Above: Fun with Sichuan waitresses in JinDingXuan Restaurant.
Brief History of BeijingMan
Dive into my personal info on the web!
I was raised in Finland. My mother Irja was born in Helsinki, capital of Finland. Her father served as chief of the machines in icebreaker Tarmo (in Maritime Museum of Finland). My father Lennart was from Vyborg, a major former Finnish business town. He was the youngest of seven brothers, adventurer by nature.
My parents met in Vyborg. WW2 started, late 1939 they were evacuated from Vyborg. Only a few bags and baby, my eldest brother Raimo. Later there were two sisters and another brother until finally the last one popped out into reality - that was me.
At 6 years came violin, then school and chorus. There were Märklin trains and Mecano construction toys. At 9 years, first media interview for Finnish TV at famous water carrousel during Hanko beach and Regatta holidays. Violin lessons and intensive training took time, and later came classical orchestra.
At 10 years I won a prize to visit candy factory, and a lot of candies. Comic books, wooden labyrinth game and biking were important. And Boy Scouts and K-carting. Happy times.
At 16 years, speedy Spanish Dance by violin at matiné, big audience, got into news.
Original Mad Magazine was hot. Hitchhiked to Paris, independence during summer holidays from school. First night in Paris at Arc de Triumf. Lazy times under Eiffel Tower, green grass at that time. Nights by Seine River Pont du Carrousel painted 1886 by Vincent van Gogh. Trip around Seine islands Île de la Cité and Île St.-Louis, by a small boat.
There were summer jobs. Bicycle courier, assistant in auto repair shop, park worker, traffic sign installer, salting pork legs, at brick factory. One summer in Motala, Sweden packing Luxor stereo systems. And finally, my VW Beetle was aquarius blue.
More hobbies, judo, aikido, photographing, adventures. In Finland everybody goes a bit army. I went Reserve Officer School (RUK) which was pretty physical but mostly fun. Cooper test 12 minute run, 3460m. Now air defence battery Lt. in reserve.
Then studies, Nokia and my first computer. Not just any computer but a mainframe, top-super machine GE-635. Similar systems were used in NASA's Kennedy Space Center for the moon rockets. Relation with GE-635 was first rational, then emotional.
1. Nokia Computer Center
TECHNOLOGY ADVENTURES RATHER THAN WORK
Mainframe computer in Nokia Data's Kilo, Espoo computer center was not small, it was General Electric 635, GE-635 with GCOS3 operating system.
When managing GE-635's capacities, master mode and slave mode, it felt nearly human! And I dug into its soul. Sometimes dreaming what would it be with Multics operating system, a MIT and GE project which actually led into smaller scale, Unix.
Left: GE-635 memory module and IOC panel. GE-635 was transistor technology, 36-bit processor, my best toy!
For years I breathed purified and ionized air of 4000m^2 computer hall which was filled with mainframe computers, peripherals and network datanets.
It was about timesharing, batch applications, transaction processing, and rapid change, updates, development and learning faster than others.
Nokia's GE-635 got a lot of publicity. It was then the greatest. Along with commercial business, GE-635 participated Moon rock isotope structure processing and chess competitions. Lunar Helium-3 or not, for me GE-635 was an adventure and friend, my trip to Moon and beyond.
I joined Nokia Data Kilo-TK computer center. There Seppo Vuorinen and Heino Laine became my chiefs for several years. Good guys, good times.
When GE-635 was put down, I saved its door-sized IOC, Input/Output Controller panel which is full of switches. Also saved some ferroring memory modules and aluminum reels from magnetic tape units.
In picture Nokia computer center manager Seppo Vuorinen operates at GE-635's console. I met Seppo in summer 2007, that man is just a champion.
Picture is from Salmisaari, Nokia's first computer center in Helsinki. Later it moved to Kilo-TK computer center in Karakallio, Espoo, where everything was state-of-art.
Cheers to GE-635! TSS, SNUMB, commands ???Stats ???Sieve ???Tcall ???Peek ???Patch ???Run all¶ and many more.
FIRST EMAIL - GE-265
I sent my first email in 1982 by using GE-265 system, famous for being the first time sharing system. GE-265 had physically huge disc, some 1 meter in diameter, with fixed read/write heads, already old system in 1982.
GE-265's messaging system was QuikComm. Before Internet, proprietary QuikComm expanded global use by MNCs and embassies. It had connectors to integrate most popular email systems into seemless email flow. Well, support for message attachments varied. Was QuikComm expensive service? Depends, those were times when international telecom charges were monopolistic-sky high, but value of efficient information flow was understood.
GE-265 was a front-end into GE's global MarkIII network and services. In Finland it was hosted by Nokia, by us at Kilo-TK computer center. Nordic network center was located in Copenhagen, and Europe's super-center in Holland. Later GEIS provided new technology access point to separate location in Helsinki.
When Honeywell H66 mainframes, based on next level of technology compared to GE-635, introduced email capability, many understood that it was going change things. What will happen to the post offices:) Well, they are still there. The change was much bigger.
FIRST OWN PC - Nokia MikroMikko 4TT
Nokia had a PC factory. My first home PC was Nokia MikroMikko 4TT m336, Intel 20MHz 80386 processor with math coprocessor 80387, 70Mb SCSI hard disc and DU146 14" VGA display. And mouse, or rat at that time, with Windows 1.01.
It was late autumn 1987. I got my MikroMikko 4TT directly from Nokia Data's factory in Kilo, Espoo.
MikroMikko 4TT was a bonus for keeping week-long workshop abroad. Sweet, since 4TT's list price was about half of that of a new Volkswagen Golf. I had asked for 4TT and thanks to visionary NITEC chief Kari Kallio, got it.
MikroMikko 4TT served me well. Those were the times when everybody working in IT put PC parts together and made it work, myself included. It was also about learning capabilities and emerging roles for PCs, LANs, minis and servers, as extension to mainframes (which were nearly human). This was before the Internet era.
NOKIA AND BANKING
During 1980-1990 Nokia Data developed banking software and some hardware into finest levels, in technical means.
Major Finnish banks had databases and transaction applications in HoneyWell Bull mainframes (H66, DPS8, DPS88) serving Finland-wide online networks.
Nokia Data was a technology, product and support partner for banks. At Nokia's computer center I became manager for Honeywell Bull dual system mainframe and network which was dedicated for development.
Later I was appointed product manager for Honeywell 66 and DPS8, DPS88 and DPS90 mainframes with next generation operating system GCOS8. It was time to leave Kilo computer center and move to office at Keskuskatu, beside Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki center. Configurators became sort of fun.
Nokia was strong with Gcos3/Gcos8 mainframes and computer centers. In Finland, installed base of these mainframes became 31 systems with 55 processors.
After GCOS3 came GCOS8 with new architecture. Courses and product marketing meetings needed frequent visits to Paris, Bull Gambetta and many others. In all, I stayed in Paris over half year.
Frenchmen often have great thoughts and strategies but it seldom led into clicks. Remember Minitel videotex online system, a web before the web, and much more technologies which never managed to make into international mainstream.
I enjoy traveling. Primitive, but when on work trips, I felt much like being on holidays. For me Paris was, and still is just a holiday. Weekends in Paris were special, mornings brief walk along boulevards, afternoons longer walks to parks and museums, evenings another Paris. I know many who feel stress when in Paris, but not me.
I stayed often in Holiday Inn Republique (old guillotine square) for their breakfast and location. Once my hotel was on the other side of Seine River, near Pere Lachaise cemetery at Boulevard de Menilmontant. In there I found Frederic Chopin who's music belongs to my favorite. Also there: Maria Callas, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf.
MONEY-MONEY-MONEY
Finland was early to convert money into electrical format which would enable use of debit/credit cards and banking ATMs.
For several years I was involved in such projects with view on logical security. There is some difference between money in electrical format or just information about money. In such major change people's trust into money was high priority and a must to maintain. That meant data security.
IFIP. Together with Stefan Saari I participated IFIP's First Security Conference in Stockholm, May 1983. Data security was then an exotic topic. Reporter Vesa Santavuori interviewed us there for his article Computer Control Pondered in Stockholm, published 19th May 1983 by Helsingin Sanomat.
FIRST WITH LOGICAL DATA SECURITY
After IFIP conference I proposed Nokia to organize data security seminar in Finland. My visionary chief Kari Kallio agreed and gave me task to make it happen. I wanted to focus on logical security and not to include physical security in this seminar.
I went Paris to meet Mr Harari one of the architects of Washington-Moscow hotline text-based communications centers.
Mr Harari asked about security interest in Finland and information about potential participants. I wanted to fix with him the topics to be handled in the seminar, material, and price.
He accepted the invitation to lecture three days at Nokia's Data Security Seminar in Helsinki. Seminar dates and place got fixed. Advertisements were published in Talouselämä, a major Finnish business magazine (28/1983). Albert Harari:
'Goal is to give participants a "key" to deeper knowledge
in the rather new domain of their choice'
Nokia's Data Security Seminar was held in September 1983, Hotel Inter-Continental in Helsinki. Over 40 participants was more than expected for this special topic. I asked Nokia Data's director Kari Raski to open the seminar. First presentation was about legal aspects by Lauri Lehtimaja, now member of The Supreme Court of Finland. Next, a presentation by consultant Kari Liukkonen, then Albert Harari started his three days lectures about logical security.
Albert Harari's topics covered risks and security on databases, networks, directories, searches, internal/external threats, organizational threat, cryptology ja keys management, login control methods, profiles, Boolean logic and databases, contingency plans and much more.
Mr Harari had many example scenarios, from cloned bank offices to terrorists taking control of missile launch site. How to prepare and protect, how to communicate under threat, and advanced use of simulation. There were some ideas to computer center management, who were responsible for the money in electrical format. Feedback from participants was positive, more was wanted.
Finnish TV reported country's first Data Security Seminar in prime news, Mr Harari and young me were interviewed. February 1984 Nokia Data's NET magazine published an article titled Learnings from the First Data Security Seminar better than expected, above. That's how the era of data security began in Finland.
I had dinner with Mr Harari at Restaurant Mikado in Helsinki center. Those were busy times for him. He came to Helsinki directly from Argentina and after Helsinki was going to Paris. He had agreed to give an interview related to popular Star Wars for French TV channel at Paris CDG Airport.
HLSUA - Honeywell Bull Large Scale Users' Association
Nokia sold Honeywell Bull mainframe systems to Finnish banks and major Finnish corporations, altogether 30 installations. Computer center personnel wanted to learn best practices from each other. HLSUA, which was a global activity became key forum for sharing both technical and management issues.
For 9 years I joined HLSUA meetings in Finland and Scandinavian level. In meetings I often presentated developments and practices, working in several HLSUA committees and projects. These were my roles:
• 1987-1988 Intl. Coordinator, Computer Center Mngt Committee
• 1982-1987 Secretary, Computer Center Security Committee
• 1980-1989 Member, Computer Center Management Committee
• 1980-1989 Member, Scandinavian Installation Committee
Computer center personnel needed technical courses and trainings. Other than computer technologies, I was happy to learn Kepner-Tregoe systematic processes for critical thinking. Their problem analysis method was often needed, and helpful.
COMPUTER CENTER WORKSHOPS
Meetings with other computer centers' managers and experts were frequent. During 1980-1990 I visited over 20 major European computer centers, both enterprises and governmental, for meetings and workshops. Continuous trainings were needed for personnel.
Left: Nokia Data's computer center in Kilo, Espoo. Below more pictures.
I started to keep operator workshops in NITEC, Nokia Information Technology Education Center in Helsinki for Finnish participants. I did over 40 weeks workshops in NITEC.
Those 5-day operator workshops, basic and advanced, became popular. I did workshops directly for enterprises in their computer centers, or via Honeywell Bull's education units. Often workshops were international with participants from several countries. I enjoyed traveling and had some 50 weeks workshops abroad in 8 countries, mainly in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Sundsvall and Baghdad.
Key topics were how to operate mainframe systems effectively and how to manage exceptional situations. Sometimes there were situations which required complex reconfiguration procedures. These two 5-day workshops were for Honeywell Bull mainframe installations with GCOS8 operating system.
There was more demand for workshops than I could handle. I did the last workshop in 1990 in Denmark.
