Ebola, Swine Flu, etc

Been running a temperature all day, with a chesty cough, and sore throat.  I rarely get sick.  I put it down to only 3 glasses of wine since I left Australia, so invoked the western medicine at the Royal Yacht Club of Hong Kong. Perhaps, Daisy should have feed me chest of goat!

Hong Kong Etchells

Small world, met Mark Jukes at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Love to Brendon and Brian.

Hong Kong

Walked across the border from China and entered Hong Kong.

That was easy, but once in Hong Kong, it is just a bus terminal, with no currency exchange, shops or other facilities.

The bus takes RMB. At the rate of 1 to 1, but does not give change, so having no small notes the bus trip cost a little more than normal.

Once off the bus, I got a taxi to Kowloon, where I am staying.

Checked in at 7 pm, and walked the street to find an ATM to get some HK dollars.

Using one on the street with no reading glasses, got my PIN wrong twice. Tried another ATM in a lit bank lobby to discover the number pad is in a different order to Australia. The higher numbers are at the top of the keypad. Got my PIN correct this time, but it triggered a rejection, by the bank, but at least did not swallow my card. Got to love the ANZ FRAUD FALCON.  I have other cards so not a problem, but they were back in the hotel safe. 

Just had breakfast - Vegemite toast, orange juice and coffee. How enjoyable.

Factory, random photos

The front of the factory, note the Santa in the window of the guard house.

Employee parking.

The employees are offered free accommodation. This is very good compared to most of the other factory accommodations in the area. The windows have glass and open and shut.

For lunchtime and after work entertainment, pool tables in the street.

The tables are level.

Every available space in the street is used to grow food, I think the employees are given lunch, but provide their own dinner.

My last day in China

Today, Daisy and are going to the saltytag factory, to meet the production supervisor.

I will then be driven to the Hong Kong border, and Daisy to the airport for her flight back to Shanghai.

Daisy has been great company, the whole trip has exceeded my expectations.

Guangzhou tour

Daisy and I were met by Bryan, Manager Trading Department, Viennois Fashion Jewellery Company.

This the company that makes the saltytags.

We went across town via taxi to their offices. The trip took about 40 minutes, with no end in sight to apartment buildings and office blocks. The population is estimated at over 14 million people, but difficult because of the number of itinerant workers.

The offices are across the road from the modern Canton Fair complex, in a newish building.

The take up an entire floor for the office space which includes a large well laid our showroom.

http://www.viennois.com/en/

Daisy and I were shown many new designs, that incorporate interesting materials and high quality finishes.

Designs customised for specific markets Re evident, not just the same products. African exports, are gold, bold and earthy colours, Abu Dubai extremely over the top in size, China, blingy, Italy, semi precious materials etc.

We met the designer responsible for the saltytags, and discussed further products and enhancements.

As seems to be the tradition in China, we were taken to lunch. The restaurant was housed in the same building, and had open and private dining rooms. Marble floors, gilt columns, chandeliers, silk wallpaper and timber carvings. 

We ate in a small open area. The tea brewing and pouring was perfect theatre.

Daisy and Bryan did the ordering, all in Chinese, so I had no ideas what was in store. I did have a peek at the prices on the menu and it was very very expensive for Chinese standards.

Dishes started arriving, and I got an English description on each. I joke with Daisy that if I spent any more time with her I would live to 200, because she gives me the traditional Chinese medicine reason for eating each food, and if you can eat them in winter or summer.

Dish 1 - a soup with various items and a light Chili flavour. Vegetables, meatball dumplings, chicken feet (good for the skin).

Dish 2 - Goose Tongue, cooked in a very spicy sauce. (Good for the brain)

Dish 3 - Eel, steamed. With green vegetables.

Dish 4 - Whole Turtle, complete with shell, carved on the plate to keep the structure. (Longevity and fortune).

Dish 5 - Rice plain steamed.

Dish 6 - Ocean Fish

Dish 7 - green vegetables and mushrooms, broccoli (eat every day to ward off cancer)

Dish  8 -Lotus Cake.

The next stop, was the wholesale bead, stone and gem market. The company send their buyers here to source many of the semi precious items for use in their jewellery designs. What is on display is not the top quality, but the buyers know who and how to get the best. They also use these suppliers to do the polishing and cutting as they do not have that expertise in house.

