Chosen To Build a Tower

The Huawei campus is very pleasant.  They have a new logo of a cuddly old British gent with specs for 2019.  My colleague points him out to me.  Yes.  Agreed.  Its absurd .  Soon we notice that every bus and every wall has this cuddly, mustachioed guy welcoming us.  Baidu, Ali, Tencent, Xiaomi all have cute, anthropomorphic mascots adorning the walls and the bathrooms of their campuses.  Perhaps Huawei has now decided it too, needs to soften its brand with something small and hug-able. 

Walking through, amidst the lovely landscaping, I begin to discern one and then another gorgeous bird call in the air.  I am reminded of when I lived in Hong Kong and heard so many distinct, semi-tropical bird songs every morning over Pok Fu Lam.  Poor Beijing has such an ornithological deficit in the winter.  Magpies.  Magpies.  Sparrows.  Magpies. Magpies sound like a rusty pair of shears closing.  These birds sound like the jungle. 

Later we need to go to Tencent.  This is out in Nanshan far from the main complex.  Up in the sky, out the window, “there” they point out to us where a prominent, gleaming ultra-high tower dominates the skyline a few miles in the distance.  “That’s our new building.”   And apparently this division isn’t sure they want to move there as the rents are too high.  Baidu, Ali, and Huawei have build broad campus facilities.  I think it’s is only Tencent that has chosen to build a tower. 

Dinner.  The gent who shows us down to the first floor and out the door is pressed for suggestions.  He tells us about a Hunan place around the corner.  Shenzhen certainly has its share of "Fu_Lan" citizenry, and soon we are cruising up a nearby street passing many restaurants looking for the 湘 character.  “You guys have xiang cai?”  They’re ready for us.  We order a lot and everything is spicy, save the bowl of white rice and the bottles of beer.  The young lady brings a plate of fish and lights a fire in a tray beneath it.  It looks splendid.  “What fish is this?” I ask.  “Yes.  This is fish.”  “I know its fish, I’m asking you which kind of fish is it?  Is this guiyu?”  Before she can confirm she yells in reply to another waitress and promptly picks up the fish and the heated tray and walks off, telling me we didn’t order it.

Thursday, 01/17/19