Eldon-Online

Travels in China - Part Six: The Conclusion (by Paul Eldon)

March On! March On! On!

We had been in far western China for one week travelling in what I would argue was out of our comfort zone. Although the journey had been a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, the beds were hard and the roads even harder. While we boldly sampled everything, the food was not always to everyone's palate. The days were full and exhausting. The gin smuggled from Hong Kong (and the local brews) had been much needed nightly elixirs and, honestly, I think we were all looking forward to our last stop - Xi'an.

Xi'an (split by an apostrophe in pinyin to encourage the speaker to articulate the two characters 西 [xi - west] and 安 [an - peace], otherwise it runs together as 'xian' which, depending on how you say it could mean a whole host of other things including 'first', 'salty', 'conspicuous' or 'county') holds a special place in Chinese history. For two thousand years it was the imperial capital of China, the start of the Silk Road and home to eleven dynasties of emperor. In Europe as the Western Roman Empire fell, the Visigoths asserted their dominance and the west entered the Dark Ages, the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk Xuan Zang set off from Xi'an on his remarkable fifteen-year sojourn to India, bringing back countless Buddhist texts and whose flaming mountains described in "Journey to the West" we saw in Turpan. After falling out of favour with the Ming emperors, in the chronicles of early 20th century Chinese history Xi'an once again opened its arms to embrace leading figures of the time including the Empress Dowager Cixi and Generalissimo Jiang Jieshi better known as Chiang Kai-shek. The former fled to the city and set up her court in exile for two years after her ill-advised support of the Boxer Rebellion, while the latter was arrested in 1936 during the civil war in what would become known as the Xi'an incident. So if you like history, as I do, there is certainly a lot to think about when in the left corner of China's travel triangle (Beijing-Shanghai-Xi'an).

In my infinite wisdom I had made reservations at the Kempinski Hotel both because I figured we'd be ready for some Egyptian cotton sheets and because of the Chengdu connection, which I hoped would work in our favour. Although I can't fault the hotel in the above two regards I had failed to notice that it was based out in the boonies giving us a handy 40 minute minibus ride into the centre of Xi'an and the famed walled city.

Like walking on the Great Wall outside of Beijing, rambling atop the 14km (restored) ramparts of a structure originally constructed in 1370 is an emotive experience; modern China juxtaposed against its ancient ancestor. It is possible to complete a circuit in just over 90 minutes on bikes, but instead we enjoyed a journey between the Yongning Gate in the south and Anding Gate in the west in rickshaws pulled by jovial and helpful drivers. We descended the wall and entered the city eventually finding ourselves in the Muslim quarter. Although we'd been exposed to China's Muslim culture in Xinjiang the hustle and bustle of the winding alleys of the quarter were as fascinating as if it were our first time. Food vendors and souvenir sellers hawked their fare in loud voices while our senses were assaulted by the smells and sounds of the lunchtime rush. It wasn't long before our stomachs joined the caterwauling and we sat down at an open front restaurant to enjoy a Xi'an speciality - paomo, a meaty soup poured over tiny bread cubes. Despite the vast size of each bowl (another bonus of Chinese cuisine) and the questionable hygiene of the chosen establishment it was mouth-wateringly delicious, and I was sorry that it was the first and only time I enjoyed the dish.

The primary reason for a trip to Xi'an is the visit the tomb, and terracotta soldiers that guard it, of the Qin emperor Qin Shi Huang (246 - 221 BC), the first emperor of a unified China. It is staggering. Not only for the scale of the entire site but the details of each warrior where no two faces are the same. The restoration work carried out is a marvel in itself as each figure has been painstakingly put back together since they were discovered in fragments. It would take generations to rebuild every warrior but the few hundred or so of the ones on display give you a good enough idea of what it would have been like. The tomb was discovered in 1974 by some peasants who were digging a well and, as an added bonus, when we visited the gift shop one of the chaps was there signing coffee table books about the exhibit. You are not allowed to take his photograph, not does he seem to respond to questions but it was fun to add a signed copy to my guide-book collection. It's a fascinating but tiring few hours and an important stop on any China trip. Equally fascinating and tiring is the Shaanxi History Museum which we ventured into after a filling dumpling lunch. It's a very well put together museum and, I have to say, I think Beijing could learn a thing or two from some of its provincial cousins. (If Shenyang, Xi'an and even Dunhuang can do it there's no reason why Beijing can't.) We were led around the museum by a rather formidable young woman who had strong views about China's impact on global history. Although I'm not disagreeing with everything she said, I do rather feel that her rabid nationalism might work against her when she travels to Paris later this year to tour the museums. To her credit she's passionate about what she does and at least she's heading overseas to learn from others as well.

China "Experience" Rating: 8/10.

As one of China's top three travel destinations Xi'an is using its tourist dollar income extremely effectively and is a pleasant and worthwhile trip.

Epilogue.

After a 5,000 mile round trip from Hong Kong to the Kazakh border I believe China to be a captivating country, and I do hope that foreigners will travel to the Middle Kingdom and see past the Communist badge that, make no mistake, is worn contentedly by many millions, but which rarely impinges on a visitor's journey. The Chinese are a proud, friendly and inquisitive people. While we all have stories about being hoodwinked and bamboozled by an unscrupulous few it's somewhere that is as enjoyable to visit and, I'll wager, more diverse in its topography and customs as Italy, France or the USA. It has gleaming metropolises and dirty peasant villages. It's somewhere where history is everywhere and nowhere. It was a place I called home for eight years. It really is a people's republic.

