2008, The Year of the Original Gangster (OG) Part 1

This post shall be my attempt to make mockery and sense of the new type of Gangster that was ushered in during 2008.

Hip hop, youth culture, and to some extent old school culture elevates the status of the "Gangster." Every subculture defines "Gangster" differently. Please reference the table below for various uses and meanings of the term Gangster.

The use of the term gangster usually invokes fear, excitement, or reverence. However comfortable or uncomfortable we are as a society with the definition or use of the word Gangster, 2008 has been a record year for the "Gangster." The Gangster of 2008, has helped to redefine the term "Gangster" by taking unprecedented actions that only a true Original Gangster (O.G.) can do. The actions of the 2008 Gangster have shaped our lives so much that when Time Magazine recognizes its "Man of the Year," they should do a segment honoring "Gangster of the Year."

Please allow me to explain by first giving you the list of Original Gangsters for 2008 and allow me to briefly explain why each is in the elite class of "Gangsterism" and the ties that bind. The explanations will come in part 2 of this series.


Original Gangsters of 2008 (not in order)

1. Sara Palin & John McCain
2. Barack Obama
3. Hank Paulson
4. Jon Paulson
   
5. AIG
6. The guy that threw a pair of shoes at President Bush
7. Bernard Madoff, $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme
   
8. O.J. Simpson
9. Mumbai Terrorists
10. Foreign Oil producers
    
11. Jeremiah Wright
12. Dick Fuld, Chairman of Lehman Brothers
    
13. CEOs of the Big 3 Auto Manufacturers
14. The "Repo Man"
15. Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich

Subculture	Various Meanings & Uses of "Gangster"
Football	Gangster could mean a hard hitting tackle, interception, or a kick off return by Reggie Bush
Finance	Gangster could mean a hostile corporate takeover or a hard nosed boss that would take money from a three year old.
In the Hood	Gangster could mean a drive by shooting or bank robbery.
Old School	Gangster could mean doing business like Al Capone or infamous crime bosses.
Hip Hop	Gangster could mean a narrative that "fantasizes" about the life of crime for entertainment purposes. It could also refer to the size of a great record deal that an artist scored. Gangster could describe the characteristics of an expensive car.
Youth Culture	Gangster could mean a term of endearment or an adjective to describe something "Gangster."

Halloween Party in Charlotte, NC

Above are our pictures from Halloween. I know that I am about 2 months late on posting these bad boys, but better late than never.

We (my brother & I) went to Charlotte, NC for a family Halloween Party at my cousin's house. We had a great time.

Enjoy,

Ronald Funderburk

Sorry

This blog is for my family, friends, blog readers, and to the entire blogger nation.

I have not blogged in a long time, and I feel like I let each of you down. I have missed out on writing about some juicy events during my period away.

I think that I have not written in a long time because certain aspects of my life have gone awry. I am not necessarily living up to my expectations or the expectations that other people have set for me. Life is tough when you begin trying to live out life according to the expectations of other people.

I want to go further, but it isn't needed. I think that you get the point. Life is great and I should celebrate life as it comes and not filter certain aspects of life just because it falls short of someone else's expectations.

Love, Peace, & Happiness


Ronald Funderburk

testing

testing

My First NFL Game --Panthers Stadium

Now that the Panthers are dominating the NFL, I am pretty hype that I was able to catch them in action this past year. The Panther dominated every home game and gave Panther fans quality entertainment, week in and week out.

The week that I attended the game was no exception. I believe that the Panthers blew Kansas City out by 40+ points and shut out the Chiefs offense.

At first I thought that it was a pretty poor performance by Kansas City and a decent performance by the Panthers. In retrospect, after watching the season develop, I didn't give Carolina enough respect after its win against Kansas City.

Goodbye America

Sequoia Capital on startups and the economic downturn

From: eldon, 13 hours ago

Sequoia Capital on startups and the economic downturn

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: depression recession)

Sequoia Capital recently made a presentation to its portfolio companies about how to try to survive an economic downturn. Here's the presentation


SlideShare Link

New Friends, Dinner, A Little Luck, & Culture

Alright gang, this posting is a little long, but it tries to capture the details of the day. I was pretty lucky all day long.


Background
Today is my last full day in China, Alec left this morning and I have no real plans for the day. I checked out of the hotel around 1PM and checked into the Park Plaza at 2PM. The Park Plaza is really nice and is priced at 1/2 the cost of our original hotel.

I am hoping to catch up with Billy and Kate later on today. They are staying an extra day and are pretty cool to be around.


Lucky Story # 1

I happened to be checking out of the hotel at the exact same time as Billy and Kate. Guess what, they will be checking into the same hotel that I am checking into. This was not planned. They reserved their room months ago, and my room was booked this week without any knowledge of their booking. In addition, the bell hop was pressuring me to check out of the hotel. Yes, I was late checking out, but did he have to wait outside my room ? Nevertheless, Billy, Kate, and I share a cab to the Plaza Hotel in Beijing China ( I give this hotel a big thumbs up). Meeting up with Billy and Kate made the rest of the day easy. We didn't have to coordinate schedules or anything like that.

Picture Below: Picture of the bellhop waiting outside my room and creating a sense of urgency for me to checkout.




Lucky Story # 2
Billy is still alive after eating starfish. Read the next post to understand this one a little better.

