Recently in Random Thoughts Category

My apologies for the light posting of late, as I'm off on a pre-Spring Festival holiday. Gotta beat the rushes, ya know.

I'm on a cruise ship on a part-Christmas gift, part-family get-together holiday which is seeing us visit Singapore, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hanoi, and finally Hong Kong. It's my first visit to a few of these places, and I already have plenty to stay about Singapore.

I'm not sure where Singapore has been all these years, but I've fallen in love with it. The climate, scenery, cleanliness, friendliness, architecture, and environment were all impressive. My question is, what is it like to live there? Can anybody comment on that?

I'd like to write more, and have a bunch of topics to write about, but the $0.55/minute on-board internet charge makes that next to impossible. Perhaps Paul might chime in with a few of his witty posts in the meantime! If you don't hear from me until then, I hope everyone has a great spring festival, and all the best in the year of the rat!

Cam.

I'm very fortunate to be blessed with a father who is retired, but used to work for Air Canada. As such, flights home are usually quite frequent. But due to the busyness of 2007, I didn't make it home a single time, except for right now: Christmas.

Neither myself nor Paul have posted much lately, and I've noticed a similar trend on other blogs (and even news sites). 'Tis the time of year where people focus on other (often much more important) things. This year, in my family, we have taken the bizarre step of deciding against any gift exchanges. This is odd in our particular case, mainly because our Christmases are usually rather extravagant affairs. And because my family visits China 5 to 6 times a year, they aren't really impressed by tea and chopsticks sets on sale at the Hong Qiao Market. So shopping for everyone is as difficult now as ever.

That's why, oddly, I was relieved when my parents and sister notified me of their decisions. I didn't worry about shopping. When I arrived in Canada, I wasn't out fighting for parking spots and stuck in traffic (which is bad, even in my hometown of Victoria). Instead, I've spent much of the past week reading Right Side Up, an excellent book about the rise of Stephen Harper and the fall of Paul Martin (and written by one of my favorite journalists, Paul Wells), and working on my brand new computer (I can't believe how cheap they've become!). Overall, I'm relaxed. No crowded subways, no construction waking me up at 6am, no Beijing traffic, no absurd banking experiences.

When I returned home last year, I was a TV host and living in Guangzhou. The past year may be, personally, one of my craziest to-date. I moved to Shanghai for three months, then back to Beijing. I've lived in 3 different apartments in 3 different cities in the last 12 months, which is probably why I find it so relaxing to sit and do nothing. It's everything I thought it could be.

Anyway, I don't want to bore you with personal tales. Thanks to everyone who stopped by Zhongnanhai this year. The growth of the site since it launched in August has been phenominal, and I hope we can keep it going. Next year promises to be one of the most exciting in China's modern history, as Beijing unveils a new airport, CCTV tower, a whole new Sanlitun, the Spice Girls, and of course that particular sporting event next August. It should be busy for us in the news business as well, and I hope to post as much as I can on this site. Without giving too much away, this page should look very different in the near future. We hope you'll stay with us.

Wherever you are when you read this, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Cam.

The following is a guest post from a good friend of mine, and current CCTV 9 news anchor James Aitken. We are posting it with his permission:

I thought about starting this piece with the phrase, "I'm no banking expert, but...", then this one came to mind: "I lost track long ago of how many times I've tried to give Chinese banks my money." Yeah, that works.

My latest adventure in China's financial industry started with a straight forward task: deposit money into someone else's account. As I traipsed into the bank branch, I headed straight to the get-ready-to-be-here-a-while ticket machine and pressed the button. 1282. I glanced up at the scrolling red computer numbers. The biggest number is 1254. Not bad. I park myself on a bench, and because this particular branch doesn't have a wall-sized TV screen running Tom and Jerry cartoons, I pull out my mobile listening device and begin my wait with the sounds of a scraggly-haired rock bank thumping in my ear drums.