Now Is The Winter Of Our Discontent ...

For the followers of Shakespearean quotations, the title is a well-known line from Richard III Act 1, Scene 1 - deliberately incomplete (and out of season!).

 Judging by some recent comments that have drifted back to me, there are some out there who seem to think I Blog because I can't "let go" and still have a hankering to be in the limelight. For them, I have information. I Blog because I enjoy it, because there are apparently some folk who find it reasonably informative and at times entertaining, and because I have the freedom to say what I like. If I am in the news at all these days it is because I have been asked to be there - I have not sought it. And I am happy with that thank you. So, with that little bit of discontent off my chest - to the subject(s) on my mind at present.

The quotation as used in the title is often recited in its above incomplete form to indicate negative thoughts or emotions, but to appreciate the actual meaning of the words used by Shakespeare you have to read the whole stanza:

 Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this son of York;

And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house

In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

 In other words far from being miserable Richard, the future King, is actually happily welcoming a change in his fortunes following the installation of his brother Edward IV on the throne; they were both sons of the Duke of York. A gloomy period has, for him, been turned into summer.

So, am I saying that the gloomy predictions I was making earlier have now gone away, turned the corner perhaps, and that all is well with the world? Well ..... actually, no!

It is true that many parts of the world are reporting encouraging economic figures. Japan, France, Germany, Hong Kong all saying they have come out of, or staved off recession and let's be fair, that of itself is an achievement. And after the real winter of discontent we faced globally it is a much more glorious summer than many might have expected - if you still have a job, that is!!

The economists though, remain cautious or undecided and there seem to be few willing to predict that we are back to normal (whatever that is) - with most hedging their bets on the "well, the worst seems to be over, and some results are encouraging, but we've got a couple of years to go yet" scenario. And I am firmly with the "switherers". Honestly, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be able to put my hand on my heart and say "Yes, I think we have come through this okay, under the circumstances, and there will be no more surprises" - but I cannot. I remain concerned, and will continue to be so until I see the job market improving, credit card debt being reduced, shareholder expectations being tempered, banks getting out from under the large gorilla of bad debts sitting on their backs and a return to a properly functioning market economy unhindered by politicians.

And while many of us live our lives and judge the world through the financial presses, just take a look at the world in which we are living.

The Middle East troubles continue. The war in Afghanistan (in which there are likely to be few winners) where the loss of life amongst the coalition forces (British Forces in particular) recently seems to have escalated, the difficulty with holding elections in that country, newer and bigger bombs in Baghdad, fraudulent elections in Iran ... the list goes on. It includes the potential release of the Lockerbie bomber perhaps today, even, on humane grounds because he wants to spend the last few weeks of his life with his loved ones. Not something that went through his mind when he was involved (even if he was not the actual bomber) in blowing up the Pan Am plane that was taking people back to see their own loved ones in America.

[I actually worry that the decision by the authorities in Scotland to release the man has something to do with taking exception to the protests being raised by US Secretary of State Clinton, and others - on a "don't tell us what to do" basis. I hope I am wrong].

Politically in Europe we have a sick British Government where, it seems, the Prime Minister is not allowed to govern while he is on holiday in Britain but it's okay for one of his colleagues to run the country from Corfu on his Blackberry. And as for the Italians - just what are they going to do with their philandering Prime Minister? Okay, private lives are just that - private, but Mr. Berlusconi's private life is very public and must bring into question just how much gravitas he brings to Government.

In America they are struggling with health care reform, having decided that they want something "uniquely American" to quote President Obama who meanwhile decides to ridicule the British NHS - not a perfect system by any means, but not the disaster it has been painted.

So, while we enjoy our "glorious summer", remember that winter is not too far around the corner (yes, I know, I am talking about the Northern Hemisphere - but that's where the main trouble spots seem to be). And perhaps, just perhaps, we might be back to seeing headlines that echo the opening line of Richard III - without the follow on.

 

Travels in China...Part Five (by Paul Eldon)

The Edge of Empire 

We decided to do something a little different to travel between Turpan and our next port of call, Dunhuang (Gansu Province).  Whereas before we had flown between our destinations or, in the case of Urumqi – Turpan driven, this time I had elected to take the train.  So many people will (rightly) tell you that travelling by train is one of the best ways to see a country.  Regrettably our departure was late in the evening, after the sun had set and the landscape had retreated under its duvet, meaning we saw nothing of the countryside and only the inside of a communist carriage.  You may think what you will of me but this was actually the first time I had taken a train in China and, I’m sorry to say, it was rather disappointing.  Earlier this year I spent a couple of weeks in India travelling between my various ports of call on India’s vast railway network.  The shabby carriages that imprisoned me for the better part of  two days (all up) were a highlight of the trip.  But on my Chinese choo-choo it was all just a little too, well, clean.  The President of The Surly Association of Train Attendants showed us to our cabins and, after a couple of warm beers and some "two minute" noodles we drifted off to sleep in our cells.

