World of JGR blog

2008-12-09T09:53:00.003+08:00

Noah's Ark and other Ramblings

Who would have thought - a Noah's Ark replication here in Hong Kong. Of course, due to the environmental friendliness of concrete, it was chosen over wood as the replication medium. HA! Only in Hong Kong would I hear that, and I bet no other Noah's Ark has a motel inside it! Amazing.

2008-11-15T17:25:00.000+08:00

Maine
Maine so big and bright yet
a free country
animals and
food so great
waters in ones mouth
trees of green lakes of Blue
a free place a free world
A MAGICAL PLACE!
By REBEKAH

2008-11-08T20:01:00.003+08:00

David Graeme Robertson, Nov. 3, 1944 - Apr. 7, 1999

Life history has proven that 3-4 generations after you pass away, no one remembers you even existed. Well, generation 1 does. I miss you, Dad. I want to improve on the mistakes you made, and strive to emulate the character strengths you showed, the seeker of your Creator that you were. Oh, that your namesake becomes 3/4 of the person you were.

2008-10-30T21:55:00.010+08:00

Wow. Travelling a lot lately. Singapore last week, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Dongguan this week, Shanghai next week, Ningbo the week after that. A bit heavy, I must say. Good period of time, though. Decision time - do we hire those people that will allow us to dive into manufacturing over here, or no? My boss is here, and we are really coming to grips with it all. Checking out factory space tomorrow. Clarity of vision is what we need here, to be continued. It has been a great week with him thus far, to be sure. Some serious potential exists over here.

Had a good friend from China come down to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, and had a great time. He worked me over pretty well in Chinese Chess, a new game to me. Unlike international chess, there is a lot of blocking, skipping over pieces, and feinting in this game that reflects the culture it comes from, if you ask me. Good game, though - it makes you look at a competitive board game a bit differently.

Some interesting shots taken over the past few weeks. The new Airbus A380 is on the prowl, apparently, with Singapore Airlines getting the first planes. Man, is the tube big. It looks like it should be longer.

How in the world do you turn this fan off?
I thought I had seen some messy, hard to debug wiring in my time, and then I saw this in an apartment building in Hong Kong. This is a bad scene.

Now this is the way to dispense concrete to wheel barrows. Clever contraption.

What a nice goober. I bet he fills those shoes and much more.

I got Googled! Chris and I were in Singapore on work, and headed west on the Ayer Rajah Expressway in the Queenstown area, and a Google maps person was taking video for the 3D Google Earth project (name?). If anyone sees me in a taxi driving along the expressway, let me know!

That is all for now. Too tired to discuss anything deep!

2008-09-28T22:17:00.007+08:00

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).

2008-09-28T21:19:00.007+08:00

Summer to fall, 2008

Wow. It has been a long time since my last update. Lots happened between June and now! Some highlights:

Back in Maine for 5 weeks (I worked, family had great time off):
Blueberry Mountain, in New England. Great hike with my oldest two, Rachel and Bekah, and a great group from our church in Maine. At the end, was a VERY cold pool that was about 10 feet deep, but crystal clear. Quite refreshing. Here are a few videos of that pool. Got Mike R. on the slide, but missed Bekah doing it. Thanks, Mike, for organizing it. We all had a great day.

Summer project in Maine: One of the things most painfully missed here in HK is the ability to work with my hands. I can't say I miss mowing the lawn too much, and the allergy attacks that go with it (Don does a mean lawn now, in spite of being a moss man previously!), but building/renovating/fixing things is in my blood, whether in relationships, business structure, or around the house.
The kids have been wanting a tree house for a couple of years, but we all know how that goes. Well, no more delay this year. We had a great time putting it up, Don, Richard, Jayson, and myself, using the old standby materials: rough cut lumber, and roofing from Steve's old garage. Price was right, and it is here to stay. For you engineer critics, the 3 tree mounting system has its cleverness. Each joist is fixed on one end, and allowed to float at the other, allowing the trees to sway independently. As well, the area on the tree it is fixed to will not go up; it grows from the top up, not bottom up. Gotta love having a tree expert in the crew.
Coming years will be more things the kids can look forward to: additions like a rope ramp to another tree to get down, enclosure to be able to sleep out there bug free, etc. It was a great memory for the kids to look back on this summer.

