Not really anything about medical or tourism today, just an observation about three trends.
Angry Birds. They are everywhere. The Arabs seem to favor the clothing (a bit inappropriate, I think, for an adult to walk around in matching shorts and shirt Angry Bird clothing), the kids of all cultures seem to like them and I saw a nurse with an Angry Bird hanging off of her uniform. What caused the Angry Birds to go from a popular game to a worldwide phenomena? I do confess to having played the game. I removed it from my Itunes because, well, I played the game. A bit too much. What made the leap from a fun game to an aftermarket money maker? Dunno.
Iphones. They are everywhere. I have the 4s, my wife has my hand me down 4. They are slick, slick machines. I love all of the apps, love comparing what people have and use on their phones, which are really powerful computers with great cameras in your pocket. But so many people here have Iphones, and they aren't cheap. We bought our phones directly from Apple, unlocked so you could use a sim no matter what country you are in - and here, they are all unlocked GSM phones - which means you pay full price, not the subsidized prices charged in the U.S. and the providers then make their money off of long term cell phone contracts. So, with a GDP of $8,900 and the cost of an Iphone 4s at $749 for the cheapest model, how do people afford so many of them? Dunno.
The Chinese. They are everywhere. About a year and a half ago, I had to take a business trip to Guam from Hawaii on Continental Airlines. I was a veteran of that route a few years ago, and it was filled with Chamorro's and Japanese. This time, it was jam packed with Chinese. Plenty of signs in Hawaii and Guam in Chinese. Everyone knows about the Chinese economy, 2nd largest in the world, one of the fastest growing, blah, blah, blah. But I also saw them aplenty in Dubai - where they most certainly weren't two years ago. This is not the standard, run of the mill Chinese diaspora - these were and are tourists (but not the ones I've seen in Kuwait - they were there for business) who had tourist dollars to spend. And while there is an enormous Chinese influence in Thailand, they are here as well, but the ones I'm seeing are not selling dried squid or dried something or other on the streets, they are here on vacation. 2nd largest economy in the world, but with a GDP per capita of $7,600, lower than Thailand. Whoa. Really dunno. But all of it is something else.
Angry Birds. They are everywhere. The Arabs seem to favor the clothing (a bit inappropriate, I think, for an adult to walk around in matching shorts and shirt Angry Bird clothing), the kids of all cultures seem to like them and I saw a nurse with an Angry Bird hanging off of her uniform. What caused the Angry Birds to go from a popular game to a worldwide phenomena? I do confess to having played the game. I removed it from my Itunes because, well, I played the game. A bit too much. What made the leap from a fun game to an aftermarket money maker? Dunno.
The Chinese. They are everywhere. About a year and a half ago, I had to take a business trip to Guam from Hawaii on Continental Airlines. I was a veteran of that route a few years ago, and it was filled with Chamorro's and Japanese. This time, it was jam packed with Chinese. Plenty of signs in Hawaii and Guam in Chinese. Everyone knows about the Chinese economy, 2nd largest in the world, one of the fastest growing, blah, blah, blah. But I also saw them aplenty in Dubai - where they most certainly weren't two years ago. This is not the standard, run of the mill Chinese diaspora - these were and are tourists (but not the ones I've seen in Kuwait - they were there for business) who had tourist dollars to spend. And while there is an enormous Chinese influence in Thailand, they are here as well, but the ones I'm seeing are not selling dried squid or dried something or other on the streets, they are here on vacation. 2nd largest economy in the world, but with a GDP per capita of $7,600, lower than Thailand. Whoa. Really dunno. But all of it is something else.
No comments:
Post a Comment