 As many who are reading this will know, one of the joys of travel are the well-considered timetables of transportation authorities worldwide.  We arrived in Dunhuang at 5:30am after, what the Group all agreed, was not the most restful of sleeps.  Actually, that’s not entirely accurate.  We arrived in a town called Liu Yuan – some 130km from Dunhuang where we were met by our Han Chinese guide Henry.  (Dunhuang was supposed to have its own railway station but, despite assurances from guide books, at the time of our visit it hadn’t opened yet.)  I can honestly say that the drive was possibly the worst travel experience of my life to date.  And I think those more accustomed to the pointy parts of planes probably found the journey excruciating.  The road – if you can call it that – G215 is a new addition to China’s extensive road network and was built atop the sand of the Gobi desert.  We were thrown around that bus like toys hurled from the cot of a tempestuous toddler.  For two hours.  And before that Henry gabbed at us for 30 minutes solid, possibly without pausing for a single breath.  I can’t fault his command of English but by all the ancestral spirits of China, move over Richard Quest and Lyse Doucet, he may actually have the most annoying voice in the world.  Through no real fault of his own you can probably imagine that once we finally arrived in Dunhuang he was as popular as a bakery at a clinic for diabetics.

 The two main draws of Dunhuang are the impressively dramatic sand dunes on the outskirts of the city and the staggeringly beautiful Mogao Grottoes.  We began our day at the former (after a disastrous and farcical breakfast which didn’t help our already bruised moods) where a few of us rode the short distance to Yueya Quan (Crescent Moon Lake) on camels and the rest were ferried by electric buggy.  The soaring dunes around us teemed with other tour groups sand tobogganing, paragliding and lolloping along in their own camel trains.  Dad and I had a go at sliding down a dune on a wooden sled with one of us faring better than the other.  I’ll leave it to you to decide who it was - but it wasn’t me.  Crescent Moon Lake is decidedly unremarkable, and the buildings we saw around the water were reconstructions after the originals were destroyed during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution.  Henry was able to prattle on endlessly for 20 minutes when really all that you need to know of interest is that Yueya Quan is first mentioned in documents dating back 2,000 years.  The Mogao Grottoes (also known as the Mogao Caves) are without question a must-see in China.  Originally over 1,000 caves contained murals and Buddhist artwork and imagery, supposedly dating back to AD 366.  There are approximately 600 caves left although many are now closed to visitors.  The history of the caves is a fascinating one and would take up far too much space to go into detail here, but I do recommend doing a little independent research.  For an additional fee on top of the entry ticket you can be taken around a few of the caves by a guide and this is well worth the money.  Our friendly guide was tremendously well informed and spoke flawless English.  I was also struck by the way in which tours were conducted.  For anyone who has been to China one of the things that strikes you about the culture is the noise.  It’s a very loud country and sometimes even the most banal of conversations are undertaken as though the speakers are stood in the middle of a typhoon.  But even the larger Chinese tour groups moved through the caves in awed silence.  The usual hustle and bustle of daily life in the People’s Republic also melted away and jostling crowds gave way to ordered queuing.  It’s arguable that the horrendous journey from Liu Yuan to Dunhuang was made worth it by the few hours we spent looking at the evolution of Chinese art from the Jin to the Ming Dynasties.

 The following day we drove the 6 hours to Jiayuguan – the location of the last fort on the Great Wall and the edge of the world in ancient China.  Before that there was time to sample Dunhuang’s local donkey delicacy which I found quite pleasing to mine palate.  It wasn’t to everyone’s taste – especially not at breakfast – but I was pleased to add it to my list of weird and wonderful creatures that I have consumed joining silkworm and scorpion among others.  Mercifully, although long, the road was silkily smooth and we arrived in good time for us to take in the gargantuan fort.  It wasn’t hard to imagine how, back in the day, a soldier posted to guard the frontier must have felt he had slighted the emperor.  Although now joined by modern factories a bleak and desolate landscape was the vista enjoyed by the thousands of defenders of the Son of Heaven.  It had been our intention to travel by train the remaining leg of our expedition, but after the discomfort of our previous experience we changed our plans and decided to fly into Xi’an.  Returning deep into developed China, and to one of the more popular destinations on travellers’ itineraries, we bade farewell to Patti (who, by this time was in desperate need of ablution) and Henry and I resumed the mantle of flag-waving tour guide.

 

“China Experience” Rating (Dunhuang): 7/10

It was worth the trip and I would recommend going before the onset of mass tourism.

 

“China Experience” Rating (Jiayuguan): 8/10

I wouldn’t bother going unless you have an interest in history because outside of the fort, it’s booming, industrial China in a all its factory belching goodness.

Brother Can You Spare A Dime?

It seemed appropriate to use a song title that originated from the Great Depression to open a Blog in these strange and contradictory times.

Clearly investment bankers at a number of firms will be smiling all the way to their banks given either the bonuses they have received or -indeed - the "sign-on" fees that are once again prevalent in the market. And I said in a previous blog that I had a view on such payments - which I do. Honestly, I am generally in favour of rewarding good performance, and doing so via bonuses sits reasonably well with me, but I have three issues about which I am not so comfortable.