2008-06-16T11:02:00.005+08:00

Government owned 'Entity'

I visited a government owned 'entity', for lack of a better word, last week. Entity is the only word I can come up with for a company of well over 50,000 (see the layout above), that houses all its people on site, has stores, hospitals, schools up through MBA programs, no need to ever leave the site. While I am sure working conditions vary widely over the multitude of these industries that exist in China, this location was nice to see. Clearly, planned economies have their efficiency issues, as did this one. However, there was clearly a value placed on the human being here. Work conditions were primitive with regard to buildings and infrastructure, layout, etc., but reasonably well lit inside. Tools were extremely old and locally designed and fabricated, but quite well maintained. Product designs of the assembly components I was reviewing were generations old, but the manual operations used to put them together currently were as efficient as I could imagine.

The product I was reviewing had been assembled in this manner for THIRTY years. If you read Alan Greenspan's book, he discusses at length the differences between planned economies and open markets. One of the big differences is 'creative destruction', where competition in open markets forces reinvestment and increases in efficiencies that just don't happen in planned economies. What an example I was seeing before my eyes. The only reason I had an opportunity to see this was the same reason this company is actually considering changing their process: the markets here are opening up, and even these leviathans of government owned companies are being exposed now to competition.

Is this a good thing? I suppose the increase in efficiency and reduction of waste is good. On the other hand, the absence (in planned economies) of stress and worry over obsolescence or job insecurity can be a great thing. I could see the beginnings of stress in their eyes, and the awareness that they have no idea how to approach this free market thing, though I am sure it won't take long. The requests made of Lanco were largely to patch problems with their process upstream and product design, primarily. Perhaps they can't fix the machining problems upstream, and don't know how to upgrade the part design, but how do you allow them to save face and still be honest with them? They were clearly proud of their operation, as well they should be. Outsourcing is such a foreign concept to them; they had no idea how to greet potential suppliers, how to write spec sheets for what they are looking for, etc. Amazing.

Also amazing to see:
1. Russian influence in the architecture of some of the older buildings. Don't know the whole story there, but I know they were close during the time of this plant build.
2. Come to find out, back 30-50 years ago, this plant was moved (with all its people) from Shanghai as a way to reduce infrastructure problems if a city was destroyed. It was really surprising to my Shanghainese colleagues when we saw some old Shanghai folk (and their offspring!) in the plant, and they found out the story. We were approx 1,000 miles away from Shanghai, and finding a LOT of locals was not expected!
3. The workers work 8-12, go home for 2 hours to have lunch with their families (school gets out then, as well, and remember spouses are all working here), then return from 2-6 to work. I think this changed when the government mandated 8 hr days vs. 12 hrs, but I still asked if I could have a job there. Another perk of a planned economy. :)
4. Look out, world, when lunch comes. The mass of bicycles and motor scooters is not given justice by this picture. People are as eager to get to get to lunch everywhere in the world, it would seem.

2008-06-15T22:41:00.007+08:00

Miscellaneous Collections

Evidence I have been on too many evening conference calls, while here in Hong Kong.
Ever heard of American Standard?Great moments with Bekah on the roof top of Fa Yuen wet market, where there are local restaurants, and great milk tea!
Now this is a fire hydrant, Hong Kong style!

Kowloon Victoria Park with Rachel, May 08. Nice ending to a dentist appointment!
This afternoon David and I rented bikes and rode from Sha Tin to Tai Po. Guess I should have read the map first, to see how far I was signing up David to (how big can it get? This is HK!). David is sleeping soundly tonight. He crashed twice, and got run over by a young lady on a bike coming around a corner and NOT driving in control. He had a good time in spite of it and the rain that came at the end. What a great sport. We got to see some of the Dragon Boat Races; apparently this is a pretty big deal here. Lots of teams on the river, and the cadence setter uses a drum in the front of the boat. Kind of cool, but a bit far for my camera phone.

How is this for a fish tank in a restaurant? See the person behind the tank, for reference. I felt like I was in the Boston Aquarium. They love their fish here.
All right, you engineers. What is wrong with this picture? Highly unHong Kong like, and worthy of a picture.
For those of you saying, huh?, think green means GO.

