Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hotel and decided to try to find the LDS branch meeting in a district called Shekou.
Our cab driver got us in the ball park and the security guards for the property guided us to the church. We got out and started walking up to the steps. Suddenly we all got the vibe that we were in the wrong place. It was a really nice church but not and LDS branch. We asked for directions and were told it was close. We started walking to find the branch and after about 15 minutes knew we were lost. We flagged down a cab, gave him the address and promptly ended up just where we were before. However, this time as we entered the property we took a right instead of a left, drove around a bit and found the branch. They are about 130 members and meet in what I think was a largeish (by Chinese standards) residence. The meeting was great. Because everyone can not fit into the main floor room, they have an overflow in an upstairs room that doubles as the Relief Society room and have a camera and speaker system so you can see the speaker.
The branch has a young women’s group, young men’s, scouting, primary – everything we have here at home.
After church we met Henry and he showed us more to the electronics expo area. It turns out that we have only seen about ½ of 1% of what is here in this district. This is getting excititng.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Shenzhen March 6, 2010
We are interested in looking at purchasing some electronics. Through a contact at one of the factories, we met a guy named Henry. Henry agreed to show us around a bit tomorrow but suggested we go to some sort of electronics district a few miles from our hotel and look around. This is another time that the scam radar should go off. What is in it for Henry? That is a question that needs to be going off in your head constantly to keep from getting taken advantage of anywhere but especially here in China. We jumped on the subway and rode over there; once again China astounds us.
This will be even harder to describe than the previous market. Imagine going to the biggest tradeshow you have ever been to. Then imagine it is housed in a 10 story building. Then imagine that at least two entire city blocks have 5-15 story buildings filled with those same booths every 15 – 20 feet. There are not as many hustlers calling to you, and most people here do not speak English but the enormity of each building and what they can offer is daunting. We learned by experience that some buildings have a little bit of everything and other buildings specialize in certain type of item. One building has more computer components; another building has more cell phone components. Another specializes in digital storage like memory cards. Another specializes in cameras. Some are more retail oriented. Others are fronts for the factory and have factory reps. It is really beyond description.
People are everywhere. I told De on the phone that it is like getting shrunk down and transplanted into an ant hill. If you can imagine that – and you don’t speak ant – then you will get a sense of this place.
I can’t help thinking that we are in the electronics district. Are there the same types of places for clothing, jewelry, furniture, household goods, etc? I have to believe there must be. There is certainly more to this city than originally meets the eye. We need a person on the ground here that speaks Chinese and understands the city to show us around.
This will be even harder to describe than the previous market. Imagine going to the biggest tradeshow you have ever been to. Then imagine it is housed in a 10 story building. Then imagine that at least two entire city blocks have 5-15 story buildings filled with those same booths every 15 – 20 feet. There are not as many hustlers calling to you, and most people here do not speak English but the enormity of each building and what they can offer is daunting. We learned by experience that some buildings have a little bit of everything and other buildings specialize in certain type of item. One building has more computer components; another building has more cell phone components. Another specializes in digital storage like memory cards. Another specializes in cameras. Some are more retail oriented. Others are fronts for the factory and have factory reps. It is really beyond description.
People are everywhere. I told De on the phone that it is like getting shrunk down and transplanted into an ant hill. If you can imagine that – and you don’t speak ant – then you will get a sense of this place.
I can’t help thinking that we are in the electronics district. Are there the same types of places for clothing, jewelry, furniture, household goods, etc? I have to believe there must be. There is certainly more to this city than originally meets the eye. We need a person on the ground here that speaks Chinese and understands the city to show us around.
Shanghai To Shenzhen - March 5, 2010 Part Two
The flight from Shanghai to Shenzhen was uneventful. We arrived at a nice airport that like the old airport in Shanghai is dated. It reminds me of LAX or one of our old airports in the US. Functional but not up to the standards set by Korea or the new China airports.
