Alex's Asian Adventure

I spent today in Lhasa doing such important things as eating an overpriced and mediocre breakfast accompanied by some excellent conversation, and purchasing some last-minute souveniers.

In the afternoon, I went to the Summit Cafe, Lhasa's refuge of espresso, comfortable chairs and amazing toilets. Why does this matter? Because I ended up having a very long chat with Doug, the cafe's owner, about business in China and life in Tibet. Observations include:

• Yes, Tibet was a really bad place while the Tibetans were running the show 1911-1951. They apparently had a class of people known as "speaking animals" who effectively lived in sewers. If you were a debtor who could not service your debts, you would... sell your family to a monastery as indentured servants. Wonderful.
• Tibetans seem to have a really backwards work ethic. For instance, they don't want to do things like carpentry, since it is below them or something - at least that's what Doug says. Chinese workers appear to be really eager beavers by comparison.
• Tibetans who have adapted to the way the Chinese run this place seem to have done quite well. Tibetans who refuse to get with the times get left behind. This doesn't surprise me in the least.
• China's banking system is screwed up. A national bank doesn't appear to offer nation-wide access to your cash. If you have a Bank of China account in Beijing, you can't get at your money from Guangzhou. Why? Who knows.
• People don't seem to use credit cards around here. For whatever reason, no one accepts them. A vendor's credit card merchant account involves a horrifying 4% charge from the credit card company. Ouch.
• Setting up a business in Lhasa is quite easy as far as dealing with the government goes. On the other hand, dealing with other businessmen can be really tough. Doug is having a hard time with his landlord, the very upscale hotel next door. The (Tibetan) hotel owner appears to misunderstand the idea that having an upscale cafe next to an upscale hotel is probably good for business.

Doug seems to be a really good guy, and he seems to know what he's doing when it comes to running the cafe. We had a long chat at the cafe (including three espressos for me!) and subsequently had dinner, with more good conversation.

Other things:

• I got my digital camera's photos onto a CD, which means that maybe one of these days I'll upload some pictures. Speak up on what you want to see, but bear in mind that the lion's share of my Tibet photos are on film and won't be developed until I get to Canada.
• China Post does not accept credit cards. Why on earth not?! They told me "no, we only take money." Last I checked, paying by credit card was paying with money.
• I am flying to Chengdu tomorrow afternoon. It turns out that Murray, my professor friend here, is on the same flight (except his connects to Beijing). I suspect there will be more interesting conversation on the way.

I think I am really going to miss Lhasa. I haven't had enough of Tibet, but there are other things I want to see - namely, Yunnan. I'll have to come back here in the future.