From Food Market

Lucky Story # 3
I am always lucky to have classmates from Harvard Business School around. Having Kate around assured me that the rest of the day was going to go smooth. Having type A personalities around assures me that every detail will be taken care of.

I had only one goal for the day, which was to be at Beijing's Famous Silk Market at 7PM. I needed to pick up some dress shirts that I had made. Kate planned our entire day (museum, shopping, dinner, night water cube visit) down to the last minute. It worked out so that everyone was able to accomplish their goals for the day.

Picture Below: I survived another tough negotiation at the Silk Markets. This negotiation was tough. These girls would not take no for an answer. I worked my magic while Billy took photos of the harassment.




Picture Below: Picture of the art museum that we toured on our last day in China.


Picture Below: Ron (me) imitating the Buddha.


Lucky Story # 4
We are all still alive. Our classmate, Tian Tian, recommended that we eat at Xi Lou Hutong, Courtyard 28. It sounds like a great recommendation. Key word, "sounds" like a great recommendation. I forgot that Tian Tian is hardcore. She is originally from China and is one of the most hardcore personalities that I've met.

I was thinking nice western food, but I should have known better when the taxi driver didn't know how to get there. Xi Lou Hutong, Courtyard 28 is "Authentic Chinese Food" and is located in the bowels of a poor, run down Chinese neighborhood. This neighborhood has a shared bathroom and shower complex because the area is too poor for people to have running water.

We venture down a dark alleyway, through run down homes, and find a very nice looking restaurant in the back of the area that I described. By the way, Kate is fearless, she is walking through this area alone and ahead of both Billy and myself. No American female in their right mind would do such a thing. The restaurant and the neighborhood do not seem to fit one another.


Billy and I are a little nervous about eating at Courtyard 28. They had to show us a business card in order for us to know that we were at the right location. The menus are written in Chinese; no english, no pictures. I don't know about you, but it is hard to order when you don't know the language and can't see what you are eating.


Billy and I need pictures. Hell, we even needed pictures to order from the menu at McDonald's earlier today.


Billy and I decide that we will have drinks and get out of dodge. Kate on the other hand is a little more adventurous. We see other people in the restaurant that appear to speak both English and Chinese. They were shocked to see us there! The ring leader of the group immediately asked us, "How did you guys hear about this restaurant?" We explain and he is like, "Wow, tourist never come here. The food is good and if you need help ordering, let us know."


Those weren't the words that I was hoping to hear. I was ready to order drinks and leave, but as you can see, it didn't turn out that way. You can see the pain on Billy's face (picture below).



Lucky Story # 5

From Friends met a...

We met up with David, from the Pentathlon event (picture above: Ron, David, and Kent). This story shows that our day was meant for a blog. I received an email from David earlier in the day. I responded and told him that our group was eating dinner around 8PM at Xi Lou Hutong, Courtyard 28.

Around 7PM, we realized that we were going to be late. I emailed David to let him know that we probably wouldn't get there until 9:15.

We get to Xi Lou Hutong, Courtyard 28 at 9:15 and there is no David. I figured that he already left or never showed up. Around 10:30, we leave Xi Lou Hutong, Courtyard 28 and plan to go to the WaterCube. Unsuccessfully, we stand on the corner for a few minutes trying to flag a taxi. Then a taxi pulls to the corner to drop off a passenger and we attempt to get the taxi as the passenger steps out of the cab. I realize that the person stepping out of the cab is David!!!!

Wow! Pretty freaky! If we were one minute sooner or later, we would not have seen David. Had we decided to eat elsewhere, we would have missed David.

I introduce David to Billy and Kate. We decide to go for drinks. We walk to the next neighborhood over and chat for a while. To my surprise, David brought both Alec and myself a gift. He brought us a very nice chopstick set. Man, I am floored by David's generosity and thoughtfulness.


We talk with David and he tells us about his life, family, ambitions, friends, and culture. Kate, Billy, and myself are in complete shock and awe about the evening. I am grateful that David persevered our late arrival to dinner and decided to comeback to meet us once he received my email about dinner. David also accompanied, Kate, Billy, and myself to take one last look at the WaterCube (remind me to get some pictures from Kate and Billy -- this is when my camera's battery died).

Creepy Crawlers Equal Comfort Food

Below: Mark & Daniella eating a scorpion at the Food Market in Beijing.



Above: Mark Vela getting his daily dose of nutrients.





This market is famous in Beijing for the various foods that have become part of the Chinese cuisine. Take a look at some of the various pictures. While scrumptious to some, I believe that I'll pass this time.

The history of how certain foods became part of Chinese Culture and for any culture is interesting. Foods often become part of a societies culture as a result of necessity and remain in the culture because of legacy.

Picture Below: Picture of Billy eating a starfish at the food markets. Billy's original goal was to eat a Scorpion, but he decided against it after getting sick from eating the Starfish.



Pictures of Tasty Cuisine



List of Foods Available at the Market

1. Scorpions (Mark Vela and Daniella ate these things. They have pictures and a video of the event. I am trying to get a digital copy of it from Mark.)
   
2. Starfish (Billy ate this)
   
3. Stomach of a Cow
4. Snake
5. Eel
6. Intestines of Every Type of Animal
7. Pig Ears

Good bye, Beijing

Ron and Alec part ways to their respective lives. This was taken in
the lobby of the Central Garden Hotel, where we spent the last few
nights in Beijing. Ron has one more day left in Beijing! Alec is flying home!

