Wanderlust Heaven!

Things are finally settling down here…I’m not getting Shanghai’ed by unexpected events and demands quite so often.  And I’m starting to realize my relative good fortune…I’ve landed in the world’s hottest economy, and am working in an area (Life Sciences) which is particularly supercharged these days, given the Chinese government’s drive for universal healthcare.  So while I might bitch and moan about being back at work, and working way too hard, I can’t really say that’s a legitimate complaint – at least not for the time being…

Fairly streamlined week.  On Monday, colleague/roommate George and I went out after work and bought a pretty nice guitar – we both dabble and want something else to do around the flat besides check email till midnight.  There’s a good music shop near the office, we went in there and tried out a few models, finally getting one called “Jaws” that has good action and sound.  I haven’t really picked up a guitar since 1995 or so, in New York…my travels largely precluded any attempt to get back into it, but now I plan to make a solid attempt.

After buying the guitar, we went out for a brilliant Chinese mealat Liafu Kitchen, on Huaihai Road.  I’d never heard of the place, but George had been there before.  One of the best meals I’ve had since getting here.  I need to watch it – I have little willpower when confronted with a slew of Chinese plates and have trouble pulling up.

That night, finished reading “The Unthinkable” by Amanda Ripley.  It’s about people who survive disasters and how they do it.  OK book – got a few pointers on how to get through bad situations, but I wasn’t blown away by the book.  Anyway, now I can tackle a book I’ve long meant to read, Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar – by Train Through Asia,” an old classic.  It’s a bit depressing how few books I’ve gotten through lately – I’ve only read 3 since March.  In my 3+ years off, I polished off about 100 books.  Oh well…

On Tuesday I downloaded all my contacts from my Treo into an Excel spreadsheet, then cleaned them up and sent the Life Science-related ones to our Marketing person for her database.  Surprising how easy it was to take care of this – now we’ll be able to do a lot more in the way of Marketing and sharing articles, etc.

George and I got out of work early that night, around 6 p.m.  We went over to the Jiaotong University track and went for a run.  It was nice and cool out, overcast but not raining.  I made it 8 times round the track, my best yet – usually it’s so hot I can only do 6 laps.  George was a bit off that pace but he also had a solid workout.

I went out for dinner that night with a quasi-relative, Eric from Ohio.  He’s the grandson of my uncle’s (by marriage) brother.  I suppose in Spain they have a term for that sort of “relative,” but I don’t think we have one in English.  Anyway, he’s a 17-year-old who’s studying Mandarin at home, and came here for an exchange program.  Good guy, and wise to learn Mandarin now.  We went to Southern Belle for a drink (I had a beer, he had soda), then over to Noodle Bull for some good Taiwanese noodles and tofu.

We parted way…it started to pour…I was sans umbrella so ducked into Oscar’s Pub for a beer.  Called Christine in the RP to say hi.  Finished my beer and went out, the rain had subsided and I got a cab home.  Random night in the big city…

On Wednesday I had a couple morning calls.  Then took a cab to Hongqiao Airport, I had to fly to Beijing for some meetings the next day.  Flight arrived on time, no mean feat in the Chinese summer – I had no idea it was so rainy here in July-August.  Checked into China New World Hotel, then went out to Centro Bar at the Kerry Centre Hotel for a couple drinks.  Friend/colleague Ed had recommended this place highly.  It was quite good – lots of beautiful people (I’m not counting myself in there, but give me time), good wines, and a jazz band.  Stayed for 90 minutes or so, then went back to my hotel to rest.

On Thursday I had breakfast with Ed, we discussed which healthcare conferences to participate in over the next year.  We’re doing a lot in this space now – I’m writing an article for Fortune China, I was interviewed for Global Entrepreneur magazine a few weeks ago (I have the article reprint in Chinese, with my name shown once in parentheses, in English – pretty funny), and we spoke at a Beijing “healthcare summit” recently.  I never had time to do much of this in the old days, I kind of enjoy getting out there and meeting people.  Maybe I’m becoming more extroverted as I age…or maybe it’s just that I get sick of sitting in the office in meetings and writing slide decks…

Had a slew of client meetings that day, then went to the airport to fly back to Shangers.  But my flight was cancelled, and I got on a later flight that didn’t take off till around 9:30 p.m.  Got to Shanghai around 11:15 or so, and didn’t get home till nearly midnight.  Long day.

On Friday I awoke a bit wobbly.  Had a lengthy morning meeting with my colleagues and a market research firm.  I know I add a lot of value in sessions like these, but it does feel like my time would be better spent on other things.  I was attending meetings like this one 10+ years ago, and they haven’t become any more exciting.

Went back to the office after that…did about 20 things over the course of a couple hours…then raced over to a client’s office for a discussion about their strategy.  That was much more interesting, and looks to be a good selling opportunity for us.  That’s what I should be spending my time on…

Went out that night with former colleague and money manager Yuhin, who was in town for some business.  Met at Malone’s, had a couple pitchers and caught up.  Discussed some trades I want to make next week – I have no idea where the market will go, but am in it for the long haul so want to put some cash back in now.

