I do miss my triathlons back home so as some know I'm going to try and do one here, specifically the 70.3 in Thailand in early December. 70.3 basically is the designation for a 1/2 Ironman or 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.
My training has been less than ideal. All my swimming takes place in my apartment complex pool so no open water swimming. My biking takes place indoors as well on my bike that is set up on an indoor training machine. Then running outdoors. Add to it that I'm working like a dog and I feel terribly unprepared for the pain I will feel.
Today I read an article about the race site. It's a first ever race and they did a training camp there last weekend. Sounds like the bike is going to be brutally difficult. Lots of hills and technical riding to be done. Here's the article hopefully the link will work, just cut and paste...
http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/asiapacific70.3/laguna-phukets-new-ironman-70.3-asia-pacific-championship-course-has-been-given-a-seal-of-approval-by-the?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29#axzz15Aul1YmF
In normal training mode this would be my last serious week of workouts, then start to taper down a bit. Problem is I haven't had time for the serious workouts and won't this week either. Oh well all in fun right?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Material Costs
I try and keep this site full of the fun and interesting stuff. This won't be so fun, at least not for me, but maybe interesting.
Since I have been back in China from my trip to the US we have been negotiating price increases. As many of you know the US gov't is pushing China to allow the RMB (Chinese currency) to increase in value more. Well when it does that it makes the goods we sell more expensive back to you. So far YTD it has changed about 2%, nothing major so far. There are rumors that it will go 20% in the next couple years. That means in essence I will take an automatic 20% decrease in salary because I get paid in USD and not in RMB. So that sucks...might be time to renegotiate that.
In addition to a rise in the value of the RMB there are MAJOR material cost increases going on. I won't bore you but cotton has gone up to the highest level since the US started following commodity prices. Then on Monday I come in to the office to find that the cost of Polyester has gone up 35% in just 3 days. Today being Tuesday it went up an additional 10%.
Long and short we have negotiated with mills and they are coming back saying they need another 5-20% raises effective now. But that isn't the worst part.
The worst part is that even if you agree on a price, no matter how high it is, you can't get the materials. The actual suppliers are not selling, they are hoarding the goods and hoping that prices will continue to rise. Already in 2 days numerous mills have shut down completely because they can't get raw materials. They will reopen when they get materials but right now it doesn't even pay to bring employees to work.
I've had mills in the past 2 days and they want more money from us but don't know how much to ask since it changes on a daily or hourly basis. I personally see the mills in survival mode right now. They will take not making money as long as they don't lose money in the short term. But they can't get the materials. I've heard stories of far Western China, near Pakistan where the Chinese Army is protecting cotton fields from people pillaging in the night!
For anyone I've talked to who has been in this business for years, nobody has ever seen anything like this. It is insanity. Talk about every day being different! If you don't think this will affect you, I'm sure it will it if continues. There is no way cotton t-shirts are going to be so cheap next season or the season after that.
Let's see what tomorrow brings...
Since I have been back in China from my trip to the US we have been negotiating price increases. As many of you know the US gov't is pushing China to allow the RMB (Chinese currency) to increase in value more. Well when it does that it makes the goods we sell more expensive back to you. So far YTD it has changed about 2%, nothing major so far. There are rumors that it will go 20% in the next couple years. That means in essence I will take an automatic 20% decrease in salary because I get paid in USD and not in RMB. So that sucks...might be time to renegotiate that.
In addition to a rise in the value of the RMB there are MAJOR material cost increases going on. I won't bore you but cotton has gone up to the highest level since the US started following commodity prices. Then on Monday I come in to the office to find that the cost of Polyester has gone up 35% in just 3 days. Today being Tuesday it went up an additional 10%.
Long and short we have negotiated with mills and they are coming back saying they need another 5-20% raises effective now. But that isn't the worst part.
The worst part is that even if you agree on a price, no matter how high it is, you can't get the materials. The actual suppliers are not selling, they are hoarding the goods and hoping that prices will continue to rise. Already in 2 days numerous mills have shut down completely because they can't get raw materials. They will reopen when they get materials but right now it doesn't even pay to bring employees to work.
