Teaching, EuroCup 2008, and more...

Internationalism. By just walking around this metropolis, you can feel the international presence; however, it wasn't until I went to a rooftop party the other night that truly saw the reality of how diverse the city is. I had this moment at the party when I "zoomed out" of my discussion and realized that I was listening to people speaking Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Italian. Being in that moment made me realize how much my life has changed and that I was actually living my dream. "I'm in f***ing Shanghai," frequently passes through my mind and I have to pinch myself to wake up.

Teaching. I've always heard the statistics that non-verbal language makes up a majority of our communications, but I didn't realize it until now. After teaching some classes now, I realize how dynamic human communication is and how important hand gestures and facial expressions are, for example, in language transmission and meaning formation. It's truly fascinating to work with the Chinese students because you become acutely aware of your movements, voice tone, intonation, and articulation.

EuroCup 2008. Football is not exactly my favorite sport, but it was worth it to stay up until 2:45 am to watch the kick-off of the EuroCup. My friends and I went into an expat bar around 10 pm to find the place sparsely populated. That all changed, however, around 2:15 am when the place became packed with face-painted zealots from Germany and Spain. "Oleeeeeee....ooooole....ole, ole," filled the air after Spain scored their first and the games only goal, and the fans went crazy. I had got my fill, so I headed out around 3:30 to catch some zzz's.

Cici and I ventured to Starbucks to brainstorm about business ideas.

A fellow teacher and I
Salsa dancing!

Korean dinner with Cici's classmate and family

Apartment Living & the First Days at Work

A week has past since I first arrived in Shanghai and I think this may be my new home for years to come (just kidding, mom). Honestly, this city is amazing and I am really enjoying the culture, the language, the food (except pig feet) and the pace of life here in this metropolis.

My roommates. For some reason, the stars aligned and I came across an incredible apartment situation. Within 20-minutes (by foot) from my work, my apartment is located in the Xujiahui district of western Shanghai, which is an upscale part of the city with large malls, hotels, a university, the French district, and tons of businesses.

One of my roommates is completing her executive MBA this year and we get along fantastically. Last night I cooked Mexican food for dinner and we sat around the dinner table talking about business ideas for an hour. Her dream is to own a business, and I got even more excited when she showed me 3 of her books from the Rich Dad Poor Dad series.

Guanxi (connections) is everything here in the business and political realms, as Cici has explained. It can make the difference between paying customs or not, getting things approved, and much more. Apparently, Cici has a lot of Guanxi with executives that she's met through the e-MBA, and we're going to setup some dinners with her friends.

My other roommate, June, owns a Shanghai dance studio in the French district called Soul Dancing (http://www.souldancing.cn/), where she and her teachers instruct everything from Salsa and ballet, to hip-hop and pole dancing. Needless to say, I'm excited about living with a salsa teacher, yet I think I'll stay away from the pole dancing lessons (unless it will help with guanxi).

EnglishFirst. Yesterday was the first day at my new office in Xujiahui. There are about 15 teachers that work here and this office is known for being a close-knit family that has a lot of fun, which quickly became apparent at our staff meeting. The first class that I will teach is this Sunday and I can't wait to teach it. Students here are so dedicated to learning the language; many of them quit their jobs just to learn English here everyday for a year or two--and they pay a lot of money to do so. Even though I've only been in the offices a couple of days, I've had a chance to see what the teachers do and I've interacted a lot with the students. My intuition is telling me that this is going to be an incredible experience. Unlike the first days at Sageworks and Merrill Lynch, I have genuine excitement about this job. Whether it is teaching a group of 24 students about American culture, working in small groups to practice debating, or working face-to-face to practice interview skills, it seems as if this is going to meet my three criteria of an ideal job: 1) apply my skills, 2) bring me pleasure, and 3) allow me to pursue a purpose. I hope this job exceeds my expectations and I am looking forward to jumping into the job!

Day 2: A wild, fun, and humbling day

Expensive Fruit. While I strolled down Nanjing Lu Sunday, a Chinese woman said, "hello, can I practice English." Having a great experience on Saturday, I didn't think anything of it and started talking with her. We found our way into a (very) nice cafe. After we ordered our drinks, I clarified that I was only paying for my coffee, to which she nodded in (supposed) agreement. She then spoke something in Chinese to the waitress and made a hang-gesture that resembled a plate...something smelled fishy, and it wasn't my shirt from walking in the outdoor market. Ten minutes passed, then the waitress came to the table with fresh fruit, then popcorn, then french fries. I quickly saw the big picture. Based on her abnormally big (in Chinese standards), well-fed figure, I surmised that she had done this before and had been successful. Quickly, I signaled the waitress to the table. I pointed to my bill and said that I would only pay for the coffee and fruit, which came out to a splendid $32 (yes, that is $USD). In a twisted sense, I kind of admire that cunning women. And, in an effort to justify my stupidity, I paid $32 for a lesson in vigilance.