Out the window of my motel in Taiyuan. Consequence of open market economies pushing industries like coal and steel producing to developing countries. Is that fog you note? Why yes, it just happens to be man made.
Think you could carry this into the passenger cabin on a US plane, after 2001? No problem here! This is in line to get on a plane. For the sake of my own harassment, I won't implicate the airline online.

2008-06-15T21:47:00.004+08:00

Alan Greenspan, The Age of Turbulence

WOW. If you want a coherent explanation of how economies work, both planned and open market, this is a MUST READ. It is written so a lay person can read it, and understand what is going on. What a study in the human condition, and how free market capitalism is lubricated and driven by that human condition. While he certainly leans agnostic, and seems to have failed finding the source of who we are and why we act the way we do, he certainly is a fine student of the end results, and able to apply those end results across the worldwide economic landscape. I couldn't put the book down, it seemed, and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to understand how this seemingly chaotic free market economy works, how our culture affects it and how it affects our culture. The rule of law (and its arguably Biblical premise) weighs heavily in the success of the US economically (Greenspan's primary focus). Fascinating book.

2008-06-09T16:48:00.001+08:00

Need I say any more? Boy, didn't she think she was hot stuff.

2008-06-08T21:56:00.006+08:00

Hiking with David
Well, I finally got a small hike in. After the ankle incident, I am just now getting to the point of being able to take a walk like this. It was a small one, ~5k, but about perfect for David. 95% humidity, the first clear day after 2 solid weeks of rain, maybe it wasn't the best day for a hike, but we had a great time. Wow, there were a lot of monkeys and mosquitos! We had some good talks, and it was good to get out alone with him. No girls!

2008-06-08T21:08:00.001+08:00

Well, it has been an interesting 8 months for the family, to be sure. Oddly enough, it looks like we will be coming home at the end of June. We are entertaining the notion of sending the middle 2 children to school this year, for a number of reasons. Suffice it to say things are different in Hong Kong, and this has the potential to be one of our wiser moves, to get plugged into society, and provide outlets for the children, both with others, and intellectually. It would be a trial, one worth looking into. For all you hard core home schoolers out there, peace and calm, please. :) There is a lot of prayer and consideration in this process. Check it out. http://www.ycis-hk.com

2008-04-12T18:50:00.003+08:00

12 April; Europe, relish, and missed championships
Well, I am officially getting old and/or very busy. I totally missed the NCAA basketball championship game, one of my favorite events to watch anywhere. Oh, well. I must have been in Europe; got back last night from 7 days in France and Switzerland. If you are going to Europe, 3 good places for you:
1. Correze, France, if you want to get away from it all. Tiny, quaint village, quiet, inexpensive motel that must be 300 years old (Mercure Correze La Seniorie) with fantastic food at the motel restaurant.
2. Strasbourg, France, if you want some good history. The cathedral at Strasbourg is simply INCREDIBLE (was the tallest building in the world for 400 years!). Costs are higher, and it is a city, but cool history (Erasmus really liked it, it seems, and is claiming to be the original location for the printing press).
3. Zurich, Switzerland, for high brow, high cost, high quality, and cool downtown. It does have the Grossmünster Church, home of the Swiss Reformation, which was pretty cool.

I will post pics later. I just thought I would post a relish recipe we got from our landlady. She made some for us over Chinese New Year, and it is awesome! If you at all like relishes like sauerkraut, etc., this is a sweet version of it that tastes great on beans, hot dogs, hamburgers, steak, etc. I can't get enough of it. Supposedly, Hawaiian papayas are the best in this relish, which you US folk ought to be able to get.

