Archive for November, 2007

Want a job? Get a high score first!

I came across an interesting article on the Pacific Epoch site today. Kingsoft, a software and online game developer that is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is using an innovative way to attract new staff. In order to apply for jobs for their game Hero108, you not only need a high school diploma, but you also need a certain rank and scores in the game itself. If you don't achieve those scores, you won't be able to apply for the job. I am sure this will attract lots of attention for the...
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Shanghai Half Marathon 2007

I like a physical challenge every now and then, so this morning I ran the Shanghai Half Marathon (21.1 km), starting at Nanjing Dong Lu and ending at Minhang Stadium. Because of the knee injury that I got in Tibet I had not been able to practice for almost half a year, and only 6 weeks ago I started training seriously again. Actually too short to run a half marathon, and certainly too short for a full marathon, so I dropped the idea to participate in the full 42.2 km event. And that was a good...
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Driver

For many years I have said (probably also on this blog) that I never want a driver. I prefer to drive myself, and don't want to lose the little bit of privacy that is still left in this Web 2.0 era. Well, since a few weeks I have a driver, and I have changed my point of view. The reason we decided to hire one is because my wife is now so pregnant that she cannot drive anymore. And because she often has to work late at night (she is CFO of Tudou.com) she does not want to walk around in the dark...
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Electronic Ink Readers

I have been the proud owner of an iLiad eBook reader for about a year now (thanks to Pioco's Steve Chao), but I hardly use it. Why? Because it is way too slow, likely because it is a pre-production model and because the content I want to have is not available. The device is great, the electronic ink technology is so much better than reading from the screen of my laptop. It really feels like reading a book. For me the most important success factor for an eBook reader is not the way it looks or...
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Things to do on a lazy Sunday in Shanghai

Yesterday I spent a leisurely Sunday in Shanghai, and maybe the things I did might inspire others as well. I started off by sleeping late, always a good start of a lazy Sunday. Then we went to the new Hyatt on the Bund (199, Huangpu Lu - on the North Bund) for a very nice brunch. The hotel just opened, and the staff did not really know the word brunch yet... They initially sent us to their Chinese a la carte restaurant. However, on the second floor there is a huge lunch/brunch buffet, with a...
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HSBC Champions 2007

Sunday we drove to the Sheshan Golf Club to watch the HSBC Champions 2007. We met Thijs and Joan there, who had driven up with...
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Foo Camp China

This weekend I managed to keep my plan not to work much on weekends anymore. Because of a schedule filled to the brink, that was not too difficult.On Saturday I was in Beijng, where I attended the first Foo Camp in China (pictures). As usual this Foo Camp was organized by Tim O'Reilly and his team. About 80 people participated in this unconference. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it basically means that it's not a normal conference where you listen to speeches, but a seminar where...
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Delays

It seems every flight I am on recently has problems. A few weeks ago I was not able to fly to Guangzhou because of a cancelled flight, and yesterday and today I am encountering similar problems.Last night I flew Shandong Airlines with two colleagues from Shanghai to Jinan. Everything went fine, until we approached the airport. There was heavy fog there, and after circling for about 20 minutes the announcement came that we were diverted to Qingdao. Well, better to divert a flight than to land in...
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First episode Tibet documentary online

It took a bit longer than planned, but our Tibet bike ride documentary has been finished. The total length is 90 minutes, spread out over 6 episodes of 15 minutes each. The episodes will first be shown on Tudou, before syndicating it to other media. The episodes are mainly in Chinese, with Chinese subtitles. An English subtitle version will follow later, and for foreign audiences I will put that on YouTube as well.The first episode is now online on Tudou.com. It was put on the site earlier this...
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Relaxed weekend

After a rather hectic work week I was totally fed up with work on Friday evening. Most of the time I really like my work, but sometimes you hit these periods that it's a bit difficult to motivate yourself. Coincidentally, Spill Group Asia had planned a karaoke evening with the whole team, and that was a good way to unwind a bit and 'sing' the stress out of me. Several of our former colleagues also joined, something that would not happen quickly in Holland, and we had a nice crowd in our private...
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Fake clothes soon a thing of the past?

On Beijing's famous Silk Market you see mainly foreigners buying fake brand name clothing. Most of them are tourists, who know the place from their guide books, or who are even taken to the fake market in tour groups. But also expats are a big group of buyers, especially the ones that are still relatively new to China. The Silk Market opened 22 years ago, and is still going strong, although the location was changed in 2004 from the small cosy alley behind its current location to a big new...
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