Thought
The past two weeks have been awesome. The best part of the trip is that I had a chance to spend time with one of the my section mates. Before the trip, Alec and I were classmates that were cool with one another. Now we are a FAMILY that happened to go to school with one another. No Jokie, Jokie.

Although Alec and I were brought up in different homes, it feels as if we could have been brothers. His parents definitely raised him to have solid values, a passion for life, and a commitment to service.

Tear drop
I can't believe that this is over! The trip! My Harvard | Business | School experience! The past two years of my life have been wonderful. Words really can't describe how I am feeling right now. I feel like I've been "Living The Dream." God has definitely blessed me. I don't know why God picked me to experience such great things, but I am truly thankful. I hope that I can be instrumental in helping someone have some of the same experiences that I have had.

Who would have guessed it? No one except my MOM, my FAMILY, and true supporters like YOU.

LOL, I can't believe that I am actually crying right now. I thought about sharing the picture, but it looks really bad.

Below: Don't we look like brothers ?



Theme Song
Bon Jovi, "Living on a Prayer" is representative of how I am feeling right now.

Creating A Comedy Skit

Wow !!!! I am a little sad that this trip is coming to an end, but boy do I have some laughs and funny stories to share with you!!!! Out of respect for Bernie Mac (bless his soul), I am going to put together a comedy skit.


Stand Up Comedy Act
I am a big fan of stand up comedy, even acts that aren't all that funny. On GP (i.e. General Principle), I give the comedian props for having enough courage and heart to stand up in front of people.

Over the past few months, I have been watching tons of stand up. For example, I've watched Katt Williams, Martin, Bernie Mac, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and even some local acts.

I believe that my trip to China has created several moments worth retelling on stage via a comedy skit and I plan to deliver. In order to do it properly, I will put together a 5-10 minute act centered on a few topics. If you have any ideas or critiques of my topics (content too), then feel free to let me know. For the most part, I won't post any details of my content until after I perform. Just let me know if you want to dig deep on one area in order to help me hone my skit. Trust me, I won't try to do too much in one skit, but I won't have a lack of material either. I am keeping it a little vague right now for a reason.

If you have any crazy travel stories or anything interesting that took place on one of your trips to China or any trips anywhere, feel free to reach out to me as well.

This should be fun. Between writing, practicing, and actually delivering a skit, I will have a ball. I will keep you up to date on my progress.


MAJOR COMEDIC THEMES

1. Difficulties of not being able to speak the local language.
   
2. Alternative methods of communicating when a common language is spoken
   
3. Negotiating the price of goods at various markets.
4. My personal flight from the US to China (hilarious, you should read my blog about this episode of the trip).
5. Going to the bathroom in a foreign country, especially China (I have a few good ones about this).
6. Eating. Food. Pets. Not being able to recognize half the food that one eats in a foreign country.
7. Can you believe the hype? Fact or Fiction !!!
   
8. Chinese don't believe in personal space at all (taking pictures, bathroom incident).
   
9. Going beyond your comfort zone.
10. Tour guides.
    
11. Different customs and the difficulty of translating idioms from one country to another.
12. Watermelon & Chicken in China.
13. Americans being nicer to other Americans in foreign countries than they normally would in America.
14. How African Americans meet other African Americans when visiting foreign lands.
15. Haters !!
16. Homeless !!
    

Golden Jaguar

At the Golden Jaguar, enjoying the best meal of the trek!

I am trying to figure out why are we just finding out about this place. No offense, but the food on this trek has been sub-par. If there is one area that our organizers have been slow to adjust according to this interests of the group, it would be in the area of dining.

I plan to do a separate blog just for food. Stay tuned for more!

Forbidden City

Currently at the Forbidden City beside Tian'anmen Square

Great Wall of China

Today we scaled the Great Wall, climbing around 1000 feet of steps.
It was a little foggy, but we had great views of the hillsides and
valley below.

Made Up For Lost Time

We were supposed to tour Beijing on a bicycle ride this morning, but partying last night caused us to wake up very late. We have from 12:30PM to 3:30PM to make the best of the day, because at 4PM, we have to meet the rest of the group for meeting with China Investment Corporation.

So we decided to take a cab from our hotel to view the CCTV Building and the Summer Palace



CCTV Building



The CCTV Building is an architectural tourist attraction. Even after seeing the building, it amazes me how the building supports itself and does not topple over with a strong wind.

The security guards kept us from getting too close to the building, because the building is still under construction (i.e. like many other buildings that we saw in China). China has done a great job at masking the incomplete projects from the public eye.


Summer Palace




Alec and I made it to the Summer Palace with very little time to spare. We need to be headed back to our hotel within 45 minutes or we will miss our meeting with the China Investment Corporation.

The gallery above highlights the pictures that we were able to take during our speed tour of the Summer Palace.



Who Do You Think I Am? I'm a Tourist, but not a Sucker !!!

When we were trying to find a taxi from Summer Palace to our hotel, none of the drivers would agree to take us home unless we agreed to pay 120 RMB for the ride. Now, 120 RMB isn't that expensive (approx. $18 USD), but Alec and I preferred to pay the metered price rather than a negotiated amount. We figured that the metered price would be less than the metered price.