First I think we need to be clear that these payments should be performance related and not for some "anticipated future performance". That is hardly an incentive. Secondly they should be paid out over a period of time and not in one lump sum in the quarter, half year, or year in which the job was done. Sure, the largest percentage can be paid first, but let's hold some back to ensure that the deals engineered or the products created are actually genuine and not toxic. A bit like the contingency payments you might hold back on a house construction to ensure the building does not fall apart over a period of time. And thirdly I do have concerns about some of the amounts. I mean is the USD100m claimed by Andrew Hall a reasonable sum? You can feed a heck of a lot of people for a fraction of that amount so I hope any recipients will be at least conscious of their fellow human beings and spare more than a dime. But I wonder.

At the other end of the scale we have the ranks of the unemployed. Some habitually so, but now swollen by the newer unwilling entrants whose numbers continue to rise, despite all the talk of recovery. Job prospects look bleak in developed and developing economies for the foreseeable future. Homeless numbers too, continue to rise. In England the other day I heard a vendor selling the Big Issue, a magazine sold by the homeless to enable them to extract a living shout, "Buy your copy of the Big Issue and get nothing in return". He was poking fun at the "buy one get one free" offers and similar ploys to create interest in a product, and equally was having fun doing so - but underneath it all was a man who understood the realities of a life which held very little positive prospects for his future. Imagine how he feels about even well- paid people, ignoring the mega-rich in the previous paragraph, who would not be prepared to put their hand in their pockets for a serious magazine, which is actually worth reading, sold at the princely sum of GBP1.50 (HK$20), of which the seller receives half the proceeds. Every dime counts here.

Now what about those in the middle - who were the real reason I started this particular blog in the first place, or more precisely those involved in start-ups and SME businesses.

Certainly recessions, depressions, unemployment, and bills to pay focus the mind on alternative sources of income. For a few (relative term) people, venturing into their own small business is often the fulfillment of a long held dream. But start-ups are notoriously high-risk ventures, for a string of good reasons – reasons which are sufficiently good for many banks to ignore SME customers altogether. And in times like these, it is even more difficult to obtain funding. Skittish markets, lack of appropriate business skills, low entry costs that enable anyone to join in are all indicators as to why something like 90% of such ventures fail in the first year.

TV programmes that are now shown around the world, like The Dragon's Den have done something positive towards bringing the harsh realities of running a small business into focus. People are thus becoming better prepared to avoid the pitfalls, but they still can't get the money! So, where do they go? That is where "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" came into its own.

I came across a website the other day by accident (I do that a lot) called cmypitch. It led me to looking for other similar sites and yes, they were out there. Having been an "angel" - theatre investor, (one spectacular success one breakeven and one disaster) I have always been conscious that there were alternative sources of finance out there in small chunks, but I had not realised how far it had spread, and into what businesses. And what a good idea I think it is.

Here you go Hong Kong. You are still entrepreneurial, I hope. I think there is an interesting proposition here - raising small amounts of money from a large number of investors, and placing it wisely in start up businesses. I have a few ideas already!

Travels In China ... Part Four (by Paul Eldon)

Out with the Old, In with the New

Now then, where were we?  Ah yes.  We had witnessed the ritual of buying and selling livestock as wizened old men with flowing beards, operating as middlemen, knowingly oversaw the transaction.  We watched, enthralled, as donkeys and horses were put through their paces by their potential new masters.  We deftly avoided tripping over severed goats’ heads and, in stunned silence (well, not quite silence – middle aged people do “ooh” and “aah” a lot), drank in the experience of centuries of tradition.  And that was before lunch.

 For lunch our affable guide Patti took us for a meal with a local family.  That is to say the local family made it and we ate it.  It was a privilege and an experience to be invited into their home.  The family were so generous and friendly and, if you’ve been to a Middle Eastern restaurant, then you might also be able to picture the dining experience.  The décor was gaudy, the floor uncomfortable (what chairs?) and the food plentiful and delicious.

In the afternoon we visited the site of the original market, which was unfortunately, nowhere near as interesting as the morning experience.  If you travelled to Beijing pre-2003 you might remember that the Silk Market used to be a noisy, crowded place crammed into a few narrow alleyways.  For some reason the poor quality and cheapness of the items for sale are heightened now that the stalls have been relocated into a shiny, glass mall.  Although lacking coffee shops and escalators the Kashgar Central Market did remind me of the “modernisation" efforts of municipal governments across China; smart aisles and individual stalls replacing what, I’m sure back in the day used to be the most tremendous hullabaloo.  I did, however, end up making a few purchases – toothpaste (rule #1: if there’s no readable language on the packaging, don’t buy it), some cloth slippers (rule #2: it’s inevitable that the one thing you’ve been searching for in Beijing for the past 6 years should turn up – in your size – at a marketplace some 4,600km away) and an astrakhan hat (rule #3: never, ever listen to yourself when you say you’ll wear/use ethnic clothing away from your holiday destination).

