Our denial

It was disheartening to hear about a news in Taiwan where people are fighting to preserve the "last natural river" in Ban Chiao city, Taipei county, to stop the government from burying it and make it into an underground drainage like many others. This is when I realised that in my memory, I don't remember a single "river" flowing through Taipei county. It also reminded me of the water way that used to lead from my place in Taipei to the outside. It was a big opened drain that the road twined with. For many years, with the surrounding factories polluting it and cars felling into it, it was regarded as a hazard rather than a resource to be preserved. We were also glad when the government sealed it by constructing a concrete road surface over it, officially making it "underground".

Now, reflecting back, it was an absolute shame. It is the typical "swipping under the carpet" mentality. Instead of fixing the pollution and controlling the surrounding development, we chose to simply cover it up. The water still flows the path it used to. It's still under the very cover that we drive on, but we don't see it anymore. I am pretty certain that people who moved into the area after the cover project will never know about the drain, about the pollution and about this lesson that we should learn.

Now I am living right beside a water way. It's a creek that channels the city's water run-offs into a bigger river. Unlike Taiwan, the creek is embraced here. Properties along it are desirable. People want to preserve it. I guess sometimes, resistance to change is good.

The New American Dream

The American Dream

My mom has wondered for a long time about American’s ability as consumers, that they have such big supermarkets, with such big shopping carts and everyone shops by the truck load. After 7 years of living in the US, I think I have figured it out.

If you are familiar with my recent posts, several events that took place recently have significantly shaped my view on the basis of the so-called American Dream. I am not talking about the ideology on which this country was founded upon. It’s not about freedom and human rights. Yes it is about dreams, but beyond that, it’s about a set of distorted values, of which its abuse has led to what Americans are about to face in their economic situation. Many say that the worst has yet to come and this is just the beginning. Many compare the current scenario to that of the great depression. To me, you can compare all you want, but all these are useless unless you have the courage to reflect on yourself.

In these 7 years in the US, I’ve worked in various types of companies and have observed how each approach their business differently. I’ve also participated as a member of this economy, from a student to someone who contributes and consume, and one who fights just like any other candidate on the job market to find the job that I will be investing my energy and effort in. All these, in midst of the economic crisis. All of these different experiences and observations have led me to one opinion. However this is certainly not a conclusion. I do not believe on conclusion when it comes to cultural issues. Culture changes with time, and so my opinion will change with time. This is what I have observed thus far, which I hope will change.

So back to the topic, what is this “American Dream” that I am talking about? Let’s look at what today’s America is known for, in her good times. Easily accessible supermarkets filled with pre-processed food. Drive-throughs for not just fastfood chains, but also for pharmacies and churches(Vegas). Cheap gas(relatively), trucks and SUVs. Big, wooden houses with 3-car garage and a big, nice, almost fake looking lawn. Not to mention all the money that it takes to maintain all these possessions.

Wait, did I say “possessions”? Sorry, my bad. Until the day the loan is paid up, it’s not yours. Sorry bud!

Buy now, pay later

So what has this got to do with the American Dream? Every thing. The new American Dream is not about building solid foundation to prepare for your dreams. It’s not about planting a tree now to prepare for the shade it will bring 20 years down the road. It’s about borrowing money, plug a grown tree today in front of your yard and enjoy the immediate shade, then worry about the next billing cycle. Americans don’t want a real dream, but the illusion of being in the dream. Look at the typical American home. It’s made of wooden structure, with side walls lined with plastic sidings while sandwiching foams for insulation, and plastic tiles for roofing. The average American building contractor has no knowledge or the skill to build a steel and concrete structure. American’s favourite venue, the strip-malls, are built with single-layered bricks without any re-enforcement with concrete or steel. This means that the roof is merely sitting on brick walls that are more like cookies when compared to the forces of nature. Even a five story apartment or condominium complex is made with the exact same wooden construction as a two-storey home. One would think that something this tall will be steel and concrete, but no, American consumers can’t wait. They can’t wait for the time to build their houses. More importantly, they can’t wait for the time for build their wealth to truly afford their dreams.

