Two Weeka in the Books.....

So I just finished my second week in China. It has been a great ride so far, and I only foresee it getting better!

Some updates on the work front:

We opened our third store today! This is the store that I was brought out here to help. The opening went really well. This store is in a place called Ba Bai Ban. I am not sure if that is the name of the neighborhood.....I think it is just the name of the shopping area. It is in Pudong, Shanghai, China. It is one of the most unique Best Buy's I have ever had the pleasure of stepping foot into!

The area is full of electronics retailers. We actually share a wall with one of our biggest competitors in China. All of our biggest competitors are within one block of the store....literally! We also have what China calls PC Mall's right next door to us. I compare it to a big flea market for computers and computer products. The PC Mall itself is quite interesting. It is about thirty different booths all owned by different people that all sell the same computers. It is also like a flea market in that everyone barters the prices. That is a standard in China....haggle for everything. Best Buy is going in trying to change that culture. Our prices are competitive and as is. We offer a completely different experience.

The store itself is also quite different than any Best Buy any of you have ever seen. It is three levels. The first level is more of a lobby. The second level is HUGE! It is long and narrow, like a bowling alley. I would guess 30 yards wide and two hundred yards long. I think that is accurate, but I give no guarantees....I am tired! The third floor is also quite large, but only half the length of the second floor, all appliances. The store is 100% marble tiled and has a bunch of windows, unlike most Best Buys. The store completed is amazing!

Now, my work really begins. I have five and a half weeks to be the best coach I can be. I am charged with making this Best Buy into a real Best Buy. I love the challenge!

Enough about work!

What have I been doing outside work? Not too much.

I feel that I am about as adjusted to China as I am going to get. I feel comfortable with the area that I live in, but outside of that, I am pretty clueless. It is kind of hard getting around in taxis because I speak no Chinese! At this point, I think I am good for somewhere between five and ten words. I can get around in the taxis only three ways. One, hand the driver a map with the place I need to go in Chinese; two, call a translator and give the phone to the cab driver and let the translator tell him where to go; three, get a cab with someone who knows where they are going. Needless to say, I stick with option three almost always! The problem with the first two options is that you can almost guarantee that in some point in the ride, the taxi driver will ask you a question in Chinese. At that point all you can do is shake your head! At first I was amazed at how little the cab drivers seemed to know about Shanghai. I would give them a map, or have one of the bilingual people at the hotel tell the driver exactly where to go. Then they start driving and end up not knowing where they are going. After a few days, I realized how huge Shanghai is, so I don't blame them so much.

I have worked every day since I have been here, so I have had little time for sight seeing so far. The half day I worked last week was rainy, so the night I wanted to go out did not work. I think I am only working a half day tomorrow and will definitely have a little time off next week. I plan on definitely hitting the town and being a tourist! There is AWESOME architecture here. There are tons of skyscrapers. Unlike the US, almost every skyscraper here looks very unique. I think they pride themselves on being different! I also have to get out shopping. Things like clothing and watches here are dirt cheap. A lot of the stuff is fake, but they are world class fakes! What kind of watch can you expect for $20 US.....a beautiful fake Rolex! The thing I am looking forward to the most is getting dress clothes made for me. I can get a weeks worth of custom made slacks, dress shirts, blazers, and suits for a couple hundred US dollars. To say that I will be heading to London with a new dress wardrobe would be an understatement! I plan to have to buy another suitcase for my new clothes on the way home!

The most of China that I have got to experience is the food. We all work really hard out here, and we all like to go out to dinner together at the end of a long day. Some of the guys out here have been here for a while, so they know where to get the good stuff. On a scale of one to ten, I am probably up to a four with chopsticks. I have found that forcing myself to use them makes me a lot better at it.....shocking! The nice thing about where I live is the food selection. There are tons of restaurants within walking distance of the apartment (I have to get some pics of my apartment.....I have to remember that). I am really trying to eat as much local Chinese food as possible. Not only will I probably not have the chance to eat Chinese food in China ever again, but it also gains respect with the locals....which means the world here!

That is about all for now.

Let me remind everyone, my personal email is stgoeke@hotmail.com. Don't hesitate to write.

Write again soon!