The market is also full of fake amber, fake diamonds, coloured stones, real amber, lots of different coloured agate, Australian opal (of poor quality). 

This was the highlight, an Ammonite opalised fossil closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish not the Nautilus species. The photo does not show the colours and fire. They are found in Madagascor, and sold wholesale in the China gem market.

We got the Metro back to the hotel, and I bought Bryan a glass of Australian red wine, Jacobs Creek and Daisy who does not drink a pot of red date and honey tea, which is good for something, but I can't remember. Wine is very expensive in China.

Said goodbye to Bryan, and then Daisy and I got a taxi to the Pearl river and walked the riverside promenade.

Guangzhou Neon City

Taken from a moving taxi , Boiling Crab of Sailor?

The Pearl River

Even the dogs have neon lights on their collars

Guangzhou Taxi Regulations

The taxis will stop anywhere to pick you including the middle lane of 5 traffic lanes. The other vehicles just swerve around them, and you risk your life to get to the taxi.

A voice recorded message plays when the meter is switched on to tell you it is the regulation to wear a seatbelt, but there no set belts in the taxis.

Bryan, our guide for the day happily sat in the front seat every time we caught a taxi, and he does not like a child or a lady.

Airline Security

At Ningbo, I had a couple of issues with my luggage being x-rayed.  Very hard to communicate with no Chinese.

Carry on luggage, they confiscate all lighters and matches but allowed a pair of sissors through. The scam when you exit the airport at Goungzhou, the first person you come across is someone selling lighters.

Ningbo

The fast train to Ningbo left at 8 am. I decided to take a taxi and forgo the Metro. I realised I had seen the underground of Shanghai but not much of the Streetscape.

A quick coffee, bacon and eggs, the western food option for breakfast.

A hair raising 35 min taxi ride through the Shanghai smog. I had not fully realised the size of the city, apartment block after apartment block for the entire trip. The trip was mostly on massive freeways, with upper and lower lane ways.

The fast train took 2 hours, and we arrived in Ningbo. The purpose was a factory tour. Daisy and I were met by the factory driver at the train station. 

A few snaps from the window of the train

Ningbo is on 3 rivers in the Yangtze River Delta.

The train station forecourt in Ningbo

The factory was very interesting, we had a long discussion in the showroom meeting room. Daisy acting as interpretor. This was followed by a full tour of their facilities and workshops. I won't go into detail on the product, but a great insight.

The factory was opened in 1998 and the President (owner) and the Factory Manager had both had the opportunity for tertiary education, following the Cultural Revolution. This was at the end of the 70s early 80s

Apparently they were the first wave afforded this opportunity, it was impressed on me by Daisy that this was very significant.

The owner called himself a designer and had studied engineering. The quality and pride of the product was outstanding, and not just a regular copy form of manufacturing. Daisy remarked later that is one of the best organised, cleanest and professional factory that she had ever visited. The workers had impressive facilities. I have no benchmark, being the only factory I have seen in China.

Daisy and I were then taken out to lunch, to taste the local cuisine. 3 types of fish, fresh water and ocean, Chili rice,  Then driven to the airport to catch our flight to Guangzhou.

You can order anything at Yiwu Consumer Market

The International Trade Mart covers an area of 4 million square meters, with 62,000 booths inside. 100,000 suppliers exhibit 400,000 kinds of products almost every day from 9 am to 5 pm (except during the holidays of Chinese Spring Festival). The products come from around 40 industries and include 2,000 different categories of goods. 65% of these products are exported to over 215 countries and regions. Futian market is more like a permanent fair, rather than a traditional wholesale market. It has developed into an information, innovation, exhibition and distribution center for consumer goods.

If you have thought about it, it is here. No retail or shopping available, but each stand is an outlet for a factory. They take orders, with minimum quantities, can customise orders, branding and packaging.

Pictured above is one of the more professional displays.

Many international chain stores have office space within the complex and I assume buyers on the ground.

I am finding it hard to explain, ( I am still trying to compute and comprehend what I saw).

The place is massive, and much more than I ever imagined. You see things that make you think, who would ever buy this?

Every day commodities on display, large furniture, ornate marble statue water features complete with gold trim, paper towels, kitchen wipes, plumbing fittings, fire extinguishers, watches, handbags.

