dolma jewelry

China’s Econ, 101

Ashley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:53:15 +0000

There’s lots of talk here on CNN about China’s economy that I’m not hearing expressed as much in the US.

Thought you all might find it interesting…

Labor costs are going up - there was an interview featured on TV with an exporter who said he used to have workers ask him if he could give a job to a cousin, brother, etc. But now, with half his employees gone to better - paying jobs, he’s asking his workers if they have a brother or cousin that could come to work for him.

I assume this is due the increase in demand for products from international companies, as we are hearing from a new friend we made here, that Chinese people do not like “Made in China”, they think it’s cheap. They buy foreign, name brands, and like to pay for quality.

At the same time, China is the world’s leading importer of wood (paper prices are basically a reaction to China’s demand for wood), they are importing soy products, and after switching to a coal-based economy, there will soon be more roads than rice patties… Which means they may not have the means to feed their own population; and we are meeting more and more westerners over here to work, to export their own services instead of importing a product…

Also, inflation is a problem, as there is so much cash - perhaps the government is doing a fine job of spending plenty of RMB, but prices of everyday goods are still going up.

Couple this with an exchange rate that, with international pressure, is more and more realistic (in 2005, when I first studied here, it was 8 RMB to 1 USD, and has gradually dropped to 7:1, 6.8:1, 6.5:1, and this trip is 6.18:1)… I think my last trip the correct exchange rate, if china allowed it’s currency to float was predicted to be closer to 3:1.

Perhaps a textbook economic situation? So interesting.

I have my own predictions, from a business person myself who’s experienced this sort of thing from a micro standpoint I the US - our costs have gone up, competition has increased, and our prices have to go down…

Cost increases to these Chinese businesses, and they’ll decrease price to stay competitive, getting squeezed… And, as cost of living has increased, this new middle class, that probably hasn’t saved properly, will be in a bind. And now, with a fixation on foreign made products and a dependency on foreign idea generation… Perhaps they are not in the position they we paint them in the U.S.

Anybody have any comments? Post them on out FB page, we had to turn off the blog comment section.

Update on the Jetlad

Ashley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:47:43 +0000

He’s been to breakfast every morning, in a business suit, with colleagues, but is still lookin really rough.

It’s Just Another Jellied Egg

Ashley — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:10:30 +0000

Shannon and I went to get a foot massage yesterday and they gave her “the works” at the foot massage price because “she has a very bad body”.

Any way there was fire, and rocks, and I watched it all from my comfy foot massage pedestal. Felt like it was a sacrifice. They did the “cupping” method with mason jars and what looked like a commercially manufactured perma-flaming marshmellow on a skewer which (don’t tell Shannon) looked really unnatural and Pretty extreme for someone who’s had one massage in her life.

She feels sunburned today, and there’s just some bruising, which they said would go away in 3 days, but that she needs to go back in 5… (yeah like that’s happening)… but when we were talking about the odd experiences this morning, I was like “I feel like it was a scenario where you just have to eat the monkey brains”, and she said, which is so funny, “I was thinking the whole time, this is just a jellied egg”

Remember that gross fermented duck egg we had to eat a few years ago for a passerby’s wedding?

If you do read this, don’t tell our mom about the bruising! She’ll freak out.

Also, there is a guy at breakfast who looks really really rough. Disoriented, jet lagged, hasn’t showered in days. Staring blankly, walking slowly and in no direction… what has China done to him?

Oh! We are at breakfast, and the omelette maker just dropped the pan on the floor, with a fried egg in it, left the egg, grabbed the pan and kept cooking. Yes I know the heat probably kills the germs but what about the hair and dust on the floor that are probably now in the omelets? Delectable!

Working Out in Normal Clothes & My Mind Won’t Turn Off

Ashley — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:22:40 +0000

This morning I woke up at 3:30am. After trying to fall asleep for over an hour, I gave in and got up. Restless from the long flight, and ready for a run, I looked in my suitcase to find that for some reason, the weeks supply of work out clothes had not made it into my suitcase.

Just one pair of work out pants. I sigh, and start looking through my bag for some kind of shirt that I can work out in. The only one suitable is the loose, weird V neck I wore on the plane. Great.

I don’t know if you all have noticed this, but often in Europe and also in Asia, people work out in their jeans, business suits, even hike the Great Wall in their Sunday best. I am about to join the ranks these next 2 weeks.

I remember, somewhere after I’d reimbursed the cab driver for the gas that was burning in his idling, locked car, asking reception where the gym was located. Floor 5, room 26.

I get in the elevators, and there’s a button for restaurants, spa, lobby… But no gym. In fact, floors 3-30 specifically say “guest rooms”. I hit 5.

There is a sign for the gym, and I follow it around the corner to another sign, pointing to what looks like a regular old’ hotel room. The lights are off, and the door is cracked, and, having no idea what time it is, am pretty sure I am about to walk in on sleeping people.

