The trip is almost over. We leave China this Wednesday. There's been so much going on here and so much resonating on my head that to put it all down now would leave reams and reams of mindless blabber on the page. In short, China has been much better than i expected. The weather hasn't been horrible. The particular part of the country where i've been isn't claustrophobically filled with people. The food here is excellent. The bathrooms suck but that's kind of hard to change. The people at the factory have been extremely nice and extremely helpful. It's a little strange because many of the factory workers are around our age and yet they are doing factory labor for $100 a month. I didn't get the chance to interact with many of the actual workers but i am kind of interested in asking how they grew up, what their goals are, what their life is like, stuff like that. They are also apt to treat me and George with almost too much respect, it weirds me out to have people waiting on us while we eat. I actually don't see too much of a cultural difference yet but i think that should i ever stay here for an extended amount of time i will get a better grasp of those things.



Right now my uncle has decided to manage the company for a little while and that gives me more breathing room to decide what i might do. I think there are one of four possibilities: (1) stay in California, finish school, go on with whatever life i can create for myself (2) finish school and then go to work at the company (3) go to London or San Jose and start learning about the sales side of the business (4) go to China and start learning the manufacturing side of the business. Right now however i am wavering on whether or not i want to do the business at all. It is a great opportunity for me to learn and to grow up but i feel like if i choose this route, my life is set. I will travel. I will often be outside the US. I will be a businessman in the musical instrument industry forever. While it has been pointed out to me that nothing is a life commitment, i'm approaching this decision as such because i cannot go into it without the willingness and mindset of giving it my all. I cannot leave if it gets too tough or go back into the company at some later point. Either way, i have until the new year in California and by then, some sort of decision and plan will be reached.