Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
2024 Highlights
An Expert with Canvas8
Canvas8 is a global market research and PR company based in London, with offices in New York City, LA and Singapore. I was quoted in a Canvas8 research article about Chinese cinema and consumer behaviors written by Grace Mou, a member of the RAS film club. Graces' specialty is female consumerism in China. My comment that "film is an emotional outlay for females to express themselves" struck a chord with the Canvas8 editors. They liked my comments. Through Grace's introduction, Canvas8 signed me as a cultural insider and a Chinese film expert. My expert profile can be found at:
PM Workshop at EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica is a Franco-Italian company, home to many of the world's most iconic eyewear brands such as Emporio Armani, Prada and Ray-Ban. It also designs and manufactures sports eyewear products and is a global leader in eyecare. In September I conducted a Project Management workshop for the company. The second day of training coincided with typhoon Pulashan sweeping across the city. It was only four days after Typhoon Bebinca swirled right on top of Shanghai center, pouring heavy rains accompanied with gusty winds. Luckily Pulashan was milder than Bebinca and the rain stopped late in the afternoon. Nevertheless the morning commute was tough. Despite the short distance between my home and EL's office at IAPM, I could not get a taxi, and had to walk, then take the metro to IAPM. Many EL employees were also late. However the experience was memorable and it was interesting to learn about EL's business.
Step up as RAS Membership Director
After serving the Royal Asiatic Society as its film club convener for five years, I stepped up to take on the Membership role. It allows me to do the things that I wanted to do, which is to organize events in various categories, such as book club discussions and weekend talks. I can also be more proactive in community outreach where I can recruit members to join the RAS Council and also bring back those who left RAS out of frustration or personnel discord. The result has been impressive. RAS has a new Food Focus group and it just successfully revived the History Club. People began to come back after years of disappearance. Here is a picture of the current RAS Council with the UK Consul General and RAS's Honorary President Matt Burney.
Zhou Enlai by Chen Jian
If you must read one book in 2024, it would be " Zhou Enlai " by Chen Jian. Published by Harvard University Press and rated a Financial Times Best Book of 2024, it is a captivating, well-researched narrative that provides an authoritative, incisive look at this significant historical figure, an outstanding biography, and an insightful deconstruction of the complex mechanisms behind the CCP's development. I have read the book twice, and it's fascinating. Professor Chen is teaching at NYU Shanghai this semester. He attended the RAS Book Club discussion organized by me on February 19, 2025, and generously donated ten books to the event.
26th Shanghai International Film Festival
SIFF is a bi-weekly event featuring intense film screenings at various cinemas throughout the city. This year, the timing coincided perfectly with the Plum Rain Season. I took a group from the Royal Asiatic Society to see an Australian movie at the Shanghai Original Theater (SHO) on a Friday evening. We all felt festive among a sea of Chinese moviegoers in the lobby of the SHO. When the local media noticed the group of foreigners, they approached me immediately for an interview. After the film, some of us went to Alimentari, and John and Alex treated us to dinner. This picture includes some of the lovely people who frequent the RAS film club. A beautiful gang's night out for a movie!
Now A Published Author with RAS Journal
If I write the article today, I might consider using AI assistance. However, when I wrote the article in 2023, I had no idea that I could solicit an AI help. After a few sleepless nights I completed it independently, and an RAS editor subsequently edited it. I am proud to be the quintessential author of the obituary "A Life Dedicated to History" for Chen Jialin, a Chinese film Director. The article was published by the RAS China Journal 2023 (which came out in 2024). You can access the article by visiting the RAS website at
Meeting Chinese Film Director, Producer Fang Li
Mr. Fang is a Producer of a dozen Chinese independent films, most of which I have watched and enjoyed. He also joked about being a bit of a rebel, as some of his films have been censored by the government. The most notorious is Lou Ye's "Summer Palace", which contains politically sensitive content and several frontal nude scenes. I appreciate the film; it feels like a personal journey to me, reminiscing my own experiences in Beijing during that period. Now in his 70s, Mr. Fang appears fit and in good spirits. He is also quite talkative, sharing stories enthusiastically. His first feature as Director, "The Sinking of Lisbon Maru", was released in 2024, and I would rate it as one of the best films of the year in Chinese cinema. I watched the documentary with a group of RASBJ members at his private cinema inside his company Laolei Industrial toward the end of the year. After the screening, I listened to his behind-the-scenes stories about making the movie. As a film critic in China, I asked questions and shared some of my opinions.
Missing Baggage, Who Is Responsible?
Summer 2022
I am here in Europe. To stay away with the constant lockdowns in Shanghai and better connect with the world, I scheduled three months working as a digital nomad and in the meantime visiting friends in this beautiful continent.
