Staying Connected

A picture is worth a thousand words – visit the photo album here: Shanghai Journey Photo Album (or click on the ‘gallery’ link to the left).

My first day at work included a trip to the electronics flee market and the police station. Lisa and Shirley have been working hard to make it possible for Ela and I to work here on a long term basis. Applying for a work permit in China apparently involves a visit to the local police station to register as a temporary resident and then a visit to the doctor for a complete physical. Being accustomed to DMV and customs officers in the United States, the service and hospitality at the police station was above par. There are always more than enough people to help you here, although we may not understand each other at first. When we went out to lunch, there were people greeting us at the bottom of the elevator, and then there were people greeting us at the top of the elevator, and there were greeters on every floor of the restaurant just in case you get lost.

Lisa and I made a pit stop at the Electronics Store to take some pictures for Christine’s project. This was definitely not your usual Best Buy, Radio Shack or Fry’s Electronics. Stall after stall we found everything from high end MPEG4 players and top of the line cell phones to calculators from the 1970s, kitchenware, and second-hand leather boots (yes, what?). All the store vendors seem to be selling the same thing in the same manner (everything displayed on gold velvet in glass display cases) – I am befuddled as to how they differentiate themselves. As a potential customer, do I just pick off the vendor who I think I can bargain with for the best price? Lisa tells me that she would rather go to the department store and be sure of what she is getting.

Cell phones, like food, are an interesting means of personal and artistic expression. I read somewhere that there are over 800 models of cell phones available for purchase in China. Even though the top of the line models with cameras and audio players are priced at 900 yuan (that’s more than a year’s salary for a factory worker here), everyone has a cell phone, including elementary school kids, and there are models that a priced appropriately for everyone’s needs. Lisa was surprised that Jesse Fourt didn’t have a cell phone when he came here from the US. She tells me that keeping in touch and maintaining your ‘guanxi’ here is of utmost importance. For most, the cell phone is the first piece of technology that they will own, but when it comes with the ability play video, music and connect them with the world at large, many Chinese have leapfrogged those of us in the western world still with Motorola bricks from the last century.

The IDEO Shanghai office is filled with enthusiastic, bright and fun IDEO-ers. There are about fifteen of us here in a space the size of the 715 Café in Palo Alto. Instead of bagels for breakfast, I’ve had a chance to sample what I would consider a real treat in the US: Shanghainese onion and sesame pancake, meat filled pan-fried buns, and mugs of hot soybean milk. Every morning it is different! There is always critical mass here, even when people are away visiting vendors. Although I don’t always understand what others are saying, laughter and good cheer is almost always present. Michael Chung and Gregory Germe are here plugging away with the team on a telecommunications project. We’ll be visiting a prototyping shop tomorrow!

Although I still have trouble getting through my front door sometimes, and have yet to figure out how to get the heater working in my house without furiously pressing all the buttons and hoping for the best, I’m starting to feel at home. As far as I am from California (6115 miles away), the Starbucks mochas still taste the same (yes, I succumbed to one this morning), and IKEA is just minutes away for creature comforts. Yet, every day I am amazed by how different things are here and how fast things are moving here. This is ‘hen ku’ (very cool).

Touchdown

Shanghai is buzzing. I knew that before I even got there. Rakesh, the east indian man sitting next to me during the 14 hour flight had just moved to Shanghai from Singapore to invest for Kodak in the region. I’ve never had a stranger on the plane be so excited for me!

Pudong Airport was so spotless and orderly that it reminded me much of my hometown airport in Vancouver, British Columbia, as designed by James Cheng. Sweeping steel frames with transparent glass makes the entire place feel light and modern. My search for driver Joe coming out of the baggage claim area confirmed to me that the world of business is descending upon this city. The few dozen signs people were holding included company names ranging from Intel to KLA Tencor to the ‘Lucky Group’. I’m pretty sure that this is not a special occasion either and that the airport is likely filled with crowds like this every day.

The highway from Pudong airport is the longest widest stretch of highway I’ve ever seen. The amount of red paint alone to keep the guard rails shiny must rival what’s need to keep the Golden Gate Bridge in tip tops shape. Yet, kit wasn’t until we entered the city proper that I experienced (or suffered) from Driver Joe’s mad driving skillz. Incredibly, weaving through people and cars and bicycles piled so high with oranges that you can’t even see the driver, we made it to the office.

IDEO Shanghai by night is a beautiful thing. Nestled in the middle of a historic area, just footsteps away from Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s old home, the building also houses Steelcase in a stunning glass box. In the background is Fuxing Park. Strangest to me is that IDEO Shanghai locks up much like a street side store front would, although it is on the fourth floor of a very modern building with two guards at the front desk. Driver Joe and I had to get the rolling gate up before we could get in. I think the Chinese must have a fascination with gates, doors and locks. When we got to my apartment on Fuxing Lu, we sort of had to break through the front gate. And then poor Driver Joe took about ten minutes to try to get through the solid front door of my house only to be greeted by a second solid front door. That’s right – about 12 inches from my front door, there’s a second front door with a second key! 20 hours after closing my front door on the other side of the world, I have managed to break through the front door on the other end!