Apparently, the taxi drivers at this location work in a ring together and try to take advantage of the tourists. Neither Alec nor myself would agree to the terms being offered and they wouldn't agree with ours. After a while, I didn't trust them. They could have taken us to a remote location and demanded more money than what was agreed upon. They tried to take advantage of us once, what would prevent them from trying to do it again.

Fortunately, we saw a taxi driving through the area and we hopped into the car and the driver agreed to the metered price. The cab ride home ended up being 30 RMB.

Moral of the Story: Never negotiate or do business with a crooked individual. Never! Don't compromise your values for no one.

Not My Best Day in Beijing

Glad to see that you are still following the blog. Unfortunately, I don't have any news worth sharing about yesterday. From the lyrics of Lauren Hill's song, "Lost Ones," I just lost one day from my trip to Beijing.

Don't feel compelled to read about the rest of my day. It is filled with me moaning and groining about how my day didn't go as expected, but how it ended up working out in the end. However, when I put things into perspective, my day was still spectacular. Things could be worse. Also, if you are a part of the group and are reading this blog, don't feel bad. Nothing personal. Writing about the experience is a way for me to relieve stress.

Sorry about not having any pictures from the day, but I may be able to get you some shortly.

Recollection of the Day
6AM
The Holland House wore me out. I ended up going to bed after 6AM in the morning.

1PM
Woke up from a deep sleep and prepared for the final day of Olympic Games.

2PM
Decided to watch the basketball finals from the lounge in the hotel . Felt like American food was in order and decided to order a pizza from Pizza Hut . Pizza and Basketball go together like Love and Forever right ?! This way, I can relax, and after the game I can go shopping in one of the fabric districts before a group dinner at 7:30PM.

3PM
Watching the game. Waiting for the pizza to arrive.


4PM
Still watching the game and still waiting for the pizza to arrive. Though about calling Pizza Hut!

5PM
No longer watching the game, yet still waiting for the pizza to arrive. Decided to call Pizza Hut. Doesn't look like I am going to go shopping before dinner anymore.

6PM
By now, I am a little frustrated. I don't even want the pizza anymore because dinner is at 7:30, but I am still hungry. If I eat now, my dinner will be spoiled.

7PM
No longer hungry because the pizza arrived at 6:30, but I am looking forward to a nice sit down dinner with the travel group. We are supposed to eat at a nice restaurant and watch the closing ceremony (boy was I wrong about the closing ceremony).


8PM
At a nice Chinese dinner, but no TV in sight. I am a little anxious to leave, but we are enjoying each other's company. I am comforted by the fact that we are in the area where the fireworks are going to be on display.

9PM
For the first time on this trip, I become disappointed in the planners. I am upset because we missed watching the closing ceremony on TV and we are missing the the fireworks even though we are in the district where the fireworks are being displayed (long story).

Our group is in complete disarray. No one knows where we are going, or what is going on. The streets are crowded. Bars are crowed. I can't speak the language, therefore, I am dependent upon the group for direction and safety.

I am getting the feeling that my day was wrecked right from the beginning. So now, I plot on how I can get away from the group and actually get to a place where I can relax and have some fun.

10 PM

After deciding to remain with the group, I completely missed the fireworks show! Picture that !!! I am in Beijing during the Olympics and I missed everything associated with the closing ceremony! I didn't even get a chance to watch the closing events on television.

Now, I am ready to part from the group. I don't know the language, but I am so frustrated, that I feel that I don't need the group. My day couldn't get any worse, so why not venture off on my own!!!!!

I decide to leave and catch a cab. My friend Amy decided to roll with me too. I don't know the language, but the partying is universal. I don't need the language to find my way, all I need is a few primitive gestures and we are off.

11 PM
Finally feeling good about my decision to leave the group. Why didn't I do this earlier? We are at a local bar called "Angel" where a lot of locals hang out. Pretty cool place. Although I am having a great time, I am trying to find my exit.

Also, the locals are loving my gear! I bought a nice piece of Chinese clothing at a "very special price" and I decided to wear it out. Everyone keeps gesturing at me in the club with signs of approval.

Midnight
In the line at Club China Doll. This is the place where several of the Olympic Athletes hang out at night ( check out this article about the Olympic Athletes ). Amy and I have heard great things about this club, so we decided to go here.

1AM
Still happy about my decision to leave the group. Glad that Amy rolled along as well. I learned a lot about her career interests and passion for investing. We had a great conversation. Interesting how you spend an entire year at school with someone, and don't get a chance to really know them. However, when you spend 20 minutes seriously focused on learning more about the person's interests and ideas about life, you feel moved and like you are fortunate to have them as a friend.


2AM
We decided to leave China Doll and check out Angel once again. We are looking for a few of our classmates, but none of them are there. Amy gets in the cab to head home. I decided to walk around the club scene for a little while longer.

I don't come to China often, and it is too early for me to go home.

3AM
I see a few of our classmates on the street. We decide to go back to China Doll. This was a great call. We ended up dancing the night away and having a ball. Everyone in the group was wondering where I jetted off to from earlier in the night.

4AM
Still in the club.


5AM
Still in the club, but walking out the door!


6AM
Sleep, but I am suppose to wake up at 8AM. We have a bike riding tour of Beijing that starts at 9AM.