Once again, long ago, I went abroad to run a workshop. Computer center was deep underground in the city center. When going there I felt like Maxwell Smart enough doors but no need to speak Swahili. I had a personal guard the whole week just beside, all the time. Twelve participants had only first names, no positions, no roles, but they were interested to learn and understand. Be seeing you!
Left: Brochure picture.
DPS 8/47 was the smallest entry-level GCOS8 mainframe, used as development system or dedicated application processor. Integration made it physically small, economical and lightweight.
IRAN-IRAQ WAR
During 1980-1988 Iran-Irak War I was several times invited to keep workshops in Baghdad. In 1980 head of Nokia's Education Center (before NITEC was born) sent me a message to ask if I was "ready and willing" to go Baghdad to help a French company, an important business partner. I was even more, I was ready, curious and willing.
The first workshop was meant to be held in September 1980. Flight tickets to Baghdad were via Geneva. Luggage was packed. But the war started that very same day and every foreigner was rushing out from Iraq by all means. My trip was canceled only 2 hours before it started from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
BAGHDAD TRIPS
The need was in place, preparations were done, and soon it was a go. My trips took two weeks at a time. I went to NCC, National Computer Center and Rafidain Bank Computer Center in Baghdad. Rafidain Bank had very modern site, Swiss construction. NCC had an older building. Both had latest Honeywell Bull large mainframe installations, NCC's was a high capacity double system. I did workshops and optimizing.
Once when going to Baghdad I was probably the only traveler on that Iraq Airways flight from Paris. Many thoughts. After long flight but more than an hour before landing, all curtains were pulled down and lights in cabin turned off. This was a security measure, followed by a lot of twists and turns before finally landing 2am at then new Saddam International Airport, later renamed Baghdad International Airport.
It was war time, entry to Iraq was by invitation VISA only, no tourists. Three checks at airport and into Baghdad you go. Arrival was at night and 4 a.m. my pick-up person drived me via famous highway to Baghdad city. Some lights, very few cars.
I stayed at Hotel Al Sadeer Novotel which was located near Ali Baba Fountain. Famous Hotel Sheraton was just few blocks away, it got some hits those times. Novotel's personnel was mainly from Filippines, India, and Sri Lanka. Reception desk had Filipinos, lobby personnel were Tamils and pool attendants were Sinhalese. Filipinos often told me about 1952 Miss Universe Armi Kuusela, a Finn who got married to Filipino businessman.
Hotel Novotel was an active place. Every week group of Armenian children came to swimming pool to have fun. For me Baghdad was sometimes too hot, even 30 mins at the pool side was too much. In Novotel I also experienced Iraqi celebrations and several wedding parties.
I saw Novotel's tennis courts being built by Egyptian and Kurdistan workers. They managed in the hot weather amazingly well. Time to time they wet their lose trousers by stepping into water barrel to make them cooler.
Visitors were mainly arms dealers. Hotel had 30 rooms all time reserved for one major arms dealer company. Some sales delegations used marching format inside the hotel, diciplined. It was from hand grenades to electronic upgrade kits for tanks, and beyond.
In the evenings restaurant and bar in Al Sadeer Novotel were crowded by foreign experts, arms sellers and UN personnel. Everyone was in the country by invitation VISA.
Many were interested about what others were doing in Baghdad.
- What brings you to Baghdad?
- We build subways
Usually nobody was willing to jump into serious discussions. Subways
was not only my but our's excuse, as I dined daily with Frenchmen. Dinners were sort of day's review. From menu I most times focused on entrecôte with Bordeaux wine, they were always prime choice, and imported from France. And that's how I became a Bordeaux wine fan.
In 2005 a bomb was exploded in that same Al Sadeer Novotel hotel.
A few times strong sandstorms. Days when afternoon was over +40C, even +45C. Sometimes there were jets in the sky, and Russian made anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23?) were always ready and everywhere. Many places in Baghdad became familiar: Hotel Sheraton, Saddun Street, Sook Market, Tupili department stores (no goods available), antique shops in Mansour, The Swords Gate at parade area, and Unknown Soldier Monument, water pipe houses at Tigris river. Private exchange gave one dinar per one USD. I bought a few metal works and a carpet made in Kurdistan.
As Iraq's men were in war, personnel in computer centers were mainly women. Some of them were called "good Muslims", they wore traditional clothes. Other women had western style clothing, many even miniskirts. Much of their work was to stand in given positions in glass-walled area. Six days a week but only 5 hours per day, each day ending with power-off procedures before 2pm, I had not seen such rule in any other computer center. Then some 20 light blue Buicks arrived to pick computer center women and drive them to their villas. They were wifes of Saddam's military officers, I was told.
There was a software specialist, man, who had experienced the war in southern Iraq. When we met he always went through his war experiences. The worst was not the war itself, even though it had been terrible. The worst were mosquitos. After long list of experiences, he finally demonstrated me their sounds and flying. He wrote all notes onto his arms and hands, which were full of texts.
The Baghdad Observer was the only English language reading available. For more news I had this Sony shortwave receiver often at pool side. Listening radio was allowed only with earphone as Novotel was located near a mosk. I felt like Howard Beale in Network. But rules gave me time to write diary.
Once I was on way by Iraq Airways from Paris to Baghdad. At CDG Airport a guarded old plane, less than ten passengers, long wait inside it. Finally information: 4 luggages which didn't belong to any passenger had been found. Everyone needed to go out to point his luggage. Later it was a go. Many thoughts when taking off and heading towards Baghdad.
BAGHDAD MEETING
Once I had meeting with a high officer. When waiting outside his office, secretary who also was interpreter, was visibly very nervous. I wondered what was it going to be.
Office was luxurious, wood paneled. It was like Sun King's Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, maybe just a bit shorter:) During 30 minutes discussion high officer didn't say a word. Secretary spoke to me, made questions. Then she spoke to officer, followed a period of silence, and she talked again to me. Did the officer control secretary's answers by eye contact? Surreal discussion ended with disagreement. I believe I didn't exactly behave culturally correctly when I was asked for things I was neither ready nor willing to do.
BAGHDAD PALACE
I was invited for dinner in Dora Dora beside river Tigris. My host came to pick me from Al Sadeer Novotel with his new (but humble) VW Passat Brasili, made in Brazil. Driving to Dora Dora took some 30 minutes.
Palace was built in 1958, some 20 halls and rooms, park, and a fishing pond at Tigris beside water pumping system for date tree area around the palace. Three limousines, one was long Cadillac, in front of palace's main entrance pillars. The old palace nearby had recently been converted for personnel housing.
Pillars, a few steps up and I entered into 3-4 meters high and over 15 meters long hall. That hall was for receiving state guests. Floor bricks had been imported from Iran. Walls were covered with carpets, gifts and pictures. On tables there were glassware, porcelain, pearls, metal works and arts. They were gifts from earlier visitors, heads of state: Eric Honecker of East Germany visited in 1970 and brought porcelain, and Idi Amin from Uganda was in a group picture on the wall. When my host ended his introduction, double doors opened into dining room.
Dining room was smaller, the width of the hall, one long table for 25 persons. At the end of the table was readily some ten hot dishes, chicken, kebbe (lamb with wheat), fruits, more, enough for six or eight persons but we were just two. All those famous people must have been dining at this table, I thought. No personnel, silence in the dining room and evening was already dark.
This palace belonged to my host's father, Sheik. My host had been in Iraq-Iran war for three years and for that service he got Brazilian made VW Passat Brasili as compensation from the state. He was now on one-year resting period, working in the computer center, which was background for inviting me for the dinner. A work dinner, but we didn't talk much. There was a question, and an answer to that question, then he drived me back to Novotel.
Before my trips to Baghdad, I didn't spent time on learning local culture. Next day I wished I had a bit. A big meeting was organized. Speech, then my host gave me a gift, silver art, three candles holder with heart in the middle, handmade in Turkey. It was the same which I had seen in palace's reception hall and told him it was very nice. Applauds. He announced that this gift was from his father, Sheik, whom I never met.
I felt culturally unclear and gave him what I had, my new Sony Walkman. These persons had never seen or used such. I had Jean-Michel Jarre's Magnetic Fields on tape, my host put earphones on, pressed play, standing beside me, he didn't move but his eyes begun to make rapid left-right moves. Event was over.
AMMAN AIRPORT ROCKS!
Once my Air France flight from Baghdad to Paris (to Helsinki) had a stop about 4am in Amman, Jordan. Announcement said one hour stop, allowed to visit Amman Airport. I went to stretch, other travelers (a few only) stayed in plane. Just behind a corner a group of pretty aggressive night shift of airport guards caught me.
Amman Airport guards and I didn't find a common language. They rapidly pointed their rifles towards me. One guard pressed his rifle towards my face, nose! I pulled my head back while my eyes focused on gun's barrel. I must have looked like Chaplin. But this was not a movie. Next I was pushed against the wall and sort of 'treated', punched, after they let me dig passport. As Kurtz from a movie said 'IF is the middle word in LIFE'. Next time I will visit Amman during daylight!
Landing to CDG Paris never felt as good, but it was still long hours until back in Helsinki.
GOODBYE BAGHDAD
When last time leaving the computer center, it was a lot of handshaking and picture taking. Many persons cried as we had had a unique way to learn about each other. Some privately gave me pack of letters to be mailed their destinations when I was back in Europe (actually, I mailed them when changing plane and waiting flight to Helsinki in Paris CDG airport).
At outer gate the guards had earlier demonstrated me their hot trigger fingers by shooting around. Demos were so effective that I didn't seriously consider making any sudden move, like lifting my arm up to wave them for goodbye. But now those same guards stopped me, smiled. They had a big box of dates for me! I took box along, good dates! Amazing country, city, people and culture!
Missiles were used against Baghdad and traveling there became more dangerous. My last workshop with Iraqis was arranged to Amsterdam where I had a marathon 3-week workshop. Participants were sent in from Baghdad, including some university persons.
ENOUGH OF WORKSHOPS
Altogether I did intl. computer center workshops during 8 years in 8 countries about 50 weeks. Most often in Denmark, over 20 times 1-week international workshop, mainly at Domus Vista in Välby, Copenhagen. Workshops in Denmark were organized by Bull, Mr Hans-Olof Lehnert, good times. My last workshop was in 1990. Doing workshops was all time a side process while I went through several professional roles at Nokia.
In the meantime, there was a handshake with The Hoff, David Hasselhoff aka Michael Knight in Helsinki. And in Soviet Union, Leningrad, in the middle of the night, I was the reacher link in chain of people when we pulled up a Russian man from icy Neva River, unknown but happy. There were exciting events, too, more later.
HOLIDAY IN BEIJING - MY CHINA AWARENESS RISING
My holiday alternatives for Christmas week in 1992 were Manila, Florida and Beijing. I joined to a teachers group to Beijing. This was my first time to China.
Not many cars in Beijing streets, orderly atmosphere. I was as curious about Chinese as they were about me, a foreigner.
For Christmas dinner I took taxi from Gloria Plaza Hotel to Sheraton Hotel Great Wall. It was a Lada, Taxi driver had covered speedometer on dashboard with Mao's postcard picture. He looked that picture more than the road ahead. I had a chance to learn about Chinese mentality.
Left: In 1992 at Great Wall near Beijing. Day was windy and unbelievably cold, even for a Finn grown up with strong four seasons. For survival I had to buy that nikita hat before climbing up the wall.
In 1998, many China trips later, I would move to Beijing as an expat for Nokia Corporation. That would be my second time working for Nokia. But before that there were a few other companies.
2. General Electric Information Services, GEIS
BUSINESS SERVICES FOR MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS
I learned most when working years with GE Information Services, part of GE from U.S., then partner of Nokia. Most GEIS customers were major multinational corporations, like Nokia. It was fun with Jack Welsh themes; empowerment, speed, stretch, customer satisfaction. All was combined with the best technologies and innovations.
CLOUD COMPUTING, that's what GEIS was about. GEIS was business communications, email and connectors linking various email systems, EDI services, treasury management, and global applications in the modern way. There were special cases like WEF (World Economic Forum) workstations and embassy communications networks. Slogan Information is your weapon No.1 was well understood. Good times, smart people and most advanced value-added services, copied by others.
