My good friend and noted resource speculator Paul Kullich called me up and asked if I would go to China to explore some joint venture ideas at the China International Software and Services Fair. While he is trekking over from London, for me the flight out of Hong Kong is only 3.5 hours on Air China. Noted athlete, adventurer, and scholar Dr. Steve "Bo" Keeley offered words of wisdom that have heeded me well in the 21 years since we became hobo brothers. "Never walk away from a good ride, and the best meals are always free." Therefore, while I would do anything for Paul and his compatriots, I was required by the hobo code to take the trip.
I like Dalian, I like the city and I like the people - I was there last year for the same event and spent a couple of days as a tourist. Unlike many other areas of the world I felt safe, was warmly greeted by the locals (or at least they smiled a lot whilst talking about me), and charged the local rate for everything. Unlike Greece, I did not feel like I had a target painted on my forehead. Dalian even sounds like a nice place! Paul and I would base out of the Hotel Furama for the week. In that section of town the choice was between the Furama (china style) and the Shangri-La (western style). Being available for work is key, so access to the internet, phone and business center was an important consideration.
Dalian is an expertly run municipality and it reminds me of Makati. I did have the chance once to meet the Mayor of Dalian (and his entourage) at an Intel VIP event hosted by Joya Chatterjee and Gina Li. His team is quite dedicated to seeing Dalian become the Silicon Valley of China. Essentially, they want to compete with Bangalore and other notable destinations for the worlds IT outsourcing opportunities while fostering an atmosphere of innovation and research. As with most of my meetings in China - I often walk away wondering if the entire future of technology is about to be outsourced.
So why do I like Air China. Much of it has to do with good luck. I am seated in coach, row 15 (exit row), center seat - with the seat to my right and left empty. My desk (meaning briefcase, documents, reading material and gadgets are on the seat to my left). MacBook Pro is of course, front and center. There is a ton of legroom, and I can spread out. I maintain that a whole row in coach is always better than business class. But an exit row - well, that is good fortune indeed. The flight boarded on time. It was full, but obviously not to capacity and the new equipment, a 737-800 is a great airplane and smart choice for a regional carrier.
The service is always consistent and excellent. It starts with the flight attendants insuring that passengers are comfortable (pillows, blankets), beverage service, a simple meal service (beef or fish, chicken or fish on the return), followed by the "quiet time" where cabin lights go off and people can sleep. I usually opt for water and juice. On this flight however, the meal service featured a Great Wall red, a respectable combination of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Normally, I don't indulge on a business trip but this is a wine that Great Wall does very well. The meals are nothing to write home about, but they fill you up and aren't offensive to the palette. The beef actually had a small dose of hot red pepper. As with most Chinese peppers, they are deep and rich in flavor. So while the beef and rice was somewhat uninspired - chewing the occasional pepper gave it a nice depth that complimented the wine. Lastly the flight attendants are pretty (as in attractive people, not simply sexy (ala. Singapore or Lan Chile)), and smart, friendly, speak excellent English (as compared to my very poor Mandarin) and treat customers fairly and with respect. I am never looking for special treatment, but getting harassed by angry jaded old ladies (eg. United, Northwest, British Airways) who hate their jobs is no fun. If some woman is going to berate me and humiliate me, well - I should be married to her or at the very least be able to imagine her in leather.
Will follow up with some comments on the conference, which was one of the best networking events I have ever attended. Lastly, as a resident of the Napa region in California I would love to see Great Wall take some inspiration from the California winemakers. Their current techniques are very French which are not suitable to their grape growing climate. With some advice, Great Wall stands a chance of winning more significant international wine competitions.
