If it's Tuesday, It must be Hunan

Yesterday was a very long day of problem resolution and development work with our supplier. We were able to get problems squared away and make some real progress on a software project, but it was an intense day at times. I had an opportunity to work with their head of R&D and their main software engineer who is developing a US-market specific control program. It was a typical engineering give-and-take then heated discussion leading to a solution. I was working through a translator and couldn't understand any of their internal discussion, but I knew for certain the entire time what was going on. I have had enough of the same type of strategy sessions that I didn't need to know the words to know the score. It was pretty cool.

Lunch was a quick bite of beef with wide rice noodles in broth, and a BLT sandwich. It was absolutely the worst sandwich ever. I think they don't really understand the concept of mayonnaise. The beef was good, however, and the noodles were the slipperiest thing I've ever put to chopsticks.

After a long day of intense meetings, our CSR/translators and I decided we needed spicy food and a beer. I introduced them to the concept of "hot food and cold beer" at a local upstairs joint known for extra spicy Hunan cuisine. Dishes included: more chicken hearts with peppers that varied from hot to homaGODi'mgonnaDIE!, a mild beef and pepper dish with great flavor, cumin roast pork ribs that were fire on a stick, dried extra spicy duck (with head) that looked like month old road kill in august but tasted better, a really good eggplant dish in a hearty sauce, spicy crystal noodles that were very good, a local whitefish in spicy broth that was the best fish I've had here yet, and some whole wheat steamed buns. And lots of cold Tsingtao beer. We had a great time, probably the most fun of any dinner yet as all four of us loosened up and kind of cut loose. Again, we had a private room, but this was in a slightly threadbare, somewhat scruffy restaurant that was probably know for the temperature of their beer as much as the temperature of the food. Judging by the reaction from the other customers when we came up the stairs, we might very well be the first westerners to eat there. Ever. A whole room of tattooed, working class guys goes completely quiet....just keep going and be cool.....

Today we wqere driven into Shenzhen City (from the industrial district where we're staying, Bao'an) to look at several of our supplier's local LED screens, see the nicer part of the city, and do a little shopping. The city was much greener and cleaner than this area with beautifully planted and landscaped arears along all the roads. It reminded me some of Atlanta having skyscrapers interspersed with natural areas, but the flora was significantly more abundant than in A-town.

Today we started with a late brunch of traditional breakfast dim sum in the Chinese restaurant in our hotel. An assortment of dumplings, the best spring rolls ever, beef stomach in brown sauce, fried flour sticks, steamed greens with soy sauce, pork ribs with taro root, and the traditoinal eggwhite or rice roll with meat filling. This went with a jasmine tea that was like drinking fresh flowers, and a bowl of freshly pressed soy milk that was slightly sweetened.




Shopping at the markets in Shenzhen City was part tradeshow and part fleamarket, but all entertaining. We visited a local electronics market but I haven't found the bike light I wanted yet. We went to a cell phone market so my colleague could get a sim card phone for use here and he bought a - cough - iPhone 4 for about $60. I picked up a cool LED watch at the watch market for 50RMB after much negotiation, which is about $9. Since our hosts had to call an early day for another customer meeting, Dave and I had a couple martinis and a not-too-bad cheeseburger in the hotel bar. Both of us are feelign pretty beat by this point, but I have to be up for massive training tomorrow. I think I may try out the pool or take a walk around the garden. If I crash now, I'll be up at 4 am...