Yesterday, I did something that I have never done before. Something I thought I would never do. I bought a pack of cigarettes. Three packs, actually. It all started two months ago when I came to Shanghai, China on a short-term work visit. While I have been here, I have noticed that there are a [...]

Before memories start to fade too much I thought I would share some of them with you. To understand pricing, you first have to understand the conversion rate. There are 7.6 RMB to the dollar and I was picking up 30 ounce beers for 3 RMB a piece. (YES!) And yes, you can find good, [...]

f you’re looking for a safe country to travel to, China should be on your list. They are able to brag about having one of the lowest crime rates in the world and travelers shouldn’t feel wary about walking around with their cash. Liberals, myself included, often point to poverty in America as being one [...]

As I walked down the streets of Shanghai with my family this week a hand came out of no where to pet my sons hair. This oddity has become a nearly daily occurrence here this week. All week we’ve noticed that locals are staring. It’s not often they see a man with a 50 inch [...]

It’s half a world away and the excitement here is palpable. The Chinese are proud — proud that they’ll soon have the opportunity to showcase their country to the world with the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China is queing up for its time to shine. Infrastructure projects are being completed at a breakneck pace. Just last [...]

Dublin? Thanks for that happy thought, but no … I’ve spent the last few days here in Shanghai China. The city’s architecture is beautiful and skyscrapers dominate the landscape, springing up faster than in any other place on the globe. Still, despite its mammoth size, Shanghai has only about half the traffic congestion of Milwaukee [...]