Z-Park: China's Silicon Valley - Business Week Article

Darin found this great article about Z-Park which features our host Jenny Pan of ChinaSense who has worked at Z-Park.

To access the article, you can click on the title of this post or visit http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2007/id20070605_039465.htm. The reference to Jenny is on page 2.

Report on Z-Park by Darin Clark and Tom Beyeler

The Zhongguancun Software Park is known simply as”Z Park”. The area designated “Z Park” is a greenfield development initiated by the government to be the leader of all the software parks in the Beijing area. Currently there are 170 companies located in the park employing approximately 20,000 people. Future plans call for adding another thirty plus companies, and growing the employment to over 30,000 people. The impressive growth has occurred over the past seven years. The park is known as the pearl in the Chinese software industry crown.

The area selected for the software park is strategically located on the outskirts of Beijing but more importantly it is located close to several Beijing universities including Peking University. The park has all the most up to date infrastructure to support the high tech industry. It is also strategically managed to be economically friendly and green. The site has solar power facilities to provide power. There are no manufacturing facilities in the park. The park is primarily for research and development in addition to an “incubation lab” for new ideas. IBM is the largest employer in the park with approximately 3,000 employees engaged in research and development activities.

Z Park is funded by the revenue generated from selling or renting buildings to software firms. 99% of all the employees employed by the various firms are from the local market. Z Park does not advertise for firms to come into the park. They sponsor user panels, meetings, conferences and forums to raise awareness of the Z Park.

The great success of Z Park lies within the vision of its leaders. This was apparent after the meeting with the chairman of Z Park, Ms. Zhou Fang. Ms. Fang’s engineering background coupled with knowledge of real estate has helped her make Z Park one of the most successful areas in the Chinese computer industry. During and extensive Q&A session, Ms. Fang explained in detail the green initiatives within the park, the reasons for the outstanding growth, and the future plans for Z Park. Her personal goal is to make Z Park one of the top 10 industrial focused parks in the world.

An interesting note about the park relates to employment competition as there is a mutual agreement between HR managers to not take people between companies.

Raquel Park's impression of China - so far!

My experience in China has been very fulfilling. Upon my transfer to Shanghai via Chicago, I was warmly welcomed by the World AIDS Day banner and logo, “Stop AIDS. Keep The Promise.” It was pretty impressive to me that China supports AIDS prevention initiatives. HOW WONDERFUL! On our first day, we visited the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), and it was great to see that one of their traditional project fields is HIV/AIDS prevention. It was fascinating proof to see that the fight for AIDS prevention does not end at terminal 2 of the Shanghai airport.

A fabulous highlight of the China trip has been the visit to the Great Wall and the visit to the Forbidden City, which sounds like the album title to Britney Spears next CD. Both the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are wonderful sites to gain insight into the life, culture and customs of the Chinese people.

The Chinese have embraced me thus far with smiles, friendliness and hospitality. I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend this trip. As a non traditional, full time employed student, this type of study abroad opportunity has been very feasible. I do not have to resign from my current position to move to a foreign land for 3 months to one year in order to study abroad. Instead, I can go for a very fulfilling 2 weeks, meet and develop relationships with international business executives, do some light paper writing/homework (no free lunch!), and sing karaoke – with the great pleasure of receiving 3 credits and priceless memories.

Report on iSoftStone by Pamela Quintero & Selena Steffy-Fuoss

On our final day in the city of Beijing, we had the opportunity to visit Zhong Guan Cun Software Park (also known as ZPARK). That visit provided an excellent platform for our afternoon meeting with one of the companies that operates its IT outsourcing business at the ZPark facilities.

In preparation for our visit with iSoftStone, we learned that the founder, Mr. Liu, also co-founded AsiaEC.com in 1999. With the help of Mr. Liu, that company became China’s largest on-line office supply and services provider. Later, the company was acquired by Office Depot, the largest office supply provider in USA. Mr. Liu, founded iSoftStone in 2001 and since then it has continued to grow market share in a highly competitive sector.

