生日

This past weekend I celebrated the official addition of one more year to my age (age++). I expected the event to be a quiet affair but was pleasantly surprised that it developed into a weekend of delicious dinners and simple surprises.

As you may know, cheese is a rather uncommon ingredient in East Asian meals.  With this in mind, my friend and I sought to create a feast able to satisfy our western palettes. The prep began with a trip to one of the larger groceries in the area. Tomato paste, cheese (offered in the classic Kraft single serving style), and coffee stood out on our long receipt not only as the most expensive purchases but also as the mark of the foreigner.

With an afternoon of washing, cutting, chopping, and dicing we managed to prepare a delicious Saturday meal. Two variations of salsa, spaghetti with tomato sauce and beef, and buttered garlic bread were all delicious escapes from our normal rice, noodle, and vegetable centric diet.

However, the star of the evening were a specially prepared batch of Mantou Nachos. In the absence of good tortilla chips, we instead took mantou which is steamed bread and cut it into thin slices which were then fried. These were then topped with cheese,beef, and salsa. Overall, an awesome meal.

The next day I was treated to a cultural excursion to a Pizza Hut. Unlike American Pizza Huts, the restaurant is quite nice in china (though the service is hit and miss). Oddly, drinks cost upwards of 8x their normal price but the pizzas were surprisingly cheap. For a cheese pizza the cost was only 70 RMB (basically U.S. prices). A Hawaiian pizza was slightly cheaper. However the staple of the American pizza landscape was oddly absent- Pepperoni Pizza was nowhere to be found. After gorging ourselves on three pizzas, I was presented with a gift from my employer.

The gift was an awesome set of matching items that included a pen, card holder, and USB key. In my mind, it was a perfect representation of the ongoing clash between modern and traditional China.

The final surprise was a birthday cake delivered to my apartment while I was at work the following day. The cake was truly quite large and I have yet to finish it, despite receiving help from my friends. Luckily, it was just small enough to fit in my fridge so it has not gone to waste.

Overall, it was a very pleasurable way to mark a birthday and, best of all, no singing was required.

The Agonizingly Slow Death of Netflix

I hope to someday soon to be brave enough to short a stock. For those unfamiliar with the term: when you short a stock, you earn money when the stock drops and lose money when it rises. Essentially, you are borrowing somebody else's share, and buying it back at a different price. So, if a stock is at $300 and you short it, then buy it back at $70, you have just made a tidy $230 profit.

Unlike the standard buy, this approach can be very risky. While the upside is limited by the current price of a stock (you can't drop below zero), the downside can quickly grow and cause significant losses if proper practices are not followed.

Due to the nature/ capital requirement to effectively short, I shy away from that realm. But some days it hurts when you opportunities you noted do come to fruition.

Netflix was one such opportunity for shorting. The company had dropped from a high of $300 in mid-July to an unsteady $120 in October. Yet, even $120 seemed expensive given a string of poor management decisions over at NFLX headquarters.

The string of notable mistakes began in the spring with the launch of an overhauled user interface(UI) which catered to console users while producing a frustrating experience for PC users. The "improved" UI redcuced efficiency by requiring additional hover-time and clicks to learn about movies and their ratings. Further, the UI introduced a seasickness effect that required users to browse rows that crawled across the screen and repeated without notification. These changes were accompanied by a blog post written by Reed Hastings which happily announced the change. Hasting's posting habits have become rather infamous with each Netflix decision.

The next falter in Netflix's stride occurred in mid-July with the announcement that prices would be increased. Amid the continuing complaints about the new UI the price increase amounted to a 50% increase for those who wished to continue to receive discs and stream from the internet ( fun fact: just a few months prior, customers had already accepted a $1.00 price increase  which amounted to about a 10% price increase at the time). The price increase was largely blamed on the cost of licensing rights and again accompanied by one of Hastings' missives. Again, the blog post attracted a massive amount of comments from the user base (largely criticizing the decision).

