Mad About Shanghai

Interview about Traffic Situation in Shanghai

While organising my files in my computer, I came across this interview which I gave to a web magazine some years back. Though the interview took place some years back, I think they are still relevant for people looking for info on traffic station in Shanghai.

My responses are in blue. Tell me if you agree with some of my points :)

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1) You had posted "Traffic In Shanghai" at the end of 2006. Since then, have you noticed any improvements or decline in the traffic condition in China?

Personally, I feel that the traffic condition in Shanghai is still largely the same the past few years.  The usual traffic jams, indirect routes and too many drivers not following the rules.

2) Shanghai is one of the more modern cities in China yet many reports still site bad infrastructure, bad drivers, and negligent citizens. What are some causes for these impediments?

I suspect there are quite a number of unqualified drivers on the roads. As mentioned, in the question below, when there are unlicensed drivers out there, accidents, bad driving are bound to happen on the road. This results in tempers flaring from other road users prompting even more bad driving and road usage.

Also, It doesn’t pay to drive courteously on the road. Courteous drivers that give way or stick to rules often get taken advantage of. In the end, everyone become so competitive on the roads, driving etiquette gets thrown out of the window totally.

Third, many vehicles in China especially trucks are in very bad state of repair, creating a risk for accidents. Vehicles with no taillights or broken taillights are not uncommon.

Infrastructure wise, the city is growing so fast and urban renewal occurring so rapidly that even the existing and newer road infrastructure cant keep up. We have yet to see whether some of these bigger projects can do to alleviate the situation as they are still under construction, and these take time. 

3) What are some examples of improved road conditions or regulations for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists in Shanghai?

Shanghai city, for example is trying to build more metro stations to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. For example, in Dec 2007, 58 metro stations were opened on the same day!...and its still expanding with a few more lines in the pipeline. By 2012, Shanghai Metro will span 510 kilometers . Currently, there are 147 metro stations.

Also, the 36km Hangzhou Bay Bridge (a mega project) provided another option to Hangzhou from Shanghai.

On the road courtesy front, there has been numerous print, TV and radio ads promotion road safety and courtesy.

4) Is getting a driver's license mandatory in China? How do citizens get around having to apply for a driver's license?

Legally speaking, yes. A driver’s license is a must to drive on the roads. But I have heard cases of people paying someone to take the test, driving without license or simply bribing the authorities for a driving license.

 5) How has China's urbanization plan affected the Chinese lifestyle in the city and the country?  

Best example of urbanization is the lead up to the Beijing Olympics. Thousands of homes and buildings with historical value are torn down to make way for better more modern westernized buildings. The same thing is happening in Shanghai every day. That is why there is the terms- Old Beijing, New Beijing & Old Shanghai, New Shanghai came about.

Not all is bad though. There are some brilliant architects and designers that have managed to blend china theme with western influences. Modernizing and yet retaining a touch of old. This fusion results in some great city concepts not available anywhere else in the world.

Along with urbanization comes new expectations the way people live in the city. And of course, more people move from the rural areas to cities. This greatly improves their quality of life.

Business Takeaways from Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba Group

I caught an interview with Jack Ma, the CEO of Alibaba Group, on TV.

In case you still dont know, Alibaba Group is the largest B2B marketplace portal in China which consist of major subsidiaries like Alibaba.com; Taobao, Alipay and Alibaba Cloud Computing.

Though he had a few errors here and there, in the span of ten years or so, he grew the company from a few headcount to almost 18,000 employees.

Here is a few takeaways from his interview and how he grew his company. Would be useful for all budding entrepreneurs out there:

1) Focus on the company health rather than size

Company health is more important than size.

Make sure the company got its fundamentals right. Profit, balance sheet, product line, quality etc. Once these are right, the company would grow naturally.

From my personal observation, too many start ups fail cos they focus too quickly and too much on expanding eg. getting a big office from the onset, hiring too many people during launch. This zaps their focus, seed money and resources.

2) Listen to customers not shareholders

When his company started to grow, his shareholders recommended that he move his HQ from China to US in an effort to "internationalise themselves. He listened to the shareholders, uprooted his HQ and moved to US. However, their customers wanted Alibaba's office to be closer to them for faster responses. He listened to the customers moved the company back to China and business started to grow.

3) Hire people that can surpass you to strengthen the company

His management team also recommended hiring MBA holders to fill in key positions within the company. He soon realised the MBA holders he hired did not have attributes that the company needs. He changed the policy from hiring based on qualifications to and hiring people with the skill sets that the company needs. The company strengthened as a result and is able to diversify into other business like Taobao and AliPay.

Interview with John Huie

Meet the man behind the excellent album, New Shanghai and the soon to be release Shanghai Jazz 2.

Mad About Shanghai caught up with John Huie  for a quick email interview.

Heres a bit of background about John:

Born in Sydney Australia, Johns’ first major work at the age of sixteen was The Eclectic Mass, performed for ‘The Millennium Of Masses’ concert at the Sydney Town Hall.

After graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium High School, where he won an Arts Council composers scholarship along with Carl Vine, John began writing and producing works commissioned by such bodies as; The Sydney Choral Society, The Australian Flim Commission,

The Australia Council and the ABC as well as film scores for numerous Australian commercial directors. He also composed and performed works for a variety of ensembles including ‘The Posh’, a chamber ensemble which toured extensively for Musica Viva.

On moving to Hong Kong in 1991, he scored the music for two, world release feature films by Golden Harvest, three short films for the Hong Kong Tourist Association and a string of documentaries for various Asian film companies as well as lecturing for the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Arts Centre, on music for film.

Commissioned by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Government) in 1997, John composed and produced ‘The Honourable Retreat’, a musical tribute to the handover of Hong Kong to China, the concert and CD featured some of the finest Chinese instrumentalists in the territory.

