First Impressions

I arrived in Guanzhou after a 16+ hour flight. I was bit nervous as I approached customs. As the plane landed, the stewardesses handed us all little declaration cards that listed off all of the items that were not allowed past the international border.

Of course, I wasn't at all worried until I got to the part about "literary or visual material that is considered detrimental to the social, political, or ecinomic stability of The People's Republic." Loosly translates to "anything we don't like, white boy." That was when I remembered the book on Krishna I had gotten from the missionary at the airport. I had accepted it because I had always been a little curious about what these dancing bald weirdos were about. And now, I'm bringing religious literature into a country that has become famous for it's anti-religous standing. Brilliant. And no one on the plane will tell me what the cantonese word for "agnostic" is. So, yes, I'm a bit worried now.

Then it occurs to me, I'm also carrying a copy of "The Four Noble Truths" by the Dahli Lama. Now I'm really worried.

So, I do the only rational thing I can think of. I calmy check the box next to "Nothing To Declare."

After the plane landed, I handed the card to the customs official who simply nods and waves me through. No big deal. I was worried over nothing.

Once on Chinese soil I am instantly surrounded by a bunch of young chinese men who use broken english to try and sell me phone cards, used cell phones, taxi rides, guided tours, etc. I wave them all off and make my way to the spot Andy told me to meet him at.

As I waited for Andy, I couldn't help but notice that there were a lot of people staring at me. A couple of cops walked by and gave me the eyeball, but they didn't bother me. The most reaction I got was from the children. As small children passed me by, they would stare at me like I had antlers growing out of my head. The ones that were old enough to talk would point at me and jabber something at their parents.

Once Andy met up with me, we took a bus ride from Guangzhou to my new home in Zhongshan. We caught up on all the latest personal news, and then moved on to national news. As I'm sure you've guessed, the news about China as heard in the US is different from the news heard inside China's borders. As I told him about the talks between Bush and the President of China concerning the economy of China, Andy laughted and told me that China would never open up to full world trade.

I asked him to elaborate.

As the bus made it's way through downtown Guangzhou, Andy pointed out a large building to me in the distance. "Perfect example," he says, "Take a look at that building there."

I look it over. The archetecture is bold and beutiful, but it is obviously unfinished. The sky-high crane stood at attention next to the building.

"What about it?" I ask.

"They started on that building about two years ago. The development company took out a loan from the Bank Of China for 500 million U.S. dollars. They got this far in the building before the manager in charge of money went down to Macau and gambled the entire budget away. After that, he went to the top of the building and jumped. Now, there's no money to finish it and the Bank Of China will not sell it."

"Why not?"

"If they try to sell it, or finish the building, or do anything at all with that building, it will require a re-appraisal. Currently, the value of that building is on record as $500 million. If anyone touches that building, it would come out as being worth less, and the bank loses it's value on the loan. So long as the recorded value of that building stays at $500 million, the Bank of China gets to mark it as such in their holdings. The entire chinese economy is based on the Bank of China. There are dozens of buildings like that in Guangzhou. Thousands in all of China. If the WTO ever comes through here, China's economy will implode."

Here's the funny thing, this is exactly what Enron did. They would set up a project, like an oil refinery in India, and place it's value at not only it's basic real estate and equipment value, but also at the estimated amount of profit that it is suppose to make within the next ten years. Then, when unforseen problems arise, such as a radical change in India's government, they abandon the unfinished refinary, and keep it's over inflated value on the books as a "holding."

The difference; Enron got caught and had to pay the piper. China answers to no one. And so long as they continue dancing around the international trade subject with everyone else in the world, they never will.

This is my new home. I'm tickled pink.