Thứ Hai, 23 tháng 12, 2013

The mysterious impact of Increasing of price of Hotel in Myanmar

The mysterious impact of Increasing of price of Hotel in Myanmar


To understand the impact of industrial hotel, stealing one hour northwest of Bangkok on the new border with Myanmar in the industry.Chinese tourists are more than 100 000 in Myanmar in 2012. Amazing Growth?

On the roof of the Asia Plaza, a decrepit hotel in the Soviet-style modern one days diving in a swimming regrets his fate. His salary of $ 50 a month "is not enough to feed my family," he complained. A friend said that the only job he had was worse in terms of karaoke club and have sex for pleasure officers the military during the years of brutal military dictatorship.

Political Changement

State withdrew in 2011, and now that the Myanmar opens, move global chains, how to hunt relics Asia Plaza. "After that there was only North Korea," said an officer of the hotel. Currently Yangon, the commercial capital, has some chic rooms, the rates are tripled in two years. But pubs of the city, next to the arms dealer and diplomats, the specialists trained Swiss food and drinks catering schools. Hilton Peninsula, Best Western and Accor have signed agreements buildings. More will follow.

The process is not always pretty. Accor has Zaw Zaw with, a tycoon on U.S. blacklist because of his links with the generals a partnership. "He jokes in meetings that this is a military operation," whispers an Accor Manager. "Everyone laughed, but we do not know if he wants it." But the construction work is in progress. Next to the house of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who has led the opposition to the military regime, is located on a 400-room hotel, a sea of ​​mud. developed a short drive south of Yoma Strategic Office, a conglomerate, the hotels, buzzing with the Americanized twang of youth Aborigines, who returned from abroad to rebuild their country. "After that there was only North Korea," said an officer of the hotel


The task of managing these hotels with international standards will not be easy. Utilities are ugly when the hotels have their own generators and water filtration systems. Credit cards work irregularly, so that hotels need to manage in a position to bundles of bills. A manager is concerned that the hotel boom will overwhelm the system of communal collection. However, this should lead to more investment.

Manage a Hotel in Myanmar is not that easy

Food suppliers also benefit. Known in a cold room next to his business Ye Htut Win Yangon, as "Sharky" exhibits locally produced ham, each with a name tag from the hotel. Once owners Cocktail - Bar in Switzerland, he returned to a food business that supports 350 jobs start. Cerati Paolo, an Italian, who was trained as a missionary, a company leads of vegetables a garage. Cherry tomatoes and rocket from the war-torn north of the country (its main competitor smuggled into salad Taxi Thailand) buses. It supports 30 jobs and investing $ 200,000 truck and deposits.
 
Big suppliers to pass. In a room full of teriyaki marinade exposure and import French wine, Wang Li Jun, head of Premier Foods Distribution, said he plans to its supply chain to strengthen a level last Myanmar desperately needs.

what are the main problems? 

The biggest headache of new hotels will be to find and train employees in everything from the guests with deodorant Barbary meet. But recruitment is good news for the local population, who see to increase their wages. For example, Myatt Soe Htwe will soon become the first French pastry chef in the country. His family are farmers cow who find the idea of ​​$ 100 meal "crazy." It does not seem that it prepares the taste of food she likes. But if they can expect $ 300-500 per month to earn a decent income in a bad location their studies.
According to an official estimate, the hotel and catering could create more than half a million jobs in Myanmar alone in 2020.
a specialist, hands Kitchen Paris were "slaves of the modern world." But in poor countries, hotel chains offer some of the best jobs around

Thứ Bảy, 21 tháng 12, 2013

Citroen DS5 LS for the Chinese Market

Citroen DS5 LS for the Chinese Market


The revolution is on. Thursday, September 19 , Citroën unveiled at the Louvre, the world premiere of the fourth vehicle in its DS range : the DS5 "LS" . The initials LS mean " luxury sedan " or notchback sedan (with trunk apparent) luxury ...

DS5 LS the Revolution ?

But the revolution is not in the new name or in the presence of a chest, but on the front of this new vehicle .



The famous Citroën chevrons have indeed disappeared. On the radiator grille , the only logo this is " DS ". It took three years for Citroën leaders take this decision. The reason is simple: the new DS 5LS has been exclusively developed , at least initially , for the Chinese market . However, for a year and its launch in China , DS is considered in the Middle Kingdom as a brand in its own right and not a range of Citroën .

PSA strategy

Moreover, to develop DS , PSA Peugeot Citroën is not based on the traditional local partner Dongfeng , but Changan .
a joint venture Changan -PSA ( Capsa ) has just opened in September first plant , with a capacity of 200,000 vehicles , a suburb of Shenzhen where the DS5 will be produced LS, next to the 5 local DS . Until the summer, DS concessions sold only a few dozen DS imported from Europe. But since the fall, the rate increases significantly.
"About 3,000 copies of DS5 have already been ordered, says Yves Bonnefont , the Deputy Director General and head of Citroën DS range . We deliver on average a thousand DS5 produced in China per month. Ramp up faster than we had anticipated. "
Citroën DS5 LS, for the Chinese market .
However, even locally, the DS5 is not a pure Chinese product . It breaks too many codes to position itself as the flagship vehicle of the French luxury in the country.
Indeed, with his chest tailgate, a space at the back very limited , this vehicle is primarily made ​​for drivers. But in China, the silver vehicle owner prefers ... to be driven. The DS5 LS must meet these desiderata . In a very simple line , both wider and longer than a conventional DS5 , this new model is better suited to the usual Chinese luxury codes .

