This Was Suppose to Be Posted July 1st

A Final Narrative

Since I seem to have some time on my hands, I thought I might end up writing my wrap-up blog post. I might decide to do an epiloque or something shorter, but being that I will see many of you and my travel really has come to an end, I thought I might just try sitting down and starting this (and hopefully finishing it too).

General Insights

I traveled originally to Singapore, then moved onward to Jakarta, Saigon, and finally Hong Kong. I managed a day and a half in Singapore without my school program, and almost an entire week in Hong Kong on my own. That meant I spent about 12 days in Singapore, 6 in Jakarta, 6 in Saigon, and something like 17 in Hong Kong. In terms of getting out an "fully" exploring the culture, I only really got my toes wet, but through company visits, personal walks, forced interactions, and even going out and meeting people in clubs, I did attempt and manage some degree of cultural immersion. As such, certain things I say or assume will be based on incomplete data, others will be combined with theoretical knowledge that I either enhanced or already obtained. Now is not the time for an epistemic treatise, but I note this at the beginning as an early disclaimer.

Southeast Asia and ASEAN are terms that are used to describe a certain geographical region. And let there be no mistake, this is only a certain geographical region. The cultures there are varied, great, and you have an immense intersection of social norms, religions, and even partial philosophies. Singapore is primarily Chinese and Buddhist, Malaysia is ethnically Malay and Muslim. Indonesia contains more Muslims than any other nation in the world. Interestingly, Indonesia may be one of the only countries where Islam spread primarily due to evangelism rather than by war. The Philippines and East Timor are predominately Catholic, and probably some of the best looking people on the planet. Also, the languages here go from the multi-syllabic non-tonal, to uni-syllabic and tonal. Most use the Latin script and can be picked up quite quickly from road signs and what not. Chinese, of course, uses the most annoying logogramic script.

Yes, I know Chinese is beautiful. I know its the most "widely" used script by certain metrics. But it's horrifically obtuse. There are no rules for "sounding out" things, and, so, learning any words of Chinese is an almost impossible task. Vietnamese is uni-syllabic and tonal and THEY use the Latin script with cute squiggles to tell you where the tones are. That way, when I go into a restaurant, I can try my hand at pronouncing, and do a not too shabby job. Chinese, on the other hand, totally can't do it. So, whatever nice things there are to say about Chinese (and there are plenty), the squiggle-stick writing system is not one of them.

Anyway, my point here is that SE Asia is varied, split along several lines, exists in different "stages of development" (read: some were smart and chose to be capitalist, some were stupid and thought "socialism" was somehow "less Western", and all suffered from a history of European (and to certain extent Japanese and Chinese) imperialism).

Singapore

I'd like to say something like, "No one can deny what Singapore managed to accomplish in 43 years", so I'll just leave it in quotes and hope that the message comes through. In 43 years, they went from a $500 per capita GDP to an amazing over $30,000 per capita GDP. They have no natural resources other than a decent harbor (which in many ways actually had to be artificially constructed). It's hard to think about that. That means that there are people alive today that recall when Singapore had no air-conditioning, had no amenities, no doctors, no sky-scrapers, nothing, and can now see it as a major international metropolis.

What caused it? Well, there's the Singaporean narrative about what caused it, and that gets happily written down in the history books, and then there is what caused it according to sound economic theory.

According to the Singaporean narrative, the great leader Lee Kwan Yew and his side-kick Goh Kwen Swee set about to modernize Singapore. Originally, they attempted to become part of Malaysia since it was more resource rich, but disputes eventually ended the relationship. Mr. Lee then knuckled-down and set about to create a rich city. In doing so, he set up several State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) that helped direct investment into industries. Rather than go the route of Mahatir in Malaysia and so many other SE Asian dictators, Mr. Lee realized that socialism was not the way to go, and allowed the free movement of the price system, and a generally free market. Singapore went from cheap labor, to oil refinement, to industrial add-value, to manufacturing, to service sector, finance, and is now attempting to move upward into the "knowledge" economy.

So you see, according to the Singaporean government's narrative, the intelligent investment of the government in a few key industries and the general "allowance" of a free market helped to produce one of the world's leading economies. Of course, there's nothing in economic theory to support this narrative, and history is always interpreted through a theoretical lens (contrary to the notion that history ought to inform what our theory should be). If this narrative were really true, then it would support the Keynesian concept of the socialization of investment while leaving some prices generally free to move.

The real story is a great one of the power of the free-market. Singapore did leave the market free to move, and its prices were free to allocate capital. Although the existence of SOEs is conspicuous, the government often looks to partially privatize these industries through IPOs. Furthermore, the government might set up the initial capital of many of these SOEs, but it does not provide them additional funding for bailouts. Therefore, the moral hazard seen in many countries is greatly lessened here in Singapore. There is no minimum wage in Singapore, and the union does not have the same power as it does in many other countries. Therefore, there is almost no unemployment, and other than frictional unemployment from economic shifts, there is really no (or little) involuntary unemployment. Finally, for the most part, property is protected, the government has very little corruption and serves out many of the basic functions. Obviously, greater privatization and the eventual elimination of government altogether would bring about the greatest improvement, but as far as systems go, Singapore does pretty well there.

Before moving on, I should mention that people in Singapore do not speak about politics openly. There are controls that seem ridiculous and there is a strange, almost self-imposed, curtailment of freedom of speech. In some ways, I think this is about maintaining the Singaporean narrative and keeping the People's Action Party in power. Nonetheless, what Singapore managed to accomplish ought to be seen as a result of where it embraced the free market and in spite of the areas where it embraced socialism.

Indonesia

Jakarta is almost a joke. I'm not sure how to say "the infrastructure is terrible" in a way that actually makes sense to people. The roads are organized by giant roundabouts; however, unlike the efficient roundabouts that you find in places like England, these things are horrible monstrocities. You often have to go up a road, make a dangerous U-turn, just to get back on the roundabout and go back up the road that you started on. I really can't describe it. Not to mention, there are 20 million people "living" in Jakarta, and the roads are constantly clogged by traffic of every sort. (If you think about it, it's like having the entire population of Australia in one city).

Most of the city lacks a sewage system. You don't realize how important this is until you lack a sewage system. People throw everything into the river that "runs" through the city. By "runs", I mean that the river is largely stagnant and human filth accumulates to a point where the acrid stench literally produces a burning sensation in your lungs. This water then comes out into the city's bay, which has turned the ugliest shade of green that you have ever seen. Lacking any kind of basic education, there are children from the local slums that then plunge themselves into this water. The slums also scoop up the water and drink it.

There is no efficient garbage collection system, so the poor just burn their garbage. I wondered why the city was covered in a thick film that blocked out the sun perpetually. People tried originally to tell me it was the cars, but that didn't make any sense. Cars don't produce pollution like that. The internal combustion engine, along with carburetors, cause a burn that produces pretty much only CO2 (also known as plant food) and water. However, the burning of plastics and all a manner of other garbage lumped together produces a toxic filth. Many people came down with horrible stomach ailments and you could often feel your kidneys scream under the pollution (legitimate pollution, not "I'm crying over another spotted owl dying" pollution).

Indonesia has a per capita GDP of about $2,200 and a population of anywhere between 240 million to 270 million (give or take the population of Canada basically). It's the fourth most populous nation on Earth, has over 300 registered ethnicities and over 700 registered languages. I say registered because in actuality there are many more, but the government prefers not to look at that. In fact, the government in Indonesia really is seen as governments ought to be seen, a group of bandits writ large. The ethnic hatred toward the successful Indo-Chinese causes them to leave most of their money in hiding or in Singapore as a tax haven. The ethnic aboriginal are prevented from accumulating capital and access to any kind of financing is non-existent. The government is often in turmoil and just 13 years ago, there was a massive riot that caused almost all wealth to flee the country. Two dictatorships also passed with a new "democracy" coming through. Everyone in government there (including the US State Department) gives you the same lines about how great a place Indonesia is and how it really has turned a new leaf.

In truth, I hope so, but I don't have much hope. Labor laws are restrictive, capital formation is poor, and the wage and price system are not very free to move. Things have gotten better recently, but inflation looks as though it will totally destroy any real gains. A good sign comes in that the poor neighborhoods largely police themselves. They do not look to the government to adjudicate disputes; however, without a systematic means of carrying out justice, businesses can't develop. There are tiny businesses that escape the eyes of regulators, and there are large businesses with connections or that can go into hiding, but there are no mid-sized businesses, which are characteristic of a healthy economy.

