Five Fun Facts about China

• The MagLev train from the Shanghai airport to downtown is the new fastest train in the world, with top speeds of 267MPH (though when I took it on arriving here, we topped out at only 186MPH). The trip into town takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds.
  

• According to CCP reports, there are more 75,000 “incidents of rural unrest” per year in China (that is >200/day).
  

• 31% of the world’s ketchup is produced in Xinjiang province (northwest corner of China).
  

• Wuxi, a city of ~4.3 million people, has been without running water for several weeks now. Poisonous blue-green algae caused by water pollution bloomed in the city’s water source, the 3^rd largest freshwater lake in China. Temperatures have been in the 80s and 90s but city residents have no ability to wash or shower. CCTV news tagline “China learns from algae crisis”.
  

• There are 49 cities in China with a bigger population than Houston, Texas.
  

Also, my hotel has a gun club on the first floor (sign on the left side of the picture below).

Three battles

Battle 1 - Hangars

I am matched in a small war with the hotel staff here at the friendly Home Inn. A quick introduction, Home Inn is a new chain of hotels that is striving to become the Comfort Inn of China. This specific location is actually nice enough, but I am not sure how often they have visitors staying here for a month.

Since I left home for 3 months, I brought more than an average amount of clothes. The Home Inn provides its guests with 6 hangars. Now I know that many of you think I do not have 6 articles of clothing worth hanging up, but I can assure you that I do.

The first day I was here, I went downstairs and asked for 8 more clothes hangars. After a minute or two, they nodded in understanding and I thought hangars would be sent up. Nothing happened. Evening Two, I ask again for more 8 clothes hangars. I don’t know if they don’t want to give me that many, or they truly didn’t understand, but again nothing happened. Evening Three, I come home, get a knock on the door, and receive one hangar. Morning Four I ask for clothes hangars again. Somewhat confused nods from the front desk. I resolve to get the word clothes hangars written in Chinese for me, but later forget. Evening Four, I come home, get a knock on the door, and get one hangar again. Evening Five, temporary ceasefire.

I am not sure how this battle of wits will end up, but I think I am no worse than a 2 to 1 underdog.

Battle 2 - Pollution

I have learned how China plans to deal with the pollution during the Olympics. Our general counsel mentioned that he had heard about this plan from a few government officials in Beijing and Yahoo News seems to support it also.

The Chinese Air Force apparently has cloud seeding capability. They launch missiles that emit silver iodide which explode in the air and cause clouds to form and then rain to fall. The Air Force plans to use these missiles to encircle the city with clouds and rain in the days before the Olympics to temporarily help clean up the pollution by making it rain.

Apparently they also did this when some Olympic Committee officials came to assess the pollution problem before choosing Beijing to host the Games.

Battle 3 – Citizen behavior

The sign below from a park in Beijing shows some of the restrictions that the central government is trying to impose on individual freedoms. Line 7 is my favorite.

(I think if you click the picture you can make it bigger)