Luxury Code in China

Like its cousins ​​in the range, the new model offers a refined interior and exterior finish: light LED rear chrome decoration on doors, dashboard trimmed in leather , air ionizer , treated plastic parts , seat massage , acoustic comfort , touch screen ... It will have also the latest generation of 160 and THP 200 petrol engines developed with BMW.source
Contrary to what its name might imply , the DS5 LS is not strictly speaking a derivative of the DS5 . Clearly, " we left early to draw," says Bonnefont .
However, to facilitate industrialization , it shares the same technique as the DS5 platform. SUV with future PSA intends to launch in late 2014 , the new model should allow DS to accelerate its development in the country.
For the success of this brand through China. Since 2010, it took nearly 400,000 DS3 , DS4 and DS5 in Europe, but it is still not enough. To go into overdrive , China must take over. By the end of the year , the brand should have 51 concessions in the country, then a hundred at the end of 2014. And entrusted the spring source at PSA , " the next three to four years , we would sell about 150,000 DS per year in China."
Written by Pom


Yves Bonnefont does not intend to make a public commitment on numbers. For the firm IHS Automotive in 2015 , DS could sell up to 55,000 units.
The Chinese market will not be easy for DS ensures Namrita Chow, IHS Automotive. However, as it is still growing , local production will help increase supply and thus cause a change in perception of Chinese consumers



Thứ Năm, 19 tháng 12, 2013

70,000 Chinese tourists in Myanmar

70,000 Chinese tourists in Myanmar



Over 1million travelers have flocked to Myanmar last year , compared with about 816,000 visitors in 2011 .
Income from tourism in the country has shown surprising growth year on year , registering an increase of 67 per cent of revenue. The total tourism income for 2012 was $ 534 million compared to U.S. $ 319 million in 2011.

Foreign investment

Despite reports of infrastructure overwhelmed by the sudden rise in the number of visitors, officials say they are not worried , and remain optimistic about foreign investment in the industry.
"Since the new investment law was passed last year, many foreign investors have asked about the situation ," said Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism manager Khin Than Win CNN, adding that the

Structures in Myanmar

Department focuses on the development of human resources, transportation and hotels. numbers
According to official statistics , there are currently 28,291 hotel rooms in Myanmar. The ministry is working on a project for the development of 5 star Hoang Anh Vietnamese society Gia Lai Hotel .
Thais beat the Chinese for most visitors by nationality. About 90,000 Thais, 70,000 Chinese and 37,000 American tourists visited Myanmar last year.



sources voyagesenbirmanie.com

Visitors are Men

Visitors are mostly men , the male-female ratio visitors to 62 percent to 38 percent. high hopes
The Department expects many more in 2013.
"We expect the growth in tourism to continue further and expect to receive 1.5 million tourist arrivals this year ," said Khin Than Win , citing new visas on arrival as an additional reason for the increasing rapidly. Ed Nations and several other organizations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country
Early civilizations in Burma included the Tibeto-Burman language Pyu in Upper Burma and Monday in Lower Burma. [12] In the 9th century , the Burmans of the Nanzhao Kingdom entered the high valley of the Irrawaddy , and after the creation of the Pagan Empire in the 1050s , language and Burmese culture slowly became dominant in the countries . During this period, Theravada Buddhism gradually became the dominant religion of the country.

The Pagan Empire fell due to the Mongol invasion (1277-1301) , and several warring states emerged. In the second half of the 16th century , the Taungoo Dynasty reunified the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Asia Southeast. [13] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that includes modern Burma and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well .

History of Myanmar

The British conquered Burma after three Anglo - Burmese wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony (part of India until 1937 , then a colony administered separately). Burma became an independent nation in 1948 , first as a democratic nation, then, after a coup in 1962, a military dictatorship that officially ended in 2011. For most of its independent years, many ethnic groups in the country were involved in one of the longest unresolved civil wars in the world . Meanwhile, newly released statistics from the tourism UnitMyanmar 2012 show a dramatic increase in the number of visitors and revenue incoming travel.more information here

see also Phukket attract Chinese tourist

Visiting and Hiking the Great Wall

The Great Wall is one of the most visited sites in all of China.  Most Group Tours go to the Badaling section of the Wall because it is closest and there is a freeway going there.  Not my most favorite place to visit the Wall often with over 80 or more buses in the parking lot.  My choice has always been the Mutianyu section for most tourists.  The walk or hike is fairly easy as you can see in the photos.  This section has been repaired except for a steep section in the distance where you can see a part that has not been repaired and left as it was found many years ago.   For avid hikers the Simatai section is often visited although steep and more rugged.  If you are interested in doing a one way hike, the Jinshanling to Simatai sections for avid hikers is the most popular hike.  For a more rugged hike that takes about 3 hours, the sections of Huanghua to ZhuangdaoKou Guan is good but expect dense vegetation and rocks to navigate around.   The Great Wall is about 40 or more miles north of Beijing extending out to the Yellow Sea east and west into north central China.  The western section however is difficult to see since it is mostly in ruins.  To get to the Great Wall you can take a bus tour that picks up at many of the Beijing Hotels, take a train to the Badaling section or hire a car and driver for the day with a cost of about $100.  My private tours include a car and driver and you may stay as long as you wish before returning to the city.  I like to take a picnic lunch and enjoy a nice walk on the Wall meeting other tourists and some of the local people.   For more information on the Great Wall, contact me at   interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave   My web site is  www.interlakechinatours.com
Click on the photos for a full screen view.




Thứ Tư, 18 tháng 12, 2013

Germany famous for Beer sausages and Soccer in China !

Germany famous for Beer sausages and Soccer in China !


Most Chinese tourists only know Germany for its "beer", "sausages" and "soccer". German tourism bureaus and operators want to expand that knowledge



With the German economy that has made a successful push into China, Germany travel industry has intensified a campaign to attract Chinese tourists to the largest economy in Europe. Christian Ebner said that Chinese tourists seek in Germany.
They spend their newly acquired free money and are already the third largest group of foreign tourists - Chinese business travelers and tourists packet become a lucrative source of revenue for the German tourism industry in trouble .

Figures

Black Forest No trip is complete without a cuckoo clock factory tour Drubba More than 600,000 bookings from China are expected this year , according to the German Centre for Tourism DZT .
And a further easing of travel restrictions is expected to accelerate growth in the coming years .
"Chinese tourists come to Germany to go shopping , and they especially love the clothes," says the Dusseldorf -based Global Refund Corporation , which manages accounts free of duty and VAT for many traders . On average, a Chinese tourist spends more than 200 euros for clothes at a package from Germany , said Global Refund . That totals about € 42 million per year, with a third of that amount spent mainly in Frankfurt, which is the hub for air transport Europe. Cologne and Munich are also tourist destinations for Chinese travelers .

