September, 2008
Well, the 2 middle children have started school successfully, and are starting to really like it. Rachel is working through home schooling, and we are settling into a regular routine. We all came back in mid August to HK, and then 2 weeks later I had to go back to the states for some work with customers that also came stateside. When here, I have traveled every week into China, and I hope to be able to stay around for this next week. Lots to do to prep for the next 2 months: interviews of potential employees, struggle with a supplier that is not performing as desired, help manage 2 big projects coming over here, talk further with a couple of partner possibilities, pursue additional sales work with current customers, get ready for the boss to come over last week in October, exhibit at a show in Shanghai first week in November, come back to states in mid November, and collapse at the end of it. :)

Some interesting pics in the past month or so. We should have the Olympics every month over here. I have never seen the air so clear over here. I saw stars for the first time in HK in the past year. In Shanghai the week of the paralympics (just after the regular olympics), the clarity was awesome. These pics are from and around the motel room I was in close to ground zero of Shanghai. The video was a foreign troupe that came part of an international music festival in Shanghai that week. Any ideas where these guys are from? They did a fantastic job.






After Shanghai, I took a bus to Ningbo across the bay on the new bridge (still no big trucks allowed - still in test mode!). They followed the same model as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and private investors made it happen, and tolls are the revenue. Best bridge I have been on in China, and in a lot of US states, I must add. The clarity may not look like much to you, but look back at earlier pics; it is stunning. Sadly, it is going back to pre olympic status, but it was nice while it lasted. That must show up on the GDP results for the year; who knows how many industries were shut down last month. In any case, I couldn't stop taking pictures, even if it was through a bus window. Notice the hovercraft and vineyards. Nice time to be in China - funny, it seemed everyone was more upbeat during this time. I know I enjoyed it more than many previous trips! I must wonder aloud if the reprieve from pollution will spur some changes here. There are some reports that some factories will not start back up in the Beijing area, but time will tell. The tug of the dollar is pretty strong everywhere in the world, and especially here.











Questions for the week:
1. Is capitalism good, or bad? Think before jumping to an answer!
2. In addition, what happens to capitalism when there is no moral backbone? Give tangible differences between the two structures.
3. Is capitalism without the moral backbone any better than a socialist or communist society?

Best lemonade in Hong Kong (Mong Kok). It is particularly good when the weather tops 34 degrees C, 75% humidity. In good Asian tradition, the entire lemonade, peel and all, is ground up into a fine juice, added with sweetener, and poured over crushed ice. FANTASTIC! Corner of Bute and Fa Yuen Streets in Mong Kok, for you google map freaks (or look at www.centamap.com, for a local version geared just for Hong Kong).