America’s Silent Revolution in China

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, cultural differences, culture, musings，Tags: , , , ,
22 March 2010
13

The title of this post should be in quotation marks as it was said by a GMAT teacher at New Oriental, China’s largest training institution. The company specializes in test prep, especially US developed tests like TOEFL, GRE and GMAT. It went from running classes in basements to being traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In China, New Oriental is like a religion which performs miracles on its students. Its test prep essentially is about gaming the exams, i.e. using strategies and tactics to help students get insanely high scores without really improving their English skills. The school does it by having teachers and students memorizing the exam questions after they took the tests, record and update them regularly, as well as having a team of exceedingly smart teachers who are exam maniacs driven by coming up with frameworks which can be used to get the right answers.  The school was sued by various US testing organizations, paid large sums in damage and forced to change how it teaches. Yet the core DNA persists and the legend lives on.

I myself recently became a student to experience the New Oriental magic. I enrolled in the GMAT class in preparation for applying to business school in a few years’ time. On a Saturday afternoon, I sat in a classroom with 150 other students who were eagerly waiting to be transformed by New Oriental. (The photo was taken in a New Oriental classroom).

The first class was GMAT reading. The 4-hour class was a good mix of test prep skills, strong personal opinions topped off with topical jokes. Speaking of jokes, New Oriental is famous for its team of ‘edutainers’ who have mastered the art of engaging students. It is even said that the school partly evaluates teachers on the number of times they make students laugh during a class. Funny as it was, what really resonated with me is the teacher’s point of the lasting effect of GMAT prep, or in his words ‘America’s silent revolution in China’. He said that to do well in GMAT, Chinese students need to reverse their ways of thinking, namely to learn to think critically. To question, to reason and to separate facts from opinions are counter-intuitive for a Chinese student. But when they are exposed to these skills as young adults, there is no going back. According to the teacher, during his 10 years at New Oriental, only 10% of students end up going to business schools in the U.S. But regardless of the path they choose, the way they see the world is changed. They are not easily fooled anymore. That’s America’s silent revolution in China.

A Chinese Take on Memory

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, cultural differences, culture, learning with ChinesePod，Tags: , , , ,
15 March 2010
3

The annual Shanghai Literary Festival is a great time to see literary luminaries and engage in intellectual debates of sorts. I went to an event this past weekend featuring the famed Chinese author Su Tong whose book “Wives and Concubines” was later adapted into the iconic film “Raise the Red Lantern”.  The theme of his talk was ‘Child, Memory and Inspiration’. During the Q&A session, the audience asked questions which I though revealed quite a stark contrast between how the West and China view memory. A few people asked Su Tong what he thought of the relentless tearing down of old buildings for new urban development in China, namely how it was destroying the memory of the society. Su Tong, while lamented such insatiable speed seemed quite ambivalent as well. For him, the real issue was to know where to draw the line between casting away and destruction. It seemed he was not emotional enough about the old buildings as many hoped him to be.

So where do you draw the line? During the taxi ride home, an interconnecting web of elevated roads took me through a jungle of skyscrapers, posh condominiums and the occasional old lane houses in Shanghai. I tried to think what had been there before the flashy premium properties. My memory was limited to the fuzzy old photos of colonial mansions and propaganda pictures of slums pre-1949. At that moment, I felt maybe the real fear was that a lot of people like myself don’t even know what has been lost.

Taking the focus back on buildings, Shanghai’s cluster of historic ones lies along the Bund and in the former French Concession. They were Baroque and Art Deco style buildings built by foreign settlers but have come to symbolize Shanghai. A number of them were destroyed over the years. But a large number of the surviving ones have been preserved or put into commercial use. They make up a cosmopolitan Shanghai: glamorous, nostalgic but comforting for a local. At the other end of the spectrum are the cramped Shikumen (old lane houses). They housed the vast majority of locals in the first half of the 20th century. These houses define another side of Shanghai: delicate, convivial but petty at times. The narrow streets, stone brick constructions  make for charming photos and postcards. But the memory of living in them is less charming. Most of them have no toilet facilities. People have to use a bucket even until today. Most of those lived in them jumped at the chance of moving out when they could, although they all reminisce about the old days at some point.

So I guess for a lot of people in China, memory is something that needs to be reset, because it has not been very good for at least 200 years. Buildings are torn down, for profit, for a modern China and sometimes because no one wants to live in a place with no toilet in it.

Rust Belt Humor in China and America

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, cultural differences, culture, life，Tags: , , ,
30 November 2009
6

A few days ago, I overheard a fascinating discussion about Chinese and American sense of humor. While many concur that comparing the two are like comparing apples to oranges, there seems to be an amazing convergence, that of the Rust Belt, the Northeastern parts of both countries. They have produced the nations’ most celebrated comedians and helped shape the nation’s sense of humor. In China, the undisputed king of comedy is Zhao Benshan/赵本山 (pictured above with his disciple and sidekick) who has the noble task of entertaining the entire country on CCTV’s Spring Festival gala. He hails from a small town in China’s Rust Belt. Originally a local 二人转/errenzhuan performer ( a local comedy style that features 2 comedians performing), he exploded on the national stage with his comedy rooted in blue-collar and peasant wholesomeness but galvanized by sharp sarcasm directed at inequities in the society, a sentiment widely shared by China’s masses.