 

the Language

Language is a major obstacle in Germany. While most major hotels and businesses in the major tourist centers in Germany can manage some English , French , Italian or otherwise, hardly anyone speaks Mandarin . "Therefore, the Chinese traveler often feels he or she does not receive the same quality of service that others are doing ," says Stefanie Lyngbye travel agents based in Hamburg Caissa
" And then they have money to spend, they are very particular about where they spend it ," she adds . " They buy their watches in Switzerland and they buy their fragrance in Paris. They will not buy a French perfume in Germany or Italy. " While traveling to other countries plan tend to focus on the sights , Chinese tourist itineraries also include shopping excursions . No trip to the Black Forest is complete with a tour of the factory cuckoo Drubba on Lake Titisee or leaving the factory in Metzingen Hugo Boss .
But there is no compartmentalization when it comes to holidays for Chinese tourists . Unlike Japanese tourists , the Chinese are not interested in visiting Meissner porcelain factory . After all , the Chinese porcelain when Europeans were living in mud huts . That's why they call it " China " , after all.

The campaign

The campaign conducted by the Travel Industry of Germany to attract Chinese tourists to the largest economy in Europe after a major campaign by German companies in China's economy booming with business German , including automakers Mercedes and Volkswagen with chemicals giant BASF seeking to carve out new markets in China . Brand names are important for Chinese tourists , more important than the price tag , the industry sources noted . But this is not the case when it comes to booking a trip to Europe , said this person.
"There is a fierce price war happening in China when it comes to book excursions ," 
she said. 
"Tour groups harass hotels, restaurants and bus operators and aircraft for the best possible deal with the most for their hard earned money. 
" Great expectations are articulated on the lifting of travel restrictions in the coming weeks . Starting in September , most Chinese travelers will need a visa to come to Europe.
"This means that the tourism industry in Germany, with other European countries, is shifting its focus to China ," says Horst Lommatzsch German Centre for tourism.
sources;


 

Thứ Hai, 16 tháng 12, 2013

The New most Uggly Tourists are ... Chinese

The bad Americans terrorized Europeans and Asians with their strong voices and tennis shoes in the years following the Second World War.

Decades later , the Japanese tour groups descended from their air-conditioned flashing peace signs bus as they shot pictures of each landmark known as the laundry on a clothesline in the back. Now it 's time for China to face the weight of complaints.

The complaints are familiar - they gape , they jostle , they avoid the local cuisine , and last year, 83 million Chinese mainland spent $ 102 billion abroad - Americans and Germans overruns - which makes biggest spenders of tourism in the world , according to the World tourism Organization.


Chinese tourists will be 400millions in 2015

Their numbers have their place among the most resentment tourists. Tourists from mainland China, often loaded with money and do not know the foreign means , tumble bus tour with apparently little appetite for breakfast buffet in the hotel and no concept of lining up .
Frustrations with the new tourists were summarized in a Thai online bulletin board last spring , when users posted complaints about Chinese tourists using external voice inside and spitting in public , among other transgressions.
Last year , Thierry Gillier , a French fashion designer who founded the label Zadig et Voltaire , caused a minor scandal when he told daily use women that Chinese tourists would not be welcome at his new boutique hotel Paris . A barrage of international criticism persuaded him to apologize.
Like their predecessors, the Chinese nouveaux riches and helpless with foreign languages ​​, complicated by the historical isolation of their developing country combination .
" What China is a lawless society poorly educated with lots of money will take its toll on the world ," said Hung Huang , publisher of the popular magazine and blogger in Beijing.
Despite these missteps , countries are practically tripping over themselves to attract Chinese tourists. Wedding companies in South Korea seeking to attract Chinese couples with bling- heavy ceremonies inspired by the viral video " Gangnam style .
" A coastal county near Sydney , Australia, is the construction of a Chinese theme park $ 450 million focused on a life-size replica of the gates of the Forbidden City and a Buddhist temple of nine floors. France , one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists already - 1.4 million visitors in 2012 - working to further strengthen its appeal.
Paris officials have recently published a manual for the services sector that offers Mandarin sentences transcribed and cultural tips to better understand the Chinese desires, including this tidbit : "They are very picky about food and wine . "

Guidelines for them

To judge the grunts in the world , these guidelines may be necessary. But the biggest shame seems to come from Chinese colleagues . In May, a mainland Chinese tourist in Luxor, Egypt , discovered a fellow had his own hieroglyphs carved on the wall of a temple 3,500 years . " Ding Jinhao was here ," he said. A photo of the offending scrawl quickly spread on Chinese social media, and outraged citizens tracked down the 15-year -old vandalism. The tumult subsided after his parents issued a public apology.
Embarrassed by the wave of bad press this month , Wang Yang, vice- premier of China , publicly protested against the "quality and livestock " poor Chinese tourists who tarnish the reputation of their homeland. "They make noises in public, zero graffiti on attractions , ignore red lights to cross the road and spits everywhere," he said , according to People's Daily .
Despite his warning , articles with titles like "Chinese bride fights in French Lavender field " continue to appear in the state media .
Ms. Wang, blogger accuses tumultuous rule of the Communist Party uncivilized behavior of China abroad. " There's a whole generation that was taught that you do not pay attention to the toilet or morals because it is considered bourgeois ," she said. While the Chinese are more open to Western ideas now , it does not necessarily cast when really interact with the outside world. "They think , " To hell with the label. As long as I have money , foreign worship my money . "
Most vacationers from mainland China have a great time abroad . In May , Huang Honglin , 53, and his wife paid $ 8000 for a tour of the United States, a country his last visit on a business trip 25 years ago a group of 16 days. This was long before he joined the growing middle class in China as the owner of a trading company