 The modern city of Kashgar is built around the central old city, a collection of crumbling clay houses and a maze of old world customs.  The local government has declared that the old city is at risk from earthquake damage and so the rule is, we were told, that repairs are forbidden.  Once a building collapses the occupants are forced to relocate to new housing complexes conveniently located on the outskirts of town.  This is not new, nor exclusive to ethnic minority housing.  It is happening all across China.  I myself was witness to it in Beijing with the demolition of the old hutongs but, as someone who enjoys history and the preservation of cultures, it is still difficult to understand and disappointing to watch.  Perhaps because of Kashgar’s immemorial standing as an old Silk Road trading post it was even more devastating.  As we passed through the city we saw blacksmiths toiling in front of their roasting ovens; carpenters whittling away at their wares; we smelled and saw varicoloured spices on display; and through it all the smiling, welcoming faces of local merchants and tradesmen, children and families bartering, chatting and going about their lives as their parents, grandparents and (probably) great-great grandparents did.  We cleared the old city and re-entered the 21^st Century, standing in the central plaza in front of the Id Kah Mosque.  It was here that I began to think about the difficult issue of autonomy.  (I will post a separate entry on my own blog in due course about this and related issues.)

 “Time: the indefinite progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.”  Seems oxymoronic really to say that time moves on in a place like Kashgar but, alas, it does and it did and we prepared to move on to Turpan, a desert city about 3 hours drive outside of Urumqi.  Before we left I asked that we drive through People’s Square so that I could photograph the Great Helmsman.  Why?  Because it’s the biggest statue of Mao Zedong in China.  If they won’t come willingly...

Abdul (you’ll remember him as the agent I dealt with previously) had decided that his younger brother Patti (the jovial young Uyghur lad) should join us.  As I understood it Mohamed, the guide who would meet us in Urumqi, was either new to the organisation or needed watching over and so, in the absence of objection from the Group, along he came.  And it’s a jolly good thing he did too!  Firstly, we arrived at our hotel in Turpan only to find it was closed.  The replacement was foul and had no in-room air conditioning, so I got a little stroppy.  We ended up at a far more appropriate establishment.  The second reason why Patti needed to keep an eye on him is because, well, Mohamed isn’t a very good Muslim.  The two of us drank far too much beer than was good for us in a desert environment.  Turpan is the hottest place in all of the Republic.  I believe it also lays claim to being the coldest as well which is a clever trick. That’s about as interesting as it gets.  Well, that and the story of Xuanzang and the Journey to the West which meant a visit to the ancient, ruined city of Jiaohe – a genuinely fascinating place with gates, temples, public buildings, graveyards and simple houses still evident.  It seems that it’s also home to a particularly lethargic snake.  We arrived as the sun was setting over the burning mountains and there was a genuine feeling of how impressive this city must have once been.  But really, that’s about it.

 “China Experience” Rating (Kashgar): 3/10

If it wasn’t for the colossal statue of Mao it would have been awarded 1/10 by merit of the character signage.

“Life Experience” Rating (Kashgar): 10/10

If you can make the trip it's well worth it. Definitely a top 3 of my travel experiences to date.

 “China Experience” Rating (Turpan): 5/10

It certainly still felt like a Uyghur city but Mohamed, Patti and I were joined by the Han Chinese owner of the bar. And he didn’t speak Uyghur. Or English.

Addictions...We Are Not Learning!

"Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes"

Oscar Wilde

A flippant remark, which often draws a laugh - particularly given the originator, but a remark nevertheless that has a serious side. In a November 2007 blog I wrote about alcohol and particularly binge drinking amongst the younger generation. It is a subject about which I feel strongly, not because I am some sort of puritanical reformer who is teetotal, far from it in fact, but because I see the damage it does - and will continue to do unless we accept that it is a problem to be resolved.

My attention was re-drawn to the issue last week, following the death of a 22 year old from cirrhosis of the liver, after a life of drinking heavily from the age of 13. I was particularly alarmed at the comments of the boy's Mother who blamed "widely available cheap alcohol". She would perhaps have found another answer closer to home if she had paused to look in a mirror. Surely she must have had some idea that her son was drinking to excess from an early age. Early enough to act.

Statistics in the UK indicate that from 2002/3 to 2007/8, alcohol related admissions to hospital increased by 70%. That is a worrying number no matter which way you look at it. But despite the health warnings, the advertising curbs on when alcohol related advertisements can be shown, there is a culture that "booze is cool". The pop stars, and even sports stars do it ... so for the impressionable younger generation "it must be okay".

We need more public comments from these younger stars who set the standards today, to echo the admissions of some of the older ones. People for example like Barry Humphries, creator of Dame Edna Everage, who in a recent interview said that in his early career he was drinking to "flamboyant excess". He stopped drinking 39 years ago, after realising that his blackouts were not funny. He says that he has had every possible alcoholic experience - all of which were disastrous. But his career ever since has been hugely successful.

Or the popular Scots-born US TV Chat Show host Craig Ferguson, who said it all on one of his shows. If you have 10 minutes to spare - watch it on YouTube. And maybe pass it on.  

Alcohol is not the only addiction, obviously. The list seems endless, but we are watching young lives thrown away needlessly because appropriate support does not appear to be available. In Britain, it is being suggested that doctors are being encouraged to ask children from the age of 10 upwards how much alcohol they drink. Perhaps they should do the same with smoking - although heaven knows what sort of answers they will get in either case.

Some of the nicest, funniest, down to earth people in the world manage to go through life without falling into that deep pit. But the cleverest are those who, having fallen down a black hole, managed to climb out in time and create a new life for themselves. They are the ones who enjoy the love and support of their family and friends, and if that support and understanding is not given, or they get ridiculed by their friends for being "different" then their future is bleak.