Every time I make my way into a Chinese bank, I'm reminded of the massive transformations that have been going on behind the scenes. Besides my many personal adventures, I've read and heard a great deal about the challenges and changes that this country's banking system is facing. They've been going through immense restructuring. I don't know how the bottom line looks at the major banks these days, but I am quite aware of the problems they've been grappling with. Hundreds of millions of bank customers are reminded of this everyday. The poor customer service comes in many forms: interminable waits, grumpy, underpaid staff, or in my case, an Internal Technology system that is basically just Internal. Up till this point, customer service improvements at some banks have amounted to hanging up large TV screens to show cartoons. Other banks offer free cups of water.

Essentially, these long-standing issues can be boiled down to a protracted case of misplaced priorities. When various high-level bank managers have been interviewed and asked to explain the poor levels of customer service, they've responded that customer service hasn't been important to the banks because, well, customers aren't that important. The banking sector is emerging from an imposed environment of extended isolation where the concept of competition has simply been non-existent. Another key factor is simple economics. The banks make huge sums of money from a few clients, ie. big companies, government agencies etc. The rest of us commoners, hundreds of millions of us commoners, really don't add much to the bottom line. Fair enough.

The banks I've dealt with, here and abroad, generally aren't in the habit of doing customer service surveys, and I guess I know why. But if I were ever asked by a Chinese bank how they could improve their service, my comment might be this: take money - don't give it away. You see, the red ink that China's banks have been swimming in for years, the reason they have been forced into massive restructuring schemes to look presentable for their IPOs, is because China's banks have been handing out non-performing loans for years (that's executive code for bad loans). The true extent of these bad loans is unknown, but clearing them off has been a painful undertaking. Many of these loans have gone to business people with little or no business experience and business plans likely scribbled out on a napkin in a hotpot restaurant. These aspiring business people are the ones who dream of selling snow shovels in Guangzhou. The money, and any hopes of collecting interest on it, vanishes almost as soon as these businesses open their doors. The bottom line is this: banks are supposed to make money. Making money begins with collecting interest on good risk loans or taking money from guys like me. End of story.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised when, after being escorted into a shorter lineup by a bank manager, I'm promptly told that the bank can't take my money. I mistakenly thought having the name of the account holder and their account number would have done the trick for the deposit. After all, I've mastered this task at another branch of the same name. My landlord's account is in another city, but as long as I have his name and account number, 'mei wenti' as they say here in China. Well today, at this branch, it is a 'wenti'. Today, in addition to needing the name of the account holder, and the account number, the bank also needs the name of branch where the account is held, which is in another city. I have no idea what that name is, so I point again to the account number I wrote down and tell the bank manager to simply type it into the computer. Should he do that, I assure him all manner of information about that particular branch will come up on the screen. "Not possible," I'm told. It's the kind of problem I've encountered before: branches of the same banks that can't - or simply won't - communicate with each other. Lot's of 'I' - not so much 'T'.

Deja Vu, as I walk out of the bank, pockets bulging with money that isn't really mine. My attempt to give money to another person was doomed by powers I can barely comprehend. I'm steamed, but not surprised. I've been on this ride before.

The service issue, of course, isn't just a gripe from a few impatient foreigners. I've written on this topic before and have received overwhelming response from Chinese readers with similar stories. I assume that this group is representative of an endemic nationwide problem. I also assume that those little plastic signs with the red customer service indicator lights next to each bank teller aren't all broken after all.

I'm encouraged to hear how successful some of the reforms are going in China's banking sector. Lots of hoopla about oversubscribed public offerings, record setting IPOs, and some banks are earnestly trying to shore up what little customer service they have. I've seen some progress. I generally don't have to wait as long as I used to in order to be told that the bank won't take my money.

But after this latest encounter, I'm struck by the enormity of the challenges these institutions must be facing. Competition for clients, setting oneself apart from that competition, and taking money instead of giving it away means a profound change in business philosophy - so does improving customer service on the front lines. I know it will take a while yet. I understand. My bank adventures aren't a total loss. They have, after all, given me plenty of writing material. In the meantime, I will keep my distance from the banks as much as possible. But on the next occasion, when a bank visit is unavoidable, I hope the branch I end up in has Tom and Jerry cartoons.

... in fact, you can probably read and understand the content here if you are in junior high! So says the Blog Readability Test. China Law Blog, which notified us of the site, is only slightly better, at a high school level. Ditto for Shanghaiist. Many other popular blogs are in the university and college levels.