What Chinese think

This time, Mr. Huang had money to burn.
"We went shopping for gemstones in Hawaii and bought Prada bags to New York, " he recalls . Mr. Huang has never reached the chic boutiques of Manhattan. Instead , he traveled an hour north of the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, where many designer stores have recently hired employees who speak Chinese .
His only complaint was that they had to run through the gates before leaving the bus. " There was a short time, it was like war," he said .
According to a report by McKinsey & Company, nearly 70 percent of Chinese luxury consumers buy their balls Tiffany and Hermes scarves abroad to avoid further sales tax on these products at home , which can reach 60 percent . Take Louis Vuitton handbag black " Neverfull " a symbol of status with heavy straps that cost 14,400 RMB in China, or $ 2,335 - more than $ 350 more than the same item within the United States.
In 2007 , China granted the United States " approved destination status ", which opened the doors for Chinese group leisure travel in America from 2008. Last year , 1.5 million Chinese came American shores , to almost 8.8 billion, according to the Commerce Department . Today, nearly 150 travel agencies in the United States have the approval of the National Tour Association , a trade group American, organize trips from China , many of them owned and operated by Chinese Americans.
But the industry has seen a growth crisis . Despite years of meetings in China and decades of towers coaches across the United States, the travel agency AmericanTours International has learned that Chinese tourists have a special touch. On the one hand , people in Beijing and Shanghai can not travel on the same bus.

 Chinese Tourist in USA

"They battled ," recalled a director of business development
Last year, 1500 Chinese "Hollywood to Broadway" bus tour of the company, a 20-day trip cross country for continental with stops that included a Las Vegas casino , bridges County Madison , Iowa, Niagara Falls, the White House and the Empire State Building.

If sites are crowd-pleasers , the nights can sometimes be difficult. " Smoking in hotel rooms is always a problem," said Hentschel, a habit that can cost hundreds of dollars in tourist cleaning bills from the hotel. Then there was the episode last summer, he said, when a group of tourists has caused a scene in a hotel in Cody , Wyoming, after thinking wrongly another busload of fellow had been given preference to breakfast. The police were called to escort them out of town , he said .
Most often , Chinese tourists become victims of unscrupulous tour operators. During a one-week visit to Thailand in 2009 , Qi Lingfeng , 27, was one of several people in his group who refused to register for expensive trips like trips and speedboat concerts. As punishment, he said, the local guide lockouts their hotel rooms. Other guests in the same hotel , he said, were forced to leave their bus for the same transgression.
"It was so crazy , we even thought of calling the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, " he said.
During a group tour of the Siberian city of Vladivostok in January, Chen Xu , 47, a scientist from the coastal city of Xiamen , said "Russian ethnic dance " tour , which cost $ 80, is proved to be a woman in a bikini twirling around a stripper pole .

What parents say ? 

" When the parents saw what was happening , they took their children and left the room , " he said.
Surrounded by many foreign stimuli , many of which aspire to a taste of home and abroad . Nuoyan Xie , 20 , a student at Peking University , said as much during a recent visit to New York. If she enjoys drinking tap water , she said Chinatown was a disappointment.
"I'm really disappointed that this is not like in the movies , where there are lots of lanterns and performances everywhere, " she said.


On the upside, to find an abundance of Chinese food after several days of consuming only western strange concoctions redeemed the neighborhood

sources 
http://touristchinese.wordpress.com/
https://fr-fr.facebook.com/ILoveTravelInChina
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_China


Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 12, 2013

Trains of China

Many people who have never ridden a train or not taken one for several years want to experience riding the trains in China.  Up to 10 years ago the trains all over China were similar to our trains of the 1940's.  Today some of those same trains are used in the more rural areas of China but here you see some of the new trains that have come on line.  The train with the mountains in the background is the new Tibet train that serves Beijing, Xian, Chongqing and Chengdu with stops in between.  I have ridden it from Lhasa to Chongqing for the experience and to advise my customers about it.  It seems just like a regular Chinese train however it does have oxygen equipment in each car as well as individual oxygen masks if needed.  I didn't find a need for them. The Tibet trains seem to always be full and costly.  Food should be taken with you as train food is not especially good.  The train goes all night as well as during the day so scenery is limited to daylight.  I spent two nights and one and one half days during my trip.  Coming from Lhasa because of the altitude we came east from Lhasa, across the plateau to near Xian and then south to Chengdu and finally Chongqing.  Sleepers are two upper and two lower bunks of mixed sexes.  They do have western and Asian style toilets and nice wash rooms.   Do I recommend it?  Not really, I think the new Fast Trains are more exciting as you see in the other photo.  The new CRH3 trains are capable of 350 Kms. per hour although kept down to 185 mph for safety.  They are not available on all routes yet because the rails must be updated to handle these faster trains safely.  I rode one from Chengdu to Chongqing this last year and it was super smooth with no clicking or side way motion at all.  It cuts travel time almost in half from the older standard trains.  Some cities no longer offer air service between them because of the fantastic service offered by the new fast trains as they are called.    If you want an even faster experience you can take the Mag Lev train in Shanghai to the airport that goes 284 mph.  It takes a bus about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the airport but takes the Mag Lev train just Seven Minutes!!!  For more on trains contact me at    interlak@eskimo.com     

   Click on the photos for a full screen view!






Thứ Năm, 5 tháng 12, 2013

Meeting the Local People in Parks

One of the best ways to meet the local people in China is going to parks.  Parks are full of activities for everyone including children.  Chinese people love seeing foreign children and if you have your own children with you they will certainly enjoy joining in playing games.  Language never seems to be a barrier with children.  It of course helps to have a guide along to translate but you will also find many people speaking English these days and often like to practice their English with you.  Here you see the national pass time of the board game Marjon   Learning to play Marjon is a great ice breaker as you may often be asked to join in a game with them. There are tea houses and snacks served in almost all parks.  Here you also see an orchestra playing in the park.  They are non-professionals who join a club to play music.  You will also find chorus clubs practicing their music in the parks on weekends.  Let my 25 years experience in travel in China help you plan your own tour to China.  My web site is  www.interlakechinatours.com  We are a BBB A+ rated tour company here in Seattle.


China is known for its beautiful parks and gardens and you will find these all over China.  I even have a Garden Tour that I have put together for those interested in  Chinese Gardens and parks.   The park you see here is in Chengdu and also has a Bonsai collection that is hundreds of years old.
Click on the photos for a full screen view.