Moving to Shanghai in 2002, he spent three years researching, and reproducing the authentic songs and style of Shanghai in the 1930’s. The result became the albums “Shanghai Jazz” 1 and 2 and were recently released by EMI. Expanding on the concept, Huie then continued to write for small ensembles using a combination of traditional European and Chinese instruments, this resulted in the release of ‘New Shanghai’, also with EMI. This featured the suite in four movements, “1421”, inspired by the 15th century eunuch admiral, Zheng He and the voyages of the Chinese treasure fleet

During this time, Huie wrote for a variety of chamber groups and films including the “The White Countess” for the legendary New York based film duo Merchant, Ivory.

In the last two years John has been working and living between Shanghai and Sydney and has produced two string quartets, three piano trios and ‘The New China Concerto’ for the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with two traditional Chinese instruments.

John Huie plans to settle back in Australia by 2009 where he hopes to write for more Australian orchestras and ensembles and is currently working on an arts festival project.

MAS: Hi John, you studied at the Australian Conservatorium of Music, stayed in Hong Kong for more than 10 years and then now in Shanghai. Can you tell us what brought you to Asia and this part of the world?

John : By the end of the eighties I felt the need for fresh blood, a new environment and another angle to my life and career. Australia is a large island with a small population and perhaps over influenced by its’ big brothers, the UK and US. I wanted to venture into the unknown and absorb new culture.

MAS: Who or what has influenced you as a music producer?

John : The Beatles, Frank Zappa, J.S. Bach, Debussy, Ravel and Earl Scruggs.

MAS: Tell us what is the best part of being a music producer?

John : I enjoy composing more than producing music in the studio, but both are very satisfying after listening to the final result, that’s the best part.

MAS: How did your interest in Shanghai Jazz come about?

MAS: In 1992 while I was living in Hong Kong, I heard a track called; It’s not too late, a 1940s Shanghai movie song. It was very black and blue and particularly sleazy. This was the real Shanghai Jazz.

MAS: What is your inspiration behind the 3 series of Shanghai Jazz, New Shanghai Ensemble and Shanghai Jazz 2 ? Which one, do you think,  is the most challenging to produce?

John : Without doubt, New Shanghai was the most challenging because this was a modern work
with a large amount of experimentation, trial and error. The Shanghai Jazz albums were
basically pop music of the 30s and 40s infused with a little bebop.

MAS: Who is the one musician that you would really want to work with but haven’t got the chance yet?

John : Pianist Chic Corea

MAS: Whats playing on your iPOD now?

John : Iva Cutler, an oblique music philosopher. It’s bizzar..

MAS: Compare with say Australia or Hong Kong, how would you rate Shanghai as a city for music production ?

John : Exciting and vibrant.

MAS: Tell us about your current projects and what can we see upcoming?

John : New Shanghai Volume 2 will be released in China about this time, in Australia as well. Unlike volume 1, this will include many more Australian musicians.

It will showcase a blend of excellence in Chinese and local talent in the fields of contemporary art and small ensemble music.

MAS: Last but not least, any advices for aspiring music producer out there?

John : If you believe in the idea, no matter what people say about it, even if there is no money in it,
go for it.

MAS: Thank you

Interview with Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation

Hearting breaking pictures, arent they?

NO, these are not fabricated scenes from the movies nor are these bears housed in such conditions on a temporary basis. These are REAL pictures taken from one of the many bear farms in China. Some of the bears, have been kept in such conditions for up to 20 years. These cruel practices inflict tremendous physical and mental sufferings on the bears. To make matters worse, some have steel catheters inserted into their abdomen (performed by crude and outdated surgical methods) and then into their gall bladders for the extraction of their bile.

While the extracted bile does have some medicinal effects, these are completely replaceable by herbs and modern medicine. Moon Bears have been killed for their gall bladders for thousands of years, but it is only in the past 20 years that countries in Asia(such as Korea, China and Vietnam) began to search for an alternative to taking an animal from the wild and killing it for the sake of a 3 ounce organ. Whilst the methods of farming bears for their bile vary across Asia and are continually 'evolving', ALL of them are incredibly cruel and totally unacceptable.

Admittedly, I first learnt about the above on Animal Planet when they featured an episode on the moon bears and the good work done by Animal Asia Foundation to save them. I was incensed by the treatment meted by those bear farmers and determined to help.

I caught up with Jill Robinson, CEO and founder of Animals Asia Foundation who have kindly provided us with an email interview on her work to save the bears (other animals too) and how the public can do to help.

MAS: Hi Jill, you have been in China a long time.  Perhaps you would like to provide our readers with a bit of background on yourself and how did you end up in China?

Jill: I was born in Nottingham, UK, but moved around England quite a bit while growing up. I always had a passion for animals and felt a close bond with many animals throughout my early years. I was working on the administration side at the BBC and Thames TV and was planning to move into research when my husband (now-ex) was transferred to HK in 1985. So I thought I could probably pursue a media career in Hong Kong. But as it turns out, I became involved with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). I worked with them as their Asia consultant for a number of years before founding Animals Asia in 1998. 

MAS:  Founding and running an animal charitable organization takes tremendous passion and energy, what kept you going?

Jill: Although our work is sometimes “two steps forward, one step back”, we are making steady progress. And the changes we are seeing are long-term and sustainable. It is incredibly inspiring to see, for instance, animal welfare groups springing up around China as a result of our educational outreach work.

It is also heartening to think of the thousands of supporters Animals Asia has around the world – ordinary people giving their time, money and skills to help us help suffering animals.

Together, we have now truly changed the lives to more than 215 rescued bears in China and will soon start to rescue 200 in Vietnam.