The host for our visit was Seth Pinegar, the Head of Corporate Development. Seth stated that the company currently employs 4000 people and by the end of 2008 expects to grow that number to 4400. He mentioned that 80% of the company’s employees are located in China, mainly due to the lower costs.

In terms of the financial progression of the company, Seth stated that they expect revenue to increase from 45 million (in 2007) to 90 million by year end (2008). He conveyed that in general, the company has a positive outlook on their future growth and by 2011, plans to employ 15,000 and increase revenues to $500 million. He suggested that it is anticipated that this growth will be a result of a successful merger and acquisition strategy as well as the continual growth of global outsourcing needs. Seth stated that while Gartner shows that the outsourcing sector growth rate is at 35% per year, iSoftStone plans to grow by more than 50% per year - that higher than average growth will be attributed in part, to the company’s planned mergers and acquisitions.

As we learned throughout our studies at Purdue, companies are wise to continually analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It was apparent that iSoftStone had examined their company in the context of SWOT and our discussion with Seth revealed the following about his company:

Strengths

• Access to Government Incentives (Tax Breaks and Land grants)


• Government Support of clean and green businesses


• Ability to borrow money at low rates

Weaknesses

• The service business is dependent on other markets


• The service business can be impacted by global influences

Opportunities

• The economic downturn could result in companies looking for cost cutting measures – leading to growth opportunities in outsourcing


• When dealing with the growing Asian markets, there are fewer cultural barriers compared to firms in India.

Threats

• India's existing labor force


• Vietnam's growing labor force

Our visit with iSoftStone was quite informative and provided a first-hand view of a successful company with an aggressive strategy and global perspective.

Day 4 Update - ZPark, iSoftstone, and the Olympic sites!

We had a very interesting last day in Bejing. Our visit just seems to get better and better.

This morning our first visit was with the Chairman of ZPark, Ms. Zhou Fang. ZPark (Zhongguancun Software Park) is an industrial park and a business incubator for software companies. The park produces one quarter of China's software GDP and more than 20,000 people work at the park each day in all of the member companies. The Park's mission is to unify the enterprises, integrate resources, and promote the development of the software industry. The park houses many international companies such as IBM, Oracle, Reuters, Neusoft, China's Unionpay, Hanwant Technology and Ark Technology as well as close to 100 emerging software companies. The park, as you can see above, sits on more than 130 hectares and is environmentaly friendly. Ms. Zhou kindly answered many questions from our travellers. She shared that her long term strategic goal for the park is to become one of the top ten industry focused parks in the world. If you would like to learn more about ZPark, please visit their website at http://www.zpark.com.ca/ .

After yet another delicious lunch at which Pamela only used chopsticks (even for peas) - hooray! - we visited one of ZPark's client companies - iSoftStone (http://www.isoftstone.com/). The company is a global IT services provider focusing on capabilities in Financial Services, Telecomunications, and hi-tech industries. We were hosted by Mr. Seth Pinegar, Head of Corporate Development for the company. Prior to joining iSoftStone, Seth was an investment banker for nine years, most recently at UBS Investment Bank, based in New York and Tokyo, where he led the firm's technology outsourcing sector practice in China, Mexico and Brazil. He also worked on transactions involving well-known India-based outsourcing companies. Seth was also with JPMorgan's technology investment banking group, based initially in San Francisco and later in Hong Kong. He came to China, not as an ex-patriot, but as an independent citizen after having been offered this position by the Chairman whom he met on a business visit earlier. You never know were networking will take you! My favorite quote of the trip so far came from this former investment banker. He said "Investment banking is very much a marketing job." So, you see.... Marketing really is EVERYTHING! (smile, Hugh!). In the picture to the left, you can see Prof. Obi and myself along with our indefatigable hostess Jenny Pan. She is the consumate professional and has made our trip a pleasure.

Our trip back to the hotel included a stop for pictures at two Olympic venues - the Birds Nest (where the opening ceremonies were held) and the Water Cube.