Chủ Nhật, 1 tháng 12, 2013

Sweden and Switzerland launch joint campaign to help Chinese tourists tell them apart

Sweden and Switzerland have launched a joint campaign to help Chinese tourists say the two countries share .
While confusion is not just a problem for the Chinese, he became a particular problem for those in the Asian nation because the names of the two countries are written the same in Mandarin - Ruidian (Sweden) and Ruishi (Switzerland ) - and start with the same symbol.
In order to dispel confusion, Swedish and Swiss consulates in Shanghai launched a competition on the Swedish consulate website that asks the Chinese to come up with funny ways to help people keep the two separate countries

The two European countries - known for its chocolate , cheese and watches, one for Ikea , Volvo and Seventies pop group Abba - have often been confused for each other among the Chinese .
The problem stems largely from the fact that the names of the two nations are written the same in Mandarin - Ruidian (Sweden) and Ruishi (Switzerland) - starting with the same symbol , as the Consul General of Sweden Victoria Li in China.
In an effort to end the confusion, the Swedish and Swiss consulates in Shanghai launched a competition on the Swedish consulate website , asking the Chinese to come up with funny ways to help differentiate the two countries. Bids may be accepted as a blog , cartoon , photo, short or in another format.
The winner of the best presentation will receive a 12-day trip in Sweden and Switzerland, and is scheduled to report on their impressions of the two countries to the rest of the trip , the website states . Entries will be accepted until November 20.
The organizers have also designed a logo depicting a humorous campaign mounting objects and people associated with Sweden and Switzerland on separate maps of each country.
Map of Sweden with meatballs , a Viking, Pippi Longstocking in the books of Astrid Lindgren, and two cartoon characters male with a heart between them symbolizing gay marriage, which remains illegal in Switzerland. Map of Switzerland has cheese fondue , the Alps and a picture of Roger Federer. China can not be the only country struggling to say Sweden and Switzerland outside . Residents of Spanish-speaking countries are also victims of the confusion that Sweden is spelled " Suecia " in Spanish while Switzerland is called " Suiza .
Sweden and Switzerland are not the only destinations that have caused confusion among travelers. Last month , a British holidaymaker hoped to discover the architecture of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, but wrongly flew across the Atlantic to the tropical Caribbean island of Grenada after an error reservation confusion. Earlier this summer , two American tourists were taken to the wrong continent after an airline has confused two airport codes .
The misunderstanding between Sweden and Switzerland is not the only incident that Chinese tourists were recently in the light. Last month, the Communist Party leaders of Tourism has published a "Guide to Tourism civilized " urging for the first time Chinese travelers to reduce bad behavior , including public displays of nose -picking , swimming pool - dirt and discussion of pork in order to improve the country's image abroad. China was the biggest spender on international tourism last year, surpassing Italy, Japan, France and Great Britain, and is the source of market fastest growing tourism in the world, according to the latest figures from the World tourism Organization earlier this year .



Thứ Ba, 26 tháng 11, 2013

Chinese tourist murdered in Phuket ?

Chinese woman Jiang Ghengyne died shortly after 16 hours from blood loss with Phuket police investigation still causing the death of her husband in what is now a double tragedy mysterious .
original report
PHUKET : The body of a Chinese tourist was found in a room of Phuket splattered blood station today, after the wife of the man jumped from a balcony. The six-hour drama Broken plans for a group of 18 Chinese tourists who were visiting Central Festival Phuket and enjoy a city tour . Most of the group were about to sit down to breakfast when the woman jumped from a second floor balcony , bringing the staff and other guests on the run.

more information about phuket

Inside the room the couple, the staff found a dead man under a sheet on the bed , with blood soaking bedding and floor, extending into the toilet. An electric kettle was severely damaged and a reverse lamp. Upstairs was a piece of flesh. A note says in Chinese : '

We 'll be together forever ! 

The woman was transported to Mission Hospital then transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital , where she remains in serious condition under close supervision. The couple were named Li Ming , 42, and his wife , Jiang Ghengyne 43 . Their tour party arrived in Phuket on November 22 and was due to fly tomorrow.
It is believed they have a child , who remained in China. The brother of the woman was on the tour. Although it seems an intense struggle can take place before the man died , the police keep all options open. Packing for three sleeping pills were found in a trash can. It is possible pillow may have been used to smother the man, but he also had serious injuries to his forehead.
The woman suffered a cut to the throat and other parts . No knife was found in the room . Common access to the balcony was available from all rooms on the second floor line . In Thailand, the ground floor is considered the first floor to the second floor jump is not fatal. Station in the city of Phuket where the tragedy took place , the Pago Design Hotel Phuket, has only been open a year.

source : http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/381483/stranded-tourists-rescued-off-phuket

It is described as online newest hotel Phuket Town '' . . . unique design fashionable and luxurious comfort for your stay unforgettable. '' The tour party had spent several days at a resort in Patong and transferred to Pago 21 o'clock last night . Detectives are now trying to piece together what happened during the nine hours between arrival and the woman jumped from the balcony.
chinese tourists

Thứ Bảy, 23 tháng 11, 2013

Why luxury market in China is changing!

Why luxury market in China is changing! 


Excessive reception fees , misuse of company cars or trips abroad deemed unnecessary ... Not less than 16 699 people were fined for violating the new rules of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposing more sober representatives of public administration , reported Monday, November 17 the new China news agency , citing the Central Commission for discipline Inspection , policeman single party. Early December 2012, the Political Bureau of CPC , chaired by the leader Xi Jinping, had launched an ambitious cutting waste , aimed especially red carpets, floral , luxurious banquets watered expensive liqueurs and other extravagances which benefited the CCP officials .

Violation records are spread over a period of about eleven months. However, such commitments are regularly proclaimed at the top of the regime and often remain wishful thinking , fueling a resentment in the population, which criticizes willingly exorbitant privileges enjoyed by leaders.