My trip had gone perfectly smooth until the moment when Austrian Airlines lost my luggage at Vienna Airport. It was the night of July 30. When I landed at London Heathrow Airport at 10:30pm, waited nearly an hour at the baggage carousel only to realize that my luggage was not going to come out.
It was a panic and unnerving moment. It was also too late to regret that I had packed nearly everything in it. My phone battery at the time was running out and I put the charger in the luggage. I wanted to cry for help. I needed the phone working for google map and getting a Uber!
Thanks to a back-up battery serendipitously found in my pocket, I survived the night. When I reached my accommodation place, it was about 3am on July 31.
Then a few days passed without hearing anything from Austrian Airlines. It seemed nothing had happened. "How am I going to live my life in London without my things"? I constantly asked myself. I only had two T-shirts and one pair of shoes. I phoned almost daily but could not receive a valid reply about the whereabouts of my luggage. I was getting angry. Through a friend's recommendation, I joined a Facebook group titled "People who want a class action lawsuit against Austrian for lost luggage". From there I began to hear about disturbing stories of other people missing their luggage. Many had situations much worse than my own. For instance, a family of four, parents and their young children lost all five bags and their vacation turned upside down. A photographer could not locate his luggage in which contained all his shooting equipment purchased by his hard-earned money. Someone flying from Newark lost his bag twice by the same airline. A passenger joining a wedding event had to purchase pricy replacements because her gowns were in the luggage. Everyone in the group was upset and angry, not only for Austrian Airlines losing their bags but also for no whatever communication from them. While people sharing experiences, they were also anxiously seeking information about whom to call, at what numbers, and anything about financial compensation. Some of them even thought about flying back to Vienna Airport for the sheer purpose of searching on their own.
Many frustrated customers wrote emails directly to Austrian Airlines CEO but only ironically found out she was on "summer vacation". "What a joke!" A customer wrote: "I am sure she is not flying her own airlines".
As people had nowhere to seek help, they poured onto Austrian Airlines social media accounts. Whenever the airlines posted something to market themselves, people wrote comments about their missing luggage and vented emotions. It was a messy situation. On day 19 of my missing luggage, people received an email from the airlines Chief Commercial Officer. While he apologized, he also offered "explanation". Here is what he says:
We not only want to apologise, but also explain to you why there are such unusual delays: There are currently massive logistical and staff constraints worldwide, which are delaying baggage handling in particular. As you can certainly imagine, the world of flying is highly interconnected. Unfortunately, we are dependent on our global partners and thus confronted with numerous problems.
My luggage went missing in between two of their own connecting flights. It did not concern "worldwide" constraints and "global partners".
Let's face it. This problem is more acute with Austrian and Lufthansa Airlines. If he wanted to expand further, it would be airlines of Star Alliance. How convenient to complain the worldwide shortages and global partners.
That comes to the ultimate question. When aviation misbehaves and mistreats passengers, who is responsible? I've seen this airline unwilling to taking responsibility. While Vienna Airport was flooded with delayed baggage, the airlines were still selling tickets and scheduling high volumes of flights. As a result, newly missed bags join the queue everyday and more and more bags were piling up.
Can anyone in aviation raise their hands and say "we are responsible for this"? After two crashes of 737 MAX, the then-Boeing CEO could say "we own it". In this baggage debacle, can anyone do it? What about constituencies such as IATA, regulatory authorities and airline alliances? Are they willing to do something? What about airports? What are their roles in this? Should all these entities stand up altogether and be willing to take responsibility for not treating travelers and their properties with respect?
At the time when this article was published, some people in the Facebook group had re-united with their luggage. They were mad with joy. Mine finally arrived after 21 days missing. Many are still awaiting. Austrian Airlines have no clear policy published on the website about how to compensate passengers for missing or delayed baggage. I requested a full refund for my purchased items but keep my expectations low about receiving a refund at all. Regardless of the outcome, I hope Austrian airlines to learn a lesson from it and its senior management extrudes higher levels of professionalism to its customers.
Keep Flying Your Dreams
Air travel has plummeted drastically in China since the Cononavirus outbreak. Domestic seats dropped close to 60% year on year in February 2020 and international seats plunged almost 80%. The airline industry has halted nearly 70% of its operation. On Feb. 2 alone, the country canceled as many as 11, 632 flights.
At the time when this article was written in early March, the Coronavirus syndrome for the airline industry had spilled over from Asia Pacific to the rest of the world. People began to feel weary about flying. Many canceled scheduled trips. Airlines also slashed and suspended flights. Karen Walker from Aviation Week wrote “It was that uncertainty and different responses by various governments that fueled the global public panic. People … did not want to fly … because of the perceived greater risk of catching the virus while trapped in a tube for several hours in close proximity to strangers.” The reason has merits. Flying sounds dreadful currently. Any passenger can be a risk factor – a potential virus spreader. Yet despite its validity, flying on a jetliner remains the safest way of travel even during an epidemic. The advantages of traveling by air far surpass any other mode of public transportation.