So it is the animals we have been able to help that keep me feeling inspired to do more. As Eddie snoozes by my chair without a care in the world – a dog plucked seconds before being killed for food in a live animal market in China – my heart aches for the millions of miserable dogs and cats he left behind.

One way to help dogs such as Eddie has undoubtedly been to create a simple respect for those companion animals that share our lives. Since 1991, our successful Dr Dog animal-therapy programme has seen hundreds of dedicated volunteers and their dogs visiting hospitals, disabled centres, elderly homes, orphanages and schools spreading warmth and love to people in need across Asia. Dr Dog operates in Hong Kong, Japan, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Mainland China and now Malaysia.

Finally, it is those still desperately in need of our help – that keep me going.

MAS:  What would make your job easier?

Jill: The introduction of comprehensive animal welfare legislation throughout China and the other countries in which we work would be a big help.

Better access to the people in power would also help tremendously. For instance, I would love to meet with Vice President Wu Yi. I believe her to be someone of great honesty and integrity and I feel that if I had the opportunity to talk with her woman-to-woman that she would understand how improving animal welfare could have great benefits for both the people and animals of China. 

MAS: What are some of Animal Asia’s upcoming programs and what can we expect to see from Animal Asia in the short term future? Any plans for expansion to beyond current list of countries that Animal Asia have presence in?

Jill: We have just launched our Dr Dog animal-therapy programme in Malaysia, making it the seventh country in Asia to embrace the healing power of our companion animals in society. We are also working hard to prepare another symposium in November where representatives from over 40 groups across the country will join us in Guangzhou to address the problems facing dogs and cats in China.

In Hanoi, we are currently building a new rescue centre for 200 caged bears, which symbolises and celebrates the end of bear farming in Vietnam. We hope that this fine example of a state protecting its endangered species of bears will further encourage China to end bear farming too.

MAS:  What is Animal Asia’s most pressing need and what can the general public do to help address this need?

Jill:  It’s two-fold. We need people to spread the word about the Moon Bear Rescue, Friends….or Food?, and our other programmes and, on a more practical level, we need funds to continue and expand these programmes. Those who want to help can go to our website for ideas on what they can do, for instance, they could join a support group in their area, or start one up.

MAS: What are some of the major roadblocks hindering Animal Asia from achieving its objectives?

Jill: I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks is greed. The bear bile industry is incredibly lucrative for the farmers, as are the cat-and-dog meat and fur industries. Sadly, the cruelty of both industries is denied or hidden and our challenge is to expose the truth behind trades that have no place in a compassionate and civilised society. Our other roadblock comes from the sad fact that historically, many people are not brought up to empathise with animals, or even to recognise that they have feelings, both emotional and physical. This is changing today but it needs more voices across the country to join us as wild, domestic and endangered species are still suffering in their millions.

And of course in developing countries such as China there are many, many issues and problems that need to be addressed and the authorities are gradually working through these. Animal welfare is just one issue – it is simply not a priority. For instance, the introduction of comprehensive desexing and vaccination programmes for stray dogs would go a long way to eliminating the surge of rabies throughout the country as has already been shown through similar programmes in India. Unfortunately, many cities still resort to knee-jerk culls whenever there is a minor outbreak of rabies. This will never fix the problem.

Our greatest difficulty from the start in the bear farming campaign has always been the deceit in the industry. In China, we are very proud to be working with our Government partners; the CWCA in Beijing and the Sichuan Forestry Department, and could not continue this rescue without them. However, we are desperately frustrated too. We hear farmers saying that their farms are operating under high standards and using only humane practices and we have never, ever seen a farm or surgical procedure where this could be true. The bears are at death's door when they arrive at our sanctuary and their wounds and trauma speak for themselves.

Also, almost every gall bladder we removed contains pus-infected bile. When the bears die at our sanctuary, the majority of cases are related to liver tumours, leading to a yet unproven hypothesis of a tumour factor connected with this infected bile and the liver cancer found in the bears. What it does to the end consumer remains unknown. This is also our biggest frustration that the decision-makers in China do not see the truth for what it is.

MAS: Tell us about the most unforgettable or touching experience you came across while running Animal Asia.

Jill:  Andrew was the first of more than 60 rake-thin Moon Bears to arrive at the China sanctuary in October 2000. As soon as I set eyes on this beautiful three-legged bear, I knew he was special. Like the other bears, poor Andrew had spent years wracked with pain in a coffin-sized cage. The other bears either cowered in terror or thrashed wildly about their cages, while Andrew stayed calm. It was pandemonium, but in the middle of this horror was one bear lying on his back picking at the bits of metal holding his rusty cage together. It was as if he knew he was about to start a new life. He knew he was safe. Tragically, Andrew died at the start of last year from liver cancer – the result of his incarceration on the farm. But Andrew’s spirit will always live on and I am determined that this gentle, noble bear will not have died in vain.

MAS:  In a BBC interview, you mentioned Animal Asia is founded when you visited and saw first hand the brutal treatment of bears in a bear farm. Also, you mentioned a female bear squeezed your hand rhythmically from her cage. Was that moment that triggered the initiative in this project?

Jill: Yes. How could I just walk away from this beautiful bear I named “Hong” and not promise to help her and all the other bears trapped in hellish conditions just like her. I will never forget that first experience of a bear bile farm. It was a torture chamber, a hell hole for animals. They literally couldn’t move, they couldn’t stand up, they couldn’t turn around. Today, despite the farmers’ claims of humane treatment, it is no different for over 7,000 still held on farms. Hong’s memory lives on through the bears we have saved and we will continue this rescue until that promise of ending bear farming comes true.

MAS: I am sure you have been harassed or intimidated by bear farmers in the course of your work. How do you deal with them?

