Campbell Gals Pics Part II

I never did finish posting the rest of the pics from their trip in May! Here are a few more of my favorites!

This is two tired chicas climbing the Great Wall. Believe it or not, I actually took them to the WRONG section. As many times as I have been to the Great Wall with visitors, I got the names mixed up. No wonder I couldn't find my favorite toboggan slide down the mountain!

This cute lady really wanted to show us her bird!

I took them by the Olympic stadium complex on their last day in town. That's the bird nest stadium in the background there. How do you like the sand storm? It turns Beijing skies a nice brown color a couple days each spring. No worries, it won't be like that for the summer olympics :) Oh, and the white buildings between me and the stadium are temporary housing that the construction workers live in. Construction workers come to Beijing by the thousands. Migrant workers, but still from China, just from the rural areas of the country.

In front of China's leaning tower. What? Pisa is unique?

Playing in front of the decorative windows in the Suzhou gardens:

Everyone singing their hearts out at Karaoke night:

Getting simultaneous manicures, pedicures and head massages after shopping. Isn't vacation nice?

Here's the girls enjoying my favorite treat on snack street. Strawberries coated in sugar. Who wouldn't love it?

The Campbell Gals Pay a Visit

I haven't written in a month, but I've been busy! I got two weeks off in the middle of May because friends Jessica and Judith arrived in Beijing for vacation! We spent a week in Beijing and four nights in Hangzhou and Suzhou. Both of those places were first times for me and fabulous spots. Hangzhou is a city with the famous West Lake, perfect for bike riding, climbing pagodas and kayaking. Suzhou is the "Venice of the East" in that it has small one story houses all along canals, crossed by hundreds of little bridges. Perfect for walking, shopping and taking boat rides! All in all, we had a great time. Here's some pics for ya!

Playing during a sunset on the top of a pagoda:

Getting Lost:

The girls came the same week of the big earthquake in Sichuan on May 12th. This was a memorial on the floor of my building that we saw one night coming home...

Pretend telephone:

Hats Galore!

Buying jewelry in the market from an old friend:

Riding bikes in Suzhou:

Feeding fish outside of the Suzhou Museum:

The following post....

The following post on China is debatable. The truth is, I never know exactly what I think, because I'm going on 2 years of living here, plus 20+ years of being socialized in the U.S., so it's a little mixed up! But I wrote the following article because it is a perspective that is different from a lot of what is showing up in the U.S. media, and something I run into on a daily basis. PLEASE leave comments, make it a discussion, because sometimes my news comes just as much from you as it does from the television or internet. I especially like Katbob's comment on the Olympics article! She said: "It's just human decency, to speak up for what's right when we can, especially because the smart and sensitive and good people of China cannot."

The only thing that living long periods of time in other countries does is create indecisiveness for me. You can no longer side with your home or the place you live now, perpetually in the middle! This is where I'm finding myself. Not an American. Not Chinese. Just trying to make sure I've brought out all the points on each side...rarely able to firmly embrace just one side...but making sure we're at least aware of all of them. (All that to say, just read below for interest, and please post a comment :)

My Olympics 2 Cents

I debated whether or not I should open my mouth on this issue, as it is overplayed on both sides of the world, but I'm sitting somewhere in the middle, watching what is going on in the U.S., thinking that it couldn't be more foolish. It is actually painful to watch the popular opinion against the Olympics, led by individuals, celebrities, and politicians.

First: Bad things are happening all over the world. Drawing up boycotts against a sports event or publicly held companies is just pointless. Why cause harm to all those people and organizations also? Attack the source, not just easy targets that typically serve as others' enjoyment.

Second: The U.S. is special. We have freedom of speech. One person, not from the government, can have an idea and influence others. Example: Half of this Darfur business started with Mia Farrow...just a celebrity that had some money and a soap box. But she has waged a war against an entire Chinese population that has no freedom like she does to influence their peers and government. Even if they wanted to side with her and promote change, they couldn't. So is it fair to ruin all the good things they had to look forward to in 2008?

Third: Even if the Chinese government is doing something wrong in that situation, aren't we a little hypocritical to think we never did something like that for natural resources? I know it doesn't make it right, but my point is we're not exactly a shining example for the rest of the world, and look awfully fake on top of that soap box.