The people of Indonesia are amazing though. Everyone is multi-lingual, and they really do go out of your way to help you. Except for government violence, you're probably safer in Jakarta than Detroit (okay, that's not saying much, let's say DC, although that's not much of an improvement). Never before have I so eagerly wished that I could call down manna from heaven. These people are the victims of a post-imperialist ideology that champions socialism rather than capitalism under the guise that socialism is somehow less "imperialistic".

(Aside: I really don't get it. The basic moral defenses of both socialism and capitalism have been generated throughout the ages by numerous mystics and philosophers. Essentially, it's choosing your favorite Catholics and Jews. People get so caught up in attempting to be "non-Western" or something of the such that they completely ignore the idea of being right or wrong.)

Vietnam

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam! This is the poorest country that we went to, although you wouldn't believe it. Wealth is more evenly distributed here than in Jakarta, although there are always disparities. Also, being in Saigon kept us away from the worst of the poverty. The GDP per capita is about $1,000, and the population is around 89 million (which makes calculating total GDP really easy).

This has got to be one of the most nationalistic people that we have met, without a hint of the typical xenophobia that that tends to engender. The Vietnamese are very proud of themselves, generally want to be left alone to conduct their own affairs, and love to trade and do business with other people. There is still a disgusting level of affection for General Ho Chi Min (largely referred to as Uncle Ho). They love him for unifying the country, despite that his policies would murder hundreds of thousands.

Anyway, the Vietnamese harbor no ill-will toward the Americans or the French. They do not trust the Chinese, but for political rather than racial reasons. Interestingly enough, two years after the conclusion of the American War, Vietnamese policies led to an inflow of Chinese refugees from Vietnam into China. China decided to enter a "War of Education" to punish the Vietnamese. The President of the United States pretended to protest, while secretly encouraging the Chinese. In a single month of war (it may have been a single week), the Chinese lost a number of men equal to half the total lost by the Americans during the entire duration of the American War. KEY LESSON: Be friendly with Vietnam, don't mess with them.

The Vietnamese are extremely entrepreneurial, they have huge amounts of energy. They also have a young population. 70% are under the age of 35 (so many don't even recollect the American War). Their government is again horribly inept, and while they are posting great growth to their GDP, inflation is almost equal in size. Furthermore, the government is engaged in all kinds of investment boondoggles. Right now, they are creating a bullet train from Hanoi to Saigon; however, this train will not carry much freight, but instead will be a passenger liner. Problem, in order to even break-even, the ticket on the train will have to be several multiples higher than the cheap 2-hour plane ride from Hanoi to Saigon.

A funny story though about my Vietnamese experience. We had a tour guide that took us to the Kuichi tunnels where many of the Vietnamese guerillas fought. He spoke of the war to unify Vietnam and spoke about the North as being communist and the South as being capitalist (hardly). However, now that Vietnam is opening its economy, the communists are too proud to call the openings "capitalist", so they are simply renaming capitalism "socialism", and have renamed Vietnam a "Socialist Republic". You have to love linguistic trickery.

Coming out of Vietnam though, I didn't feel the same level of pity that I do for Jakarta. Indonesia almost seems insoluble (though it can't persist the way it is forever). The people of Vietnam, though, are simply energizing to be around.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was ceded to the British during the Opium Wars, and expanded during the Second Opium War. Living under a system of clear common law and being made a freeport, investment capital flowed inward. The relative allowance of free movement of prices and goods, of capital and labor, made it one of the most successful economies in history.

It's hard for the government to construct a narrative like the one found in Singapore. It's hard to believe that anything other than freedom has been at work here in Hong Kong. However, the government does attempt to chip away where it can, and live as a parasite, as it always does. The greatest threats to Hong Kong today come from mainland China. Truthfully, mainland China looks like an uncouth barbarian horde seeking to overwhelm the riches of Hong Kong.

While many policy wonks claim that China does not want to harm Hong Kong because it is a money-maker, I think they fail to understand what their logic leads them to in other instances. I ask them why China cares so much about retaking Taiwan, and they explain that it is "just the way they think". The Chinese see Taiwan and all these territories are rightfully theirs because some previous emperor managed to conquer them before. Chinese imperialism may be limited, but it certainly exists.

I think Hong Kong represents an affront to the Communist Party of China. Recall, this is the same party that produced the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. This is the same party that killed between 80 million and 120 million. They are desperate to stay in power, and need a Singaporean narrative for themselves. They have been attempting to control growth to maintain power, but anyone who has been to mainland China will tell you, that power is tenuous at best. Right now, China is developing a port at Shenzhen and attempting to make Shanghai a world financial center. It's hard to see how that will happen right now with the horrific ways of enforcing contracts in China right now. Those two things are developed very close to Hong Kong. I think it is a clear sign of China's attempt to minimize Hong Kong's importance.

China won't succeed though. The people of Hong Kong are industrious, intelligent, and know how to operate in a civilized world. They are extremely adaptive. Ports in America managed to co-exist peacefully as trade boomed throughout the country, and Hong Kong will manage to maintain that position even with Shenzhen possibly being a hostile port.

Conclusions

Theoretically, you can argue and come to see much about the truth of things. That is the glory of a priori reasoning; however, experience does have a wonderful ability to put things concretely. I believe Ayn Rand often said that high reasoning was practically useless unless it could be "brought down to the concrete" (I'm not quoting that perfectly, she put it very well). In the end, freedom works, socialism fails.

From the another complimentary perspective, seeing the varieties of people living and working together is another great view. Also, seeing the spread of Catholicism to these opening countries is warming. However, Asia needs philosophy.

I thought about this too late in the arguments that I would have with people. Many said that Asia is producing so many engineers and business people because that is the stage of development that it is in, and that philosophy and other liberal arts are for "rich" nations. However, I think many nations advocate engineers and business (and only certain types of business) because these people don't think outside the box. Think about high level engineering and mathematics for example. You don't see Asian represented highly there. Except in theoretical positions where "discovery" is quite rote, Asians fail to develop a dynamic mind capable of expanding into new territory. The liberal arts provide this, but just as the term liberal derives from the Latin root "liber" meaning "free", the liberal arts have a freeing tendency in the mind. They can claim that the liberal arts are a wealthy man's mode, but don't forget that the liberal arts flourished during the Middle Ages, a period where Europe was relatively poorer than much of the rest of the world. Considering how many wealthy people now do exist in Asia, you would expect them to start contributing to central issues in philosophy, theology, economics, sociology (if this were a legitimate area of inquiry of course), music, etc, but they do not.

So, I conclude with my final insight and a task for myself. Asians need philosophy, and I'm going to bring it to them.

Conundrums Conundrums

So, today is my last full day in Hong Kong. I'm very much looking forward to finishing it all up. I'll likely end with a final post for the day and give a wrap up post. I managed to already make it out to the Jade Market and a famous temple here on the Kowloon side Hong Kong. Later today at 4pm, I have an appointment to learn proper tea manners. When I went to the tea shop to sign up, it was quite clear that this would be a different tea set than what I did in Singapore.

My major conundrum right now is that my plane leaves tomorrow at 10:45, which probably means I should leave here no later than 6:45. However, I don't have an alarm or anything of the sort. Typically, I wake up to the sun (which comes up around that time anyway); however, my hostel lacks a window, so my sleep cycle has become slightly more erratic. I've already asked about checking out earlier, and I ought to be able to swing something later tonight. Maybe the right thing to do is simply to stay up late (Party! Party! Party!), and sleep on the plane. Lord knows, I'm going to need some patience to have to wade through Nancy Pelosi territory. Anyway, I'll figure it out.

Finally, please do not be alarmed if it takes me a little longer than planned to get back to Virginia. I'm a United States citizen and plan on being treated appropriately through immigration. I bet you know what that means :).

Random Events

Today, I went up to Lantau Island again. This time, I took Claudelle and Blake with me, which, for both of them, was their first time. The morning got off to a short start and by the time we saw the Big Buddha and I convinced Claudelle to come see the Heart Sutra laid out in an infinity sign, it was time for her to go back and catch her plane.

Saying goodbye to Claudelle was strangely easy. It was almost like saying goodbye to Philip, or even many of my college friends. I know I'm friends with them, I might see them again, but I have what matters with them. Plus, I very much expect to see her in Charlottesville.