Jill: We generally don’t liaise directly with the farmers, but through the authorities, although there have been one or two unpleasant experiences as a result of our differences of opinion surrounding bear farming. At one conference, I was accused of using old pictures and working with old and ignorant doctors, where in reality our pictures were recent and we were proud to have the support of respected and eminent practitioners in the traditional Chinese medicine arena. The farmers who want to hold on to their farms will actually say anything to discredit us – but the truth is, at last, discrediting them.  Interestingly, we have had two former farmers come to the rescue centre to visit their previously farmed bears. They broke down in tears and thanked us for looking after their animals. Other farmers who have had their farms closed and bears confiscated into our care have said that the compensation has allowed them to start a different trade. Clearly though, the richer farmers have their own agenda and over the years at conferences and meetings, we continue to clash over certain issues. But really the only way to deal with this is to remain focused and professional, to present the facts as we know them to be true and not to be sidetracked by those farmers that wish to misinterpret the industry.

MAS:  Besides bears, what other animals are on your “Priority to Save” list?

Jill: We are working to restore respect for all animals in Asia, but given that we have limited resources, we are focusing on cats and dogs (as well as bears). We are campaigning to end dog and cat eating through our programme, “Friends….or Food?” and to end the trade in their fur through “Friends….or Fur?”. Through these two brutal trades, cats and dogs, which have been our loyal and loving companions for thousands of years, suffer unimaginable torture. Pet ownership is growing by the day in China, so we think that by focusing on cats and dogs, people will be able to relate more to our message. If we can change attitudes to dogs and cats, ultimately attitudes to all animals will change.

MAS: Thank you

Remember, regardless of where you are. You can help, be it financially, morally or physically.

Visit www.animalsasia.org for information. Find out how it all began here.

The world needs more people like Jill Robinson and Carol Wolfson!

Interview with Old World Wandering

Its time once again for our Interview of the Week.

Not too long ago, Mad About Shanghai featured some very adventurous and brave globe trekkers, Iain & Claire from South Africa and Rich from New York.

I managed to track the dynamic duo of Iain and Claire for an email interview...

If you haven’t seen much updates on their website, worry not. Though behind schedule in updating their site, due to the several weeks needed to get to India, the wanderers are currently safe, sound and getting closer to Shanghai ! They should be able to provide more updates to oldworldwandering.com once they leave their travelling schedules behind for some volunteer work in India.

For those of you new to this blog, Iain and Claire hail from South Africa with an ambitious plan to reach Shanghai from England (where they worked for two years to save for the trip)...all by land transport!

7 Questions for Claire

MAS:     Why China and why Shanghai?

Claire : Well, I knew I wanted to experience a genuine culture shock. Not knowing the Far East, Iain’s interest in China and its rapid growth and change sparked my curiosity. Shanghai is at the heart of this change. Besides, a culture shock is an easier prospect when there are 400 000 or so expats living in the city to experience it with!

MAS: How much did you know about Shanghai before you went, and what are you expecting when you arrive ?

Claire : Very little. I am trying to imagine the explosive economic growth that is going on there, but that only gives rise to an image of construction surrounded by dust and smog. I really don’t know what to expect, but I have a feeling it will be exciting.

MAS:  What advice would you give to others trying to emulate your trip?

Claire : I have incessantly budgeted and don’t believe a long term trip is possible without that. We usually estimate a daily budget for a country based on traveller’s websites and guidebook recommendations, and then test it out for ourselves, admitting when we could get by on less. Walking nearly everywhere and eating in local dives really enhances an experience of a place, besides helping the budget along.

Although we couldn’t stay everywhere for as long as we’d have liked (because we’d never afford to get all the way to China), we didn’t book any future travel tickets, so our time was relatively flexible, apart from visa limitations. That gave us a wonderful sense of freedom.

MAS:  Have you ever thought of giving up when the going gets tough and just take a plane straight to Shanghai? What kept you going?

Claire : Yes, except that the plane would be home to Cape Town! It can be quite unnerving watching your bank balance constantly drop, and we’ve half heartedly thought about skipping ahead to Shanghai on days when drifting from place to place can feel quite idle. Then I realise that, as much as I like to think I will travel the world over, this trip may be a once in lifetime experience. The grass so often seems greener, but you have to snap out of it and realise how lucky you are.

MAS:     What convenience / luxury do you miss most? Why?

Claire: I rarely miss specific things, in the way that some Australians carry a jar of vegemite around the world with them. I do really miss sitting around with my family or friends enjoying a leisurely meal out at a restaurant. I love eating out. And it’s not the same when you’re on the move, eating fast at dingy to average restaurants. I love the three course experience, and the company is key. Besides, if I’m out with family, they always pick up the bill!   
MAS:     What is your most memorable experience so far?

Claire: There are so many different memories to sift through. I remember feeling quite exhilarated after arriving in Istanbul, standing staring out over the Bosphorous, the body of water that separates Europe from Asia. I stood on the European side of Istanbul, feeling a sense of the enormous journey eastwards, over that vast landmass that lay before me in the distance. 

MAS:     What is the best decision you made during your trip ?

Claire:   Ignoring the skeptics and going to Syria.

7 Questions for Iain

MAS: If you could go back in time, would you do it again? Why?

Iain :  Definitely, I’m already considering the same trip done backwards: Shanghai to London, by land, this time including Iran. The second time would be a little different, we could concentrate on the places we’ve loved and move a little further from the beaten track.

MAS:     What is the most important experience you learnt on the road so far?

Iain :  A difficult question. Perhaps that Germans and Syrians are, contrary to expectations, amongst the world’s friendliest people. Perhaps that too much tourism does some very ugly things to poor people. That “poor” people aren’t able to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of their lifestyles. Probably that, with so much poverty about, and so many people who aren’t able to consider international travel, I’m very, very lucky to have made this trip.

MAS:   What would you do if your future employer emails you tomorrow and tells you the deal is off and you need not be in Shanghai anymore?