We had a final drink at notorious Manhattan Bar, then Yuhin took off, he had a morning flight.  I left soon after that and collapsed into bed – it had been a brutal week.

I didn’t get up until nearly 11 on Saturday.  Really needed the slumber.  Then spent the rest of the day catching up on emails, finishing my Fortune China article draft, etc.  Amazing how things can pile up.  I did escape for lunch nearby – and was still pretty tired, I suppose, because I ordered ‘ma-fan’ (trouble’) instead of ‘mi-fan’ (boiled white rice), causing the waitress to giggle uncontrollably.  Well, maybe I was looking for a bit of trouble…

Also managed to squeeze in some yoga in the afternoon.  Then took a cab over to Pudong, which is quite far off, to meet old friends Craig, who lives out there, and Chris, who I know from my Tokyo days.  Craig runs China for PRTM (consultancy), Chris runs Japan for them.  We had dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Jinmaio Tower – hadn’t been there in at least 5 years.  Terrific views, and a very classy place.  As I walked to the elevator to the 54^th floor (the lobby), I watched a Chinese kid practicing his jumper – you wouldn’t have seen that 10 years ago.

Great time with the lads – I really need to see Craig more often, he’s in the same city after all.  And I do need to get over to Tokyo, it’s been 2+ years now.  We traded anecdotes/complaints about the consulting biz, but overall we’re each doing fine and in good stead.

Craig and I had an after-dinner drink at Cloud 9 – not the gay bar near my flat, the dark and cozy bar in the Hyatt.

Went over to Malone’s and Manhattan Bar after that, had a couple more drinks but was tired and retreated to my flat around midnight or so.  Finished a New Yorker – good article on new Minnesota Senator Al Franken.  Turns out he was very close to Senator Paul Wellstone, who died in 2002 in a plane or copter crash.  Norm Coleman was his opponent, and wound up winning the race after Wellstone perished – he beat Walter Mondale, who was a last minute fill-in.  Ever since then, Franken and Coleman have been circling each other, and it looks like Franken won this round.  Fascinating story – I didn’t know this context.

Am thinking of getting a Kindle, both to cut down on the physical magazines I get and need to get shipped over here, and to expand my access to publications.  I checked on Amazon.com, you can download the International Herald-Tribune, The New Yorker, The Economist, etc. etc.  That would be great – waking up each day to a fresh copy of the newspaper, weekly magazines, and the odd book.  If you’ve had any experience with the Kindle, please let me know.  I think I’d prefer the DX model, it’s a bit bigger and makes it easier to read a full newspaper/magazine page.

Today, Sunday, I woke up around 10.  Had a coffee, then picked up the guitar where George left it on the couch.  Tuned it (we bought a cheap electric tuner – makes a huge diff), then got on the Internet and pulled up a site with the major chords.  Practiced a few of them – F was a bit tricky, as was G – but I still have a bit of muscle memory left and they came back pretty quickly.  My fingers are a bit sore but they’ll toughen up.  I’d like to get back to my former skill level – I wasn’t great, but I could read sheet music and switch chords pretty smoothly.  It will take time, I don’t plan to take lessons, given my weird schedule – but let’s see how it goes.  I’m already happy we bought the instrument and that I’m getting off my ass and giving it a go.

Took a great nap – I do miss that from my sabbatical, when I did it every other day.  It makes a big difference.  Then I went for a run at Jiaotong, in the rain.  It was cool out, and the rain kept me from overheating.  Made it 8 laps again.  But I do need to join a gym very soon, the air quality here isn’t great and I suspect I’m not able to get really deep breaths as a result (and I probably don’t want really deep breaths of this air, either).  Gotta get my assistant on the gym evaluation immediately.

On Friday I’m taking my first real holiday since Feb.  Going to the RP – Manila, Cebu, Dumaguete to see Christine.  I feel a bit guilty/predictable – I should go somewhere in China, or Indonesia, or Malaysia, or Bhutan – but I did promise Christine I’d see her, we met back in Feb and I haven’t been back down there since.  And I know I’ll have a great time, and get in some scuba.  So I’ll be predictable this time round, but over Xmas I’ll probably try somewhere more random.  Or not.  When your nose is to the grindstone, you need to know you’ll get a holiday that will bring you back happy and recharged – I can pretty much count on that in the RP.

Don’t forget to take your summer holiday too, gentle readers.  I’m not that seasonal a person, having lived in both hemispheres and not living a “normal” life with school holidays and other touchstones.  But I am slowly trying to establish a few routines – guitar, exercise, holidays, and even a bit of cooking here in my flat.  I won’t describe what I’ve been cooking up, but I’m having fun and trying not to blow up the flat.  Over and out.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 at 8:13 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.