After Much Debate....

After much debate and a lot of personal reflections and many fan request and the approval of Clark Smith (the best blogger the world has known), I have decide to start this blog back up. The only thing I can promise about these new blog post is like in the past they will continue to have the same grammar mistakes and spelling errors of my previous blogs. Having a college degree doesn't mean you know the English language any better, which is kind of unfortunate. Also, the content of this blog will be different. A lot less funny more serious, more of a social and political commentary of how society has changed with the new economy. Absolute no more jokes. A new serious me has emerged. Well let's get start on the real content. See the following paragraphs below for more information:

So the last time I was in China for a significant period of time was in 2005 as a college student. And maybe because I have a job and in two years you gain more experience and perspective, your views change, but I don't think this is it. I think it is that China has just changed a lot. After two months or so of being here I have seen so much change just in that short time spend.

First the things that have changed in since 2005. In short, everything. There is so much more money flying around Beijing since the last time I have been here. Before when I was here, you rarely saw a BMW or Mercedes. Now, I see them all the time. Maybe it is because I live in a richer part of town now, and not in the ghetto near the zoo. But money is everywhere. I have seen Porsches, Ferraris, Bentleys and many other high end cars. I know you are thinking so what. Well, when you consider that there is something like a 200% import tax on luxury cars and that the average income in China is like $2000 a year. It is pretty crazy too see.

And that is not the only other change, there are new buildings everywhere. Cranes and half finished buildings line the streets where ever you go. Places that I often went to when I was a student, have completely changed. For example, the bar area that we went to all the time doesn't even exist. But that is not really a surprise because they were destroying it when we were their in 2005. Also, the market penetration of many US companies is astounding. One of my favorite places to go to get food and shop for little things is 7-11 (7-11 has the best breakfast food. Like these one buns, oh so good. If you come that is the first thing I will give you). I don't think I saw one 7-11, when I was here in 2005, but now they are on every corner. And while Starbucks was here when I was here last time, its present is beginning to look like that of Seattle. Even Hooters, has open up a franchise her, which is surprisingly kind of fun, even though the girls for a lack of a better word don't have hooters. But that traditional communist China that you have read about in the history books is no longer, well at least in the big cities and coastal cities. It is being westernized at a rapid past.

Now secondly, the changes I have just seen in two months. Because the changes I have seen in the two months are so many. I will only talk about the changes I have seen on my short walk to work. On my route to work is down one street, that takes 15 mins to walk. The changes are numerous: I have witnessed the street be completely repaved twice, I have seen at least two from what I could tell popular restaurants be demolished (maybe they are doing renovation), I have seen a popular gross park, where people brought their little dogs to play be torn up and replaced with a stone square (they love their stone squares here). The dog park was one of my favorite things to watch coming and going from work. People looked so happy playing with their little dogs, even China has some of the ugliest dogs I have ever seen and you had to watch out for shit everywhere. It was enjoyable to watch their happiness and them beating their dogs when they didn't listen. But now the park is stone and blocked off and being used for military drills. While it is not dogs being beat, it is still kind of amusing to watch. But back to the changes., the are fast and they hit hard. I read in the Wall Street Journal that compared to Malawi the changes that happen in China occur every seven hours. While, its not actually this quick it certainly seems like it.

Well, I am out of things to say for now. But be assured there is more to come.