7AM
Still sleep.

8AM
Still sleeping.

9AM
Still sleeping. Missed the tour.


10AM
Still sleeping. Dreaming !!!

11AM
Still sleeping. No way we can find the group no even if we decided to meet up with the group.


Noon
Wiping the sleep out of my eyes! Looking for a clock and trying to figure out the time. Feeling robbed from the day before, I am determined to make the best of a botched day. Alec and I put a game plan together in order to salvage the day.

The game plan is to check out 2 major attractions in Beijing before 3PM. Wait for the next blog entry to determine whether we salvage the day. I think we do, but I'll leave it for you to decide.

Where the Buck Stops ($)

Hey Everyone,

I have some good news and bad news for you. Let me give you the bad news first.

Bad News

I wanted to see the Beijing Water Cube up close and personal during my trip to the Olympics, but was unable to based upon security and based upon me being re$ourceful (i.e. broke) and not spending a grip on tickets to the water events. I had to draw the line somewhere. It felt as if the scalpers were not trying to budge on the price at all.

Good News

Although I couldn't see it up close and personal, I was able to see the venue from a distance. Also, most importantly, my buddy, Alec went to the diving finals and was able to take a few unbelievable pictures and videos of the water cube. And just for you my friend, Alec, is allowing me to show you these pictures at "A Very Special Price. No jokie jokie!" Maybe one day I'll get to the other side (i.e. anything is possible, even in China).

Note: When you watch the diving finals, you might just see Alec sitting behind a guy in a loud green jacket.

Pictures of the Water Cube



Video of the Water Cube

Wing Man at Holland House !!

Do I look like I have KFC written all over my face? Maybe KFC is on my forehead, because I do love some chicken! Oh boy, do the Chinese love their KFC.

Nevertheless, I am writing this entry because I played WING MAN once again!
Some day this wing man thing better pay off. I should be inducted into the WING MAN Hall of fame isn't that right Adrian?

I'm a team player and all, but do I always have to choose last, especially when I get the conversation going? Playing the wing tonight wasn't that bad, it is just that her friend was cuter.

Holland House Beijing
Tonight, we went to the Holland House in Beijing. The Holland House is a traveling club that opens for each Olympics. It serves as the headquarters for the Dutch and many eastern European groupies. Pretty fun place! I hope to add a few pictures from the night, but don't count on it.

Check out the Holland House Web Site




Picture Below: My boy Jon Venuto and Mark Vela holding up a model chick at the Holland House. Why couldn't that have been me ? Seriously, one of the girls is some Super Model and Olympic Medalist. Don't know who she is, and if I did, I still wouldn't put her on blast like that!

China Photogallery

Hey All,

I figured that it would be nice if I put a link to all the photos that I am taking during my trip to China. There are tons of pictures that I have taken, but I haven't had a chance to upload them all.

So here's my crack at helping you view a bunch of pictures. Let me know what you think.

Best Pictures from China (In Progress)



Beijing


Shanghai




Shenzhen




Alec's Pictures

My Section Mate from Harvard Business School, Alec Detwiler , has a set of awesome photos as well during our visit to China. Again, keep in mind that a few of these pictures may overlap. We will update our pictures as we have more time.

You Can't Bootleg Service

You can get a lot of fake things in China, but there's one thing in China that you can't fake and that is service.

The service associated with the Olympic Games here in China has been fantastic. The people have been unbelievably great from the hotels to the stadium and everything in between.

For example, Alec and I called the front desk for laundry service and within seconds (no exaggeration), someone was knocking on our door to pick up the laundry. Then, 15 seconds later, another staff member arrived. And then, 30 seconds after that, the manager showed up at our room in order to make sure that our laundry was properly being cared for. It was soooo funny that we had to take a picture while the event was unfolding. The manager is not shown above because she ran as soon as she saw the picture being taken.


In America, you'd be hard pressed to get the level of service that we've experience here in China !!!!

Are You My Daddy ? Are you from America?

While in Tiananmen Square, a family stopped me and asked whether I would take a picture with their child. You know me, and how I roll, being the celebrity that I am and all, I obliged.

China ---- I love it! One place where I wouldn't mind living based on how the people are fond of Black People.

Oh yeah, people asked me where I was from. I responded, "North Carolina" and they seemed very excited to learn about North Carolina. As soon as I told them that North Carolina was in the United States, they seemed a little distraught. They responded as if I told them that I were the grim reaper. Pretty interesting. Now, I am going to tell people that I am from Ireland, Canada, or Nigera. I won't make the mistake of being from American again.

Any thoughts on why they responded negatively about me being in America ?


NOT TO BE OUTDONE




Above: Picture of Alec Detwiler and his new found Chinese family.

Watching this scene unfold was hilarious. The lady asked Alec 3 times to take a picture with her child. At first we thought that she wanted him to take a picture FOR her, but in the end it was that she wanted to take a picture WITH him. Don't they look like they were meant to be?

Beijing: Modern Penthalon

We made it to Beijing this morning after a "fun" overnight train from
Shanghai. We are now checking out the finals of the Modern Pentathlon. We happened to get tickets to this event because of a couple from California gave them to us at a "VERY SPECIAL PRICE."

Only in China does everyone trying to sell you something gives it to you at a "VERY SPECIAL PRICE, JUST FOR YOU MY FRIEND."