The first impression of Shenzhen is that it is a very new city. I learned online that Shenzhen has about 10 million residents. That is a big city. However, Shanghai has about 20 million. Shenzhen was a sleepy fishing village about 30 years ago and really didn’t start to grow until about 15 years ago. It was designated the first “Special Economic Zone” in China which allowed it to flourish as the manufacturing center of the world. Everything you can imagine is made her. Most of the products that say Made in China are made in Shenzhen.
It was about a 30 minute cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Riding on the freeway here is a lot like riding on the freeway in California. The traffic is the same, there are a log more western cars here – Andy says that is from the money in manufacturing and the proximity to Hong Kong – and the sides of the freeways are lush and green.
We are staying right near the primary train station for this part of China. Looking out our 15th floor window we can see hundreds of thousands of people moving in and out and around the train station. This county has some impressive infrastructure and everywhere you look they are building a new freeway or expanding a subway line.
We went shopping at a market called Luo Hu. This will be hard to describe but here goes. Imagine a 4 story building, each floor the size of a Smith’s grocery store. Every 10 to 15 feet there is another shop selling everything under the sun; electronics, jewelry, watches, clothing, shoes, toys – you name it and it is probably there. Shop workers are standing in the hall calling to you in broken English with “Hey! Want a watch?, or Hey! How about a DVD?, or Hello! How about a nice jeans for you…” The easiest way to navigate through is to just ignore everyone who is calling out. Then these “helpful” personal shoppers will engage you and ask to help you find what you are looking for. In reality they work for commissions from the stores they take you to. They are a little harder to get rid of. If you ignore them for a while and they still follow you, a polite but very firm “No Thank You” usually does the trick. A couple of times we had to be very forceful with our decline but the personal shoppers are harmless really. They are just trying to make a buck in a tough environment.
The total amount of sensory overload can be unsettling at first. If you go there, walk around a bit in the shops and then go outside and take a breather. I am not kidding – this will help you get your bearings.
Then the fun begins. Whatever you want or find in the markets is negotiable on price. In fact, many times the starting price and the finishing price are a long way apart. For example, one item Andy bought stared at 800 RMB and he got it for 100. That is good negotiating. Learning the art of negotiating, and being willing to walk away is critical in this place. We learned quickly that if a couple of vendors let you walk away at a certain price that you are probably below what the market will bear. We used one shop to help negotiate another.
These are great lessons how business is done in China. Everything is negotiable and nothing is as it appears on the surface. Not speaking the language is a barrier but it is not insurmountable. We watched Andy work the vendors for a few hours and then went to dinner. It was fascinating, and exhilarating, and exhausting.
The first impression of Shenzhen is that it is a very new city. I learned online that Shenzhen has about 10 million residents. That is a big city. However, Shanghai has about 20 million. Shenzhen was a sleepy fishing village about 30 years ago and really didn’t start to grow until about 15 years ago. It was designated the first “Special Economic Zone” in China which allowed it to flourish as the manufacturing center of the world. Everything you can imagine is made her. Most of the products that say Made in China are made in Shenzhen.
It was about a 30 minute cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Riding on the freeway here is a lot like riding on the freeway in California. The traffic is the same, there are a log more western cars here – Andy says that is from the money in manufacturing and the proximity to Hong Kong – and the sides of the freeways are lush and green.
We are staying right near the primary train station for this part of China. Looking out our 15th floor window we can see hundreds of thousands of people moving in and out and around the train station. This county has some impressive infrastructure and everywhere you look they are building a new freeway or expanding a subway line.
