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

 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