ROCKVILLE. I enjoyed GEIS workshops and meetings in Rockville Maryland (HQs), in Switzerland, U.K., Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and of course in Helsinki. There was one event when GEIS CEO interviewed a few participants about market directions and needs - I was one happy of those few.
GE Information Services could have done better if they understood more about European business culture mosaic. GEIS had strongly centralized control. Customization, yes, but not enough flexibility for needs and markets outside the US.
Left: During one U.S. trip I had photo with President Ronald Reagan. It was taken in Old Post Office Pavilion, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC.
I am posing with a cardboard cutout of President Reagan. Hand on my shoulder belongs to unknown person behind us. It was April 1992. At National Gallery of Art I found brainy works by Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, my top favorites. Abstract expressionism is my big enjoyment, an escape into imagination.
Once we had sales training session in Helsinki, sales booster came from U.S. He acted an aggressive beast, and we enjoyed being shocked before getting black in a hot smoke sauna. One time a workshop was held in Montreaux Palace, Switzerland, followed by Lake Geneva boat trip with jazz band, from Château de Chillon. GEIS's workshops are on top of my list.
3. ICL Ltd.
PROJECTS: TELECOM, CONSULTING, QUALITY
ICL, International Computers Limited, is famous British computer flagship which then joined to Fujitsu. I did projects, f.ex. telecom consulting for ABB's global network. I was one of the builders of ICL's quality system SFS-ISO9001 (EN 29001) which got certificate among the firsts in Finland. Quality system meant mapping the processes and auditing them. Not too sexy project, but educative.
In Europe "quality" was based on standardized ISO 9001, but in U.S. at GE Information Services the key measure was customer satisfaction. "More effective", GEIS manager told me.
Personnel training in ICL was mainly based on sauna, sausages and beer. Well, there were some workshops about customer needs and sales process, and of course, some enterprise games.
4. TeamWARE Group
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
TeamWARE is an international software company with innovative products. My role at TeamWARE was international marketing related to groupware products (office productivity suite) and Internet-Extranet-Intranet enablers.
LONDON. I did international marketing and was located some six months in Bracknell near London, for sales boost project in U.K. And I learned that funny driving on left.
Smart times. TeamWARE sponsored F1 team Jordan. One of key customers was the Metropolitan Police. We used famous actors for a serie of top management groupware shows. Actors read text from several teleprompter screens placed behind the audience. Audience probably never noticed them. Results: very convincing and effective case shows.
MUNICH. Just before midsummer in June 1995 I was sent to Munich for media interviews marathon of three days. Result was coverage by leading publications Computer Zeitung, Computer Reseller News, NetWorks, Computerwelt Österreich (Austria) and Business Computing. Journalists made good questions, publicity was good and I had good times.
MOSCOW. July 1995 I went to exciting banking security conference in Moscow. I was the only foreigner with presentation. Event was organized by Rosincass - Russian Encashment Association at Bankcentre Concern. All Russian banks participated and several meetings were held alongside the event.
Conference closing party was about vodka and caviar with small apples. Physical security show was artistic and scenarios always ending bad guys kill. During the show a man came to me. He had darkened eyeglasses and at least four bodyguards around. He spoke Russian:
- What you talked is the future of Russia
I thanked, we handshaked, he left. He is KGB, told my interpreter. I asked another vodka with small apple.
Next morning I took taxi from Moscow Olympic Penta Renaissance Hotel to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. That taxi didn't do trip first time. Highway had traffic jam. Fluently taxi took center lane on wrong side of highway, heading against coming cars, flashing lights while speeding to the airport. Now I know that time bends.
That taxi trip was a new experience. And payment became small surprise, too. I prepaid taxi at hotel by credit card, $61USD. Payment from my account was $81USD, number 6 had been afterwards extended to 8.
At Sheremetyevo Airport long lines of travelers. Passport officer looks my passport, takes phone, speaks Russian, a traveler behind me translates: your VISA has expired.
Group of officers appear, leader says to me:
- Your VISA has expired
Complete silence, I tried:
- Mistake made in Helsinki, quick VISA for 3 days
Silence. Officer looks my passport, then me, many times. We stare, I don't smile and time stops. After FOREVER officer says in Russian to passport officer:
- Let him go
Traveler behind me laughed that I almost won a free weekend in Sheremetyevo cell. My Moscow was like a ballet, choreograph was theirs and I danced hard.
TeamWARE and EEMA.ORG Email and eCommerce entered onto every desk. I represented TeamWARE in EEMA Association had head office in Inkberrow, U.K. I joined EEMA's Internet Committee, Directory Committee, User Committee and International Events Planning Committee. EEMA, then, was about business use of Internet, directories, email address formats, eCommerce in business and logical security. The Old Bull pub in Inkberrow village, Worcestershire, near Birmingham was fun.
CHINA RISING. I value TeamWARE's products which compared well against Microsoft and other competition. After several private trips to China the idea was to unofficially releasing groupware to rapidly changing China market, to create scale and user base and charge later for localized versions.
I believed such China plan had good chance to succeed. But there was no thinking big, China would have been too radical. Instead, TeamWARE tried hard in Singapore. Microsoft took China markets and in recent years they have got paid, too.
Recently I found a "TeamWARE copy-company" in China. Not uncommon, I have met many copy-companies in China: business idea, products, web-sites, even office everything in very detail (of a Beijing-based foreign company) and company name were copied. TeamWARE's technological China copy was seeking partner but real TeamWARE had no interested on Chinese markets. Many success stories have created when foreign enterprise and its Chinese copy begin to co-operate.
In TeamWARE, organizational trainings were enterprise games and focused workshops. Once during a partner event, we snowmobiled in Lapland. Cold fun! TeamWARE invested heavily on information services and analyst reports, which was very enjoyable and had positive impact, what comes to understanding and the business. Like champaign in Gogol's The Nose.
5. Elisa Oyj - former HPY
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT FOR INTERNET SERVICES
In 1997 I changed to telecom operator which was combination of past and new, and needed modernization. They asked me to join and establish product management group for Internet service products for consumers, SMEs, enterprises and public sector.
Competent people into team. Roger G. Pineda was the key to define consumer product Kolumbus 1. Soon Elisa took consumer Internet market leadership from Sonera with 49FIM (8EUR) per month flat rate Internet package. Those were the times when Finland was "the most Internet country in the world". Those were the times of browsers, dial-up and ISDN.
I wanted to learn more about efforts related to websites. If I could do such, most could do it. I wrote a personal "Dreams Come True" website by using Microsoft Notepad, year was 1997. No Nobel Prize needed to work out a simple blog.
I was soon appointed as consultant to their Internet business affairs in Germany. By then I had already decided to leave and not to take Germany. I almost signed job contract with Sonera (now TeliaSonera), the main competitor. Contract paperwork had been done ready for signing. Literally, at the last hour I changed direction, didn't sign to Sonera because my Nokia China got approved.
In 1997-98 Internet services were about learning faster than the others. Everybody might not agree, but Internet then was pretty simple.
Biggest challenge at Elisa was a strong can't-do attitude, symptom of their past. Progress was made in slow motion, while markets had low hanging berries, opportunities, to be picked with new technologies. Inside, the processes were not defined, enabling comfortable style without pain of more focused approach.
Uphills prepared me well for my next phase. Realities in mainland China were similarly troubling, the past in conflict with the new.
NEW YORK & BALTIMORE & more. My employment with telecom operator was over in one year, shortest that I ever had. There were some positive points. Results, yeas. And learning was actually supported. I enjoyed industry updates at major Internet conferences in New York, in Baltimore, forward-looking meetings in Sweden, and meetings with partners and quests.
During our organizational training I had to climb on top of a high pole, onto small plate on top of it, standing up there and watching trapeze bar meters away. Dare to jump trapeze! Easy. A fit process during the Internet boom, the era of discontinuities, paradigm shift, crossing the chasm, laissez-faire, and, building the bubble.
6. China Information Services and Consulting
CONSULTING SCANDINAVIAN MNCs
In 1994 I was one of three persons in Helsinki, who believed in emerging China. We became partners and established China information services and consulting (Oy, Ltd). Our China venture became success but we were a bit early on the market.
I was working for TeamWARE Group when holiday trip to Beijing in 1992 became my turning point regarding China.
In 1994 we signed agreement in Beijing, after two weeks of daily negotiations with then the first top Chinese information organization. We made a partnership agreement, and we were their first partner. Next after us to reach agreement with them was Gartner Group. It was then, when I was given my Chinese name 启思博.
Our China consulting business got over 20 multinational corporate clients, like Nokia, Ericsson, Kemira, Outokumpu, Rautaruukki, and many smaller technology companies. We got clients from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, many of them now succesful in China.
Partnership with China was rewarding. I learned about China's transition towards market economy, opportunities, and role of Guanxi and treat.
Left: Our 1996 brochure.
If you are willing to expand your business in China, you need to understand Guanxi.
In 2010 still 100% valid.
Click it to read it.
In 1995 China was already attractive for multinationals while public media focused on human rights. In China MNCs used resources to get-prepared, learn and handle Guanxi. For SMEs time was too early because of China's business culture: Guanxi, lack of rule-of-law, need for strong Chinese industry expertize, and difficulty of building image.
Megatrends Asia by John Naisbitt was right about China's rise. Our team was inspired by it. Our China consulting and information services company was an early-bird mainland China business booster, a prelude to life in Beijing, China.
In all, I have been cofounder in three startup ventures. The latest in China, related to digital content and its unique marketing plan. We sold that forward a few years ago.
7. Nokia China - Expat in Beijing
MAINLAND CHINA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - 7 YEARS
By autumn 1998 I had 120 work trips to abroad in meter. I left Elisa (HPY), skipped Sonera, and returned to Nokia Corp as an expat in Beijing to help modernize China by mobile networks and phones. I searched for Chinese talents, recruited them, built groups, coached towards new. I worked together with mainland Chinese. Projects, results, and fun.
My Nokia China plan was for 2 years but it stretched to 7 years. In China my total Nokia service time clicked over 20 years. It was time to learn some Mandarin language and Chinese way of business.
BEIJING HOME No.1
First it felt weird that home door has only a number, no nameplate. Name and address in still sensitive issues in China, maybe for reasons. For the first 3,5 years, from 1998 to May 2002, my home was a 170m^2 16th floor apartment A1601 in HuaQiaoCun, the famous Overseas Chinese Village.
Google Earth: 39.90633N,116.43371E
Take main avenue towards east from TianAnMen Square, it is the first apartment building with balconys on avenue side, just beside SciTech department store. This picture is taken from top floor of opposite CITIC building, the earliest international office building in Beijing and mainland China.
HuaQiaoCun was good if you wanted to see visiting world leaders. Every week car caravans, best was over 70 cars. President George W. Bush stayed overnight just opposite side of main avenue at International Club complex. President Clinton went to DiaoYuTai State Guest House which is more traditional but not a bad choice.
HuaQiaoCun apartment building was build about 1986. It was the first building where foreigners were allowed to own an apartment in Beijing. House management services were good. If I had any problems, 4-6 workers in blue clothes marched soon in to solve them, no wait. There were times when I felt service at HuaQiaoCun was even far too complete, tested it and it was so.
Beijing Old Railway Station was near. During the nights I could hear signaling sounds when trains were arranged for next day's schedule. Early mornings nearby army unit woke up and shouted during their morning exercise. I got used to it, felt homely.
HuaQiaoCun had a lot of history and was sort of famous because of life stories of some Chinese people who lived there. This eastern gate was built in 2000.
Community. Many neighbors were from Hong Kong, Singapore or early wealthy mainland Chinese. One was importer, he had several Rolls Royces. Another, a business person, went always with several medical doctors. Some were famous in sports, some in popular music. HuaQiaoCun community was sort of elite of the society.
BEIJING HOME No.2
May 2002 I moved to Sun City, Yang Guang Dushi, in Xin Zhong Jie street near Workers' Stadium. 11th floor apartment was then new, 201m^2, 3 bedrooms. Layout and space in Sun City worked fine, better than in HuaQiaoCun. Living room had six meters wide glass balcony. During seven years in Sun City I got many good friends, both Chinese and foreigners, mostly business people. Good times.