I've had mills in the past 2 days and they want more money from us but don't know how much to ask since it changes on a daily or hourly basis. I personally see the mills in survival mode right now. They will take not making money as long as they don't lose money in the short term. But they can't get the materials. I've heard stories of far Western China, near Pakistan where the Chinese Army is protecting cotton fields from people pillaging in the night!
For anyone I've talked to who has been in this business for years, nobody has ever seen anything like this. It is insanity. Talk about every day being different! If you don't think this will affect you, I'm sure it will it if continues. There is no way cotton t-shirts are going to be so cheap next season or the season after that.
Let's see what tomorrow brings...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
To the US and back...
Well since I last wrote I've been back to the US with stops in NY (company headquarters), CT (to see mom), North Carolina (for a trade show) and then to Chicago to see friends and family, pick up some stuff and generally hang out. It was a busy 12 days or so and compounded by being sick with a temp nearly 103 for a while.
Now back in China for a week or so and settled back into the insanity routine we call life here. The weather is cooling off quickly just like Chicago fall weather, except no football to watch here.
I've got just about one month left before I do my first triathlon outside of the US. This is a 1/2 Ironman race also called 70.3 series. Consists of 1.2mile swim, 56mile bike and 13.1mile run. Down in Phuket, Thailand. My training so far to say the least has been piss poor! Although this past week since being home I'm surprised my body has done as well as it has on some of the long workouts. Trying to get workouts in with my schedule work wise simply is tough. Oh well, at least I have a goal and a timeline to follow...
Now back in China for a week or so and settled back into the insanity routine we call life here. The weather is cooling off quickly just like Chicago fall weather, except no football to watch here.
I've got just about one month left before I do my first triathlon outside of the US. This is a 1/2 Ironman race also called 70.3 series. Consists of 1.2mile swim, 56mile bike and 13.1mile run. Down in Phuket, Thailand. My training so far to say the least has been piss poor! Although this past week since being home I'm surprised my body has done as well as it has on some of the long workouts. Trying to get workouts in with my schedule work wise simply is tough. Oh well, at least I have a goal and a timeline to follow...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
My week...
So come back from vacation have one day in Shanghai, including the wedding I just went to. Tomorrow back to the office for a few hours, then off to the airport for a flight to Shenzhen. Meet with JCP on Monday night and then first thing Tuesday fly back to Shanghai. Spend the afternoon in the office, have dinner with a colleague and their family that night.
Then on Wednesday begin the trek back home to the USofA! First stop NY. Spend the end of the week in our office there. Then the weekend with Mom in CT. Sunday off to NC for the High Point Furniture show.
After all that then off to sweet home Chicago for a few days before returning to China. I'm excited to come home, see some folks, etc but am tired thinking about all the travel. Thankfully I'm well rested after vacation!
Then on Wednesday begin the trek back home to the USofA! First stop NY. Spend the end of the week in our office there. Then the weekend with Mom in CT. Sunday off to NC for the High Point Furniture show.
After all that then off to sweet home Chicago for a few days before returning to China. I'm excited to come home, see some folks, etc but am tired thinking about all the travel. Thankfully I'm well rested after vacation!
A Chinese wedding
I got back from Bali around midnight last night. All in all a very good trip. I will post an update and photos in a couple of days.
Tonight I went to another Chinese wedding, of a colleague. Upon arrival with another western colleague we find ourselves, not surprisingly, to be the only foreigners in attendance. All weddings i've been to here are totally different from each other as well as a western wedding. This one being Shanghai families was a bit more upscale. Much of the wedding part was in tuxedo's. We arrive, take photos with the couple and then are lead to our seats. First they check the seating chart. It's easy for us to find our names as all the other ones are in Chinese characters and then, almost in bold you see the names "Nolan" and "Megan." Too funny.
Throughout the evening the bride changed into 4 different dresses making a ceremonial entrance each time. In addition she and the groom came out one time wearing jeans and white t-shirts that they had all the attendees sign upon arrival. That was pretty cool.
The wedding itself was fast, an exchange of rings, a few speeches and that's it. On to the games and the food. One of the games was that they flipped through the photos that were taken upon arrival and someone yells "stop" and the person who's photo is on the screen wins. I was winner #2! Got myself a nice chopstick set! Winner #3 was actually my CFO. There were only 4 work people there and two of us won prices. Not a bad showing. When I went up they asked me to say a few words about the bride and groom. That was a bit tough given I don't know him at all. The audience was never so quiet all night until I had the mic in my hands.