For Gary Reinbach, dead at 22, I wonder who was providing his support.

Pete Seeger's song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" has the lines "When Will We Ever Learn?" When indeed.

 

 

Travels in China...Part Three (By Paul Eldon)

“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety”

                                                 - Antony and Cleopatra

by William Shakespeare

I am going to start with perhaps something a little controversial. 

I read with dismay about the recent trouble in Urumqi, Xinjiang between the Han Chinese and the Uyghur people, but I can’t say I am surprised that it happened. I am neither a political commentator, nor am I an active campaigner for causes, but just let me state that in my opinion I believe that the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has a strong case for independence. Xinjiang is the least Chinese of any of the places that I’ve been to on the mainland, and perhaps because of it, one of the most fascinating and it is here that we pick up our story.

 When I was in the process of planning the trip months back, my original intent was to spend a couple of days in Urumqi in order to visit Tian Chi, or Heavenly Lake which I had heard was stunning.  But from some information I found in the Financial Times about a couple who had traveled from London by train, I discovered a gentleman called Abdul Wahab (based in Kashgar) who had helped them book tickets. So, rather sensibly I thought, I contacted him to help us as, unsurprisingly, Mandarin Chinese isn’t as widely spoken that far west.  Abdul talked me out of visiting Heavenly Lake – and of spending any time in Urumqi actually – arguing that it really was “just another Chinese city”.  So we simply passed through the capital on our way to Kashgar where we would visit Lake Karakul (some 6,000ft above sea level) and where we needed to be for the Sunday Market, a weekly market that draws hundreds of thousands of vendors and visitors from all over the region including Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

 Kashgar – or Kashi in Chinese pinyin – is an astonishing city steeped in history and tradition and it didn’t fail to impress us all.  Snow capped mountains fringe the edge of the burg providing a stunning backdrop to the surrounding landscape.  There is very little visible Chinese influence in Kashgar. Sure, although there are signs in characters everywhere, and the road signs only print the local Uyghur script very small in contrast to the giant simplified text next to it, the place is very much a Uyghur city.

 Upon arrival we were met at the airport by a delightful man who we shall call Patti.  This is, of course, the simplified version of his name.  Like a Venezuelan patriarch his name was considerably longer and utterly unpronounceable to those not versed in the local dialect.  One thing I’ll give him though – his English was superb.  Having spent a considerable amount of time living and working with Han Chinese I can honestly say that I was not expecting a young Uyghur boy from Kashgar to be so proficient in the language.  The hotel on the other hand was, I’ll admit, quite expected; to the jiaozi (or dumplings) for breakfast and the Christmas tree in the bar.  The attempt to make a gin and tonic in a cocktail shaker was not so expected.  On the Saturday we rose early – very early in local time.  Although all of China officially runs on Beijing time, the further west you go the more likely they are to use their local time.  The country theoretically has something like 5 time zones so Xinjiang is actually two hours behind Beijing.  We managed to avoid serious confusion, but it was startling to think that we were leaving the hotel at 8am Beijing time meaning we woke up to get ready and have breakfast at about 5am local time.  The journey time to and from Lake Karakul was about 6 hours so we had a lot of ground to cover.  And what ground!  If I thought that Guangxi was stunning I was staggered by Xinjiang.  In Guangxi I like to think that the vista hasn’t changed much since the Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi (1662 – 1722) sat on the Dragon Throne.  In Xinjiang I don’t think it has changed much since Peking Man wandered the plains of ancient China.  It wasn’t hard to imagine yourself a modern day Marco Polo (albeit in a heated bus) trundling through the rugged mountains, edges cut to a point by the inexorable advance of glaciers.  The actual lake itself was, for me, uninspiring though you couldn’t help but be bowled over by the living conditions of the Kazakh nomads who inhabit the area.  That night we sampled the local delicacy of pigeon.  And that’s all that needs to be said about that.

 The following day was given over to an experience that I had been looking forward to – not just on this trip but since my arrival in China and I had first heard stories of - the Kashgar Sunday Market.  We were not disappointed.  Well, not really anyway.  In the past (just a couple of years ago actually) the entire central area of Kashgar was given over to the market, which included livestock and any bit of this and that from just about anywhere within camel distance.  I can only postulate as to what the market must have been like when this menagerie was heaped on each other because now there are two sites – one for the livestock, and one for everything else.  As we tried to avoid being defecated, urinated, spat on or kicked by the thousands of sheep, cows, donkeys, horses, goats and whatever else brays, squawks or guffaws, there was an almost oppressive sense of timelessness.  It is quite possible that early traders along the Silk Route witnessed the exact same thing that we did.  It was – in the truest sense of the word – awesome.  I do love “chuan’r”, the Xinjiang kebab.  It’s a good snack food; it’s perfect post pub provender and just generally one of the most delicious things in the world.  Now imagine that the succulent lamb on the stick, coated in a yoghurt sauce and liberally sprinkled with spices was not 20 minutes previously bleating with his chums in the pen opposite.  Heaven.  I said to the Group that I could now leave China a happy man.

