Spent Monday in Hong Kong visiting a lot of my friend’s offices and apartments on Monday, and as I caught them up on what I am doing these days, they say “Mike, I thought you were opening a company in the philippines“, “hey man, didn’t you say you were lecturing at Stevens Tech in New Jersey, USA?” or “I thought …
Ipad 2 Mania! Buy in USA – Sell in China?
I have been chatting on twitter about the ipad 2 mania. Seriously, even apple is amazed as sales are a million sold in the first weekend. I’m sure iphone factories in Shenzhen are busier then ever, putting extra pressure and overtime work on factory workers. Lets just hope we don’t hear news about factory suicides soon, though I am sure …
Shenzhen / Hong Kong Border Hopping Exhaustion
Starting to feel like some special agent in a James Bond movie…seriously…while I thought this lifestyle would be so cool, there is that famous saying “be careful what you wish for”. As it gets quite exhausting going through borders, waiting in lines, dealing with people from all kinds of backgrounds, stress levels, and moods. Larry tells me switching it up …
Hong Kong Coworking Boot hk Featured in Fastcompany, Shenzhen Next?
Congrats to boot hk Hong Kong coworking space and Jon Buford. I am a member and its a great way to quickly meet and network with like minded entrepreneurs. I am so excited that it was covered the other day in fast company. Sure that will help Hong Kong be known for more then just banking and financial companies (BORING!) …
Hong Kong Fashion Night, Feeling of Not Belonging
Yesterday was another action packed day, leaving Hong Kong approximately 7am to head into Dongguan, China. The day was a typical day in my “new life”, working with the Chinese staff in the dongguan Fiveislands ecommerce warehouse, checking over websites, inventory, products, interviewed some new job applicants. On the way back to Hong Kong in the evening, we picked up …
Flipping from Cantonese to Mandarin to English…
Currently in a car heading back to Hong Kong from Dongguan, China. Thinking back to when I was living full time in Shenzhen, even though I was in south China, the city of Shenzhen is primarily Mandarin – which is the nationally recognized language of the People’s republic of China. It is actually one of the criteria on my checklist …
Another Weekend Hustling Between Shenzhen + Hong Kong
Maybe this will be my future for the next year or three? I am getting better at it, having my passport on me almost all the time (yea, I know we’re supposed to anyway, legally, but who really does carry it all the time?), have multiple bags holding different currency and keys, multiple phones / tablets so I don’t need …
Exciting Grand Opening of Five Islands Ecommerce Center!
For those of you following my blog (life), you saw I got another crack at doing business in China – but this time I have the 3 plus years of getting my ass kicked to know how it goes, went through “initiation”, was a white mouse in a maze for a few years….may have not gotten to the end of …
Spending Time Inside a Dongguan, China Web Company
These are the times I get some of the most “real” perspectives of business and life in China, those times I spend a day or two inside an operating company. When I first was assigned to the new five islands ecommerce project here in Dongguan, I quickly looked up for people I already knew in Dongguan. I found my Chinese …
More Americans Wanting to Move to China!
It seems at least one per day now, either email, facebook message, twitter DM, or random add on skype and a chat. Phone calls and I don’t know where they got my number. MORE AND MORE AMERICANS WHO WANT TO RE-LOCATE TO CHINA. Some want to teach english, others want to start a business, some who want a fresh start …
Bridging Between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China
I remember my first trip to Hong Kong, in October 2007. I had come to go to the globalsources trade show, see products, meet people I had been chatting to online for years, and see whats its like to do business in China. I was amazed at the city….more advanced then New York….and just as expensive! I quickly learned that …
China Is Open Again – End of Chinese New Years
Woke up bright and early Thursday morning (6:30am) to head from Hong Kong over to Dong Guan, China to the Five Islands ecommerce center. I don’t mean to be an ignorant foreigner in China….but this holiday is annoying to me…..its just so long…………..I am a workaholic…..I am an “entrepreneur”…..and one half of my business is closed down, while the buy …
Happy Chinese New Year – Year of the Rabbit
My 4th Chinese New Years while in Asia, and my first one while in Hong Kong. I am excited for the upcoming year…..the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar. Its a lucky year, I don’t know what it is, but in Western and Asian culture they see rabbits as lucky. The are small, fast, cute little buggers, right? …
Living In Hong Kong – Life in Fast Forward
Jeez, if you told me a few months ago I’d be living in Hong Kong, I say you’re crazy. But keeping an open mind, networking, STAYING POSITIVE, we all find our path in life. Just rented an apartment the other night here in Hong Kong, in Tin Hau district (next to Causeway bay, on Hong Kong Island). Small apartment (basically …
Go Big or Go Home (The Journey Onwards)
These blue Chinese moving trucks always bring back memories of my hardships and travels doing business in China. They represent the times I had to box up my belongings, my office equipment, and various Chinese staff at the time, to move from one location to another. Sometimes it was due to positive business developments, other times it was to “shelter …