Anyway, I got to hike up Lantau again, and this time, made sure to do it so that more of my body would get a tan. It almost didn't look like it would happen. The rainy season in the tropics has not been kind these past few days, and it started to pour around noon. However, by about two o'clock it cleared up, and Blake and I managed to summit the mountain without too much difficulty (yay for cardiovascular strength and knowing the proper way to climb a mountain trail).

Finally, in coming down the mountain, we arrive just in time to begin to pull into the final few cable cars that will take us back down to Hong Kong proper. However, as we turn a corner, a giant yak is standing right by the pathway and munching on grass. Yeah, a yak! There was no owner, farmer, or anyone else, and this thing had huge horns. It looked at Blake and eye with the blankest of stares. As we moved on, and entire heard of yaks was out at the bottom of the giant Buddha, munching on grass, and not paying any attention to the two white guys moving right through. So, gold star for random event of the week.

Tomorrow is my last full day abroad. I have to catch my plane early on July 1st. This trip really has made me appreciate and think about a great many things. But two things are certain: Asia needs philosophy, and the world needs more capitalism. But those are rants for another time, which will be discussed in other places.

A Trip Around Nathan Road

Got to meet up with Claudelle and we decided to make a trip around this part of Hong Kong. There are pushy Indian merchants hawking everything from tailors to fake watches. We started by heading off toward the water.

There is a giant new shopping mall (or something that looks like it) going up near the waterfront. We couldn't find any particular entrance to it, but by being in that area we discovered the Hong Kong Avenue of the Stars. It was excellent and Danny will be totally jealous when he sees the picture of me next to the bronze Bruce Lee. I've been told that that area is also a good place to see the Symphony of Lights for free, so I might end up there later this week in order to see the performance. Maybe even Claudelle and I will watch it if Blake doesn't show up for dinner with us.

Later, we made a trip back up Nathan Road and explored some of the "shopping malls" that they have here. Americans would be shocked to see these places. There are tiny little stalls from which people will conduct every kind of business: from take-it-away food stalls, to nail salons, hair dressings, fashion stores, and everything. To convey the economy of space in Hong Kong is difficult, if not next to impossible. It made me think about the things that often have to be done to convince others that a person is successful or merits your time, even simply to shop at his or her store, and how that varies across cultures.

For example, in many of the Asian companies that we went to, the CEO will sit in an "office" that is really just a slightly bigger desk with all the other cubicles of his workmen. In America, the CEO often has a private office, where he can think and collect his thoughts. Privacy and its availability are a sign of success in America. On the other hand, the number four is considered extremely bad, and space on the fourth floor of any building will sell at a discount. On the other hand, "eight" is an extremely lucky number and will sell for extra. Offices with a front facing water are suppose to allow money to flow in, while offices with a back facing water are suppose to have money flowing out. In America, superstitions don't really influence prices that much. In Asia, people will even pay extra in order to buy something with lucky number "8" on it.

Anyway, I managed to buy some traveler's sized body wash and shampoo as my hostel doesn't have any (obviously, you're living on the cheap). It's really interesting shopping around Hong Kong because you really have a mixture of male beauty types. Many prefer the athletic, masculine man and often show harsh and rugged Americans. Others prefer the more effeminate line, and will show Americans or Asians with leaner bodies, longer hair, and more boyish faces. Most interestingly are the Filipinos. Many of them are able to run the line between androgynous and masculine. I'm not sure how it works, but they often have the harsh lines of a masculine American with the more subtle androgynous features of many Asians. The Spanish may have done many bad things with their Empire, but they definitely left something good to look at in their wake.

Hong Kong Roxorz

Murray Rothbard wrote once that one does not have to approve of the means by which something comes about to nonetheless approve of that thing. For example, the ending of slavery in the United States was a good; however, the process that brought it about was most definitely not. In Rothbard's article, he was discussing the destruction of Pol Pot's regime by the invading Vietnamese army.

Hong Kong is much the same way. Hong Kong is probably one of the freest areas in the entire world, in both civil and economic freedoms. That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement, there are vast areas for Hong Kong to improve itself (let's not forget that Lichtenstein gets away with only 4% income taxes total, and Hong Kong doesn't allow for private gun ownership).

I just got back from the Hong Kong History Museum, which was fun, lightly educational, but also disappointingly pithy. I found some of the contrasts between the Hong Kong History Museum and the Singapore National History Museum to be of interest too, especially in their treatment of the Japanese during World War II. One of the greatest things about Hong Kong is that there never was a Lee Kwaun Yew or a Goh Kan Swee. Instead, the price system moved naturally and once designated a freeport, the city took off. The internal development of capital markets and the free movement of labor and capital helped shape the city into the awesome place it is today. It is really hard to create a narrative of state power and ability in light of what happened in Hong Kong. Now, history doesn't prove anything, as it must always be interpreted through some kind of theoretical lens; however, an interpretation of history can oftentimes help people to accept certain theoretical arguments.

Anyway, coming back from the Hong Kong History Museum is also an interesting play into the diversity that is Hong Kong. I'm meeting Africans speaking Swahili, mainlanders speaking Mandarin, everyone speaks English, I ran across a number of Muslims, just saw an orthodox Jew in the subway (of course, remember, there are really big banks here in Hong Kong), the Cantonese all speaking Cantonese, and a strange assortment of random European languages. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. All in all, an interesting place that's hard to get a hold of in just one small visit. The rest of my post will be about Hong Kong history that I learned at the museum, so some readers may wish to stop here (ahem, Cat, ahem).

Hong Kong History

The history museum actually started with Hong Kong's natural history. It began with Hong Kong as a marshland, largely covered in water. Over millions of years, the marshland was subsumed by rising sea levels, eventually, these sea levels receded and high volcanic activity would form the base of what most of today's Hong Kong would be. An ice age would bring the entire Earth covered in glaciers, carving out large bits of Hong Kong. Finally, the ice would recede and rains would open up and form what was left of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is at the northernmost rim for many tropical climates. As such, it's biodiversity is often in the coral reefs that surround it; however, many climax ecosystems here in Hong Kong include jungles and the diversity of animals that come with it.

The original humans who settled on Hong Kong were called the Yue. The museum took great pains to draw connections from the Yue to the Han people, and how the Han people brought civilization to these people. While likely true to a large extent that the Han people brought some advancements with them, it also serves the Chinese narrative as to why China should be allowed to rule over these people. After the fall of the Han emperors, the Nanyue Empire rose up, forming one of the largest and longest lasting Southern Chinese empires.

At one point during the Quing dynasty (I'm pretty sure it was the Quing), a ban was placed on living in Hong Kong due to the prevalence of pirates. The entire island was depopulated until the ban was lifted and people began swarming in. Four large ethnic groups would form the base of Hong Kong, the Hakka, the Hoklo, the Punti, and the Boat People. The Boat People lived most of their lives on their boats and only came to shore in order to trade with the others. The Punti were apparently some of the first land inhabitants to reestablish Hong Kong and settled in the best farming lands. The Hoklo settled further up in the mountain, and the Hakka were landed people who joined the Boat people in supporting the fishing economy of Hong Kong.

During the first Opium War with Great Britain, Hong Kong island was ceded to the Crown. After the second Opium War, the areas of Kowloon, the New Territories, and Lantau Island fell to the British. Intelligently, Britain declared Hong Kong a freeport, and capital and labor flowed into the city. I suppose benign neglect settled in and Hong Kong was largely left to develop for itself.

At the time of the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, Hong Kong had a population of 1.6 million. Since central planning (i.e. rationing) couldn't feed all those people, the Japanese forced many in Hong Kong to go back to China, or kill them. They would even abduct people off the street and send them back to the mainland. Eventually, Hong Kong's population fell to 600,000 (notice: today, Hong Kong's population is a little over 7 million). The Japanese attempted to send out their propaganda, but Hong Kong remained resolute to restore its independence.

After the war, Hong Kong flourished as a free market paradise and a place for many expatriates to move their money. It established a working stock exchange, futures/forwards market, and a vibrant economy. Hong Kong started with extremely cheap labour, similar to Singapore, and then moved up the value chain as capital flowed in. I think in many ways, this helps the idea that Singapore developed more because of its free market and less because of any single ruler.

Anyway, Hong Kong is awesome.

A Random Walk Through Hong Kong

And by random walk, I do kinda, almost mean that thing that happens when you put pollen in water (okay, end physics joke).

