Today I tour the factory in which we complete assembly of our latest product. Despite some initial start up glitches, the factory is now cranking out thousands of units and it is very gratifying to see the quality of their work. We are trying desperately to keep pace with holiday demand for what looks like will be our most successful product ever. A high quality problem as we say.
When we arrived at the airport, we learned that our flight had been cancelled and we were asked to board a bus to another airport for our flight to Shenzhen. After waiting on the bus for some time, we were told that our original flight had been restored and we were asked to go to a new gate where we found some very unhappy passengers. They had been told their flight would be delayed by 8 hours and had become convinced that the airline was given their plane to us. An angry mob gathered around the gate agents screaming at them and demanding they be permitted to board. As passengers destined for Shenzhen began to board, the mob rushed the gate and police had to barricade the entrance while we were forced to push our way past these people. A decidedly harrowing experience to say the least. Never have I seen such a lack of civility or such restraint from law enforcement. In the US, 3 or 4 of the inciters would have been dragged away to jail. I am told that the police here do not like to make public displays of force but will deal with the ring leaders once the crowds and onlooking tourists have dispersed.
My colleagues and I boarded the Maglev train which travels at 1/3 the speed of sound (270 mph). The trip to Podung Airport takes 7 minutes. Such a train would take you from Boston to NYC in 42 minutes.
These scenes are far more typical than the glitzy skyscrapers and I only wish I had more time to explore.
I bid farewell to the fish that grace the hotel’s lobby before heading out for some street photography.
At night the buildings light up. Some are subtle and elegant as shown here. Others are loud and garish. I am fortunate to find a small park where I spend the most time enjoying the views in every direction. Only extreme cold and tired feet convince me to leave this magnificent photo candy shop. I hop in a cab and return to my hotel where I promptly collapse.
The ionic Oriental Pearl Tower. At 1,535 feet high, it is the tallest completed tower in Asia. The tower features 11 spheres, big and small. The two biggest spheres, along the length of the tower, have diameters of 164 ft for the lower and 148 ft for the upper. They are linked by three columns, each 30 ft in diameter. Regrettably this was the best photo I could manage.
A short ride through a bizarrely illuminated tunnel under the river delivers you to the epicenter of the ultra modern skyscrapers which grace every block.
A visit to the Bund (historic district of Shanghai) offers magnificent views of the eclectic skyline of Pudong which lie across the Huangpu River.
China, for all its modernization, still remains a land deeply rooted in the past. It is my belief that the rate of change is so great that a major political discontinuity is inevitable.
After work is done for the day, I have several hours to myself for exploration of Shanghai. This is the future site of Expo 2010, a major international exposition in the tradition of the grand World Fair’s. It is something of a coming out party for Shanghai and the city is a buzz with preparation and construction everywhere. This photo taken through the window of a moving car was as close as I could get.
Our production line is staffed primarily by young women who constitute the vast majority of labor in the consumer electronics manufacturing industry. Although the work is highly repetitive in nature, the skills required are quite sophisticated and the working conditions are very good. Our factory employs 12,000 people at this location. To put this in context the town of Concord has something like 15,000 residents. I spend several hours watching each one of our products being assembled and tested from start to finish.
We are treated to another wonderful meal, this time at a traditional Chinese restaurant. This evening we are joined by the full compliment of General Managers from Inventec our contract manufacturer. This is a sign of great respect and we are honored by the gesture. Business meetings have gone extremely well and will conclude with a tour of the production lines tomorrow.
After meetings today at our factory in Pudong and before dinner our hosts take us to the famous TMSK bar in the Xin Tian Di shopping area. This place is a photographer’s dream and while others drank and socialized I soaked in the beautiful light. Illuminated glass is used everywhere in the design to dramatic effect.
The Crown Plaza Hotel will be home for the next three nights. Christmas decorations dominate every hotel lobby and shopping area. This one features an antique car and movie making theme. I could not figure out the holiday tie in but it certainly made for a nice photo.
Today is a travel day from Taipei to Shanghai. Despite it being a relatively short flight, the journey took the better part of the day. This image, taken from the airplane, reminds me of the backgrounds in Chinese brush paintings.
We are treated to a magnificent traditional Taiwanese dinner by our gracious hosts which includes those seated at the partially shown second table. Successful business partnerships in China depend of building strong personal relationships and there is no better way to do this than over fine food and wine. The affair lasted three hours and after a full day of meetings and sightseeing I was ready to sleep for two days.
A brief visit to the Grand Hotel on the way to dinner afforded this interior shot of the lobby. No need for red lights on the Christmas tree when that is the primary color to be found in the hotel.
The Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness is the main entrance to the park. I regret now not having photographed it from the other side, looking back on the illuminated park.
Another view of the National Concert Hall after the sun has set.
Without a flash I could not expose for both the magnificent caisson and the statue, so I opted for the former. Inscribed on the wall above and behind the seated figure of Chiang Kai-shek are the Chinese characters for Ethics, Democracy, and Science.
The memorial to the former President of the Republic of China is octagonal in shape. The number 8 is traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune.
It is hard to photograph the tallest building in the world from the ground. Here is my best effort. This is Taipei 101, named for the number of floors above ground. It was recently overtaken in height by the Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates upon completion of the Burj’s 141st floor. Taipei 101 retains the title of “world’s tallest building”, however, as international architectural standards define a “building” as a completed structure capable of being occupied. Completion of the Burj has been stalled by the economic downturn.
Pictured here in the National Concert Hall located in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park.
My first day of meetings were fruitful. We are here visiting our manufacturing partners to learn about their design capabilities. We wrap things up by late afternoon and I get a chance to do some photography before meeting again for an extended dinner. This is my favorite photo from the day. You must click on it for a full res view to appreciate all the patterns.
Not being the least bit sleepy given the time difference, I decided to go for what turned into a one hour walk in the middle of the night. Not much of interest happening at this time but I did happen upon this interesting tree illuminated by a sodium street lamp.
At each of the last two airports along the way I meet up with several Sonos colleagues and by the time we reach our first hotel there are four of us. The journey that started pre-dawn on Monday in Boston ends here on Tuesday evening.
This morning, I began a 9-day business trip to Asia. I flew from Boston to Chicago (pictured here on approach), Chicago to Tokyo, and Tokyo to Taipei. Total travel time with layovers and car service was more than 24 hours. Combine that with a 15-hour time difference (almost a perfect day for night swap), and you get one very tired camper.
Meet Twitch (current provisional name), a Russian miniature hamster, the newest member of the Calabria menagerie. Maya used her own money to purchase this little guy along with his food, bedding, water bottle, food dish, exercise wheel, and tiny house. She has read several books on hamster care and impressed the sales clerk with her knowledge.
Jeanine’s sister Susan has been with us since Friday having driven down from Burlington. VT. Jeanine hogged her for the whole weekend so we will need to make arrangements for another visit soon. None of us have seen her new condo so I think a trip north is in order. It was great that Jeanine got to spend time with someone from her side of the family over the holiday. Her nephew, Luke, was originally planning to visit as well but those plans did not materialize.
My sister Mayela is 6 years my junior making her something like 45 years old. Most women half her age would love to be in this kind of shape. Does she work out at the gym? Is she a slave to aerobics? Her only form of exercise is swimming, walking her dogs, and the occasional game of tennis.
There was a time when I considered it my responsibility to look out for my baby sister. Now she is the first person I would turn to for help if I found myself in a dark alley with a motorcycle gang.