Hi, guys. My vision for this thread is to create a home for random observations about life in China that don't justify threads of their own. Basically, in spite of the fact that I've been here for ages, I continue to learn new things on a weekly basis.

To get things started, I'd like to comment a bit about the practice of ripping off western technologies/brands, which was a hot topic at the recent Tech Crunch Disrupt in Beijing. Simply put, the VC/PE community (including the same firms that invest in companies that are getting ripped off) is hooked on this model. Why? Because it is low risk, it works, and Chinese courts tend to side with Chinese companies. Here are some prominent examples: Kayak/Qunar, Youtube/Youku, Airbnb/Airyizu, Vitamin Water/Victory Vitamin Water (at 1/3 the price).

And, a personal favorite: Cali Burger. In and Out doesn't want to play ball in Asia; no problem; just trademark their menu items.

Switching gears completely, observing Chinese people at western restaurants can be a real hoot: e.g. 3 soups, lobster, dessert, fruit plate, y3000 bottle of wine mixed with Sprite. This stuff boggles my mind. I was talking to a restaurant owner about it a few days ago; my suggestion: attempt to educate your Chinese guests to do the drill properly. Her response: "absolutely not! Their ignorance = money in my pocket."