Detachment from the real world

Let’s pull back and go to the smaller things, the things that you find in an American supermarket. When I first came to the US, I spent my first semester living on frozen meals. It was fast and convenient. No it was not cheap as compared to self-made meals. It is certainly not tasty either. In fact, I got so sick of the microwaved-plastic smell that I have not had one since. NOT EVEN ONCE! But this happens to be one of the biggest sections in an American supermarket. Frozen food is definitely a mainstream product to American consumers. Frozen meat, frozen pre-seasoned meat, frozen pre-cooked meat, frozen vegetables, frozen ready-to-microwave vegetables, frozen ready-to-eat vegetables, assorted fruits, pre-sliced fruits, canned fruits… the list goes on. You can find anything pre-made, pre-seasoned, pre-cooked. The only difference between this and going to a restaurant is, you don’t have to pay the tips. “Cooking” becomes either a scary and troublesome process that everyone tries to avoid, or it can simply mean “pop-into-the-oven/microwave”. I have had people ask me, ”Why do you even cook when you can get cooked food so easily?”

(MS word crashes… damn microsoft!!!)

Let’s look at the food itself. Steak, beef petty, chicken breast, drums sticks, nuggets, chicken fingers, sausage, hotdogs, pork chops, fish fillets, cocktail shelled shrimps. What do all these have in common? They all have been processed beyond recognition. Oh wait, and the Americans are suspicious about the origin of their Chinese take outs?! I’ve met people who have no idea what fresh ginger root and garlic look like. I have met kids who point at the fish tank and refer the fish and lobsters as “SpongeBob”.(Hey SpongeBob is cool!) It is absolutely alarming to me that Americans don’t know their FOOD, one of the most BASIC elements of their lives! It bizarre me that many of my American peers think serving shrimp with their heads still on is a big turn-off. They also cannot understand the idea of eating a whole fish as opposed to a fillet. Man I will pay big bucks to eat my beef while staring at the very herd of cows where my beef was from. The on-site freshness is unbeatable. Why should we deny what we do? We eat. We eat food. The food is from the nature. Why are we trying to deny this fact by disguising it with over-processing, de-identification of its origin in attempt to say that it is more “civilized”? Please tell me how is this any more civilized than eating meat raw? How is a culture more civilized by denying the very thing that they do? Americans have detached themselves from the very world they live in, the very things they do and the very identity that they are in the name of speed, efficiency, convenience and cost. Note that “quality” isn’t in here, just like their demand on houses and cars.

Ok, then what do Americans do to achieve higher level of “quality of life”? Oh, one must look fit and healthy, so one must work out. What does that mean? Join a gym when you work out to be seen. If not, buy a “Bowflex” home gym system. Can’t afford it? It’s ok, only $29.99 a month! Oh and btw, it only requires 30min work out 3 times a week, and you will look like Mr. And Ms Universe in no time. Results guaranteed!
WOW, so many promises, definitely sounds like a great deal right? Hey, how about spend no money, in fact, save money on less and more healthy food, eat right, live right and have a more positive state of mind? Fit physical appearance is just like the wooden suburban houses that Americans live in. It’s not about the quality of state of mind. It’s not about the confidence from the inner self, but a deception of confidence from the outer shell.

The value of opportunity

Coming back to the current economic crisis and how businesses are dealing with it, it troubles me that rather than transferring their resources to research and development to prepare themselves for the moment when the market recovers and when consumers can’t wait to spend money, most businesses are more concerned with maintaining their current sales. In another words, they would rather take minute steps to meet today’s demand as opposed to prepare for the future when it matters. What does this tell me? First, it suggests that they haven’t realized where the opportunity is. They are not really interested in the true potential of themselves but only interested in milking every next bit of opportunity. Secondly, it can also mean that they’ve never intended to build a strong financial foundation all this while, and when such times comes, their pockets are empty. Hey, sound familiar? Yeah, that’s just like how some people borrow big loans to buy big toys, and when bad time hits, they lose everything. So the questions involved here are: 1. What do you do now in the midst of the crisis? 2. What do you do next? Seems that to American business, there is no next.

