China vs U.S.

Psyclone · 05-14-2008, 01:13 AM

Wow, I read the initial post and wonder what have I missed. I don't follow the news so I figured something must be going on.

My company does business in China. I was one of the first to travel there on business 20 years ago. I could tell you a lot of stories. The area I visited was in central China and reminded me a lot of Midwestern people. We looked like aliens from another planet when we walked the streets of the small town I was in. The people we met were great people, but I don't think they saw too many foreigners back in those days.

We walked by a fire station where some Chinese boys were playing basketball. When we returned an hour or so later, the boys were sitting on the steps of the station. Their ball had been punctured and they had no other ball to play with. We had fun trying to communicate with them although it was sad that they had no ball. And who knows when they could get another one. This wasn't Shanghai after all.

Another story took place in the much larger city of Xian, still in the middle of China. We again were walking the streets capturing stares. Most of the traffic was by bicycle. We came upon a busy intersection where somehow my business associate talked a guy into letting me ride his bicycle. It was my 15 minutes of fame. In no time at all there were hundreds of people being entertained by this strange looking foreigner riding around the area on a bicycle. The smiles were all over their face. I think I brought a small part of the country to a standstill.

One more story. The Chinese like to have banquets for their guests, where the food keeps coming as long as you keep eating it. The tables are structured so the higher up people sit at one table and on down the line. I was one of the "other" tables sitting with Madam Peng, the head of engineering. It was June and I don't completely know how this all started, but we started singing common songs, which quickly became Christmas carols like jingle bells.

Anyway, they brought a bunch of people to Iowa, in December of that year and we took them out to a Chinese restaurant for a banquet dinner. This time we had our upper level management with us and they sat at the #1 table. I again was at the "other" table with Madam Peng. I looked out the window and saw that it was beginning to snow and said to Madam Peng that this
is a more appropriate time to sing Christmas carols. It just so happened that one of the other people at our table had bought a guitar for his son that day and had it in his car. So he went a got it, and we sang Christmas carols and others songs. The executives at the other table we're shaken out of their cautious, formal behavior when they saw this musical uprising at the next table. It changed the entire mood of the night and built the foundation for a strong trusting relationship with these good people. Our GM was just beaming at how well we got along.

The project we were trying to work with them on did not go anywhere, but the relationships we continued to cultivate has resulted in a couple of major projects that should benefit both companies and countries. My tailgate buddy makes trips to Shanghai nearly every other month on one of these projects. The interaction and business relationships of the two countries will cause things to change for the better and make the world a better and safer place.

Psyclone · 05-14-2008, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I for one am completely against the bombing of China. I love crab wontons!

Personally I prefer "Crabby Racoon". (I'm serious. Somebody I know actually thought that's what Crab Rangoon were called.)

chinapuck · 05-14-2008, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Psyclone

Wow, I read the initial post and wonder what have I missed. I don't follow the news so I figured something must be going on.

My company does business in China. I was one of the first to travel there on business 20 years ago. I could tell you a lot of stories. The area I visited was in central China and reminded me a lot of Midwestern people. We looked like aliens from another planet when we walked the streets of the small town I was in. The people we met were great people, but I don't think they saw too many foreigners back in those days.

We walked by a fire station where some Chinese boys were playing basketball. When we returned an hour or so later, the boys were sitting on the steps of the station. Their ball had been punctured and they had no other ball to play with. We had fun trying to communicate with them although it was sad that they had no ball. And who knows when they could get another one. This wasn't Shanghai after all.

Another story took place in the much larger city of Xian, still in the middle of China. We again were walking the streets capturing stares. Most of the traffic was by bicycle. We came upon a busy intersection where somehow my business associate talked a guy into letting me ride his bicycle. It was my 15 minutes of fame. In no time at all there were hundreds of people being entertained by this strange looking foreigner riding around the area on a bicycle. The smiles were all over their face. I think I brought a small part of the country to a standstill.