Thứ Sáu, 22 tháng 11, 2013

Little Known Old Summer Palace of Beijing

Most people know about the Summer Palace in the suburbs of Beijing on Kunming Lake or at least all the group tours go there.  Few people realize that there is an Old Summer Palace quite close by that often gets overlooked.  If you are a history buff, you may want to visit the Old Summer Palace which is mostly in ruins after the 2nd Opium War.  British and French troops took home most of the artifacts that were there. What you see here is the remains of the Palace Gardens fashioned after the French Gardens of Europe. During the 18th century rebuilding of the gardens by Emperor Dowager Cixi in 1888 was accomplished.   The first palace and gardens were built in the 12th Century by Emperor Qianlong and called Yuanming Yuan but also destroyed in the first Opium War.   In 1949 after the Revolution, the site was made into a  park where the ruins were preserved as they are today.  Few foreign tourists visit it but it is very close by to the current Summer Palace and can be visited at the same time.  Check out our web site at      www.interlakechinatours.com   
        Our 25th Year Of Doing Tours to China!

Thứ Ba, 19 tháng 11, 2013

Tour Meals in China

There are three main things that people usually ask about touring China.  Hotels, transportation and MEALS. There is plenty of food in China....you will not go hungry is an understatement.  Food is hospitality in China. As my Chinese friend says,  "Chinese people like to do two things  1. Eat Chinese Food   2. Talk about Eating Chinese food.  After 25 years of traveling throughout China I agree and understand why.  The variety of food is fantastic and so different in each area of the country.  Most people are on tours of one kind or another.  A budget tour gets budget meals of course.  A good tour gives you a variety of food.  Group Tours today in order to keep their prices low have gone to many Buffet restaurants to save costs.   Nothing wrong with Buffets if they are good.  Food is prepared and put on steam tables to serve the many large group tours that must stay on a schedule because other group tours may use the same restaurants.  I do Private Custom tours for my clients and insist on sit down and be served meals that are cooked individually for the customer.  Your likes, dislikes and allergies are considered by your requests.  I also must consider a budget for meals depending on the value of the tour which can range from Budget to Deluxe tours.  You see here a deluxe dinner my wife and I are having along with a typical standard lunch that we had one day.

As I said earlier, there is no lack of food or variety in China.   I also suggest to my clients that 3 large meals per day is way too much food and to plan on having some dinners on your own as part of your China experience.  I myself like to have a bowl of noodles with chicken and some dumplings at a small restaurant now and then rather than a large dinner every night.   Breakfasts at the hotels are generally very large buffets with western and Asian food with everything under the sun to choose from.   I hope this helps you with your tour plans.
  
          Check out our web site at:  
                    www.interlakechinatours.com

In our 26th year of doing Quality Tours To China and Tibet

Halloween, Jing Gang, and Stein Family Visits College Class

My semi-weekly blogs turned into weekly blogs after a while.  Now, it seems they are coming once per month.  My apologies to my family and friends who have wondered what is happening with our family.  We are not dead...yet...and we were a thousand miles from the typhoon that hit the Philippines last week, so we are just fine (and so happy our niece who is in the Philippines is safe and sound too).  So much has happened that I don't know where to begin.  I told myself before I left for China that I wanted the blog to be less of a travelogue and more of a series of interesting observations about our life here.  So, I will revert to that formula and try hard not to go through every event from the last blog to now in chronological order.  But, it may be fun to share some experiences that have happened over the last few weeks.

We did have a chance to celebrate Halloween here in Changsha and we even got to do it a day before all you guys back in the U.S.  This is one of the perks of being across the world.  We still celebrate things when it hits that particular date here and we don't calculate the time difference to see when it's Halloween in America.  After all, the world doesn't always revolve around the U.S. and it's hard to argue it isn't REALLY Halloween until it's October 31st in America.  I remember back in 2000 when London was doing its millenial new year celebration 9 hours before the U.S.  People in America were saying the Brits were stealing our thunder because the new year should be when the Time Square ball drops and not the fireworks over the Thames.  Another advantage of being on China time is that I often forget my friends' and family members' birthdays, but when I remember the next day, I'm still on time.  It's wonderful.  So, for Halloween we tried to keep as many traditions alive as we could.  The children still dressed up in costumes and we carved pumpkins.  Well, they weren't actually pumpkins.  We couldn't find any pumpkins so we carved watermelons instead.  You can see from the pictures below just how well this worked (hint: not well at all).  The benefit of using watermelons is that you can actually eat them as you are hollowing them out for your jack o lanterns.  In terms of costumes, Annie was a weird witch I think, Nicol was a Rubix cube, Ezra was the bearded man, Jeanie was a tiger, and Lucy was a giraffe. I was a stressed out professor (no costume required).  We decorated our apartment the best we could with some wonderful items we received from Grandma Coston.  The last thing we did to celebrate was to attend a Halloween party organized by Stacie's 7 year old Chinese class.  These kids were so adorable and Annie was pretty much the M.C. of the entire event.  She opened with a powerpoint presentation on the origins and traditions of Halloween at the request of Stacie's friend Lily.  The Chinese children were all dressed up in their little costumes and were really chomping at the bit to get on with the trick or treating, the bobbing for apples, the costume judging event, and the lantern decorating.  Jay Sorensen had brought his little girl Eva to the party as well and we were sort of laughing at the fact that the Chinese really know how to take the fun out of these activities sometimes.  Don't get me wrong.  They planned some super fun activities for the children to do....eventually, but they made them sit there for 45 minutes listening to a powerpoint before they could do any of the things they really wanted to do.  Annie was an amazing presenter and I was really proud of her.  She had to shout over a decibel level that would have rivaled the Utah Jazz' Energy Solutions arena on any year (except for this year of course).  But, the kids clearly wanted to get on with the show.  Jay and I judged the costume contest and pretty much awarded the prizes to the children who looked like they would cry if they did not win.  There was no American favoritism going on.  We thought that this would have looked bad, although Nicol's rubix cube was pretty creative.  I demonstrated how to bob for apples (which the Chinese kept calling "biting for apples") and got pretty wet in the process.  It didn't dawn on me until I had dunked my head that the water probably wasn't clean, but it did not hurt me in the end.  For the trick or treating part, we went outside of the building on campus where we held the other activities and all the parents simply found a spot in the parking lot and passed out candy as each kid ran around in circles hitting every candy station about 20 times.  It was great fun to see these little Chinese running around and screaming "trick or treat" at the top of their lungs.  It's a great holiday and candy is candy no matter what country you come from, right?

