Manager Job Opening in Xiamen

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
I just received a note that a Xiamen firm seeks an expat (or Taiwan or Hong Kong resident) manager, age 30 to 40.
The link is at the bottom of this blog entry.
Note that the English requirements say "Kill and Experience Required." I think they meant to add an "S" in front of Kill (unless they're looking for a 007-type manager?).
Bill
(Job Responsibilities & Requirements)： JOB TITLE: QS/Tender Manager
REPORTING TO:City General Manager
LOCATION: Xiamen City

1.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

a.Project Cost Estimate Preparation or Review
b.Preparation of Cost Ledger
c.Sourcing, Assessment, Prequalification / Screening of Contractors ＆ Suppliers
d.Preparation or Review of Bid Documents
e.Administration of Bidding / Tendering Process
f.Preparation or Review of Contract Documents
g.Regular Project Budget Monitoring / Preparation of Cash Flow Projections
h.Payment Evaluation / Recommendation
i.Change Order Evaluation
j.Preparation or Review of Final Accounting of Construction Project

2.KILL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Knowledge: Quantity Surveying / Cost Estimation, Project Construction
Education: Engineering degree （Civil）
Skills:organizing / management skills, negotiation skills, written and oral language skills （English and/or Chinese）, computer literacy, construction contract writing / reviewing
Experience: Quantity Surveying / Contracts or Tender Management / Construction Management
E-mail Mr. Emerson Chan, HR Supervisor, at: zhifu.chen@dfre.com.cn

Tel:0592-5859591*206
0592-5826089
Fax:0592-5859589
Website:www.dfre.com.cn

	厦门顶峰房地产开发有限公

Click Here for Full Info

招聘期限： 2009-08-18 2009-09-07 16:14 招聘部门： 预算部 联 系 人： 陈先生(人事主管) 联系电话： (合则约见、谢绝来电) 通信地址： 厦门市厦禾路885号 厦门顶峰房地产开发有限公司(361004)(合则约见、非请勿访)

职位基本要求

学历要求： 本科以上 性别要求： 不限 职位性质： 全职 招聘对象： 七年工作经验以上 外语要求： 英语水平要求精通 年龄要求： 30岁至40岁 工作地点： 厦门市

Click Here for full Job info

www.amoymagic.com

Millennium Harbourview Hotel -- 5-Star Angels?

Bill Brown  ...   Xiamen University
Xiamen's Best Hotels

I've often said that the best hotel in Xiamen is the Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen because of the great location, excellent cuisines (best Italian in town), and excellent service.  So today I was happy to come across this Yahoo review about the Millennium (the Millennium even found his lost luggage and helped him buy new clothes!). The review noted it had 5-star service and amenities.  It's ironic, because Xiamen websites list it as 4-star, but many of the so-called 5-star hotels in Xiamen have 4-star or even 3-star.  In my eyes, Millennium is the star.

Incredible Service!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 06/29/09
This was my favorite stay on my business trips over this past month. The location was amazing, right in the downtown but within view of Gulangyu Island. When my luggage was lost by the airlines, the hotel's Concierge called the airlines continuously and got my luggage delivered straight to me. Meanwhile I had no clothes aside from what I was wearing, since they were all in my lost luggage, but a charming angel at Guest Relations walked with me to the nearby Trustmart and helped me buy a set of clothes.

The room was comfortable, all the standard 5 star amenities, and the breakfast was great. The hotel is priceless and I will be returning every time on my following visits. Thank you Millennium Harbourview for the amazing experience!!!
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-482571-xiamen_vacations-i

www.amoymagic.com

Xiamen Rent a Car

Bill Brown  ...    Xiamen University

It is now possible to rent a car in Xiamen, with a driver or to drive yourself--but caution is in order!

First, driving a car in China is totally unlike driving back home.  It is automotive warfare, survival of the fastest.  Don't believe me?  Read "Darwinian Driving--Survival of the Fastest."  While it is humorous, it is also 100% true (as even Chinese friends have admitted).

Still want to rent a car in Xiamen?  There are various websites, but as far as I can find, they are all in Chinese.  But if you can't read Chinese, you'll have problems anyway.  Many cities have signs full of Chinese writing warning against this or that on this street or in that area.  I've only had 3 tickets in my 30+ years of driving in the U.S., but I had 3 in China within 30 days of getting my license back in 1993. 

Still, if you're careful, you'll find that driving in China is not only survivable but even enjoyable (in China, who needs Nintendo or Wii or Play Station  if you have a car, and streets full of cars and pedestrians to dodge--or, on occasion, hit).  Driving really frees you up, and we've put 200,000 km. on our two cars, even driving 40,000 km. to Tibet and Back, in 1994 (through the Gobi Desert no less, in our 2-wheel drive Toy Ota).

Try this website for cars ranging from 250 Yuan to 1200 Yuan a day:
http://www.xm-lease.net/  

And do read about Darwinian Driving in China!