We want to take a moment to thank Steven, our tour guide in Beijing. Steven has been so very helpful to us in many many ways. On our bus rides he has given us a lot of interesting information about the city, he lead us through the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and helped many of us to arrange special tours. He also played an important role in helping us determine what was in each dish at our special meals. Throughout it all, Steven has been kind, patient, and efficient. He has been a very important addition to our trip. This picture shows Steven leading our group during our tour of the Forbidden City. We will miss him very much!

Tomorrow morning we are headed for an in-country airline trip to Shanghai. As we have afternoon business visits, we are taking a VERY early flight. Jenny wants us checked our and ready to board the bus at 6:00 AM - yes, you did read that right!

Pat's Obi's Pearls of Wisdom

Everybody who can should be here someday, really. What I like the most about here…is being here myself to learn about the aggressiveness with which businesses of all types and sizes – supported by the Chinese government – are competing globally and growing by leaps and bounds.

Day 4 Reflections - Chin Park

This China trip has been a great experience so far. It’s very interesting to see the blend of modern and traditional architecture, as well as the expanse of Chinese businesses with a few American businesses mingled throughout (i.e. KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks). The people have been very gracious, and it is amazing to see a major city such as Beijing to be so clean (no litter anywhere). One amusing personal aspect for me is how that almost all of the Chinese people here have assumed I was Chinese as well (I am Korean), and they automatically speak to me in Chinese. I keep having to say, “English. I speak English.”

Day 4 Reflections - Phil Moore

I must say that I have gained an extreme respect for the Chinese culture. The pride that they take in their city’s appearance and the importance placed on the cleanliness of it is a far cry from what I have experienced in the states. Everyone is so gracious and polite that I almost feel like I’m home and with family for the holidays. For anyone that anticipates shopping in one of their many “markets” in Beijing, be aware that you have to anticipate an extreme level of friendliness. Everyone is your friend in the attempt to close the deal but beware the minute that deal is or isn’t closed your friendship is fleeting….so don’t take it personal and be ready to make your next BFF at the next shop.

Day 4 Reflections - Selena Steffy-Fuoss and Pamela Quintero

Day 1:
Well it is day 4 and we (Pamela and Salena) have lots of catching up to do! Our invigorating hike of the great wall was hampered by my (Pam’s) 50 pound purse and my (Salena’s) celebrity photo shoot. We believe if we could do this hike every day for the next 4 years we can be ready for the next Olympics. I (Salena) decided to go to the restroom without my partner in crime and she thought I was kidnapped in the Forbidden City.

Day 2/3: Sorry Rick and Jack we have confirmed our passion for attending Law School after talking to Audrey Chen at the Junhe Law Offices. We were impressed by her vast knowledge of the American and Chinese Law as well as both cultures. I (Salena) was so impressed that asked how I could practice law in China and she responded by asking if I could speak Chinese. Unfortunately I only know how to say boiling water (kai shui). I learned the word the other day when Pam, Darin, Jennifer and I went for tea. I (Pam) tried to be helpful and ensure our tea was made with boiling water. I quickly my used my resources and limited language skills and as a result we received shot cups of boiling water.

Unfortunately, I (Pam) got a migraine headache that got worst throughout the day. However, I learn an ancient Chinese secret that the boiling water from the café would have helped m headache.

Well I (Salena) learned a lot of about everybody’s dancing skills in the class. I, also learned that if my MBA degree doesn’t help my career I continue my lessons with Manvel and have a future as a pool shark.

This is Pam and Salena signing out and we will tell you of the adventures in Shanghai when we get there later this week.

Report on CANGO by Ozzie Rivero and Stephanie Guzik

China Association for NGO (Non-Government Organization) Cooperation is a non-profit, voluntary, membership organization operating nationwide. CANGO was founded in 1992 and registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 1993. The current executive director is Haoming Huang, who received a Master of Public Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon University in the United States.

As stated on their website, CANGO’s vision is: “To empower citizens and civil society to create an environment that offers fair chances to everybody for sustainable development.” Their stated mission is: “To create a strong, empowered network of Chinese NGOs to address poverty alleviation, environmental protection and social development, particularly in China's poor, remote, and minority-inhabited areas.” An interesting fact learned during our visit is how CANGO’s definition of poverty differs from the official Chinese policy. According to the Chinese government there are 14 million people with income under $100 USD/year. However, CANGO measures the poverty level at $1 USD dollar a day per person. By using this standard the number of people living in poverty balloons to 114 million, a substantial difference.