No seriously, we ran into a couple in California that was nice enough to give us their tickets to the Pentathlon Finals.


MEET MY NEW FRIENDS FROM CHINA



My friend on the left is David and my friend on the right is Kent.

I met both Kent and David at the game. They are both college students and are studying Communications. David specializes in Stop Movie Productions. If you don't know what Stop Movie is, you should definitely learn about it. Pretty Cool Stuff.

All Aboard the Midnight Express

All Aboard

We are taking an overnight train from Shanghai to Beijing. We have all the cabins on the train booked except for one. So it should make for a fun night.

All types of games are being played: Poker,Mafia, and Spades.

Poker -- I made a little money. Not enough. It seems like everyone wanted to give their money to Jon Venuto.

Spades -- Funny! Way too funny for me. I had to school them on how to play with the Big and Little Jokers. Can you believe that ? They didn't even play with the Deuce of Diamonds as a trump card. Nevertheless, I explained to them the seriousness of spades in certain households.

NBA China --- Straight Balling

This is how we roll! Yeah, I know that you are hating. If I were you, I'd hate me too. Today, we visited NBA China. Representatives from the NBA talked with us about their plans to capture the China market and how the business environment is changing.

Above: Picture of Alec and Ron Fun representing at NBA China in Shanghai.

Shanghai's Knockoff Version of Cirque Du Soleil

If I don't remember anything about China, I will remember this. Only in China can you get a bootleg copy of something that is actually better than the original.

For the past few days, our tour guide has been talking with us about how the Chinese are great at replicating and perfecting any craft. For example, during our trip to Boa Steel, I learned that metallurgy was brought to China well after it was introduced in many countries, and eventually the Chinese developed steel making techniques that were 200 years ahead of its time.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL of SHANGHAI
China's ability to bootleg something better than the original doesn't stop with metal and pocketbooks, but it extends to DANCE, ART, and THEATER.

Tonight, we went to an acrobatic show that was truly amazing. Although the show was short in duration, the stunts on display are tough to replicate anywhere else in the world. I wish that I had some pictures, but I was unable to take pictures during the show (hopefully I can get some pictures from Daniella - I believe that she was able to take a few during the show).

The Art of War -- Negotiating in Shanghai Markets

Wow! Negotiating is definitely an ART and a SCIENCE! Our group has spent the past two days shopping in Shanghai at various markets and I must say that I learned a few things about negotiating. In addition, I've enjoyed having Adrian and Alec watch me and my negotiating skills in action.

Lessons Learned

1. Everything is negotiable!
   
2. There is power in placing your final offer, directly in front of the seller. This tactic plays upon the human psychology in ways that you would not imagine (both Adrian & I have put this to effective use).
3. Sometimes we (humans) sometimes negotiate for the sport and because of need. In these situations, the ego and principles remain supreme, which is why sometimes we must put things into perspective.
   
4. Damn, I'm good at this game! I consistently achieve a bargain price while maintaining my integrity, values, and respect for others.
5. Time can be your worst enemy during a negotiation.
6. Creating a market is a good way to extract maximum value from the exchange.
7. Don't pay for any customized product until the customization process has been complete.
   

Funny Encounters while negotiating

1. Merchants frequently said "I give you great price. This is original, not fake. Everything in my store is good quality." I would respond, "I want the bootleg items, please show me the bootleg items." Then they would respond by showing me bootleg items and then saying, "Everything is bootleg." Funny, trust me you had to have been there.
2. The Chinese merchants would immediately call me a "Jokester" because I would go in and say, let me buy this shirt for $2,000 USD. They would look at my as if I were crazy. We would have fun together for a few minutes and then I would leave. They are really funny and good at what they do. The only thing that I still don't understand is -- "Why does every shop sell the same thing?" The merchants end up competing against each other rather than differentiating themselves.
   
3. Summer, our tour guide, took us to a Silk Market and tried to tell us that we could not bargain. Who does he think that I am? Summer, is definitely a hustler. The shops pay him money to bring tourists to certain locations. He should become a little more crafty at pulling off certain heists and resorting to bold face lies. Some people just don't have any values other than the love of money.

Live at the Olympics: Nigeria vs. Belgium

Watching Nigeria crush Belgium at the soccer semi-finals.

This game was not necessarily a thriller, but it was one for the ages. This game marks my first ever attendance at a major soccer event. The stadium was packed. I attended the game with more than 8 classmates from Harvard Business School.

Getting tickets to the game was quite interesting. We had to put our negotiating skills to use just outside the stadium. When I say "we," I mean ME. I had to show these guys how to get a ticket at a low cost price. We ended up paying approximately $17 USD for tickets. Not too bad for tickets that have face values way more than that!



This is one of my many interactions with the Chinese. I feel like I am a mini-super star in China. Every where I turn I see someone staring at me. Every once in a while, someone will ask to take a picture with me. Tonight after the game, I took at least 4 pictures with the local Chinese citizens. One more thing that being black will get you, "admired by the Chinese." I hope that Americans will take a page from the Chinese and begin to admire me a little more rather than continue with the status quo.

Just to show you that I'm not kidding, here is one more picture of the Chinese admiring the one and only RON FUN.