So, I moved into my Hostel. On the way up the elevator, I ended up meeting this guy named Blake. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Marketing. He wants to see the world, and I found out that come July 1st, he's moving out to China for 6 weeks to teach English. Apparently, the town/city that he'll be in his right next to all the terra cotta soldiers. Yeah, I know that he has the same name as Cat's boyfriend and my former roommate, so maybe we'll refer to one as Cat's Blake and the other as Good Blake.

So, Good Blake and I quickly made friends and I got to show him around Hong Kong. Apparently, he paid his way through college, has a steady girlfriend who did marketing too, and comes from a family of civil engineers (but decided to do a business degree instead). Anyway, when I told him about the hiking trail and the Big Buddha, he decided that was at least one thing he needed to see, so we started making plans.

It was quite funny, being a Midwestern boy, he's too nice for his own good. He was constantly harassed by the fake watch salesmen near Nathan road, this is the seedier part of town, and almost accidently ended up with a hooker in his room (thankfully, he figured it out at the last moment that she wasn't being nice for no reason).

Later that day, I collected Claudelle's stuff, as she had to go to mainland China for a few days. Apparently, places like Hong Kong are worried that Haitians will spread SARS or something. Anyway, she returns on Monday, and I'm looking forward to having a friend nearby.

Sunday, boring Sunday

Not much happened today. I made some rounds, bought a book for my plane, figured out how to schedule some of my events. The rainy season is full on now, and it has rained almost non-stop for the past two days. The people of Hong Kong apparently don't notice, but I've moved into a room with no window (or one that doesn't let in any light), and I'm either inside or outside for a short bit, which is really giving me solar deprivation.

Tomorrow, I have to collect some laundry. Hopefully, nothing will be damaged. There's practically nowhere in Hong Kong to do your own laundry, so you have to pay for services by sometimes unreliable people. You actually have to tell some of them to separate the colours before washing... thankfully, most of my stuff should be okay.

Also, I'm going to go to the HK Museum of History. Apparently, it's in walking distance of my hostel. I asked Blake to join me, but I don't think museums really excite people like they do me (which is why they shouldn't have to pay taxes for them, and I should pay for an entry ticket, or some other form of revenue raising). Afterwards, I'm hoping to catch Claudelle at some point and gather her and Blake to head out to Lan Kwai Fong or SOHO to watch some World Cup Soccer. So long as I'm with friends and fun people, I can bear to have organized sports rather than something educational on the television.

A Break in the Silence

I am currently at a Starbucks and am writing this as a short break in the current radio silence.

The International Commerce Center

I stayed at a hotel last night, and am currently waiting for 2:00 to roll around so that I may check into my hostel. However, in the mean time, I am spending a little time at a mall attached to the International Commerce Center (or ICC). Brandon would absolutely love this mall. I'll explain later in a second.

The ICC is actually the fourth tallest building in the world. They haven't fully completed it yet, but the highest floors will be reserved for the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong. The uppermost floor will have a pool that will stretch all the way to the end of the floor (creepy since it's just you and glass between the fourth tallest suicide in the world).

Anyway, the mall. The mall is actually divided into different zones, which are called by different elements. I'm wandering around trying to find a place to kill some time, but I'm passing through "Fire" zone and then onto "Water" zone. It's like being right out of Avatar (The Last Airbender, not the blue monkeys). The elements don't all align completely though. There's Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Metal, so the Chinese haven't entirely learned their proper Empedoclean cosmology, but it's close enough.

The Plan

Right now, I have four goals for some of the days that I have left in Hong Kong. One, there is a light show EVERY night at 8pm here in Hong Kong. You only have to jump on the Star Ferry, which then takes you out on the water with all kinds of water restaurants (read: tourist trap, haha, you might be on a boat, but we're the only way you eat), and the city has an entirely automated light show. Second, the Hong Kong history museum also comes highly recommended, and will let me learn more about HK history. Third, I need a tan and I know a good beach around here. Finally, a friend told me about a traditional Chinese tea shop that teaches you all about how to properly prepare and drink Chinese tea. It may be the same as I learned in Singapore, or it may be different, but who am I to pass up such a low-cost learning opportunity.

Anyway, I still don't know when I'll have regular internet access, but hopefully I'll be able to update you all as things come and go.

Radio Silence

Today, I have to move out of my current hotel. I do not know if where I am staying will have internet or if I will be able to afford it. I may be on radio silence for the next few days. Needless to say, there will be plenty of stories, but perhaps they will best be told in person. I will try to post at least a wrap-up as best I can.

Final Day as a McIntire Student

A little over thirty minutes ago, I finished the final bit of my time as a Masters Student at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. We managed to have a great chat about what we experienced and the thoughts and feelings of the entire group.

One of the coolest things that has been going on have been the protests in Hong Kong just outside of the building that we are doing this in. As people are talking about how control oriented and obedient so many of the mainland Chinese tend to be, the people of Hong Kong have amassed outside of the Parliament building to demand that China keep its promises for political autonomy and freedom. Unfortunately, that political freedom and autonomy is suppose to come in the form of democracy; however, a small, parliamentary democracy in Hong Kong is certainly better than the massive bureaucracy of Beijing.

Observations on Observers in China and SE Asia

I've been most surprised by the narratives that are told in China and SE Asia by various entities. Actually, I've been less surprised by those narratives as I have been by how readily Americans and the people around me have accepted them. There exists a host of literature on many of these places (and an honest dearth in others), but it's surprising the extent to which none of it has been engaged by people here. More impressively, it's amazing the extent to which normally skeptical people lack a the ability to engage in counterfactual logic and reasoning.

What do I mean? Well, many of the people here have bought into this idea that the Communist Party, or various other single party ruler in the countries that we have visited, provides a strong arm and single direction for the development of the country (whichever one we so happen to be in), and that without such a strong arm, these nations would never develop. The students so readily accept this, even those who should know better.

Let's not forget that the Communist Party of China is the same entity that gave us the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward (Massive Fail Backwards). The Communist Party of Vietnam starved its population, who has made absolutely no advance in living conditions until the Doi Moi (the opening up of the economy). The Communist Party of Cambodia (the Khmer Rouge) eliminated 1/4 to 1/3 of the entire population of Cambodia. Laos is a basket case, and so is Myanmar to this day. Situations like Singapore bring to mind a question as to whether or not the development occurred because of or in spite of the single-party rule that occurred there.

The truly differentiating factor was not so much the political system that was adopted, but the economic system, and the relative degree of freedom. Those nations with greater freedom tended to do better than those nations without. Once again, the question about development that must be asked is whether or not the freedom limiting activities of the various nations, both those that developed and those that didn't, is whether or not the things that came about occurred because of or in spite of the various factors involved.

Take for instance the person who smokes and develops lung cancer. Does he develop it because of his smoking or in spite of it? Now, consider the person who develops lung cancer but drank green tea every day. Did he develop lung cancer because of or in spite of? In the first case, we would often say because of (or likely because of), and in the second case we would say in spite of (or likely in spite of). The reason for that would be because we have a theoretical framework that has allowed us to isolate generic principles that range across time and space and instantiate themselves in different aspects.

I apologize for the lecture, but it's important. I want to consider a different narrative that should be considered.

The Fall of the Soviet Union

One former member of the Soviet Union said that if the people of the Soviet Union ever knew how well people in the West lived relative to people in the East, it would be all over for communism. When Michael Gorbachev opened the Soviet Union through glasnot, in an attempt to save the Soviet Union, he ended up inadvertently destroying the Soviet Union. People saw the higher living standards and the problems that people of the West did not have to face, and they decided that they wanted the lifestyle. The Soviet Empire began to crumble and one of the greatest events of the 20th century has come in the opening up of many former Soviet regimes (although most of them still have a long way to go).

This was a wake-up call to other Communist nations. Economic theory, especially that developed by Ludwig von Mises, Fredreich August von Hayek, and Murray Rothbard, has shown how communism cannot coordinate the social activities of people. Therefore, the doom of a centrally planned commonwealth was written well before it was executed. In order to avoid this inevitable demise, the Communist parties of various countries have been looking for a way to hold onto power. In this way, they have no so much directed the development of their economies as they have allowed the free market to do the work. The Communist Parties have slowly removed the obstacles that they have put in the way of entrepreneurs, savers, investors, and capitalists. This has led to an enrichment of the people, but the Communist Party has attempted to make sure that any development is attributed to actions that it has undertaken, to its generosity, and to its intelligence. So far, it has done a wonderful job of inculcating this doctrine. Furthermore, the Parties have looked for ways in which to limit development in such a way as they can maintain control. In some instances, they have been successful; in others, not so much.