Also check out Tibet in 80 Days

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

www.amoymagic.com

Free legal software to remove DRM from audio files

Bill Brown  ...  Xiamen University


I was frustrated to find that the album I bought online was DRM protected WMA files.  While the site had claimed they could be played on MP3 players, they could not.  They worked on my computer, but not on my iPod shuffle (a dinosaur-version, given to me by my sister years ago), or my Philips MP3 player.  Itunes would not play them because it said they were protected and could not be converted. 

I spent hours searching for ways to remove the DRM (after all, I did not illegally download these, but paid for them from a reputable site; I should be able to play them).  The internet is chock full of links to Free DRM removal software and DRM free software and every combination you can think of--all throwing in the word FREE to get you to click.  But almost everyone ended up charging $30 or $40 or more to convert more than 30 seconds or so.  But I found a FREE Solution!

First...if the files are DRM Free (no DRM protection), you can convert WMA to MP3 easily, quickly, and for free with a FREEWARE program (not a trial--really free), called Switch Audio Converter.  While they do urge you to pay for the upgraded version, their free WMA to MP3 conversion software works fine.  I just used it--and it works for both Windows and MAC.  (And, by the way, I receive no commission for referring you; I just hope you can avoid the hours of fruitless searching that I spend downloading, installing, and then uninstalling and deleting a dozen programs that claimed to be free but were not).

The next part-- removing DRM for free-- is trickier.  The only easy to use Freeware that I could find was AnalogWhole.  Actually, I'd think that removing DRM would be illegal, but Analog gets around this by playing the file on your computer and recording it as an unprotected copy.  This is real time, so it takes 30 minutes to convert a 30 minute audio file.  Slow--but it is 100% free DRM removal software.  The other disadvantage, though, is that as it records the file being played, it picks up ambient noise (taps on the computer, movement, etc.).  The background noise was distracting.  You have to adjust the microphones just right (it helps you do this), because too low and you can't hear the DRM free copy, but too high and you get distortion, and it picks up everything from computer noise to your intestines digesting the previous night's pizza.  Still...for free, who can complain.

The Best Solution for Converting DRM protected files?  Don't buy them in the first place, if you can possibly avoid it.  I understand the reasoning behind them, but it penalizes those of us who do buy legal copies, for our own personal Fair Use.  But if, like me last night, you pay good money for files that you can't play on your MP3 player, then the above is the only really free solution that I could find.

If you know of better free solutions to removing DRM protection, please share them.

In closing--I am assuming that anyone reading this is seeking a way to remove DRM encoding from audio or video files that were obtained legally, and are being used legally--not shared!

Enjoy Amoy!

Bill


www.amoymagic.com

Xiamen Olympic Museum

Bill Brown   ...  Xiamen niversity

The Xiamen Olympic Museum, the only one of its kind in China approved by both the Chinese Olympic Committee and the International Olympic committee, now has a nice English Web Site.

Visit the museum, and nearby, on the Island Ring Road, note the 99 slightly larger than life bronze statues of marathon runners.  The winner is, as happens every year, an African runner.  Last in place is a "runner" in a wheelchair, being pushed by a friend (a nice touch, as Xiamen has numerous programs to encourage physically challenged locals to get involved in sports, which is why the Fresno-based "Break the Barriers" program received record media attention when they performed in Xiamen). 

See "Break the Barriers Proves Anti-Gravity in Xiamen."

Also check out our beautiful 6km. (actually, 5.9 km). Xiamen Boardwalk.


www.amoymagic.com

World's Largest Organ Museum

Bill Brown


Hu Youyi, the Gulangyu-born piano collector who now resides in Australia and founded Gulangyu's Piano Museum (the largest in Asia, and the only one in China), has also built the world's largest organ museum on Gulangyu (no, it is not a museum for the world's largest organ, but the largest museum for organs; I just know someone would grab hold of that).

The museum has more than 100 organs,  including over 30 varieties of reed organs, accordions, pianicas and three large-scale pipe organs.

It is in the Bagua Lou (Eight Diagram Building--the prominent domed building that resembles a consulate). 


Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com

Medical Prescriptions in Xiamen

Bill Brown       Xiamen University

30 July 2009, Ms. K.S. wrote:
HI there,

I am moving to Xiamen from New York City in a few weeks.  I take some prescribed medications. I am hoping you can tell me whether or not I will be able to get them in Xiamen as well.  I regularly take Adderall. Do you have this medicine there?  Is it easily available? Is it expensive? Who do I need to get a prescription from in China, a physician or psychiatrist?  Should I bring a letter from my doctor here?

I hope you can help! I am desperate to find out as it may affect my trip.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

K,S,

My reply:  I think you need not worry, especially with the opening of the Chenggang Hospital (check our site's Xiamen Hospitals page).  Many prescription meds are available over the counter.  Those that aren't, you can get prescriptions at hospitals (we prefer Chenggang).  But meds such as sleeping meds are generally doled out only half a dozen pills at a time, meaning a trip once or twice a week to the hospital, which is a pain, so you might want to bring a supply of those.
        Enjoy Xiamen!
        Bill
www.amoymagic.com