September 2008

By Travis Altman The funny thing about my trip to China is years from now I expect to remember it as much for what was going on in the United States as anything I saw in Beijing, Kunming, Shangri-La or Hong Kong.  It was tough to be so far away while dramatic events were unfolding on Wall Street.  However, I did get the interesting opportunity to see situation from the perspective of another ... read more

By Travis Altman Is the Chinese economy headed for a crash?  Those who think so sometimes point to the tourism sector as a possible weak link.  They figure now the Olympics are over foreigners will be less motivated to come to China and spend money.  They may very well be right, but that doesn’t mean the travel industry is dead here. This weekend I traveled to Shangri-La, a region ... read more

By Travis Altman The tremors from the United States’ financial earthquake are being felt all the way to China.  This week’s dramatic events on Wall Street have been the talk of the town in Beijing, and as with most things in this country the reaction has been varied and complex.  Much of the official newspaper and television coverage has highlighted what some view as American greed and ... read more

By Travis Altman Many companies in China face new realities now that the Olympics are over, but few will be affected as much as SOHU.com, the highly popular Chinese-language web site that was the official carrier of the games in this country. When I toured the company’s headquarters today, the Olympics were everywhere.  Logos from games were splashed across all the walls and life-sized ... read more

By Travis Altman Touchdown in Beijing and I feel like I’m watching my own personal opening ceremonies.  The airport is massive and virtually spotless.  Headed to the hotel, I’m whisked past row upon row of new skyscrapers, their twinkling lights seem somehow synchronized.  It’s more than three weeks after the Olympics, and the air is still easy to breathe. Its hard not to be in awe ... read more

By Travis Altman The first stop on my voyage to China is a place most Americans know well, or at least they think they do - the state of Hawaii.  Millions of people come to the Aloha state every year for beaches and luaus.  My hosts from the East-West Center are based here for a different reason.  Because of Hawaii’s geography and its people, it is a vital link between the U.S. and ... read more

By Travis Altman Last weekend I ran into an old friend and told him I was headed to China in a matter of days.  He was quick to wish me luck, but then there was an awkward pause.  "It sounds like an awesome trip," he said.  "But aren't you a couple weeks late?" My buddy has a point.  From most people's perspective, china's 15 minutes in the spotlight ended after the closing ceremonies of ... read more

I am from the North, and I am in the South right now. Quite opposite the two regions are. The North is cold in temperature, clean in air and sort of nicey-nice. The South is hot in temperature, has the appearance of dirty in air because of the thick and humid air and is also sort of not nicey-nice but nice but really sort of, well, “I may shoot you if you don’t be nice to me” kind ... read more

The phone conversation, I imagine, will go something like this. “Hello, Blessed Event Florist, how may I help you?” “Hi Susan, it’s John. I need to order some flowers for Sarah’s daughter.” “Oh, hi Mr. McCain, I heard.  That’s terrific news.” “Not exactly the word I would use to describe it.” “What do you mean?  A baby on the way is always terrific news, ... read more

By Eric Bolling There are numerous similarities that come to mind when comparing Hurricane Gustav with Hurricane Katrina three years ago, but there are also some key differences that will likely make this a much less devastating storm. The first similarity is the date. Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast three years ago almost to the day. The other similarity is that both of ... read more