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My Day Today
In professional circles, it is said the key to success is positive networking, especially here in China, especially here in Chongqing. I did my fair share today.
Today, my only day off in Chongqing from our busy sailing schedule, began with me hightailing it out to Jiang Bei in the northern part of the city, where my wife Jennifer's younger sister lives. Our daughter Perin has been staying out there while Jennifer has been taking care of our rental properties in Sanya.
In the morning, Perin and I dropped in on an American friend of mine who has been here for 3 years which, by expat standards, is a long time,especially for this remote city of Chongqing. He couldn't be happier as he and his 19 year old bride finally received word from the American consulate in Guangzhou to go in for their interview. In most cases, being notified to attend the interview means that all other hurdles have been cleared, and just a few cursory questions must be answered before the visa is stamped. Pamela expressed her apprehension at being under the microscope, even if only for a few minutes, but Jack is taking it all with a couple grains of salt. I just wonder if they will grill her as to why she is marrying a man nearly 50 years her superior.
Perin and I took a 5 RMB (80 cents US) taxi ride across the peninsula to have lunch with a group of American tourists that had just been on our ship. Their guide, a very attractive divorcee from Beijing, treated us, and it was good to get to know her better. The matchmaking wheels were clicking in my head and I right away thought of a good friend of mine from Canada who lives there. Sparks could fly between them if given the right circumstances and proper introduction, and nothing would please me more than having them hook up.
After lunch, Perin and I took another 5 RMB lift in a third direction, landing us at the posh Marriott hotel near the city centre. There have been persistent rumors since the hotel was built 5 years ago that a large portion of it was financed by embezzled money from the 3 Gorges relocation project. I hope to some day find out if that is true. Anyway, we met up with another recent acquaintance, a 30 year old Singaporean who has fallen in love with Chongqing, its food, its women, and its future. He said he could get financing for starting a business here, and expressed interest starting a "High Society" type of magazine for the city. Nothing else like it exists here, and he thinks it could be very lucrative. I will be in touch with him over the next few weeks and months while he learns the ropes here, and see if there is anything I could find out for him.
In the late afternoon, I brough Perin to her grandma's house. We call her Waipo, and it was great to see her today after almost two months of not seeing her. Aunt and Uncle "Yao Yi" and "Yao Yi Die" will look after Perin for two more days until Jennifer gets back from Hainan.
last modified Sep 5, 2007 at 8:06
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