Zhou Zhuang

About an hour outside of Shanghai is a small village that was
preserved over a century ago. It sits on the edge of a large lake,
and has canals running through it. They call it the "Venice of China".

Uploaded Random Videos from the Trip to YouTube

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I uploaded some random videos from the trip to. You can access one or two of few of them here!

Summary of Visit to Shenzhen

1. People are the same all throughout the world, the only things is that people do things just a little different. Who am I to say that the way westerners do things is appropriate for all?
2. Shenzhen is a massive city. It is quite ridiculous in both size and population.
3. I realize that communicating is going to be difficult from here on out during my trip to China.
4. The food is going to be tough to stomach for the next 14 days.
   
5. The growth of China will continue well into the next decade. China isn't finished growing, but the growth may slow in comparison to how we've seen it in the past.
6. The Chinese place a heavy burden on women to get married early.
7. Our tour guide, Nancy, was awesome!
8. Education is the key, no matter what society one is in!!!
9. I am a very blessed individual.
   
10. The people love Ding Xioping.

Summary of Visit to Hong Kong

Highlights from Hong Kong & Trip Summary

1. Victoria's Peak offered excellent views of the Hong Kong
   
2. Small World. I can't go anywhere without meeting someone that I know (Matt Payne, Roxanne).
3. Hong Kong is like a little New York City.
4. The night life in Hong Kong is pretty good. The people in Hong Kong know how to party (Matt P. is going to be okay!).
   
5. I am beginning to believe that I would lose 30+ pounds if I moved to Asia, but we will see.
6. The walk on the pier was fabulous.
7. I can't wait for the next part of our trip.
8. Watch out for aggressive woman while in Hong Kong.

Dim Sum Restaurant in Shenzhen, China

Jen Case and RonFun (me ) being adventurous atop the 49th floor rotating
restaurant, tasting the bean curd jelly thingy (loose translation).
Several famous leaders have dined here, including Nixon and H.W. Bush.

Boy, was this delicious! Since arriving in China, the group has been eating at various Authentic Chinese Restaurants. Some restaurant experiences were good and some were pretty terrible. Nevertheless, the most important thing was trying and putting forth a good effort.

The "Dim Sum" experience was really great. Here at this place, we were able to watch Olympic Swimmer Phelps win his 8th Gold Medal of the 2008 China Olympics as the restaurant rotated nonstop. Check out a few pictures of the city (none are present currently, but I promise to add a few later).

China trip update

It's hard to beleive that only three days have gone by on our trip; we
have had a lot of fun and many adventures as the cultural
acclimization continues. Our first day started with sightseeing on
Victoria Peak, then across the harbor to Kowloon to check out Star
Avenue (Chinese version of Walk of Fame). The view from Victoria Peak
was incredible - the density of skyscrapers is impressive along with
the architectual variety. At dinner that evening, sectionmate Matt
Payne joined us as we celebrated the first night of the trip (and only
night in Hong Kong). The night continued to a couple bars, Privé
dance club, and late-night restaurant. We met a number of ex-pats
along the way.

On our second day, we took a bus to Shenzhen (45 minutes away) to
enter mainland China for the first time. Shenzhen is a massive city
(14 million people!), with an impressive skyline. We spent the
afternoon at the headquarters of China Vante, the largest real estate
developer in China. We toured a few showrooms then spoke with a few
execs. That night (Friday night), we hung out at a nice club, Richy,
near our hotel, Lushan hotel. We partied in style with reserved
tables, bottle service, and a new drink for me... johnnie walker and
green tea.

Today was an incredibly relaxing day. We started with a late 10 am
start, then stopped by Lianhua mountain (hill) for a nice view of
Shenzhen. We then drove to a private beach 45 min east of Shenzhen
for a few hours of fun in the sun, playing a modified-game of beach
volleyball (inspired by the olympics no doubt). Along the way we
drove by Shenzhen's massive shipping port, the third largest in the
world.

In the evening, we had a nice Shanghai-style dinner, then proceeded to
one of Shenzhen's signature spa & massage complexes. This was quite
an experience. In short, I had the best massage of my life - a 2-hour
body massage. I also received a 45-min foot massage while watching
the olympics (saw the 100M final), and being brought drinks and
watermellon.

The food so far has been great. We have enjoyed several styles of
Chinese cuisine (Cantonese, Szechuan, and Shanghai), and most of the
dishes are completely new to me. Some of the more memorable items
include sea cucumber and pig nuckles. We have had pork, chicken, and
duck served in ways that didn't look like pork, chicken, or duck.
Some of the fun drinks include a sweetened herbal tea (apparently the
"Chinese Coke") and a sweet rice wine served warm (very similar to
sake).

Tomorrow we leave for Shanghai, after a Dim Sum brunch at a rotating
restaurant atop one of Shenzhen's many skyscrapers.

Chillin' with Deng

At the top of Linhua mountain, Alec & Ron pay homage to former Chinese
leader, Deng Xiaoping, as he overlooks his crowning accomplistment
(?), Shenzhen

Mile High Club or Out of Control

Flight: Detroit to Hong Kong via Japan

All Black People Look Alike

This is where the story gets juicy, so please be patient and keep reading. I pass all the business class seats and head to my seat (57H – Aisle Seat). Five minutes later a flight attendant comes to me and says, “I’m still trying to find you a seat.” At first I was confused. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I went along as if I understood. Then it dawned on me that she confused me with another black guy. Next, I looked around and saw an African American male looking for empty seats on aisles with additional legroom.

