Back From the Great Wall

Let me preface this post with the fact that I have spent 28 hours traveling, I just had a couple of glasses of wine, and I am zoning - just a bit.

I have not had time to read up on financial matters, so I want to spend this post updating folks on my observations of China. I was there four years ago and again now, so I will focus a bit on the contrast:

• When I was there four years ago I went to three major cities. I began in Beijing. This was three years before the Olympics but I did notice things seemed to be evolving towards that event. Either way, I mentioned at the time that the national bird must be the crane, as in the construction crane. Cranes were in every view from every angle and buildings were going up everywhere;
• This time I saw a lot of cranes but most were just there not moving. A lot of major buildings seeming under construction but no activity. I noted that most of the scaffolding for sky scrappers - 50 floors plus - was bamboo, and had to wonder just how strong it is.
• Especially in Beijing it seemed that a lot of the old had disappeared over four years. There are a lot of new buildings up and a lot more under construction. The old shops and homes are quickly disappearing. Our guide noted that the older homes had almost disappeared in the last decade and most that remain are now regarded as historical landmarks.
• I saw a lot more Chinese people with money. I was at nice hotels and ate sometimes at the hotel restaurant. It was expensive by US standards, yet is was packed with wealthy Chinese.
• It seems the wealth disparity visits all countries

And now let me tell you some less financially oriented observations:

We were in Guangzhou to adopt but while there saw a lot of people, adults, playing at the play area and working out. This seemed to be a children's playground, but it was for the adults. They played there aged 2 to 90 (yes,90 and above) and they all had fun.

Despite all the progress I observed, toilets are still hit or miss. Even in nice venues, you get their squat toilets and commonly no toilet paper. Squat toilets, in case you are wondering, are holes in the ground. Sometimes they are glorified porcelin holes that actually flush but they are still holes in the ground that you squat over.

Still, in some respects I believe China is well ahead of us. They are very good on conserving paper. I am certain they do it for economic reasons and not environmental, but nonetheless they put us to shame. Now I am not a fan of no toilet paper, but there is something to be said for getting a small napkin or even just tissue to wipe your face at dinner. Even having tissue instead of paper towels in the bathroom makes sense.

I have a lot more observations and will add them as time goes on. I am a bit too tired to pass them all on right now. And I need to play with my son. Did I mention, I came back with the most wonderful two year old boy. And that, my friends, is yet another story.

Disclosures: None.