We have our doubts that many junior high students read our pontifications on Zhongnanhai, as we don't post stories about vacuous subjects like Paris Hilton (oh.... wait.....).

The good news is Zhongnanhai remains above at least one other blog in reading level: Sinocidal. The five funny blokes, unfortunately, are apparently only writing at an elementary school level. (Which, I must wholeheartedly disagree with, considering the writing and creativity on that blog).

Our other site, China Media News, slides in at a university undergrad level.

Now, with this out of the way, please allow me to return to wasting my Tuesday afternoon....

I'm dying to spill the beans on a television project I've been working on, which has resulted in some fairly interesting travel. Unfortunately until we get the A-OK, nothing is confirmed and it wouldn't be right to post the details here.

As a result of this program, I spent last weekend in the seaside city of Tianjin. Despite two years in Beijing, I had never made it the hour-or-so train ride to Tianjin. I'm actually not sure how long the train takes, as I missed it that morning due to some excessive sleeping, shall we say. So I nabbed a taxi instead (schedule was tight) and made it to the resort city of Jingjin in about an hour.

Jingjin is patterning itself as a bedroom community easily accessible to both Beijing and Tianjin. It features 2 and 3 level homes with 2 car garages reminiscent of something out of Leave it to Beaver. It also had a large golf course, all the amenities, and a brand new Hyatt Hotel. I can't help but think more and more Chinese will begin moving outside of the city for some peace and quiet, and property prices in places like Jingjin will skyrocket as a result. Currently, purchasing a beautiful 260 square meter home in Jingjin will only set you back RMB 9,000 per square meter, compared to RMB 30,000 in many parts of Bejiing.

Anyway, I attended a banquet at a famous Tianjin restaurant, witnessed quite a late-night scrap outside said restaurant, and went to bed for the night. The next day, it was off to KTV...

I know KTV is big business in China, but I was unaware of how popular it was. Even some alcoholics in Beijing resist digging to deep into the beer at noon on Sunday, but not so among the thousands of young patrons at one of Tianjin's biggest KTV joints.

As part of the program, I was tasked with singing some songs and looking like I was having a good time. I'm sure most people reading this blog have, at one time or another, been roped into going to KTV with workmates, business associates, college friends, or whatever. As an extremely untalented singer, I've managed to avoid it through three years in the Middle Kingdom. So here are some thoughts on my first KTV experience:

• KTV rooms could make for the ultimate house party: they have excellent sound systems, big screen TVs, private rooms, and waiters bringing drinks and food.
• Chinese people love to sing. It seemed like the biggest competition was for who could snag the microphone first to sing the next song.
• Chinese people are talented singers (yes, I already know this is a vast generalization). Two of the girls that had the opportunity to sing love ballads had amazing voices, and two of the gentlemen were able to confidently belt out rock tunes.
• I was surprised to notice an extensive catalogue of English-language songs. Which is why I found it unfortunate that the one they selected for me to sing was Take Me to Your Heart (for those not in China, and I've never heard this song outside of China, it's an drippy English love ballad with cheesy lyrics from a one-hit-wonder band called Michael Learns to Rock).
• I am a horrible singer. Although the Chinese language song they selected for me to sing, Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo de Xin, was do-able (despite the fact I had to read traditional characters, which added to the comedy factor).

In closing, KTV wasn't that bad - as long as the microphone stays in others' hands. That being said, KTV could be much, much better: All it needs to do is utilize the big screen and big sound to showcase Vancouver Canucks' hockey games. The food and drinks would go well with that, and I, for one, would be ready to pony up for the room rental.

I've considered writing about several of these items, but figured I'd just throw them all into one messy post. Here goes...

Doing business in the DPRK

I met last night with one Mr. Alejandro Cao de Benos. If you Google his name, you'll see he's rather well-known among North Korea-watchers. He's an interesting gentleman, and is certainly dedicated to the DPRK's cause. Some of his more interesting comments surrounded China's decision to "go capitalist". He said North Korea would never follow in China's footsteps, as they've sold themselves out, "cheap". There were many surprising revelations from our discussion as well, such as the fact many large companies are already doing business in the DPRK, and many household items that say "Made in China" are actually made in the DPRK. And who knew that Pyongyang hosted a trade fair each year? Mr. Cao de Benos traveled to the DPRK today with a business delegation, as North Korea realizes that trading with the outside world can be beneficial... even if it doesn't follow China's path.