Iain : There is no future employer. We’re finding work when we get to Shanghai. If there was, and he or she nullified our arrangement, we’d still go. I wouldn’t know what else to do.

MAS:  You refuse to hand Claire the map and unwittingly stumbled into TownHannibal, a town of cannibals. Who do you think would make it to the cooking pot first? You or Claire? Why?

Iain : Claire, although she can be very charming. I’m tall, thin and quite bony.

MAS: What is the silliest thing you did on the trip so far?

Iain : Hardened budgeters, we refused every offer of a rickhaw or horse when leaving Matheran, a hill station near Mumbai, with heads held high. It was after sunset and taxis down the hill left from about four kilometers away: all motorised vehicles are forbidden within the village. We'd just finished a long horse ride not long before and, while chatting to our guide, discovered that many leopards and the occasional tiger were spotted in the area. It was very dark, the road was very desolate and we became very, very afraid. Not wanting to get eaten we started singing, me simultaneously thudding my feet, and sweating, trying to sound like ten people.

We made it to the taxis, late. A train left soon and we needed to be on it,so I told the driver to hurry. He shot down the hill (more of a mountain), swerving, tyres screeching, lights sometimes off in a clapped out, Indian made vehicle. And we made the train, just. 

MAS:  What is the one thing you are most happy to get away from?

Iain : I’m not sure: we’re from South Africa but lived in England for two years before embarking. Work’s a good answer, a year without having to work hasn’t hurt, although sometimes I even miss that.

MAS: Has the trip changed you? if yes, how?

Iain : Undoubtedly. I've left some space at the back of my journal, where I try to document the changes in point form. I've so far noted only three, all quite obvious. I'll probably notice more subtle changes later on.

The first is diet. I left a committed carnivore but have just survived, easily, at a Hindu Ashram: ten days on a strict vegetarian diet.

The second and third are linked. Keeping this website has forced me to write. I've had the time to read great authors write about home --  like Joyce on Ireland, Flaubert on France, Kipling and Rushdie on India -- while I'm there. It has, I think, made me a better writer.

MAS:Thank you Claire and Iain.

For those of you with similar aspirations, there you go..some sound advices from the seasoned duo themselves.

I do harbour more humbler ambitions of backpacking too..but one continent at a time..

Next interview with them would be in Shanghai!

Interview with Carol Wolfson, Director of SCAA (Shanghai)

Imagine this.

A family strolls into a pet shop in Shanghai, falls for a cuddly puppy or kitten, thought to themselves “how difficult can it be to look after a little pet?”. After a couple of months, the kids are bored with the pet, mum is complaining about hair on the furniture, dad thinks the vet bills are too high, etc etc. The family says “no time to look after it”. A few days later, the animal is abandoned somewhere in the streets to fend for its own.

Or, that same pet shop, usually unlicensed in Shanghai as are pet markets and breeders, sell a tiny kitten or puppy, bred in a horrific cat/dog farm, pumped up with antibiotics to make it seem healthy to an unwitting family, and the little one dies within a week or two. Uncommon? No, very common in Shanghai.

Tragic, isn’t it?

It saddens me whenever I see an emaciated dog or cat in Shanghai. It angers me more every time I read about cases of ill-treatment of pets from irresponsible pet ownership. Here in Shanghai, there is just so much we can do to help these helpless animals.

Mad About Shanghai caught up with Carol Wolfson (left), Founder and Director of Second Chance Animal Aid Shanghai, China (SCAA), on the good work they are doing and how we all can all play a part in promoting animal welfare here.

MAS: Hi Carol, you have a long history of campaigning for animal rights and welfare. For ten years, you were on the WWF editorial team based in Hong Kong, served on the Worldwide Board of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), currently helping to raise funds for IFAW’s projects in China and now you founded and run Second Chance Animal Aid Shanghai, China.  What brought you to this part of the world?

Carol Wolfson : I originally came to Shanghai as an exchange student at Fudan Univeristy in 1981, stayed on working with the trading Company Jardine Matheson and was deported in 1982 for not having a work visa (long story!). By then, China was in my blood and I was hired to be an economic analyst in Taiwan for a U.S. consulting firm in 1986…I’ve been working in the region ever since and started my own consulting practice in Hong Kong in 1991. My husband works for the Irish Government and has been posted throughout Asia since we met in Taipei in 1988, and as a consultant, needing only computer and phone, I can easily follow him from country to country.

MAS: What is your motivation for your charity work and what other charitable organizations are you currently involved in ?

Carol Wolfson : In terms of charity work, my mother raised me to be involved with my local community since I was a child and it taught me to believe that no matter how well you do in life, if you do not give back to your community and give of yourself to others, then both life and money are meaningless. When you give your time, efforts and love to other humans, to the environment, to animals, you can get much more back in return. I’ve been involved with many environmental and children’s charities over the last 26 years in Asia, and while living in Beijing 1999-2001, I raised funds to build two project hope schools in ShanXi and Inner Mongolia Provinces for children.

Now I am fundraising director for an NGO called the Shambhala Foundation (www.shambhala-ngo.org) and we are about to open our first Tibetan language kindergarten and a mobile medical clinic in Lhasa. I am also on the board of the Catalyst Foundation (www.catalystfoundation.org.uk) which creates micro-initiatives for abandoned and abused women in rural China. I have a framing and interior design business here in Shanghai that also dedicates a section of the store to selling handmade products that benefit many charities in China and worldwide.  And you mention my work with animals above, and this is my real passion: to save both endangered animal species and companion animals. If we do not save and value all forms of life, then our grandchildren and future generations will suffer; it’s like a domino effect; every action, every act of cruelty or kindness affects all other life.

