From a different place

Such contrasts in the perspective we hold...A friend recently me sent a cd from the "Get it Louder" exhibition that was/is being held in China at present. As I showed some colleagues it was pointed out that the video style was very "eighties" in feel. Having seen the situation inside China I did not have that perspective. My feeling is that it is quite contemporary, and in a sense, that eighties thing is still somewhat "now" if we look at pop trends.

The other thing that struck me was the way the presentation was coded - as a VCD. Since I returned from Asia I have not encountered this format at all. At first we couldn't make the cd work - then I remembered it would work in Quicktime - just a different way of doing things. that sums up a lot for me about the way we perceive this place that we know so little about but don't realise that.

The contrast thing is a theme I think I will return to for several reasons. Firstly and most obviously the contrasts within China are enormous. More importantly, within the context of the overall nature of the material presented here, the contrast in eastern values vs western values I have alluded to, is not to be underestimated in any way. One could argue that there is almost a polar opposite in approaches. The more pleasing analogy is the idea of a yin yang dichotomy that is complimentary. that would be the diection I would go in based in what I have seen and experienced so far. I know others will/would disagree.

These images are of Puxi [top] and Pudong [below]. The old and the new Shanghai. Rich/poor; dense/space; ancient/futuristic; rough/smooth; dirty/clean; brown/blue; warm/cold; heritage/real estate; displaced/official; lo-rize/hi-rize; amazing/amazing!



The "lowai" is apt to feel that things have been turned upside down. The "businesman" is likely to be lulled into an initial but false sense of security. The person who appears to be least influential in the meeting is actually leading the process. You will need to put time into developing "guanxi" and to guard against losing "mianzi". Yes you are a long way from home toto. Enjoy the ride and learn as much as possible. There is no other way. Your values don't apply.

...and that is actually a very good thing for you to experience.