Fourth: China is a developing country. Developing. That means coming out of poverty. Here you have the world's largest population, finally emerging into the world, but still far from the level of wealth or comfort of the average American. There are serious growing pains, but from their perspective they feel they have the same right to the pursuit of happiness, as Americans like to say. It is easy to stand on a soap box when you already have everything you need, isn't it? You have enough to eat, and the only complaint is that your personal car is costing more to drive these days.

Fifth: This is individualism vs. collectivism. Attacking one's own government in the U.S. is expected. If you are educated, you should have an opinion and be able to critique with the best of them. This is the same and even more intense in Europe. It is expected, people are separate from the government, and you certainly don't hurt to many feelings in the process. If you look at a country like China, however, the government is the people. There is little separation and certainly no open or permitted critique. Thinking and ideology have been fused together over the centuries, so not only can those that are "trouble-makers" not get that far anyway with their individualistic ideas, but the majority that aren't looking for trouble are being slapped in the face every time the country is humiliated in the global scene. My friends and coworkers just look disappointed and defeated sometimes. Every time an Olympic torch issue occurs, or something public like Steven Spielberg stepping out of his Olympic role, it is like every hopeful and excited person in the country is getting another slap in the already swollen face. I've never seen anything like it. So much emotion, expectation, dreams for the future, desires to be a host to the world, and for the first time to prove that they aren't the poor farmers everyone thinks they are. It's moving, really.

I'm not saying either government is right or wrong, it's far too complicated and there are a lot of parties at fault. But before individuals start screaming their opinions and finding their soap boxes, I just hope that we can look at A) How much of that opinion was influenced by for-profit media companies, B) How does that opinion affect other people, and C) Do I hold expectations because I'm from a certain political/economic status, and am holding other people to that standard even though they are not nearly as blessed as me? Am I being fair or just taking the easiest opinion route?

May is Here

I have been pretty absent on the blog for the last two weeks. Busy-ness plus sporadic internet will do that to you. In mid-April my company rather suddenly bought plane tickets to Jakarta, Indonesia, and I spent two weeks down there in sunny SE Asia. Unfortunately, this was the view most of the time, not the beach...

We gave many sales and technical presentations to Indonesian oil companies, and I eventually learned the language of the Engineers, how to make the presentations, answer their questions, initiate an equipment trial process, etc. It was a valuable experience in terms of sales practice and start-up business in developing countries. The market looks good, and we'll be back and forth quite a bit, so we moved into an apartment after the first week...tired of the hotel. Here's the view of the Jakarta sun setting from our window...not bad!

Now I'm back in Beijing though, and have left my boss down there to continue on. It may be a beautiful place, and the business may be good, but in the end I missed all the people back in Beijing. I'll certainly never be that work-a-holic that can just live without her people!

Congratulations!

I just had to stick two pictures up here to celebrate two of my best girl friends.

Mrs. Courtney Gwinn had her second little girl, Jane Claire Gwinn on April 19th:


And Mrs. Karen Cronin just told me that she has her very first on the way!

This ultrasound picture might be a little blurrier than the one above, but it's just a peanut right now!

Congratulations to both of you! Life is really amazing- Your families are beautiful and you are blessed!

Being over here in Asia, it is hard sometimes to watch your friends' lives in the U.S. keep going by. But I've realized that there is something special in seeing lives in steps or phases. I really get to appreciate the beauty of their lives because I don't see it or experience it every day like I used to. Now, as opportunities for communications are rarer, I get to experience the big stuff. The marriages, the babies, the birthdays, etc. And there is something so special in watching their lives and joys, even from a distance!

"Can miles truly separate you from friends.... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?" ~Richard Bach

Congrats again girls! Love you both!

April is Going by Too Fast!

I can't keep up. Work is running a mile a minute and my family members are all getting impatient that I'm not writing blogs twice a week! :) I am getting ready to launch a product trial tomorrow and go to Indonesia later this week, so accept my apologies. There has been a lot of experiences that I need to write about, but a good start is a couple of pictures.

This past weekend was a 3 day weekend due to a Chinese holiday. Saturday I actually drove my boss's car along with two other friends out to hike outside of Beijing. Driving in China isn't as hard as people think. I might even apply for my license one day! This is us standing in front of the "Giant Buddha" at the bottom of the mountain.