Some Additional Thoughts

There is a great deal more to say on this subject and a great deal more to speculate on. Now that I have finished my time with McIntire, I have a dinner with the group tonight, but will move out of my current hotel soon. In the remaining week that I have in Hong Kong, I'm going to go to the history museum and see as many cultural sites that I can. There is so much to learn about the cultures, languages, and ways of doing things out here.

Also, there is a great deal to learn about principles. It is always important to remember that while the manifestations of principles can vary greatly across cultures, the principles themselves never change. However identifying the principles in action, what is a principle and what is a manifestation, is not always easy. These are some of the great insights that Plato helped to bring to the philosophical work in his resolution between Heraclitus and Parmenides.

Hong Kong

While in Asia, as far as the places that I have been, it has been difficult to feel the effects of the worldwide recession. Looking at the economic signals, I will expect an even more severe downturn in the next 5 to 10 years. Libertarians have continued to be baffled at how long so many farces have continued, but I digress.

Hong Kong is vibrant and amazing. Today, I went to Mass, Horse Racing, Victoria Peak, and had the best Indian cuisine I have ever tasted. Yesterday, I visited the Tian Tan Buddha, hiked up the peak of Lautan Island, explored for a club my professor swears exists, and had my experience of the biggest gay club in Hong Kong. I suppose I should begin with yesterday.

Buddha and the Mountain

Many of you know that I have little love for Eastern Religions. Their view of creation and of man's purpose within it is morally repellent to me; however, many practitioners have done great things, and the works of religious art and actions are certainly something to behold (there are no contradictions, but that conversation will have to wait for another time).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha

The Tian Tan Buddha is an enormous bronze statue of Buddha with a welcoming Swastika on the Buddha's chest (no really, it is a sign of welcome in Buddhism, Hitler totally stole it). He sits on his lotus throne with an arm for peace and another for welcome. The Po Lin Monastery sits not far away, and construction continues on the grounds of this Buddhist site. Anyway, the statue was quite impressive to behold, and I'm still trying to get a more complete grasp of Buddhist cosmology.

My real target, however, sat next to the Buddha, the peak of Lautan island. Hong Kong's islands are really giant dead volcanic mountains, and the city sits in its valleys, slowly growing up on the mountain (or just creating new land out into the ocean). I hadn't really climbed a mountain like this since I was in South Korea, which was quite some time ago (don't make me count right now).

My class began as a group, but, very soon, began to separate into different sets of people. I stuck with the Dean of the McIntire School, Dean Z. He moved with great zest for a person of 60, but even he had to rest for longer than I was willing. As soon as he let me skip ahead (I wasn't just going to abandon him), I made my way to the top. I was the third to reach it (because I don't abandon people). After getting there, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was talking about how that hike was the hardest thing that they had ever done, except me (okay, so not EVERYONE).

I didn't know how to communicate to them that I found the hike easy, that I was expecting more, and had done far more physically demanding things in my life. When I indicated a small bit of this to one of my classmates, I received a cheeky, "then why weren't you the first to the top". Not wanting to argue an obvious point, I allowed the comment to pass, and simply smile as my classmates hyperbolize.

The mountain was great, and we took a lift back down to Hong Kong island (which was really cool, you go from the top of one island, to the bottom of the other).

The Club

Later that night, Charlie and I decided to set out for a club that Professor Maxham had told us about. He told us that it was close to the Langham Hotel, and that it was several floors of different music and attractions. Charlie and I were both keen on seeing something like this as there are a few places like this in America, but seeing a Hong Kong version would only mean even more glitz and glamour.

It was not to be. We searched desperately and asked around to all the locals, but no one could think of a club that matched that description. So finally, Charlie acquiesced and we went off to Propaganda, the largest gay club in Hong Kong.

As we went, Charlie was clearly nervous, but after some alcohol and confirmation of the existence of pretty women in the club, he calmed down. Entering, we found that the pretty girls we talked to at the entrance were about the only ones that were going to show up that night. So, Charlie proceeded to run game on 3 girls at once, and before the club was even pumping, they were leaping all over him. I played a role quite well, deflecting any gay attention he might receive, winging slightly, and scanning the room for potential friends.

You know what gays need? Lots of things, but right now, I'm thinking about signs. I really would have liked a sign that read something like, "I have a boyfriend, I'm happy with him, and I would like to be friends and dance". I realize that sounds a little Dane Cook, "Fuck guys tonight and dance", but that was how I felt. Anyway, I tried to look for Kosher groups, and ended up with four very interesting tales.

The Dance

Before dancing, I had a creepy fat Asian guy come over and start to talk to me. Charlie and I were talking with the girls, and he moved over quickly to ask, "Are you guys here for the girls or what?", a clear indication that he wanted to know which of us was gay. I promptly informed him of Charlie's straightness and told him that I was here to protect him (thus indicating my correctness). The guy had spent a good bit of time in San Francisco, thus explaining the accent. It was quite clear that he was attempting to run game on me, but there are some people who are immune to these things. I might be nice, and I might lack sharp rudeness to cut things off, but I'm fiercely loyal and logical. After finally taking a hint, he moved away, though he would remain creepily in the shadows throughout the night.

I walked Charlie to the bathroom when he indicated his need to pee. He asked me why I bothered, and I explained that gay bathrooms in clubs can be dangerous locations. At the time, things looked pretty calm, and I was pleasantly surprised that eyes remains somewhat on their own business (if you catch my drift).

Moving onto the dance floor, Charlie quickly triple danced and I moved toward personal amusement. The music was great, there was tons of energy, and a smoke machine that would blow periodically. Sometimes, it would be so dense with smoke that you could not see someone two feet in front of you (you can imagine the gay escapades that likely happen there). I noticed two French guys dancing about. How did I know they were French? I didn't, but it was clearly a game of "European or Gay" and these people fit the inclusive quantifier of "or" (for you non-philosophical types, that means they were European AND Gay).

I moved to dance with them, thinking that a group mean I was safe and hopefully these two were boyfriends. Too quick for me to notice, one of the two moved away and I was left dancing with only one. The "dancing" that ensued after a point could no longer be called that except for pant-barriered frottage. I made several attempts to move away. I played ignorant appropriately, but was having difficulty avoiding his come-ons. So, I promptly excused myself to the bathroom to get some distance.

The Bathroom Strikes Back

Returning to the commode; however, at this point, things were getting a little less kosher. I went to a stall and attempted to shield myself from any potential onlookers. However, the guy next to me kept his eyes fixed. Peripheral vision only really sees motion, and there was clearly slow, long motions that meant if I looked over in his direction, a proposition involving taste testing was likely to occur. Again, as Todd taught me, ignorance is the best policy, and I quickly moved away. I think I managed to escape the bathroom without too much of an incident, but clearly I showed a great deal of discomfort.

Dance Floor II: The Chinese Trio

The Frenchman had clearly left the club. Maybe I broke his heart, maybe some creeper picked him up after I left. Oh well, I could dance by myself again and look for friends if it looked like someone might respect decent boundaries. Moving out to the dance floor, I was probably felt up four or five times, something you simply learn to ignore.

Near the same place I first danced, three Catonese Chinese lept on me. They seemed like a high energy fun group, so I tried to play along for awhile. However, copious hand movements over my abdomen and squeezing my arms made me uncomfortable (gee, whodathunkthat?). So, after enough dancing by myself and slow movements away, they finally left me alone.

The Aussie

Finally, I was alone, I could dance, and things were going well. Charlie approached me and told me that the girls were leaving and "dragging" him along (I'm pretty sure they would have done anything he wanted at that point). He asked if I wanted to come along or stay at the club. I opted for staying, even though I knew this was a dangerous proposition.

Several eyes could be felt as I was suddenly a loan gay man in a club with a boyfriend halfway around the world (technically the furthest way around the world he could be, given we fix one of our locations). However, salvation seemed to come in an Australian shaped package, but, remember, the devil has many faces.

A six foot tall Australian and a nearly as tall Chinese were dancing on the poles near the dance floor. The Chinese was buying the Australian several drinks and they seemed to be enjoying each other's company. Dancing about, the Australian gave me some eyes that suggested I should make friends, so I decided to make friends.