But some 200 companies were hiding in Sun City apartments for cheaper cost level than real offices have, causing many troubles to the community. In addition, some people had a bit "provincial mentality" which forced to check calendar which century we were living on (sorry, no details). And yet, house management didn't have much clue about house management, mentality gap was huge. This resulted gradually worsening living environment where proactivity was unknown and reactivity had long response times. Same time, the square meter prices were shooting up 20% in just few months. Decision to move on was not difficult.
BEIJING HOME No.3
Year 2010, a high floor apartment with urban views in Beijing modern center area. More space than in Sun City apartment. House management is responsive and service-minded. Gym, pools, a small park. Wide angle view: Workers Stadium, City Hotel, new Soho at SanLiTun, Pacific Century Place PCP, Edinburg Apartments, CCTV Tower, even BTV Tower and WTC Towers, LG Towers, Ritan Park and old CITIC Building beside Friendship store and opposite to SciTech.
MANDARIN CHINESE
I studied Mandarin for 4 years with linguistics professor Qie JinShen - Qie LaoShi. He taught Mandarin to several Nokia China's managers, including company's president Folke Ahlbäck.
Left: Professor Qie
His experience and knowledge helped to make Mandarin language studies and Chinese culture great fun, three times a week.
Qie LaoShi was often able to explain the Chinese thinking and reasons behind actions. He had seen it all and had logical way to handle it for foreigners.
CHINESE FRIENDS
I have many good friends in Beijing. Entrepreneurs, professionals, and some who are known by most Chinese. We have dinners, exotic dishes, go events and parties. I have joined several weddings and one cremation, funeral. With friends I have travelled to Beijing suburbs and to Hainan holidays. With Beijing friends I have had holidays in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and a few times in Europe.
Sometimes we brainstorm business opportunities, situations and developments, a few times that has lead into projects. In Beijing I was one of three founders of a hitech company, and we sold it forward.
It was a cold Chinese New Year my friend asked for a show. That year fireworks were forbidden in Beijing, we drived an hour outside Beijing, DiYiCheng Culture Park. We were six persons in all. A large blue truck loaded full with firework boxes was waiting for us. Kind of dream, more fireworks than we could handle. Lit a box corner and it shot automatically. We asked truck drivers to join litting and we still couldn't do all fireworks. A shared show!
NOKIA CHINA - WORK ROLES
I consumed seven different business cards, roles related to strategy, business development, marketing, business management.
China's communism sort of ended when economic reform started in 1978. In 1998 Chinese people wanted to communicate and Nokia pushed voice and anonymous PrePaid voice, and then SMS texting. Since SMS was a new communication method, it faced resistance by mobile SOEs (China Unicom and China Mobile) and the system. Then, 'control' was the essential, all was seen through it, business was not rational in western way. In that big picture, I was excited to be a China change booster with PrePaid and SMS. In 2010, China still is under transition from planned economy towards market economy. Real 'change' is limited onto surface, mindset 'change' will take long time.
Nokia China's business tripled during those years. Of course, many more persons contributed with their work: Nokia's products were fit to Chinese markets, sales channels were expanded to 3rd and 4th tier cities, a major achievement. PrePaid and SMS were essential for Nokia to grow in scale, below more about those projects. Mobility was new, and Chinese consumers, businesses and mobile operators were all learning about it. Nokia China won Motorola in units and value, and took No.1 position in Chinese mobility.
EXPAT CONTRACTS
Seven Nokia China years
1. Nokia Networks NET
2. Nokia Mobile Phones NMP
3. Nokia Mobile Phones NMP
4. Nokia Research Center NRC
NOKIA CHINA - MY BUSINESS CARD TITLES
• Group Manager
• Business Manager
• Senior Manager Market Development
• Senior Marketing Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Manager Strategic Development
• Research Manager Asia Mobile Applications
NOKIA CHINA - PREPAID PROJECT 1998-1999
This was my first project in China. I established new Intelligent Networks (IN) Group. IN system was delivered to Beijing Mobile's (BMCC) data center in XiDan district, first for trial.
Left: PrePaid Project closure.
My new IN Group held weekly meetings and seminars with BMCC's personnel. BMCC needed to do a lot of decisions and choices to enable the PrePaid service. We were busy and carefully processed every detail that BMCC asked or requested from us. Foreign specialists were continuously needed for service trial building, support was good.
Left: PrePaid Simcard package.
PrePaid Project took eight months. Finally, May 13, 1999 China's first PrePaid service was ready. PrePaid Project ended with capabilities demo event to BMCC and Nokia China management.
Later Siemens won major role in Chinese PrePaid with their tailor-made solution. Nokia's was strictly standards-based and not willing to modify. Opening PrePaid service became major sales boost for all mobile phone vendors.
NOKIA CHINA - SMS MARKET-MAKING PROJECT 1999-2000
Activation of China's SMS text messaging business became my second project. The dream was to reach markets that didn't exist yet, i.e. market making. Project started in May 1999 and took 1,5 years. Those times SMS was popular in Europe but not much known elsewhere.
Left: Meeting in China Mobile
headquarters (CMCC), Beijing.
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and China Mobile HQs made it clear to Nokia: “SMS is an European success story, SMS will never become a success in China” and "SMS is not for China". At the same time major Chinese portals were not interested about SMS texting. Instead, portals saw WAP browsing as new channel for their existing aggregated content.
Left: Testing at Sohu.com
SMS Market-Making Project activated texting as the second mobile service after "voice" in China. Back then China had only 0,5 million internet users but already 10 million GSM mobile phone users.
SMS Project was to initiate and activate ecosystem by training developers, by making partnerships and training portals, and by technically linking internet content into mobile network. Multiple parties. One challenge was revenue sharing: operators wanted 100%, no less. For China Mobile and China Unicom SMS meant more revenues from their fast growing subscriber base.
Connection between internet and mobile network was not simple decision since SMS text messaging was very new to ministry and mobile operators. They where driven by control rather than rational business decisions. Finally trial connection was established and internet portals understood the SMS opportunity.
SMS Market-Making Project took 1,5 years, till the end of 2000. It achieved its targets: Chinese got new way to communicate, and Nokia had the best texting phones in the market. SMS was a great sales booster, market share upgrade. SMS texting became part of Chinese culture, major revenue source for Chinese internet portals and important revenue source to mobile operators.
In 2010 big part of revenue for China Mobile and China Unicom comes from SMS. Chinese wouldn't accept life without daily SMSes. The whole SMS story here.
NOKIA CHINA - MORE PROJECTS
My Nokia China projects, for seven years, were for market share and sales. They served for reaching the scale: PrePaid, SMS, mobile applications, content, partnerships, talents and establishing new groups.
Left: Dinner in Duck Head Restaurant, Beijing, with JV partners.
In Nokia Research Center (NRC) I had a manager role for three research groups working with future mobile phones features and Nokia Ventures business initiatives. Continuous training was related to technologies, products, internal processes and tools. I also did custom MBA in China.
One of my inventions is ID-Tone, a pretone for Ringtones. February 2009 patent was finally granted in China. Patent defines personal musical signature (unique, like your name but in tones) played before your ringtone. Think of Intel Inside, or Beethoven's ta-ta-ta-taa as musical signature examples. Patent application is in process in EU and U.S. If implemented, ID-Tone will enable new ways of mobility, and you can always recognize when call is for you and even who is calling. See below for more.
Left: Meeting in ZhengZhou (10M inhabitants), Henan Province (nearly 100M inhabitants).
Projects took me to half of China, 17 provinces. I also traveled out from China for meetings and events to Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Dallas, Brussels, Prague, Cannes and Barcelona. And every year 3-6 times to Finland.
In Nokia, results count. Nokia is engineering driven company, it doesn't have speedy decision making capability as in software industry. But it was ok to try, and I pushed for several strategic partnerships (f.ex. investing into then emerging Chinese portal Sohu.com with stock price <1USD) but my propositions related to internet and software in 2001-2004, were too early for Nokia.
NOKIA CHINA - MY MAIN ROLES/PROJECTS
● Established five-organization EU-China project consortium
- Project: Mobile VAS in China - Market Entry
- Meetings with European Commission representatives
- Project plan approval by Beijing, then by Brussels
- Project received full finance by European Commission
● Ringtones related innovation, China Patent Grant in 2009
- Invention IPR reward in 2004, Patent Grant reward 2010
● Research: Group Manager of Asian Mobile Applications
- Leading three NRC research groups
- Resources in 10 Chinese & international research projects
- Reorganizing group structure
● Project: Personal Navigation LBS: location, maps, GPS, UI
- Project was for Nokia Ventures
● Project: ONL-Games into 3G mobile, MMORPG extensions
- 'Market size don't justify finance for extensions'
- I disagreed then and now: in 2009 80M gamers $4B market in China
● Talents: finding talents, new groups, coaching
- Several successful recruits for management positions
- Established several new groups for new functions
● Partnerships: meetings with over 120 Chinese companies
- Searching win-win in business, technology, applications
● Developers: activating China's mobile developer community
- Developers into Forum Nokia programs
● Technology Exploration and Content in South Korea
● Marketing: mobile VAS, middleware, business models for operators
- Consultative presentations and propositions
- Sales support for major infrastructure sales projects
● Project: SMS Market-Making to activate text messaging in China
- SMS partnerships/training Chinese portals e.g. SOHU.com
- SMS roadshows in 15 provinces for mobile operators/partners
- Huge boost for Nokia phones market share: best SMS user interface
● Project: China's First PrePaid Service
- Launch of PrePaid IN system and PrePaid simcard package
- Widening China's mobile user base; more phones sold
● JV Preparation: Nokia-Neusoft, China's No.1 software company
NOKIA CHINA - MY BEIJING OFFICES
• Factory 506 Office in JiangTaiLu area
• GuoSiJuLeBo International Club office
• HePingLi Office House-2 at North Ring-2
• Nokia Tower Office, PCP at GongTiBeiLu
• HePingLi Office House-1 at North Ring-2
Factory 506 in JiangTaiLu area was my first office in China. It is well known among beijingers for its historical contributions. Factory 506 was tranformed into combination of offices and factories of several companies. It has own private park inside. Industrial lunch was available at cellar hall, served on steel platform with steel bow for soup with unique industrial smell and flavor.
Factory 506 private park has white horse statue. Loudspeaker system gives harmonius music, like dizzy parfume, during lunchtimes.
In the afternoons many of Factory 506 office workers pushed keyboard aside. They digged a colorful pillow from their drawer, put it onto work table and then only forehead directly on pillow. A little nap. 30 minutes later work continued as usual. Surrealistic view but didn't have that pillow.
Beijing JiangTaiLu and Factory 506 area didn't have many streetlights. Evening dark offered a real jackbauer element when heading home. Taxis were not waiting at the gate, dusty walktrip in dark to bigger road was needed. Some lost only their laptops, some got stabbed. In 2009 JianTaiLu has wide paved roads, and its reputation is improving.
GuoSiJuLeBo Office - International Club. Nokia China HQs was for long located in GuoSiJuLeBo Office known as International Club. It is located near CITIC Tower, the first foreign trade office building in Beijing (WTC came after it) and beside 6-star Hotel St. Regis where President George W Bush stayed in Beijing. International Club has history of being a meeting place during Mao's times.
Left: GuoSiJuLeBo Office, darker building on the right. I worked there only shortly. Location was convenient since my home in HuaQiaoCun was just opposite to it, along the main Chang-An Avenue.
HePingLi Offices at North Ring-2. Two times I was located in Beijing HePingLi offices called HPL-1 and HPL-2. Offices were inside a gated area which had yet another gated area within itself. Usually Nokia's offices had harmonious working spirit but sometimes HPL was an exception.
CRACKS IN HEPINGLI
HePing refers to hevenly piece but there were situations when emotions took control of some persons, resulting serious bursts. There, it was possible that person's notebook's motherboard got broken and replaced four times within one month, to avoid to give project report. There were times when desperate defaming emails flew around. There, a hidden but sophisticated surveillance system was found on top of my working spot, raising questions who, how long, why, what next. There, even most serious threats were made (against me). There, the HR was not able to give reasonable support, they had lost touch into realities, or become over-localized. In HePingLi, on top of this all, were toilets with BAD rubber boot-level overflow in every afternoon. And yet, a thief was caught but escaped into water channel in front of the main gate and drowned. In HePingLi Nokia Values were not really fully recognized, especially "Respect: treat others with trust and respect, communicate openly and honestly".