One more story. The Chinese like to have banquets for their guests, where the food keeps coming as long as you keep eating it. The tables are structured so the higher up people sit at one table and on down the line. I was one of the "other" tables sitting with Madam Peng, the head of engineering. It was June and I don't completely know how this all started, but we started singing common songs, which quickly became Christmas carols like jingle bells.

Anyway, they brought a bunch of people to Iowa, in December of that year and we took them out to a Chinese restaurant for a banquet dinner. This time we had our upper level management with us and they sat at the #1 table. I again was at the "other" table with Madam Peng. I looked out the window and saw that it was beginning to snow and said to Madam Peng that this
is a more appropriate time to sing Christmas carols. It just so happened that one of the other people at our table had bought a guitar for his son that day and had it in his car. So he went a got it, and we sang Christmas carols and others songs. The executives at the other table we're shaken out of their cautious, formal behavior when they saw this musical uprising at the next table. It changed the entire mood of the night and built the foundation for a strong trusting relationship with these good people. Our GM was just beaming at how well we got along.

The project we were trying to work with them on did not go anywhere, but the relationships we continued to cultivate has resulted in a couple of major projects that should benefit both companies and countries. My tailgate buddy makes trips to Shanghai nearly every other month on one of these projects. The interaction and business relationships of the two countries will cause things to change for the better and make the world a better and safer place.

Karaoke is a national past time here...

Your tailgate buddy? Iowa State fan? I don't run into too many Iowa people in Shanghai. I do work with a former TE for Coe college, he is from St. Louis but loves hanging out with me since I'm from Iowa.

Phaedrus · 05-14-2008, 06:32 AM

My father-in-law used to bring back stories about working in China, when he was helping to set up factories over there. Nearly every time he came back with a story of how "unreasonable" the Chinese management were about one thing or another, and when he did, the project went nowhere.

As I have an MA in International Relations, and have worked in the field, I would quiz him on what was "unreasonable", and nearly every time, the Americans "helping" the Chinese did something stupid and ignorant, which poisoned the relationships.

Dumb stuff like hosting a "buffet-style" dinner for a very important political/business figure, and forcing him to go through the line like everyone else, after he and his underlings asked, in several polite ways, to be served at the table. Immediately after this dinner, cooperation on the project virtually stopped, and my FIL was clueless as to why. Didn't see the connection.

Why you sacrifice a multi-million dollar or even multi-billion dollar investment because your factory reps are culturally "tone-deaf" is beyond me.

Psyclone · 05-14-2008, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by chinapuck

Karaoke is a national past time here...

Your tailgate buddy? Iowa State fan? I don't run into too many Iowa people in Shanghai. I do work with a former TE for Coe college, he is from St. Louis but loves hanging out with me since I'm from Iowa.

He works with ACAC or whatever they currently call themselves. I thought he was in China during the recent earthquakes, but I guess this trip was to Japan. I've been tailgating with him for over 20 years. There are other ISU grads that travel there also since my company has a lot of ISU engineers in the workforce.

snowcraig2.0 · 05-14-2008, 08:51 AM

I don't have a problem with China. Now Canada on the other hand......

I'm Not Your Friend, Guy! - Clips - South Park Studios

Phaedrus · 05-14-2008, 11:13 PM

You know, I'm going to backpedal a bit, here.

The current Chinese government reaction and media coverage of the earthquake in Chengdo is an apparent incredible change in open-ness. I am (cautiously) excited about the possibility of this extending past the Olympics.

chinapuck · 05-14-2008, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

You know, I'm going to backpedal a bit, here.

The current Chinese government reaction and media coverage of the earthquake in Chengdo is an apparent incredible change in open-ness. I am (cautiously) excited about the possibility of this extending past the Olympics.

Good point. It has also been said that they want to deal with Natural Disasters the best they can so the people of China will be happy they have their government in times of need.... (I guess being poor and hungry and full of diseases doesn't count...)