Now let's be clear, this Australian was HOT. His body was firm, his legs were shaped, and his face was excellent (a difficult feature to find in Asia actually). I might not have been looking for anything of a romantic sort, but adding another hot friend to my repertoire certainly wasn't going to hurt. And plus, he looked like he had a friend (you can already see where I'm going with this).

I moved up and started dancing, he pulled me up with him, and we had a good time. The dancing was typical gay, which is a little more riske than what straight people are use to. Everyone was laughing and things seemed to be going well. However, I noticed that the Asian friend wasn't coming around anymore, and a check toward the bar, I was a tall Chinese giving me a death stare. This was warning sign 1 for Jacob. However, please remember, I am a blonde. I honestly have a hard time telling when someone is attracted to me.

Dancing about, I felt something on my neck, and realized the Australian's face moving away from me. I figured I must have bumped him only to realize later that he was trying to give me a peck. This was sign 2, and an inkling was building that something wasn't quite right. Being that I had Mass in the morning, I knew I should leave by 3 and at time was fast approaching. I had myself an escape route if I got another sign that suggested there was more than friendship.

Sign 3 actually couldn't have come at a more opportune moment. I told the Aussie that I was going to have to leave, I had Mass in the morning. That tends to scare away most gays, but as I moved through the club, I felt a sharp tug and was pulled back toward the Aussie. He says, "I want to give you a present before you leave", and moves in for a kiss. Things were mostly a blur from there as I shouted, "I can't" and ran away. I probably hurt someone's feelings pretty bad, now that I think about it in reflection, but loyalty has to come before it all.

I had forgotten some cardinal rules of going to gay clubs. You have to be quite clear on your availability, because everyone assumes you're free, and you have to be very careful unless someone thinks that you are a "cock tease".

End of Yesterday, Beginning of Today: Mass

(Now would be a good time to take a break from this post. I will begin the intermission and you can go to the bathroom)

INTERMISSION

END INTERMISSION

I got up early today and set off to breakfast. I managed to get a group of five together to go to Mass. I found a 10:00 am Mass that wouldn't conflict with any other schedules. We made our way but there was no way to prepare for what I saw.

Filipinos...EVERYWHERE. And not just any Filipinos, women, all women. There were perhaps 20 men in a sea of people. I could barely understand until my mind began piling the pieces together like a Mentat (see Frank Herbert's Dune for the reference). These were all the Filipino women who came over to work for their families as domestic servants in the homes of middle and upper classes in Hong Kong. The Masses at the Church happened four times in the morning, twice in the evening. The morning masses were in English, the evening in Tagalog. The morning masses happened on the top of the hour every hour for four hours (again like I said). That meant rapid fire Catholic Church, all the operations had to be over in 45 minutes in order to give enough time for the next party to come in and for us to leave.

It was amazing, and the life in the Church was great. It's sad to think that these women have to work so far from their families, but it was great to see that the Church was there to try and help in its capacity. I really hope it's making the best effort that it can.

Horse Racing

Apparently, horse racing is a huge thing in Hong Kong. It happens twice a week, almost every week of the year. There is a huge track and the Hong Kong Jockey Club is among the wealthiest clubs in all of Hong Kong. After a short interim from Church, Claudelle and I headed out for the horse race.

We had quite a time getting there, but those details would be too difficult to write here. Instead, I want to give some quick impressions of the horse races.

The horses were beautiful, the amount of money bet on each particular race was ridiculous, and the overall races was enormous (millions of dollars for each race), and this happens biweekly mind you and there was nothing important going on that would make this day exceptional. The Chinese gamble, and they gamble hard.

Victoria Peak

After the horse races, several of us met up with Professor Maillet to go to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point in all of Hong Kong. To get there, we took a cable car, which is pulled by a cable (yeah, it's an accurate name), all the way to the top. Most tourists buy a trip to the top of the cable and think they've hit Victoria Peak, but professor Maillet was no tourist. He had previously lived in a house on the Peak (very prestigious). He walked us around and showed us ungodly houses that were going for ungodly prices. The wealth amassed up there is truly astounding, but the view is even greater.

You can literally look out over all of Hong Kong. Clouds pass by you and you marvel. Looking at the city, it is amazing what a price system can coordinate, and you really begin noticing something of the Hayekian "spontaneous order" of Hong Kong. This is definitely a city that shows what free markets can do, even more so than Singapore. I'll sill say there's too much government, but this is a good place to start.

There and Back Again: A Jacob's Tale

I made my way back to the Hotel area, and joined a few friends at a local Indian restaurant. You have to get used to finding these out of the way places that have some of the greatest meals ever. I had the best Indian food I have ever had.

Finally, I made my way back here, and wrote all of this for you guys. I'm approaching the end of my time here, and I can't wait to see you all again, especially Danny. He owes me!

A Description of the Indescribable

I'm not sure how to tell you all about Hong Kong, probably why I've been a little more silent. I'll try to touch on a few key points.

Terrain

There is Hong Kong island and there is a mainland portion of Hong Kong. However, unlike many places close to the water in warmer climes, the islands are all mountainous. Even more so, there is a lot of green space that hasn't been touched. The city is densely packed, but there is still a lot. I tried the metro today, and I could get around, so the city is definitely doable without a car.

Space

I don't know how to communicate this one. Everyone deals with a lot less space. I may have told you about the dry cleaners that is basically set up in a hole-in-the-wall and does all of its business right there. I don't know how they manage, but all the clothes that you give come back to you in 24 hours too.

Cars and Driving

Everyone is on the left (this being a former British colony). That has been normal for those of us in SE Asia, where everyone except Vietnam was on the left, but has been different for those people in China. However, people drive FAST here. The taxis, the expensive cars, even the trolly's far faster than most cities I've been to. The cool thing is, there are three traffic lanes in most part of the city that would generally only constitute two lanes in an American city, and, somehow, people all manage to stay in their lanes. I don't know how they do it going as fast as they do, but they do.

Shopping Malls and Shopping

The malls here are huge, and there are stores everywhere. I don't know how some of these places survive and I don't even know where to get statistics to get a sense of what I want to know about this place. The malls are big, but they are also like mazes and you just have to walk around them with a big smile and big eyes. It can be overwhelming. You can find pretty much anything here, and the prices are a little less expensive than in the United States.

Tipping

You don't tip here, at least not in most places. Some places will automatically add some gratuity. Truthfully, I like Singapore. Tipping is not expected in Singapore, but you can add a dollar or three if you think service is good. That way, it's not expected and a person really is rewarded for the good job that they do, and that job is rewarded based on their performance, not based on the ticket items of your meal. In places where they don't tip, you generally don't get any service, but in places like America, you are often obligated to tip and the waiter or waitress often has their wages deducted because of expected tipping.

American tipping also has the side problem of some people trying to upsale you to something you may not want, dis-incentivizing people from going out because you have to do math or bother with calculating tip (not a problem for me, but a complaint I've heard from time to time).

Generally, I like the idea of tipping, but it would be good if it really were tipping, and not some just you paying out the wages of the waiter or waitress and being expected to do it except in cases of really bad service. To tell the truth, my mind is not totally made up on this, but I rather liked the Singaporean model.

Hong Kong: First Impressions

Sunday we left Saigon, which was sad, but we arrived in Hong Kong, which, according to the Index of Economic Freedom, is the freest economic region in the world! To put it simply, Hong Kong is amazing. It has all the great economics of Singapore, with none of the state personalities. I still love how clean and neat things were in Singapore, and the diversity there definitely beats what you find in Hong Kong, but Hong Kong has a flavor to itself.

People here speak Catonese, sometimes thought to be the hardest dialect of Chinese. Rather than four tones, it has seven (or was it nine?). Everyone also speaks Mandarin because of state pressure coming from the mainland, and most people speak some degree of English. The younger a person is and the more educated a person is, the more English they probably speak (and if they work in a service job with lots of foreigners).

It's been really interesting seeing how people use English. I saw Germans and Chinese speaking in English. It really is a world pigeon language. I've made an effort to interact as much as possible without English and feel really bad when I have to resort to it, but a quick "thank you" in the native language and asking how to pronounce something "properly" often puts a smile on everyone's face. Culturally too, it's just important to be patient, smile, and try to meet a person more than half-way.

