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Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts

Friday, August 4, 2017

Two Examples of Localization With Differing Results: Starbucks and Uber

Multinational companies grant vary degrees of independence to regional teams. One reason for increased independence is to enable the company to best adjust to local conditions. One piece about how this can work out and one piece about how this can go awry:

1. Keeping with the recent Starbucks theme here . . . Russell Flannery shares some thoughts from Belinda Wong, the country CEO for Starbucks in China, about the freedom they have to localize the Starbucks experience there:
Overall, the localization effort seems more subtle than overwhelming, making its approach "similar but not so similar" to what the company does in the U.S., Wong says. "I have to think about where you live, where you work and how you travel," she says. "This has to speak to you and not to folks in other countries. I like the fact that we are not the kind of the company that enforces what has to be done in the U.S. to be in China, and I think that forms part of why we are successful in China: because we are able to make sure that everything is developed in China with the Chinese consumers in mind."
2. In a in-depth story of how Uber knowingly rented unsafe recalled vehicles to many of its drivers in Singapore (link briefly goes through Twitter*), Douglas MacMillan and Newley Purnell detail how the desire to localize headed in the wrong direction:
Singapore in 2013 was Uber’s first Asian city, a beachhead for expansion. Uber however struggled to find enough drivers, documents show. The cost of owning a car there is among the highest in the world.

Uber created a unit, Lion City Rentals Pte Ltd., or LCR, in February 2015 to rent Uber-owned cars to drivers for about $50 a day. Buying a fleet of cars was new for Uber, whose business model relies on not owning assets. . . .

Rather than buy most new vehicles from authorized Honda and Toyota Motor Corp. dealers, Uber’s LCR unit bought new sedans and SUVs from more than a dozen auto importers, the emails show. These small dealers operate in the gray market—a legal channel outside manufacturers’ authorized networks—where safety, service and legal contracts are difficult to enforce. The Singapore team calculated it would be able to buy cars for 12% less than at authorized Honda dealers, according to the emails.
The fascinating piece captures how things went downhill from there in a variety of ways.



*I used a Twitter generated link because the Wall Street Journal offers free access to its articles if visited from there and some other sites as well. Otherwise, a paywall may appear for some readers. I could achieve the same effect by embedding a tweet here. I will share some thoughts about this practice in a later post. The tweet that generated the link is here. The direct link to the article is here.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Children Out to Dance in the Bengbu Night

I have been thinking a lot about Liu Xiaobo, the possibility VPNs will soon become much more difficult to use in China, and China's expanding censorship. For now, something on a lighter and cheerier note . . .

People dancing in groups at parks is a common sight in much of China. Most of the time it doesn't involve children dancing in the dark though. So below are a few photos taken after 9 p.m. this past Wednesday and Thursday at Datang Park (大塘公园) in Bengbu. During my brief time watching, the children appeared to be dutifully following the dancing program, though at least once a few separated out to do their own thing.


Children dancing at Datang Park (大塘公园) in Bengbu



Children dancing at Datang Park (大塘公园) in Bengbu



Children dancing at Datang Park (大塘公园) in Bengbu

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Dog Powered Scooter

small dog pulls a boy riding a scooter
Early this year at the Funing Cultural Park (福宁文化公园) in Xiapu, Fujian

Posting lately has been lighter than I intended as I have been taking advantage of the opportunity to disconnect a bit. Tomorrow I will be back to traveling, hopefully at faster than dog-pulled speeds. And, somewhat ironically, that should mean more regular posting soon.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Dancing at Hebin Park in Guiyang

This afternoon at Hebin Park in Guiyang, Guizhou, I recorded a man expressively dancing to music. A small crowd had gathered and several others captured the performance as well. After the music ended, the man approached me and initiated a conversation in English. He told me he hoped I could share the video with my friends. He has traveled to Europe before but never the U.S. He was curious to know whether Americans would appreciate him dancing in a park there.