It's is all there.

In Yiwu

Busy day, 

Met with the staff at Easy Imex, my agent.

Then spent the afternoon at the showroom of a large jewellery manufacturer. They employ over 3000 staff and are about to list on the stock exchange.

Street lunch, river fish and noodles

Then caught the fast train to Yiwu. I am very impressed with the train network in China, cheap and efficient.

I had 2 taxi rides today, and was terrified. The trains are so much safer and calmer.

Daisy and I are hitting the streets for local food for dinner. 

The view from the Easy Imex office, buildings as far as you see in all directions. The apartment blocks in this area are modern, not like the downtown areas.

Snakes Alive not for me

I put Daisy in charge of selecting our choice of venue and style of food. we walked up and down debating local cuisine, southern or northern. Not quite understanding Daisy we went into one of the eateries, and she explained this could be a little expensive because it was a delicacy. I thought she said snake, but assumed it was something else.

Oh no, sure enough, it is like selecting your lobster, you go to the cage and pick your snake.

I am not kidding, I went pale and suggested we gave the delicacy a miss.

There were about 4 species in the cage. The owners mentioned that they were poisionous, I was not sure if they all were poisonous or just some of them. Note the cage is well secured. Daisy explained that because they are cold blooded, they bring some sort of medicinal benefit, and they bleed a lot when killed and are quite messy.

Settled for a more mainstream feed a few doors down. The eateries, have laminex tables, no English signage, but the food was delicious washed down with a plastic cup of boiling water.

Chinese Censorship

Nil access to Google, blogger, certain websites at the hotelier Yiew

I am back at the Raddison in Shanghai tonight, so can post belatedly.

Doubt I will access for the next couple of days, as travelling to Ningbo and then on to Guangzhou.

Friday night will be in Hong Kong, so should be able to upload posts then.

The Lunar Calendar

Today, is a lucky day for a wedding.

In Yiwu, we heard several fireworks and on the train back saw firework displays from the train.

Zero degrees, no visibility and raining, yep that sounds lucky.

The streets are gearing up for the year of the Sheep, gone are the Christmas decorations and in with the red and gold.

Another English translation gone wrong.

From the Shanghai Daily - Smog Report

THICK smog that covered much of Shanghai this noon is dissipating thanks to winds from the southeast. But it is too early to know if tomorrow will be a clear day as the temperature is rising, local forecasters said.

The city’s air quality deteriorated this weekend due to warmer temperatures and weak winds. The city was hazy with smog at noon when its air quality index peaked to 244, over the hazardous level.

The density of PM2.5 airborne pollutants also increased near noon to about 200 micrograms per cubic meter, eight times the safety level of 25 micrograms set by the World Health Organization.

But the condition began to improve after 2pm when half of the city’s air quality monitoring stations posted an AQI of 200 or less and changed the air quality status to “moderately polluted.” But the city's average AQI is still bordering the “heavily polluted” level.

Day 4 - breakfast

Pork congee, squid, green vegetables, mushrooms, bean sprouts, half a duck egg, and a few more unidentified ingredients, in a slightly Chili broth.

Washed down with strong coffee.

Ready to face the day.

Sky dome

Having a drink in the sky dome bar, level 47 of the hotel.

Asked for a Shiraz, and the recommendation was Oxford Landing from Australia. That will be fine thank you.

360 degree view of Neon City,  complete with a starlight dome roof.

Will be back with my camera tomorrow night.

Day 3 - The old, the newer and the newest in Shanghai

I found Leon in the lobby as arranged.

He was born and raised in Shanghai. He spent 4 years at university studying Business English and worked at a State Owned Corporation (public service). He felt like he was a "cog in the system" and "not allowed to think, just do". He took a risk and left a safe job that would be for life, to mentally challenge himself. Leon is married with a 5 month old child. Interestingly he is allowed to have 2 children because his wife and himself were only children.  This amendment was introduced in 2013. Chinese women are attracted to foreigners for marriage, as there are no restrictions placed on number of children if they are not registered as Chinese citizens. This further erodes the percentage of females to males.

Conversation was easy. We discussed capitalism, communism, free trade, the revolution, Budhism, Zen, his sadness about the population explosion caused by people moving from rural areas to his city, his opinion on how the new development of Shanghai has demolished the old architecture and history, trees went for development and now they are planting new ones. An amazing insight.