The final chapter, occurred when members received an email notifying them about the separation of Netflix into two services. Netflix would continue to stream movies via the internet and a new service entitled Kwikster would assume the role of DVD delivery. The excited tone of Hastings' "personal" email left many readers saying, "WTF" in unison. This final announcement was easily the largest failure of Netflix. The separation of key functions of the website into chunks unable to "talk with each other"(queues, ratings, reviews, etc.) was such an asinine idea, it makes me wonder if Hastings and the board even know what value the company provides. The Kwikster fiasco was swiftly shelved after immediate blowback from subscribers and investors.

That short case study ( likely soon to be a book by a departing president...) summarizes the reason for departure of some 800k subscribers and a $40 plunge in NFLX today. Too much, too fast, too little attention to the people that pay your bills.

Is Netflix finished. No, for many reasons. But, with such poor decisions over the past year, I no longer see a reason to believe NFLX will be the dominate player forever.


*Disclosure: I own zero Netflix stock.
** I also now know that I misspelled Qwikster. I don't care, it is a poor idea no matter how you spell it.
*** See also the speech Fry gives at the end of Futurama- Future Stock

Language Study

This week has been very pleasant (aside from faulty keyboard issues, Lenovo's build quality is increasingly suspect in my eyes).

In addition to my normal two hour-long tutoring sessions and daily 1.5 hours of language study, I visited one of the intermediate classes on campus to observe the class's level. I was pleased to note that I am swiftly approaching the level of the intermediate class and I expect to surpass it in the very near future.

Studying and learning the language seems to have improved following my complete submission to the fact that in language study, there are no shortcuts. On the upside, retention and growth seem directly related to input (time) so that is a significant motivator to put in significant study time each day. The addition of a tutor also helps significantly and I regret having not paid for one when I was a student.

Of course, living in China helps bring to light every small improvement made on Chinese. I literally will learn a word and use it or see it the next day which is pretty cool. These small pieces of cheese remove the drudgery of studying for studying's sake and replace it with a practicality; the knowledge that you are learning things applicable outside of a testing situation. I suspect that is the key factor in my dislike for traditional schooling but eternal love of learning and self-study.

Only 1800 more characters to go until fluency ;)

I am going to end this article a bit early and seek to fix my keyboard which has given up on typing the correct letters 50% of the time. UGH (even at the higher price, a macbook is more and more enticing).

Oh, one more thing. There is a breakdancing  group here.

Ode to Privacy

Whether or not we as a society have fully realized it, Privacy is dead. Exactly when

Privacy passed from comatose to deceased is uncertain; but a decade after 9/11 and nearly eight years since the birth of Facebook, the once vibrant vessel has transformed from a lifeless mass to a hunk of decaying slush.

Oddly the rank odor and third-generation maggot inhabitants belonging to the mass don't deter some from claiming Privacy is alive and well. They overlook the groceries gaming prices using "membership cards", phones containing GPS units, and security points dominating airports (a trend initiated pre-9/11 and driven to extremes  in the past few years).

They ignore the steadily increasing obsolescence of brick and mortar in favor of online kings like Amazon, Newegg, and Ebay. Cash has steadily ceded to plastic cards that store our purchase histories, personal histories, repayment histories, histories of our histories.

Privacy knew the end was near when phones no longer stayed at home or work. Instead, ringing followed everywhere, in cars, classes, funerals and birthing rooms. Cell phones claimed the world as their domain. To not answer a call: a significant slight; not returning a message: punishable by death.

But Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have been the final piece of proof (if one was still necessary). Voluntary surrender of personal histories, contact lists, interests, future plans, and current activities. Think there isn't that much info on you? Feel free to request the 800+ page dossier Facebook owns of your info and "personal" messages.

Privacy is dead. The time to mourn is swiftly passing.