And last weekend we celebrated Adrian's birthday! The party was super fun, and a great chance to bring all the friends together in one place. (Bday boy on the right)

Just having fun...

And blowing out candles...

It's time to register for classes back in Columbia, SC right now. We are having a hard time thinking of life back in school in SC, as we have been in Beijing almost 14 months now. But the day has to come eventually! The truth is, we will have fun and learn new things wherever we go, but its amazing how quickly we became attached to Beijing.

Easter Eggs & Karaoke

After a little push from Aunt Cindy, I realized that no matter how busy one is, the blog must go on!

The job is craziness right now. I went to Shanghai over the weekend to meet two clients. I came back on Sunday morning and we took off again on Monday to drive to Tianjin for the day. Not to mention our main Indonesia client gets to Beijing this weekend. So needless to say, the pace is picking up.

Easter evening we pulled together about 15 friends for dinner. Although we ate Chinese food, I dyed eggs with the stuff Mom sent, so does that count?

And then we played the Romanian egg game from last year again. Strongest egg wins!

Rory actually gave Sarah and I cute little Easter bags with candy!

The next Monday Alex, an MBA classmate that was in Shanghai, was visiting Beijing and insisted we go sing some Karaoke. I love this picture...true Rock-and-Rollers!

The job has picked up considerably and I am doing everything from Marketing to Sales to Financing to Project Management and sometimes getting lost in the process. But it is still a great learning experience, and as you can see, we still find plenty of ways to spend time with the amigos!

Birthday Celebrations

The birthday week had 3 celebrations, one at girl's night, which you already saw. Then there was one at the office and one at the house. At the office...

They got me a fruit-topped cake...

And made me wear a pointy hat...

And then came the group picture. This is most of the Beijing office:

Then at the house, there aren't great pictures. But here are two friends shots. This is a Thai gal with her Indonesian boyfriend, my classmate last year. Sweetest people you'd ever meet:

And a group of crazies. Can you believe there are 5 IMBAs in this mix?:

All total there were 25-30 people at our "birthday/housewarming" party. I think it was a success, and definitely a fun way to break in the new house!

New Apartment

After our year lease was up in the apartment near the university, we decided to move close to where are internships are located. Since then, we've had some requests for some pics of the new apartment, so here they are! We are in the heart of the happenin' business disctrict (known as CBD in Beijing). Two blocks off of the largest and most famous street in the city. (The street that crosses through the middle of Tian'An Men Square.) So I walk 15 minutes to work, crossing a bridge over this gigantic road. The black building next to the road on the right is part of the China World Trade Center.
(In the morning on the way to work)

(At night coming home) The right side goes west into the city...always jammed up.

And for the house. This is part of the living room, known as the reading corner :)... TV on right, couch on left:

And from sitting in the reading corner...this is the dining area/hallway. But everything moved to the side getting ready for the birthday party :) (Mom, Dad, notice the birthday flowers you sent me on the chest!)

My room, gotta love IKEA!

And the kitchen, which admittedly, Sarah uses more than me:

That's all. No fancy tour like last time, but you got the picture! :)

The Red Classics Theater

Long story about how I got there, but me and about 8 Chinese people went to a birthday dinner at this tucked away "Red" theater. It was all songs, uniforms, slogans, etc. from the Mao Zedong era, and if you're unsure who that is, I'm talking about the communist founder of the current People's Republic of China. I was definitely the only blond in the crowd of Chinese, and got some looks, but it was quite the experience. Everyone knew the songs from lessons in elementary school, and had little red flags to waive around with the servers and performers when they were inspired. I'm not going to comment much more, because I'm not sure what my impressions were to be honest. Below is a video of one of the songs, with the servers standing on the chairs involving the crowd. Another interesting "first" for me, that's for sure.

The Cost of Patience

In the Chinese work environment, especially start-up companies, one needs a great deal of patience. Things seem complicated if you are an American, and many things rely on private connections that are out of your control. So I was discussing this patience with my boss. On-line I read this:

Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. It's a learned art that requires discipline. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement, and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.