2008-03-21T22:02:00.002+08:00

21 March 2008 Miscellaneous musings
Weird and Odd musings, observations of a rather eccentric individual in Asia:

The shortshifting taxi cab drivers do inside China makes me cringe. They must go through gearboxes at a high rate, trying to keep the fuel mileage up. Absolutely crazy driving in every other aspect (no rules about lights, lanes, pedestrians or bikes, and ultimate speed), but it is a rare bird indeed that takes his engine over 2,000 RPM. Most shift around 1,500.
Every good and viable company I have run across here in Asia and in the US has people at its core that care about the people that work around them. My data set is primarily with sub 100 employee companies or plants, but many of them. Those people that tie together those around them, keep people working together, keep attitudes and activities pointed in the same direction, are the glue in any organization. They tend to be peacemakers and allow the gentle side to be exposed in a dog eat dog environment (called manufacturing, in my instance). These people might or might not be the managers, but they certainly are leaders, and 'inheritors of the earth' in ways most 'managers' would not want to admit. Time after time I have seen the peacemakers pushed out by managers perceiving a complacency that is anything but, only to have a given project or organizational unit implode on itself after. It sounds funny hearing myself say that, as I tend to be aggressive by nature, but it is absolutely true.
I went to a funeral yesterday, for a good friend's dad (Hong Kong citizen). I was reminded yet again the differences that are forced on cultural procedures due to population density!

You can't get a funeral room to conduct the ceremony for upwards of 30 days.
The funeral building I went to had 5-6 different rooms per floor, 6 floors high, 2-3 funerals per room per day. The crematorium was next door. Can you say MACHINE?
The staff moving the bodies in and out of the rooms were in t-shirts and polo shirts, on the move between rooms constantly.
As the ceremony I was in drew to a close, the staff came in and took down all the signage and decorations unique to that ceremony, well before everyone had left, and started to work on the next ceremony's decorations!

As another indication of population density and transportation efficiency/frequency here, seating in the train and MTR stations is almost non existent! It eliminates loitering; there is no need to stay in the stations for more than 2-3 minutes.
Boy, am I stretching myself in terms of business development in Asia. Having never done this, I can see where my skills fit well, but it is still the first time for me, and my head regularly swims figuring it all out. I am blessed having this opportunity, and I hope and pray I do it more than justice. 4 months into it, I am just starting to enjoy aspects of it, as opposed to really struggling to keep my head above water and figure out exactly how things will get done.
As well, the family is really stretching and learning, in ways that are not obvious to anyone at times. It can and is very stressful at times, but perseverance brings about other character qualities, as well. Keep moving :) My wife is a real trooper, no two ways about it. I love you, D!

2008-03-21T21:27:00.002+08:00

21 March 2008 Thinking Cap Time
All right, prize time. The first person to come up with a plausible calculation of this gets a prize from Asia (customized to suit the winner!).

I saw my first pedunk in Hong Kong last week. I would call it a pididdle, but apparently a car with the taillight out is technically called a pedunk. It seems significant to this car fan that in 4 months of time in Hong Kong, walking amongst traffic A LOT, that I wouldn't see one at all until now. It speaks to the attention that is paid to people's cars here. All cars are cleaned religiously, and cabs are a cut above even that. Maintenance is done constantly in down time, and inspections are rigorous. So the quiz question: How fast is a pedunk (or pididdle) found and fixed in Hong Kong, versus the US? In Maine, I would see a pedunk practically every day on the way to work, with a car density orders of magnitude less than here in Hong Kong. Assume I am in the presence of cars 1 hour per day in both locations and that bulbs burn out at roughly the same rate. You will need to perform some research into the car density in both locations (southern Maine, Hong Kong), and work your way back to how fast a pediddle is found and fixed in both areas. Post your analysis as a response to this blog, and I will post the winner in a few weeks. While the most clinically correct answer is sought after (I am an engineer by training!), right brained answers are also welcome and will be considered in the contest. Yes, Tracy, that keeps you in the running.

2008-03-21T20:49:00.003+08:00

21 March 2008 Hobbling in Hong Kong

Boy, if you can't walk, life is rough over here. I SMOKED my ankle 2 weeks ago playing hoops, and I am just now starting to walk normally with a brace. It bruised all the way up to the outside of my knee. I have really flat feet and the foot shown here was taped up HARD for 2 days prior to this picture. Travelling to China has been interesting with it, as well. Getting old is a beautiful thing on many levels, but this level has its issues! Walking was my primary source of exercise here in HK; to say I am a bit restless these days would be an understatement! If anyone knows a good Dr. to go to with access to an MRI machine over here (I just can't bring myself to go to the emergency room over here; it's not an emergency!), say the word. I got my Hong Kong ID card last week, which greases the medical care skids over here. It is getting better, but seems to be squeaking at me to get it looked at. Maybe that is my wife :).

2008-03-21T18:13:00.004+08:00

21 March 2008 Daddy's Sayings
OK, those of you yearning for an update from the harried man of the house. Look out; here comes a string of update subjects I have been keeping a list of. No more whining!

