Fun with Food

When we met for dinner, we went to the “western” style restaurant.  I guess this was TC’s way of reducing the culture shock.  This hotel was huge and was within walking distance to the ocean – it probably was a resort at one time or another – but there did not seem to be many people around and about.  In fact, we were the only people in the dining room.

I was determined to get used to the local food and customs so this meant, of course, no western flatware – only chopsticks.  TC asked me what sort of things I liked to eat (beef, chicken, pork, lamb; I’ve never been big on seafood) and made a few selections.  There was green tea, and fruit juice available as well as the local beer and “white wine” or bai jou (more on that later).  I had heard stories of formal dinners where the food was really an afterthought to the drinking and smoking (no smoke-free zones in China); however, if you cultivated a perception that you did not drink, it was respected.  More on that later.

A little while later, the food started to arrive.  Like Chinese restaurants here in the US, dishes are served family style.  That’s just about where the similarities end.  There are generally no serving utensils, so you have to pick food off the plate with your chopsticks, and transfer it either to your rice bowl or a small plate in front of you.  At the formal restaurants, napkins are folded and arranged very artistically.  A server comes and places one corner of the napkin under your plate, allowing the rest of it to fall over the edge of the table onto your lap.  You get a small package of tissues to wipe your mouth, and a warm, wet washcloth for washing your hands and face prior to the meal and your hands during the meal.

One dish stood out – the pepper steak.  In the US, pepper steak is basically beef with onions and green bell pepper drowning in a savory sauce.  In Lianyungang, pepper steak is beef with small, hot green chili peppers just barely coated in a savory sauce.  I saw them in my local US supermarket under the name finger peppers.  These are not jalepenos – those are too big.  I am not a fan of overly spiced food, so I took some of the beef, and it had a nice kick.  TC asked why I did not eat the peppers – I had put one in my mouth and it was far too hot. “No they’re not!” he said and started munching on one.  He quickly reached for his drink and allowed that these were hotter than normal.  We also had some vegetable dish and a chicken dish, with dumplings (these arrive at the end of the meal) and rice.  We then agreed on a time to meet for breakfast and retired to our rooms.

Chinese beds do take some getting used to.  They are hard and do not have much in the way of padding.  In fact, it’s almost like trying to sleep on a straw mat on the floor.  There was a bottom sheet and a quilt – no top sheet.  I settled in for the night.

Until about 1:00 AM.  The phone rang and a voice in Chinese said something I did not understand.  I answered in English and he hung up.  I figured the guy was drunk or had dialed the wrong number.  I started to drift off, until about 1:30.  The phone rang again, and this time a voice using some broken English asked if I wanted a “friend” for the night.  Since I am not in the habit of paying for friends and I value my marriage, I thanked him and said “no”.  No more calls, and I slept until about 5:30, when the sun rose.

I rose and got ready for the day.  Since I was to meet TC at around 7:30, I decided to check my e-mail using my company’s VPN.  This hotel must have had a number of western visitors, because CNN was available on the TV.  I had that on in the background while I was getting logged in and downloading my e-mail.  This hotel did not have broadband, so it was a dialup connection and very slow.

CNN had just started its 25 year anniversary and was recapping some of the key stories of the past 25 years.  Today, they happened to be reminiscing about Tianamen Square in 1989.  I was told and had read that there were 3 topics to avoid – Tiawan, Fulang Gong, and Tianamen.  I was also surprised that the Great Firewall was allowing this topic to be aired.  For about 5-10 minutes, they were recapping the lead up, with pictures of the demonstrations.

Then CNN showed THE PICTURE.  The one of the guy standing in front of the tank.  CNN went dark.  For three days.

I reviewed my emails – nothing important – and decided that it was time for breakfast.  I shut down the laptop, gathered my breakfast coupon, and went down to meet TC.

The banquet room for breakfast was a large buffet line with all manner of things to try – some familiar and some not.  There were some Danish, eggs to order – if you spoke Chinese – dumplings, steamed buns, soups and porridges, meat dishes (bacon, ham, beef, and fish), vegetable dishes and fruits.  We ate breakfast and then got ready to be picked up by the company driver.