It’s up to every one of us to make a difference. Animals do not have a voice of their own. They feel pain, hunger, fear, terror, loyalty and love. We have to protect them because they cannot protect themselves. It’s an extremely important lesson for children of all cultures to learn at an early age.

MAS: How did SCAA come about ?

Carol Wolfson : Second Chance Animal Aid was established in March 2005 as a reaction to the fact that there were absolutely no international or reputable local animal rescue/welfare organizations in Shanghai. After being involved with animal protection and welfare organizations for over 14 years in Asia, I became to be known as someone to approach when needing information about diverse animal issues. We moved from Hong Kong to Shanghai in 2004 and people from around the region and within Shanghai who knew about me, started to ask questions about the abandoned animal situation here, where to adopt healthy animals, etc. etc. I didn’t have any answers.

Initially, I didn’t want to start any organization myself. Too exhausted! I approached a couple of the local animal “welfare” organizations, one even registered with the local authorities, but they turned out be nothing more than scam artists…sick animals taken off the street and sold right back out without proper medical care, isolation, behavioral assessment, vaccinations or spay/neuter.

One organization told me how proud they were because they “rescued” and adopted out over 1,500 cats and dogs in one year. I was terribly impressed but now after two years of running SCAA, I realize it was simply impossible…this could only have been accomplished by taking in masses of sick animals and turning them over to strangers in volumes of numbers without any kind of treatment for the animals and without any kind of requirements for “adoptions” (When I hear that five or ten animals are adopted at one time anywhere in China, I immediately assume the animals have been taken for the food and fur trade as no responsible adoptive parent could ever handle more than two animals properly, especially with one-dog restrictions in so many cities in China and also the fact that cats are territorial and certainly are not happy living in households full of other cats…). Plus, the cost to take care of even one animal properly…from the time we find it on the street to first check-up, vaccinations, spay/neuter, follow-ups is easily RMB 1,000+; to properly treat 1,500 animals in one year would be a minimum of RMB 1,500,000 and that is without any complications! As I said, a complete scam!

Thus, when I realized there was no where to turn to for people responsibly, professionally and transparently rescuing, healing and adopting out healthy animals into permanent, loving homes, I realized the only thing I could do was to start my own private, non-profit, all-volunteer organization, Second Chance Animal Aid. It is overwhelming work (sick and abandoned animals don’t rest at night, nor do the people who find them at 3am in a park and call us panicking!), but we have amazing, and very dedicated directors, foster parents and volunteers; we are truly a family.

MAS: How is SCAA different from other animal welfare organizations in Shanghai and China?

Carol Wolfson : Unfortunately, we are the only organization of our kind in Shanghai, and in China. In Shanghai, as I’ve mentioned, there are the scam artists pretending to rescue animals, illegal and immoral pet stores and markets that sell sick animals bred in horrific kitten and puppy farms, smaller unorganized groups of people who save a few animals at a time but have little education about how to properly take care of pets and who also have no outlets to adopt out their animals, and many of these kind-hearted people end up being hoarders with 100-500 dogs and cats kept in unhealthy and improper conditions at best and more often ending up living amid unbelievable squalor and disease.

SCAA is unique because under the guidance of many friends who are experts with IFAW and the UK RSPCA, I consciously decided to NOT start a shelter in Shanghai! As soon as you have a physical address, it will immediately lead to animal dumping, overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, and ultimately animals will have to be euthanized to control the population.

People think they are “saving” an animal by passing it to a shelter or calling us to come “pick up the three kittens in my yard”, but what they are actually doing is passing an overwhelming burden on to others who have to do all the work while they feel like they can look in the mirror saying they did a good thing….throwing an animal over a shelter wall means it’s the veterinarian who must decide which animals live and die (or in terms of hoarders, the animal population is not controlled and you end up with hundreds of animals in a tiny space), and to ask SCAA to assume the burden of an animal that the person finding the animal should take, is irresponsible and overwhelming to all of us who put in 20+ hour days with the animals we already have in our care!.

By not having a physical address or a shelter, we do not allow animal dumping, nor do we have overhead costs. At SCAA we run a foster care network which we call the equivalent of a mobile shelter!  We have about 50-60 dedicated foster parents who take in our animal rescues (many rescue animals as well and then keep to foster), heal them observe their behavior for assessment purposes and then bring them to adoption days over time to meet prospective adoptive parents. In this way, every single animal we rescue goes into an individual home for isolated medical care and we can watch how each animal heals and behaves over time. It’s impossible to do this in a shelter setting where animals can rarely be isolated (and it’s easy for animals to pass diseases back and forth) and where they are crammed together with other animals and species; it’s completely unnatural and many animals who might have been strays on the street but otherwise healthy individuals, end up getting sick and literally go insane from being forced to share space with hundreds of other animals. These hoarders think they are doing a good thing and “saving” the animals, but it’s actually a form of obsessive control disorder and it’s a sickness.

MAS: Tell us about your animal fostering process.

Carol Wolfson : Our fostering process is that if someone finds an animal, let’s say two kittens, on the street, and calls us, we first ask them to read our website, under the paw print (we have a paw that covers our five-most asked questions/topics: I found an animal, I can’t keep my pet, I want to volunteer, I want to donate and I want to adopt an animal!), “I found an animal”. Our rule is, if you pick it up, it’s yours. People call us all the time to come pick up animals but it’s not what we do. We are not a shelter and we are not a humane society. We are a group of very dedicated volunteers, with family and careers of our own, that help people help animals. If you pick up an animal, YOU have to take it to our partner vet, Pets are Wonderful (PAW) which will give a significant discount upon our approval. Our vet assesses the animal and gives it a first round of medical care (usually deflea/worm/mites, vaccination if the animal is healthy, treatment for ringworm and any other skin diseases, etc.) which the person who found the animal must pay for; we completely rely on donations and assistance with medical care costs, so people need to know we are NOT a dumping ground for animals they find.