The video not only captured the dancing but some of the audience — including one small child who briefly tried dancing too — and passersby. As an added bonus, it concludes with a child eating an ice cream bar.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

A Crossbar Bicycle Walk in Hengyang

As I crossed an intersection on Chuanshan Avenue in Hengyang yesterday, I saw another person crossing the intersection in a far more interesting manner.

small girl walking a bike while siting on the crossbar


At first I assumed the bike was too large or not set up properly for the girl to pedal. But perhaps she was under orders to walk her bike across busy intersections. When I later looked back, I saw her riding the bike in a more typical fashion on the sidewalk.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Children Following the Music in Guangzhou

sculpture of children following a woman playing a violin in Guangzhou, China
“Music Unhurried" (乐韵悠悠) by Qian Chang (前畅) and Huang Jianxun (黄建勋)
on a rainy day at Shamian Island in Guangzhou, China

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Adventurous Five-Year-Old Girl in China Pays High Price for Believing Cartoon Physics

A five-year-old girl in Urumqi, China, watches a cartoon and decides to take a journey. In preparation she puts on her backpack. Based on knowledge gained from the informative cartoon, she also grabs an umbrella before leaving. The little girl doesn't expect rain, but she appreciates it still has much value. After all, she would be crazy to jump from the 11th floor without one.
The little girl landed on a fourth-floor cement platform below the window, suffering severe head, spinal and pelvic injuries that required multiple rounds of surgery.
Ugh, ugh, ugh. Poor, poor girl.

She later told her father, who along with her mother had left her at home alone, the Chinese cartoon series Boonie Bears was the source of inspiration. None of the reports I looked at shared a relevant umbrella scene. I haven't been able to find one myself despite spending way too much time trying and coming across an episode where the bears want to fly. There is a lot of footage to cover though, and given the girl's current state it wouldn't be surprising if she mixed up shows.

The case especially resonated because I love the independent, adventurous, and brave spirit, something which the little girl had exhibited before. Within the confines of a five-year-old's world what she did feels so understandable, even if not predictable. Sadly, the price for this mistake was extremely high. Life isn't fair on any floor.

Although her survival is incredible, her condition sounds awful. But the fact she could speak with her father at all seems like a positive sign. Hopefully she has a strong recovery and can embark on more rewarding adventures in the future when there is less of a need for watchful eyes.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

For Sale on a Tricycle Cart in Hongkou

This weekend I didn't see another woman selling flowers from a push cart in Hongkou, Shanghai. But on a small bridge on Ha'erbin Road, I did see a woman selling assorted items from a tricycle cart.

woman sitting with a child next to a tricycle cart filled and covered with items for sale in Shanghai

She was mostly preoccupied with her mobile phone at the time. The child with her looked on and also watched some of the people and vehicles passing by.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Something Small Under a Large Umbrella in Zhuhai

One day in Zhuhai I saw a large umbrella approaching, and I wondered what was under it.

a large umbrella with the legs of a kid underneath in Zhuhai, China


Soon, the answer was revealed.

little girl smiling and holding a large umbrella in Zhuhai, China

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Basketball with the Help of a Bicycle Tire in Gongbei

Just a few minutes walk from where I saw a late night game on Gaosha Middle Street in Zhuhai, I saw more kids playing with a ball today. In this case, I wouldn't call it "Gongbei-ball". "Basketball" works just fine here.

boys playing basketball with a hoop made out of a bicycle tire in Zhuhai, China


Unlike the Gongbei-ball ball, this ball appeared to store bought like another I recently saw. But a bit of creativity was required for the basketball hoop which was made using rope and a bicycle tire.

One of the boys took a few shots while I photographed.

boy shooting a basketball into a bicycle tire hoop in Zhuhai, China


He made almost all of the shots and the hoop served its purpose well, just like the Gongbei-ball ball.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Another Ball in Gongbei

They asked me to take their photo . . .

boy and girl with red ball posing for a photo in the middle of Lian'an Street in Zhuhai, China


Like the boys I saw elsewhere in Gongbei, Zhuhai, the boy and girl had a ball, though it appeared to be store bought. I don't know if they were about to play a game of Gongbei-ball.

