My China Kanfa.....China on My Mind

 So here we are Christmas Eve, 2021.  The same situation as I was in last year.  Let me explain. This time last year my former dumbass boss got Covid.  He went to a church gathering or something and just like that came down with it.  My ofc was next to his, and though I felt horrific, I tested negative. Meanwhile,  the guy on the other side of me caught it.  With a newborn in the house to boot.  So now it turns out this year my youngest apparently has it, too.  Probably.  She took a rapid test and it came out positive.  We have no clue as to how she got it.  From me?  Her social animal China Mom?  Her social animal sister? No idea.  But I do know we spent three hours in a covid line yesterday.   So now China Wife and oldest are watching Home Alone again, and as I'd rather watch a Korean Zombie movie, I'm here writing this.  I'm writing this because I'm pissed off.  I'm upset that nearly two years into this I'm still having to wear a mask.  Meanwhile I'm amaz

 Hi Folks.  It's been two months.  The sad thing is I haven't thought much about this blog, in the least.  Last week I logged in probably 55 hours in the office.  Not counting the fun commute on three interstates.    And now I'm finally on vacation.  Even so, it has taken me a few days to take care of errands and rest up a bit.  I don't miss getting up at 630 in the morning.  At all.  Today I only woke up when my alarm clock did.  930 in the morning.   So now I have some random thoughts before I start posting again. I miss China.  I do.  I miss China very much so for the wrong reasons.  I wonder if I will "age" myself away from all the "Vice" that China represents the Western Man in China?  I believe I will.  China on the other hand seems to be "just fine" without us.  Very much so.  I think someday those few laowai in China during these strange days will write books of their experience.  Today I know of only one laowai, a Russian of course

 Soon after I wrote my previous post, right on cue, I read an article stating China is now not allowing smaller cities to build skyscrapers.  What bothers me about this is not the admission that market forces in China have not been behind the rise in skyscrapers, but rather what bothers me about this is that a government entity can make such an order, and it make sense.  Thomas Paine in 1776 said "these are the times that try Men's Souls".  He was talking about America.  It was the first time I'd seen the phrase "sunshine patriot".  But it can be anyone in any other country, too.  I increasingly am finding myself admiring what China is doing, and I find it most alarming.  Not allowing the market to decide who makes winners and losers is in a way, comforting to me.   In some areas, it is a fraud.   I remember I was sitting in a Dunkin Donuts in Beijing.  Next to me was an American teacher with a translator at a table and several prospective Chinese students.

 Happy to finally be able to post.  It's been awhile for me.  Quite a while actually, the longest break from a post I've ever taken.  Not on purpose.  When working upwards of 60 hours a week, it's just hard.  I manage Chinese operations for my company.  Thus I am literally working night and day.   Later tonight I have another call to make, this one with Guangzhou.  Tomorrow I have a call with Ningbo.  It just doesn't stop.  Yeah, I make good money.  I don't complain.  But work has the effect of simply draining one's passion from you to do other things.  I've found a gradual lack of interest in my main hobbies, ie exercise, photography, and my blog.    I've not given my blog more than ten seconds thought over the past several weeks.   The energy isn't there.   But I'm still allowed to observe.  I still read at night, and I struggle to pay attention to the day's events. I wanted recently to write a post about what learning Mandarin has done for

 I don't know where to start with this.  Everyday seems to have a new, "didn't see this coming",  take from the Heavenly Kingdom.   It is a marvel to observe.  Before our very eyes we are seeing social engineering in action, and on a national scale. First tutoring schools are banned from making profits.  Now kids cannot play video games. Ok.....but then the "niangpao" are not allowed to be on TV anymore.  These are effeminate looking and acting men.  Feminine Boys, if you will.    Famous actresses have been banned from TV, and actresses guilty of tax evasion have been hauled in. I have a few thoughts here..... What the hell is going on?  And.... I like it. Ignore the chaff, folks.  Admire the method.   If China was an American company, the CEO would be fired for political incorrectness.  For "shaming".  China's "get shit done", mantra is refreshing.   To hell with the feelings of others.  It really is all about the result folks.  Don&