I open the door, and am so delighted to find that there are no beds. But it’s also such a disappointment at the same time. This was definitely a regular hotel room with a great view perhaps before Travelocity and the like started posting hotel amenities on the web. Gotta give it to them, though - as an entrepreneur I start thinking about how much money they saved, and also wonder how Precor broke into the Chinese hotel gym market.

And on a side note, did you all know that the boxed wine they sell on the plane is made specifically for the airline? How do I get into that business?

There is no heat on in the room. I assume the gym is closed but ignore it and get on the treadmill. You all should know that I hate treadmills, and China is the only place that i consider running for sport. My view allows me to watch a street vendor prepare for the morning rush. It’s dark and there’s no one else around, so I assume it’s around 4:30am. Later, I see 3 taxi cabs in a row and a few people stop for street food. 5am? And then, a bus drops one person off, and there is a gathering of young people smoking cigarettes and talking near a mini mart that’s got it lights on. Must be 5:30, and as day begins to break I decide to head up to the room.

More alert than the night before, I’m able to really appreciate the oddities of our “business suite”. The furniture and decor are quite old world, with accents that favor a Chinese imperial era, yet the bathroom is quite art deco in style.

The shower is a funny bath-shower blend, with almost no room to stand, and with lots of spa-like spouts and a full bath that the shower head half pours into. You feel like you are showering outside the shower, but you know you’re not supposed to be standing in the tub…

Also, the sliding door to close the shower is in the utilitarian, Chinese propaganda style. A large sign in Chinese and English warns you abruptly to be careful when opening the door. As they would warn to you watch your step or watch your head when touring a temple. Also, there is a red emergency button over the bath that says SOS, which I find really funny, because I wonder who told them that abbreviating “save our ship” would really get the point across. Perhaps the large bath, and assumingly, the large foreigner in the bath, seem to be an appropriate situation in which they would literally have to “save that ship”.

I must mention though, the highlight of our room. A painting, with it’s own spot light.

Breakfast at 6:30 includes a sampling of Japanese Chinese and English breakfasts. I eat fried noodles and cooked cabbage with mushrooms and am in heaven. Notice the Yozi on my plate, too, which if you’ve tried is sweeter than a grapefruit and has less juice. Best fruit in the world. Copious pots of green tea also don my table.

Shanghai means “on the water” in Chinese. It is given this name because the HuangPu River runs through it, dividing it into east and west. PuXi, (Pu River West) retains a very old world feel, and PuDong, (Pu River East) has a new world feel. We always stay in Puxi, and today, after reading the pressure that the US is putting on China to allow it’s currency to float more freely, I look from the old world onto the new, and feel a since of metaphorical, microcosmic clash that perhaps one can only feel from this spot, at this time in history.

Day 1: Booth Sales Blues, In-flight Farters, & Locking Out the Cab Driver

Ashley — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:59:59 +0000

We left from NYC this morning at 11. Arriving at the airport with plenty of time, we headed to the Sky Club to chill until time to board. It was the first time we’d used the Sky Club - last year we bought a business platinum charge card from AMEX that has no international fees, which saves us a ton of money (for those of who travel often, you should consider it - the international fees are usually around 3%)? And one of the perks from this premo card is the Club. However, I’ve been denied more than accepted - we have to be flying delta, have the card present, Yada Yada Yada… But today we finally got to take full advantage of a personal plug in for our ipad and cell phone, along with complementary drinks - so, why not? It’s 5 o’clock in China…. Better get on their time asap.

The reason I bring up the Club Room is that Shannon made quite a mind blowing observation: there was a Coca Cola booth set up in the corner, with a delta employee offering diet cokes. a promotional effort on Coke’s part. Shannon looked at me: “Ashley, do you realize how big Coke is, how long they’ve been doing this, how well-known their brand is… And they still have to set up booths in the Sky Club.”

We had a sinking feeling. What have we signed up for? Will we always be promoting product behind a booth? Our whole lives? Does it never get easier?

Then we thought, well it’s not like Mr. Cola is having to work it himself…

Instant mood change.

Anyway, the flight was pretty good, except that the woman behind us - I’m just gonna give it to you straight - was farting the entire time. It was more potent and often after meal service, but I have to say a pretty regular stream of fart smells accompanied us throughout the flight. And we know exactly who it was. After 15 hours, we finally narrowed it down.

Upon arrival in Shanghai, we took a cab to our hotel. We got out, paid the guy, and after walking inside to check us in, I turn around and the cab driver is screaming at Shannon and the bell boy… His car is running, the doors are closed…

Turns out, in my attempt to help remove the carry on luggage I locked the car and closed the door. Oops.

My adventure in Austin, TX

Ashley — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:07:57 +0000

It’s been a long day in Austin, TX, After a day of cold calling in Austin…

I’m sorry, I’m already getting ahead of myself.

