Coming home for Christmas

I haven’t been able to write as much I would have liked to, but here finally a post again. I am back in the Netherlands for a few weeks. I came back for Christmas, which I spend at my parents house, where I still am, because I have a holiday this week. And I really needed some time to rest, so no busy schedule with meetings 24/7. Just some time at home for reading and writing. I am working on a business plan for Chinese companies that are entering Europe (a very important step for the decade to come). Next to my never ending focus on the China-Euro relationship I make time to play the piano – working on my musical theoretical background. And also learning to play the Double bass (my father has one). I am contemplating about buying one in 2010.

My time in the Netherlands will really start next week on Monday the 4th of January, when I go to Amsterdam and start working. There will be a few important dates during my stay in the Netherland. I will lead a workshop ‘Leading in China’ on the 15th of January at Meet the World (www.debaak.nl/en/events/meettheworld), the 19th of January Big Improvement Day at the Rai in Amsterdam (www.debaak.nl/en/events/bid), and The China Challenge on the 27th of January (www.debaak.nl/pictures/91A23DBE-01802CDD-0AFF020B-D8DD2F62.pdf). The last event I will not be able to attend myself, because I go back to Shanghai on the 22nd of January. Next to this event I will focus on the marketing of the Dutch Chinese Entrpreneurship Program (www.debaak.com/chinaentrepreneur), finalize the program structure for The New Manager, and other projects with the NFIA and Victoria University Beijing. After some very relaxing days at my parents I am slowly starting to look forward to my work again.

My last three weeks in Shanghai where not as hectic as October and November. Angie came for a surprise visit (to see me and the new house). Very great! I was planning to unpack everything with her, but this we didn’t manage. So the new house is still quite messy, but we got the internet and air-conditioner working (this is what you use in Shanghai in the winter to keep warm). The week before my flight back to the Netherlands my friend Joost came for a visit to Shanghai. During the mornings I worked, but in the afternoons I took some time off to show Joost around town. Next to many other cultural sights, we went to the Jing’An Temple. My first time, but I cannot really recommend it. However, the journey towards the temple was nice, because we used the Metro line 7. A brand new line making Jing’An Temple just 2 stops away from the Hengshan Lu instead of the previous six. What an improvement. In some stations you can already see the new metro-map for the Expo 2010. Quite cool – the Line 2 will also be extended and (next year) it will run from all the way from Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Airport. The speed in which the metro lines develop are a metaphor for the chances of whole Shanghai, and I dare not to compare it to the North/South line struggle in Amsterdam. I am just waiting for line 10 to open, which we give me again a metro station within 5 minutes walk from home, next to the Shanghai Library.

Wish you all a very happy 2010. The year of the Shanghai expo!

Still Alive!

It has been exactly a month since my last writing. I was just too busy to write. So many things have happened last month, that I actually don’t know where to start my writing. The time I wrote my last blog I was still in the preparation of Harry’s November trip, which seems ages ago already. The trip was a success. We made some good deals and the strategy for 2010 is totally clear. The Dutch Chinese Entrepreneurship Program was launched successfully and we did three other well attended events (two workshops and a network meeting) during his four day stay. Next to this we made a nice deal with the NFIA to host six China-roundtables with them in 2010 - four will take place in the Netherlands and two in China.

Just before Harry’s arrival I made crazy 12-hour days and weekend of overtime, after his departure it’s a little easier, but I still work a great deals of hours. Just to cope with all the things to do. I guess this is what ‘entrepreneurship’ is all about. I made the Baak Shanghai strategy outline for 2010 already, and almost finished the Business Plan 2010 – if everything goes well this will be a profitable year. Let’s hope so!

On the 21st of November I went to Beijing for little over a week. It was great to see Angie again, and even though I had to work also we enjoyed our time a lot. It was my forth time in Beijing and slowly I get to know the place. My favourite day was the one on which we went to the Hot Spring. Hot bathes and showers outsides on a very cold Winter day in Beijing, combined with nice massages and beautiful light in the evening. I can definitely recommend it. The only very shitty thing was I left my brand new beautiful photo- and videocamera in the taxi on the night of arrival. Wasted EUR 1.000 of equipment in 5 seconds on ignorance (let alone the emotional damage). Still feel a little shitty about it.

Came back to Shanghai this week and directly had to move house the first weekend I came back (Sinterklaas - weekend). It was a very busy weekend with a rehearsal and a gig at the JZ Christmas party and the moving of the house. Started packing a the Gao’an Lu at Saturday 17h and everything unpacked again in my new house at Wangping Lu at Sunday 14h. It was a crazy ride, but the new house (with garden) is great. Hope to be able to update you all a little more frequently in the future.