Contributing to the economy in Macau

Just a quick update to let you all know I'm alive and well.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to tour the port operations in Shenzhen, and various operations in Hong Kong. In addition, I toured Macau with the other special assignment manager Pam from Beijing. We had a great time, and thoroughly enjoyed our tours of the area.

While Pam is not a gambler, she was content to let me hit the casinos while she checked out some of the local markets. In hindsight, I would have been well served to have joined her, but they didn't build all those casinos on the backs of winners. Macau has grown dramatically in recent years, and I am told it is now larger than Vegas in gambling revenues. With the amount of betting I saw, I can believe it. Macau definitely has a Portuguese influence, and you immediately feel the difference in the architecture, and layout of the city. We enjoyed a nice afternoon lunch at a little shack called Fernando's, nestled right beside the beachs of the South China sea. Pam insisted we try the local Portuguese wine, so I insisted we try the local Portuguese Beer as well. It probably would have been in my best interest to have gone gambling first, as I might have been slightly more aggressive after our afternoon grazing...

The picture included is from the control tower overlooking the port in Shenzhen. Pictured with me are Pam, and our Asia Trade Direct Manager, Paul McGee. Shenzhen is now the worlds 4th largest container port. In order to place this in perspective, the entire operation has been open for less than 15 years. In fact, 3 of the top ports in the world are located in China-Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. All are larger than the largest in the US including Long Beach in Ca, and the combined ports of NY/NJ. (Things are changing fast)

On my way back to south China, we did get the opportunity to do some shopping at an amazing complex. Literally 5 stories of nothing but jam packed stalls hawking everything from purses to toys and everything in between. I mistakenly wore a sport-jacket, and must have had "big spender" tattooed on my forehead, because I was never left alone. Several people followed us most of the shopping excursion, encouraging me to visit each stall. Luckily I was able to avoid jail time for assault and battery on a somewhat eager salesperson. (It was not uncommon for them to grab your arms as you pass and try to pull you into the store...)

While I might not have liked there approach in that environment, I did offer several employment to come and sell for us in the states-

More to come next week-

Xiamen by the Sea

This week I am working in a city called Xiamen (Pronounced Shaaaaman). It is located about half way up the coast of China between Hong Kong and Shanghai. It is a beautiful city, and prior to landing I didn't notice how much I was missing the smell of salt air, or proximity to the coast. You really can start to miss the smell of the ocean (or the smell of seafood) after a while so this trip has been a real treat.

Xiamen is beautiful. It is a city of about 3 million, in the city proper and a couple more working in the outskirts. The mountains run right down to the coast and frame an island which looks directly out to Taiwan. On the day I arrived, it was clear, and you had no problem seeing the island across the strait. The skies have been blue, and the air fresh, and I noticed how much a sea breeze and fewer factories helps with air quality.

Prior to coming to Xiamen, this past weekend, I also had the opportunity to play golf for the first time in China. I played with a few UPS customers, and several other Expats, in Dongguan. We played a fantastic course, and I personally enjoyed the personalized caddies and overall level of service. I also found it interesting that most all the caddies at this club were female. Each was assigned to a golfer, and I instinctively felt a deep sense of sadness for my caddy as I realized the pain I was about to inflict, and how long her day might seem.

Since some of you know my golf game, I practiced extensively in the hours prior to playing by hitting no less than 6 balls at the driving range. (I didn't want to miss lunch) This was a course where you could land a 747 on many fairways, so I was hoping it might be better suited to my game. Even though I had brought several dozen balls in anticipation of my normal ball contribution to local courses, I shockingly only lost 3. I was also assisted by the fact that after watching my first few shots, my caddy did not let me choose a club, but rather handed me one regardless of my preference. (By the end of the day, she would only hand me a pitching wedge or putter) The caddies did an amazing job in retrieving most that I would have previously thought impossible. They worked in teams combing the brush, water hazards, and other fairways in which I would frequently land. While I didn't pick up all the Chinese translation, by the end of the day, I'm pretty clear my caddy was expressing a desire that I never tough a golf club again. We did have a great time, and as it was a Captain's choice Tournament, my team actually won.

I will be in this area through Thursday, where I will then travel to Shenzhen to meet with a couple of my partners from the north at Shenzhen and Hong Kong's port operations.

I will touch base after next weekend. As I have not been invited back to play golf, I think we will travel and explore Macau. They tell me it is the Vegas of the East. "Daddy needs a new Set of Golf Clubs"...

Eating Well in China

I thought I would share in this installment, an interesting dinner I attended this week. After a long day at work, the driver I have been using invited me to join him and his family for dinner at their favorite restaurant. I actually make this statement as if we had a conversation, but Ben and I have learned to communicate in entirely advanced levels. I consider it to be "Charades on Steroids". However, it is generally effective. On this evening, Ben and I were using a translator borrowed from a friend. The translator is almost entirely accurate. I think he was asking me where to go, but I liked his version better. When he handed me the translator it said" the male genital sees the sun in the evening". While we have had other similar communication disconnects, this validates why United Nations communication seems to struggle...

Upon arrival at the restaurant, we were greeted by goats blocking the front door. Once they were herded towards the back which I'm assuming was the kitchen, we were seated at a large round table in the center of the room. Based on the attention from the wait staff, and surrounding tables I was inferring they had rarely seen foreigners or I had something pretty gross stuck in my teeth. I can also normally infer this based on the number of people that stare and/or take pictures.

