Sunday, January 1, 2012
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
IFA Berlin
The international trade fair for consumer eletronics opened its doors to the public from August 31st to September 5th. The first section I visited was dedicated to computers, with the latest innovations from the major manufacturers on display, in addition to vendors of accessories of various kinds. Acer had a large cybercafé where young people were playing games. Panasonics, Sony and Cannon showed the width of their offering of digital cameras. For household items, Miele had organised a great show promoting washing machines with its latest innovations for saving water, energy and detergent. Some companies displayed robots able to clean windows or perform other household chores. A large part was dedicated to Chinese companies http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflooking for partners for joint ventures, often supplier of the main Western companies. Most evenings some artists were performing at the fair, on Sunday it would have been the famous German band Ich & Ich with can be translated and I and I. My only regret was to have taken the afternoon ticket, thus I missed 4 hours which could have been used for mmore in-depth conversations with the exhibitors. The fair was located close to the international bus station and I could catch the night-bus back to Brussels directly after the fair.
To know more about the fair, you can visit its homepage:
IFA Berlin
Looking forward to coming there again next year.
To know more about the fair, you can visit its homepage:
IFA Berlin
Looking forward to coming there again next year.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Return Culture Shock
Slowly adjusting to life back in Europe after two years in the remote Northwest of China. Here is a short list of surprises:
- Being able to cross the street safely as a pedestrian, cars even stop when it is red for the pedestrian and green for them and they think you may be interested in crossing the road
- Suddenly in a restaurant only the dishes' number has to be used instead of their name
- Now being able to read the signs on the road or in a menu
- Having to readjust to using forks and knifes, even in Chinese restaurant
- The chefs of Chinese Restaurant seem never to have been in Asia in their life
- All prices have been multiplied by a huge factor
- Having to walk for hours to find a decent karaoke
- The only known brand are in Chinese-owned import supermarkets
- Celebrating Mid-Autumn, Mid-Winter, Dragon Festival instead of the local traditions
- Being able to hold a conversation with almost everybody around
- Missing tea-making facilities when staying at a hotel
- Being able to cross the street safely as a pedestrian, cars even stop when it is red for the pedestrian and green for them and they think you may be interested in crossing the road
- Suddenly in a restaurant only the dishes' number has to be used instead of their name
- Now being able to read the signs on the road or in a menu
- Having to readjust to using forks and knifes, even in Chinese restaurant
- The chefs of Chinese Restaurant seem never to have been in Asia in their life
- All prices have been multiplied by a huge factor
- Having to walk for hours to find a decent karaoke
- The only known brand are in Chinese-owned import supermarkets
- Celebrating Mid-Autumn, Mid-Winter, Dragon Festival instead of the local traditions
- Being able to hold a conversation with almost everybody around
- Missing tea-making facilities when staying at a hotel
Friday, July 22, 2011
Back in Europe
After a pleasant China Eastern flight, I am back in Europe after two years in China, looking forward to being able to use again Blogger ot Twitter which were almost impossible to access from behind the Great Firewall. Also wondering how the reverse culture shock will affect me and my friends. Soon my blog will be reimported to Blogger from a previous platform.
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