More on China’s Rust Belt. It refers to the region once known as Manchuria which now includes the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiling and Liaoning. These places are marked by vast wilderness and punishing climate. They were also China’s heavy industry hub after the founding of the P.R.C. However, similar to the fate of America’s Rust Belt, China’s Dongbei (meaning Northeast) was in the doldrums in the early 90′s when large state owned firms underwent restructuring, throwing a large portion of the population out of work. However, the courageous people of Dongbei, with “their rustic manners and boisterous camaraderie—washed down with 120-proof grain alcohol—adapted the spirit to the 21st Century with new ways of thinking” (quote from the Nine Nations of China, the Atlantic).  And many of them turned to the grass root 二人转/errenzhuan comedy for inspiration. Song Xiaojun, China’s prominent cultural and military commentator (yes, that’s right) has said that unemployment and 二人转/errenzhuan performances peaked at the same time in Dongbei. His analysis was that comedy helped people get through the harsh times and also offered an idea for entrepreneurial attempts. Many who were blessed with the talent became amateur 二人转/errenzhuan performers, while others opened performance venues, now an important part of the region’s economy and cultural identity.

Would the same happen in America’s Rust Belt?

A Nation of Self-medicators

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, cultural differences, culture，Tags: ,
07 July 2009
6

A few days ago, an American friend announced that he was leaving Shanghai due to a chronic stomach problem. In the midst of hugs and good wishes, Chinese friends started to eagerly offer remedies passed down from grandparents or introduce him to qigong masters who could cure all sorts of illnesses.  This got me thinking that the Chinese are firm believers of self-medicating using TCM as our knowledge reserve.

In many ways, TCM with its use of herbal medicines, everyday food items, massage and acupuncture lends itself quite well to ‘do-it-yourself’ style exploration. People frequently turn to ‘pedestrian’ remedies as an alternative source of help to cure or at least ease certain conditions. For example, in the face of a flu breakout, we turn to vinegar by putting a bowl of vinegar in open air in the house. Supposedly, vinegar helps kill virus. This doesn’t mean that people abandon professional treatment. What it means is that people here overwhelmingly supplement Western style treatment with Chinese philosophy and practice that are beneficial in the long haul. I am sure this is similar across societies with long history and civilization where people have developed an efficient system of maintaining health and well being using traditional wisdom.

Getting back to the story of my friend, what also struck me is how people gave medical advice, with full conviction and confidence that it is going to work. I on the other hand refrained myself for fear that my family remedy might do him more harm than good. Maybe I have watched too much American court room drama to think that a friendly piece of advice could turn into a potential law suit.

How Not to Get Duped in China

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, business, cultural differences, interviews，Tags: , , ,
09 March 2009
1

I am sure you have received calls from ‘financial advisers’ and emails of inheriting a fortune from a distant relative. Ever since I started to register my own business, I have received tons of calls from swindlers, making up a plethora of lies ranging from ridiculous to highly skilled. If you live in China, this unfortunately is a fact of life. I hope some of my experiences could help you be more aware.

Top 3 lies:

1. I am the local tax authority. New businesses need to receive tax training (which is true). The training is free (hook), but you need to pay for books. I will courier them to you. You pay the courier man. (ha, definitely a scam).

2. I am Google (or Baidu) ‘s sales rep. We are offering a limited time promotion to promote your site.

3. I am from the local commerce bureau. We have an orientation course for new businesses. You need to attend.

Special attention: if you use an agent to handle your registration process as many do, pay a bit more and choose a trustworthy one (although price is no indicator of integrity). I have known people whose agent disappear overnight, causing them to lose not only money but also time.

An easy way to tell if you are talking to a scammer is through phone numbers. If they are using a cell phone number, it is a scam for sure. And finally, as a rule of thumb, always always be doubtful when you receive calls from ‘authorities’. They are scams 99.9% of the time. Although I did once ignore several calls from China Telecom and end up missing the internet upgrade.

Foreign Managers in China: Real Stories of Trials, Tribulations and Triumph

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, Uncategorized, business, cultural differences, interviews, management，
02 March 2009
0

The title of this post happens to be the theme of the Suixuntong interview series.  It will feature conversations with foreign managers in China who face dual challenges of management and culture.

The inspiration came from enlightening conversations in restaurants and bars where friends (and often my own bosses) speak candidly about their frustration, bewilderment and joy of being a manager in China. These real life stories tell the most down to earth experiences and carry practical and overreaching implications for fellow managers (and employees).

I have known and worked for some great foreign managers in China. They are able to build and lead effective teams because they work particularly hard to understand their staff’s perception, action and motivation shaped by the socio-cultural context. They are the ones who go beyond than just saying ‘why don’t my staff get it’. They observe, communicate and reflect to find a better approach.  I hope their stories will help you get the most out of your team in China. And I look forward to hearing your stories in the interview. Feel free to contact me  jennyzhu at suixuntong.com

Managing Your Team in China: Interview with Peter Bomer

Jenny Zhu Posted in China, business, cultural differences, interviews, management，Tags: , , ,
02 March 2009
3

peter1

[podcast http://jennyzhu.com/podcasts/SXT001_Pete...[/podcast]

Aside from theories and methodologies, what does it actually take to be an effective manager in China? If you have lived and worked here for 2 months, you already have fascinating and resonating stories more incisive and in-depth than books on the subject generally tell.

In this inaugural podcast, I talk to Peter Bomer. Peter was the Marketing Director at Diageo (China) and the Asian Pacific Marketing Director for the Johnnie Walker brand. In 2006, he started his own radio production company Soulfire which now broadcasts in 5 major cities in China.

Peter has always believed that an effective team starts with ownership. But this basic concept meets unexpected setbacks in his team. Listen in on what Peter did to nurture ownership and get the most out of his team members. Caution: it will take a lot more work than you think or would like.