Just to further explain what I mean by “preparing for the time when it comes”. In times of recession, there is no way to avoid bad sales. Rather than spending money trying to market your products that won’t sell anyway, why not tighten your belt and shift your resources to research and develop products that people want when they can finally afford it? It means prepare for the moment when consumers have the money, and more importantly, the desire to buy something. The big question here, therefore, is, what have you got that is worthy for them to spend on? So, make sure you do your homework now and have a quality product when consumers most want it! It’s not about taking small steps to ensure survival. It’s taking revolutions and rethinking the new lifestyle and shift in mentality when the new economy starts. THAT’s when the real game of survival starts. Businesses that can’t adapt to the shift in demand WILL fail.

It’s a cultural thing

So many have blamed on China as a part of the reason for America’s failure, that the Chinese government have forced its currency to stay low, creating an imbalance trade condition. Well, if the Chinese currency is low, doesn’t that mean the dollar is superior? Won’t that mean more bang for the buck for the Americans to buy from China? I also haven’t heard about any Chinese holding American at gun point to force them to buy Chinese made products! If the Americans feel cheated, why did they deal with the Chinese? They asked for it! Let’s face it, American’s crave for “ownership” feeds directly into the Chinese’s crave for cold hard cash. I will never stop laughing to this interview with a Chinese factory owner in a TV documentary. He holds the product that he makes for American consumers in his hands and wonders, ”Who the hell needs a salad tosser?!”

Yeah, who? The Americans!

Why is it that the Chinese can do everything with chopsticks whereas Americans don’t feel right not having a salad tosser in their kitchens? In Chinese culture, borrowing is simply not a part of it. The Chinese spend with what they have, and therefore tend to be more conscious about what they spend on. If it is not a necessity, they won’t buy it, and that’s why the chopsticks are such versatile tools. It’s not the tool that makes itself versatile. It’s the user who makes the tool versatile. In American’s case, if they can’t afford a salad tosser, they take a loan to “own” it. Buy first, pay later.

Giving credit to where it belongs

This leads me to the credit system.

In Taiwan, a fire destroyed the factory of a small business. They’ve lost everything over night, and the only way to recover is to take a loan to rebuild itself. The owners have never taken a loan in their lives because like everyone else, they spend with only what they have. They went to the bank, the bank gauged their eligibility to the loan that they want by the value of the land(or collateral) that they still own as well as their financial records. They were granted the loan and are back on their feet. Will this be possible if this happens under the US credit system? Someone who have excellent financial record but have never taken a loan before, therefore do not have lending history will probably be denied the loan.

When it comes to business transactions, I was surprised that one of the things that the credit crisis is affecting is the loan that businesses take to buy supplies. Why is this a surprise? Well, at least in Asia when businesses deal with each other, between foreign clients, a Letter of Credit ( LC) is used. A Letter of Credit refers to the guarantee issued by the buyer’s bank that the seller will definitely get his payment. The amount of credit that the bank guarantees is based on how many assets the buyer puts with the bank, therefore there is no risk at all for both the bank and the seller. So in the US, there is no basis for what a loan is based on. To me, it’s rather a big joke that the credit score of a person is based on his lending history… I mean, of all things, you are awarding someone who borrows more with more loans? Shouldn’t the one who has better history of financial consistency be awarded more loan instead of the one who never has enough to pay for his purchases? It is very troubling to me that in the US, a person’s value is not judged by how much he actually owns, but by how much he borrows. This is what runs the financial system, and this is the value that is being embraced.