The challenges are many, starting with the fact that there are 700 million people in rural areas and approximately 200 million move in and out of the urban areas on a yearly basis looking for temporary work. CANGO has been trying to empower the local citizens to make decisions on their own. This has been a difficult transition because of the many years of centralized government and the many levels of bureaucracy. Even the name Non-Government Organization can be a term of conflict and some areas prefer to use the term societal organizations in order to keep within the party line.

Currently, CANGO has 100 member organizations across China and keeps cooperative relationships with governmental agencies on various levels. They also partner with colleges and universities as well as over 150 international NGOs. Current projects include increasing potable water, prevention of HIV/AIDS and disaster relief. CANGO is also very involved in the Sichuan Earthquake relief project. CANGO is also leading a movement to increase Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The work of CANGO’s research department has added credibility to the organization and has also given them the opportunity to spearhead other projects such as environmental protection and tree planting. In order to ensure continued success, CANGO offers workshops on NGOs, project management, strategic planning, fund raising and resource mobilization. It appears the CANGO has laid a strong foundation for all NGOs throughout China.

Report on Jun He Law Offices by Jennifer Benson and Shontrai Irving

While there were many highlights of the China Immersion Program, one experience that was truly remarkable was visiting the JUN HE LAW office in Beijing, China and having the opportunity to speak with one of their dynamic and inspirational partners Audrey Chen. JUN HE “is widely recognized as a leading full service law firm in China, uniquely positioned to provide superior legal services in commercial transactions and disputes.” Moreover, it is well known as a pioneer in the re-establishment of the legal profession in China. This experience of visiting JUN HE was all the more meaningful because we recently completed our business law class in November 2008.

For an attorney and accountant in the MBAE program, there were several moments that broadened our minds about the practice of law in China. First of all, it was indeed a pleasure to visit the first private law firm in China. That is certainly a historic moment for both of us. More specifically, we learned that although the country of China has existed for thousands of years, the laws of the country are not so well developed. To learn that 3 of the 5 founding partners of the firm graduated from United States law schools provides a sense of pride in the educational opportunities available in our country. To also learn that Audrey Chen received her LL.M degree from the University of California Berkeley, School of Law demonstrates the unique endeavors that ambitious people can embark upon.

We both learned about the requirements and effort that it takes to become a partner in a large firm. The requirements are not so different in the United States but what is all the more interesting are the hurdles that women must endure in a male dominated profession. This is not uncommon in the legal profession nor the business world. This was all the more meaningful because we had a later conversation over this issue because as an African American corporate attorney and a white female accountant, we have only focused our beliefs on what we know in America, but learning about these issues from a global perspective is something that we will never forget and was quite astonishing .

There are often events that shape the world and to hear the number of United States companies that left China during the events at Tiananmen Square in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s was something that we both took to heart. We are unsure at this time whether the financial struggles that we currently have in the United States will affect China.
Additionally, to learn that lawyers are not as well respected in China as they are in the United States was indeed profound. We are hopeful that in the near future, the citizens of the Republic of China will have more appreciation of lawyers as the law in that country develops. More importantly, it is essential to remember the social responsibility that lawyers have in society. We appreciate Audrey Chen sharing with us how JUN HE is active in pro bono matters and have actively participated in legislative research initiatives by the Chinese government and other public interest activities.

We were indeed fortunate to visit JUN HE law office in Beijing and have a meaningful discussion with Audrey Chen. We wish the best to JUN HE as they will soon celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2009. More specifically, we wish the best to Audrey Chen and thank her for providing us a view of the legal profession in contemporary China. We may never have the opportunity to have this discourse and dialogue in our lives again and we are most appreciative of this experiential learning opportunity.