Convinced I was not being heard much these days on the homefront, I made a rash promise Monday before flying off to China for the week. In the spirit of the Proverbs reading we have been doing, I promised to pay 10 Hong Kong dollars (about a US buck) for every Daddyism they could think of, in the hopes that writing them down would help cement some parental expectations in their minds. We will see if it helps, but the exercise was well worth the money. Can you tell who is most motivated by 'ka-ching', as she likes to call it?

Daddy's proverbs:
List from Bekah:

Have you brushed your teeth?
Keep your hair out of your face.
Clear the table, please (it is her responsibility to clean up after the meals, honest!)
Clean your room
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Keep moving
Keep quiet; we are in an apartment building!

List from Rachel:

Shut the toilet seat. (It is so humid here, you need to use dehumidifiers. Toilets are a real source of moisture!)
Close the curtains in the room when you get dressed! (we so lived in the country before this!)
Have you done your chores?
Time for school; it is important.
Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.
Wash your hands.
Wash your hands. (worthy of 2 slots while here in Hong Kong)
Brush your teeth.
Get ready for bed!
Did you get Lydia ready for bed? Brush her teeth? (one of her responsibilities)
Get your coat on.
Get your shoes on.
Got your Octopus card? (the key to transportation in the city - a beautiful thing!)
KEEP YOUR HAIR OUT OF YOUR FACE (with pride, she posted on her bedroom door her writing session of the sentence X 10: "I will fix my hair or lose it").
Stand back from the road.
Time to get out for exercise!

It is clear that David is a space cadet; he came up with a big fat goose egg! :) It is funny the sayings the kids seem to remember the easiest; the one I always seem to be saying is 'all actions have consequences', but they didn't seem to recall in this round.

Oh, I love my daughters. They have done really well in this HUGE transition over the past 4 months.

2008-01-20T18:48:00.000+08:00

20 January, 2008 Bekah Biking

I know, I know, she doesn't have a helmet. Read the story, and recognize that some risks are worth the avoidance of a broken heart! :)

Bekah and I ventured off to Kowloon City yesterday, and had a great time checking out the wet market, and area shops. This is a very old part of Hong Kong, what one would call a local area, and not much of a tourist destination. It is one of the places to go to for the freshest of fruits and vegetables, beef, lamb, chicken, duck and fish. I mean fresh in the strongest way possible, as Bekah saw first hand when we passed the meat section. The animals were still in line, waiting for their turn to go from just involved to committed!

In walking around the area, we tripped on the Kowloon City walled park, which weighs in somewhat significantly in Hong Kong's history, it seems. Apparently, this walled in section of the city was contested as concessionary land between Britain and China, yet it was clearly inside 'Hong Kong'. As a result, it was a bit of a no man's land, where lots of shady activities occurred, right up to the passing back of Hong Kong to China in 1997. At that point, the place was knocked down, and they put a beautiful park on it.

How does that weigh in with a lowly expat family? Well, we didn't bring bikes with us, as one might imagine. The park, as it turns out, has a dedicated bike course, and you can rent bikes for a nominal fee. When Bekah saw this, she about popped out of her skin, and she had a great next hour riding around the course. It was really nice to see her that happy. She really misses the freedom of just riding around, even if it is in a yard. What a great day she had yesterday!

My pics aren't the best, but not so bad, considering it is a cell phone taking the pictures. One travels light when you walk so much, and carry all your family's food on your back!

We found a nice church today, Alliance International Church in Hung Hom. After, we grabbed a bite to eat, and had a nice meal in a Thai Restaurant. David likes to play mean, nasty Samurai with his chopsticks, and Bekah likes to show off her missing teeth, that she loves to yank out herself. Nice, Bekah. Who knows what Lydia is thinking; she is fading fast! We stayed up late last night with another Hong Kong family, who came over and has 4 children the same age as ours. That was almost 1/2 of the 4 children families in Hong Kong, all under one roof! This is a guess, but it can't be far off. :)

