More thoughts and sights

First of all I need to apologize for not blogging for a few days. Work has been exhausting and I have found myself crashing the last few nights, completely drained after the trainings.

I have been thinking a lot about my time here in Shanghai which is quickly coming to an end. I have been thinking about what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land and a foreigner out his element. Being in China has given me an opportunity to see things I have never seen before, both with my eyes and with my heart.

What is really the most striking thing to my American eyes is the homogeneity of the Chinese people. Now, my Chinese friends would say otherwise. They would say that there are striking differences between individual Chinese people as well as differences between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, etc. That is very true. However, as an American, I have been raised with eyes that are used to many different skin tones, many different hair colors, many different body types, and many different ethnic and racial heritages. To masses of people who all have dark, straight hair, almond shaped eyes, and thinner body types, is probably the most striking thing I have experienced. My mind, so used to human variety, is blurred by the apparent sameness.

Walkng along the Bund

But that is where I must leave behind my American eyes. For now I am forced to see the individuals for who they are, not just what they look like. When I took a stroll across the Bund (the boardwalk type promenade that goes along the Huangpu River), I now notice two people cuddling, obviously in love. I see an old man who has many wise looking wrinkles in his face staring out at the river. I wonder what he is thinking and reflecting upon. I see three teenagers, obviously looking for some sort of benign trouble to get into. I see individuals, and not race or body types.

Scenery from the other side of the Huangpu River

This has impacted me the strongest by getting to know my co-workers here in Shanghai. Shirley, Nicholas, Sara, Emily, Carey, Gell, and Mason are all very unique individuals with hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes. They are all wonderfully warm and caring people, who want the same sort of happiness that I want for my family and for myself.

My new friends: Mason, Sara, Shirley, Emily, and Nicholas

But, in Asian culture, there is a strong sense of sameness that is encouraged. Those who stand out, really stand out. Women are coloring their hair more I have noticed. I saw one teen who had her hair dyed brown. Another lady had her hair permed very curly. Another man had on a very bright colored jacket. All of these people, really stood out from the crowd. No commentary on this, just an observation.

So what is it like in Shanghai? Well, it is mostly foggy everyday. Days are considered nice when there is less fog. I have a suspicion that this might be pollution related, but for now I will concede that it is mist. Getting around Shanghai is an adventure. I have mentioned the taxi drivers and I think I have understated their particular driving abilities. These guys are maniacs. Maniacs indeed, but very skilled maniacs. The part of the car that the driver uses the most is not the steering wheel, or the gas pedal, or the brake. It is the horn. The taxi driver beeps his horn nonstop from point A to point B, warning every living and nonliving thing in his path that he considers himself to have the right of way at all times. With over 27,000 taxis in Shanghai, this presents an interesting driving situation.

The Metrotower - the glass Geohesic dome is a shopping mall with a lot of resteraunts. We ate there every day: Monday Japanese Food, Tuesday Vietnamese Food, Wednesday Singaporian Food, Thursday Korean Food. Firday the whole team brought me to a Sezchwan resteraunt.

The taxi driver will weave and bob his vehicle (all Volkswagens) through the traffic, through the crowds, between bicycles and motor scooters, with apparent reckless abandon. To get their cargo as safely but, more importantly, as quickly as possible is their main task, and they are up to it.

All other vehicles operate in much the same way. The “me first” driving attitude is pervasive even to grandma pedaling her bicycle to the market to get some flowers. The amazing thing is that this is so expected and so common that no one minds. I took a count on one taxi ride from the Hotel to the Metro Tower (where the Microsoft offices are located) and there was 37 moves that the driver made that would have caused a blast of a middle finger in Boston. 37!! In a 2 mile 10 minute trip!!! Yet, never was another driver or pedestrian unhappy.

Ah, yes, the pedestrian in Shanghai. In America, pedestrians have the right of way. In Shanghai, they are targets. Walking around at the busy of times, one has to doge multiple flying vehicles. On the sidewalks, bike and motor scooters. In the crosswalks, flying cars and trucks. As long as the pedestrian keeps moving, there is no problem. As soon as the pedestrian stops he is dead meat.

So all of this is happening with thousands of vehicles in my little area of Shanghai. The most amazing part about all of this is that I never once saw an accident or a pedestrian get hurt. It all moves along in its blessed path of apparent chaos. What lies underneath is an orchestrated highly complex set of rules that everyone know, everyone obeys, yet no one speaks of. It is a lot like a piece of jazz music. All the instruments are going along in apparent indiscriminate melodies and improvisations. But with a harder listen, one can hear the flow of a sublime consistency.

