And so the great migration to Australia begins..

So what does the future hold?  Some may argue that the future is set in stone, some sort of cosmic karma dust flitters throughout our day and steers us towards a date with destiny.  Me, well, I just believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason and so it is with great excitment and intrepedation that I announce my voyage to Australia.  

The plan is to get up, board a flight and somehow through some strange magic of tubes land in Sydney Australia on the 29th August.  I'm heading there on the working holiday visa and the Australian government in their infinite wisdom has decided that due to living with the Chinese for a number of years that I may have the plague.  I believe it is definitely something to do with protecting their sheep population.  It may do it for the Australians but beastiality just ain't my bag baby....

Anyhow, the idea of what to do when I get over there is a bit hazy at the moment.  I have an expectation of working on an idea that has been slowly forming in my head this past month, however ideas, well, they just don't pay the bills.  So I'll be chancing my arm contracting at any number of establishments, doing 100+ hour weeks all the while working to my end goal of starting the mythical startup.  

So wish me luck on this epic voyage of self-discovery, hard slog and beautiful bondi beaches.  I'm going to need it...

Beijing and public urination...

Saturdays and work should never be involved in the same sentence. Unfortunately it is common to work either the weekend before or after a national holiday so that you get the entire week as a vacation. So this basically means that I have to work constantly for the next 7 continuous days.

Fortunately I have had an amazing vacation in Beijing where I've had one strange coincidence after another after another happen to me. Could anyone reading this who was not in Beijing that I know please raise your hand, you are possibly the only person that wasn’t let me assure you. 15 million people in one city and I bump into a heap of people that either know me or I know them from all over the world. It kind of freaked me out. But fortunately that didn’t stop me from enjoying myself immensely.

So after arriving in Beijing last week I ended up in a fantastic hostel that I will recommend to every single person going there. Its the Red Lantern House, Beijing,No.5 Zhengjue Hutong, Xinjie Kou, Xicheng District. What a place to meet people and have the craic; it’s pretty cheap and great grub, great location and a really nice environment. Anyhow, I'm expecting my next stay to be free so that’s the reason I'm plugging it so much. :)

Walking around Tienanmen square humming "Let's go fly a kite" while drunk is a hell of an experience. I almost expected to see Ms. Poppins jump out and lead the 10,000 or so Chinese in a verse whilst flying their marvellous gliding contraptions. Having had enough of the people coming up to annoy me while trying to get photographed with foreigners I decided to head into the Forbidden City. I know I'm famous and all (I don't have a big head at all) but that was a bit much even for me. So of I traipsed to the forbidden city and encountered kid after kid engaging in public urination. They really must think a hell of a lot about the place to treat it with such respect. The FC was pretty wedged, actually it was like being unable to breathe at times, so after having endured the throng for a few hours I tried to get away from the tourist trail of tour groups, colourful baseball caps and flag loving psychopaths. I'll try and get back to Beijing sometime during the year and do a tour of the city when it's not so busy.

So after seeing a hell of a lot of Beijing I came back to Dalian last Thursday night with a full suitcase. After spending about 1000 RMB I felt like I could open up my own shop. After getting to the airport it was a nice surprise when the airliner told me that I was to be upgraded to 1st class (China Southern). First class was always packaged as a different way of life however it really left much to be desired. The only added comfort that I experienced was a larger seat, no single movie screen, no pre flight beverage, no hot stewardesses. Get your act together China Southern.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish my Dad, his brother and my sister a happy birthday. Hope the heads aren't too sore from last weekends festivities.

Me, China and naivety

This post is about something I wrote on the request of an old English teacher in my secondary school whilst working in China.  It was part of a project by some transition year students who were asking past pupils of the school for real world experiences of their life to date living in a foreign country. 

I wrote it when I was 24 years old and 6 months into my Chinese story.  Bear with me, I sound terribly niave and exactly the type of optimistic young traveller that I cringe at when I see now.  I loved my China experience and I hope to someday return to the Middle Kingdom ready to accept new views and experiences.  I'll soon be heading off to Australia, hopefully my optimism remains with me throughout my stay there.