Ben's family was completely hospitable and gracious in every way. Ben served as a fantastic host, and ordered an incredible range of dishes. While there were only 10 of us, we had at least 6 what I consider to be appetizers, 8 main courses, and many plates of accompanying vegetables, soup for all, and continually flowing beverages. All dishes were served on a large "lazy Susan", and shared by all. Among the dishes were chicken, some type of pork, a glazed and what seemed to be broiled duck, fish, grilled shrimp, several types of noodles and rice. At one point I went out back to use the restrooms in a building adjacent to the restaurant. When I returned, the entire family had donned plastic gloves and was eating with their hands. While it took me a while to figure out, I finally surmised that they had noticed me struggling with the Chopsticks for a couple of the dishes, and therefore were looking to make me feel more comfortable and encourage me to eat with my hands. I swear my chopstick skills have improved somewhat, but obviously they thought otherwise. While this would normally have been minimally embarrassing, that concern was dulled by a healthy enjoyment of the local Chinese Beer. My glass was seemingly refilled with each drink that I took. With no less than 36 toasts presented by varying family members, I wondered if this was some sort of Chinese family pledging ritual. At one point in the evening, I thought I may wake up in the morning and be tattooed with a Chinese Mafia emblem on my backside.

Other notable events from the evening included a chicken wandering through the dining area and getting to pick the fish we were eating from the tank. I chose a cute little one that looked like Nemo.

Ben has a little brother who also drives for him. As I was unable to pronounce his Chinese name, his is now called BB. (Ben's Brother) I had started called him Little Ben, but he did not pronounce it properly. They have also given me a Chinese name which I cannot pronounce properly. I think it means "Chopstick Challenged".

More to come next week.

All's quiet on the Asian front-

Greetings,

Sorry, but back to Curt...
In honor of the family being back in the US, I have attached a few pictures of them as I think about how much I still wish they were here... The first is of Sam and Aly doing what they do best. We were in Shanghai, and they were starving, so we had to stop for noodles and Dim Sum from a street vendor. (Sam forced us to go back twice for more, so it's no wonder Americans get a bad rap for overeating.) The second one was taken in a fishing village in a small island called Lantau south of Hong Kong. The third was in Shenzhen at Sunset before we had dinner, and the final one was the day before they left in Dongguan. That day, we scheduled a "fun" day at sea, with little to nothing scheduled, but somehow those can often be the best, especially after the last few weeks.

As disappointed as I'm certain most of you are, the family has returned to the states, and not only have I had to go back to work, but the blog duties have returned to me. After Abbey, Sam, and Aly left, I was astounded at what celebrities they had become. Around the hotel, and different areas here in south China, I have been stopped asking about the "Dragon and Phoenix". While the communication was not always clear, I could interpret through motioning with their hands and holding up "2" and holding their hands around Sam and Aly's height. It has been much more quiet, and tough for all of them to be back home. However, I know that they were anxious to be back in the states with family and friends. We did have an incredible time, and Abbey has committed to posting her "observations" from travel around China in the next week or so.

In the last few weeks, Sam and I (and also Abbey and Aly) had become frequent visitors to the the Asian Spas. The Saunas are quite popular, and definitely a different experience from what I have had in the US. I had my first one today without Sam, and it just wasn't the same. As I looked around the room at a bunch of naked Asians, I was wondering what I had been enjoying...Aside from the language barrier, several had an annoying habit of throwing more water on the coals and then leaving. Since the room was already 110, this served to crank it up to 120, so as they were relaxing in the shower, I was passed out in a puddle on the floor-

Today I rented a bike and spent the afternoon touring markets, shopping areas, and found the Starbucks! Seriously, this may have been one of the better ways of sightseeing so far. The bike gave the freedom to duck down side alleys, and thoroughly explore areas I might not have set off on foot. I found several neat fruit and produce "alleys" where stands lined both sides for at least 3 or 4 city blocks. There was also fresh meat, fish, and assorted poultry (not all recognizable) available. When I say fresh, whatever was purchased was killed prior to being packaged and for the customer. Apparently, most Chinese do not generally prefer to ever purchase frozen or previously deceased meat . The only way to ensure it is fresh, is to witness it-

As usual, I'll try to send an update at least once a week.

Lonely in China, but having a ball-

Happy New Year's from Beijing

Hello all,

We have had an absolutely fantastic time in Beijing. The attached pictures are from our trips to the Great Wall and some of the other areas around the City. You will see we also enjoyed snow while we were there, although this Florida family was not really prepared for the wind and wind chill.

While in Beijing, we toured the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and many neat areas in the city. Several neighborhoods had extremely narrow alleys where street vendors were set up on both sides. The ambiance and settings against a snowy backdrop will be truly memorable for years to come.

We also enjoyed an interesting experience where we received a private tour into a side door of the Beijing museum. It was closed in preparation for the Olympics, yet we met two student artists who worked there and volunteered to show us some of the work. While part of it was a scam, "they were selling select pieces from the private collection" we enjoyed tea, and the various works being displayed.

One evening, we also met with Pam and her family, to attend a Chinese Acrobatics show. Pam is the other individual from UPS who is currently on special assignment in China. She is assigned to Beijing, and she gave many tips for Curt on the area including hooking us up with a driver for the day on our excursions to the Great Wall. We had many great experiences including shopping for DVD's and CD's in a car trip. "The driver had a full assortment for sale and so we were able to multi-task on a several hour car ride. Many more people speak English in Beijing, than anywhere else we have been with the exception of Hong Kong. The traffic is unbelievably congested in Beijing easily competing with LA or NY for top honors. On several trips that should have been a few minutes, we were in the car for almost an hour.

Communications with the outside world have also been a challenge. There was an earthquake off Taiwan several days ago, and communications are still in disarray due to severed cable lines. Curt's e-mail and most of our web-access has been cut off.

We arrived back in South China yesterday, and are preparing to leave this week. The time in China has been an incredible experience for the 4 of us as a family. The time and experiences have been priceless.

While Curt will not be back for a visit until mid-February, the kids and I look forward to seeing you all soon.