Facts and data have shown no cases of contagion from an airplane to date. All passengers including flight crews, China and International alike, are healthy and sound. This is contrary to the risks exposed on a cruise ship where thousands of travelers share space between a few decks, socializing, eating and entertaining collectively for days. Andrew Herdman, Director General at the Association of Asia Pacific states “Air travel does not cause more virus cases, but rather disperse the cases further.” So even though you are confined in a tube-like cabin, such confinement of a few hours is still much shorter than a ground journey. The possibility of catching an infection in such a timeframe by any person is low. In addition, keep in mind that air travel is highly regulated by each country’s aviation authority. Health and safety measures are comprehensive and need to be strictly followed by each operational flight. Many efforts and procedures add layers of protection to ensure cabin cleanliness and safety. All planes in service have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. in China, the aviation authority also mandates no cabin movement within 20 minutes after take-off and 30-minutes before landing. Many passengers complained about this rule as it impacts mobility as well as reduces cabin service. But in time of combating the Conoravirus, reducing cabin movement of passengers is the right thing to do.
Another factor which contributes to a plane’s health safety is the air quality. Despite an enclosed tube, the air flowing in a plane is high-quality fresh air. It is cleaned with high-efficiency filters and the circulation system constantly brings in fresh air. In some aspects, the air in the cabin is cleaner than the air in an office building. Breathing in such an environment, it is unlikely to catch a respiratory infection. In fact there have been very few reports of infectious diseases being transmitted on planes in aviation history. Such research findings were announced recently by Emory University who conducted a series of studies on flights and disease transmission with scientists at Boeing.
Putting technicalities aside, we understand the biggest uncertainty comes from the human side. People don’t feel safe because of the big unknowns about other passengers – who they are, where they have been, whether they have already contracted etc. In China as there is a temperature check at every airport, the chance for a COVID-19 suspect boarding a flight is almost zero. If your city and your country don’t do temperature checks, or psychologically you are just weary about other passengers, the best course of action on a plane is to sit away from others. Purchase a Business or Premium Economy class ticket if possible. Minimize your movement and activities during the flight. There have been advice about choosing a window seat, not touching the IFE screen and turning on the air knob etc. Here are some of my answers relative to these tips.
1, Does a window seat help?
Technically speaking there is not much difference between a window vs. aisle or middle seat, especially when the flight exceeds 70% capacity. Except providing you a feeling of being cornered and isolated, a window seat offers few additional advantages, as you are still surrounded by other passengers. It only helps if your window seat keeps you away from people. However, other seats may offer similar distance as well, maybe even more.
2, How about not touching the IFE screen?
If you want to watch in-flight entertainment (IFE) programs, I would say just do it. Not to touch things or touching as little as possible reduces the possibility of picking up a germ or virus but does not eliminate it. It is almost impossible for a regular traveler not to touch things during a flight. But always remember to wash your hands, frequently and thoroughly. If you have portable sanitizers with you, wipe the IFE screen before touching it.
3, Shall I turn on the air knob or switch it off?
The air knob on top of your seat is part of the plane’s Environmental Control System (ECS). It helps to get cooler and circulated air. Air coming out of this outlet does not necessarily kill or suck in germs or virus but works with the entire ECS of the aircraft which produces high-quality clean air. So the simple answer is yes, to help air circulation and keep the cabin feel fresh, turn on the air knob.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak in late January, I have traveled a couple of times within China. I have been to airports and train stations. I have flown commercial flights as well as riding a bullet train. My flight from Chengdu to Beijing was almost full. I managed to sit in a seat in the front-row of the main cabin. There were passengers sitting nearby but not close. In China almost all major airlines don’t open the first row for online seat reservations – a practice that bothers me deeply. But on this flight, it worked to my benefit. I switched to a front-row seat immediately after I noticed a passenger sitting next to my reserved seat. I hoped this instinctive reaction of mine was justified as the government educated people to keep distance from each other.
The man most likely felt relieved that I chose not to sit next to him. He was wearing a mask, quiet and still. For the entire flight, I did not put my mask on whereas the flight crew and many passengers wore masks. I felt safe. I always feel safe on an airplane. I believe in air travel. In addition to its utility, I believe in the notion that flying represents dreams. Dreams of freedom. Dreams of reaching new highs.
