Back in Shanghai

I just (or am about to) completed my first full week back here in Shanghai. Utilizing the jet-lag I have changed my schedule so that I come to work at 7:00 am and leave at 4:30-ish pm. I must say that it is AWESOME. For one who has never been a morning person, my new routine has been extremely satisfying for me. Not to bore you with too many mundane details, but my morning starts at 5:30 to 5:45 when I wake up and take two hydroxy-cuts (like ripped fuel). I do 15-20 minutes of yoga and exercise, eat, shower and hop in a Taxi to work before 7. I have to get a taxi before 7 because taxis are not allowed to go through the tunnel under the river, between 7:30 and 9:30. So, if I leave any later, I have to take the metro, which takes me 40 minutes, while by taxi it takes me 10. Granted, the Taxi costs me 12-13 rmb, where as the metro costs me 2 ($1.50 as opposed to $.30) but it is well worth it. I justify it by comparing it to the cost of gas in the States (which fucking killed me! Not to steal from other's content, but didn't we invade Iraq? Then why the fuck is gas still expensive?). One commute from Manhattan beach to Monrovia, one direction is 50 miles. If my Honda get’s 26 miles per gallon, I’m looking at 2 gallons, times the $2.35 a gallon. So it costs me $5+ each direction to drive myself and sit in fucking traffic. Great deal! Anyways, so that’s my justification for taking a taxi in the mornings, so now I get off at 4:30 and have the rest of the day to play, work out, go shopping etc.

Speaking of working out, I have a Nike PSA MP3 player (the one with the arm-band), which makes working out and running enjoyable. However, my worst fear or pet peeve, or whatever you would call something that when it happens, makes you yell “FUCK!” has happened to me a few times recently, making me go bonkers. This is what I hate, right in the beginning of your work-out, or run or whatever, just enough into it where you can’t turn back, but not so far as to be able to quit, the batteries in your MP3 player die. It happened to me yesterday, and pissed me off beyond belief. There I am, on my second set of my second exercise, pumped up to “Get up”, when “zzzzzz-________”. Dead. Now I have to go through the next 50 minutes with not only no music, but this friggin thing on my arm and earphones in my ears, with nothing playing. I’m like pretending to be rocking out. Sucks.

I am not sure if you guys caught this, but China revalued the Yuan (RMB). They shifted it from 8.27 to 8.1 against the All-Mighty Dollar. So, everything now costs 2% to U.S. customers, which pleases the United States because now China is one step closer to not having a competitive pricing advantage. Yet, now it increases the cost of these goods to American, as well as other foreign companies that buy or use China for manufacturing. Our Government, always looking out for the betterment of the people, by supporting and pushing for this, have cut off our noses to spite our faces. They have been asking China to make a move like this for some time, but now have weakened the Dollar against what will be the most powerful currency soon. Our current policies in regards to China have really started to piss me off. We WERE the only Superpower a few years ago, but now that is not the case. We cannot expect to be able to bully China around any longer. They are a proud nation, they value “face” and any type of dishonoring by our part to them, will not be taken lightly. In response to Dell’s posting of China’s owning of WMDs, yeah China has them and so do we. There is a new kid on the block, and he isn’t going anywhere.
We are going to see a larger movement of Chinese branded products in the U.S., not just Chinese manufactured. Large Chinese companies are now combining the manufacturing process and pricing, with the management style and knowledge of U.S. companies, to create these hybrid companies on steroids. Look at the recent purchase of IBM’s PC business by Chinese computer leader Lenovo (used to be Legend). Now they have instant credibility (to some degree) of the IBM brand in the United States. They have taken on an American CEO to run the PC business and have moved their headquarters to NYC. They are now the 3rd major player in the U.S. computer market, in addition to being the largest in the Chinese market.

Yes, the United States is scared, both on an economic and militaristic level. But instead of trying to work against China and keep them down, my opinion is that we should be working with them, and as much as possible. The business world today is seeing a much larger insurgence of competitive alliance, where you work with your major competitors to provide a more superior and complete product to consumers. We use it today in our company on many different levels. Why would the government not use it on a larger scale?

To my friend C.Mayne: I found another dude that liked "Hitch". Seriously I think you and your brother are the only persons who didn't find the film funny. Your brother has the excuse of being an "industry person" but I would expect more out of you.

"I'm making pizza, making pizza. Get your OWN dough"