The following week, we were invited to go with the international students to visit a small city on the outskirts of Changsha called Jing Gang.  Apparently, it was where the main government operated in the Hunan Province during the Qing dynasty and it was interesting to see this little harbor city.  At once it was the biggest city in the province and all the boats used to come in here to trade.  But, now it's dead as only about a thousand villagers live in this town.  There was a really interesting feel to the town, but the number of vendors there trying to sell junky souvenirs really detracted from the "old China" feeling that should have been there.  We enjoyed traveling with the international students and were grateful to Richard Tang (Lily's husband who works for the international office) for arranging for us to tag along.  I was offered a chance to go to this spot with the foreign faculty a few weeks before but declined when they said I could not go with my family.  They had originally told me it was fine, but then they changed their minds.  This happens often, it seems, as adminstrators seem to forget just how big a family of seven in China can be.  I have posted a few pictures of this town with captions.  We were really glad we went although there wasn't much to do there except to buy dried fish and very breakable toys.  

Just a few days ago, I brought Stacie and the children to my four freshmen classes.  I had told my students early in the semester that I would bring my family sometime since Stacie had told me she was willing to do that.  So, the students were asking me every week when they were coming.  I guess I waited for too long (only about 2 1/2 months into the semester) because my students had worked themselves into a frenzy.  Stacie and the children were a little late to the first of four classes and so the students were practically running around the room and pounding on the desks waiting for this American family to arrive.  If you think it sounds a lot like an elementary school classroom, you wouldn't be far off.  I have never had so much difficulty controlling my students in my life.  What's really funny is that collectively, they act absolutely insane.  But, when I silence them and begin class, it calms down quite a bit.  And then, if I ask one of them a question individually, you get crickets churping.  It kind of reminds me of how the Borg operate in Star Trek (ugh, did I just make a Star Trek reference).  They all feel perfectly safe when they are part of the collective group, but you isolate them with some indivdiual attention (at least in a public setting) and they act as though you are sticking a knife right in their belly.  It's a really interestin dynamic and I'm really glad I've had the opportunity to see it.  I will probably walk into a classroom now anywhere in the world and think to myself, "If I can make a Chinese student talk in class, I can accomplish anything!"  

So anyway, back to the visit.  Stacie and the kids walked into the classroom and all the students came out from behind their desks and started to try to grab Lucy and Jeanie and to take pictures of them from less than a few inches away.  It was a little unnerving to Jeanie and absolutely terrifying to Lucy.  She buried her head in Stacie's shoulder and would not look at any of the students. This whole fiasco was entirely my fault as I had forgotten to set the ground rules before we began.  I just assumed that the family would walk in, I would introduce them, and then we would have a little Q&A if I could get them to ask their questions.  I finally told them to get back in their seats and we would continue only after they calmed down.  They complied with my wishes, but you could still see this high level of enthusiasm on their faces.  I got some video of it that posted below because I knew it would be hard to believe unless you saw it for yourselves.  The video shows Nicolas simply saying he plays the piano and you could see them jump up and down and cheer for him.  Then, Jeanie introduces herself and says "Da jia hao," which means "Hi, everyone!"  They just erupt.  I think you'll enjoy watching this video.  After each of the kids had a chance to talk and we answered a few questions about life in China, the things we like and don't like, and about how we home school our children, I broke the class into sections and let each of my children engage a different group for a few minutes.  This was a mistake since the class environment again reverted to utter chaos.  After that first class, we were all about ready to give up and not go to the other classes.  But, I assured Stacie I had misjudged the way they would react and I would definitely get a handle on things for the last three classes.

During class #2, I told Stacie and the kids to wait outside while I put the fear of God into them and told them they needed to stay in their seats and that they could take pictures from their seats.  I told them they would have an opportunity to take pictures with the family at the very end of class, but not before.  I knew that this stringent warning would put a damper on their desire to ask questions in class (which was already at zero), but I wanted Stacie and the children to feel comfortable when talking with the class.  So, I balanced out the strict warning with another warning that the family would have to leave if the students didn't have any questions.  So, I created some anxiety.  On the one hand, they think that Professor Stein will get mad if I jump out of my chair and try to hug his children.  On the other hand, if I don't assert myself a little, the family may leave.  Luckily, they decided to engage my family with questions and they were very good questions.  All four classes ended up being very interested in how we home school and what that involves.  They don't have ANY home schooling in China because children cannot legally go to college unless they go to public school.  And with the ultra-competitive environment here for education and eventually securing high paying jobs, there is no way any parent wants to handicap their children in this regard.  We explain to them that home school children are as educated as public school kids (I would say more, but I know opinion varies on that) and that they can go to college just like any other kids.  We talk to them about the things the children are learning, such as Chinese, reading, writing, music, etc and they seem dismissive of some of the things (like music).  I don't think the Chinese think much of music in terms of creating opportunities for success in life.  But, we believe music changes the way you process information and the way you see the world.  This is valuable to us even if the Chinese do not view it this way.

In terms of my teaching in general, I'm starting to get used to the students and the way they think, which is much different than the way American students think.  For one, they believe that it's the teacher's job to spoon feed them the content they need to know.  Skills that we try to teach our students in America such as critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership are absolutely meaningless here.  I asked how many of my PhD students had ever given an oral presentation in a classroom before.  NONE of them ever had.  To me, that's nuts.  If surviving in the real world had anything to do with memorizing book content, American students would be in real trouble and the Chinese would take over the world as the new global superpower because American students can't remember a fourth of the content taught in our classrooms.  I think the reason our students succeed is a certain level of adaptability that comes from practicing some of those skills I mentioned above.

My work with the American Studies Center is moving forward.  The Foreign Studies College, where our center will be housed, is currently painting the room and refinishing and/or purchasing the furniture.  A delegation from SUU will be arriving in early January for the grand opening, but in the mean time, we recently had an activity teaching HNU students how to play baseball.  We have planned upcoming activities for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well.  The process has been a little slow because all of the decisions related to the center are made by committee, which creates a sense of group cohesion, but can sometimes come at a snail's pace.