Shep Smith lights it up at $7 mill a year

Okay, you caught me. I'm not one of the Fox News bashers out there. That doesn't mean I take their word as gospel, or believe it's strong journalism, though. I just think Fox News is what it is, and most times it's quite entertaining. I've had friends visit and we've turned on Fox for some chuckles. That same entertainment value just isn't there with CNN or BBC (although there can be plenty of chuckles -- embarrassed ones -- while watching CCTV 9).

One of my favorite anchors on Fox News is, ironically, one of the most balanced: Shepard Smith. As a journalist, I've realized that high-speed, visually-appealing, concise news is what appeals to wide audiences, and Shep Smith's Fox Report is the best in the business at this. The show goes a mile a minute and, I'm sure for those vulnerable, may even cause seizures. Regardless, his delivery is professional and he's being rewarded for it -- to the tune of $7 million a year. That's higher than Lou Dobbs or Anderson Cooper at CNN, and is approaching the salaries made by anchors at the major networks. After dominating the 7pm Eastern time slot for six years, he deserves it.

Is Beijing's gritty bar scene vanishing?

Perhaps Beijing Boyce might be the best one to comment on this. But after reading a recent issue of That's Beijing, I've learned that the notorious Bus Bar has reopened in swankier digs, as has live-music joint Yugong Yishan. What happened?

When you think about it, Nanjie, which was as gritty as they came back in the old Sanlitun South Street days (which tells you I've been here too long), has also become more upscale since its location north of Gongti met the wrecking ball. These joints are going upscale, and are joining other news bars like Block 8, Lan, and Face. With the Olympics around the corner, Beijing's nightlife will likely take a few more steps up (as will the prices). Those that like to claim Beijing is more "real" than Shanghai might not be noticing what's happening around them.

Does the Kindle kindle your interest?

The announcement by Amazon regarding its new e-book reader has left me scratching my head. I am a news junkie, and I love reading anything I can get my hands on. As many of you are aware, this is difficult in China, where western newspapers and books are often hard to come by. It doesn't make it any easier that my areas of interest are politics and history, two disciplines home to books normally censored by the government.

The idea of an e-book reader that updates newspapers and periodicals automatically, overnight, without any internet connection fee or connection to a computer, is awfully appealing. Books on Amazon.com are starting at only $9.99. The eternal question with e-book readers is: do you feel comfortable reading off of a screen? I'm curious to know if the Kindle will push you into finally buying an e-book reader, and why.

Me, I'm still on the fence.

There are many discussions out there comparing Beijing and Shanghai. I've even written briefly about this myself, although it's a cliched argument. Yes, Shanghai is glitzy, modern, glamorous, etc. Beijing is gritty and "artistic" and "cultural". So be it. People can choose whichever one they like.

Often lost in the discussion is the Pearl River Delta region, which boasts a little bit of Beijing and a little bit of Shanghai, all in one place. I spent the weekend in Shenzhen shooting a television program, and it was nice to be back in the area. As regular readers of this blog will know, I lived for nearly a year in Guangzhou working for the Guangzhou English Channel. I spent many weekends exploring Guangzhou and other cities in the Pearl River Delta, and there are many of them: Dongguan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Macao, etc.

I definitely enjoyed my time in the region, and I met many other foreigners who had lived in either Shanghai or Beijing before making the move to sunnier climes. 100% of them -- no exaggeration -- say their lives are far better in the south, and they have no intention of moving back.

I share their enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I am a 20-something slave to opportunity and career-growth. That means, at this point, Beijing is the place to be. In fact, the longer I live here (I lived here for a year and nine months the first time, going on six months this time around), the more I think, perhaps, I could stay. I like cycling around, the weather isn't that bad, things are relatively cheap. Lots of culture, history, and character people.

Then I go to the south and realize that I'm maybe I'm starting to believe my own PR spin.