Next: First Contact

You Can’t Get to There from Here

When my visa arrived on Thursday before Memorial Day, it showed that I could not enter China until June 1.  This was even though the application materials had a “RUSH” notation (that costs extra) and an itinerary that showed entry before June 1.  So I got to spend Memorial Day at home preparing for my trip.  RBJ wanted me to get over there ASAP, so the plan was to land at Narita (Tokyo) on May 31 and make the hop to Shanghai, arriving on 1 June.

It was up to me to work with the travel department to make arrangements, and we found that Northwest (now Delta) had the best service – it still does in my opinion.  Because it was an international flight, I was permitted to fly Business Class.  The itinerary was Buffalo to Detroit to Narita to Shanghai to Lianyungang; the return was a mirror.  Horrified at the cost – a mere $7,000 at the time – I was not looking forward to the adventure of getting there.  First, the flight time alone was 17 hours (not counting connections), covering 12 time zones and possibly two overnights.  As mentioned before, I had to overnight in Tokyo due to the visa snafu, as an added bonus; there was the possibility of another overnight in Shanghai.

At any rate, the long jump – Detroit to Narita – scheduled flight time was about 11 hours, and wider seats and better food only serve to make it tolerable.  Unfortunately, the food is plentiful and almost continuous so you arrive stuffed and bloated.  Booze is also free, but excessive drinking on long-haul flights only serves to dehydrate you further.  You get on the plane at about 9 AM (boarding takes about 1 ½ hours), and arrive in Tokyo around 5 PM the next day.  There’s nothing like a little International Date Line action to really mess things up.

Upon Arrival at Narita, I clear customs for the in-transit (no visa required) line and make my way to the Holiday Inn.  It is late afternoon, and I fight off the fatigue to try to stay awake until a normalish bedtime.

The next morning I get on a shuttle bus to go from the hotel to the airport.  The bus stops at an entrance gate to the airport and two security people come on the bus: one to check travel documents and one with a gun to make sure nobody tries anything stupid.  Nobody does.  It kind of makes our airport security silly by comparison.

Passing through airport security with the metal detector is far different than in the US.  Sure laptops out, coats off, no liquids (Japan did this well before the US to keep people from sneaking liquor onto planes), but you keep your shoes and belt on.  If you “ring the bell”, you are given a secondary search with a wand. And if you pass that, you are sent on your way.

Time to board for the 3 hour flight to Shanghai – PuDong International airport.  During the flight, the pilot points out Mt. Fuji.  Announcements about filling out China Entry cards and other border control forms.

Once off the plane, you get herded about a mile to Passport Control (it’s good to have some actual activity for a change), where a nominally-English speaking agent looks at your face and matches it to your passport, checks your visa, takes a picture, collects the entry card, stamps the passport, and sends you on your way.  You are given the opportunity to “comment” on the agent’s performance with an array of 5 buttons – ranging from a red “frowny” to a green “smiley”.  It is best to punch the “smiley” and move on.

Walk to Baggage Claim, collect your bags, and move through the “Nothing to Declare” line.  TC was waiting for me with his driver.  He explained that we had a couple of hours to kill, seeing as how our plane to Lianyungang was scheduled for 5 PM.  At Shanghai Hongtiao airport (for domestic flights).  All the way across town.  So we go to the corporate headquarters in Shanghai and say hello to a few folks.  A light lunch and off to the airport.

Hongtiao is a an older facility and has seen better days.  We go to the ticket counter and get our boarding passes and check our bags.  Then we go to security – someone checks your boarding pass and passport – followed by the metal detector.  The procedure was quite similar to that in Japan.  TC had a pass to the VIP lounge (similar to a Northwest World Club or the Delta Club here in the US) and we waited for our China Eastern flight to be called.

The announcement comes over the loudspeaker.  We get to the gate where we “mob up” to the entry door.  One clerk takes the boarding pass, another clerk tears off the proper stub, and a third clerk hands the pass back to you.  We find our seats and settle in.  The Flight Attendants are quite stunning in their uniforms, with hair and makeup just so.  The preflight safety briefing is done by a cartoon video on a loop first in Chinese then in English.  The animation looks like it was drawn as nude figures with clothing added as an afterthought.  Sometimes, the plane leaves once everybody is aboard and seated, regardless on the posted time, so the English version is cut short.  Flight time is about an hour, and we arrive at the Lianyungang airport in the early evening.

