Beijing car accidents and biking

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Chinese drivers

Chinese drivers are generally just bad. Most don’t know how to drive (ever seen one doing a u-turn as it should?), don’t respect anything (laws, other people). They are normally ALWAYS on the phone, even when turning into another direction. Basically all Chinese think they are actually alone on the road and if anybody comes in their way, well, they have priority.

Beijing car accidents: a bit spectacular!

Not to be surprised accidents are pretty frequent but somehow cleaned up pretty quickly.
More difficult to understand how cars can be turned upside down as shown in the picures. OK, on a highway that could make sense, but in the middle of the city like Xindong Lu (near Heaven Supermarket) and Dongzhimenwai (near the EU Delegation)?

Biking in Beijing: dangerous at times but convenient

Being on a bike at least one gets somewhere without all the traffic jams but many cyclists end up hurt or more as nobody respects any traffic rules: cars, mopeds, pedestrians.

I have been pretty lucky so far. One evening I was violently hit on my left side by a deliveryman on his electric bike. His front wheel hit my left boot, absorbing the full shock. I managed to still stand while both are bikes were on the ground. The guy was pretty scared I would call police. We finally found a piece of wired to put the boot together and so I went to a networking event. Oh well, I actually hated those boots… So no big deal.
And yes, at least I try to be a little on the safe side: with my helmet (always) and gloves, in case of hitting something or falling down.

Old China Hands at end Golden Week

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Our Old China Hands Lunch at Morel’s Restaurant

There was some doubt at first for our Monthly Old China Hands Lunch: the first Friday of October was on 7 October, being the last day of the Golden Week holidays of 1 October. Maybe many people would not be in Beijing, and other doubts.
Well, as I always say, the strange days indeed bring a lot of people!

We were over 30, a nice and enthusiastic crowd from all corners of the world. According to the participants, a success as always. Our Belgian ambassador and his wife also gave us the honor of joining, among some other well-known faces of Beijing. Two journalists had to skip at the last moment due to urgen matters.
Next Old China Hands lunch will be on 4 November.

Legend Beer: enjoying sausages and the IPA

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Legend Beer in Gongti Xi Lu

I am now a regular!
Yes, I like their sausages as you can see but I have been trying a couple of other dishes. They now have a new menu with many more items. Chicken, lamb, pizza, salads, and more. One of the great dishes is crispy pork knuckle.

Their beer is great and my preferred one is Workers Stadium IPA.
Best of all, prices are very reasonable.

See also:
Legend Beer: new kid on the block, Gongti Xi Lu
https://www.beijing1980.com/2016/06/22/legend-beer-new-kid-on-the-block-gongti-xi-lu/

Beijing Rotary Club and Stephan Rothlin

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Stephan Rothlin

Our lunch at the Kempinski Hotel on 27 September had as speaker Stephan Rothlin. He made a presentation on Corporate Philanthropy in China. It is his third visit to our club.

Dr. Rothlin is the CEO and Founder of Rothlin International Management CSR Consulting in Beijing and Director of the Macau Ricci Institute at Saint Joseph University, Macau.
As the current situation of corporate philanthropy in China appears to be more in flux and continues to develop rapidly, the initial phase of the Corporate Philanthropy Project is to study closely key aspects of philanthropic giving in China by foreign-based multinational corporations doing business here.
The research aims to make philanthropy and the commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility more visible and public and to lay the groundwork for corporations and their related NGO or government affiliated partners who excel in their proven track record of positive contributions and impact to the larger society to be given credit and wider public recognition.

(Pics by Celine)

I was again Sergeant-at-Arms…
Time for the birthday cake, René having the cutting honor.
Our two Rotaractors Frederic and Kien joined, giving an update of the latest Rotaract Clubs in Beijing.

Rotaract social at Luga’s

See also here two pics of our Rotaract social evening at Luga’s Villa, on 3 October.

As you can notice it was the special pizza deal day!

Edwin Maher in Internations Book Club

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Edwin Maher, a CCTV celebrity

On Sunday 25 September we had to honor to welcome Edwin Maher in our Internations Beijing Book Reading group, to discuss his latest book “Caught on CCTV”.
I remember one of my Old China Hands lunches (Edwin is a regular), when some of our Chinese clients were having a lunch at Morel’s at the same time. We told them some ambassadors were in our lunch and if they wanted to greet them – and take a picture. Good idea till they spotted Edwin sitting there, they did not want to know about whatever ambassador: they only wanted to see Edwin and take a picture.
It says a lot about Edwin who has an impressive career in CCTV as the host for the English news.
So, happy he took some time on his Sunday before another CCTV appearance.

Edwin Maher, the author

I am fortunate to have his two books, all a present from Edwin and signed by him. His first “My China Daily” was very well received, my wife said “You see this is what and how you should write”. Yes boss.
The book we discussed was his recent Caught on CCTV.

A history of CCTV: Caught on CCTV

When I started reading the book, I was immediately shocked. He dedicated the book to Yan Yinan, a CRI reporter with whom I worked for over a year, nearly every week, for interviews on the 2008 Olympics. She was a superb girl and when she left us, many like me were shocked.

As a writer myself I was amazed on how Edwin managed to keep track of all the little details on what happened in CCTV. Did he run the HR department? Bribe the HR director? Well, he did it the Chinese way (as I learned soon after landing here myself): he always carried a notebook writing down everything. But he beats me by far by his incredible detail.
So, the book might be at times a bit heavy, like a sort of Encyclopedia, reminding me of my own book. It is however an important historical document, it will be a legacy for all later to have the insights on how CCTV became what is is today.
I found back a number of CCTV hosts who interviewed me over the years…

Edwin writes with a healthy sense of humor but carefully navigates all “sensitive” topics one might look for.

As I understood he wrote the book on his MacBook Air, much like I often do. And he was clever to use a text software instead of the usual MS Word (it is more appropriate for publishing).

All love Edwin Maher

Our discussion was very lively and most wanted an autograph in his book, and the picture of course. Edwin was as usual so patient and friendly to satisfy everybody.
The pictures talk for themselves…

(Note: this post also appears on www.damulu.com)