We went shopping at a market called Luo Hu. This will be hard to describe but here goes. Imagine a 4 story building, each floor the size of a Smith’s grocery store. Every 10 to 15 feet there is another shop selling everything under the sun; electronics, jewelry, watches, clothing, shoes, toys – you name it and it is probably there. Shop workers are standing in the hall calling to you in broken English with “Hey! Want a watch?, or Hey! How about a DVD?, or Hello! How about a nice jeans for you…” The easiest way to navigate through is to just ignore everyone who is calling out. Then these “helpful” personal shoppers will engage you and ask to help you find what you are looking for. In reality they work for commissions from the stores they take you to. They are a little harder to get rid of. If you ignore them for a while and they still follow you, a polite but very firm “No Thank You” usually does the trick. A couple of times we had to be very forceful with our decline but the personal shoppers are harmless really. They are just trying to make a buck in a tough environment.
The total amount of sensory overload can be unsettling at first. If you go there, walk around a bit in the shops and then go outside and take a breather. I am not kidding – this will help you get your bearings.
Then the fun begins. Whatever you want or find in the markets is negotiable on price. In fact, many times the starting price and the finishing price are a long way apart. For example, one item Andy bought stared at 800 RMB and he got it for 100. That is good negotiating. Learning the art of negotiating, and being willing to walk away is critical in this place. We learned quickly that if a couple of vendors let you walk away at a certain price that you are probably below what the market will bear. We used one shop to help negotiate another.
These are great lessons how business is done in China. Everything is negotiable and nothing is as it appears on the surface. Not speaking the language is a barrier but it is not insurmountable. We watched Andy work the vendors for a few hours and then went to dinner. It was fascinating, and exhilarating, and exhausting.
Shanghai To Shenzhen - March 5, 2010 Part One
1:58 pm Sitting in the old Shanghai airport. It is not nearly as nice as the new Pudong airport. It reminds me of something in America built in the 60's. Not bad but compared to the new one it is very outdated. We breezed through check-in and security here. Getting around is easier than I expected. Andy is a great teacher and we are absorbing as much as we can.
Although we don’t speak any Chinese, we aren’t having too much problem communicating with anybody. All of the signs in this country are in English which is very surprising. It has rained almost every minute we have been in Shanghai. That has disappointed Andy but we don’t mind a bit. I guess we just don’t know any better.
We are boarding the plane in about 30 minutes. This should be interesting. We are basically flying on the Southwest Airlines of China with out the funky CEO and the funny advertisements. The distance from Shanghai to Shenzhen is like flying from Minnesota to Phoenix. It is south and west and we are going from cold and rainy weather to warm and sunny weather.
Shenzhen is the manufacturing capital of China and will be an interesting experience. Anything you want can be found there. Phase two of our master’s degree in China will begin today.
Although we don’t speak any Chinese, we aren’t having too much problem communicating with anybody. All of the signs in this country are in English which is very surprising. It has rained almost every minute we have been in Shanghai. That has disappointed Andy but we don’t mind a bit. I guess we just don’t know any better.
We are boarding the plane in about 30 minutes. This should be interesting. We are basically flying on the Southwest Airlines of China with out the funky CEO and the funny advertisements. The distance from Shanghai to Shenzhen is like flying from Minnesota to Phoenix. It is south and west and we are going from cold and rainy weather to warm and sunny weather.
Shenzhen is the manufacturing capital of China and will be an interesting experience. Anything you want can be found there. Phase two of our master’s degree in China will begin today.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Another Day in Shangahi - March 4, 2010
Today we got up and had a leisurely breakfast. Then we decided to go out and walk around the town. It is very cold here so we tried to go buy some jackets. Everywhere you go there are street hustlers who ask you to buy everything under the sun. They can be very persistent and Andy has taught us the best thing to do is just ignore them and keep walking. If they are very persistent, and many of them are, it is best to not make eye contact or acknowledge they are there. Sometimes if they keep pestering you, you can finally say no or go away and they will. We had one yesterday that followed us around for 15 minutes and finally Andy had to very firmly tell her to go away. It made me a little uncomfortable but eventually she got the message.