Like Gaosha Middle Street, this road has an alley feel to it, and there is not universal agreement on its name. Online maps identify it as either Lian'an East Street (联安东街) or Lian'an Alley. Posted signs there are divided on the issue as well. After taking photos of conflicting signs on different sides of the road almost directly opposite each another, I noticed a man standing in front of a shop watching me. So I asked him the name of the road. He looked down the road for a long five seconds. Just as I began to wonder whether he would answer, he said "Lian'an East Street". So I will go with that.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

A Late Night Game of Gongbei-Ball

Just missed . . .

boy misses catching a paper ball in Zhuhai, China



Caught . . .

boy catches a paper ball at night in Zhuhai, China



Evaded . . .

boy jumps out of the way of a paper ball thrown by another boy in Zhuhai, China



Bounced off . . .

paper ball bounces off the hands of a boy in Zhuhai, China


Late yesterday night in Gongbei, Zhuhai, I saw several boys playing a game of Gongbei-ball. I made up the name, and the game's rules appeared to evolve over time. The main piece of equipment was paper crumpled up and taped into a ball. The boys granted me a throw. I must say, it was a pretty good ball.

The narrow street could easily be labeled as an alley in today's Zhuhai. If you want to find Gaosha Middle Street (高沙中街), as it is identified on posted signs there, good luck. Several online maps give it a different name or no name at all. But these kids know where the street is. And it is full of life even at night.

boys posing for a photo in Zhuhai, China

Friday, August 12, 2016

More Play and Another Chainsaw in Taiyuan

An advertisement for Jolin Tsai's concert wasn't the only example combining "play" and "chainsaws" I have seen in Taiyuan. Alongside Dong'an Road I watched a man shoot water at a little girl who defended herself with an umbrella.

man aiming a water-shooting tube at a little girl holding an open umbrella and a toy chainsaw

She also held a toy chainsaw. I am not sure of what she had in mind. I didn't see any disco balls around, but it looked like a good time.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Two Cs on One Head

Hearts aren't the only symbol I have seen on children's heads in Taiyuan. This boy's hair brought to mind the knockoff Chanel shirts I have seen in China:

hair on back of boy's head shaved into a Chanel logo


I think that is heart on the top of his head as well.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Two Hearts on One Head

While most children in China don't have their hair shaved into a recognizable pattern, I have seen numerous examples of the practice. A recent one from Wenying Park in Taiyuan:


boy with hair shaved in the shape of a heart on the front of his head



same boy with hair shaved in the shape of a heart on the back of his head

Monday, July 18, 2016

A Monday "Hello" in Taiyuan

While I waited for a crossing signal to change at a street intersection in Taiyuan, Shanxi, today, a little girl noticed my presence and immediately shouted, "Hello!"

Her adult appeared surprised by the excited outburst. I have had many similar experiences in the past, though this girl was especially enthusiastic. I replied with an upbeat "hello", admittedly toned down compared to the girl's. The girl then had a suggestion: I should take of photo of her and her friend. After I expressed willingness, the two adults with them, who still appeared a bit surprised by everything, helped position the girls while making sure they weren't in the photo themselves.

Then this happened:

two little girls posing for a photo in Taiyuan, Shanxi
"Hello" from Taiyuan

Once the photoshoot was complete, in Chinese I asked the more outgoing girl (the one holding the flowers) whether she wanted to go to America. She said "yes", so I said "OK, let's go" and started walking away. Without hesitation she happily joined me. Not wanting to spark an international incident, I quickly turned toward the two adults to make it absolutely clear I was only joking.

As we parted, it was evident the interaction had launched the two girls into an extra-high level of activity. And it left me in higher spirits as well.