However, I tend to differ somewhat with the above person's perspective. Maybe it is true in many personal situation, but not always in business. There is often a direct relationship between patience and cost. The more patience required, the more it is costing you in both time and money. The cost of patience is often high, and unmeasured by the calm manager. My reactions in my job have gone through a cycle of cultural adjustment. Reaction A- Objecting. "This is ridiculous! I can't believe we have to do it this way." Reaction B- Embracing or understanding. "Oh, this can make sense, and actually presents a good opportunity that wouldn't exist in the U.S, even though it might be complicated." Reaction C- Merging the two.

As a start-up company in China, you have to sift through the chaos of opportunities and relationships while still being good managers of your resources of time, people and money. The people have to see the light at the end of the tunnel to stay motivated, requiring goal setting, goal achievement and communication. Goals have to be met and money has to be returned with a profit, all which cannot happen if our capacity for patience is unreasonably large. Previously when some of these things haven't happened as they should, and I started to object, I was told that there were cultural differences, and I just had to be patient and let people do things their way. Lately, as I've gained more understanding though, I have been able to communicate these ideas more clearly and now we are meeting somewhere in the middle. Now we work together. I strive to appreciate the new and different ways business can be done in China, that might not follow a strict system. However, I am able to directly push my supervisors to make reasonable goals, communicate them better both up and down the line, and invoke a little impatience to make sure that they get met. Too impatient never got anyone anywhere in China. But I still hold my ground that it is possible to be too patient, because patience can come with a cost that any good investor would not be willing to bear. The challenge: Finding that middle ground.

Not All Work...

I realized some blogs might be getting too serious and that I should still include some pictures of the fun times in Beijing! Lately I've been feeling like a foreigner because we've been going to a lot of good foreign restaurants and meeting new people. Saturday we had a "Ladies only" night, which was very refreshing, and had a lot of positive energy! Here's 11 gals that showed up for fantastic Indian food! (If you're a Beijinger, I can recommend Mirch Masala in the Houhai area.)

And they surprised me with a couple of the amazing cakes from the company Awfully Chocolate and sang happy birthday, even though my birthday isn't until the 5th!

This is a long table of fellow IMBAs, either in the Chinese track or visiting Beijing in the Global Track program. Believe it or not, we were at a Mexican restaurant! (We were not very good hosts as we chose a good margarita over Peking duck, but they will have other opportunities for that!) There is something so nice about meeting IMBAs, from any graduation year. It just seems like you are meeting more family.

This is Sarah, the classmate and fabulous roommate sampling a margarita with me. We both agreed that night that life in Beijing is bizarre sometimes, because you can go with a table of people from three continents to a Mexican restaurant in Beijing, China to listen to a Filipino band sing American songs. Gotta love it.

Look Them Straight in the Eyes

Growing up, everyone gets the lessons or the lectures from the parents. Comparably, I would say I received very little advice from my parents than most kids. It seemed to me that their philosophy was to raise children with the right principles and then let them lead their own lives and make their own decisions. Recently one of the principles that I've been reflecting on, and finding so true...is something my Dad used to tell me.

He said, "Always look people straight in the eyes." Never look down, and never look up. It seems like a simple lesson: People are people, and no one is better or worse than anyone else. The first half is that he taught me to never look down on other people for economic, racial, education, nationality or any other reason. Everyone has just as much value as a human being as I do. So the application of that lesson was to smile at everyone, greet everyone, and generally treat them with respect. And the result? You are well-received and liked wherever you go. The service you receive is better, the conversations you have are more genuine, etc. Valuing other human beings is invaluable.

The flip side of the lesson: Never look up at someone like they are unreachable, or better than you, or have the right to treat you like they are. Don't fear a person's power or money so much that you feel they are better than you, you can't be yourself, or can't see them as human. Who knows, it could be just a matter of time before you are in the same place. And the result? Confidence. To say what you think and be who you are, no matter who you are talking to.