Q1 Did your way of life change much when you went to China?  

Imagine moving to a new country, away from friends and family, with the bare basic command of the language; you may then imagine how much my life has changed.  The language is the largest barrier to surmount when you move out here.  The small, everyday things that you take for granted in Ireland have to be planned and studied before taking action.  Think about going to a barber shop without knowing how to communicate how you want your hair styled or stepping into a taxi without being able to tell the driver where exactly you wish to go.   

Ordering food from a restaurant is yet another experience, as Dalian is not renowned for having foreign tourists everything is written in Chinese so you do not know what you are ordering at first.  I remember my very first breakfast which consisted of luke-warm water, celery and tofu (what I really craved was a breakfast roll).  Tofu, regardless of what your vegetarian colleagues insist, is not a delectable meal first thing in the morning. As for my own experience I believe it was my diet which changed the most.  Living in China on a western wage allows you to go out to different restaurants every night.  It actually costs less to eat out every night than to cook yourself.  Food poisoning is not uncommon in China, kitchen standards are low in some places and you know which places to avoid after a while.  The lack of people eating in these places is a good sign to stay away.  However I found that in general my diet had improved immeasurably through the constant consumption of sticky white rice and seafood.   

Q2 As you love to travel and learn about new cultures do you find that the Chinese culture contrasts a lot with others?  

Where do I start with this question?  Chinas recorded history stretches back over 5000 years.  There is no place in the world similar to China; every culture in the world is different from the other.  What I found with China was that it is embracing the west.  I would dare anyone to walk down the main streets in Shanghai and not draw similarities between Tokyo, New  York and London.  High rises and skyscrapers are all the rage; however this comes at a cost.  McDonalds, Starbucks and KFC are now on every corner and western ideas are being implemented constantly throughout the country.  Through the great leap forward much of Chinas heritage was destroyed.  Many of the things that we take for granted in Ireland (Literature, art, architecture, history, etc.) was destroyed during this period and is still being destroyed today to make room for industrial pursuits.  Did you realize that in a few years America will be purchasing nuclear reactors from China?  This all comes at a high price, through building the world's largest dam; China has effectively destroyed millions of livelihoods and eradicated thousands of species of animals.  This all leads to one important point: China's culture is being taken away from the Chinese people.  

As is commonly known, China is a communist country.  This means that there is an unbelievable amount of propaganda on the television.  The people of China believe what their beloved government tells them and this is the main point which separates China from the rest of the world.  Through media restrictions many Chinese people are ignorant to the outside world.  I'm sure that the deal the Peoples Republic of China made with Google is well known you now so try to imagine researching a topic as well documented as democracy and not having it appear on your computer screen.  Other sensitive topics such as Tibet, human rights and Falun Gong are not openly discussed in China.  Discussing these topics inside China or even the Internet as a Chinese blogger (MSN Spaces) found out can lead to lead to difficulties for the parties involved.

I know that I've spoken about much of the bad side of China however I'll take some time to discuss the up-sides of living there.  There is no-where I know in the world where you can encounter such a variety of friendly people.  Throughout all that this people has come through in the past 50 years it is a testament to them that they are still surviving, at the forefront of technology and part of the world's most powerful economy.  Such a diverse people that are very family orientated, things such as old-folks homes are almost unknown in this country.  All holidays revolve around 3 things, family, food, fireworks.

One thing that is prevalent throughout every single culture is a passion for alcohol.  Although it is commonly thought that Chinese people do not often drink they have a potent spirit known as baijiu which they toast with during festivals and holidays.  Baijiu is just as potent as poitin and very legal.    They also have perfected the art of fermenting beers, a trick they picked up from the Germans.

Q3 Do you find that the houses and apartments in China are different from other houses and apartments that you have lived in? 