We went out to the main shopping district and the first hustler that approached us we engaged and asked her if she could take us to some place to buy a jacket. Andy told her this by pointing to my jacket and then to his lack of a jacket. She understood and walked us about 4 blocks off of the beaten path and through more than a couple of back alleyways to a unmarked door. Inside this door was a shop of knockoff merchandise but they didn't have the right sizes. So she took us to another store where the price was way too high. Then she took us to another store where the quality was terrible. Eventually we just walked away and didn't buy anything. It was interesting to watch Andy work.
We had lunch at a McDonalds and dinner at a "sports bar" type place that was under a hotel and you would never find unless you knew where you were going. Then we walked around the downtown area that is much like Times Square in New York. Shanghai is really beautiful at night. While wandering around we found a shop that had very inexpensive merchandise but most of it was junk. Finding true bargains - good stuff at reasonable prices - is not that easy. There are millions of options, but finding quality at a great price takes work.
We rode the subway today which wasn't really any different that riding the subway anywhere else. However, we did ride the Maglev train which is a magical experience. This is the most expensive train ever built in the world and it is also the fastest. It reaches a top speed of 431 kph which is 268 mph. It is amazing to ride that fast on something that is not an airplane. We went out to the airport which is over 18 miles away in just over 7 minutes. That was really fun.
We spent most of the day wandering around The Bund and on Nanjing Road. These are very well know parts of Shanghai. Nanjing Road is a pedestrian only road that has thousands of stores, shops, restaurants, and offices. The Bund is a world famous financial district that is along the river and sort of ties the old Shanghai to the new Shanghai. Both are amazing places to walk especially at night. Everywhere we have gone so far has been extremely crowded with people. The city has about 20 million and at least half of them seemed to be riding the subway today. But even with all the crowds, everyone moves around the city pretty easily. One thing to note if you ever come here: pedestrians never have the right of way. If you don't pay attention when you are walking, you could easily get hit by a car or bus. Bicycles have barely if any more right of way than pedestrians. And there are bikes and scooters everywhere you look.
Just crossing the street sometimes can be quite and adventure. That is a good life maxim, but it can be a life or death lesson in Shangahi.
We went out to the main shopping district and the first hustler that approached us we engaged and asked her if she could take us to some place to buy a jacket. Andy told her this by pointing to my jacket and then to his lack of a jacket. She understood and walked us about 4 blocks off of the beaten path and through more than a couple of back alleyways to a unmarked door. Inside this door was a shop of knockoff merchandise but they didn't have the right sizes. So she took us to another store where the price was way too high. Then she took us to another store where the quality was terrible. Eventually we just walked away and didn't buy anything. It was interesting to watch Andy work.
We had lunch at a McDonalds and dinner at a "sports bar" type place that was under a hotel and you would never find unless you knew where you were going. Then we walked around the downtown area that is much like Times Square in New York. Shanghai is really beautiful at night. While wandering around we found a shop that had very inexpensive merchandise but most of it was junk. Finding true bargains - good stuff at reasonable prices - is not that easy. There are millions of options, but finding quality at a great price takes work.
We rode the subway today which wasn't really any different that riding the subway anywhere else. However, we did ride the Maglev train which is a magical experience. This is the most expensive train ever built in the world and it is also the fastest. It reaches a top speed of 431 kph which is 268 mph. It is amazing to ride that fast on something that is not an airplane. We went out to the airport which is over 18 miles away in just over 7 minutes. That was really fun.
We spent most of the day wandering around The Bund and on Nanjing Road. These are very well know parts of Shanghai. Nanjing Road is a pedestrian only road that has thousands of stores, shops, restaurants, and offices. The Bund is a world famous financial district that is along the river and sort of ties the old Shanghai to the new Shanghai. Both are amazing places to walk especially at night. Everywhere we have gone so far has been extremely crowded with people. The city has about 20 million and at least half of them seemed to be riding the subway today. But even with all the crowds, everyone moves around the city pretty easily. One thing to note if you ever come here: pedestrians never have the right of way. If you don't pay attention when you are walking, you could easily get hit by a car or bus. Bicycles have barely if any more right of way than pedestrians. And there are bikes and scooters everywhere you look.
