Apprehensive in China

I currently live in China and am apprehensive. Why you ask? Go ahead, ask me…… Ok, I am nervous, no its not because my body has morphed into some ‘ pestilence and smog fighting machine’ reducing my chest and face area to digress into something like a pubescent teen, female teen at that, and no its not that I worry about the lead in the glasses here, nor the melamine in the milk, the corruption, nor the fact that at any moment the angry chicoms (communists) may round up all the ornery forefingers, put us in Chinese thumb screws and bludgeon us silly- although those things are always a minor concern, but at present my main concern is getting my hair cut. As you may know, I dont have the best luck when getting hair cuts at Chinese hair salons. The penultimate ‘salon’ I went to had on ‘odd’ feel to it, I just thought their treatment of me was not what I expected at a hair salon I mean to say, why did I always have to slip into a ‘banana hammock’ just to get my hair cut…. so I found greener pastures and currently am taking my business to a certain salon called the Hop Sung Chinese Hair palace the barber here, I’m told is one of the best in the area. It is good to have found this place as my current hairdo is well beyond what I consider to be acceptable for a man of my wealth and stature. view larger The snickering of my friends behind my back is nothing more than a constant reminder that yes, its time for a new hair cut. I am just happy that my hair has grown out again, as I told the barber to merely take a little off the top and sides. but feel that my Chinese was not good enough for him to fully grasp what I truly needed. Three weeks after my last cut, I felt somewhat better. Of course, all things are relative, and my prior hair cut left me feeling as if I had a lawsuit on my hands, I mean the guy just didnt get it right sure he is a professional and all, and sure the barber was pleased with the cut and sure I live in China and the standards are different, but I have my dignity to protect. So now its decision time, to I let it grow or throw caution to the wind and just get it cut once more, or let it grow out, tell ’em all its a western thing, a new fad Im following

China’s Thirst for Coal

excerpt:
“In 2009, the United States exported 2,714 tons of coal to China, says the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That figure skyrocketed to 2.9 million tons just in the first six months of this year.

International Energy Agency predicts that China’s thirst for energy will rise by 75 percent until 2035, when it will account for more than one-third of global demand.

China currently relies on coal for about 70 percent of its power.

Richard Heinberg, a senior fellow at the Post-Carbon Institute in Santa Rosa, Calif., wrote in a recent report, “China’s reliance on coal cannot be significantly reduced as long as its demand for electrical power continues to grow at anything like current rates. And even if energy demand growth tapers off and alternative energy sources come on line quickly, the country’s ability to supply enough coal domestically will still be challenged.”

To meet its demand for coal, China is relying more and more on imports from the United States, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Africa.

Freaking People in China

How many of the worlds resources does it take to feed, clothe and move all these people.

China in Photos- Waiting in Line

This is China Living

Russian Area of Beijing

Here is a shot from the Russian area of Bejing. Its by “The place” , kind of quaint, in an old fashioned sort of way….

China To Sell Cars in The USA- Sounds Like a Good Time to Invest in Auto insurance Companies

from popular mechanics:
“BYD is perhaps the most ambitious of the Chinese automakers, with proclamations from its leadership that it aspires to become the world’s biggest automaker by 2025. BYD, which started out as a battery company, sold 449,000 vehicles last year in China, and began exports to South America, Africa and the Middle East. This December, the company plans to begin selling electric crossover vehicles through a small dealer group in California to establish its beachhead in the U.S.
Chinese automakers have long been criticized for copying, or knocking off, Western designs. But while the exteriors of the vehicles occasionally look similar to Chevys and BMWs, they haven’t been able to copy quality engineering. The latest indication came from the China Association for Quality, which said buyer complaints have been rising, not falling. Complaints about cars that have quality problems within six months of purchase increased nearly 60 percent in the first quarter of 2010. Complaints about safety issues and production defects rose 15 percent compared to the same period in 2009. That’s a setback, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which had measured an improvement in quality from 2008 to 2009 in its Initial Quality Study.

Brilliance Automotive, which, like BYD, has displayed vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show as a precursor to selling in the U.S., is withdrawing from Europe after a poor reception and widespread reports of deficient quality. “One of the things that clearly holds back the Chinese so far is their apparent unwillingness to put Westerners who know these markets into key leadership positions,” says Los Angeles marketing consultant Dennis Keene. “They don’t seem to know what they don’t know about the export markets they are going into.”
Another possible culprit? Jim Federico, vehicle line engineer for Buick, which has been operating in China for a decade via a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive, says that while Chinese engineers are capable in single-skill areas like brakes, suspensions and wheels, “they are very challenged when it comes to integrating all the systems in a complete vehicle”

China Running Out of Coal

China’s dramatic economic rise and population are probably unsustainable. For instance, according to the excerpt below, China will be out of coal in about 20 years. The consequences of a coal-less china are pretty profound. The question is, what will they do when the coal runs out….

excerpt:
“With domestic coal demand increasing around 10 percent each year, China would run out of coal in 21 years, even if it were to cut demand by 5 percent, Hong Kong brokerage CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets said in a recent report.”

How Much College Grads Make in China- Ouch!

From the chinadaily
“The estimated monthly salary employers would offer to fresh college graduates in 2010 was 2,694 yuan ($404), 155 yuan lower than the 2,849 yuan expected, People’s Daily reported citing a consulting firm’s survey.”

China in Photos

Chinese living…