Day 3 Update - CANGO, Jun He Law Offices, Peking Duck, and Karaoke

Ni hao from China on our third day in country. Today was our first "business" day. Everyone got to the bus on time and we all put on our Purdue University Calumet lapel pins and headed off to CANGO (China Association for NGO Cooperation) to meet Mr. Huang Haoming (Vice Chairman & Executive Director) and Mr. Zhao Daxing (Deputy Executive Director). CANGO was one of the first NGO organizations in China and serves social organizations and public works organizations. Their mission is to create a network of Chinese NGO's to address poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and social development particularly in poor, remote, and rural areas. Our hosts noted that they recently raised RMB 425 mikllion for project implementation with local matching funds received of RMB 250 million. Our hosts were very gracious with their time and answered many questions from the group. Learn more about CANGO's activities at http://www.cango.org/english/.

We had a wonderful family-style lunch in the building housing our next visit. We were seated at two large round tables near windows with a lovely view of the city. As the lazy susan went around we tried many dishes such as a delicious sweet and sour pork (NOTHING like the sweet & sour in America), spicy tofu, mushrooms and cabbage, and kung pao chicken. Check out the video and see how good Prof. Obi is getting with his chopsticks!

Guess what we found for an after lunch treat? STARBUCKS! Many of us were delighted to see this and got our caffeine fix.

After lunch we went into the beautiful offices of the Jun He Law Offices and met Ms. Audrey Z. Chen, attorney at law and partner in the firm. Ms. Chen charmed us with her stories and wit. We learned that Jun He was China's first private law firm, founded in 1989. They have five founders, three of which are US educated. The firm was set up originally to serve US clients. Now the firm is home to more than 70 partners and 350 associates. She proudly told us that her firm was named China law firm of the year for 2008. Did you know that the China Bar pass rate is 5%? Compare that with California at 50% and New York at 70% (both states in which Ms. Chen is a member of the bar). You can learn more about the Jun He Law Firm at http://www.junhe.com/en/index.asp.

After this visit we had a few hours until our Peking Duck dinner and karaoke. Many of us went shopping, some took a nap, and others went on an adventure. Tricia and Lori took a rickshaw tour of the Hutong. The Hutong is the traditional area of Beijing where people live. It is now a protected historical sight. We saw a very interesting neighborhood, had a wonderful guide named Pong, and were able to visit with a pensioner in his home. The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles--a building complex formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard. Many hutongs face south for better lighting and heating.

At 6:00 we were off for the traditional Beijing dinner of Peking Duck. We had our dinner at the Loushe Tea House - a very famous venue visited by many celebrities including Henry Kissenger, President Bush, and Purdue Calumet MBAE!! While there we were entertained by young ladies playing traditional Chinese instruments and a puppet shadow show. After dinner many travellers visited the tea shop upstairs.

Our next destination was KTV for an evening of karaoke. It did take some hunting to find songs that we wanted to sing along to, but we did find some. The videos accompanying the songs were hilarious! For those of you who lived through the 80's clothes and hair, you'd have been right at home..... One of the highlights was Shontrai's rendition of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" complete with his traditional flips (ask any of the MBAE 10 students about the flips). Also active participants were Ozzie, Tricia, Stepanie, Patrick, and Barbara. Prof. Obi got into it with a classic reggae song!

Day 3 - Barb Thompson's reflections

Have you ever been in a crowd and felt like everyone was looking your way? Not like you walked in with that perfect suit on but more like they were surprised to see you in the first place and you weren’t invited. Well, it took me about a day to realize that it was more like everyone was glad to see me and was trying to figure out how to greet or approach me. Only after hearing a set of words repetitively did I had an epiphany it was my hair and I realized that my hair is different then anything that the Beijing citizens had seen up-close and personal. The glares were amazement and the body language was anxiousness. The mystery had been cracked and I immediately began to extend to anyone that appeared hesitant to engage their curiosity and approach me.

My lesson for the day: your imagination of what can be is probably worse than what is after all in my mind, my hair is average but across cultural bearers it’s like a lion’s mane.

Day 2 Update - Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square

Wow, what a day! We began with a delicious breakfast buffet (you have never seen one like this in the US) and ended with the lowering of the Chinese flag in Tiananmen Square.