Accommodation as you would have in Ireland is non-existent in China.  Due to population restrictions in China much of the accommodation centers on the small two bedroom apartments.  This would have a small kitchen and a very small dining area.  This area would consist of the TV hooked up to a karaoke system which is a national pastime of the Chinese people.  A large apartment is not needed as the one-child rule per family comes into effect within the large cities.  By the way, Dalian in China is considered a small city within China as it only has 5 million people living there.  Depending on what region of China you live in your heating may be supplied by the Chinese government.  This usually comes into operation in late November and is turned off in mid February.  Up in Dalian you really need it during the winter as it can drop down to -15 degrees Celsius during the winter and reach up to 30 degrees in the summer.  It's not really the snow and frost that is the worst however it is the Siberian wind which cuts like a knife that is the worst part of living up in northern china.   This is the reason that many Chinese men and women wear long-johns here, a habit I have resisted to date.  

You would find that within many communities there are small parks where people can exercise.  It is not un-common to see old-age pensioners taking advantage of this opportunity throughout the morning time to get in a workout either by practicing their Tai-chi or by doing calisthenics'.  

Q4 Do many Chinese people understand English?  

English in China is taught from a very early age and although much of their grammar is perfect it is unfortunate that their accents are not.  This cannot be said for all Chinese however as there is a huge illiteracy rate in China as many cannot even read mandarin.  However, within my department in DHC, it is required that everyone speak English at all times.  This can be quite a lengthy process to try and get a programmer to explain something technical in English so I have applied myself to learn Chinese.   

Q5 As you say you come from a business background do you think this has been an advantage to you working in a big company like Dalian Computer Technology? 

As with any business in the world there is a hierarchical system, from the receptionist to the CEO.  Once people find their place within this system they should have absolutely no problem working within any Chinese company.  I'm a firm believer that hard work will lead to success and believe me that should you come to China you would have no problem finding work to do.  The average worker in my company clocks in 60-70 hours a week working.  The average wage for these people would be around 4000 kuai (400 euros).  People wonder why China has grown so fast, they put it down to the booming economy, the cheap wages.  Personally I feel that it's the hard work of the average worker. Many of them take pride in their work and as well as their companies profits are improving at a very substantial rate per year.  What you must remember however within a Chinese company is that you should never publicly shame either your boss or your company.  That is the hardest lesson to learn when working here I believe.  The Chinese people view the notion of a company much the same as a family, you would never shame your family so you should also never shame your company.  Simply criticizing your boss in a meeting could be perilous to your future advancement within the company however this could also be said for working within an Irish company.  

I believe that through my experience through dealing with many different types of people allows me to excel within this field.  In essence business is not all that different no matter where you work; you are subject to two things, the almighty dollar and the satisfaction of the shareholder.  

Q6 As you have knowledge of a number of European languages do you think that Chinese is a hard language to learn?  

Chinese is completely different from any language I have ever learned.  Although I have only been learning the language since last August I have made progress within that time, even if I was here for 10 years I would not be fluent, however I would certainly not embaress myself.  Chinese is a tonal language which means that one word could have over four different meanings depending on how it is pronounced.  Languages such as French are more concentrated on learning tenses of a verb, although your tone or accent is important you can still be understood speaking French whilst speaking in a Dublin, Kerry or Offaly accent.  Chinese is completely different as tenses do not play a part however the pitch of your voice does.  Still I believe that learning a language is beneficial to the career of anyone within any business.  It also helps while traveling the countryside on holiday, the Chinese are much more accepting of you should you be able to converse with them in their native tongue and the same can be said of the Irish. 

Q7 As you are working with computer systems and documentation do you find this a demanding job? 

I work with computer systems every day, mainly through designing and programming.  At the moment I am working with General Electric (GE).  GE are the 5th largest company in the world and they supply most of Americas energy needs, from nuclear power to wind turbines.  It is a very demanding job which leads to a very hectic work schedule as well as a lot of travel opportunities.  Right now I am based in Atlanta, Georgia however I shall be returning to Dalian later this month. 