HePingLi was an exception. Other Nokia China offices had many incredible individuals, were more results oriented with good working spirit and respect.
Nokia Tower, PCP. Nokia China HQs moved from GuoSiJuLeBo to modern Nokia Tower which was part of Pacific Center Place (PCP) at GongTiBeiLu Avenue near Workers Stadium and SanLiTun Bar Street. Some major U.S. multinationals have their China headquarters in PCP.
Left: Nokia Tower Office.
A few years I was located in PCP 18F. That included the SARS times during Spring and Summer 2003. From PCP I moved back to old HePingLi Office to work for Nokia Research Center (NRC).
Left: Nokia in XingWang, CBD,
Central Business District.
I had a few meetings in new XingWang factory which is located in CBD area in South-East Beijing. Most Nokia offices in Beijing moved there 2007.
In 2010 only Nokia Siemens Networks JV (NSN) is left in Beijing city area, at East Ring-2.
8. SARS Experiences in Beijing
SPRING AND SUMMER WITH DIFFERENCE
In 2003 SARS epidemic stopped supersized Beijing. Streets became empty, SARS took control of it all for several months. Future looked uncertain.
I stayed in Beijing over SARS epidemic. Empty streets were good for roller skating. But when skating around the modern blocks of Beijing, thoughts were in SARS and what might it be next.
Expats were first to receive credible information about SARS epidemic. Chinese personnel in Nokia's offices didn't react on foreign news or coffee discussions. For Chinese, the state-run CCTV was, and still is, the trusted source and it didn't report. But Chinese colleagues reacted strongly when they learned that high reputation hospitals had been closed without explanation. The military hospital opposite to our HQs office in Pacific Center Place (PCP) at GongTiBeiLu, was also closed.
Left: TianAnMen Square, guards using KouZhao, Spring 2003.
SARS epidemic changed the way of office work. Many Chinese colleagues used all their holidays to avoid public transport and crowds. At workplace we had less and less meetings, no handshaking, more email. Later no meetings, vitamin C drinks, and alcohol bottles on cube desks for disinfecting hands, and more cleaning personnel. Doors and doorknobs, lifts and buttons, toilets, corridors, and work cubics were wiped several times daily with disinfectants. Air disinfection during non-office hours became regular.
Western doctors gave us a situation briefing: chemicals used in disinfectants would cause cancer and more deaths than SARS. Feeling was like between two fires. Nokia China top management sent personnel daily SARS reports and safety information by email, very effective way to communicate. Many expats who had children, left China.
It would have been near-criminal to cough even once inside office. Going out for lunch stopped. Rumors flourished. SMS text messaging was used for harsh humor. Soon someone always knew a person who had died SARS. Any office which was known been visited by a SARS person, was closed for a few days for thorough disinfection, that happened in another Nokia office.
When outdoors, most people used KouZhao, a mask. Taxi drivers, 70.000 taxis in Beijing, disinfected their cars frequently. They had white surgical KouZhaos and drove windows open in Beijing's cool spring weather. Gradually SARS cleared most traffic from Beijing and it felt like everything had stopped.
Left: Scouting in Beijing with N95 level mask, KouZhao, Spring 2003.
Roadblocks sealed Beijingers inside Beijing from surrounding Hebei Province. Other cities informed that travelers from Beijing were not welcomed, instead would be quarantined for several weeks if coming in. There was no way out from Beijing. Even whole big apartments houses, if they had a SARS case, were quarantined, closed and isolated. Food was delivered to people inside by the government.
SARS stopped Beijingers from spitting and sneezing onto streets. Fines were high for such traditional behavior. TV programs made sure that people begun to understand that SARS was very dangerous. Households filled their storages with rice, soya and drinks: get-prepared, lock in, and wait.
SARS nurses got extra pay of their risky and heavy work. They had to wear multiple layers for protection, but some still got SARS and died. They were not allowed to go home between work periods. Nurses became society's heroes and TV content. Heavy penalties were set for those who didn't obey the strict rules, even death penalty.
Frequently I saw ambulances speeded on streets with nurses wearing full protection gear inside.
Empty Beijing streets were perfect for roller skating. Long trips, lonely business, like being inside a ghost movie.
When roller skating, sometimes a car passed, people inside wearing KouZhao, someone put arm out showing me thumb-up. When on roller skates, common surgical KouZhao was quite comfortable. More effective N95 mask by 3M (above) was easy to breathe when walking around but speaking with it became porridge.
During SARS peek times SanLiTun Bar Street was empty except DownTown, and The Den near City Hotel. They had noisy expats for lunch and beer when surroundings where empty and silent.
SARS epidemic was a surreal experience. It took about four months, it got steadily worse. Finally I became surrounded by it all, but there was time to think, and I tried hard with all what I had got, and there was just uncertaintity.
After slow start the Chinese apparatus stretched, improved, and handled SARS epidemic actually quite effectively. Control was tight but bearable. SARS was beaten, and soon faded away from people's memory, and spitting and sneezing started as it used to be.
SOME INCIDENTS IN BEIJING
● 1999 May: bombing of Chinese embassy in Belgrade
- Angry demonstrations at U.S. Embassy area, going out was risky
- We all became 'newzealanders' to avoid misunderstanding
● 2001 April: EP3 surveillance aircraft in Hainan
- Tensions against foreigners, taxi drivers didn't give a ride
- Foreign visitors left rapidly from the country
● 2003: SARS epidemic stopped Beijing for 4 months
● 2004: Anti-Japanese riots, defeat in soccer cup
● 2005: Anti-Japanese riots, history and text books
● 2008: Tibet and Olympic Torch demonstrations
9. Development NonStop!
MY ROLE IN BEIJING NOW
A lot of things keep me in Beijing. After four expat contracts and seven different roles in Nokia China, my next phase included eMBA programs (China business lectures), writings about China business, and Chinese business culture research. I often met & meet visitors with China views & questions.
I am Chief Representative of a technology company which has over 10 years of China presence and business. My company has very professional Chinese personnel, well established mainland partnerships and business processes, and customer base in 28 of 31 mainland provinces. This role is exciting - winning the biddings, and building new China.
10. Chinese Way of Business
FRAGMENTED INFORMATION AND GUANXI
I have walked over 12 years in Chinese shoes... When you come from rule-of-law society, China business experience can be surprising and hard. I have learnt that the China-West gap is huge.
Left: At Neusoft in Dalian city, Liaoning Province.
Mainland Chinese mentality is a mix of market economy (brand, marketing, PR, competition, career), Guanxi and treat, SOEs, private Chinese money and foreign investments, and old Chinese customs.
How is Guanxi different than western systems: influencers, linkedin, facebook, consultants? Guanxi, exchange of favours, is much more than connections or networking. Maybe not friendship but strong common intress. Guanxi is the way in Chinese system. It helps when information availability and sharing is limited, in sales and partnerships. Learn about it and you can achieve results in China. Guanxi will be conflicting with China's future role as a business super-power or modern innovator.
SOEs are third of China's economy, they buy via public biddings. Biddings are often scheduled for weekends. Think of you pre-bid approach, product fit, bidding judges, competitors, and after-bid process. Remember, bidding process is about Guanxi, Chinese fine art, sometimes serious, sometimes a ritual.
Modern business institutes in China know that Chinese business mentality is different and needs to be fixed for international business. They educate Chinese SOEs and future Chinese MNCs towards western rational way of business, via MBA and eMBA courses.
In Nokia China I went seven different roles, seven business cards, during seven years of business development. Working hard spirit, passionate times into new, but also times of surprises and frustration.
Left: Conflict between Western and Chinese business culture is a reality. Mainland Chinese are often emotional and sensitive. Guanxi rules in domestic sales and partnerships.
MNCs, like Nokia, have created many success stories in China. Not by accident, not only because of their products, but because they have had resources to learn how mainland works.
Success stories of foreign SMEs are rare. Many fail already when trying to enter into Chinese markets. Most have troubles in selecting their partners, or when recruiting key personnel, and then in team building and with company image. Many SMEs underestimate their local competition which surprise with their fast learning. And most SMEs have no resources to get into realities of Guanxi in the sales and society level, the Chinese way.
Difference under surface. It is the behavior of Chinese industries: bidding process, variations of product/component qualities with price effect, understanding of exclusivity, and more. Managing society relations. Difference on how foreign company should do marketing, PR and build image in China. Even when doing sales presentation for Chinese customers, their expectation is fundamentally different. How to motivate Chinese partners, or your own personnel? What is Chinese teambuilding that brings results? Compared to above topics, much publicized issues of IPR, sample product management, and reverse engineering, can largely be marginalized by using common sense.
Still, in China you will need ability to make fast decisions with limited information, or your game is over.
Innovative tricks have often a role, and life in west is not preparing well for those situations. Business intelligence has local ways. Guanxi & Treat is the key success factor for results.
Foreign SMEs in China are seldom able to grow in pace with Chinese domestic markets. In Beijing I have seen many SMEs coming, being used, losing and fading away. Reasons vary but are related to failing to undestand the Chinese way: wrong partners, Chinese team building, arrogant behavior, or undervalueing Guanxi as only networking or connections.
MAINLAND CHINA SUCCESS FACTORS
Success in mainland markets is not about how you hand your business card to Chinese customers. The real factors are deeper. My advice for achieving business results in China:
• Understand and take benefit of Guanxi, invest into it: asset
• Learn your industry's behavior, find Chinese insider expert
• Learn Chinese way in selling, buying, partnering
• Be a Village Head for your team, build MoQi, motivate, recruit with care
How to do it? Most expats learn China by its surface during their one-two years. And Chinese are not helpful, they don't want a foreigner to put them into corner with detailed questions about Chinese sales process or Guanxi and treat. Foreigners will have to observe and crack the situations, combine fragmented information and draw conclusions, and learn possible tricks. Experiential learning. When in China, take care of your China team in Chinese way (MoQi) and learn about Guanxi and Treat, but let Chinese handle it.
Modern-looking Beijing creates illusions. The surface, and realities are beneath it. During the last decade much of Beijing has developed a new surface. Beijingers haven't changed much. After WTO and Olympics, the Chinese way is still the same and stronger than ever. Evolution, yes, but think carefully of your approach.
If you are interested about scale, opportunities, linguistic challenge, and complex operating environment which is in change, mainland China is it.
BeijingMan Blog shares my China experiences, and views about goal-reaching enablers, and my pictures from Beijing.
If you'd like BeijingMan to speak at your meeting, or for China Business Workshop, contact by email.
-- BeijingMan Postings
11. Patents - Inventions - Research Groups
SOME RECENT - SOME ANCIENT
PATENTS - A Rabbit Out of a Phone!
"PreTone for Ringtones" i.e. ID-Tone, approved by Nokia Patent Committee and Nokia Mobile Phones Patent Board, NC31640.
• Invention IPR rewarded in 2004 by Nokia
• Patent applications filed in U.S., Europe, China
• China Patent Grant February 18, 2009
• China Patent No. 03150198.2
• ID-Tone is a short musical signature, YOUR name in tones
- Brands already have 'ID-Tone' like Intel Inside
- Beethoven did his 'ID-Tone': ta-ta-ta-taa
- One day you will have your personal ID-Tone, too
When you receive a call
1. Your ID-Tone is played (first)
2. Calling person's ID-Tone is played (second)
3. Traditional ringtones could be played for unknown calling numbers
Individualism just further increases. Today is about brand products, design, fashions, haircuts, ear rings, tattoos, colors, attitudes. Next, well-crafted personal ID-Tone, which is given for life, like your name, part of your identity. ID-Tone enables you to know who is calling to you, without checking from the phone display. ID-Tone can also have variations for moods, situations, time of the day, or time zones. Implementation will include privacy configurations. ID-Tone needs handset software implementation, tone creation, distribution, maybe registeration, trademarking. Connecting People evolution, sure.