Beijing will always have a special place in my heart, no doubt. But for lifestyle, nothing beats either Shenzhen or Guangzhou; and you can choose to live in either, because they are so close you can easily go between them anyway. I spent Saturday night in Shekou, in Nansha District, in Shenzhen. Shekou boasts a beautiful square featuring an old cruise ship that has been turned into a restaurant on one end. The other sides feature everything from western retail restaurants and cafes to excellent nightlife options. There was no hustle and bustle, no fancy cars, no talk about the Olympics or politics or business... it was relaxing. Couples walked around the square, kids were rollerblading, and others were enjoying drinks on the patio (drinks, by the way, which were much cheaper than Beijing's). And it seemed so, so far away from what's important in Beijing.

Like Shanghai, the weather is good in the south, the fashion is upscale, the nightlife is above average. Like Beijing, it is unpretentious, gritty (in Guangzhou's case), and historic. It's a good mix of the two.

Imagethief mentioned in one of his excellent blog posts (and he has many) that he left his heart in Beijing. After this weekend, sometimes I wonder if I didn't leave mine in Guangdong.

Some state-run media were called to a 3am meeting over the holidays to discuss coverage of the upcoming party congress. I'm not sure what to expect from the upcoming shindig, but it seems clear some power-struggles continue. So, I decided I'd make my best guess at what might be happening. Remember, I am in no way credible. But here goes:

• Shanghai party chief Xi Jinping is a lock to be on the Politburo Standing Committee.
• Jiang Zemin's team is asking that the Standing Committee of the Politburo be decreased from 9 to 7 people. Hu Jintao strongly disagrees.
• Hu Jintao will be elected to a second term.

On another note, my trip through China over the holidays was quite a success. We managed to hit perfect weather in every city we visited, allowing my guests to get a perfect view from the Peak in Hong Kong and the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai. Speaking of Shanghai, my friend Paul, who contributes to this blog, actually ran into an old friend who now manages the Big Bamboo. He was delirious in explaining how great it was to live in Shanghai, pointing out he'd left the city twice in two years, and once was on a day-trip to a rural area near the city. I could see his enthusiasm, as Shanghai was in the midst of hosting the Special Olympics and the Formula One race. Concerts coming up include Beyonce and Linkin Park. Plus international tennis and golf events are on the way. All of this must certainly cement Shanghai as the mainland's entertainment capital.

We also managed to catch a river cruise along the scenic Pearl River in Guangzhou. It was well worth it, and became one of many highlights of the trip. In my nearly one year in the city, I never managed to do it, and now realize I was missing out.

And one final thought.... I've worked at CCTV 9, China Radio International, Beijing Radio, and at News1130 radio in Vancouver. Never once have I been recognized and stopped in public -- until I went to Guangzhou. Twice in a single day, I was surprisingly recognized by viewers of Guangzhou's fledgling English Channel. As I was ordering a green tea latte (well recommended -- I will be drinking this until the chai lattes make it into mainland China) at the Starbucks on Shamian Island, the woman asked if I was visiting. "Yes," I replied, before quickly pointing out that I used to live in Guangzhou. "I know," she said. "I've seen you on the TV."

A similar situation happened at the airport, as we were tired and frustrated by not being able to locate the cTrip counter. One man in a tie kept looking at us, and we assumed he must've worked at the airport. We asked him where we could check in for Air China, and he said, "I don't know... maybe E... maybe C." Well, this made us even more frustrated, as we expected the customer service people to know where we could check in. After some intense back-and-forth, it turned out that he, too, was a regular viewer of Guangzhou EC and didn't work at the airport at all.

Consider me surprised, as I didn't expect people in GZ (which gets TVB Pearl among other channels from Hong Kong) to watch English language-state run television (believe me, you aren't missing much). Plus, I haven't lived or worked in Guangzhou for over seven months. Now I mustn't let this go to my head.

This is bound to be my last post for a while. I'm on a flight to Guangzhou tonight, where I look forward to hanging out on my old stomping grounds. I've written before about "sultry GZ" (as a friend refers to it), and I can't wait to get back there. (Which reminds me that I've been meaning to endorse the blog Guangzhou Bang. My endorsement doesn't mean much, as I'm not exactly a blogging expert. But from a personal level, GZ Bang is a great way for me to keep up with what's happening in one of China's most important but least covered cities.)

