Those who make decision on choices always believe they have the power to control.

I have my doubt on that.

Isn’t those who provide you with choices have a controlling power? What is control anyway? A power to choose or the power to come up with choices.

I am sitting in a poor airport lounge in Hangzhou. Of cause, there has been a lot of improvement lately. New chairs with stylish brown cushion instead of the previous lucky Chinese pink ones. Food are also improved, with a lot of choices.

Now you have a choice of coffee, nice cafe latte, espresso or Americano. A choice between toast, hard boiled eggs and some fruit. Some cakes and some drink. It appears to be some choices here, in the way it was presented. But, in fact, it does not.

It reminds me of a lot of things I found in China. Apparently, you would seem to be offered by several choices to live with. But in fact, you didn’t. Choices have been made for you to select one of them. They made variation of food at breakfast buffet in the hotel but the Chinese and Japanese food section were always crowded. Because they know that the western food section would taste rubbish. The hotel already make a decision to propose you an Asian food for breakfast. Other choices are just simply make you feel good about staying in the state of control. It is a pure illusion of power to control.

Similar to other Chinese consuming culture. You are lured with hundred of consumer product, from daily products to mobile phones. Of cause, you will have hundred of choices to each of the product category. You can have mobile phone with all the options of technology cramped into one equipment. Choices of functionalities. But, most of the product Chinese population can afford will only be made in China. Other product from elsewhere in the world will simply not be available. Or available at high price. That is why you always get things that might look almost identical to iPhone, iPod or iPad but not either of each. It appears like a good joke but it does not meant to be. The product are created so the Chinese people could live with choices. And they believe they each have authoritarian consuming power of choices. They believe they are in control.

So they can be kept under control.

Location:Hangzhou Airtport Lounge