INVENTIONS
At Nokia China, 2004 two inventions related to mobile applications for students, businesses and communities. Inventions could enable new feature sets and usage pattern in Chinese and Asian markets.
|snip|
RESEARCH GROUPS - FINLAND
1. The new Personnel Data Law and Information Management
(Henkilörekisterilaki)
Published in Nokia Compus 1988 Kehitysryhmät ISBN 951-99945-8-0
Research Group:
Chairman Reijo Aarnio, Luottokontrolli Oy, secretary Esko Kippo, Nokia, Kari Honkasalo, Puolustusvoimat, Pekka Kärkkäinen, Luottokontrolli, Pentti Lukkarinen, Verohallitus, Seppo Niinioja, HPY.
2. Computer Center Security
Published in Nokia Compus 1984 Tutkimusraportit ISBN 951-99580-2-9
Research Group:
Chairman Hannu Mattila, HOP, secretary Esko Kippo, Nokia, Markku Arminen, KOP, Lars Arnkil, SKOP, Risto Karstu and Kalevi Porkka, PSP.
12. BeijingMan Pictorial
Above: My parents Irja Aune Kyllikki Waris and Lennart Mikael Kippo. Irja was born in Helsinki and Lennart in Vyborg. Upper: young Irja, her parents, and Irja 86 years in 2005. Lower: Lennart when he was 50/40/50 years. Lennart's 50-year portrait by Sculptor Taimi Mäkinen.
Above-1: Finland. Violin was my main hobby for 10 years, age 6 to 16. Lesson twice a week, training at home two hours every day, and classical orchestra once a week. At 16 years I played Spanish Dance at matiné, big audience, and got into newspaper. Chorus was another fun, when singing together, you feel it in the brain. Our top song was famous and patriotic Suomen Laulu by Fredrik Pacius. Tall boy is Olli.
Above-2: Finland. My father Lennart Mikael Kippo.
Lennart was the youngest of seven brothers. In his young years he was actor and musician specializing on banjo, harmonica and singing. He travelled to U.K. and mid -Europe. In the army he became top-3 boxer. When WW2 was ending, he got wounded, bomb fragment into knee. He decided to leave war metal inside the knee to save leg from amputation. A "box" grew around that metal piece and knee recovered.
Lennart's hobby was old cars, he had Ford A Model 1929 and Ford Model A Cabriolet 1930, both carefully refurbished as originals. They were for summer fun. Together we drived many old car parades around Finland. I was interested in horns and out-flipping turning signals and parades were fun. For his work Lennart travelled in U.K., Germany, Denmark and Sweden. In 1960s Lennart and friends went holidays to Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, back then 24 hours of flights from Helsinki.
Many things. In Finland Lennart was friend with visiting foreign boxers and wrestlers, and musicians. We did summer trips with Cigette Marco Dance Orchestra from Barcelona, they also visited our home, and little-me was their el logo 'crazy'. When TV was new, Lennart was soon on national TV, advertisements and traffic related. He was also dancer: Tango, Latin-American Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba and Paso Doble. Lennart became sort of center point where ever he was.
My father Lennart believed that after WW2 transport would increase, people buy cars and need driving licenses. In 1950 he took loan to buy a car and established driving school. Went as planned and his business was good. Soon a line of cars, always latest models and Turtle-waxed. Driving teachers weared white shirts and tie.
Lennart's hobby, and a marketing tool for driving school, were self-made 16mm short movies about driving and racing. These were the classics: "Mr. Rentola" who did all wrong with his car. "Eläintarhanajot GP" which was about racing, with exciting Khachaturian Sabre Dance. "Ruskeasanta Motocross" world championship competition, for which I recorded background sounds with Uher tape recorder at the race.
At home we often listened Dave Brubeck Quartet's Take Five with drum solo by Joe Morello. The other side of that 78rpm record was Blue Rondo A La Turk. A lot of records. We had Kippo Family Orchestra, mainly for Karelia and Christmas events. I didn't especially like music we played. My best times were classical violin duettos with brother Raimo. He had specialized on Gypsy violin music but played in symphonic orchestra, too.
Lennart enjoyed Western movies. One such became my childhood experience, High Noon (Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly) when he took me to see it in movie theater. Courage and cowardice, how you finally face it alone. Maybe it shaped something in me, too. Gene Kelly was sort of role model with Singin' in the Rain and American in Paris. Later my own cinema evolution went from 2001 Space Odyssey and French cinema, via Coogan's Bluff towards No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, and West Wing and 24...
Above-4: Finland. Motor sport. He is Jim Clark in 1967, F1 racing legend, my childhood hero. I took this picture at drivers briefing of Formula 2 race in Keimola Ring near Helsinki, got also pictures of Dennes Hulme, Björn Waldegård and Curt Lincoln. Another great motor-sports idol for me was Italian GP star Giacomo Agostini. His MV Agusta had amazing speed and sound at Imatra GPs in Finland. He was the winner.
My eldest brother Raimo Kippo was involved n Imatra GPs (Imatran Ajot). He was one of the organizers and the race speaker for most Imatra GPs.
Left: Raimo Kippo
Raimo took many race wins in Finnish motocross in 250cc and 500cc classes. He competed with car handling skills (taitoajo) and ice racing (Jäärata-ajot), and even in F1 boat racing. Like his father Lennart, Raimo was also boxer, reaching top-3 in Finland's youth boxing. His DNA had all the competing elements switched on and powered!
Above-5: Finland. You know how to chicky-race don't you! Of course. Because both of my brothers took home collections of prizes and medals in motor sport. You probably know Keke Rosberg who won Formula 1 racing championship in 1982, Monaco GP in 1983, and more... Before F1 racing, Keke won Finnish championship in carting (Parilla from Italy), and my elder brother Asko was second (Comet from Italy). Of course, I was lightning fast, then too young to compete, and turned on other hobbies.
Many friends during junior years! Names randomly into mind, salute to You! Erkki, Markus, Pekka, Jukka, Urkka, Repa, Uuttu, Eku, Jammu, Heikki, Ari, Roope, Albert, Noro, Eero, Ääpnollaa, Kurre, Veke, Joppe, Ilari, Lasse, Lars, Pena, Sauli, Kari, Kauko, Mikko and many more.
Above-6: Finland. Cool! I started photographing with Canon TX, with a few lenses and dark room B/W equipments. This is one of those self-made pictures. My 'school for imagination' was French cinema, tons of it, but also father Lennart's 16mm shorter movies.
Above-7: Finland. Life like in a speed boat. There was a period of time when I didn't care much about destination but going fast forward was a must. No fear. Then, short term direction had more meaning.
My Classical Music. Key composer is Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphonies 5-15, Violin Concerto No.1 by Viktoria Mullova, Cello Concerto No.1, and most string quartets. Also important is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4-6, Violin and Piano Consertos No.1. Jean Sibelius is strong: Violin Concerto No.1 D minor Op.47 and Karelia Suite Op.11. Then, Glenn Gould and J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Georges Bizet, Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, Antonin Dvorak, Edward Elgar, Manuel de Falla, George Gershwin, Edvard Grieg, Franz Joseph Haydn, Gustav Holst, George Frideric Händel, Gyorgy Ligeti, Franz Liszt, Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Modest Mussorgsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel, Gioachino Rossini, Pablo de Sarasate, Richard Wagner, Antonio Vivaldi. Contemporary: Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Kurt Weill... and more.
My Lighter Music. Radio Luxemburg, The Beatles, Monkees, Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Doors, King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, The Mama's and The Papa's, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Scott McKenzie, Santana, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Cash, John McLaughlin and Shakti, Jethro Tull, Steppenwolf, James Brown, Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre, Curtis Mayfield, Elvis Presley, David Byrne, Jose Feliciano, Manhattan Transfer, Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, MJQ, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Fatboy Slim, Moby, Madonna's shows, Dieselboy, Sub Focus, Jeff Mills, Layo & Bushwacka, Satoshi Tomiie, John Peel ... house, some DnB.
My Chinese Music. The best part of Chinese culture comes when a Chinese man, wearing western business suit, sings Peking Opera. Actually, it has a Finnish component inbuild and gives all for your imagination.
Above-8: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center in Espoo, Kilo. Computer hall 4000m^2. Five mainframe computer systems and their communication datanets on the right. Some mass storages and peripherial controllers in the middle, then operating consoles towards left. Printers far left. Also optical readers, page proccessing systems, microfilming, large media vault for tapes and disks, ionisators, and CO2 fire preventing system and power generators in ground hall.
Kilo-TK was my playground for 10 years. My room was one of those yellow doors behind the glass wall. Several future IT influencers went through this "Nokia Data IT-university". One neighbor was Martti Mehtälä who started here with Calma CAD computers, later head of Microsoft Finland. Back then I found my IT courses in Tampere University sort of history lessons, not motivating.
Above-9: Finland. Nokia Data, Mainframes and Datanets. Fire prevention system was based on CO2 gas. Long line of XXL-sized gas bottles were placed in ground floor with generators. Happened, that the fire prevention system went on by operator mistake. CO2 gas bursted with loud whistle into computer hall through the layered floor. Whole computer hall got filled with CO2 gas in a few seconds. The system worked! Glass walled hall became a white sugar cube. Not only noisy but expensive. And, not even Jamaican Bolt can run as fast as those persons out from computer hall then. It took several hours by firebrigade to blow CO2 gas out of the building, until we could start all again.
Above-10: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center was sort of learning center.
Fun Project 1. Earliest bank cards (debit/credit cards) had a low density magnetic tape stripe, and we used magnesium powder with freon to visualize the recording, tape to capture it, and microfilm reader to reveal it's binary. History now, as today's smart cards are completely different technological level.
Fun Project 2. Nokia's monthly compensation/salary process was protected with strong physical control and encryption. Controllers were present all time and every step of the process. To challenge that somewhat arrogant process became a target. It was a regular activity. Observing controllers, who with times became over-confident. The way to completely penetrate and catch those "secrets" was found. Result was a pretty confidential team act, great fun for those who were involved. There was never any use for captured data, nobody even thought about such, all was pure fun of beating the arrogant system which was designed by persons who believed in 100% protection but obviously had only partial view, alternative perspective was forgotten. No harm done to anyone.
Above-11: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center was great fun. Many persons who worked here felt being sort of techno warriors. Finland had strong forest/pulp/paper industry and we strongly believed that these new technologies would challenge their dominant position. The elders had old thinking.
With imagination our curiosity took turns. 2001 and HAL: Will you stop, Dave. Stop, Dave, I'm afraid. I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going, I can feel it, I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it...
Above-12: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center. Software and all capacities in mainframe systems were frequently updated and latest peripherals added. At Kilo-TK, dial-up connections started with 110 'baud' modems made by Nokia, soon 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14,4K, 19,2Kbits/second... asy/sync, multiplexors, X.25/TCP/IP, and support for X.400 email and X.500 directories... It was very rapid development. More recent developments have added broadband, user-interfaces, browsers, wireless and overall scale markets.
Above-13: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center. These photos are part of my workshop photo collection, taken by Canon AE-1 with Canon 28mm lens.
Installed systems during those years: Mainframe systems H66/60P Dual, H66/40, DPS8/70 Dual Gcos8, DPS8/49 Gcos8, DPS8/52 Gcos8, DPS8/52, GE-635. Application processors GE-415, GE-265 which was part of GE Information Services network, GE-115. And more, PDP-11, Kleindienst OCR optical character recognition system, Honeywell PPS Page Processing System, microfilm system, Calma CAD system, DPS6 mini systems, many communication Datanet systems.
Above-14: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center. Right side, PRT400/401 printers 1600 lines per minute with 136 columns. Many of us thought that this computer center was not real work, but rather a fun park. Going to "work" was fun.
Above-15: Finland. Nokia Data, Kilo-TK computer center.
Part of GE-635 IOC panel. I have this door-sized Input/Output Controller panel, it's like a friend. Also saved ferroring memory modules and aluminum reels from MTUs, magnetic tape units.
