big mirrors and great showers where I’ve been. But it is always good to get back to one’s bed… even if it is hard as a rock. (Am I getting used to hard Chinese beds!??!)

My time in Denver has been great. There’s nothing quite like having a little kid tell ya: “I like you!” Oh, does that warm one’s heart like nothing else can. Well, my great niece, little Megan was saying that to me shortly after I arrived. It has been so good to get to know her and her brother Nathan. The last time I saw Megan, she was only a few month’s old and Nathan was pretty young too. They have now just moved to the Denver area, so I have had a wonderful opportunity to reacquaint myself with these young relatives while visiting my sister, Anna.

The same goes for my nephew Andy and his family. But I didn’t get to see all his “kids.” Zeke did get over here the other night, but the others are a little too much when they are all together – so I’m told – and I can certainly believe it. You see, Zeke is a mastiff bulldog of about 200 pounds. The other “kids” are Samson and Sada, two other only slightly smaller dogs. Zeke certainly was a joy by himself, and I understand the others are too, but they can be a handful in a group setting. Zeke is the biggest, loving animal I’ve ever seen. He’s one of those that just wants affection, and as big as he is, he usually gets what he wants.

I head back out tomorrow morning and should arrive in Hong Kong over the weekend.

My thanks to everyone for a great visit while Stateside and around the World.

Monday, May 01, 2006

The new Bolier Showroom in High Point. Posted by Picasa

From the Opulent to Impressive

From the opulent to the impressive. I’m in between my sixth and seventh cities on this tour. I’ve been to ancient Florence; seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa; rolled through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains; smelled the sweet azaleas and dogwoods of Piedmont North Carolina; and even seen the opulence of Las Vegas. Man what a different world we live in.

Just a few days ago, I was wandering through the streets of old Florence viewing some of the most amazing art in all our history. Yesterday I walked through the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, where they try to make it look like Italy. Good try…. From a distance anyway. The closer you get, the worse it gets. It just doesn’t quite do it, ……. at least, if ya ever seen the real thing. Maybe it looked this fresh and bright when originally painted or sculpted ………. no, I doubt it.

Our Bolier Showroom in High Point was a great new effort in the fresh and impressive. Designer Michael Vanderbyl planned a new setting that takes advantage of the natural light from the ceiling windows The furniture seems to float: in a blizzard of white, highlighting the wood and veneer to its fullest. It looked spectacular. (See link to photos of Bolier Showroom at right.)

The Decca Hospitality space at HD2006 was equally impressive. I spent two days at the show in Las Vegas. Like in High Point, I ran into many friends from the past and even some from the present – other ex-pats from Dongguan. Some world isn’t it. Travel halfway around the world and see neighbors you seldom see when at your home.

It’s been a great trip. City seven today = Dallas.