From there the bride and groom go table to table drinking with every guest and saying thanks.
A nice evening and a beautiful bride and groom. Photos to come.
Tonight I went to another Chinese wedding, of a colleague. Upon arrival with another western colleague we find ourselves, not surprisingly, to be the only foreigners in attendance. All weddings i've been to here are totally different from each other as well as a western wedding. This one being Shanghai families was a bit more upscale. Much of the wedding part was in tuxedo's. We arrive, take photos with the couple and then are lead to our seats. First they check the seating chart. It's easy for us to find our names as all the other ones are in Chinese characters and then, almost in bold you see the names "Nolan" and "Megan." Too funny.
Throughout the evening the bride changed into 4 different dresses making a ceremonial entrance each time. In addition she and the groom came out one time wearing jeans and white t-shirts that they had all the attendees sign upon arrival. That was pretty cool.
The wedding itself was fast, an exchange of rings, a few speeches and that's it. On to the games and the food. One of the games was that they flipped through the photos that were taken upon arrival and someone yells "stop" and the person who's photo is on the screen wins. I was winner #2! Got myself a nice chopstick set! Winner #3 was actually my CFO. There were only 4 work people there and two of us won prices. Not a bad showing. When I went up they asked me to say a few words about the bride and groom. That was a bit tough given I don't know him at all. The audience was never so quiet all night until I had the mic in my hands.
From there the bride and groom go table to table drinking with every guest and saying thanks.
A nice evening and a beautiful bride and groom. Photos to come.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Vacation in Bali...part 1
So what is my agenda during my vacation to Bali? To relax, get some sun, see the culture, etc but the most important piece is getting the rest and relaxation to make it to the next holiday which will be Christmas in the states.
First things first I had to get to Bali. First I took a red eye flight from Shanghai to Singapore, landing about 5:30AM. My connection to Bali wasn't until 4:30PM so I had 11 hours to kill. Thankfully because of status on United airlines and therefore their partner Singapore Air I had access to the lounge. But that wasn't enough since I didn't really sleep on the flight. So at 9AM I tried the airport transit hotel in the Singapore airport. I got a 6 hour room for about $50. It was the best decision ever. Quiet and pitch black room allowed me to somehow sleep for more than 5 hours at which time it was time to get on my plane.
Arriving in Bali I used points to stay at the Westin in Nusa Dua. This is the high class resort area and was great. My plan was to stay there for 3 nights before finding another hotel in a different part of town.
My next problem was found when I tried to use my US debit card to get cash and found that it expired in August! Crap! My China debit card is not accepted outside of China so now I'm here with no cash and no easy way to get it. Thankfully the folks at the Westin helped arrange with a bank for me to get some against my credit card. Not enough for the trip but enough to get started.
With that behind me and finding the next hotel the rest of the trip was set. I've got 1 full day and 2 half days with a tour guide taking me to the must see places.
So far so good...
First things first I had to get to Bali. First I took a red eye flight from Shanghai to Singapore, landing about 5:30AM. My connection to Bali wasn't until 4:30PM so I had 11 hours to kill. Thankfully because of status on United airlines and therefore their partner Singapore Air I had access to the lounge. But that wasn't enough since I didn't really sleep on the flight. So at 9AM I tried the airport transit hotel in the Singapore airport. I got a 6 hour room for about $50. It was the best decision ever. Quiet and pitch black room allowed me to somehow sleep for more than 5 hours at which time it was time to get on my plane.
Arriving in Bali I used points to stay at the Westin in Nusa Dua. This is the high class resort area and was great. My plan was to stay there for 3 nights before finding another hotel in a different part of town.
My next problem was found when I tried to use my US debit card to get cash and found that it expired in August! Crap! My China debit card is not accepted outside of China so now I'm here with no cash and no easy way to get it. Thankfully the folks at the Westin helped arrange with a bank for me to get some against my credit card. Not enough for the trip but enough to get started.
With that behind me and finding the next hotel the rest of the trip was set. I've got 1 full day and 2 half days with a tour guide taking me to the must see places.
So far so good...
