And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

This is the fifteenth of 17 essays that cover our Southeast Asia cruise (March, 2010).  The first paragraph of the fifteenth essay reads as follows:  "We are taking a private tour with our tour guide, Michael Ye.  We also have a driver who speaks no English and has a small picture of Mao and a jade Buddha hanging from the rear-view mirror for good luck.  We have already toured the Great Wall (discussed in Beijing I).  From the Great Wall, Michael continued to educate us about China and Beijing.  He told us, for example, that whereas the U.S. has a big middle class (45-50%), China’s middle class amounts to only 15%.  These are mainly young, educated, and sophisticated Chinese who are likely to help forge a new direction for China.  He explained that the “new” China is similar to 'capitalistic communism,' and all land in China is still owned by the government.  There is no private ownership; people only rent it."

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

In the third Beijing essay I will discuss Tiananiman Square and the Forbidden City.  I will also mention taxi-cab pirates.  If there was a fifth problem Beijing needs to solve with respect to making the city more “user/tourist friendly,” it would be the problem they have with pirates.  You cannot have tourists being subjected to even the possibility (or merely the thought of) price-gouging by uncontrolled, rogue pirates.  It is not a pleasant thought, but it is a real and pervasive threat.

And Then Some News