We started out on a bus ride to the Ju Yong Guan Pass - Great Wall. During the bus ride, Stephen, our guide, shared with us a lot of information about the city and about the great wall. At one point, our host Jenny told us that in only one other of her University groups had all the participants made it to the top. We were determined to be the second ones to do so! Jenny told us that we had to make it up many, many stairs and we would pass four towers on our way to the top. Her advice to us was "one step at a time, pace yourself, rest when you need to, and drink water." She also reminded us of Chairman Mao's dictate that no one is a hero who does not make it to the top of the pass. So, we were challenged and off we went. Above is a picture of us at the bottom of the pass, before we started our climb.

What a workout it was! As you can see from the picture, we were all bundled up as we expected it to be cold and get colder as we went up. There were many, many, many steps - most were steep and many were uneven. Some were only a few centimeters high and others as many as 30 centimeters high. We had to take many, many rests and used those to take pictures. This picture shows you only a PART of one of the sections we climbed.

Along the way we made many stops. In fact, we were getting such a good workout that we began to realize that we may have dressed too warmly and we began shedding layers. Gloves came off.... Jackets came off.... Hats came off.... We began to think that we might not make it, but we remembered Jenny's advice and took it one step at a time. We stopped offen to take pictures showing ourselves and the unbelievable scenary.

The great news is that we all did, at last, make it to the top of the pass! Yes, every last one of us! When we finally got to the last tower, we had one last surprise - a VERY narrow staircase leading up to the top. Here is a video clip from the top.

What goes up, must come down and so down we went. It was definitely easier than the way up, but by no means easy. On the way down, some of us stopped to purchase "medals" commemorating that we climbed the Great Wall. Now if we only had 7 more, we'd be just like Michael Phelps.....

After a bus ride back into the city and lunch, we headed off to the Forbidden City, home of Emperors, Empresses, eunuchs and concubines. Because it was getting late and because we wanted to be sure to get tickets, we went in from the back entrance. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a moat and a very high wall. The back entrance is the servants' entrance and leads into the main living space. We saw many courtyards, gorgeous buildings, statues, and many huge cauldrons that used to serve as resevoirs for water in case of fire. These two pictures are of one of the buildings that has been restored.

After we went through courtyard after courtyard, we finally came to the last one and saw Chinese Army soldiers conducting a drill. They were preparing for the flag lowering ceremony which takes place at sundown across the street in Tiananmen Square. A very nice site to learn more about the Forbidden City is at http://www.thebeijingguide.com/forbidden_city/index.html.

We crossed the street (underground) and went into Tiananmen Square. On either side of the square sits The Great Hall of the People and the Chinese National Museum. We were just in time for the lowering of the flag.

After a quick bus ride, we were back at the hotel. Jenny and Steve told the group about several excellent places to get a foot massage for our aching feet! We all went our own way will reconvene for our first business visit tomorrow.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad - From Tricia

WOW! our first day was fantastic- we climbed the Great Wall and realize the MBA program has exercised our minds more than our bodies. Once the tour guide told us that only one other MBA class had the entire group make it to the top- We took on the challenge and every one summited. Lunch at the Brazilian BBQ was adventurous with squid, fish balls and beef tongue. I think many are headed to McDonalds for dinner tonight.

Thanks Dad for teaching me to be adventurous while taking on any physical and mental challenge, otherwise I would have missed this trip. Happy Birthday!

First Day Thoughts - Darin Clark

Wrapping up the evening consisted of reviewing the day at our local in-house lounge “Purple” located in the hotel. As every 80’s song plays on the Karaoke display, everyone belts out a few bars inadvertently showing our age. We have actually driven everyone out of the bar. We are practicing for our Tuesday Karaoke debut. In the event that someone does not sing, they have to eat bugs-on-a –stick. Tuesday should be an interesting day.