I see this lesson at work in my life in China all the time. I can constantly cross boundaries up and down that my Chinese counterparts can't or won't cross. Why do my housekeeper, door guard and waitress all greet me and smile every time I pass, but fall silent when anyone else passes? My Chinese coworkers don't know how I got into the inner circle of 40-something male shareholders of the company. Compared to the coworkers, I wasn't afraid of the hierarchy, the money, or the job. I would joke or chat with them, and always say my opinion on the business whether it was pleasant or not. You can call it American...or Southern...but I call it Brown, because I know it came from my Dad. I might not have noticed it previously in the the U.S., where it is a more common life philosophy, but recently it has been so evident that I was raised differently from most of the people around me in China. And I'm thankful for not knowing those limits when it comes to people.

The Battlefield: Techies vs. Marketers

In business school we often talked of the inevitable battle between the tech guys and the marketing guys in a company, and the difficulties in managing roles, communication and solutions between the two departments. As I have previously worked in more consulting or retail roles, I am experiencing this for the first time in my internship in an IT company.

Today I was again stunned at the vast gap between our points of view. Something that I felt should be designed simple, targeted and usable for the purpose of the customer's clarity was actually designed very complicated and with so many functions that existed for no other reason than "because we can," or "it's cool though, right?" I both participated and watched today for two and a half hours while 7 people battled it out on a whiteboard, and realized a lot in the process:

A) Things you think are right or obvious are not always so obvious to your coworker. This goes both ways of course. I often couldn't see the week's worth of programming that my 60 second suggestion would create.
B) Therefore you should always be prepared to have both sides list pros and cons of their suggestions.
C) Look at both sides suggestions' effect on sales and the bottom line.
D) Always come prepared with the appropriate market research to back up your opinion. Thinking that you or your group's perspective actually represents the entire target market can be a huge mistake.

The only reason I could shut down one of the arguments today is because I happened to include that question in December's 400-person targeted survey, therefore disproving the assumptions the other side was making about the way they thought the market would react.

After they developed these technologies in R&D phase for 2 years, I am one of the first people brought into the company with a market-driven perspective and it is like trying to turn around a tanker that is on full-speed ahead. However, we are making progress and all of us learning in the process. It's always fun to see business school in action...

Indonesia

Going to Indonesia for my job was such a learning experience. As if dealing with Chinese-U.S. culture differences isn't enough sometimes, we throw a third into the mix. One of my biggest lessons recently has been the importance of not managing every person or relationship the same. Each person or entity has something different that it values and that motivates them, and must be managed accordingly...learning how to put yourself in their shoes and give them what they want or need to get the job done.

Another interesting phrase and lesson I learned from a successful Chinese friend:
山高不耐寒...meaning something like “The high part of the mountain is not cold-resistant.” Sometimes being at the top isn’t everything. People admire you for the things you do and accomplish, but you yourself might actually realize all the things you’ve sacrificed or lost getting there. In other words, keep your priorities straight. That is one of the fun parts of learning Chinese...you can guarantee that there is a catchy phrase for any idea you want to express.

And finally, last funny but true lesson that my boss shared with me: 熊傻子掰苞米- "The foolish bear grabbing the corn." I loved this story. The bear, in all his excitement, keeps grabbing corn and putting it under his arm. Every time he grabs a new piece and lifts his arm, he drops the one that was already there. He thinks he's accumulating things, but really losing others. Going in too many directions or grabbing at too many opportunities without paying attention to feasibility or value is often a dead end. But at each step, make sure you are adding to the cumulative value of what you already have.

Translated these lessons always sound funny in English. But come from years and years of history in China. It is impossible to ever hear or learn them all, but it sure does make for good conversation :)

A few pics from Bali and Jakarta. This was the beach behind the hotel. The one I didn't get to actually visit because we had too many meetings. Next time...

This was the best meal we had in Indonesia. Coconut roasted seafood, while sitting on the beach of Bali Island. Mmmm

Colorful sailboats...

I was impressed with this bar inside of the pool. You don't even have to get out of the water to get a fruity drink!

The Year of the Rat!

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone! It is now the second day of the year of the Rat in the Lunar calender. The celebration at midnight on New Years Eve was incredible. It was magical to be in Beijing. Fireworks were going off between buildings, in the street, on EVERY city block, and for 24 hours. It is hard to describe the feeling, other than it is special.

