Tag: Panda Express

Let them visit

In “Imagined in America“, Friedman reminded us that 30 years ago, Hong Kong used to be a manufacturing colony. Today its economy consists of 97-percent service, with a booming tourism industry (mostly visited by Mainland Chinese).

The second point was, America too can become a tourist Mecca that lures 300 million cash-hording middle-class Chinese. Already we saw the influx of Chinese students at America’s top Universities, such as Cornell and Columbia.

Why not allowing their parents to visit Casinos after visiting the Campuses (instead of having Wynn  move his headquarter to Macau).

I can see an America in the year of 2020: Chinese tourists arriving ten times as many as their Japanese counterparts back in the 80’s, renting Winnebago by the thousands for their long treks across this land. America, their showroom.

They will look and try on garment that were made in their homeland, and nap in IKEA showrooms (rest areas will have lazy-susan tables and vending machines will serve tea).

They will gamble and eat Chinese Food on nation’s highways.

They will be interpreted by their Ivy-League graduated sons and daughters who can’t wait to inter-marry “white” folks.

The “spy next door”, who is now spokesperson for V-8 juice, will soon move in.

Atlantic City will see another revival as hasn’t seen in decades.

Florida will prosper, not because of its retirees base, but because of its casinos of the seas.

These tourists from China will visit the Oakland bridge, touting among themselves that it was one of the first US construction sites China has bid on and delivered (along with MLK memorial site) on time. Propaganda can then spin that the transcontinental railroad couldn’t have happened had it not for the ingenuity and involuntary contribution of their ancestors.

I wouldn’t be surprised that we find not one, but two national chains for Chinese food (Watch out Panda Express).

And by 2050, when I am long gone, America will have its first Chinese American presidential hopeful. If we can now have not one, but two Mormons on the same debate, both trying to take down the God Father’s Pizza CEO, my prediction should not be that far-fetched (999, is that the price of a pizza? uttered former US Ambassador to China).

Instead of following the money trail to the East, let them come West.

The grass is greener over here anyway (developers have imported New Port Beach homes in China).

However, the only disappointment will be their final stop in Hollywood, America’s dream factory. There, they will only find illegals selling maps to the Stars’ Homes, and the Hollywood Boulevard Sidewalk with Tom Cruise’s palm imprints in front of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

One of the actor’s famous line was “show me the money”. After a stop in Vegas, and with Hollywood as their last stop before boarding the flight home, our tourists could only laugh at their American experience: homeless people, Made-in-China T-shirts and Taco Bell.

What used to be a dream, hardly turns out as thought. Welcome to California, now go home. Do not “occupy” more space. From the vantage point of those leaving on Pacific-bound flights, Lady Liberty seems to turn her back without saying “come and see us again”. I heard their fellow countrymen didn’t get better treatment in Cafe Paris anyway. Waiters Francais need some getting used to, as does the Japanese economy, world’s  number 2 for a while until now.

Heterogeneous country, homogeneous thought

Google CEO blurted out what we all know (that tech moves at 3 times faster than other business sectors, who in turn, are 3X than the government). We are analog-built e.g. eating,  buying and thinking habits, while techies thought processing power is on a different plane e.g. Cold-War B53 bomb in TX is finally being disassembled and junked.

A Swedish public health expert gave a TEDx talk some years ago. He put up some slides which span 200 years just to show how entrenched we are in yesterday’s thinking (e.g. that women in emerging nations have a lot of children while the opposite is now true). In short, formative years continue to cloud our lenses (or our teachers’ who got their data from post- War textbooks). Another stat: more deaths from suicide in the US (mostly men in their mid-50’s) than from automobile accidents. Or more Christian in China, than the membership of the Communist Party.

Or  thanks to rural broadband, the creative class in the US can finally afford housing and pursuit their passion, let’s say in software programming, in 2nd-tier cities like Seattle, Austin (as opposed to New York and San Francisco).

One more thing. Back in the days when America found it hard to accept a President who was Catholic

and the only “Muslim” brother who left his last name blank (X). The Big Three in Detroit, Big Three in Broadcasting, and a healthy middle class, with Union wages. Now, things get splintered of, with MNC’s paying zero domestic tax (GE), and CDO peddlers paying no COD (it’s still a mystery that Madoff was the only fall guy – whose rehearsed bio was …”I was an underdog when I started in brokerage, so I got to have my revenge at ‘them'” ” we contemplated suicide but it’s our son that followed it through). The same tax codes hasn’t been 21st-century compliant enough to catch clever white-collar looters.

Meanwhile, across the pond, it will take another three decades for China’s branding to rise (The Chinese Dream) just as it has taken them 3 decades to ramp up manufacturing and exports. Reverse engineering will be followed by reverse branding. Their state machinery will be hard at work to take apart every element that make Cola and IBM global brands.

(try to top Steve Jobs, the marketer who still got marketed in his death: simple and elegant cover featuring his signature stare).

First wave will be tourists. Second wave, engineering students . Third wave, marketing catalysts, Huawei and Haier, try to pry open the US-EU domestic markets (foreign in their perspective). At today’s speed, even Toyota with its continuous improvement still can’t compete with revived brands like VW.  It seems that John Le Carre is not the only one whose career and mindset are stuck in Cold War era. Cuba still has 1950’s automobiles crowding the streets. At least, we must admit they don’t make things like that any more. Should have kept jobs in Indiana, and not India.

Things were moving quite rapidly at the bottom line, and slow at topline.

Soft and sizzled

Mind you, this is not a new Panda Express dish.

Just China exercises its soft power, by sending S&R responders to Haiti (Western Hemisphere, many time zones away from the Great Kingdom).

Why China?

China has explored Space, Chips, and automobiles (not to mention its recent Bullet train, which should keep the Japanese on their toes).  It hosted the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai Index has outperformed the London Exchange.

While haggling with Google, it needs to act like a Super Power that it will become by sending relief S&R team. After all, it got its own quake last year. Those who have suffered can empathize.

Unlike opportunists who would spit out ill-thought-out remarks (like Quick text messages already stored on cell phones) when the first opportunity presents itself (Pat Robertson).

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/14/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6096806.shtml

We happened to live near earthquake zone (San Fernando Valley). Did this mean we made a pact with the Devil?

(He probably said “yes”, because San Fernando Valley is home to Porn Capital).

Anyhow, back to China.

The speed and ease of Mobile Giving help galvanize relief efforts more quickly.

China landed in Haiti before France, its former Colonial Boss.

Venezuela and USA both pledged help.

Are we inter-connected or what!

BTW,  ARPANET’s original conception was for communication emergency should there were a nuclear disaster. So it’s only fitting that Twitter and Facebook come out ahead in mobilizing the international community for Haiti. After all, images speak louder than words. Rifkin in his latest “the Empathic Civilization” speaks of technology which enables greater empathy, yet at the same time, consumes so much energy that there is a tension between entropy and empathy (technology vs compassion fatigue?)

As you read these lines, the earth beneath you could be shaking, anytime.

That’s how vulnerable and fragile our lives are. (It happened to me when I lived in Orange County).

So China, along with other nations, should exercise their soft powers: winning hearts and minds before seeking political and economic dominance. Mind shares before market shares.

Corporations got this. They have been present at every Bowl game, every disaster zone and county fair, building goodwill, practicing brand advocacy, which ultimately strengthen brand equity.

China has won some points today by sending men and materials to Haiti, Chinese deserved a medal for showing up.

Soft Power Express! A quick dish and good chow. Soft and sizzled.