Arrival

Arriving in Hong Kong was crazy. I've never been in a plane that flew that close to water before touching down in the airport. I'm not sure where "Hong Kong" really is. There's "Hong Kong" island, and then a portion they call the "mainland", but it's all one big city. It appears almost as if there are three city centers. Skyscrapers are everywhere and the people really have made the best use of space here. I went to a "laundromat", which could barely fit two people, but somehow, they had managed to make a thriving business.

A funny event: when arriving in Hong Kong, Americans do not need a visa, at least not for the first ninety days. Nor do many people coming from Europe. However, people from China require a visa. China! China owns Hong Kong. It was returned to them from the British back in the 90s. However, Hong Kong maintains some self-rule, and I think they keep that up just to poke the Communists in the eye.

The Hotel we're staying at has very small rooms, but, once again, economical use of space. There's a lot to learn here about that. The cars drive extremely fast down curvy lanes of traffic, but they all stay in their own lane and obey all traffic signals. People, for the most part, wait for their turn to cross the street, which is painful after Saigon. I know, I know, it's another way of doing things, but I already miss the fluidity of traffic flowing around me in Saigon.

I decided, after arrival, to get myself lost. I walked around the city with no place really to go, just checking out stores randomly and looking at things. Since Hong Kong is far more monolingual, English is less prevalent than it was in the other cities. Don't get me wrong, it's EVERYWHERE, but not as much everywhere (don't try to hook me on logic here, I'm using pragmatics :P). Anyway, I bought a few items to try my hands at things, and it all worked out alright. I got back to the hotel and went in another direction. I did this about three more times and really got a feel for where I was and observed how people generally conducted themselves.

Monday: The First Full Day

Today was the first full day in Hong Kong. I got up early, ran in a pathetically small gym (they're doing renovations), and headed off to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Traffic was worse than usual, we were late on arrival, but all worked out. We had a great class discussion with a professor who was an expert on China. Then, we had lunch together with the class and got to swap stories between the SE Asia group and the China group (we've merged again in HK).

Finally, I've done some research and decided on a few clubs to go out and go dancing, so I bought some hair gel, a nice shirt and undershirt, and am all prepped and ready to go. I'm going to wait 'til later in the week so that I can hit the clubs when they are packed. Tonight, I field tested everything, and was complimented thoroughly. I'll consider that a success.

Exploring Hong Kong is great. There's something new everywhere. The mountain-islands are amazing to look at. The past two days have been cloudy and rainy, but it's been cool because of how that makes the city look and how some of the mountains break the cloud-line.

I'm looking forward to learning more. Hong Kong appears to be the biggest capitalist paradise so far (although, again, they need more guns, gold, and a good bit more Catholicism, i.e. God). Also, Asia needs more philosophers and people who work in the humanities. But that is another story, to be told another time. Good night ya'll.

Saigon Saigon

I know I haven't posted in a bit, and that does mean that I have a lot to say, but being that I have to be up early tomorrow, I really will try to be quick about everything that I have to say.

Vinamilk

At one point, we went out to a company called Vinamilk, the major Vietnamese producer of milk products (obviously). The daughter of the chairwoman of the company went to UVA - McIntire- as an undergraduate, so we got special treatment. It was an interesting interview, as the Chairwoman clearly understood English, but chose to speak through a translator. The interview was very stilted and stiff; however, it helped us to understand the way that business is conducted among the older groups in Asia. More of the younger population are trained in American business techniques, so they tend to be more open.

It was also strange, because broad questions would always be answered narrowly, and not often in the way that you wanted. Susie asked the Chairwoman to discuss their particular marketing scheme and the Chairwoman responded, "We do marketing".

The Factories

On another day, we met up with a British and a German expatriate who have a business here. They were working with Pier 1 Imports in finding factories to make different furniture for Pier 1. (Note: the term expatriate is used loosely to refer to any national working outside their country of origin, not necessarily someone who has given up their citizenship; it's very confusing).

They took us to two factories, that we got to tour. Inside one, the temperature was 37 Celsius and 65% humidity. I managed to pull off a sweat, but a few others (Charlie and Justin) were faucets.

It was a really interesting talk with some of the Pier 1 and the factory-hunters. The factories attracted a lot of work, and the people often worked for about $4 a day. Some of the more skilled work involving weaving could get as much as $8 or $12. That might not seem a lot to you, but it is enough here to earn something to send back to the family and send back home.

They talked a lot about not employing child labor, but I had to correct them in that regard. Child labor was not abolished in the United States by law. Instead, families became wealthier and were able to send their children to school, so that they were no longer needed in the factories. In fact, the first child labor laws in the United States pushed children into the seedier factories. Finally, one of the guys had to admit to me that, while going through a factory in Indonesia, he approached a 12 year old girl working there in order to fire her. Her mother threw herself in front of him and told him that her child was going to work because she needed to earn something for her family, for her education, and because if she were on the street she would become a child prostitute and victim to the opium trade that runs throughout SE Asia. In the West, we can often afford to be ignorant of the impact of minimum wage and child labor laws, but out here, they tend to have to be a little more realistic about economic realities.

The cool thing is that competition for low wage labour has increased so much that factories are having to compete in terms of better value propositions. They will include better air conditioning, more time off, and slowly but surely, even higher wages. This is how capitalism works. As labor is able to save, a pool of savings increases such that higher end machinery gets built, and even more production can take place. As more wealth is produced in the economy the return to labour increases and the purchasing power of each individual consumer rises. Most of these countries in SE Asia still have horribly backward labour laws (and horrible corruption and state intervention), but they are improving, which is good to see.

Later, we went on a river cruise where mostly fish was served (yuck). We got to have good conversation and I teased Luyi (a Chinese girl from Shanghai in our program) about being a member of the Communist Party of China.

P&G Factory Visit

Yesterday, we went to Proctor and Gamble here in Vietnam. We gained a number of insights about how P&G positions itself in Indochina, and were able to watch part of the packaging of Downy fabric softener (often called a fabric enhancer out here). It was suppose to be a longer tour, but I think they were nervous since some of us didn't have the proper shoes.

I am responsible for learning everything about Downy, and that has come along really well. I originally thought Downy was only sold in Singapore, but found out that it is here in Vietnam. I found out that I could find it in the local market, and managed to go out and buy some of the sachets.

For those of you who don't know already, selling to poor people is a bit different than you normally experience. Since the poor cannot afford to make big purchases, companies have packaged things into single use containers that they can easily transport and get around. Downy is one of those that comes in a little sachet. In fact, it typically takes three washes in order to clean a load of laundry by hand (yeah, by hand, that's how they do it). However, Downy has created "Downy Single Rinse", which does it all in one load. This has cut the time doing laundry and freed up so many women from the chore of laundry. Few people want to admit this, but the most feminist invention ever was probably the laundry machine. Downy single rinse sachets probably come in there pretty close.

Despite the sachets, one of the interesting things here is the literacy of the Vietnamese. They highly value schooling (so parents don't send their children to factories to not get educated). You hear that about a lot of cultures, but it's actually true here. Also, most people are literate, which makes a big difference. Also, Vietnamese tend to be paid monthly and are very value conscious, so even though the sachets are offered to them (I bought 7 for less than 20 cents a sachet, which if you are living on $2 a day becomes reasonable every now and then), they will tend to buy the big buckets of Downy and split it among several families, to save on the gross purchase.

Case in point, when I purchased my sachets, the guy had to reach down into a bucket filled with refill packages of Downy for the big bottles.

I also ended up buying half a kilo of some very nice Black Dragon Pearl Tea. I wasn't very good at negotiating this, but it was really good tea, and I spent less than I ever would have in the States. I'm very excited about getting it back so that I can really drink it.

Today: Susie has more friends

Today, we had a few presentations at around 1:15. Two of the presenters were fabulous, and managed to give even greater insights into Vietnamese culture.

To sum up about a week's worth of intensive learning. Women control a lot of the finances and purchasing power. Men apparently only shop for motorbikes and electronics. Women work in every level of government, service, and sometimes, even things we would only associate with men in the States. The Vietnamese are wonderfully proud of their culture, value education, are highly literature (although lacking in higher education). They think that Chinese brands suck. (Cat, I thought your mother would like to know that since all of China's health scares, most people outside China won't buy Chinese products). Instead, people buy American and Japanese products, and people assume that if Americans and Japanese people buy it, then it must be good. Only foreigners come here to buy knock-offs, the Vietnamese want the real thing. Advertising tends to be very female centric, and even male products have to be sold in a way that doesn't offend female sensibilities. The Vietnamese are also very optimistic, but also very suspicious. They love gold, will often settle transactions in gold (de facto currency in some situations), and love land. Land is expensive because the government owns 85%, and the Vietnamese are too paranoid to part with much of the rest. As you can guess, except for the lack of guns, I love this place.