If there is one thing in the world that I will use to compare with the value of the new American Dream, it will be a house built on stilts (which I happen to be living in one). There is no foundation, just tiny poles that, rather say anchor, jacks a structure into the air, trying to be higher than it really is. The result is a house so stressed because of uneven supports that it warps with time until it eventually collapses. The American economy is definitely warped, but when will the collapse come? I don’t know. Actually, I don’t know whether it will be better if it does or doesn’t. Exactly how much does it take for a culture to learn and realize their fault? I don’t know. All I know is, I have yet to meet a single American that recognizes this yet.

So much talking, what now?

Solution? Ha! That’s more like it. Well Americans, tighten your belt, harden the #$%* up and pull through this deep sh*t. You still have to pay for what you owe. Stop looking at others to save your ass. Not the government, not those CEOs. It’s ridiculous to demand pay cut from the CEOs for your own misery. It is not about YOU as an individual. It’s about YOU as a culture, society and country. On the other hand, it is from the individual that the greater good is accumulated from. So stop pointing fingers and start looking at yourself and ask what can YOU do to save your own ass first. You have to learn the lesson as a culture, because culture is progressive. What you learn today will be passed down to the next generation. How you change in the way you spend will shape the society in the future. I have to admit that thankfully to my Chinese cultured parents, I don’t have any school loan when I graduated. I got a great education and started my career without having a 20-year loan payment slowing me down. Perhaps it’s not about saving for your own retirement. Perhaps it’s about giving your kids good education so that they will be grateful enough to support you when you retire. Again, it’s not about just yourself, because you don’t exist alone. We live in a system. To sustain ourselves as individuals, we have to find a way to sustain the system first. So Americans, the least you can do now is start learning how to use the chopsticks. If anything, it’s by far the most superior utensil in the history of human civilization, and even in times of total destruction of the human modern society, you still can easily find two sticks to eat with.

Happy Thanks Giving

God Bless America

/rant..... to be continued.

Republican BBQ Party

Huh What?

My landlord asked me if I have any plan for today and I said I don't have anything important. So he invited me to this charity event where I pay $25 and eat all the BBQ I want. It's held by the next town mayor at his home. Since I am new to the town and should meet people, I don't think I have anything to lose, so I went with my landlord.

Well, it's quite harmless, just met a bunch of Republican judges running for the court house, a congress man that represents the area, the mayor and a bunch of random people. Also the deputy fire marshal who looks exactly like how I would expect them to look like. The BBQ type.
It's like "Hey Joe, how are you? This is my friend Ying!"
"Oh hi Ying, nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too!" *hand shake*
Then go on to the next person.

It's pretty stereotypical. The BBQ was interrupted(planned) by short speeches by the various candidates asking people to vote while everyone had their attention on the meat.

So it got me thinking, why does the justice department has to be involved in politics? I mean, when a person is on trial, what has political views got to do with deciding if he stole an apple or not?

Then my landlord explained, some people want more liberal minded judges, some want more conservative judges.

Well, then, what if a political person gets prosecuted, how does the justice system expect people to trust them to be fair if each judge has an obvious political stand?

Whatever, I don't even get to vote. The BBQ was decent though, although I wished I got to eat more.

The Ultimate Menu!!!

This menu sums it up. It offers Chinese take outs, Japanese teriyaki, sushi, gyros and more! I mean, why would you want to go anywhere else when you can just come to this one-stop perfect food take out!



So I found this menu when I was down in Atlanta looking for apartments, and immediately, I became curious on whoever is behind this great service innovation. So, I dedicated my first night to it.

I walked in to the store. A fairly typical Chinese take out place with a counter at the front. The smell of the kitchen is great.... smells like Tapanyaki actually, but there was no Tapanyaki on the menu. Anyways, there was also a sushi bar, which was less than attractive(I refuse to eat cheap, sub par sushi, but then I can't afford good ones, so.... ). So I looked at the menu, and ordered Chicken Teriyaki simply because I've never seen this on a take out menu before. In no time, it was ready. As I was paying, the owner who had been checking me out(not that kind of intention!!!), asked me where I'm from. I said I am from Taiwan. He then asked me if I am renting a place near by. I said yes. He asked how much... I just named a random price. He then offered me a room in his house, for $1000 food included... hahahahaha!!!!! Damn Chinese businessman! He simply won't let a single possible cent off huh?