I'll be spending a night in town tonight, before popping down to Hong Kong on Saturday to meet one of my dearest friends and his fiance. I've known my friend since high school, and he doesn't exactly have an extensive traveling resume (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I know he lived in Victoria for a while... and Vancouver... and Ottawa... and Windsor. I know he's been to Chicago. And Bellingham, Washington. Maybe there is another border town here or there that he's made it to over the years. Regardless, stepping off a plane in crowded and noisy Hong Kong will surely be a sensory overload for him, and unlike anything he's ever experienced.

Ever since I've moved here, he's the friend I've wanted to visit the most, if only because he doesn't really go to too many places. I think, like most foreign travelers who make their way to China, he's probably got a lot of preconceived notions about what life is like here. I fully expect all of them to be smashed -- both good and bad.

After a couple of nights in Hong Kong, the whirlwind tour will take us to Guangzhou for a night, and Shanghai for two (where the Special Olympics will be underway). I'll be back in the capital sometime on the 5th, and will attend a wedding on the 6th. So it will be a hectic week.

Anyway, I hope everybody has a great holiday, and I'll see you next week.

A good friend of mine recently returned from a visit to Canada with his new Chinese bride. He hails from Vancouver (well, Langley to be more exact) and it was his wife's first visit to North America.

I met him when we both worked in the media business in British Columbia. The industry is small, and many of us who worked together in radio or television in Vancouver have since moved to Beijing. Word has gotten out that this is a pretty cool place to be, at the moment, and it seems there is a new arrival every few months who quickly integrates into China Radio International or CCTV 9. But at no time -- ever -- has anyone in this group of people decided to stay in China permanently. Perhaps nobody knows what they will do next, or when they will leave -- but staying in China has never been an option. Until now.

I had a few drinks with said friend last night, and he discussed how everyone he saw in Canada seemed to be "wound tight". "People are angry," he said. "It doesn't matter how much money they have, they aren't happy."

He listed the usual complaints: mortgages, dysfunctional families, high taxes, red tape, restrictive government, car loans, gasoline prices, poor customer service, and the seemingly inherent need to get a newer car and bigger house just to keep up with the Joneses, as it were.

Life in China, to him, is much different. It's about working fewer hours, spending time with his wife and dogs, and saving more money each month than he possibly could at home. There are no overbearing taxes on foreigners here, there's no Air Care, no filing income taxes each year, and no dealing with high gasoline prices (taxis cost a few dollars for 30 minute trip). And unless you have the illegal Dream Satellite from the Philippines, there is no constant media buzz, no Paris Hilton stories, no Fox News Alerts, and all of the other sensational media tactics that just seem to raise one's blood pressure and, likely, increase anxiety on prolonged exposure.

This is obviously an over simplification, and a generalization as well. But it came to mind after I read the transcript for the latest Osama bin Laden tape. In it, bin Laden takes exception with the capitalist system, which he says is the root behind many of the world's ills:

...the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes; and the abject poverty and tragic hunger in Africa; all of this is but one side of the grim face of this global system.

For the record, I am generally a free-market capitalist. That being said, I do believe in strong government support and oversight, and there are certain areas which should be left under the jurisdiction of democratically-elected representatives rather than an appointed board of directors at a nameless, faceless conglomerate.

There's no doubt that the constant need to improve, push share prices higher, cut taxes, generate bigger profits, and improve on last year's performance can raise anxiety, increase stress, and even drive someone insane over the long term. This competitive spirit is what helped drive America's breakthroughs in science and technology, and led to the country becoming a global superpower. It's a worth ethic, that on one hand, needs to be applauded. But on the other, one's lifestyle needs to be considered. At some point, focusing on one's happiness and contentment must supersede money, consumer goods, and the constant need to see improvement year-on-year.

I'm not sure if people in Canada, and by extension, the United States are "wound tight"... but I'd bet that many of them are. I don't think converting to Islam, as Osama bin Laden advocates, is the answer. But there must be a way.

In the meantime, my good friend figures he'll stay here in Beijing. I can attest that, although he doesn't have a demanding job or a big bank account, he is much happier here than he ever was in Canada. At the end of the day, that's what's most important, right?