Private Equity. How can you find a tourist? Look for the people with maps spread out and a blank look on their face. I found a fellow, young traveler sitting on the sidewalk with a map, so I asked if he was lost and if he would like to hang out together. I found out that he was a financial analyst for an American-based private equity firm, and that his company sent him here to work with a bottling company that they were buying. Sounded like a cool job for a 24-year old.


Acrobats, Salsa, and Techno Club. Andrew and I met up later to see the Shanghai Acrobats, which was definitely worth the time and money. I did not know the extent to which the human body could be twisted until that night. With a sufficient buzz from the Tsingtao beer, we exited the building and quickly met these two Chinese women who asked us, in broken English, where the salsa club was. Seriously? Was this actually happening? Salsa dancing is like soul food to me, so I was intent on finding this club with them.

For a quick-hour, we danced, drank, and did our share to heat up the floor with friction. They didn't exactly know how to take the Kamikaze shots, as they sipped them carefully like fine wine. So, Andrew and I had no problem being models, downing a couple of shots.

The night was young and we needed to satisfy our disco desires; therefore, the M-Factory was the next stop. Descending down the stairs into the cellar-style club, we bet on how many people were actually going to be there on a Sunday night. It was surprisingly busy. Once we got our $8 beers, we came up to a table where people were playing a drinking game with Yahtzee...we had to join in. One of the people spoke a little English, so he taught the rules and "GANG BEI," we were off to the dance floor to embarrass ourselves. I then got the bright idea, due to high levels of intoxication, to join the girls dancing on the stage in front of the DJ. Being the inclusive guy that I am, my hand reached out to people on the floor, and the stage quickly became packed. I don't know exactly how I --a white American, with shorts and a tucked in polo shirt, and less-than-admirable dance moves--managed to get that fiesta going, but it happened for some reason. In the absence of an ability to use the language, Andrew and I found another way to communicate and relate with our fellow disco-goers. The energy was amazing.

Touring the EnglishFirst Facility. Our TLC representative, Melinda, met another teacher and me at the hotel the next morning to take us to the HQ downtown. The EF facility takes up three floors of the building. With bright colors on every wall, new computers and flatscreen TVs, and a San Fransico-style, metropolitan architecture, this place is state-of-the-art. Tons of Chinese students run around the place from class to class, frequently coming up to English speakers to strike up a conversation. I can't wait to start the job this week!

The First Days in Shanghai

Misty and muggy were my first impressions of Shanghai. It's summer, it rains everyday, and I question the necessity of showers. Although my luggage was left in Canada, I was happy to see that an EF Greeter was there and was a pleasure to speak with. On a side note, I did not have a change of clothes with me (a cardinal sin for travelers), which meant that was the 4th day of wearing the same clothes (ewwww). Having slept from 6 pm yesterday until 5 am today, I was eager to explore the city. Armed with my umbrella and backpack (and smelly clothes), I hit the streets to find food. The food of choice for breakfast is a crepe-looking meal called danbin, which ran about $.80.
Mother, hemp, horse, scold. Depending on your tone of voice, "ma" can be any one of those words. Romance languages seem so simple compared to Chinese.
Friendly people. Later on in the morning, I walked downtown to the Shanghai History Museum at People's Park, and I was approached by a young-Chinese couple here on vacation. They invited me to tour the city with them for the day, so I kindly accepted. We had a blast! We toured The Bund (Shanghai's most famous street), Yuyuan Gardens, Nanjing Road (the main shopping area), and downtown.
After we parted, I was approached by another Chinese-man that was in the city on business from Beijing. We walked together down Nanjing Rd. and found a Starbucks, and he was kind enough to buy the drinks so we could practice English.
The Szechuan Experience. Fortunately, a Szechuan-style restaurant is next to my hotel, so I ventured into that for dinner tonight. With a surprised look, the waitress approached my table, then more 3 giggling waitresses soon joined us. The attention was flattering as they teamed-up to interpret my sign-languaged food order, but they were probably gathering to witness my lack-luster attempts at Chinese. The food had tons of bones in it...because I was eating chicken feet. I don't know what it is, but apparently "I'm American, come talk to me" was on my forehead because I was soon joined by a drunk Chinese man who poured himself some beer, gave me a cigarette, and proceeded to mumble Shanghainese. Awkward would be an appropriate description of our five-minute bonding experience. So, I wanted to break the ice. "Gang bei," I initially exclaimed, after which I recited (ok, yelled) the cheers for "The Man Show," "ziggy-zaggy, ziggy-zaggy, hoy, hoy, hoy." He obviously had no clue what this intriguing white man was saying, but he joined in the fun.
Overall, I am very impressed with Shanghai. And to warn you all, my charades skills are improving with every moment that passes, although it comes at the price of my slowly deterioratign self-dignity.