Think about it. If I eat about $10 a day, that's only $300 a month. Any day I don't get from his restaurant, he's making money. Man, that's a sure profitable deal for him! But hey, I'm Chinese too, aint gonna make it easy for him either! I think he's met his match that night.

So how's the Chicken Teriyaki? Well, the sauce is too heavy in flavor. Too sweet and salty, could be lighter in taste. Plus, that's nothing special. I can make it myself! So I am not all that impressed, and therefore, not going to consider his room+food combo.

Maybe he should include that on the menu, with a fine print "Availability to be determined upon request".

The BIG Drive: Detroit - Atlanta

So it's time to move on. This time, it's not just another internship. I am leaving Michigan for good. Being in Michigan for about 7 years, I know there are things that I will miss. There is a sense of anxiety, and I will say, it's more for the things that I am giving up than for the unknowns ahead. I am used to dealing with new environment, people and neighborhood. I can't say I really enjoy it, but I do feel that I needed something to keep my mind fresh.

As I was talking to a friend who also "left" Michigan, the common weird feeling is, even though Detroit is a pretty rough city, it grows on you. I figured that it is the bluntness of the culture that makes it easier for one to not dislike it. What I mean is, as compared to big cities like NYC or Boston where people go there for a particular reason, to compete, to thrive. In Detroit, well, you come here to chill, and it does get pretty damn cold. The roughness of the city scape also means that, unlike Singapore or Japan, you don't really need to worry about cleanliness, but you still get the nice air. Also, Michigan offers you SPACE. This is definitely a big luxury that very few cities can offer.



So that's that, and off I went. But before my departure, I had to take care of some minor things, like closing my bank account, cell phone account etc. This is when I realized how long I've been here, and small things like these do catch you off guard.



So that's my limo right there. Thanks to Leon who pretty much became my mover. That last dinner that I footed for was definitely worth it. Driving a truck is one thing. Piece of cake. Driving a truck and a trailer is another story. I've been warned about, and I did expect the impossibility of reversing the truck with the trailer. Yes, I regret to say that I am defeated.




Off I drove, along 14 mile road onto I-75, which will accompany me all the way to Atlanta. I hope I don't forget those familiar roads like 12 mile, 14mile, Big Beaver, Woodward, John R..... Yeah, that was my hood. Now, it's going to be Roswell, Dunwoody...





So as I drove, pass Detroit downtown, and a Ford stamping plant, it was pretty much a summary of the state of Detroit's economy. Lot's of layoffs, very little growth, which became more of a contrast when I arrive in Atlanta where everything is thriving and new stores here and there. It's quite a different scenario.

First rest stop to peeeee....





"Needmore Road" in Ohio.... simply can't have enough roads huh?



Cincinnati is pretty much the biggest city that I encountered along the whole trip, and is also the section where I spent the most time on because of traffic. I can't say much about it, but it's rather unique as a city surrounded by rolling hills.



Crossing over to Kentucky.



Kentucky is really beautiful. Just rolling hills after rolling hills with beautiful autumn forest. The warm light from the sunset also added to the scenery. The highway was cut into the landscape and you can see the layered rocks as you drive through them. It's almost picture perfect.



By the time I got to Tennessee, it was already getting dark. I turned on the radio, and the music was rather appropriate.... wait, I don't know what song this is or what it's singing about, but it just sounded right for the moment.





I wish I was driving through Tennessee in the day. This section of I-75 is crazy. It twines within the mountains with speed limit at 70mph. This means people are doing 80mph. For me, driving a truck and a trailer going down the hill and turning at 70mph was a little too much for my heart, but I can see how fun it can be if I am driving a more appropriate car. Crazy semi-drivers thinking that their trucks are on rails or something.

Other than the scary night drive, the first day's drive was rather smooth. I was delayed a bit by the traffic and detours, but I did get to Knoxville as planned. The next morning, the drive continues and soon, I was arriving at Altanta sooner than I imagined.