Let me finish this blog with just a quick summary of how we are doing generally.  We are starting to get a handle on how things work here.  But, some of the following are still a bit of an adjustment:

1. People pushing and shoving in lines.  They really will try to get in front of you if they can.
2. Spitting in the street.  
3. The toilets
4. Nearly getting run over every time we walk the streets
5. People taking anywhere from 3 days to a week to respond to emails.
6. Crawling internet
7. Sleeping on a wood slat with about a half inch of padding is seriously affecting our sleep over the long term.  We used to wake up every morning sore, but now we don't.  However, I think over weeks or months it does affect the sleep quality.
8. Having to take the bus everywhere.

Things we will miss when we leave China:

1. Tremendous kindness of the people
2. Baozi (steamed buns with meat)
3. Not having to drive ourselves everywhere.
4. Chinese chess
5. Lush vegetation
6. Virtual church branch (only 1 or 2 hours of meetings depending on which classes are taught that week).
7. Singing and dancing in the streets (Americans are too image conscious).
8. 10 yuan haircuts ($1.64).  Often they come with a shampoo and a head massage.  You can't beat that!

The Chinese is coming very slowly and we often want to come home tomorrow.  Other times, we can't believe that we have the opportunity to be in China and are so grateful for all the people we've met and the things we have seen so far.  In many ways, our life is much harder than we thought it would be.  In other ways, it is...nope I think it's mostly a great deal harder than we thought it was going to be.  We are very aware of the stages of acculturation (adapting to a new culture).  We've passed beyond the honeymoon stage and are now squarely in the negotiation stage, where individuals feel a certain amount of anxiety about the stark differences between the home country and the new country.  Next up is the adjustment stage, where we will hopefully start to feel more comfortable in our new surroundings.  The last stage is the "mastery" stage, which we are not sure we will ever reach.  If we do, it will likely be on June 20th of 2014 and we fly out on June 25th.

Here is a funny video of the family visit to my class:

 


Zhū jiǎo (pig's feet).  Actually very flavorful, but a little fat as you might expect and very hard to pick up with chopsticks because they are heavy.

We will miss these baozi (steamed meat buns) when we get home.  We eat these pretty often.

After those metal rolling doors on the right is the entrance to our apartment complex.  Our street has been under construction for a couple of months now and the cars have decided that since the street is blocked, they should just drive on the sidewalk.

It's very common to see Chinese people walk down the street in their pajamas.  At first we thought it was weird, but then realized we wear our pajamas to the stores and to school too.  Our pajamas just look different from their pajamas, but if you think we don't look pretty sloppy in America, you're fooling yourself. 

Another guy rockin' the jammies and more cars and scooters on the sidewalk.

Our pumpkin...er...watermelon carving party.  I like this picture because the Sorensen's girl Eva looks so cute as a panda.

One of the major difficulties of carving watermelons instead of pumpkins.  They all cracked!  But, it was much more delicious to eat the watermelon as you carved than the raw insides of a pumpkin.

We did what we could with what we could find at the metro.  We've got masks, towels, and some kind of apron.

Nicol is a Rubix cube, Ezra is a bearded man, and nobody knows what Annie was but she looks cute.

You thought your Halloween was scary.  Jay and I found these mannequin heads on the sidewalk as we walked toward campus.

Great costume!

I love the gender neutral nature of Chinese costumes.  Who says a girl can't be Superman for Halloween.

Jay and I judged the Halloween contest and pretty much awarded the prizes to the kids that looked like they wanted it the most.

Ok, let's be completely honest here.  Our candy is WAY better than their candy.


One swing of Jay's makeshift baseball bat (PVC pipe) and it was out of commission.

Everything needed for a good game of baseball in China.  Chinese man (check), American (check), a tree branch for a bat (check). 

The way these girls swung the bat, I thought they were naturals. Until they headed around the bases with the bat still in hand.

This old guy was awesome. He was playing basketball across the way from our game and he kept yelling at cars that would park near his court.  At one point, a few of our baseballs came near him and he started to walk over to us.  I thought we were in trouble.  But, he simply said that our bat was no good and that if we came back tomorrow at the same time, he would get us a real bat.  Very nice man.  It was his 84th birthday and he was out there playing ball. 

Our favorite section of the grocery store.  Or perhaps I should say the most interesting.  The smell is not pleasant.

Two beauties from worlds apart sitting together on a nice fall day. 

Changsha doesn't have parks like we have in the U.S.  They are beautiful and well cared for, but they don't have any of the things we usually see in America for kids to play on, such as swings, slides, etc.  These toys here are for old people to exercise, but the kids will take what they can get. 

I had my PhD students sign up for days to deliver their speeches.  I was worried they would push and shove each other and so I gave them a little lesson on the way people form single file lines in a civilized society.  Probably the only time I'll see something like this while I'm in China. 

The harbor at Jing Gang.  Apparently this city used to be the seat of government during the Qing dynasty.  Now, it's pretty much dead, with only a thousand villagers living here. 

The dried fish for sale in Jing Gang.

The kids found cotton candy at Jing Gang.  I so want that guy's outfit in the background.

Another good view of the harbor. 

At first, we thought the soldiers on the fort were real, but they were just cutouts.

Hey, where's Lucy?  Oh yeah, she hates China, Chinese people, and taking pictures.

Stacie was home with Evelynn who was sick, so we went to dinner without her.  There is always a noticeable drop off in manners whenever mom is not around. 

On our side of the Xiangjiang river that separates Changsha, there are three universities: Hunan Normal University (my school), Hunan University, and Central South University.  This picture was taken at Central South University, which was very distinctive to us with so many bicycles everywhere.  Someone told us that most of these bikes are abandoned and they just sit around rusting. 

Because of the limited number of boys in our branch, we received special permission for Nicol at age 12 to be my home teaching companion.  This is our second visit and it was a fun bus ride to the campus of Central South University. 

So many bikes and one handsome young man.

Our new friend Wouldbe (as in "What Wouldbe a English name to choose?" playing Chinese chess with the children.  He beat them pretty handily even though they are getting much better every time they play.  We'll have to show Uncle Keith and Uncle Garrett (the chess masters of our family) how to play this game when we get home.

Evelynn lost her very first tooth in China.  She was ecstatic!


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