Last night I received a promotion message from China Southern Airlines, one of my favorite carriers in China, telling me a RMB200 free coupon had been deposited into my account. Browsing Ctrip.com this morning I found that RMB200 yuan can take me to a trip from Shanghai to Chengdu, or Shanghai to Xi’an etc. In other words, these routes are being offered for free. I did not rejoice when I saw it, instead I felt saddened. The giant Chinese airline industry takes decades of indigenous and painstaking work to build but collapsed only in a matter of days. While we all trust there will be a recovery, we also know the process can take months, if not years. In China, people begin to feel the worse is behind us. Airlines are looking forward to gradually resuming fights. The sooner people come out to fly, the quicker the recovery. Please allow me to end this article by saying: Come out to fly. Let’s keep flying. Let’s keep our dreams alive. It is safe to fly. Now. And in the future.
March 2020
Should We Still Fly?
How do I know I am safe?
Last night, when I mentioned I worked for Boeing, someone said “they have a scandal now. The crashes are so scary.”
When it comes to flying, almost all crashes are fatal and tragic. I pray for the 346 souls lost in Lion Air 610 and Ethiopia Airlines flight 302 as well as extend my great sympathy for their families and loved ones.
There is no scandal for Boeing rather the tarnish to its reputation and the reduced public confidence in its products. Needless to say catastrophes like these make you question about aviation safety. Should we still fly? Should we still fly Boeing? What does it mean to you and me as an ordinary passenger?
Let me explain in the simplest layman’s term in what could have happened. Bear in mind that no final conclusion have drawn about the causes of the crashes at this moment.
The 737 MAX 8 is an upgrade version of 737-800 which is the best seller among all 737NGs (new generation). As it has a larger engine than the 737-800, Boeing installed a software acronymed as MCAS. It brings down the nose of the airplane when it hits a stall during a lift. In the Lion Air flight, MCAS sent false data to put the plane in a nose-down mode. The cockpit struggled to lift the plane. After a few failed attempts by both the captain and the first officer, MCAS set the plane at a maximum nose-down effect. The captain tried to pull back from full force but it was too late to reverse the dive.
There is one important philosophy of Boeing’s airplane design which we’d like to call “aviator in charge”. What it means is that when the buttons and machines in the cockpit fail to function, pilots can pull the gears and switches manually to take full control of the aircraft. Visualize the traditional image of a pilot in your head. That person would be strong, tall and fit. Physical requirements have been very important for being a pilot. He has to be well fit to be able to pull the heavy gears of an aircraft in time of emergency. Unfortunately this feature has been disappearing due to the advancement of technology. Just like any modern machine. Automation is in charge. Imagine that you rely on an iphone or Huawei to shoot pictures instead of using a Nikon or Canon. Even if you use a camera, how many times do you set on P (programmed) as opposed to M (manual)? In short, our human beings are more reliant on computer programming and software to do work for us. For airplane design, it is more or less the same. (Fly-by-wire is first introduced by Airbus for its A320.) The philosophy of automation is to reduce human errors and make flying easier. However if some of the programs go wrong, humans cannot do much about it. Just like your laptop suddenly got stuck while you are using it, you have to shut it down and restart. When it comes to airplane, there is no such a chance for comeback.
After the Ethiopian crash, especially in the US, pilots have been advocating to Boeing to make design changes to put back more “aviator in charge” features. Experienced pilots such as Captain Sullenberger* are concerned that “the announced proposed fixes do not go far enough”. My opinion is that as far as planes are more controlled by computers and the human intervention is limited in overriding machine decisions, there will be risks of malfunctioning somewhere and sometime in the world.
That said, if you ever look at a satellite flight chart at any given time of the day before the crashes, especially the Ethiopian one, you would find there were a lot more 737 MAX 8 flying in the US, Europe and even in China. US airlines especially Southwest voluntarily endorsed the aircraft. One cannot help but wonder that why there was no such malfunction ever happened in the US? Are the US pilots better equipped with knowledge, skills and techniques to fly given its long aviation history? Some have raised the point that the two crashes both happened in the developing world. Statement like this is politically incorrect to say at least. However if you look into it, for the Ethiopian flight, the first officer had only 200 hours flight record, “a small fraction of the minimum in the US”. The captain and the first offer were 29 and 25 in age respectively. Lion Air is also a relatively new airline in Indonesia. I know I am pointing to something sensitive and very debatable. Design deficiencies are certainly there for Boeing and they underestimated the amount of training that is required for a regular pilot to master a new system. This is a great lesson learned for Boeing. On the other hand, I also had a clearer picture of what could happen with an airline cockpit and I would definitely go with airlines whose captains are masters of aircraft. Whether all this sounds reasonable to you or not, I definitely have no slightest wish that there will be future data verifying the point, right or wrong.
* Captain "Sully" (Sullenberger) is a renowned retired US pilot who landed his US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009 after two engines failed after a bird strike. All 155 passengers were survived. A movie of him and the landing named "Sully" starred Tom Hanks was released in 2016.
March 2019
