Watching news on the successful deployment of a micro-satellite on subway TV. The laptop-touting engineers are glowing with satisfaction and are content/happy with their accomplishment. Its incredible to think that less than a generation ago, at the time that my father went to the US to pursue his EE PhD there were little opportunities here for our capable countrymen to exert themselves and build up this great nation of ours. Now there are virtually all the opportunities you can think of, almost regardless of what your profession is. In this vast populace it seems that we don’t often think of motivations in terms of patriotism, unlike some of the smaller countries where an existential threat constantly serve to unite the people behind a common banner. When people ask me why I am back, among other reasons, I am almost embarrassed to admit the need to serve and connect with my motherland. However this must be at least a part, however small, of the motivation behind most of this inward migration of Chelonia mydas, even if material gain provides the initial justification and excuse.
Spent the day with a Hong Konger and a German, like in a cliched buddy movie, at an over-built “ethnic minority park” (called Bin Lang Gu) somewhere in the mountains. Although cheesy, it is perhaps a bit less so than say Disney - instead of entirely being artificial, it was at least developed out of what once was a natural rain forest and native people.
The band at the outdoor restaurant is putting up an extremely respectable performance of 80’s American glam rock. Sang by two Chinese girls who’s got the pronunciation, attitude, volume all right, if a bit exaggerated.
China is a country that is just so hungry. Hungry to consume, hungry to work. This is like an entrepreneur’s paradise, as long as you can provide something that approaches plausibility, people will line up to try it.
And copy, and compete, of course. Wining in the long term is a different type of fun for a different type of player, of course. But as a pure absorber of new ideas there is perhaps no equal. The demand outstrips supply in many, many areas. Here you can see the volume and rapid wide adoption of products and behavior that business folks may dream of elsewhere.
