Shanghai, China (GMT +8)

(Originally written by Fuji on November 3, 2010)

View out my hotel room - setting sun and hazy smog

Good morning! I've been up since 2am local (2pm EST US). Laid down at about 2020L time, still feeling the effects of the time change.  Quiet night. Did not go out to dinner with anyone, just stayed in. My traveling companions went out to dinner with other Dell leaders and I was happy not to be invited!  Just got back from the health club on the 7th floor for the 2nd straight day and I plan to make that a recurring event for me.

Let me back up a bit: Went out to dinner with Will and Todd to the Wu Lan district via cab on Monday evening. Got there about 2015. The steak house we were heading for, Lawry's, was closed - don't know why. So, we wandered down this area (supposed to be and appears to be an upscale, long outdoor mall of sorts) and came to a churascaria restaurant and had a heavy meat of all kinds based dinner.  Was good, a bit on the expensive side (810RMB with exchange rate of about 6.5RMB/US$) for 3 diners. Cab'd back to the Ritz at around 2200 and went straight up to bed. Fitfull sleep later was up at 0530, skyped with Rosie at 0600, and went to the gym followed by a phenomenal breakfast spread in the restaurant here at the hotel. Skype'ings very cool... really much different from my days in the Navy when all we had was mail!  :-)

Round, 5 story Dell office building in Zhongshan Park

Departed the hotel around 0900 for the Dell office here in Shanghai - a 30min cab ride to the Zhongshan Park district. Dell occupies the top 3 stories of a 5 story round building housing ~300 Dell folks.  Met my colleague, Gene, at his hotel, the Renaissance, and walked to the office and spent the day. Going back this morning for meetings and work. Will be going out to dinner with his small Shanghai team this evening.

OK, stopping for now. Have to get this to Meg to have uploaded to my blog. Can't do it here from the hotel due to censors.  Will post photos some time in the future.