Heading Off to the Middle Kingdom

Bicycle in Guangzhou

About half a year ago, somewhere on a dusty road in Ethiopia, I was driving our trusty, 30-year old Land Rover across Africa and pondering about the line of work that I’d get into when I come back into the U.S. Although different ideas were starting to float around at that point, I didn’t quite know exactly what it would be just yet.

I just knew that it would have to be another startup, that it should do make a contribution to the society and people around us, and that it should offer plenty of opportunities to learn about things I know nothing about.

Ironically, things actually worked out just that way. About a month later, I was back in New York where my brother introduced me to the concept of electric bikes that were taking over China and Europe by the storm.

As a huge fan of cycling – and pretty much anything else on two wheels – I was intrigued immediately, and then completely sold on the idea when I saw how happy people got when they used an e-bike.

Fast forward a little further and we are now working on a company that will produce and bring high-end electric bikes into the U.S. with the goal to get more people cycling and commuting by bike.

Four months passed since we started and we are both sitting on a 16-hour Delta flight, headed towards Guangzhou, China. There are a few things we’ve set out to do on this trip. We want to meet and evaluate several plants with whom we’ve been communicating for the last few months, establish a relationship with at least one of them and negotiate the terms, and get our production off to a running start.

Moreover, we want to see firsthand how things operate in China! From the limited research and experience we’ve had over the last few months, we have no doubts that China will prove to be a completely different animal that we’re used to dealing with – as far as business goes.

Rules of the game that work in the U.S. will not apply here. Learning to deal with culture where one can never risk “losing face” in front of the other to the fact that there are 3 possible answers to every question, such as “Yes, No, and Yeaaahmm (a.k.a. I don’t know, but can’t really say that) and the fact that all the logic is based on Confucius – it will all pose a steep learning curve.

With all that in mind, it will be incredibly interesting to navigate this new environment – and learn first—hand about Chinese life and culture, what it means to do business in China from the perspective of  Western entrepreneurs, and seeing how electric bikes have transformed transportation across the country.

Over the next 1 to 2 months, I’ll be based primarily around Guangzhou (where our suppliers are located) and will be writing about all aspects of the trip on the blog. Next post is coming up shortly!

WeGoingUp.com – 22,000km Expedition from South Africa to London

The Latest Adventure:

In April 2011, a group of Russian-Americans set out on a 22,000km trans-continental expedition to cross from South Africa to London in a 1980 Land Rover.

Follow our adventure here.

Wrap Up and Thank Yous

After making a few brief stops in Kazakhstan and Dubai last week, I’ve finally made it home a week ago – home sweet home!

I thought that I’d be able to get another couple of posts about the last few weeks out once I’m back, but it feels quite different trying to write it back home in my apartment sitting on my chair – almost as if I’m writing about somebody else’s experiences.

However, I did want to wrap this up with a BIG BIG thank you to some people that have really made the trip what it was. It’s because of them that the last 7 months were so enjoyable and memorable.

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Umeda – for welcoming me to Tajikistan and making my two months there much more fun and enjoyable, for all the outings in Merve, for laughing at my jokes, for dealing with the government bureaucracy for me, and for providing another thing to look forward to back in NY.

Shirin – for conquering Varzob with me and for all the wonderful and encouraging feedback during the last 5 monhs.

Hamza – for making the 2,200km trip in the Pamirs a success. Best driver I’ve ever had a pleasure to work with.

Sujith – for being a great roommate in India, helping to take back the guesthouse from the “little friends”, and for sharing quite a bit about the Indian culture and way of life with me. Those evenings at the beach were definitely a highlight!

Tolik – for a hell of a trip through the South and Southeast Asia. Looking back at it, I’m still amazed how much we managed to pull off during that month. I’ve definitely developed a higher tolerance of risk as a result, although I’ll still show up for planes 2 hours before departure, rather than 20 minutes after. Great memories, indeed.

Nha Ja – teaching the art of massage in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a week. Those are the skills that I hope to put to good use, now that I’m back in NY.

Renat – for being one of the most inspiring and interesting colleagues I’ve had the pleasure of working with during this trip and for answering my never-ending questions at work. I’ve learned quite a bit from you. Till next time!

Saadat – for showing me Kyrgyzstan beyond what I’d ever be able to do on my own, for introducing me to family, friends and making it feel like home during the last two months.

Margarita – for opening up her home to me in Kazakhstan and for the Sunday pancakes This is CouchSurfing at its best.

Jenny – for answering Kiva questions at 4am in the morning, for putting me with such great organizations, and being the best MPM I’ve ever worked with

Thank you all!

Onwards and upwards.

Kyrgyzstan in Pictures: Fountains of Bishkek

Bishkek is probably one of the greenest cities I’ve ever encounted. It’s peppered with parks – large and small – where families and couples come out, to enjoy the warm weather and have some ice cream. But, if parks themselves are not enough, it’s also home to dozens of fountains throughout the city that attract large crowds in the evenings.

In the center of the city, on the main square, they’ve recently built a set of singing fountains that can give the Bellagio in Vegas a run for its money. Synchronized to classical and national music, with multi-colored lights giving it a disco-effect, they draw thousands of people every night. And for a good reason – it is a beautiful sight.

See for yourselves:

But to do the fountains their justice, it’s best to check out a short 30-second clip:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

Kyrgyzstan in Pictures: Milking the Horses

Kyrgyzstan is well-known for several things – traditional yurts, horses on green pastures, and kymyz (horse’s milk). The latter is quite a favorite among the locals – the drink has almost magical powers, having the ability to cure all illnesses and give you superhuman strength. Not to mention, a buzz from its alcoholic qualities.

If you’re visiting Kyrgyzstan, sooner or later, you will have to give the drink a shot and see what it’s like for yourself. To me, the experience was similar to trying out sushi. The first time you try it, you think – “god, this thing is weird. Take it away!”. The second time, you go “hmm, maybe there is something to it.” And the third, well – I haven’t quite reached the third stage yet, but I’ve been told, that you start to like it.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to come out to a jailoo – a green pasture where horses roam free and kymyz flows bountifully!

You'll find a handful of yurts on every jailoo. The locals live in them while watching over their horses. Beautiful backdrop, eh?

Dozens of horses are feeding on the pastures.

The jailoos are typically located near the rivers, such as this one (B&W for effect )

When you enter a yurt, you're immediately offered a traditional meal of bread and Kymyz.

Whether you like it or not, you're expected to drink the whole bowl. The hosts will make sure of that.

Fortunately, looks like Coca-Cola is getting in the Kymyz business, so look for it on shelves of your favorite supermarkets.

The road back over a mountain pass.

We spent the weekend at the house of the local chief of police, who was kind enough to send us back to Bishkek in a police car (well, they were going there anyway).

The ride was complete with sirens, running the red lights, and going 150 miles an hour... well, not quite that But it was still quite an experience!

Interestingly enough, check out what it says on the side of the car: “Gift from the people of the USA.” I only wonder – if it's a gift from Uncle Sam, why it is a Volkswagen and not a Ford or a GM?