September 23rd

This week I have been in some sort of a funk. I feel like I am just going through the motions, doing what I am supposed to do, somewhat robotic.

The national holiday, Golden Week, is celebrated the first week in October. During this week most businesses are closed and everyone travels back home to be with family and friends. Most of my own friends are leaving town....going back to the US or to places like Cambodia and Vietnam. A lot of them have already left actually. At first I tried to convince myself that I could simply entertain myself in Shanghai for a week; however, after my last taste of spontaneity I have an appetite for more. I woke up this morning going through the usual routine...reading the news online, eating cereal...buying an airline ticket to Qingdao.

I leave next Wednesday, Sept. 30th and will stay six days. I plan on staying in Qingdao for two days and then spending the rest of the time seeing as much of Shandong province as I can.

I really am looking forward to traveling by myself. I have never done anything like this before. I have already booked a hostel for Qingdao and will be staying in a dorm-style room with three other girls. Besides the typical tourist itinerary, I don’t have any concrete plans, and I like it!

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As for work....my work week this week has lacked structure because I been working outside of the office in Pudong. My task this week to is to find a venue for the IP Scoping Session in January. Initially we were going to host it at the Shanghai Intellectual Property Service Center, which I went to check out in person last week for Jay’s seal of approval. The SIPSC is on the tenth floor of a large building. Guess what is on the the bottom floors? One of Shanghai’s most famous FAKE MARKETS. The irony in this kills me. This government-funded center which serves to assist foreign and local enterprises with their patent, trademarks, and copyrights is located directly above a market that sells only counterfeit goods. Needless to say, I reported to Jay that the famous IP lawyers will not be impressed when they vendors peddle fake Rolexes and Gucci bags on their way to the Scoping Session. He advised me to compare venues at the top hotels in Shanghai where we can host our conference.

So, today and Friday I am meeting with the marketing directors for the Ritz and Grand Hyatt. About as far away as the black market as one can get.....