Still, we have a hour ride to the hotel.  Leaving the airport (very small, by the way) there is a very nice entrance road.  The locals like it because they like to spread their wheat on the pavement so the cars and busses can drive over it – this is what passes as automated threshing.   It is true what they say about the time difference: 12 hours and 5,000 years.  The ride to the hotel over a still-under-construction road with toll booths.  The hotel is old, but decent by Western standards, and the rooms are HUGE.  A large suite was about 550 RMB – or about $70 US.  Check in goes as would be expected, with copies of passports and credit cards swiped.  We agree to meet for dinner in about an hour.

Next: Dinnertime!

How it all started

I could see the signs in 2003.  Actually, anyone who had a clue as to how the world works could see the signs.  After 9/11, the economy in general went into the dumpster.  I was working for a supplier to the electronic materials market. Specifically in electronic and semiconductor molding powders (EEMP and SCMP) – the stuff that protects the chips and other devices in just about every gadget out there, from cell phones to the space shuttle.  Orders were down and the plant, which had been running 3 shifts 24/7 prior to 9/11 had idled 3 production lines and cut back hours for the operators in all departments.  It was bleak.

I had joined the company in May of 2000, and moved to Western NY, which brought my wife no end of joy because she had family out here.  My job description was simple.  I reported to the plant manager and was told “figure out what needs to be done and go do it.”  Pretty much total autonomy, but I am largely self-directed.  However, in 2003, I was beginning to wonder how long it would last.

The products we produced were sold to customers who had significant operations throughout Asia.  Approximately 90% of our customers were in the Pacific rim, as were 100% of our competitors.  How long we could survive shipping bulk material half way around the world was anyone’s guess.

So I decided to go after a PE license.  Twenty one years after my BS degree.  Because I figured that it is always good to have something to fall back on.  So I continued my work and studied in my free time, passed the exam and received my license in 2004.

Fast forward to late 2004.  Management mentioned to the senior staff that Headquarters was looking for JV partners in China and they may need people to play a part if things got that far.  The company decided they had 2  choices:  JV over in China, or sell the business and let someone else move it.  They decided they wanted the money from the business.  After our meeting, I approached my boss (RBJ) and his boss (JAK) and told them I would be interested in such an opportunity.  The way I figured it, I could either make the change happen, or let the change happen to me.  They said they would consider me for the opportunity if it came about.

A few months later, a new face (Lisa) appeared at the plant in the QC department, but no “meet and greet” happened.  Which was odd.  Because every new office or lab employee got introduced around the offices and labs so we could welcome the new member of the family.  Also, it was strange that Lisa was Chinese; although “Lisa” is not a very Chinese name, and Lisa spoke almost no English.  So it appeared that they found a potential JV partner.

Then around early April there was a meeting; I was called into it and was introduced to NAH and TC. NAH was very senior in the company and had over 30 years in the business.  TC was new to the company and was Chinese; he spoke very good English, received his education in the US and was looking to move his family back to China.  I sat through a presentation of the potential JV partner.  I briefly met with TC and told him I had volunteered for the chance to be the Lead Engineer for the project.  We talked about where the facility was located, and he told me that the city was Lianyungang, in northern Jiangsu province.   To locate it on a map, place a straightedge connecting Beijing and Shanghai; Lianyungang is about midway, right on the coast.

I did a little research on the local area, and there was very little to be found.  There were very few westerners in this place.  So it was going to be an adventure.

I did not hear very much more until about the third week of May when the IT guy came into my office and asked what software I wanted installed on my laptop.  This was a strange question, as I did not have a laptop, and nobody told me I was getting one.  A little while later, I saw RBJ and he asked me if my passport was in order and could make arrangements to get to China on June 1.  This was right before the Memorial Day weekend, and it was a very rush job to get the visa application with all the supporting documentation to the service in New York and back in time.  For those who need visa services in a hurry, check out Travel Document Services; they do a very good job.

Next: A long strange trip.