 I am the Senior Director of  small company.  Maybe this year a bit less than $200 million in revenue. Yet I have a China Team of around twenty staff.  I have a few American Staff as well.  And I am finding myself increasingly frustrated when I want stuff done. In America. Why is that?  I know my American staff may not get to it right away.  Or even my coworkers for that matter.  And if they do, it won't necessarily be as thorough as I prefer.  Right now we are having a hell of a time getting containers in China.  It is literally just one crisis after another.  First Covid slammed us, now the inability to ship product ontime is nearly the final damn nail in the coffin.  But my logistics manager works on weekends to get the job done.  She is dedicated, and task oriented.  She has even worked on holidays.  Do I care? Yeah, I do.  Does she ask for permission?  Nope.  She just gets it done.  And our products ship.    Last week I had samples that had to go out.  It wasn't necessaril

Chinese need approval. They seek acceptance.  They crave validity.  Watching WeChat "channels" has shown me this trend is alive and strong.  WC as such has now become not just a venue for talking with friends, banking etc, but now is the premier avenue for the masses ability to  showcase China while also skewering the decline of the West.  This is popularity driven.  It's just a cool thing to do.  And I must admit, I like watching the videos on WC that do just that.   But before you begin thinking I'm just gonna call out WC as a tool for belittling everything Western, you need to know WC is far more open minded than one might think.  Only a few days ago I saw a video of Fauci and Rand Paul having a near brawl on WC.  The topic  of their conversation is very sensitive to China.  Frankly, I was surprised it was posted.   Surely I wasn't the only one wondering why China doesn't have such blunt political debate as well? I often surf WC before going to bed.  It tak

 Yeah, I've been away awhile.  Sorry about that.  My job is crushing me, and when I'm dead tired keeping up with a blog just isn't easy to do.  Onward.... Only a few days ago I was listening to "The Pacific Century Podcast ".  It is a decent podcast hosted by scholars, primarily about China.  While driving to work one of the hosts lamented America's lack of people that can speak and read Chinese.  In particular the newspaper.  While he is an up and coming China Expert, if you will, he is quick to note he himself cannot speak Mandarin.  I've had readers ask me about how they can utilize their Mandarin to get a good job, or how to leverage it into a bright future.   And my answer has always been through one's own initiative, or through the private sector.  The American Government will not come and find  you.  There is no organized method to find, filter, let alone mentor and groom young American Mandarin speakers for a future in US Government.  None. Sh

I want to talk about Yongle.  He was the Third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.  He  reigned from 1402-1424.  In my feeble mind he is one of the greatest of China's Emperors. However, by taking a look at any "Top Ten" list, he is not mentioned. However, if that list was to simply include "modern day" emperors, of say the Ming onward, or of the past millenia, surely he would be one of the greatest emperors during that period. Yongle did many things, so let's simply start off with what he is most famous for;  the building of the Forbidden Palace.   He also expanded upon the Grand Canal, as well as obviously moving the capital to Beijing.   He kept good relations with Tibet, as well as building the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing.  He also codified the Imperial Exam System, making it more selective by the actual passing of a test than by appointment. Oh, and he also funded the voyages of Zheng He as well.  Yongle was not perfect, and of course he did unpopular things a

 There is now talk that the Tokyo Olympics will be cancelled.  This is bad news. All the effort put into the preparation.  The money, the time, and of course the prestige.  Bottom line is less than 1% of Japan's population(as of this writing), had been vaccinated. There are 100 days to go folks.  Meanwhile, 75% of Japanese want the Games postponed.  I do not believe they will be cancelled.  Simply pushed back a year perhaps? Afterall, why even hold them in an odd numbered year? And who can travel to the Games? The irony of ironies is that America, with its rather competent roll out in full swing, will have no where for its people to go.    But in my view things are going to actually get worse.  Nevermind the meltdown in Brazil(which could have been America perhaps if Trump were still in charge?), or India, the news has just come out that the American Moderna vaccine will need a booster shot in the Summer/Fall timeline. Which means with the possible exception of Pfizer, all current

