My parents in town for a week, rain season and blocked sites.

At Rosalie’s and Michiels house, and outside it is rainy very very heavily. The rain season has started in Shanghai. Looking outside you can’t see further that one block of houses. It will be this weather for a month I've heared (nice!). My parents had very nice weather during their stay in Shanghai, so they were really blessed. It was very great to show them around town (although parts of the trip - they were only accompanied by Angie, because I had some meetings or other work activities). We did very nice things: visit the Shanghai Aquarium (biggest in the world), walk on the Lupu bridge (with view over the Expo-terrain), sightseeing in the French Concession (always nice), great dinners (incl. one were Eddie played the piano)… etc. etc. My parents loved Shanghai and a week was far too short, but that’s life. They also got along really well with Angie, pfff. During the weekend we went to Hangzhou with the four of us. Hangzhou is famous for its West Lake, which is amazingly beautiful. This was the second time I went here, but enjoyed it even more. I can recommend it to you all.

The work for the Baak is going well. I have enough projects to keep myself very busy, but also feel I will have a little more time this summer to create more structure in the things that I’m doing here. Yesterday I had a meeting with DiPauLi to discuss about the possibilities to bring a group of Chinese business man to the Netherlands. They would like to go by the end of 2009. This would be great for my colleagues in Holland, so the can feel the dynamics China brings to you, very well. I hope we can realize it that quick. The vibes in the Netherlands concerning China are growing and growing, last week there was a very successful event in Amsterdam in which the Old-consulate-general Jochem Haakma was the main speaker: http://www.debaak.nl/en/events/theartofleadingin. Four times a year there will be a China-event in collaboration with Pakhuis de Zwijger. Check it out, if you have the chance.

Not much progression for me personally on the music level. Next to the band I haven’t been able to study the bass guitar the last weeks and Jim (Sax) and JP (Vocal) are leaving Shanghai. Yesterday we had the goodbye party of Jim and JP is leaving by the end of the month. Tomorrow I’ll have two gigs and next weekend also one, but after that the band will have its summer break until September. Keep you posted … since the Chinese government wants to prevent unwanted discussions these days all the blog-sites and Twitter is shot down here in China. So only when I use a special internet tool I can reach my own blog (not very convenient, but what can you do?). Also I heard they are going to renovate my house (the whole apartment block), starting this week and will last for 3 months (ai, what to do?). Angie started a job as a waitress, but doesn’t like it very much (hope she can find something better, what can you do?)…. So you see there are some rainy bits here, but also a lot of sunshine.