I’ve learned one way to distinguish big cities in China from smaller towns. The big cities have canned coffee available in vending machines, but in the smaller towns coffee is very hard to find, indeed. I’m glad I got a stash of cans of Chinese coffee (“Mr Brown’s Coffee,” “36 Francs Heavy Latte,” and “Bernachon,” which features the slogan “I get used to roam by myself, and freely enjoy another world with my favorite coffee….”) in Ningbo. (I did find some at a supermarket in Xi Kou, but finding the supermarket was not easy.)
(The other delicious canned coffee features “Mr. Bond,” an Edwardian European gentleman with an upturned mustache and a pipe, accompanied by the slogan, “”I’m young..I’m coffee.”)
I also managed to get up very early to take my shower and shave, as the water for the city will be shut off today at 6 am to install some new equipment. (I suppose that has to happen occasionally, and 6 am on Sunday morning is probably the best time to do it.)
You’r so funny, Dr.Palmer 🙂
Welcome to China! I promise we will treat you good coffee here 🙂
I’m the editor at the Economic Observer, your colleague Mr.Dorn’s friend.
Look forward to seeing you in beijing!
I just landed in Beijing. It has changed so much in ten years, as China has transformed itself into a modern capitalist economy. It’s nothing short of breath taking. (Yes, there is still a long way to go, especially to introduce property rights to rural areas, but the changes are staggering.) It’s wonderful to see such an increase in prosperity.
Why does that not surprise me. Coffee is promoted to Americans by Juan Valdez, and it’s promoted to the Chinese by a classic European westerner. I guess the coffee’s always more exotic on the other side of the hill.
â??I get used to roam by myself, and freely enjoy another world with my favorite coffeeâ?¦.â?
This would even be appropriate as the Tom Palmer motto!
As always, I’d be interested in reading here a post on ideas you covered, how the Chinese recieved them, what they seem to be thinking, etc.
Happy Holidays!
I’ve been at several conferences (along with other visits around the country, to friendly societies, NGOs, private business enterprises, etc.) and have met a lot of people, but I should emphasize that they are not a random sample of Chinese society. The academics, both students and professors, whom I’ve met are very highly educated and very sophisticated. I wish we could bring some of them to the US to teach American students.