Names randomly into mind when watching these Kilo-TK pictures, salute to You! Eero Iso-Karvia, Heino Laine, Kari Kupiainen, Jorma Haakana, Kauko Häkkinen, Stefan Saari, Tapio Raitio, Hannele Härkönen, Olli Heimo, Markku Huhdanmaki, Matti Partonen, Björn Löfman, Olavi Aarnipuu, Seppo Vuorinen, Pentti Kanerva, Pekka Kärkkäinen, Pekka Kivi, Monica Heijari, Hannu Uusikivi, Matti Sierla, Kyösti Mustalampi, Ahti Ravantti, Antti Siltanen, Kari Ikonen, Timo Sonninen, "Kissa" Tapanila, Erkki Hjelt, Antero Sulander, Risto Haarlaa, Jouko Paalosmaa, Kari Kallio, Olavi Heinonen, Heikki Kutvonen, Kim Jäämeri, Tapani Puhakka, Taru Kuhanen, Raimo Lemettilä, Martti Jussilainen, and many more.
Above-16: Norway. It was May 17th 1992 in Oslo. I was on a meeting trip. Constitution Day Parade from Karl Johans Gate towards Royal Palace.
Above-17: Norway. May 17th 1992 in Oslo. Parade looked good, I sort of dived into it. Under Royal Palace Balcony I waved to Royal Family and they waved back, snapped this picture. I bin ein Norweigian!
- In the Hall of Mountain King ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-taaa...
Above-18: USA. WTC in New York. Sad view from sightseeing floor.
Above-19: France. March in Paris. Frozen, but it's Paris.
Above-20: Spain. Roots in Barcelona.
Above-21: Spain, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
New Year 1993-1994 in Playa de las Teresitas beach.
- The Beach, will return. Globalization, imported sand from Africa
Above-22: Switzerland. Inbreath! More than ten times taken driving holidays there. Mountains and lakes. Real favorite.
- Living in Locarno must be it!
Above-23: Paris, France, always good to visit. Tens of times.
Above-24: Finland. Is it really legal to be that happy? My lady on bridge which connects islands Lauttasaari and Kaskisaari in Helsinki.
Above-25: Spain. My lady. Whale watching trip.
Above-26: France, Paris. June 18th, 2008, HEC Paris executive MBA graduation event. My lady, left, was among eight top performers of 1200 students, and graduated with master’s degree with honors. Financial Times ranks HEC No.1 eMBA in Europe and No.2 in the world.
Above-27: Finland, famous for once banning pantless Donald Duck from public libraries! Weird politics. But biking in Helsinki is fun. When kid, I learned to bike with back wheel, long ways.
Above-28: Finland. Best friend Bao, LongBao, also known as Paavo. He is ChowChow, ancient saber-toothed tiger hunter from Mongolia. Bao's father was from U.S. and mother from Sweden, his life was in Finland. With 45kg Bao was a XL but always in good trim. Bao probably never managed to have a fair bite of a cat.
Above-29: Finland. Bao was not interested of being part of entertainment circles. He had his own, independent, strong idea of life. I value Bao a lot. Bao died September 1st, 2005.
Above-30: USA. My favourite bronze, Three-Way Piece No.3 by Henry Moore (1898-1986) at Smitsonian, Wash DC.
- Simplicity while a complex thought. Inspires and stimulates!
Above-31: Germany. I never overspeed but sometimes drive like Fangio, almost like Jackson Pollock. Autobahn downhill between Berlin and Munich with Kraftwerk's Autobahn and TEE, by Volvo.
- Citius, Altius, Fortius, Speedius, Winnius, Glorius!
Above-32: Sweden. Silja Line voyage Helsinki-Stockholm-Helsinki.
MY VIEW - How Finland Lost its Mobile Leadership
Ten years ago Finland was in the front row of Internet, broadband and mobility. Not more so. What happened, why Finland ended into rear view mirror?
- Finnish mobile operators couldn't develop vision, instead they were short-term greedy and their tariffs were high. Lots of SMS usage but developer innovations for new services didn't find channel for market support.
- Nokia's handset domination in Finnish market created unhealthy uniformity in mindset. Nokia's decent user-interface became stone-carved. Critical views about UI or about too small displays for gaming and browsing or Symbian performance, were not allowed. Nokia stepped into "control points" and easy management decisions, rather than radical openness. Nokia pushed MMS not email. Technical features were added to make phones "smarter". Developer ideas or Symbian needs were listened but not reacted. End-users and mobility became marketing phrases, true meaning was forgotten. There was high level research, but ability to decide and change just died. Management convenience with high market share turned personnel, first full of inspiration, into frustration.
- Other than SMS, mobile data services failed. Small screen browsing failed. Mobile broadband was not utilized. Early 2007 iPhone was announced, every analyzer in mobile industry understood the sign. iPhone begun to fill the gap. Apple saw the opportunity in broadband and added iPhone into iTunes. Superior user-experience for existing features. Apple was able to make choices and decisions. Soon Google's Android connected mobile prhones and web data. Apple and Google boost mobility in refreshing way. American innovativeness pushed European SMS texting based mobility into back mirror. Nokia had all knowledge and understanding but it couldn't find that rabbit from inside the phone.
Above-33: Spain. Prado, Madrid. All these cultures!
Above-34: China, Beijing. Friends look alike. Dog energy needed.
Above-35: Thailand. Still feeling stiff - holiday just starting, Koh Samui, Royal Meridien Hotel. Unbelievable views and dinners.
- A distant ship smoke on the horizon...
Above-36: Italy. Cattolica-Riccione-Rimini beach is 30 km long and has 5000 hotels along it. Italian food and wines are now my favorite.
- Probably the best place for beach walking
Above-37: Italy. 4-wheel biking in Rimini.
Above-38: Thailand. Inbreath! Beach at Hotel Sofitel, Hua Hin.
Above-39: Thailand. Storm, then change. Hua Hin.
Above-40: Italy. Exhausted? A bit, this is about hiking! 1000 meters below, far behind is Madonna Di Campiglio. North Italian Dolomite Mountains, unbelievable experience. Red wine and polenta.
Above-41: Italy. Hiking at Dolomite Mountains, Madonna Di Campiglio.
Above-42: Thailand. Hotel Sofitel in Hua Hin. Relax! You're on holidays, holidays, holidays! This time it was difficult. How to get thoughts off from monitoring and else what happening at work those days.
Above-43: USA, Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill.
And the beef was good.
Above-44: USA, Washington, D.C. Lincoln Memorial. Thoughts?
- SIR! As I am a simple person, only simple thoughts... a man, search machine, knowledge, gap, helium-3, wisdom, speed, result, why not, why not, why not! Result counts. The light is green, Sir!
Above-45: Germany. Cochem Castle at the River Mosel.
Rented a black Alfa GT from Frankfurt, flies uphills.
Above-46: Japan, Kumamoto. Happy "bukka" (popular Japanese bug pet) has got a Suntory in Samurai town.
Above-47: Japan. Piece! Now lit the candles!
MY CoffeeGEAR
• Rancilio Silvia for espresso and latte
• Rancilio Rocky Grinder
• Beans: Cellini, Moak, others
Above-48: Italy. Sorrento, Rome and Vatican.
MY PhotoGEAR
FILM
• 1975 Canon TX with 50mm lens, flash, B/W developing equip.
• 1976 Canon AE-1 with 28mm and 28-135mm lenses
• 1988 Canon EOS-650 with databack, flash
DIGITAL
• 1998 Kodak DC260 1,6MP, zoom
• 2000 Canon PowerShot G1 3,3MP, zoom
• 2002 Canon PowerShot G3 4MP, zoom
• 2004 Canon 20D 8,2MP with EF-S 10-22mm, EF 70-200mm 2.8F
• 2008 Canon 40D 10,1MP with EF-S 17-85mm, Speedlite 580EX
Above-49: Malaysia, Borneo. It was a hot day, no RayBans. This orangutan is ready for Sunset Bar in Shangri-La, Kota Kinabalu!
MY ComputerGEAR
• Apple PowerMac G5, 2GB, Mac OSX 10.5.8
• Apple MacBook 13" black, 2.16Ghz 1GB 500GB
• Apple iPod Video 30GB disc
• Apple iPod Touch 32GB iOS 4
• Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB iOS 4
• ThinkPad T60 with Windows
Above-50: Spain, Canary Islands. December 2009.
Christmas day! Listening the sea at Meloneras promenade.
Above-51: Japan, Okinawa. February 2010.
The Battle of Okinawa happened here in Mabuni. Human loss was huge. Atomic bombs followed and WW2 ended. Now Okinawa's southern area is The Cornerstone of Peace with 200.000 names carved into stones, and during my visit still added.
EXPERIENCES - Earthquake 2010
Japan, Okinawa, Naha city, 27th Feb 2010 at 5:30am, Hotel Kariyushi room 1009, 10th floor. A richter 7.0 magnitude earthquake outside Okinawa. I experienced rapid, wide horizontal shaking of building. Leaning against wall I thought the building might break any second. Gradually the shaking changed into wide, slow and unreal swinging, Danse Macabre. In such situation not much can be done.
• Kakola Prison 2010 picture to be added here •
• Kakola Prison 2010 picture to be added here •
• Kakola Prison 2010 picture to be added here •
• Kakola Prison 2010 picture to be added here •
Above-52: Finland, Turku. June 2010.
This is max security prison Kakola. Kakola got recently closed but will be saved as a historical site. And history it has, tour inside took 2 hours. There, a prisoner cook used to take morning bath in porridge pot before adding powders. There, last pages of books from library became information service business. There, some bad boys did still more bad things.
Above-53: China. Dragons at DiYiCheng, XiangHe, near Beijing. For Chinese dragon means power. Two dragons play with a ball, ErLongXiDu.
EXPERIENCES - Tricks, Thieves, Crooks and Queens
Tax return. In 2009 a lady from Beijing Tax Bureau called. She verified a few details and told we have collected too much tax, want to return it to you. I replied Well, you can just keep it. Why? She was a fake, this belongs to basic category of Chinese tricks: your account number, false ID and go for it. Of course Tax Bureau never returns collected money, or makes a call to you by using mobile phone. She also had "provincial" accent. In China tricks are common.
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Beijing XiDan shopping, 2nd floor Chinese fast food restaurant. A man behind my back managed to catch my wallet. I noticed, we run, I was faster. We fight, I hold his neck, try to wipe his feet, he is quick and fights to escape. We sort of danced. He throws my wallet and shouts Take, Take! but I wanted him down. He tries to put hand into his jacket's pocket, not succeed but manages to dive off his jacket and runs away. 100+ Chinese stand silently around, no-one came to help. I pick up my wallet. I check what was in thieve's leather jacket - a stiletto knife. I show it around. No smiles, no reaction. Security with big hats arrive. They take leather jacket and stiletto: Very courageous but this is gang work, how do you plan to get out from here alive? Well, seen it in movies, I went up, down, taxi, changed taxi three times cross and opposite direction. Run. Some real fast food.
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Beijing TGF Friday's at eastern Ring-3. Had a dinner. Saw a Chinese couple coming into neighbor table and soon leaving. That lady managed to take my wallet. They managed to escape just before I noticed. I lost my wallet with 2500RMB. Pretty sure that some of TGF Friday's personnel co-operated and protected thieves. Those didn't do it first time.
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Xiang He, DiYiCheng dinner 5-star hotel. Had a round table for 8 persons. Ordered quite a lot. When the bill came, a long list and two dishes which were not served. Restaurant corrected the bill, I didn't pay for no-show dishes. Somewhat incompetent try. I wonder how did they manage that G20 meeting in that same place.
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Beijing Airport has illegal taxis which fool foreigners. Always there. Amazing that nobody is able to clean them away from Beijing Airport. Warnings about them are given in airplanes when approaching Beijing but many first time visitors fall into illegal taxi trap which means 5 to 10 times higher fee.
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Queens of Kunming! Good dinner, a few beers. Forgot communicator phone onto table. But Kunming has honest people! Two waitresses run me up on street, gave me my communicator and absolutely refused extra tips for that! Kunming is a nice city, my Chinese favorite, a Spring city.
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Olympic Water Cube, New Year Concert December 30, 2008. Officially they call it Beijing National Aquatics Center. Airport style of security when going into that swimming hall. My lady's purse rolled through xray machine, but in the other end a thief-woman snatched it into her big bag. We saw it, managed to take the purse out of thieve's big bag. Thief-woman dived inside the Water Cube with flow of people. Security people were there, noticed nothing when thief operated right under their noses. Anyway, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Vassily Sinaisky and 70 musicants did well that evening. Amplified sound didn't work in the swimming hall for Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5. Olympic swimming pool had a water show synchronized with recorded Also Sprach Zarathustra. The winner was Elgar's Pomp and Circumstances by BBC. Chinese nearby asked what was that great music!