Friday, October 1, 2010
China National Day
Today is Oct 1st. It is the 2nd most important holiday in the Chinese culture behind the Chinese New Year. It celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949. It has officially become a 7 day holiday with offices, government services, etc being closed Oct 1-7.
I know to many who do business with China that it seems like we get lots of holidays/days off here. I'd say that is somewhat true. A week ago we had Wed-Fri off for the Mid Autumn festival. But to make it up we had to work the following Saturday and Sunday. For the National Day we also have to make up two of the days on a Sat/Sun. So it is less than it appears but annoying as all get out to me. I say if you get days off you shouldn't have to make them up later!!!
So I woke up this morning on Oct 1st and the city is dead quiet. Not the rush of cars, horns, people, bikes, etc out my window either. It's been a very peaceful couple of hours. However it's now nearing 11AM and the fireworks have started. I'm sure they will be in full effect later this evening as well.
As for me I'm using this opportunity to visit another country I've never been to before. I'm heading off to Bali, Indonesia late tonight for a week on the beach of sun and relaxation!
I know to many who do business with China that it seems like we get lots of holidays/days off here. I'd say that is somewhat true. A week ago we had Wed-Fri off for the Mid Autumn festival. But to make it up we had to work the following Saturday and Sunday. For the National Day we also have to make up two of the days on a Sat/Sun. So it is less than it appears but annoying as all get out to me. I say if you get days off you shouldn't have to make them up later!!!
So I woke up this morning on Oct 1st and the city is dead quiet. Not the rush of cars, horns, people, bikes, etc out my window either. It's been a very peaceful couple of hours. However it's now nearing 11AM and the fireworks have started. I'm sure they will be in full effect later this evening as well.
As for me I'm using this opportunity to visit another country I've never been to before. I'm heading off to Bali, Indonesia late tonight for a week on the beach of sun and relaxation!
Nanjing Trip
So after all the debate of where to go was done the trip was taken. It certainly wasn't without complaint though. But I was planning to make the most of it.
Upon checking in to the hotel some rooms weren't right so more complaints, including the "this is the worst company trip ever, I'm going home one." Now people this is a free weekend with hotel, food, sightseeing, etc shouldn't we just all get along?
Saturday was a full day of sightseeing as you will see in the photos, followed by a dinner that included plenty of drinks sent my way. Not sure if this was respectful or a "we are going to get you because we don't want to be here" type things. But during the sightseeing one thing we visited was the memorial of the Japanese invasion to China where 300,000 Chinese were brutally murdered. I must say it was a spectacular memorial, very first class and respectful. I would love to go back and really spend some time there.
On Sunday we packed up and headed an hour towards Shanghai when we stopped at a hot springs resort. No cameras were allowed of course but we had a good time relaxing and letting our muscles recover from all the hiking and walking of the day before.
Enjoy the photos...
http://picasaweb.google.com/nolanmitchell14/Nanjing#
Upon checking in to the hotel some rooms weren't right so more complaints, including the "this is the worst company trip ever, I'm going home one." Now people this is a free weekend with hotel, food, sightseeing, etc shouldn't we just all get along?
Saturday was a full day of sightseeing as you will see in the photos, followed by a dinner that included plenty of drinks sent my way. Not sure if this was respectful or a "we are going to get you because we don't want to be here" type things. But during the sightseeing one thing we visited was the memorial of the Japanese invasion to China where 300,000 Chinese were brutally murdered. I must say it was a spectacular memorial, very first class and respectful. I would love to go back and really spend some time there.
On Sunday we packed up and headed an hour towards Shanghai when we stopped at a hot springs resort. No cameras were allowed of course but we had a good time relaxing and letting our muscles recover from all the hiking and walking of the day before.
Enjoy the photos...
http://picasaweb.google.com/nolanmitchell14/Nanjing#
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Company Trip planning
Most every company in China goes on a company trip annually (nice perk if you ask me). The biggest challenge is where to go. If you have a big budget you can fly someplace most people haven't been. If you don't have the big budget you take a bus or a train. But then everyone complains that "they've been there before."
So along with my GM and CFO we tried to come up with options that would work. However we didn't have a huge budget and have an office of 57 people so it was tough. Every idea that I threw out was rejected. Either they had been there before, didn't want to go there, etc.