 Regrettably the constraints of word counts force me to abandon the tale at this point.  However, I shall continue with the remainder of our stay in Kashgar, our sojourn in Turpan and onwards, back into China proper with Dunhuang and Jiayuguan next week.  After that the conclusion of our adventure in Xi’an and our trip to Emperor Qin Shi’s remarkable terracotta tomb.

 “China Experience” Rating:.... all in good time.  

Money Man

It will come as no surprise to most that Norman Chan has been named as the new head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, commencing his role on 1 October. Good choice!

I have known Norman for almost 30 years, and I cannot think of anyone else better qualified on an all round basis to assume the substantial mantle that will be left by Joseph Yam. What Hong Kong's premier regulator needs today is someone who understands Hong Kong and how it works. Someone who fully understands "central banking" and has a working knowledge of commercial banking. A person of integrity - who despite being appointed by Government, is capable of independent thought. An individual, then, who is known to and can work with the financial authorities and regulators in China. A character who understands that Hong Kong's position as a global financial centre is dependent on consultation and collaboration with the domestic financial industry.  

I believe that Norman will serve Hong Kong's best interests loyally and with skillful competence. I wish him well.

Of course, I don't for one minute believe that the announcement of the appointment will be the end of the debate!

Comments will be made on the transparency of the process, as legislators will undoubtedly say they should have been involved in the selection, and in today's open world it is hard to deny that where cases of public office are involved, greater transparency is becoming more usual. The trouble with such an open process is that it then becomes "selection by media", with commentary often provided by people without a sufficient understanding of the real issues - concentrating instead on personalities instead of competence.

There will also be comments on the new salary level, where some people will be inclined to say that even though the remuneration is 32% lower than Josephs' it is still a substantial sum. Maybe so, but if you want good people you have to pay for them. I am sure that if Norman were to venture into the private sector, he would attract a much higher remuneration than the one he is receiving from the Government. (Salary is a much different issue from bonuses - and I have a view on the most recent announcements from the investment banking community!).

And is the five year term an issue? I hope it's renewable - if appropriate.

In my personal opinion, this is a good move for Hong Kong. But you should take into account a description I read on someone's opinion of my Blog recently who wrote

 "... former lion of international high finance who is now in his winter. Mr. Eldon's views of the world, of China, and of HK are of his past spring. One may question how relevant his views are in today's political reality... "

Oh well!!!

Travels In China ... Part Two (by Paul Eldon)

Bamboo branches and the pandas who eat them

 

The next stage of our journey moved us deeper into the country to south western Sichuan Province. Known for its spicy cuisine and more recently, tragically, as the epicentre of the devastating earthquake of May 2008, Sichuan – specifically Chengdu and the Giant Panda – is one of the country’s biggest draws. It was primarily for the endangered bear that we travelled to Chengdu because, to be fair, there’s not much else to write home about in the regional capital.

After the relatively modest accommodation afforded in Yangshuo, and before we headed into deepest, darkest Xinjiang, I decided that a couple of nights at Chengdu’s Kempinski Hotel wouldn’t do us any harm. A number of contributing factors had led me to this particular establishment, primary among them its proximity to the Chengdu chapter of my favourite watering hole – The Bookworm. Chengdu is very much a “modern” Chinese city; it has its luxury brand stores (Gucci again topping the list), top 5 star hotels (enter, stage left, The Kempinksi, Shangri-la and Sheraton hotels) and…a giant statue of Chairman Mao in People’s Square. The Great Helmsman stands there, resplendent in flowing winter overcoat and waving in silent benediction to the masses, most of whom are not even aware of his presence. Like I said, a modern Chinese city.

 On the Thursday morning we rose early to go to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, only 30 – 45 minutes from the hotel. More famous is the Wolong Panda Reserve, but at 3hrs out of the city it didn’t seem practical to visit. Not when you consider that Panda’s are essentially lazy creatures who tend to doze off mid-morning after their breakfast. I know how they feel! So off we popped with our driver, Mr Zhou (I think that was his name – it could have been Chou but he spoke Mandarin with a regional accent so it was hard to tell) who helped us gain entry into the centre (they spell it one way, I another) with a wodge of 2008 tickets. I love China. People can be so resourceful when they have a surplus of something (former U.S. President George.W. Bush might want to take note).

 It wasn’t long before we caught a glimpse of our first Giant Panda. They really are terrific animals and, a little like an ice-cream on a hot day, never fail to bring a smile to your face. Having said that, it’s little wonder they’re on the WWF endangered species list. First of all, they’re quite solitary animals and tend to not enjoy the company of others. Secondly, in a cruel twist of fate, they’re essentially herbivores with the digestive tract of carnivores. You have to wonder if God was tired at the end of a long day and added the panda to his “Let’s See What Happens If…” list, joining salmon and their ritual of reproduction. And nothing puts a smile on your face than the sight of nine or ten panda cubs falling over each other as they romp around their enclosure. There was an option to have a photo taken with a baby panda (I paid for the privilege of holding a koala once when in Australia) but the exorbitant cost put me off somewhat. In related news it apparently costs approximately US$1m per annum for zoos to “hire” a panda. Expensive beasts.

 After a while though the smile begins to fade, the ice-cream melts or your wine gets warm. Either way, you’ve had enough. So we headed back into town to spend the afternoon resting before an evening sampling the local speciality – hot pot.