YuYuan Gardens

Foggy, Rainy, and Muggy

And I'm off...

It's minutes before I get off work here at City Hall to embark on the Oriental Express. Last night, to be honest, I got a little anxious about the upcoming adventure. Although I will meet someone at the airport on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are wide-open and I have no clue what I will be doing--and no cell phone.

Speaking of cell phones, I strolled down to the local FedEx office today to drop off my phone and camera. Within minutes of doing so, I began experiencing withdrawal symptoms from not having my Crackberry. My hands began shaking uncontrollably and I found myself reaching for the phone on my hip, only to be disappointed by its absence. How will my life continue? I no longer have information at my fingertips. I can no longer check my email 100 times per day to see if someone, by chance, has written me. I feel helpless.

Despite the cell-phone withdrawal symptoms, however, my spirits are high because I've eaten carne asada burritos for the past two days. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Well, this quick note must come to an end. I'm off to LAX to find a comfortable chair to sleep in while I wait for my flight tomorrow morning at 7 am.

----

Within hours (ok, 13 hours), we will be landing in Shanghai. It's impossible to ignore the gravity of the new life that awaits me and it's really starting to sink-in. I don't speak or read the language; I don't know anyone; the culture is completely unfamiliar; I don't have a computer or cell phone; I'm starting a new job; and I'm half-a-world away from family and friends. Anxiety levels, however, are stabilizing. All of these challenges excite me, actually. This time away will be an incredible opportunity for personal growth and reflection upon my values, culture, and life, in general.

Visiting Family

U.S. Open 2008 - Torrey Pines

It was a foggy and windy at the US Open today, but thousands of people crowded the course at the Torrey Pines North. This was my first experience at a major PGA event and I was impressed. In order to get a glimpse of Tiger, my group went three holes ahead of him and we found a nice spot on a hill. As the minutes passed, the intermittent cheers from the distance grew louder and louder, and I finally saw the swarm. Hundreds of people formed an impenetrable barrier next to the rope lines surrounding the fairway as Tiger walked towards his ball. The energy created by his very presence is inescapable; he has this super-magnetic force that attracts crowds in seconds.

After Tiger finished the hole, it seemed like a ghost town at the 5th, so we headed out. I strolled out to the driving range to rest on the bleachers and was surprised to see The Masters and PGA Championship winner, Vijay Singh, hitting balls. One after another, he drove the balls down range. I was in awe of his talent!

Conversation with Betsy Flanagan

Today, I spoke with Betsy Flannagan (founder of StartupStudio.com) for an hour about my "Game Plan" and business ideas. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in anthropology and getting her MBA at UVA, she built and sold businesses and developed StartupStudio.com, which features interviews with many successful entrepreneurs. Our conversation went great! She was fabulous to speak with and she offered valuable insight into my career path, business ideas, and my life.

"By 11:59 PM on the 31st day of December 2018, when I am 34 years old, I will own a business that does $1,000,000 in revenue," I wrote in my Game Plan. She responded, "You should think bigger!" I was trying to be "realistic" with my goals, but her advice reminds me of a quote, "Whether you think you can or cannot, either way, you are correct." The reality of our goals, it seems, is largely structured by our frame of mind.

I am very thankful that she took the time out of her Friday afternoon to speak with someone she did not know for an hour. Her example taught me a valuable lesson in giving to others and taking the time to invest in the future of others.

This experience also showed me that people are usually willing to help and advise, you just have to reach out and ask for it.

San Diego

A NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE BEGINS

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' - MISSION BEACH

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

INTERNSHIP AT SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL

Sometimes City Council can get heated...

And sometimes public comment period can be interesting...

Last week I drove Jim to Fashion Valley Mall for a press conference with Governor Schwarzenegger, where they discussed Proposition 1B (a $3.6 billion bond measure passed by California voters in 2006). The $3.6 billion topic was interesting; however, the thing that really grabbed my attention was the 3-inch lifts Arnold sported (2 inch heels, plus 1 inch inside his boots). Putting that aside, the man is huge. His hands could probably mold steel.