If our vet and our directors believe the animal is rehomeable (not with a fatal illness or too feral to be tamed), we tell the person that they must keep the animal until we find a foster home (which can often happen within a day or two, but we do need time to make the transition….many people call us and want us to pick up animals they find “RIGHT NOW” and we have to explain again, this is not what we do. And, some people get angry at us because we will not immediately take this burden away from them, but if they are not willing to help us help the animals, there is nothing we can do…it’s frustrating and angering to us that callers sometimes say the animal is “your responsibility” as if it’s a job we are paid for…my reply is “No, it’s not, it’s YOUR responsibility to do the right thing and pick up that starving baby kitten off the street or out of the dumpster, get it warm, feed it, get it to the vet and then we’ll help find a foster home!!” Some people hang up and we know they are not going to help the animal because we are not coming to get it…we just hope they can live with their conscience.).

As I’ve mentioned, we have over 50 very dedicated foster homes. These are people who will take in our animals and give them lots of love and attention. SCAA will cover ALL medical bills of animals in foster care and our foster parents pay only for food and litter. Once they are healed and our vet gives them a clean bill of health, our foster parents bring the animals to our twice monthly adoption days at O’Malley’s (42 Taojiang Road.) The dates are on our website calendar. This provides potential adoptive parents the opportunity to meet our precious animals and for us to meet and talk to the adoptive parents. We have adoption and sterilization agreements that must be signed which outlines our adoption rules and regulations.

Our adoption days have turned into extremely festive events, usually attracting 50-80 people each time…not only foster parents and adoptive parents, but people bringing back their adopted dogs for reunions, our supporters and their own pet dogs, plus families with kids who can’t adopt but want their children to get a tactile dose of a pet here in Shanghai (we are much like a kitty and puppy petting zoo!). Our monthly meetings are also great events and we have several major parties/events coming up this year including a talent quest, children’s art competition, bachelor auction, dog days, monthly happy hours and our annual Xmas gala party! As you can see, we are unique!

MAS: What would you say is SCAA’s most pressing need?

Carol Wolfson : We have three pressing needs:

1. Foster Parents: We always need more foster parents. It’s a  great way to have a “temporary” pet here in Shanghai if you can’t adopt and miss your pet from home or having a furry companion in general. You get a companion and you help save an animal at the same time! You can be a foster parent for emergency cases (1-2 days) or long-term, depending on your situation, and choose from dogs or cats, kittens, puppies or adult animals. We also have a special category we called “bottle feeders”; very dedicated foster parents who are willing to bottle feed babies every two hours for weeks. We are so grateful to these special people because it takes so much dedication and love, but when you see a five-day old kitten or puppy survive because of our foster parents, it’s just a little miracle! We also need special care foster parents who are willing to take in our sick animals. And, during the holidays we need many more temporary foster care parents as our own foster parents go on much-needed holidays too (this includes summer holidays, the October and May holidays, Christmas and Chinese New Year).

2. Donations: The more animals we rescue, the larger the medical bills. The more donations we receive, the more rescues we can carry out. (We are all volunteers and all donated funds go directly to medical care).

3. Event Attendance: All of our events raise funds for medical care, so the more people who pay to attend SCAA events, the more animals we can rescue!

MAS: Tell us about the most heart warming incident you came across in SCAA.

Carol Wolfson : There was an article printed in the Shanghai Star in October 2006 about the very first animal I saved from a “shelter” I was trying to assist, which then prompted me to start SCAA in March 2005. That baby kitten was so precious and so helpless.

 Every success story is heart-warming, especially when the tiniest babies and our sickest animals survive. Take a look at our “Happy Ever After Gallery” on our website and you’ll see what I mean!

MAS:  And the most heart wrenching?

Carol Wolfson : We directors at SCAA are actually somewhat used to the tiniest babies not surviving because their immune systems are too weak. It’s heart-breaking but expected (some 70% of the tiniest ones do not make it but we can take comfort knowing that their final days and moments were in loving arms….not dying from cold, sickness and starvation on the streets or in a garbage dumpster tied in plastic bags—believe it or not, we get a lot of rescues with kittens and puppies left to die this way…). What is not expected is cruelty from any of our supporters, ever.

The most heart wrenching incident we have encountered is when the boyfriend of one of our foster care parents, an Italian man, beat one of our beloved fostered dogs to death, a tiny poodle called Jack, because he defecated in the house by accident. The couple has since fled Shanghai we believe (which is wise because if our supporters ever found him, I’d expect they’d beat him as he beat this defenseless dog…) and also left us with an unpaid veterinary bill. And it goes to show that cruelty knows no country borders. We have actually created a section on the website called the “Hall of Shame” which describes frustrating situations we have dealt with and people we believe should be ashamed of themselves and their conduct. It is interesting reading to say the least!

MAS: What is the profile of your volunteer base? And what kind of volunteers does SCAA need the most ?

Carol Wolfson : At this time, about 95% of our volunteer base is expatriate, but we now have two local directors and our local volunteer base is growing which we are very happy about! I truly believe our long-term sustainability as an organization depends on SCAA becoming a local organization with both foreign and local members working together to save animals in need, healing them and finding them permanent homes. Pets are still relatively new to China, and although there are many dedicated and loving pet owners in Shanghai, education is still very much necessary to be able to provide the right atmosphere, training, welfare, medical, nutrition, licensing and general animal pet care information to potential new pet owners.

As I’ve mentioned our greatest volunteer need is more foster care parents. And we need more local and bi-lingual volunteers to attend and organize local education events where pet care and animal welfare information can be distributed. We work closely with Roots & Shoots in Shanghai, as they provide educational programs in over 130 schools, including many local ones. Our goal is to teach this and future generations about animal welfare and responsible pet care.