Intimate Thought

In the mind of America, there is no denying it, “all black people look a like.” This phenomenon is powerful and very scary. I am certain that there are many African American Men in jail for crimes that they did not commit. Wrongfully convicting someone of a crime has the power to make a community feel safer, even if an innocent person pays the price. Society feels better knowing that someone taken the “rap.”

Nevertheless, she confused me with another African American gentleman, Michael Guthrie. At the time I didn’t know the gentleman’s name, but after a 16 hour flight, everyone feels like family. Keep reading, I’ll explain. My original suspicions were confirmed, denied, and then confirmed again. 10 minutes later, the flight attendant emerges and tells Michael that there is an empty exit row seat with tons of legroom that he can use during the flight. So I was correct, she did confuse me with another black guy. 5 minutes later, she reemerges and asks me whether I would like to sit in an exit row seat with tons of legroom. Wow! I guess that I was wrong.

Lesson Learned

She was genuinely concerned about helping me have extra legroom. The take away from this experience is that things aren’t always what they appear.

Exit Row Seating

I replied “Yes, but of course!” I mean as much as I like being crammed in an airplane seat with strangers on each side, I obliged and sat in the Holy Grail of Airplane Seating, the EXIT ROW! Nice. This may be a good trip after all.

What makes this new seat nice is that it is directly beside the food service section of the plane and close to the bathrooms. Food, drink, and bathroom are all in close proximity. Nice! This should make for an interesting flight!

Although by now, my #10 from McDonalds is cold, I decided to eat. Within minutes of eating my meal from McDonalds, the foodservice staff decides to serve dinner. I’m stuffed, but this is food for a King. How can I pass it up? Alright, maybe it is not food for a great king, but it is good enough for a king stuff in a 747. They really work hard to make an airplane of this size run smoothly.

Things are slowing down. I’m tired. I guess that it is time for some sleep.

Pervert On the Plane Incident

Oops, just as soon as I thought that this was going to be an eventless flight, I was proved wrong. Apparently, there is a pervert in First Class. He is accused of pulling his pants down and getting freaky with a lady in the seat beside him. They just met and before the end of the flight, she was “handling” business. Either he has game or she is a complete whore. The pervert looks drunk as a skunk. He is scarring the flight attendants, and one attendant freaked completely and let out a big yell. He kept asking to be served more alcohol and became irritated when the attendant “cut him off.” I bet that you are asking, “How do I know all of this?” Well, you guessed it, the flight attendant asked me and Michael, the other black guy, to move to first class and serve as their body guards just in case the war breaks lose and the pervert tries to do something even more disturbing.

Lesson Learned

Being black will not only get you pulled over by the police, but also get you a first class seat on an airplane just in case things seem a little fishy. People know that black folk are the last people to be terrorist or causing trouble on airplane. Black people are generally too darn scared to fly, and we sure as hell won’t be causing any disturbance on a plane. We get nervous and darn near pass out when the plane hits a little turbulence. Black people even whisper a little prayer right before takeoff and just after landing. Trust me on this! Look for the next black passenger on an airplane and tell me what happens.

Pervert No Longer On the Plane

Yeah the Pervert Situation became so bad that the crew decided divert the plan to Anchorage, Alaska and have the guy arrested by the local authorities. A few times I thought that I might have to whip this guy’s ass. Who am I fooling? I wasn’t whipping shit. I was hoping that this guy didn’t act up. He looked like he had a little fight in him. He noticed that both Michael and I would follow him around the plane when ever he got up. I was on guard trying to make sure that the guy didn’t have any accomplices or friends on the plane just in case the war came and things got ugly up in the air. The last thing I wanted to happen was me getting knocked out because some flight attendant wanted two black guys, whom she stereotyped, to protect her. It wasn’t happening on my watch.

Nevertheless, the authorities boarded the plane and arrested the pervert. Although he went willingly, he was caught off guard. He had no clue that he was about to get arrested. The diversion freaked out all of the passengers except for this guy. The pilot announced, “We are landing in Alaska for fuel, sorry for the delay and inconvenience.” Fuel my ass and everyone knew it!

What happens after the police arrest the perve?

Ø Interrogate all first class passengers and attendants

Ø The scene turns into Comedy Central. I’m taking pictures. Everyone is pulling out their cameras cautiously. No one wants to be taken to jail for making a spectacle of the situation.

Ø The flight attendants are finally happy to get rid of this guy and life is good once again in first class.

Life in First Class after the Pervert

Ø Michael and I are encouraged to remain in first class for the duration of the flight.

Ø I watched the movie 88 Minutes, starring Al Pacino. Pretty interesting movie.

Ø Now all the guys in first class are asking, “Why didn’t the flight attendants request their help?” Now everyone wants to be a hero after the fact. Interesting.

Ø We have a chance to meet a few interesting people. I met an Ex Pat, engineer from GM. We had a pretty good conversation. Seems like a smart guy. He is from Detroit, but is enjoying his time in Korea working for GM. He took some pictures, hopefully he will share them with me.

Ø We eat breakfast (omelets with danishes) and use real silverware.

Ø Michael passes out. I should do the same, but I am enjoying the moment right now. Life is good.