I even suggested what if we went someplace within an hour of Shanghai and took spouses and kids? Just went for a day, played in the park, hiked, BBQ'd, went to a nice dinner, whatever. That idea was shot down faster than I could get it out of my mouth. I guess they all want to get away from home and their family!
In any event I finally made the decision and we planned on Nanjing. It's about a 4 hour bus ride from Shanghai. So not close but not like a 12 hour overnight bus ride that was suggested to me.
As soon as the decision was made many were not happy. I heard it all from "I've been there before" to "we don't want to go to a city, we want the countryside" to "we don't like Nanjing because of what the Japanese did there." (More on that when I post the update on the trip).
Bottom line you can't make everyone happy. But I was shocked to see the very selfish side of folks. For goodness sake it is a FREE trip, free hotel, food and sightseeing. Get over it! You can make what you want of it and be happy or make everyone miserable. There were some who chose to try and make everyone else miserable...
More on the trip later...
So along with my GM and CFO we tried to come up with options that would work. However we didn't have a huge budget and have an office of 57 people so it was tough. Every idea that I threw out was rejected. Either they had been there before, didn't want to go there, etc.
I even suggested what if we went someplace within an hour of Shanghai and took spouses and kids? Just went for a day, played in the park, hiked, BBQ'd, went to a nice dinner, whatever. That idea was shot down faster than I could get it out of my mouth. I guess they all want to get away from home and their family!
In any event I finally made the decision and we planned on Nanjing. It's about a 4 hour bus ride from Shanghai. So not close but not like a 12 hour overnight bus ride that was suggested to me.
As soon as the decision was made many were not happy. I heard it all from "I've been there before" to "we don't want to go to a city, we want the countryside" to "we don't like Nanjing because of what the Japanese did there." (More on that when I post the update on the trip).
Bottom line you can't make everyone happy. But I was shocked to see the very selfish side of folks. For goodness sake it is a FREE trip, free hotel, food and sightseeing. Get over it! You can make what you want of it and be happy or make everyone miserable. There were some who chose to try and make everyone else miserable...
More on the trip later...
Vacation - Cambodia/Vietnam
As usual I have gotten out of the habit of posting on here. Will try and do better for those who occasionally check it out.
In early August I needed a break. So I bought my tickets and went off to see the cultural wonders in Cambodia and then to Hanoi, Vietnam. Both places I had never been to.
Cambodia was amazing. It started a bit tough to handle as the first stop on my trip was to The Killing Fields where tens of thousands were slaughtered and buried by their own countrymen back in the 1970's. From there the rest of the trip was uplifting. Up to Siem Reap where Angkor Wat and all the temples were, then the floating villages. It was hot as all can be hiking everywhere. Felt like I lost 10 pounds a day just sweating like in a sauna.
You had to stay on the paths though in Cambodia as there are still land mines throughout the country from the war. They can't clean them all up fast enough. Be careful!
The trip ended with three days in Vietnam. Up on the north part of the country. Most of my time was spent in Halong Bay which is a World Heritage Site and features nearly two thousands islands made of limestone. So impressive.
A link to my photo journey is below...
http://picasaweb.google.com/nolanmitchell14/CambodiaVietnam#
In early August I needed a break. So I bought my tickets and went off to see the cultural wonders in Cambodia and then to Hanoi, Vietnam. Both places I had never been to.
Cambodia was amazing. It started a bit tough to handle as the first stop on my trip was to The Killing Fields where tens of thousands were slaughtered and buried by their own countrymen back in the 1970's. From there the rest of the trip was uplifting. Up to Siem Reap where Angkor Wat and all the temples were, then the floating villages. It was hot as all can be hiking everywhere. Felt like I lost 10 pounds a day just sweating like in a sauna.
You had to stay on the paths though in Cambodia as there are still land mines throughout the country from the war. They can't clean them all up fast enough. Be careful!
The trip ended with three days in Vietnam. Up on the north part of the country. Most of my time was spent in Halong Bay which is a World Heritage Site and features nearly two thousands islands made of limestone. So impressive.
A link to my photo journey is below...
http://picasaweb.google.com/nolanmitchell14/CambodiaVietnam#
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