Today the Metro was not crowded, you can see room for many more passengers.

Stop 1 - The Bund (the place of the stampede on New Year's Eve).

This is a working river, a constant procession of barges and tugs. The photo does not show the magnitude of watercraft on the river. The smog level and haze today made for bad photos.

The old buildings overlooking the river, were mainly head offices of banks and corporations before they were evicted at one point in history (apologies to Leon I did not retain all the details)

Then off to the Guardian Temple (Zen). 

Then the old, a retained walled wealthy family residence with many buildings, water features and garden.

Lunch

Leon's first choice had a 40 min wait, so we tried a few more places but being a holiday it was hard to find a place. We walked a few blocks, and sucess. 

I ordered green tea but apparently red tea Is good for the stomach and a better choice?

Crab and tofu, steamed chicken, dumplings, fresh ginger, rice with chives, all to die for with flavour.

Then the random to walk off the big lunch

Tape fixes everything

Is this safe?

Starbucks and crowds

Imported fruit

everything can be transported by bicycle

Then the new.

Build on old tidal river swamp land, the new houses major western corporations, banks, insurance companies. The western world is keen to have a presence in China and China is making them very welcome.

The building in the middle is actually taller than the other towers, and not yet complete.

A long post, but I could do a blog entry on every aspect.

Today was an awesome experience.

THANKYOU LEON!

Day 3 - Unknown Programme

Noodle soup, pork bun and green vegetable for breakfast. 

You take a bowl and fill it with ingredients and noodles and take it to the German chef, who tips all into wire baskets, and boils in the broth, adds some flavour and hands it back to you in the original bowl.

There are about 10 varieties of mushroom, with intense flavour that I have never tasted in Australia.

Today Leon, the colleague of my agent is taking me around Shanghai, no idea what he is planning.

It will be great to have an interpretor with local knowledge.

Day 2 - Off the tourist path

Went on a morning trip to the Fabric Market, got a taxi from the hotel, armed with the address printed in Chinese. Perfect no hitches.  The fabric market was a major disappointment and walked away with nil cash changing hands. Having my bearings decided to walk towards home and take in Shanghai outside of the normal tourist path. Found a Metro station halfway, and can now say I have metro slickered.

Washing hangs everywhere, and this is one of the better apartment blocks. In the background you can see bamboo scaffolding. Note the red Tardis in the foreground, almost everyone in the streets has a phone attached to their ear, so not sure who uses public telephones, maybe the attraction is the attached wireless hotspot.

This morning there was blue sky, with minimal smog.

Photo comp - what is missing?

Answer - no people or vehicles or chaos. Not sure how I jagged this one.

Sent this photo to Dick, and suggested he showed it to his pigeons, just so they knew how lucky they are. It is not snowing in Shanghai, but the temperature is close to zero at night. No heated loft in Shanghai. Perhaps these pigeons may get wind of the good conditions in Rhode Island and emigrate!

The People's Park, not sure if the translator got bored or the Chinese includes the words "and so on"

The park reminded me of Central Park in New York, a common green space. Exception I did not see masses of umbrellas in Central Park. This is the matchmakers market for parent eager to find the right partner for their "ONE" child. The ramifications of this policy have resulted in a disproportionate ratio of men to women.

Each umbrella is used as a prop to advertise their children as an offer for marriage. Details include age, zodiac signs, income and contact phone number etc. The children are not involved and mostly disapproving. It is a transition from the traditional family matchmaking to modern independence of the current generation.

Day 1 - Mastering the People and the Metro

The Raddison hotel is right across the road from the People's Square Metro Train Station.

I bought a 3 day pass, 45 RMB. Less than $5 AUD per day for unlimited travel.

The metro runs under the city, and the basement access opens up an underground city, complete with shopping malls. To access the trains you take the escalator down another floor.

The entire population of Australia lives in Shanghai, and my biggest impression on Day 1 was the volume of people everywhere and lack of systems. The footpaths are chaotic, with no order of keeping to one side. The trains are pot luck getting on and off. You need to just push like everyone else.  I missed a couple of trains politely letting people get off, BIG MISTAKE, the doors just shut, irrespective of people still attempting to get on or off the train. The good thing is that the next train is only a minute or so behind, the bad news is that it is just as crowded.