MAS: Do you feel that SCAA is accomplishing its mission to date? Or is it long road ahead ?  What would make your job easier?

Carol Wolfson :Yes. We are all very proud of how far SCAA has come in such a short time. We have accomplished so much, very fast, but in reality, we are still a baby organization, less than two years old!! We have rescued, healed and adopted out about 350 animals with another 60+ in foster care at any given time. This is a successful foster care mobile shelter model!

 In fact, several other larger international animal welfare organizations are studying what we do to be able to copy our model elsewhere in China. I think China will progress very fast in terms of responsible pet care ownership. It’s about education for all; learning that animals are sentient beings and deserve respect and love (this includes pets, farm animals, zoo and circus/safari park animals, endangered species, etc.), and that no animal should be treated cruelly. Pet owners need to learn about their own responsibilities: yearly check-ups and vaccinations, licensing their dogs, proper nutrition and the fact that pets are not toys to be disposed of when they get big, or sick or simply because their owners get bored with them….).

Every animal rescue organization in the world has a long road ahead. It’s not just about China. What would help SCAA is people realizing that all pets should be spayed and neutered. There are too many stray animals in this world. It doesn’t hurt their nature or character to be neutered and it actually expands their lifespan because they are less likely to get cancer. One unspayed female and one unneutered male cat can expand to 2.5 million offspring in just six years. What would also help SCAA is people not buying from the horrible pet markets and stores that get their animals from puppy and kitten farms; to buy from them is condoning this barbaric practice: when the buying stops, the selling stops.

Anyone wanting a pet, should adopt from SCAA! And everyone should spread the word that all animals, human and our beloved four-legged friends (as well as birds, snakes, and all species), deserve love and respect on this earth.

MAS: What can existing pet owners in Shanghai do to increase the level of animal welfare here?

Carol Wolfson : First, be a responsible pet owner yourself and then share your knowledge with others!

• If a dog owner, make sure your dog is licensed. It’s the law and it’s responsible pet ownership.
• Make sure your animal get its yearly check-up and vaccinations.
• Don’t leave your pet in a cage when you are not home. It’s their home too. If they have behavioral problems, deal with the problem…not punish the animal by caging it.
• Don’t leave your animal outside in the winter (unless it’s a dog with a sufficiently thick coat and loves cold weather).
• Make sure your dog and cat eat dog and cat food, not human food. They also should not be fed human milk; most cats are lactose intolerant and it’s bad for them.
• Do not buy purebreds or buy from breeders. Mixed dogs are just as wonderful and so many strays need loving homes….why breed animals when there are so many out on the streets that deserve love too.
• Use a properly licensed veterinarian who can prove their educational background and degree. There are many unlicensed people who call themselves vets and they use fake or expired medicines and do not provide real, professional medical care. Ask questions.
• Boycott and protest against unlicensed and inhumane pet stores and breeders. So many of these animals are sick and pumped with antibiotics to look healthy when they are sold but die soon after. Check out any store/market/breeder/”shelter” you buy from, but better yet, adopt a rescued animal from SCAA or rescue an animal you find and give them a loving home.
• Do NOT buy or wear fur. There are TWO MILLION dogs and cats killed each year in China for the fur trade. That coat, gloves, dress, sweater trimmed with a little bit of fur and made in China is just as likely to be made of cat or dog fur as rabbit or synthetic (We love fake fur…good fun. We don’t like real fur of any kind!). And that cute little ponytail holder, scarf or shawl that is soft and furry or is made of little fur balls, it’s about 99% sure to be cat fur. Next time you reach out to buy fur, think how cruelly a cat was drowned or a dog strangled to death and skinned alive, or some endangered species killed for your vanity.
• Do not let people be cruel to animals. I think it’s safe to say that none of our SCAA supporters would pass someone on the street mistreating an animal. We would stop, try to explain animal kindness and most likely try to take the animal ourselves if someone continued to hit or abuse an animal. 

Mahatma Gandhi said: You must be the change you wish to see in the world. It is our responsibility to spread kindness and love to all animals on this planet!

We have many educational leaflets about responsible pet care and animal welfare in Chinese and would be happy to give these to anyone who wants to learn more or distribute them to their friends, colleagues, etc.

MAS: Any plans to branch out beyond Shanghai?

Carol Wolfson : Not immediately, as we are all over-whelmed as it is, but our model is set up such that we can expand to other cities easily. Our partner vet, PAW has a branch in Beijing and we have many other similar sponsors there as well. We would need a dedicated group first of expatriates who want to take this on and the model easily copied in Beijing and other cities. Right now, “man man lai”!

MAS: What are some of  SCAA’s  upcoming programs and what can we expect to see from SCAA in the short term future?

Carol Wolfson : We would welcome your readers to attend our adoption days, monthly meetings, our new monthly happy hours and our upcoming events which are all listed on our website (www.scaashanghai.org ) and now on your fine website as well!

Finally, I personally have a book being launched at the Glamour Bar on 20 May, 4pm. It’s a funny book about being a western businesswoman for over 25 years in Asia. There will be an entrance fee of RMB 50 which includes one glass of wine and all proceeds will go to SCAA, of course! We will also have a fantastic two-prize raffle so stay tuned for more information as the event approaches!

MAS: Thank you, Carol.

If you feel you’re ready for a pet, please adopt instead of buying. This is one of the ways to lighten the SCCA already overwhelming load. Also, do sterilize your pets as it can reduce cases of unwanted newborn animals.

A pet is a long-term commitment. Please ensure that you, your family or friends don’t get an pet unless you’re willing to take care of it for life (which can be a 15+ year commitment). Never, ever abandon your pet. If you really can’t keep it, please find it a new, loving home. Only with concerted action by more people will we see the numbers of unwanted animals decrease.