The End of the World is Neigh
I recently completed a 14 day trip to Hong Kong and China for business. During this trip I met some interesting people with widely varying views on the state of play of the world at large.
Dave
– a semi-retired dentist from Texas aged 70
– rather well off, divorced and 7 progeny in the US
– He is under way to move from the US to China (Shenzhen) as a permanent resident. Why?
* safer in China (no need to explain that)
* easy to do dentistry for foreigners in china (loads of demand for a farang dentist)
* better choice of women – even at 70 he can still pick up slim Chinese ladies of 40-50, whereas in the States he would just have the choice of geriatric bowling balls (his words)
* better living standard – rental of an apartment less than in TX, real food far cheaper
* the US is going nuts – his exact words, and I quote "The gun shops have lines around the corner and the bullets are sold out by lunchtime – it's like its the end of the world."
– His kids cant figure out what's going on in his head (they live in the fishbowl and can't see outside)
Zhong
– Chinese businessman
– Starting several business lines for export to the USA and Europe
– his wife however is one of the old Chinese intellectual families (petit bourgois in Marxist Leninist speak) and wants out to be able to freely speak her mind
– he likes China, but abhors the wasteful spending of the China government (ever heard that before???)
– he loves his wife (with his head)
– he loves KTV (with the other part)
– no dichotomy there – it's the normal Chinese thinking (and wise too – you don't mix work / family and pleasure)
Liu
– top research professor for new materials
– currently making synthetic spider web (about 2 times stronger than Kevlar fiber) using plants
– world leader in this field
Danielle
– Chinese Indonesian (couldn't place her face at first due to not looking full Chinese or full Indo)
– ex Singapore Air stewardess for 4 years (so you can imagine the looks) now recently married to a Chinese Indo guy who sells charcoal to China made of old coconut shells
– super well off, she buys her shoes at => Primark UK! (the cheapest clothes shop in the UK) the Chinese always look after money
Shin
– runs a start up business in Wenzhou, likes red wine and drinks it cold from the fridge and chugs it down like beer – the French will get rich off him!
– come out of China on a high thinking about all the endless development opportunities….
back to Europe ;((
The news
A new war in Mali to support a despotic puppet French-led government calling the Toureg minority people Taliban operatives?
More food scandals now involving substitute meat for beef (currently horse and or donkey) and not just in cheap Aldi food, but in Unilever Findus top brand food (after foot and mouth, blue tongue, Bse, chicken flu, etc etc)
What is strange is that according to Romanian friends of mine is that horse meat is about 40% more expensive in Romania than beef and donkey is a luxury product (the penis is supposed to give certain powers). It just goes to prove the crap that gets fed to us by big business.
French film stars being granted Russian citizenship by Putin himself (and giving the finger to Hollande).
Now we find our beloved and adored UK pop show and charity presenters were in fact child molesting for 30 + years but because they were part of the gentry no one did anything until dead and buried for 2 years, and there are plenty more behind him…
More factories closing (Ford / Arcelor Mittal). That's what you get when you sell your industry to the Indians.
mMore high ranking US potentiates are undone by trying to have a little bit on the side (and who can blame then when you see their wives?)
Mass murder in schools, but we should have more guns?!
What a pleasure to read about Thailand, the warmth, the people, and the girls ready to take our sponsorship!
Who cares the bars are flagging?
Go to TLL, or a mall, or CM2, or Dance Fever and take your choice!
Live the life, you only have 1 shot at it…
Thailand, here we come!
THE FRENCHMAN
Stickman's thoughts:
Yep, with all the crap in the news today, some days I think the world is going crazy.