Computer programming is something that I have been interested in since a very early age and something with which I take great satisfaction from every day.  This is one of the professions where there is constantly new and emerging technology which has to be embraced and learned, the programming profession also allows me to tackle complex real-life problems and come up with new and innovative ways to deal with these problems.  Although I create a lot of software solutions for the company I work for I also give back to the Software community by being involved, through creation and participation, of Open Source projects throughout the internet which are free for all to use.  

Q8 Are there many Irish people where you are and are there any opportunity to play Gaelic football or hurling?  

At the moment there are 13 Irish people in Dalian.  Six of those are teaching English as a foreign language, two of those are working with my companies biggest rival in Dalian (Hi-soft) and one of those is a colleague of mine working in DHC.  There are also a number of Irish business men that have set up some very successful Irish bars in Dalian which are doing fantastic business.  

When I first came out to Dalian I brought a few hurley sticks with me with the intention of setting up a hurling team out here.  However I soon learned that despite my best intentions and hectic work schedule that there is no hurling league to play in here, however each year there is a tournament held for Gaelic football in China.  This is known as the Asian Gaelic Games and just goes to prove that the Irish culture has extended its reach throughout the globe.  I hope to be involved in this years Gaelic games which will be taking place in Shanghai this coming September.  Teams from all over Asia come to participate, from far reaching places as Taiwan, Dubai, Japan, Singapore, Beijing and hopefully this year Dalian.  

Q9 Do they have publicised sports leagues in China?  

There are many sports leagues in operation in China.  China has a huge fascination with Basketball and Soccer.  They follow both the NBA as well as the premiership intensely.  All of the information regarding these leagues is readily available on the Internet.  As China shall be hosting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing the country has gone Olympic crazy.  The stadiums have already been completed well ahead of schedule in stark contrast to the Greek effort; there is a national hunt for translators throughout the country to aid in the Olympic effort.  There is already a wide marketing campaign to get the Chinese interested in many of the sports that shall be on display in the games.  China has always had a very strong Olympic team and I believe that this games shall prove to be no exception.   

Fin.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So last Friday I got the news that I'm to be shipped out yet again to Atlanta. So what can I say about Atlanta, it's hot, there's a McDonald's/Wendy's/Burger King/Insert Heart Stopping Fast Food diner here,

I'm to be based out there for about 3 months managing a project for an evil conglomerate, oh the joys of life. So is there anything exciting to do in Atlanta? All I did there the last time was drink myself into a stupor (Blaming Eoin for that one) and work insane hours. Well I won't be leaving Dalian until the last week of May as I have to get my visa up in Shenyang, don't want to be going out to the US illegally seeing as Bush is in his narcissistic mood right now.

So I've had a hell of a lot of emails from people who were berating me about eating a small innocent dog. In my defense I could say I was really hungry and he was really tasty, however he did give me the shits for a day so he got his revenge...At least I can never worry about my baby sister or my mother ever starving, they could open up a dog kennel if they liked full of all sorts of dogs. And my mother is a really good cook...mmm...looking forward to Christmas dinner already.

Pictures and Travel

So I've been in Atlanta for about 2 1/2 months. In that time I have worked my ass off, well actually its still there but I have been working pretty hard lately; I've gone to an ice hockey game, trained a girls Gaelic football team, gone shopping, eating, drinking and then done some more drinking. So anyhow I've uploaded some of the pictures I have taken to my gallery, most of them are pretty crap probably down to the fact that alcohol does not give a steady hand when taking pictures.

So because I have been going to restaurants, bars and clubs pretty much since I got here its been decided that I shall see some of the highlights of Atlanta before I leave. So on Friday morning I'm heading off to the Aquarium, which is also St. Patrick's Day (Bring on the green Black stuff), to meet some ministers. I know full well that they just want to go on the beer. However that will be at around 07.30am, a full Irish breakfast is planned for that day, then back to work and a quick dash to the local Irish bar to give our utmost respect to the patron Saint of Ireland.

So I'm to fly out of Atlanta back to Dalian this Monday morning so I'll be updating my website whilst I'm travelling. Its time to come up with a decent CSS template me thinks...