 Well, I knew what I wanted to immediately put to paper as soon as China Wife uttered this phrase last night, in the throes of passion. I've been meaning for the past few months, and I'm damn intent on doing so, to put a good post to paper about Russia, and how it will inevitably fuck over China, but alas that will have to wait.   (you heard it here first, The Winter Olympics may also be cancelled) So, back to what I feel the need to write about NOW, I've been "deepening" my carnal knowledge of China Wife for literally decades.   Last night was a breakthrough.  I've long muttered how mechanical in bed she is.  I put it down to her simply being a child of the 80's.   I've admittedly  had sex with other China babes much better in bed than China Wife.   As of last night she is catching up.   Her only viable position is on top. That is fine with me.  She has large breasts and I don't mind.  Though I do mention to her it would be nice to have sex during

 We Americans.  We have too much emotion. Too many of us wear our hearts on our sleeve.  We are too public in my view, way too public with our expressions.  Subtlety doesn't exist in America. In China, as I've said countless times, China Wife never saw her parents kiss or hug or hold hands.  She never once saw PDA growing up.  I for one, saw my mom nude countless times growing up.  Like probably most of us, I've even walked in on my mom and dad while they were having too much fun.  I angered my dad while my mom simply came out and told us to never come in.  My parents I guess didn't have locks on their door. And it even happened to China Wife and myself once, when I had thought I had locked the door.  All my young daughter saw of course was the back of her mother on top of me.  She stared for a moment, and closed the door behind her.  My wife was angry at me but I could care less.  Kids gotta grow up.  It's a ritual.   Well I must admit the older I am the more I lik

 A very long time ago China Wife and I, along with her parents, went to Thailand on a group tour.  It was terrible.  Just terrible.  I remember a few things distinctly.  One being trips for the laowai versus trips for the Chinese are different.  I recall driving in my air conditioned bus along the beach in Phuket, enviously looking at the bars as we motored past, at all the laowai so freely lounging about, in the open air, not a care in the world,  with a drink in their hand.   Now I'm older of course.  I can do that in America as well.  I do not rightly recall the beach, as I've been to so many, but one day towards sunset as I was walking along I saw a a tilted lawn chair, deep in the sand, as if it was listing.  It was listing, looking like at any moment it would collapse. A very old man sat in that chair.  The water coming up to his ankles.  He was snoring.   That's who I want to be.   I've since seen other old men.  One just recently was in a chair, giving out candy

Upon request, how will Biden be different from Trump?  I offer no specifics.  Specifics are boring.  Will you allow me to merely offer observations?   It is difficult to agree with 100% of what a person does, just as it is equally difficult to disagree with 100% of what a person may also do. Life is complex, and full of drama.  As such, it is good to learn from it.  We call it History.  Choose your topic.  Any topic, and I will tell you there is something to be learned from it, and something to disavow.   Men are complicated.    Only Nixon could have gone to China.  If Nixon had not gone to China, Mao would never have met a US President, because he would have been dead before an American President had showed up.   My guess is Reagan would have been the man to open up China.   Yet Nixon was a scheming, paranoid SOB that treated his own people like shit.  He never would have won any "Boss of the Year" awards.  JFK for all his glamour "talked the talk" about recognizin

 I've been gone a month.....which is typically what happens when I'm in China working.  No China this time.   Rather, I'm just busy, and the blog has taken a back seat.  I do work for a medical supply company, which should be enough said regarding my schedule.   I do have multiple things to talk about.  In the past, I would simply put them in one of my "fluff" posts....but I'd rather write them out....it's more fun! So let's get to it.  A friend of mine from Ningbo with a family in Canada actually left China during the Mid Autumn Festival to see his wife and kids, whom he had properly deposited in a nice neighborhood only just recently.  Upon leaving China and arriving in Canada he soon realized he was "stuck" there.  You see, China wouldn't even let him board a plane unless he'd had a negative test within a 72 hr period of his departure date.  Thus buying a ticket was difficult.  But now the vaccination is here, couldn't he just