Anyway, after all of that, Susie got me and some other people together with some of her friends from Vietnam (she had spent 3 months here before). A few days before today, we went out to dinner and met a few of them. Now, we went out to a karaoke hotel. You rent your own room, with friends, order food, and then select the songs you want to sing with a huge group of friends. I love the concept, its great, and I wish we had it here in the States.

Afterwards, we went out to a bar to watch some of the World Cup. I didn't pay much attention but managed to talk to some of the Vietnamese. There's so much more to tell, but I'm still processing. Susie's friend and her friend's boyfriend are both entrepreneurs who quit their well-paying jobs with Western firms to start their own businesses. Turns out, this 24 year old owned a good portion of the bar that we were staying at. He also showed us a local artists collection of art that was created from silicates and precious stones. I saw one done of Anna Karenina, from Leo Tolstoy's book by the same name. It only costs about $450. I asked for some contact information and when I get a job, I'm going to purchase it.

After that, Susie and I headed home. We ran into some friends, got ice cream, and finally, I'm here trying to finish this up pithily enough so that you'll all read it.

The Police

A quick fun story. While we were coming back in a taxi, the taxi driver was stopped by a police officer who was hiding in the dark. The driver had previously been stopped in May, and was forced to hand over all his papers and driver's license. The paperwork is still "processing", so he did not have it with him. Ultimately, he had to pay a 1.5 million Vietnamese Dong bribe in order to be let go (about $70 US dollars). Just to give you an idea, most cab rides around here cost less than a dollar. That's a lot of money from him.

I asked if such corruption were common here in Vietnam (in a somewhat more roundabout manner), and I was told the police do it all the time. I suppose some forms of corruption are the same whether you are in Vietnam or if you're in the USA. Sometimes, it's just a matter of scale.

Anyway, I have personal stories for each of you, and I can't wait to tell you all.

BTW, I've totally made all kinds of anti-communist jokes while here. I'm still Jacob BITCHES!!!

First Impressions Vietnam

Saigon (called by government officials "Ho Chi Minh City") is easy to fall in love with. The French influence in the architecture, the food, and friendly people are all easy to like. Also, the road follows its own rules. There are four way stops without traffic lights, and people manage just fine without them.

Motorbikes

Motorcycles and motorbikes are the primary means of getting around. They move like schools of fish, and this makes crossing the road fun. Rather than wait for a light to turn and disturb everyone, you wait for traffic to lighten up and you walk across. That's right. You walk out into oncoming traffic. The schools of bikes simply move around you, and you can generally navigate the cars and buses, when they are there. While most of the other Americans are screaming about inefficiency, I see a vibrant and intelligent way of getting to where you want to go (Down With Red Lights!!!). The most important thing to remember when crossing the street is not to stop and not to suddenly change speed. The motorbikes will come almost to your ankles, they are that packed together, but they manage to time everything because of your predictable moves.

Class

We had a slew of speakers talk about Vietnam today, and even one general pessimist about Vietnam (who was himself Vietnamese). They were all interesting. In a nutshell, Vietnam is a filled with contradictions. You can open bank accounts and transact in gold in many places in Vietnam. There is a vibrant informal economy. However, the government attempts to strongly control the monetary regime, foreign investment opportunities and ownership are limited, and the Communist Party exhibits some of the strangest forms of corruption. However, the Vietnamese obsession with owning land and gold is wonderfully libertarian. The southern Vietnamese especially tend to be a lot like the American South. Vietnam is still dirt poor and will continue to remain that way for a time because of the obvious socialism. However, it is managing to develop to a degree and there are signs of improvement, especially in the stories that people tell. I'm already attached to the people around here that I really hope for the best.

American has troubles coming from its inability to pay its massive debt (especially the unrecorded unfunded liabilities). When one-fifth to one-fourth of the world's economy goes into a worse depression than it is in now and massive global adjustments have to be made, I have a hard time imagining what could be possible. The best thing that could happen would be for America to slash all of its welfare spending, eliminate unconstitutional departments, and default on its debts, with a Constitutional amendment that says it cannot issue debt (of course, being an anarchist, this is only the beginning of what I would like to see). Of course, we know that when booms are followed by busts, people erroneously blame the market. This is where the importance of a good economic education plays.

The Rest of the Story

Anyway, aside from those musings, shortly after class time ended, we moved out into the city. I went out to a tailor, helped some of the guys pick out shirts and suits, and ordered myself a very nice suit. I'm so nervous. This is really taking a leap for me. Conspicuous consumption like this does not often fit my mode of thinking or operating, but I decided to take a risk. Afterward, I got back, sent out my laundry, and then had a great workout. Altogether, a productive day.

I really wish I could do more philosophy.

Gay Jakarta?

The last night of my time in Jakarta started up with Charlie, myself, Michelle, and Taylor going out to a bar called immigrant. Charlie and I had been there before and met up with some of the hostesses there. We were quickly informed that they had put us on the VIP list for a club called "Blowfish" and that we ought to head there. After a few minutes of looking around Immigrant, we finally complied with the good advice that was offered to us.

It took the taxi driver three tries before locating Blowfish. However, upon arriving, the glitzy cars gave early notice and entering the club, it was quite clear that all the wealthiest Indo-Chinese families, or at least their sons and daughters, were there. The music was great, and things were moving; however, I was not feeling up. I was actually rather bored and my energy was sapped.

Walking around the club, there was little to do, until Charlie randomly leaned over to me and whispered, "I just saw two guys holding hands." Disbelieving, my interest was nonetheless piqued and I moved toward the direction Charlie had indicated. No sooner did I find myself near the front of the dance floor than I had found Jakarta Gay Central.

I first found three Chinese gays, one couple, and one queen bee. This boy reminded me of Lewis Feemster. He could move, he could groove, and he had an attitude that told you he knew it too. Every hot girl in the dance club was a pawn in his fingers. I indicated that we had something in common. Soon, I saw a very cute gay boy. Somewhat shorter, but well muscled and with a nice face. I made a few attempts to suggest that he should dance with me, but it was clear that, other than the one gay couple, gays here rarely danced together. They would dance close with each-other's girls, but rarely together.

Nonetheless, I managed to have a great deal of fun, and kept out on the dance floor. Several times, the girls and Charlie would come over and laugh at how much fun I was having. Then, the queen bee decided that I ought to have a drink. I attempted to refuse several times, but it was quite clear that it was better to make friends than enemies, and I obliged. Three drinks later that night, and I was a bit tipsy with inhibitions somewhat lowered. I danced with greater vigor than I have in a long time. My only regret was that Danny was not there.

Anyway, I later sat down with the cute gay, my earlier intended target. I finally got to talk with him, and I decided to mess with him. I told him my name in Bahasa, "Nama saya Jacob", and he returned the gesture; however, I could barely parse his Indonesian name. It didn't matter that much, he just had to look pretty. I told him that he was cute, and he returned the compliment, one that was totally unnecessary as he had been eying me the whole night. We exchanged a few pleasantries and then I decided to have my laugh.

Me: "You're quite lucky"

Him: "Why's that?"

Me: "Because I have a boyfriend"

Him: *laugh* "Is he with you"

Me: "No, he's on the other side of the world"

He got one of those gleams in his eye, but I made it quite clear that I was not on the market. I had had my fun dancing the night and talking a little, but it really made me miss Danny.

Anyway, my friends dragged me from the dance floor and we headed back to the Hotel.

Post Script

In the morning, I had my stuff packed, woke up early (to Charlie's chagrin, he doesn't understand how I managed to be so awake on such little sleep), had some breakfast and killed some time. We checked out, made our way to the airport, and headed to Saigon on Air Asia. Saigon is great, Susie has been here for three months before and she showed us around some of her favorite places. Not knowing Vietnamese will be more isolating than not knowing Bahasa or Chinese in the previous locales, but with Susie, things go by more smoothly. I'm learning a few phrases, but it's really hard not to flit back and forth between Bahasa and a handful of other phrases.

Early morning tomorrow with lots of company visitors coming to the Hotel to talk to us about Vietnam.