First Day Thoughts - Patrick B. Kirkwood

A bit tired, hoarse and extremely tired…I press on to enjoy wonderful conversations with my peers in the karaoke lounge of the hotel. From past experiences, I’ve not been able to sleep on a plane so I forced myself to stay up the night before my flight. With less than one hour of sleep, I look forward to experiencing every moment that Beijing and Shanghai has to offer. What a great experience to share with such a diverse group of individuals!Darin Clark - Wrapping up the evening consisted of reviewing the day at our local in-house lounge “Purple” located in the hotel. As every 80’s song plays on the Karaoke display, everyone belts out a few bars inadvertently showing our age. We have actually driven everyone out of the bar. We are practicing for our Tuesday Karaoke debut. In the event that someone does not sing, they have to eat bugs-on-a –stick. Tuesday should be an interesting day.

First Day Thoughts - Manvel Robinson

The highlight of my day outside of the “strange things on a stick” was the flight attendant. While on the plane I noticed that my TV monitor was not working. I asked one of the flight attendants is there any way to resolve the issue and his response was that it was a wiring issue. He said water was dripping on the wiring for the monitors and it was causing a shortage in many of the monitors throughout the plan. My first thought was Final Destination! In this movie the airplane explodes because of a wire shortage! I kept his story to myself because I didn’t want to frighten my cohorts…needles to say I made!

First Day Thoughts - Stephanie Guzik

Until today we experienced a situation “only in movies”. After visiting the Pearl Market and realizing how much money we are going to spend buying pearls, we decided to call it a night and get some din din. Using his best MBA (newly acquired) skills Ozzie tries to be fiscally sound and get the best quote from the taxi drivers. It’s always a good idea to negotiate safety… Finally we settle on $5 for all three of us (Barb, Phil, Ozzie and Me) from a surly Chinese man. We get in the taxi… squished like sardines and we are off! Suddenly we are swerving through traffic, near missing accidents and collisions with other vehicles. Just when we thought it was safe to look up, he takes a turn down the narrowest alley dodging his unsuspecting fellow Chinamen and their cars. We came to a grinding holt because someone needed to get out of a parking space. Instead of getting out of the way, our taxi ride from hell veers to the right and rides over the curb as we imagined the sparks that were emitted under the car as it drug on the concrete. We cross the street and magically appear at our hotel. We all yelled out it joy and relief that we had arrived in one piece. At that moment, we thought he was superman and not stupid!

Day 1 Update - We have arrived!

Those of us who flew on Saturday, December 6th had a relatively uneventful day. Despite the snow in Chicago, we took off on time and had no flight delays. Some of us got upgraded to Business Class which was a joy - we wish it could have been all of us! Each seat had it's own video screen. One of the things we could watch was the flight path of the plane. In the two shots below, you can see that we flew directly north then west over Alaska and then south into Asia. NOTE: you can double - click on any picture to enlarge it.

After we arrived at the beautiful Beijing Airport and once we were all together we headed off for customs. Customs was efficient and fast and we were soon off to pick up our luggage. Thankfully, that also went well and we were met by Prof. Obi, Jenny Pan, Managing Director of China Sense and our host in China, and Steve our tour guide in Beijing. We boarded the bus and were off to our hotel. Pat and Jenny briefed us on what to expect - including how to bargain so as not to pay too much - hint, aim for 20% of the asking price.

Upon arrival, we met up with the the travellers from our group who had come earlier. Some of the Saturday travellers headed off to rest and others went out to dinner. Here's a picture of us at dinner. Everyone used chopsticks - even for the rice :) After dinner, we went across the street to the Donghaumen Night Market and what a sight it was to behold! It is an open air market with all kinds of delicacies for the adventurous eater. Here are some pictures - see if you can read the menu board (double click the picture to enlarge it)... None of us has been adventurous enough to sample any so far, but Ozzie insists that he will before we leave.

The menu board - which one will you try?

The tray right below the vendor is centipedes and the tray to the right is cockroaches.

Crickets on a stick!

Lamb testicles on the left and kidneys on the right.

Delicacies on dispay!

Tomorrow, Monday, we are off to the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City.

See you tomorrow!

One day to go!

MBAE-10 is leaving for our China trip in one day. Prof. Obi is flying out today and the rest of us are following tomorrow.

We will post as often as we can. Check back often!