This morning at 6:30am, I left Dallas, TX for Austin. Hoping to be there before the stores opened at 10, I gave myself about a 30 minute grace period that was quickly eaten up by my GPS- telling me I was going south but directing me north on I-35; followed by a refuel at Country Boys that, after a few unsuccessful tries to pull up close enough to the pump while still being able to open my car door and shimmy out, it became a battle of wits between me and the credit card swiper, and then me verse the overfilled trash -as i attempted to dump the first round of today’s caffeine in the trash to make room for the 32 ounce soda and liter bottle of water I’d purchased inside.

With those two time wasters behind me, I roll right into standstill traffic, which I eventually find to be the result of rubber necking.

On a seemingly good note, the traffic did afford me the time to check an email from hotels.com advertising a deal on a hotel, which I purchased. A king bed,a gym, and complimentary breakfast are included. Perfect.

I arrive to Austin a little late, but with lots of hope, and begin my cold calls.

That part was just fine.

Then, I drive to my hotel. To find that it doubles as a condo community. Doors on the outside. Not my first choice when traveling alone.

I wonder if I’m walking into a leasing office or a hotel, and find a nice hybrid of the two. I get in line to check in, and after a few minute wait, I receive my room key that looks a lot like the key to my Crown Victoria rental car I’m driving around.

The parking spots are tight, and the turn radius on the Crown Victoria is not. After I do a 15 point park, I carry my bags up a flight of stairs that leads only to my condo/hotel.

I put my stuff in the bedroom, and notice a huge closet and the kind of hair dryer that plugs into the wall.Then I remember: I left my treasured hair dryer in Dallas. Shoot.

Anyway, I head to the living area with a full kitchen, and feel a little bit overindulgent as I am here for one night and will not be cooking. But as I look behind another door, there is another bedroom, with a bigger closet and bathroom, that is so large I almost wonder if it closes off like an adjoining room that they are going to rent/sell to someone else. The safety factor of that situation, as well as my overwhelming feeling of wasting all this space over ride my general question of “how did I end up here?”

Anyway, I’m looking forward to using the gym, and as I change I realize that the slightest movement has made the room seem almost 1000 degrees. I try turning on the A/C, but it’s the condo type, and won’t budge.

I do realize that my history with buttons and electronics is relatively shaky, so I thought it best to call the front desk for a walk through. But there is no dial tone. I plug in the phone, take out and put back in the batteries, and it’s working.

Maintenance is on the way, and I figure I’ll look up some order in spots near me. But the Internet is not working.

I check back with my friend at the front desk. Ah, not available till 7:30pm. Ok. And what about any recommendations for dinner? He has none. Not one? No. Do you live in Austin? Ma’am there is a list at the desk that you can look at.

A/C is on 64, and maintenance shows me how to jiggle the unit in case of another emergency. I head to the Gym, which is not a gym, but a small room with a bike that doesn’t work, an eliptical that does not work, and a treadmill that I can get up only to the walking pace.

It’s also 1000 degrees in the gym, and though I’ve burned 30 calories in 8 minutes, I’m covered in sweat. I decide it’s not worth it, and that I’m going to shower and find a place to eat.

The shower head produces a sputter and then a trickle, and laughing, I take a shower under the drip.

I get dressed, and feel instantly better, as I’m wearing a new scarf I bought in Dallas from Christy M. Boutique that makes me feel like a million bucks. I put on some new, green Mary Janes and a link rain-or-shine coat.

$25, Christy M Boutique

When I get to the crown vic I find a note, asking me to park closer to them next time.

But alas, in the comfortable police car, and donning a beautiful scarf from Christy M in Dallas I stumble upon the most delicious Thai food in the world.

New born baby girl, Adelaide Elise, in dolma pearls

Ashley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:56:03 +0000

Proud parents Bryn and Richard are starting their newborn baby girl off right - getting this little lady used to the finer things in life.

Dolma Jewelry has been selected for the 2011 Best of Atlanta Award in the Jewelry Stores category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

Ashley — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:55:09 +0000

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dolma Jewelry Receives 2011 Best of Atlanta Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

NEW YORK, NY, December 13, 2011 — Dolma Jewelry has been selected for the 2011 Best of Atlanta Award in the Jewelry Stores category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@uscaaward.com
URL: http://www.uscaaward.com

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dolma’s new add for DHR & Co. in the Atlanta Mart

Ashley — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:05:27 +0000

Going Red

Ashley — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:23:35 +0000

I was hankering for a change, and had been contemplating dying my hair red.

When my grandmother arrived from Washington state last night with a less-than fabulous hair color, we figured we’d both head to one of our cute hair salons in the Atlanta area that just so happens to carry dolma - Michelle Coulture Salon on Phar Rd in Atlanta, GA - and see what would come of the visit.

See below…

Nana with owner, Michelle, at MC Salon

I came in with a few photos for inspiration…

And here’s what happened…

Me and Kristin... ready for a change. I panicked at first, but she talked me through it, and assured me that it would look OK!

The finished product! I Looove it!

Me and Nana, with our new hair!