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May 12, 2009
Tuesday
Authored by John
Most of the day was spent in the classroom, but it was very interesting. Brad led both lectures (our head professor/coordinator/adviser) and we learned a TON about the history of China. He was able to answer all of our questions - we seem to have so many - and explain why the Chinese act the way they do and their sentiments towards other countries. Let's do some fun facts about the interesting relationship between China and Taiwan.
- Taiwan is part of China, but has its own political system (democracy), currency, and functions as a separate country
- China has over 400 missiles on their coast pointed at Taiwan ... just in case they want to declare independence
- It is unknown what the US would do if this situation were to arise
- People from China get really offended when foreigners question why they care so much about Taiwan
- No one in our class understands why China can't let Taiwan go
Then, halfway through the morning session, our good friend Brian (the Bridge owner that some of us met the night before) gave a little presentation on his journey from the US to China. Everyone seems to be really interested in how people acclimate to the culture and environment in Beijing. It is very different - relationship dynamics, hierarchical significance, the importance of respect, etc. To come here, however, substantial knowledge of the Chinese language is absolutely essential. There is a lot of opportunity here, but it needs to be harnessed with care and precisely mapped out. Working with the government, focusing on relationships, partnering with mutually beneficial terms is essential. Our guest speaker spoke of the importance of knowing all lease agreement terms, because reneging on deals is sometimes common in China. Overall it was very informative, and he was from Grand Rapids, so that was cool as well.
Lunch was at a cafe... It seems like every restaurant we go to is ready for us to come (with plates or cups out), but is not ready to serve us once we are there. Orders are commonly mixed up, waitresses do a poor job, and the food takes a long time to come out, and when it does, it happens sporadically. One person might get their dish, and another might wait another half our to get theirs. It is just different, but gets very annoying. I got some Tsinghua University T-shirts on the way back to class, where we learned more about China's history and current economical, political, military, and social considerations from Brad. We also got our first fieldwork assignment!
Due in a week, we split into groups of 8 to work on this assignment. Basically, we have to visit Carrefour (a French low-cost supermarket) and Wal-Mart, which has a supercenter in Beijing. We need to look at consumer demographics, product mix, price differentiation, and overall compare which one is doing better in China and why? We present our findings in a 10 min. presentation. So after class, we started! The bus took us close to our destination, where we walked around for about half our or so until we found it. Good thing we had Leanne in our group who is fluent in Chinese to help out!
Carrefour in China is unbelievable. First of all, you go down an escalator and end up in small mall. Each hallway has stores lining each side and you have to walk for a few minutes to get to the actual supermarket. Finally, we made it to Carefour. Just to note, Chinese supermarkets have a TON of things packed in a small space. One thing Chinese love is options. The full isle containing only toothpaste was a clear indicator of how many different choices people have. Carrefour was the largest supermarket I have ever been to. There were huge electronics, home appliances, clothing, and recreation departments downstairs, and you take a flat escalator (which allows grocery carts) to get upstairs to the grocery and personal product sections. The grocery section also had an unbelievable amount of fish (some were alive), tons of fatty beef, shrimp, and many other deli items. Also, there is an employee in every isle. This, as well, seems to be typical of China. Though they might see it as good customer service, or maybe even to prevent theft, we think it is a little annoying and unnerving.
China Carrefour
We collected data on Carrefour and went back home in the crowded bus. Rush hour is ridiculous in China. We were jam packed on the way home, but finally made it safe and sound.
Our nightly destination was San Li Tun, an outdoor mall featuring all multinational companies and also a bar strip catered towards tourists. First, we ate at a sushi restaurant, which was unbelievable. Even JM liked it! Then, we went down the bar strip. We were hassled by every single person who was waiting outside the bar. Every person sang the same tune: "Hey! Happy hour inside!" or "Come in, great American music!" Typical. Anyway, we took the advise of our Hong Kong resident and went to a place called China Doll, which supposedly was a great local place. Not so much. We were pretty much the only people in there and literally hung out for an hour or two. Every time we would get up and sit down, there would be a drink menu in our faces. It's like, when I'm thirsty, I can ask you for a drink buddy. Anyway, we took a cab home and got a pretty good night of rest before our company visit at Aigo - a Chinese electronic and home appliance company.
Posted by jfavorit at May 12, 2009 02:30 AM