Just crossing the street sometimes can be quite and adventure. That is a good life maxim, but it can be a life or death lesson in Shangahi.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Going to China - Part Two; March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Going to China - Part One; March 1-2, 2010
So I decided to go to visit China with my good friend Andy and my cousin Jon. How did this happen? I am not entirely sure but here is the short version.
Around Thanksgiving I got in contact with a good friend from my days in college Andy. He has been on my mind lately and I found him on Facebook. De and I and three of our kids met him at his house in Utah and spent the afternoon catching up and enjoying reminiscing about the good old days. It was great to renew our friendship. Andy does quite a bit of business in China and he mentioned that I should go with him. A couple of months later, here I am, embarking on what might simply be the most incredible adventure of my life.
So here is the running blog from the first day. (All times are local to where I am at that moment)
11:26 am - Draper Utah, went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment. I hurt my back last Wednesday and although I am very skeptical about chiropractic care in general I need to do something or I will not survive a 13 hour plane ride. Surprisingly to me, I feel great. Dr. Vosti is a miracle worker.
11:58 am - Just bought a new digital camera from Costco. I hope to document the adventure in pictures as well as words.
5:20 pm - Just left work and I am officially 20 minutes behind schedule. I will have to make that time up somehow.
Around Thanksgiving I got in contact with a good friend from my days in college Andy. He has been on my mind lately and I found him on Facebook. De and I and three of our kids met him at his house in Utah and spent the afternoon catching up and enjoying reminiscing about the good old days. It was great to renew our friendship. Andy does quite a bit of business in China and he mentioned that I should go with him. A couple of months later, here I am, embarking on what might simply be the most incredible adventure of my life.
So here is the running blog from the first day. (All times are local to where I am at that moment)
11:26 am - Draper Utah, went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment. I hurt my back last Wednesday and although I am very skeptical about chiropractic care in general I need to do something or I will not survive a 13 hour plane ride. Surprisingly to me, I feel great. Dr. Vosti is a miracle worker.
11:58 am - Just bought a new digital camera from Costco. I hope to document the adventure in pictures as well as words.
5:20 pm - Just left work and I am officially 20 minutes behind schedule. I will have to make that time up somehow.
6:22 pm - The family said goodbye and we took a picture with the new camera. I will figure out how to get that picture posted here. I have an awesome wife and kids. I am so lucky.
7:45 pm - We just boarded the flight from Salt Lake City to LA. A very long trip awaits. I am very excited. I can't wait to see what happens next!
8:39 pm - I am picking up a very distinct smell - urine! It can't be me can it? The guy sitting next to me won't make eye contact. I think it is him. What a start to the trip. This may be a bad sign.
8:53 pm - While walking through LAX I passed 3 Elders and 1 Sister missionary. Boy that brought back a flood of memories. 23 years and 8 months ago I landed at LAX to start my mission. That seems like a lifetime ago now but in some ways it seems just like yesterday. I had a fantastic mission with excellent mission presidents. I don't know if these missionaries are coming or going but they had Spanish tags. I had a little twinge of envy for them. I sometimes wish I could go out again armed with what I know now. De and I will have to get our finances in order soon so we can go on a mission together.
9:10 pm - The baggage carousel finally starts about 32 minutes after we got off the plane. Everybody is so relieved but they were very upset a few minutes ago, stomping around, angry cell phone calls, looking for a Delta agent they can lynch, etc. Everybody just needs to relax. That is good advice when travelling and I have made a note to myself to just roll with the punches.
9:38 pm - A very nice young man named Paul is trying to find me an aisle seat on my Korean Airlines flight to Seoul. After about 14 minutes of computer problems and checking with his supervisor I have and aisle seat. And one for the return flight as well. Although I have not been on too many international flights, I know the extra legroom can be a huge bonus. Thanks Paul for going the extra mile. Things are looking up!