I am a huge fan of hot pot. Many aren’t. My partner Daniel doesn’t see the point or nutritional value of eating boiled meat but then he’s not right all the time. However, on this occasion there was a slight problem which dawned on me after we sat down in a chain restaurant that I knew from Beijing. I had never ordered hot pot in my life. Not once. Every time I’ve been out for it someone else has ordered for me and so, although I could read the menu well enough, I had no idea what anything was! Luckily no-one else in the Group had the faintest idea what to expect anyway so it wasn’t very hard to make believe that everything I ordered was normal. The cow’s stomach was harder to cover up but, naturally, I got out of it by arguing that what I had said was “I don’t want tripe” and clearly the serving staff had simply focused on the fact that I had said “tripe”. It’s easy to get confused when foreigners speak Chinese don’t you know? A total disaster from my point of view and a clear indication that the next time I go for hot pot I should pay attention to whoever orders.

 To end the piece and, to go full circle, we found ourselves in The Bookworm after supper for a much needed gin, beer, wine and brandy. There is something tremendous about an establishment that can give you the same feeling upon entry as the more familiar venue located over 1,100 miles away. I would also like to take this opportunity to point out that The Bookworm in Chengdu and, specifically Pete Goff (The Bookworm co-owner) played a pivotal role in relief efforts after the May 12 earthquake. More information here: Sichuan Quake Relief. Such a great place.

 “China Experience” Rating: 10/10

 How could you not give it 10/10? There’s luxury brands, iconic pandas, the (usually not-disastrous) dining experience…and Chairman Mao.

Who Wants To Be A ... Non-Executive Director?

"Be careful what you wish for - you may just get it" is now well established as a cliché. But how appropriate it is, when applied to the role of the Non Executive Director today.

It was not that long ago when being invited to join the Board of a prestigious company was considered to be an honour, but often where the duties of a director were not particularly onerous. Even if the company was progressive, and recognised the benefit of good external advice. And of course there were plenty of the "old boy network" Boards where your role was to remain silent, and agree with the Chairman as directed. Today, however, if you wish for and receive that Board seat invitation take care; it may just come and bite you in unpleasant places.

As more and more companies globally are required by legislation to have non-executive directors, you may still find situations where the Board is not really clear on your role, and many first time directors are not really clear on their responsibilities. Or put another way, in an article by British dealmaker Jo High 

"For some organisations, particularly owner managers, a Non-Executive Director (NED) has much in common with a Bidet! Being something one quite fancies but not really something one is clear on how to use!"

Examine the role of the NED today, and particularly the Independent NED. A person who is required, often by law, to take as much responsibility for the running of company as an Executive Director, but to do so on a part-time basis using whatever information they are "fed". And in times of trouble, a NED trying to hide behind claims of receiving "insufficient information” is unlikely to receive much sympathy from shareholders and the media alike. Instead, they are more likely to face accusations of incompetence for failing in their duties. "Given your experience", the critics will say. "you should have known what questions to ask!"

 Why would anyone willingly subject himself or herself to such reputational and professional risk?

The whole issue of Board Members is under review around the world. Collapsed financial institutions are having their Boards reviewed - and often replaced! Corporate Governance issues today are much more a feature of Board deliberations than ever before. And rightly so, given the apparent inability of some of our most highly paid and high profile corporate leaders to be trusted to tell the whole truth. Boards are now required to look at major appointments, strategy, and performance. They need to consider, in depth, the audit and remuneration issues faced by the company. And they do so on behalf of the shareholders who, independently, they represent.

As a result, non-executive directors are finding it necessary to restrict the number of appointments they accept and therefore the supply is becoming scarcer. 

Hong Kong was, perhaps, initially not as quick to make changes as fast as some other places, but there have been improvements. Activists like Christine Loh and David Webb have actually achieved quite a lot in this arena - one quietly and steadily, the other in a more publicity seeking manner, - but love them or loathe them (and I don't actually loathe David Webb - I just don't particularly like him since the day he publicly questioned my independence and therefore my integrity - a question I was happy to successfully refute), they have been catalysts for change. Long may these changes continue, but I still have two concerns.

Some companies in Hong Kong still pay their Non-Executive Directors way below appropriate compensation, given the levels of responsibility they now have to bear. No longer can one be expected to sit on this board or that committee just for the "honour". Appropriate remuneration is now required to compensate for the considerable amount of time-consuming work involved, and which carries severe penalties and "inconvenience" for not doing that work.

 And what inconvenience! A friend of mine sits on a select few Boards. He is conscientious, careful, professional, and the sort of person I would be pleased to share a Boardroom with - but a company with which he was involved ran into some financial difficulties. The next thing he knows is that the Police are all over his home, in his absence. In fact their presence was announced by way of a mobile telephone conversation, from the police, telling him they were in his home. No courtesy, no consideration for the individual. They took away papers - relevant or not. They took away a computer - relevant or not. No questions. No apologies. He was treated with the same level of disdain reserved for a hardened criminal.

The fact is, being a non-executive director today requires careful thought and consideration by the individual concerned. You need to represent the shareholders best interests, and you should be able to bring something useful to the company in addition to good corporate governance - a skill, a knowledge base. Your boardroom should be one that is willing to listen and record deliberations or contributions from the directors, and one that understands that today's non-executive directors are not window- dressing.