The Chinese Diet

For all of its inadequacies and shortcomings, China always holds a special place in my heart. That place is held thanks to its delicious foods that cost next to nothing. For you cretins that believe delicious foods include KFC and McDonalds, you will be sad to learn that those still cost about the same amount as in America. But for those of you adventurous to avoid fancy restaurants and travel some alley ways, you will find a host of delicious foods, generous portions and cheap beer.

Example 1: Fried Rice with Egg, Ham, and Peppers. -- 6 RMB (approximately $1.00)

This meal is the most deliciously addictive food I have had anywhere in China. I have grown convinced that there is a secret ingredient like nicotine or meth.

As simple as it sounds, the meal is a large plate with a mountain of the concoction piled about 2" tall and served with a Chinese spoon. At first glance it is nothing special, but the greasy fried rice and ham meld to make a rich buttery flavor that makes the rice irresistible. The peppers and pepper oil mixed with the rice serve to add a slight spiciness that completes the dish. Adding some American hot sauce is a special bonus.

The owners of this particular restaurant are extremely friendly and always happy to see returning customers.  I am planning to steal their recipe and try to replicate this food so I can eat it anywhere in the world. Luckily, I can enjoy the original for many more months and at 6 RMB, I can easily afford it.

Example 2: Street BBQ (approximately $3.00 per person)

Want to sit and eat a ton of meat? Street BBQ is the thing for you. All throughout China these outdoor restaraunts spring up around dinner time and remain through the evening.

Simply sit at a table and a waitress will walk around with different types of skewered meats. Beef, chicken, pork, fish, donkey... who knows what options will be available. When you see something delicious, talk to the waitress and she will give you 10-20 skewers of the meat. Eat rinse and repeat. At the end of the meal, the waitress counts the number of skewers at your table and charges you accordingly.

The only downside to Street BBQ is that the "house beer" called zhapi (jaw-pee) is a rather miserable concoction. It is a local beer that tapped from a keg and served in pitchers. Though cheap, it is extremely sweet making it unpallatable. I ordered a pitcher to try some and couldn't even finish a glass. I ended up giving the pitcher to the table next to us.

Street BBQ is very fun, delicious, and the style of eating ensures everyone will enjoy something.

Example 3: Mystery stuff on a stick 

What is mystery stuff on a stick? Well, that is the fun of it? Right?! On the street, next to corn vendors, fried flat bread (delicious), and duck, are vendors that sell an odd non-meat on a stick. The non-meat is a bit fatter and about twice as long as a McDonald's frenchfry. It is skewered and curled in a spiral around a stick. This non-meat is chewy and tastes of cumin and a bit like lamb.

That said, what is it? Well, though the answer is elusive, it seems to be some sort of bread and egg creation. You can buy three for less than 50 cents and munch on these tasty morsels that are cooked to order. As always, make sure to ask for extra spice!

I will update this post with photos in the near future as many of these foods are easily available and part of my standard diet.

P.S. While my recent food poisoning has made me trepidatios about returning to beer, folks state-side will be envious to be reminded that a liter of beer costs 3 kuai (50 cents).

Neuromancer Finished, Diamond Age Begun

Having finished Neuromancer last week, I am now consuming Diamond Age. Diamond Age is written by Neil Stephenson and takes place in a future where nanotechnology pervades every facet of life. Though I have only finished 30% of the book, it tends to be focusing on the cultural impact of the technology over the actual technology itself. This is in stark contrast to Neuromancer which in place of significant character development dwells on the technological developments of society.

The novel opens with a character defined by many cyberpunk traits (attitude, body modifications, illicit dealings) but swiftly kills him off as punishment for maiming a man. Following his sentencing the novel moves fully into societal study with ruminations about optimal education, ideal social structures, and value adjustments resulting from the ubiquitous nanotechnology.

I formed a deeper connection to the Neuromancer universe (much of it mirroring our reality and near future), but I am enjoying the actual plot of Diamond Age much more at this point. The anthropologist/sociologist approach to the future is fascinating makes the novel (i.e. kindle) hard to set down.