This week Chinese spend all the time on a somewhat rigid schedule moving from house to house seeing all the relatives and friends in a certain order. There are all types of traditions as to who to see, what to eat, how to decorate, what to do, etc. I guess trying to explain Christmas would be equally as hard. This week is the Chinese Christmas, where it is mandatory to make the trek home, no matter how far, and to exchange gifts and eat special foods. For me, it is nice to watch from the outside, but I am thankful from a break from work! You can be certain that very few people are at work, just the few Western cafes in the area are open today.

I wish you all prosperity and happiness in the new year!

Video From New Years 08

I had to stick this video in here, just because it makes me laugh every time I see it. I just came across it in my camera and remembered I had it! We sure did make a lot of noise. This one goes out to all of the crazies that were at my house for New Years 2008 :) I'm still thinking of you from China!

WHIRLWIND

Sometimes life just picks up the pace.

I found myself coming back from Beijing after Christmas break and being on the ground for all of 24 hours before I was on a plane again. This time to Indonesia. As I was away for Christmas, I could feel the pace of things picking up at work in Beijing as I continued to answer e-mails and work on projects, small and large, for the company that I was previously only a part-time intern for. A week before I returned to Beijing my boss informed me that I would be going with him to Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia. This is officially the first time I will travel internationally for business, but at the moment I’m on the first plane from Beijing to Singapore and it couldn’t feel more bizarre in this Chinese start-up. My job doesn’t have much definition, my boss is flexible, and I end up on projects ranging from marketing to finance and in industries as different as education and oil. Maybe a little overwhelming, but I constantly remind myself of two things that help keep me straight: A) Flexibility is a MUST and B) I’ll survive if I don’t know and understand everything that is going on in the situation.

Flexibility is always something I’ve known was necessary when you are a foreigner in China or just abroad in general, but having to accept the discomfort that comes when you are unprepared and unknowledgeable about a subject you are immersed in, and then finding the fine balance of when to act like you know what is going on and when to admit that you have know clue and ask for help…now that’s all something I haven’t had much experience with in the States. I tend to get myself into stepwise challenges that are more like “calculated risks.” I know how far I will be asked to leap, and I know that I am probably capable of leaping that far.

However, this experience surprises me every day. For example, I found out yesterday (during my one day back in Beijing, that I spent in the office before Indonesia) that I wasn’t just participating, but was expected to LEAD the discussions of two out of the three key products/services we were dealing with in Indonesia. During a meeting where we received some samples, they revealed this to me and told me to listen up- if I didn’t understand the Chinese I was to ask because I was responsible for communicating it all to the customer later. I had to start asking questions like a crazy person because this small company has yet to perfect a system of internal communication and very few people are as informed as they need to be. Well, nothing more to say than it sure is a good experience. I just arrived from Beijing, I’m now sitting in Singapore waiting on the connecting flight to Indonesia talking in Chinese to my Canadian boss, all after being in the US two days ago…and just thinking…isn’t it crazy where life takes us sometimes? And how fast it creeps up on you?

New York VS. Beijing

I was back in New York last week, and had new impressions after living in Beijing for a year. The landmark retail stores of Manhattan are very cutting-edge and stylish compared to Chinese shopping. I loved walking into each place thinking everyhthing was great, well-designed, or one-of-a-kind. However, there is a trade-off for that design and that is price. Cheap shopping is rare in NY and stores with good taste can be very rare in Beijing.

One of the major impressions that I was left with was that N.Y. is incredibly dirty. It is often a misconception that China is dirty because many cities and especially Beijing, are receiving make-overs in recent years. The subway line I use every day to work was only openned last October! So the dirty streets and subways of NY were quite a surprise.

It was great to hear all of the languages on the streets in NY. Sometimes it seems like no one in NY is originally from the States, and when you are there, you are truly in the Melting Pot. Beijings population is more homogenous, although the foreign population is growing every year.

Buildings take up more space in Beijing, but many skyscrapers are taller in N.Y. There are no bicycle lanes in N.Y. and all the cabs are the same color!

Finally, NY seems to be a cultural and maybe business center of the US. However Beijing is the cultural and governmental center of China. You get a lot of the entertainment that you do in NY, but with more of a Washington DC feel from all of the governmental buildings and employees.

In the end, I think NY entertainment is extensive, but to live a good life it would be unaffordable. At least for now, I'll still take a fast-paced, clean, and cheaper Beijing as my city of choice.