That is all for now. Right now the women's doulbes badmitten championship is on China TV. China vs. Thiland. Can't miss this. Tomorrow is my last day. Nicholas and Shirley are going to be taking me around Shanghai (Nicholas is driving) to see the city. More pictures and thoughts to come.

At Microsoft Shanghai

Waking up this morning I find that Shanghai is not as colorful during the day as it is at night. Night time, all buildings are filled with large lighted signs and billboards. In fact, some places are brighter during the night then during the day. Today it is in the 60's, and very foggy. See picture above from my hotel room.

I got to the Metro Tower (picture will be posted tonight) and found my way to the 25th floor. The information desk told me that Microsoft was on the 17th floor. Wrong. Went to the 24th floor, and discovered that I needed to go to the 25th floor. Whew, made it. I met my two contacts, Tracy Gu and Nicholas Shen. Nicholas helped me get the 7 computers ready for class at 13:00. It is now 11:22 and we are about to go to lunch soon before class. As we get more comfortable during the week, I will get some pictures of my new Chinese friends!

21:55 GMT +8 March 5th 2006.

So I have just published my travel notes. I am now in my hotel, safe and sound. Nice hotel that caters to western folks like me. We took off from Tokyo a little early so I got to Shanghai around 20:00. Customs was a breeze. Very efficient and they did not search my bags like I was expecting. Big news is that all my luggage arrive!! Wah Hoo!!

The taxi drive from the airport to the hotel was the most exciting part of my adventure thus far. If Dick's (see below post) car sounded like a POD Racer, then my driver in China drove his car like a POD Racer. We were zooming about at a average of 120 to 140 KM / hr. When he got up to top speed, the car would shudder and shake. Yikes! But here I am. Very tired. going to bed. More tomorrow with some pictures. For now, here is a shot I took from my window at Tokyo airport.

The trip

March 4th 08:58 Somewhere over North America

So begins my journey to Shanghai. It started around 04:00 when I woke up on my own. Good thing because I had messed up my alarm and it didn’t go off at that time. Got up and showered, finished the last bit of packing, and waited for my cab to pick me up. Karry got up with me and helped me get myself together. 05:00 came and we prayed for my journey and for our household when I am away. Went and kissed the kids (Abby got up and we hugged). Taxi arrived and I was off.

OK, so I go to the airport via the taxi. Dick, my toothless taxi driver talked all about how he wants to go back to Las Vegas some day. Actually he was quite a charming guy. Probably in his 60’s. Looked like life added 20 years to his face. We had a grand conversation on the way to Logan. The taxi itself was quite an experience. If you have see Star Wars and know what a POD racer is, the car sounded exactly like one of those. Dick drove the cab like a Pod Racer as well. Yikes!

Got to the airport, through security, onto the plane. Now I am somewhere over the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. We should be on the ground and at the gate around 10:00. Listening to my iPod so far:

1. Neal Morse - ?
2. Hillsong – Ultimate Praise
3. Assembly of Dust – Boston 12/31/05
Battery holding up. So am I. One leg of my journey almost down.

BTW – First class rocks!!!


March 5th 13:50 GMT +14

So the second leg of my journey is coming to a close. In two hours we will be landing in Tokyo and I get my first taste of the East. This flight will be 11 ½ hours long, and it hasn’t been too bad. Again, first class rocks. The in flight food was really good and they really take care of us up here on the second deck of this 747. Our flight has covered, at this point 5175 miles at 35, 000 feet. We flew over Canada, up over Alaska, then headed south towards Japan. Right now Japan is a few hundred miles to my right.

The flight has been very smooth. A few bumps here and there, but overall very comfortable. The in flight movie system is really awesome. Each seat has it’s own video monitor in which I can select to watch a movie. I have about 30 choices ranging from classics to recent. I caught three movies total. First up I watched How Green Is My Valley. This is a 1939 John Ford movie starring a young Roddy McDowell and, deep sigh, Maureen O’Hara. Next up I watched Ice Age – really funny. Then I watched M*A*S*H. Finally I watched The Ringer, a movie about a guy who pretends to be Mentally Challenged in order to fix the Special Olympics, in which he has bet on. It actually was really good, and pretty much a family movie. Most associations for Developmentally Challenged folks have highly endorsed the film because it treats these folks with a great deal of respect.

Music wise, I finished up Assembly of Dust, and am now listening to my third Billy Joel album. I listened to 52nd Street, An Innocent Man, and am now on Glass Houses.

I got about an hour of sleep, which is fine. Right now it is midnight back home, so it is like I am pulling an all nighter! It is still daylight outside and the sun is really bright so everyone on the plane has their shades down. Well, we are hitting some rough turbulence, so I think I will end for now. Next time I write, it will be from Japan to China. Almost there!