As always, below are links to Amazon if you are interested in picking either book up for your kindle or in a  hard copy format.

The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book)

Neuromancer

Food Poisoning != Happy Fun Time

Regrettably, my normal posting schedule was broken yesterday by a bout of food poisoning. While the symptoms were quite unenviable, it did result in a nice chance for me to ruminate about future sensor technology.

As luck would have it, I was likely brought down by one of the local beers that I occasionally enjoy with dinner.

You may be aware that the current pinnacle of beer technology is the color changing label on Coors bottles. When the beer is cold, the mountains change from white to an inviting blue. This marks both a premium beer and and a satisfying experience (but seriously, it is a cute idea even if it lacks real improvement on the actual product).

The beer that is ready for battle (or work).

My sickness combined with the thought of the cheap color-changing-temperature technology got me thinking about the potential of including sensors in bottle that could easily alert the user of potability. Nanosensors could detect contaminants and unsafe organism growth and alter the color of the label or bottle to a sickly green or yellow. Perhaps the liquid could simply be turned to a bright red so if you poor a small amount, you know it is not safe to drink. Better yet, liquids could be transformed into gels so they would not be able to be poured.

While on the topic of reducing my responsibility for food safety, I am still waiting for the day when my fridge is able to alert me that my vegetables are rotten and should be expunged. Same with the milk. Even if it would simply alert me of a rank scent presiding in the refrigerator it would be extremely helpful (i.e. in the bottom left drawer, something smells very wrong). Instead, I am forced to maintain my poor custodianship of the fruits and veggies and occasionally notice a liquified pepper in the back of the drawer.

Granted that if consumer level nanotechnology is ever ubiquitous, the very need for such such inventions could likely be sidestepped by better seals, improved processes to maintain food, and possibly the automatic removal and recycling of spoiled goods.

In the meantime, I'll be more weary of my Chinese beer and hope for better luck in the future. 

Supermarket Sweep

I have a general philosophy that grocery markets are not to be tangled with on an empty stomach. With that said, I have taken care to prepare a giant serving of noodles and 饺子 （Jiaozi-a form of dumpling) spiced with cumin and hot sauce.

I am increasingly growing to dread groceries as they seem to always involve me in some sort of precarious circumstance. This is never a result of difficulty finding food or ordering items from deli workers. No, instead it is the epic game of cat and mouse that the checkout process brings. Without fail workers request my store card which, of course, I never have. So they end up using their own or another customer's. Then one of two situations seems to always occur. The first is that I manage to choose items with no price tag attached. The second is I am unable to pay.

The first variation has occurred two of my last three trips. The first time with a bag of mantou (awesome steamed bread/rolls) and most recently with a thermos I was purchasing. Each time, I manage to choose the one item in a batch of twenty or so that lacks a price, and so, inevitably, it is tucked away under their counter because they can't sell me an item without a price.

The second variation, is as frustrating as it is continually unexpected. I never have these issues elsewhere but somehow in China it seems to be my predictable mistake. I one time had all my hundreds in a book I had left in my backpack(Beibao- 背包) at home. Another time, I didn't have my card pin. Most recently, my account was frozen due to too many invalid pin entries at an ATM a day earlier.  How, you may ask, do so many PIN related issues arise? Well, the keypads in China all seem to have random variations of 10-keys. So some have nine in the upper right, others the lower right, other maybe the upper left. Suffice it to say, memorizing a 6 digit pin is less than fun when the keys keep moving.

As a bonus, they also are very weary of my 100's bills. Which makes for extra fun.

Now, on to the part for those interested in Chinese groceries. First, let me say, I will go full tourist some day and rock some inside photography with my pocket cam. For today, you will have to be satisfied with the two pictures below.

