The Olson's Asian Adventure

During the last week of September, work required a trip back to the US for a Global Innovation meeting.   Pretty cool opportunity and a nice chance to get a quick taste of the US.   The meeting was held in Mackinaw island, which is a location that I’ve always wanted to experience.   It is located on an island in northern Michigan just below the Upper-Peninsula.   Mackinaw is an historic site in the US as the island bans the use of Automobiles.   It is a place my sister Erin would love since she recently achieved her PhD in Equine Science (go figure).   It is also a rather ironic location to host an innovation meeting that focuses in the automotive industry.   The trip was nice, but also long.   There really isn’t any good way to get into Mackinaw… Chicago and Detroit are the best options, but both required a major drive afterwards.   I chose Chicago so that I could meet up with Mom in Chicago for a two-week visit. After arr...

The span of my current job is pretty extreme; I’ve got responsibilities from Japan to India and will occasionally travel to Europe and the US.  With this set up, I will get to scope out vacations spots and before bringing the whole family.  India was my first “work” travel destination since arriving here.  During posts like this, I will leave out most of the “work related” stuff unless it overlaps with the overall experience.  Suffice it to say, however, I’ve got a good team in India and that part of my job is going to be great.  And, if you were wondering about my job in general… I think I am going to love it.  So far, it is everything that people told me it would be on the front end.  India is a quite a trip.  Since arriving in Shanghai, we’ve met several people that just “fell in love” with this place immediately after arriving … One lady I met on this trip said she vacationed here for 2 weeks, fell in love with the country, and then ...

One of the biggest surprises and blessings about out time here has been the expat community.  It is so much tighter, better organized, and much more fun than we expected.  They are constantly planning trips and small excursions to keep you busy and get you out of the house.  During one of our first Saturdays, Amanda signed up for a neighborhood walk with a new friend.  It was simple, casual, and very informative.  We walked around for about 3 hrs and got to know our way around.  We already posted a YouTube video of the wet market, so I will keep this blog posting to mainly just pictures.   Moments like this are perfect.   Some love their job... others do their job.   The biggest cucumber ever... and a wide assortment of grains and vegetables.   A pretty cool artist who has been "expating" for years.  He uses local stuff to make his art.  The top right canvas is made from ink covered eels a...

So why is it that a toaster imported from China to the US costs 12 usd at Target?  But, when you want to buy a toaster in China it costs 50 usd?  Two reasons, (1) because we don’t look like anyone in China and they take advantage of you and (2) we don’t know where to go.  On the upside though, we can make toast will cool burn-in designs on the bread.  After a couple of weeks we learned of the “low cost” areas in China.  We’ve been to one of them, the Pearl Market and have 2-3 more to try in Shanghai.  I suspect, like with most emerging or 3 rd world countries, there are many more when you get to the rural areas.  But for now, in Shanghai, don’t bet on it.  You have to know where to go otherwise you get ripped… big time.  The Pearl market looks like a beat up shopping mall on the outside; similar to the jewelry district buildings in Houston.  But, on the inside is a great selection of stuff to drop cash on.  It is segmente...