2008-01-13T08:16:00.000+08:00

13 January 2008

This past week I spent working in Ningbo, and Hangzhou, China. They are both on the south/southwestern side of the greater Shanghai Area, part of the Yangtze River Delta. I have been in Ningbo many times, but never cease to be amazed, saddened, and excited about what is going on in areas such as these all around Asia. The rate of change in infrastructure (roads, buildings, power, availability of commercial and industrial goods, etc.) is amazing. The rampant pollution, absolute poverty and struggle to survive, to feed one's family, the 'Oh, well' attitude about one more person dying amongst 1.3 billion in the country, is saddening. The new opportunities for people to earn money, to take care of their families, and have capacity to ponder about why they are here on this earth is very exciting. I know money does not fix all things; look at the US! The opportunity to go beyond basic existence can often just result in idleness, and not a seeking after more cerebral and spiritual pursuits. At least the opportunity to pursue more than basic survival is arising now, and I do believe that is part of the reason for the resurgence and rapid growth of such pursuits now.

Odd in China, but observed a few times: in the background, there is clearly a church with a steeple.

Being in a river delta, water is everywhere, and flowing nowhere fast. The pollution and lack of infrastructure such as trash removal in outlying areas (we in Maine would call these cities!) makes these waters very questionable for more than moving goods on.

The land is not so fertile over here; pollution makes this worse. Notice the work to plant vegetables, but the dead trees.

2007-12-22T19:32:00.000+08:00

Cool automotive notes about Hong Kong:

Ya gotta wonder about color and car choices over here. One can never go over 35-40 MPH, it would seem, and usually not over 30. This picture of a BMW M3 is in the Central district, where one can never exceed 5 MPH. Spell that, foot never off the clutch (or an automatic, which seems downright wrong in a car like that). And OHHH, the color!
The taxis have nice upper strut tower bracing, all the better to corner with, oh customer! And they do! They take great pride in cleaning their taxis (take a hint, US!), and that includes the inside of the engine bay. I get to see the insides all the time.
The minibus drivers all have this water bottle hanging in plain sight, and at first I thought it was a tea or something, until you notice the little hose at the bottom of it. What a clever way to enable the driver to see his coolant level without a bunch of idiot lights, etc. Simple!
Ohh, can these bus drivers drive. They know EXACTLY where each part of the bus is, and how to get around in VERY tight quarters. It is quite an experience to be on the upper deck, right in the front, and see just how close we come to man, nature, and concrete!
Being a pathetic RH driver from the US, I try to see if I can guess ahead of time what the driver will do in a sudden situation, dealing with intersections, roundabouts, etc. Every trip I go out on, I crash inside my head at least once (good thing you're not driving, Jon - you would have messed that one up pretty bad!). This LH thing takes some getting used to. 4 weeks into living here (not to mention how many times I have visited), I am just now getting instinctive about which way to look at intersections while crossing the street! Stay tuned for my review on hospital beds, for it is now that I probably am most dangerous!

2007-12-22T19:11:00.000+08:00

Well, we are here.
Some interesting items of note, that hightlight the differences between LOTS of space and NO space:

Strollers, shopping carts and some buses have all four wheels swivel. Not so good for high speed, but great for maeuverability.
Our apartment is 1/3 the space, for 4 times the cost of our house back home. And it is big, by any local standard!
We have some fairly reserved children by US standards; they listen, and don't run totally out of control when at a playground. Over here, other parents view our children as crazy at the playground! Swinging until the chain starts to slack at the apex of the swing, running along the 16 inch high concrete wall that holds a simple garden in the playing area, swinging from the monkey bars (that is what they are there for!), riding the teeter totter without a parent holding the child, is so alien to them. This last point may be more a result of parents only having one child, and the clear attempt to protect them from all risk right through adulthood, but it also highlights the close quarters and constant attention children are under over here.

2007-03-26T08:13:00.000+08:00

Questions for expat tax expert:
How should we deal with our house - sell or rent - if we are not positive of where we will land when we get back stateside?
Given the expat employment contract, are there any items we need to take care of prior to leaving stateside?
What are the ramifications of being gone less than 330 days per year?

2007-03-02T10:37:00.000+08:00

House Maintenance Schedule:

Mid November (after oak trees lose their leaves): Clean out gutters
Mid November: Maintain Furnace
Winter: Keep snow away from North side of garage (the side you see from the front of the house)
Spring: check chimney cleanliness (2 flues)
Summer: change out water filter