Above-54: China. These locomotives belonged to Chairman Mao ZeDong (right) and General Zhu De (left). China Railway Museum, Beijing.
Above-55: China. Inside Chairman Mao ZeDong's locomotive.
Above-56: China. Imperial BeiHai Park in Beijing.
EXPERIENCES - Online Shopping in China
Something that works. You select and order almost anything via internet or via printed catalogs by a phone call. Fast delivery to the door when you want it, and cash payment when accepting your order. Major companies have good service. But individuals (often side business while working) selling via TaoBao.com (= Chinese eBay), which settles the payment, often sell sub-quality products. To cancel such deal you need receipt of returning their product, and they may not give it. Sellers use tricks to make you tired, and to get your money for a bad product. But with tight rules online shopping will have bright future in China.
Above-57: China. Shanghai WaiTan Bund at HuangPu River.
EXPERIENCES - Borderline funny things in China
• Farmers spread huge amount of rice on road to dry it, in Beijing
• Early morning 100s of people walking street back first in Beijing
• People in train beat a person for using wrong toilet
• Friend rented out his apartment: bathtub & all stolen away
• Group of workers singing old revolutionary songs on street
• Chemicals sprayed to trees, Christmas songs used as warning music
• HangZhou taxi stopped empty highway at night to renegotiate
• Dinner before deal signing, customer brought large wedding group
• Phone call during a meeting, went under table to talk it
• Personnel used hair dryer to remove tape and change content
• "This door is bulletproof, inside betony!" Reality - styrofoam
• Buying an iPod: "Want our Western or Chinese music database?"
Above-58: Beijing Botanical Garden. No, not sitting on one!
EXPERIENCES - Chinese Stock Market and Traffic Systems
In Chinese stock markets RED color means growth and GREEN means losing value. But in Chinese traffic lights RED means stop, and GREEN means go.
Above-59: China's most famous beach is YaLong Bay in Sanya, Hainan.
EXPERIENCES - Where to buy food in Beijing?
Sams Club has good meet, fruits, vegatables, and member products. Always too many customers. Far in Beijing west. Membership required. Quality is good, so far not compromized.
Google Earth: 39.92133N,116.19636E
Wal-Mart has many stores, all crowded, price/quality ratio not bad.
Carrefour supermarkets are popular with cheap products.
Metro, almost every time more staff than customers. But it has credible western products: drinks, Italian products, coffee beans. At least three Metros in Beijing, newest along the airport road, eldest in Beijing west, and one in south-east area via ShiLiHe bridge.
Tesco's target is more the masses with cheap products, and special offers for local taste.
Jenny Lou and April Gourmet are small winners with good imported selections and bread. That kind of shops grow fast in Beijing since local middle-class is demanding quality, too. Good.
Above-60: China, Beijing. Salt group on GongTiBeiLu bridge.
EXPERIENCES - Beijing Toddlers
2007 was Golden Pig Year, Beijing got 170.000 babies. No lecturing, just two baby points:
1. Only fragment of Chinese babies use diapers. New apartment houses have playgrounds, just imagine how it goes with diaperless split pants. Not into details but things are messy. Private playgrounds are taken as public service by neighborhoods.
2. New apartments often mix homes and companies (SMEs, factories, service companies, offices) which don't want to pay for real office. For families those companies can become 24/7 torture. Poor quality of work needs repair often. Nothing can stop three-month drilling, even at night. Golden Pig baby can have it hard. Expat families with children should check house management very, very carefully, and consider villa.
Above-61: China, TianAnMen Square. In 2003 SARS epidemic meant KouZhao, a mask, for everyone.
Above-62: China. Spring 2003 SARS epidemic meant KouZhao, a mask, for everyone in Beijing. Near Workers Stadium, K2 trip starting.
- Gentlemen, set on your KouZhao! GodSpeed!
Above-63: China. A food paparazzi? No, a Pig Face dinner - Before.
A Chinese partner invited me to Pig Face Restaurant in Beijing. Saying "no thanks" was not an alternative. Extra crispy!
Above-64: China. Pig Face dinner - 2 hours later.
Pig Face is a traditional Chinese dish. We started with wine, Chinese partner had reserved a full box of local wine for us! Pig Face arrived with a few other dishes. We pulled on plastic gloves. Pig Face was crispy and greasy, but honestly - no more for me! Restaurant had Pig Face home delivery service, Pig Face gift boxes and ISO9001 quality system certificate. Half of the worlds pigs are in China, but Pig Face doesn't belong to main stream Beijing weekly menu, yet.
Above-65: China. Qilinback rider.
SOE - State-Owned Enterprise needs Accountant
SOE was looking for an accountant.
Hundreds of applications from China's best schools.
First candidate comes in.
- Interviewer: How much is 1+1?
- First candidate: 2
- Interviewer: Enough, next!
Second candidate comes in.
- Interviewer: How much is 1+1?
- Second candidate: 2
- Interviewer: Enough, next!
Third candidate comes in.
- Interviewer: How much is 1+1?
Candidate looks around, stands up, closes the door, shuts the windows, goes to interviewer and whispers into his ear:
- How much you want it to be...
- Interviewer: You are the one.
Above-66: China. Telecom event in Shanghai. This is only 1/3 of the photo. Front row third from left, BeijingMan:)
Above-67: China. Telecom Day celebration in Xiamen.
BeijingMan second from left.
Above-68: China. Dinner with students from Beijing University of Aeronautical and Astronautical, BUAA. The one with Vuokko tie.
EXPERIENCES - Exotic Foods and Chinese Cooking
Sometimes, instead of roast duck or lemon chicken you might end up eating Pig Face, or alive fish, intestines, snakes, scorpions, dog meat, goose heads, chicken feet, chicken stomach, insects or bugs, fish heads, duck tongues, pig ears, rats, or lamb brains. Or maybe a turtle with it's blood as a drink, for your long life. If so, be strong!
Slippery plastic chopsticks are fashion, saving the forests, with oily dish can add to the experience. I often carry personal bambo chopsticks for convenience and for grip. Using chopsticks and sharing food dishes from big plates during flu seasons adds excitement. Some Chinese dishes require to sort within the mouth and spit some of it, don't be shy.
Chinese like to agitate foreigners by telling how good exotic food is to your health. But remember, you can always first take it, then leave it on plate and just not to touch it, and it should be ok. You can also explain that you stomach is really not feeling good, but then you risk being a foreigner in spotlight, and of course nobody believes your stomack story. If you eat it, make sure everybody is present and sees you eating it, make it a big thing, that's personal marketing.
First glass of Chinese maotai (moutai) alcohol can also provide everlasting memory! Chinese enjoy when making a foreigner drunken. They invent drinking rules for their advantage and say it's their tradition... In case you prefer water, get prepared and learn how to secretly add or change your drink. Sometimes Chinese dinner friends also try to take water instead of alcohol. China is about "tricks", so it's ok to use some for your own defence.
Chinese cook with fire. They don't use exact measurements, temperatures, standards or numbers, it's just in cook's fingertips, a little salt. Restaurants focus on taste, not on atmosphere. Cooks specialize on certain dishes. Chinese food culture is not static, it changes with fashions. New things are added to the culture, like chili, imported to China 400 years ago and has now a fundamental position.
Most foreigners enjoy Chinese dishes and flavors. My favorites: Beijing Duck, Lemon Chicken, Lao Beijing noodles with jam, cold noodles, black egg soup. Chinese don't share similar flexibility with western kitchen. When abroad, Chinese often tell how they suffer if not getting familiar quik noodles, wantons or snacks. With globalization I believe Chinese food flexibility to improve.
Above-69: China. DiaoYuTai State Guesthouse, Banquet Hall of Building No.5 has style and service for presidents and celebrities. 16 Chairs.
Above-70: China. DiaoYuTai State Guesthouse.
Banquet Hall of Building No.5
EXPERIENCES - Business Registration renewal in Beijing
Step 1.
Approval Certificate, extension valid for 3 years
from China State Science and Technology Ministry
Five appendixes required:
• Business Period Extension letter signed by CEO
• Business Report signed by Chief Representative
• Bank Reference information from the Bank
• Representation Office rent contract signed by office owner
• Letter to certify above appendixes signed by Chief Representative
Step 2.
Working Card (personal) issued
from Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce
Step 3.
Registration Certificate, valid for one year
from Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce
Two appendixes required:
• Company Registration Certificate: date, stamp, signature
• English translation of certificate with translation stamp
Step 4.
Organizational Code, valid for one year
from Beijing Quality Technology Supervision Bureau
Step 5.
Record for Foreign Company, valid for one year
from Public Security Bureau
Step 6.
Social Insurance Register
from Social Insurance Fund Management Center
Step 7.
Statistical Registration Certificate
from Beijing Municipal Statistical Bureau
Step 8.
Tax Certificate for The Company
from State Tax Bureau, valid until changes
Step 9.
Tax Certificates for Chief Representative
from Beijing Tax Bureau, valid until changes
Above-71: China. Windy RiTan Park, Beijing.
EXPERIENCES - Recommended Restaurants in Beijing
• Xiao Wang's Home Restaurant in RiTan Park
• Old Beijing type restaurants, they shout when you enter in
Above-72: China. Golden Lion Restaurant, Beijing.
Above-73: China. Tank Museum China near Beijing.
From Europe to China - 46 times by July 2010
• 1992 first trip to Beijing
• 1998 moved to Beijing
• Home in Beijing and Helsinki
Above-75: China. The Microphone. This was used by Mao ZeDong when he announced P.R. China Oct. 1st 1949. In Capital Museum, Beijing.
My footprint in China - 17 provinces and municipalities
• Hefei 5M people, capital of Anhui Province 62M population
• Fuzhou 4M capital of Fujian Province 34M
• Guangzhou 10M capital of Guangdong Province 110M
• Haikou 0,6M capital of Hainan Province 8M
• Shijiazhuang 10M capital of Hebei Province 67M
• Zhengzhou 10M capital of Henan Province 97M
• Shenyang 10M capital of Liaoning Province 42M
• Xian 8M capital of Shaanxi Province 36M
• Jinan 7M capital of Shandong Province 90M
• Chengdu 10M capital of Sichuan Province 82M
• Kunming 4M capital of Yunnan Province 43M
• Hangzhou 6M capital of Zhejiang Province 46M
• Beijing municipality, population 17M, 16.000 km^2
• Chongqing municipality, population 28M
• Shanghai municipality, population 17M
• Tianjin municipality, population 10M
• Hong Kong, population 7M
Above-76: China. TianAnMen Square, Beijing.
My footprint - 32 countries
• Finland: Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu
• Sweden: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Sundsvall, Motala, Karlskrona
• Norway: Oslo, Trondheim
• Denmark: Copenhagen, Odense, Frederikshavn, Helsingborg
• Germany: Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg, Lindau
• Netherlands: Amsterdam, Volendam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven
• United Kingdom: London, Bracknell, Inkberrow, Felixstowe
• Belgium: Brussels, Antwerpen
• Luxembourg
• Czech Republic: Prague
• France: Paris, Nizza, Cannes, Lille, Strassburg
• Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca, Tenerife, Gran Canaria
• Switzerland: Zurich, Luzern, Geneve, Montreux, Locarno, Lugano
• Liechtenstein
• Austria: Saltzburg, Innsbruck
• Italy: Rome, Milano, Venetsia, Rimini, Sorrento, Campiglio
• Vatican City
• San Marino
• Greece: Athens, Kos, Patmos, Crete
• Cyprus: Larnaca
• Viro & Estonia: Tallinn
• Russia & Soviet Union: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vyborg
• United States: New York, Wash D.C., Baltimore, Rockville, L.A.
• Iraq: Baghdad
• Jordania: Amman
• Japan: Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kunisaki, Okinawa, Naha
• South Korea: Seoul
• Thailand: Bangkok, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Pattaya
• Malesia: Borneo, Kota Kinabalu
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• P.R.China: Beijing and 16 of 31 provinces
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© BeijingMan aka Kippo 2008, 2009, 2010
Source: http://beijingman.blogspot.com/2009/01/backgrounder.html
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