9:52 pm - I find myself in the worlds slowest security line. Why is LAX always a mess? These people need to get more training or something. Salt Lake is so much better. Maybe that is a result of holding an Olympics post 9-11. Anyway this line reminds me of the lines at Disneyworld, without the smiling kids or the chance for a yummy ice-cream treat. Come to think of it, these lines are nothing like Disneyworld. This line sucks.
9:59 pm - Just reaped the benefit of an awesome decision - I switched my carry-on to the backpack style and I am so glad I did. I am way more comfortable. You should get the backpack style carry-on. Seriously.
10:04 pm - Still in the security line. The lady in front of me is getting on my nerves. She has packed and re-packed her carry-on 11 times now. If she does it again I am going to lose it. Every time she gets close to me I catch a very distinct odor. It is a mix of golden retriever and cheap suede. I think it is coming from the huge winter jacket she is wearing. Her passport says Mexico but her coat would be appropriate for an Eskimo. Lady just leave the dang bag alone for the love of all that is sacred!!!! I need some food.
10:16 pm - I am finally through security. Excellent since my plane boards right now. Luckily I am at gate 106 which is not far. When I get there they are not boarding my section yet so I have a minute or two. Excellent.
10:45 pm - I got a call from Jon in Shanghai. We have hit our first major glitch. Jon went to the hotel and they didn't have a reservation for any of us. Jon went online and made a reservation - but to the wrong hotel. Now he has a non-refundable reservation at a hotel an hour away from where he is supposed to be. I am on a plane in LA and Andy is somewhere in the air right now to Japan. Getting together might be a little more difficult. Jon doesn't know what to do and they just asked me to turn off my phone. This is getting interesting!
4:15 am - Just touched down in Seoul. The flight was not as bad as I imagined it would be. We had decent food, the in-flight entertainment system was incredible, the service was awesome, and best of all I got an aisle seat with nobody beside me so I had plenty of room. I am totally recommending Korean Airlines. If you get a chance to fly with them take it. The flight was long but not awful. I read some, watched two movies, and slept for about 6 hours. That isn't too far off a typical night at home except I was with a few hundred strangers in a chair in the sky over the Pacific ocean. This is a beautiful airport and pretty much empty. I need a little peace and quiet.
4:42 am - I tried to talk my way into the Korean Airlines frequent flyer lounge but they said no. I found a small travellers lounge with free Internet access. Maybe I can check on the boys and see what our status is.
5:34 am - I was able to text De out of my Yahoo account to tell her to go onto Skype and we got on Skype and talked for a few minutes. That was awesome. The Internet and Skype make travelling a lot less isolated. I miss the family already but getting to talk to De was great. De was on the phone with my mom while she was Skyping me. Technology is astounding sometimes.
7:11 am - Jon came online and he and Andy are at the original hotel. Andy made a reservation en route. Jon waited at the hotel lobby for about 3 hours but everything worked out great. So we are back on for plan A. That is a relief. Jon has already had some interesting experiences in Shanghai. I am looking forward to seeing the boys in 4 hours.
Why The Title
I decided that I should start a blog of my travels and adventures. The title The Adventure Continues comes from one of my good friends Pat. Last summer Pat and I went on a scout trip to the High Uinta mountains with about 15 adults and 40 young men. The trip was an absolute blast and we had an incredible time. It was not without problems though and like all scout outings had many moments that try your patience and resolve.
Each time something went a little askew or we faced a new challenge, or we found ourselves in a new predicament, Pat would simply smile and say "the adventure continues!" I decided that was a great way to live life - one adventure after another with a dash of excitement to find out what happens next.
So here's to you Pat and all my fellow travellers - The Adventure Continues!
Each time something went a little askew or we faced a new challenge, or we found ourselves in a new predicament, Pat would simply smile and say "the adventure continues!" I decided that was a great way to live life - one adventure after another with a dash of excitement to find out what happens next.
So here's to you Pat and all my fellow travellers - The Adventure Continues!
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