What can you buy at a Chinese grocery? Meats without refrigeration. Cooked Duck, individually wrapped fruits and veggies (at awesome prices). Cookies and Candy. A huge variety of peanut oil, soy sauce, noodles, and instant noodles. Peanuts prepared at the deli (delicious supplement to the peanut butter).

What can you buy for a lot of money? Olive oil (staple of western cooking but not so much here). Hagen Daaz (which costs around $12 a pint and $3 for one of those single serving things).

What can't you buy? Frozen foods far beyond the realm of Jiaozi or baozi. Pizza and Frozen Pizza (almost done with the grieving process). Limes- this one has been a pain in my G&T side.

I will definitely do a full and rich post about both modern and traditional Chinese food markets in the near future. But, to hold you over in the meantime. I have a picture of an import beer close to my heart. Also, a picture of a happy lamb trying to sell frozen lamb stomach to you! Enjoy.

Special Bonus (construction sign untranslated):

Neuromancer

This week I tackled the cyber-punk bible, William Gibson's Neuromancer. William Gibson is a prodigious American writer that you may recognize for having coined the word "cyberspace" (or for the poorly made film called Johnny Mnemonic).


The story centers around Case, a down and out hacker (called cowboys in the book) who is on the verge of death caught between illegal business deals gone bad, a drug addiction, and a cash crunch. To make matters worse, Case is unable to enter the "mass consensual hallucination" known as cyberspace due to a chemical he was injected with by a previous employer as payback for skimming off the top.


A mysterious pair come and retrieve Case from his personal purgatory and promise to get him back into working order in exchange for working a job for them. He agrees and the cyberpunk crime thriller begins.


The book is largely concept driven with the characters being somewhat flat. But for technophiles, that works out just fine. Highlights include: 


1. A world dominated by physical upgrades to the body. The female sidekick Molly possesses optical lens implants that provide vision in all sorts of environments and even have a small LED readout used primarily for displaying the time. She also has a juiced up nervous system allowing her to best most with faster reaction speeds. Finally, Molly also has ultra-sharp retractable razor blades implanted in each finger allowing her to slice her way through clumsy opponents.


Other characters utilize "Microsofts" which seem to be memory enhancers. Gibson writes about an art dealer at one point who has many of these implanted in his head allowing him to possess a competitive edge in dealing.


2. The Singularity coming to fruition. In Neuromancer, the mega-corporations own AIs that are strictly regulated by the world government(s?). While they are extremely powerful, they have strict controls and safety measure in place to prevent them from truly becoming super-human. As you would expect, this is very difficult to do, even with an AI of average intelligence simply because, just like real life blackhats, they are free to attack from any number of vectors and time is 100% on their side. 


In Neuromancer, Gibson doesn't probe the consequences of a super-human AI. Instead, he leaves it with a statement that applies to many characters and aspects of the book: "Things are still things".


3. Cyberspace- Mass Consensual Hallucination. This concept has been pretty well hashed out by popular sci-fi movies of the past two decades. In many ways, we are already living in cyberspace. We socialize in cyberspace (G+, Facebook, Twitter). We shop in cyberspace. Many of us even make our living by working in cyberspace (building websites, doing customer service via chat messengers, improving security). 


The primary difference is the medium of interaction. Gibson presents a version in which your mind is supplied sensory inputs allowing you to "actually" be there. Not only that, but the popular entertainment form of the day is supplied by "Simsuits". The suits are worn by entertainers and allow the user to feel their sensations. So, if you were watching an action movie, you would feel the heat of explosions, the wind of fast car chases, the recoil of a shotgun. 


I would be lying if I said the book was an easy read. However, if you are at all interested in cyberpunk, future tech, or the singularity; I think it is worth it. Just thinking about Neuromancer makes me want to dive back into the sprawl and read the rest of the trilogy ( Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive). 

今天星期六

Yesterday I promised to upload the video of freshman training. Here it is. Pardon the wind white noise.