Tennessee River

GEORGIA!!!



I-285, very close to destination!





Off the freeway, towards the house.

Atlanta roads are small, twisty, and surrounded by a lot of trees. This is a big contrast as compared to the wide, flat, straight roads in Michigan with endless views. Driving in Atlanta streets requires a different kind of attention and expectation.

The house. Be jealous!





Living room.



Kitchen



Looking out from the living room.



This house is build on a slope, sitting on steel stilts. A creek runs along the slope, surrounded by trees. It's very hard to imagine that I am just minutes away from amenities like Target, grocery stores and tons of restaurants. Not to mention, I am only 4.5 miles from work!





View from my bedroom!



So how's Atlanta so far? Well, here's an example.

I just came back from Target. A new target store. It has the new brand language with bright store fronts and fansy neon lights, with newly designed shopping carts done by Design Continuum, and all of the staffs who I encountered were extremely friendly and helpful. What about back in Michigan? New Target store? No such thing. There is no "new" in Michigan, because even the existing stores are struggling. The atmosphere is different here. There are things happening all the time, things to look forward to, opportunities to be explored. The streets are busy, and residential and commerical mix very well. It's like the Asian midwest where you have the density and strip malls at the same place. So far it's looking good, and I hope it will get even better.

Still, I miss Michigan. Not for it's good or bad, but for the memories, friends and experiences.

Detroit Jazz Festival 2008

As mentioned in the earlier entry, the Detroit Jazz festival is a must-go event if you are in town. 3 days of world class free outdoor concert... I mean, come on!

It's a very casual event, more like a fun fair, but all the seriousness when it comes to good jazz. It's all self explanatory, so I will just go ahead and show you what I could take home.

Giant "puppet"



For some reason, there are always people playing chess at the festival. It's weird.



Performing stage with the GM Renaissance Center in the background.











Here's my favorite of all. The Gerald Wilson Big Band. They are one of the biggest shows of the festival and I've seen their performance 3 years in a row. The conductor, Gerald Wilson, is 90 years old. He can't even walk steadily onto the stage, but when the instruments start playing, he's more energetic than a puppy.



His old buddy( sorry can't remember his name) mastering in guitar. This is the first time I've heard a guitarist so good that it literally is the vocal portion of a song. Like my friend said, his didn't need to impress the audience with fast and heavy techniques. It's as clear and precise, yet emotional.



Grand finale!





A special night for Detroit.





This may be the last time I attend the Detroit Jazz festival, but I definitely look forward to come back some day.

ALMS Detroit GP 2008

Detroit is packed with events over the Labor Day weekend as always. Detroit GP that features several races (Indy, SCCA and ALMS) on Belle Isle island as well as the Annual Detroit Jazz festival. Both are my favourites, so naturally, I went to both.



So the Grand Prix first. Well, I am not a huge fan of the American Le Mans series, but I do have my picks. The Audi R10 with its TDI diesel engines have always amazed me. It is also a rare opportunity to see these amazing machines on their limit up close, and so affordable. It's a great experience if you are into cars or racing. Even for people who aren't really into motor racing, it's still worth coming to.

So I was here last year. What's good about this year? Well, I got free tickets!!! We received free tickets from people who can't attend. Grand stand sits, which means we made an intant $120!!!

Lots of pics, here are some to tease:

















Porsche in the Pits



Aston's turn



The Pit Lane



It wasn't very easy to capture these zapping machines. They were going so fast that really put my lens and focusing skills to the test. Here are some lucky shots:





Alright. Of course, the highlight of the day would have to be the checkered flag. I was fortunate enough to be right in front of the start/finish line and captured the precious moment:







Acura won the race, and makes its way to the pits...



to be greeted by the Michelin man



and embraced by his crews



Who's that hot chick in the Audi race suit???



Well, the event is surely action packed, so there's more to be seen. Be sure to check here for the photo album where tons more are waiting for you!