Day 25 - Nanjing

We all have finished our first week of afternoon internships today. For all of us, we've been able to expand our understanding China outside the classroom into the workplace. I had the privileged of interning at the Ruyi kindergarten nearby Nanjing University.

Here in China early childhood education has become a very important part of a child's education. There are both private and public schools available here. The difference between private and public is that most private institutions will provide a specialty such as teaching bilingually. Because the government thinks so highly of early education, they will subsidize the cost of tuition if families choses to send their child. The subsidizing can be up to 30%-40% of the tuition. Not only is kindergarten highly valued but so is preschool from ages 3-5 years old.

China's strong emphasis on the importance of early education is clearly seen at the Ruyi Kindergarten. When I spoke to the supervisor of the school, she emphasized several times that this school was a very typical Chinese kindergarten. This took me back by surprised because this school had an abundance of resources. Each of the classrooms was equipped with a projector and screen along with plenty of educational toys and books. To me, this kindergarten seemed well funded. It was hard to believe that this was the average kindergarten school. The amount of resources given to the school shows the value that the Chinese government puts on early education. Not only are the resources provided, the requirements for the schools and teachers are also high. Kindergarten teachers are now required to not only have a college degree but to go through rigorous training and to have a specific skill set to teach preschool and kindergarten.

To my surprise the kindergarten was very similar to American schools in many ways and very different in others. The first thing we did while at the kindergarten as soon as got there was help the kids refresh themselves after their afternoon nap. For the girl students that means getting their hair redone by the teachers. When I asked the teachers why they redid their hair, they explained that they wanted their students to have high standards in all aspects of their life. Having my hair redone by my teachers was something I never experienced in the States. Next, we went out with the kids to have recess. Unlike the typical 30-minute recess I was used to, the kids were out for only ten minutes, which was enough time for them to let out all their energy. The kids were then led back inside for another small lesson before they left for the day.

This week my partner Lily and I had the opportunity lead a small lesson. We taught the kids how to say farm animal names in English. The kids were very enthusiastic about learning English. Not only did we teach them the names of the animals in English but also the sounds they make. In China, the noises that certain animals make are different than in the States. For example, a dog in the English says "Woof! Woof!". In Chinese a dog says "W?ng! W?ng!". The kids were so surprised that Americans make different animal noises and thought they didn't sound right. It was so much fun to watch them attempt to make the different noises. 

          

-- Ashley  G.

Day 24, Nanjing - The Connection

Today was a pretty full packed schedule as usual. We had class from 8am until 12pm, and then afterwards we had our internships from 2pm until 6pm. My internship is at Import/Export Company called Jiangsu Sainty Runlong Trade Company Ltd. This company is an international multimillion-dollar company that is traded publicly on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. With over 450 high-caliber employees, there is a lot to learn from this corporation. I have had the pleasure of working under one of Dong Laoshi's old schoolmates, Zhang Yong, who is currently the general manager assistant of the company. He has placed me in the Machinery I/E section of the company.

 

I started out by helping one of the employees on his 3D printer project. He is trying to sell his 3D printer to consumers in foreign markets such as the United States and Canada. However he keeps receiving feedback from the consumers that they cannot understand the Owner's Manual because of the poor English used to write it. My coworker then thought that me being there was the perfect opportunity to correct this problem, and at the same time make the company seem more legitimate because someone working there was able to write English well. After giving me this task, he said that he was going on a business trip to Beijing, and that I should have this assignment done by the time he gets back next week. I think he over-estimated how long it would take to do the assignment, because I was able to finish my work early the next workday.

 

Since my coworker wasn't around, I went to the floor manager and told him that I was done with my assignment. I then proceeded to ask what else I could do to help out around the office. The floor manager then began to praise me for my diligence, and asked if I would like to help him on his project. Of course I could not turn this opportunity down, and immediately agreed. He then began to tell me that he sold food additives to wholesale buyers around the world, though he could not sell any to the United States or Canada because his English wasn't very good. He asked if I would be willing to be their foreign agent, and contact buyers in the United States and Canada. He was even willing to pay me commission for any contracts I received, and immediately got me a work email at the company.

 

I couldn't be any happier with the events of today, but it kind of made me wonder. Its absolutely ridiculous for an unpaid intern to receive a part time paid job after only two days of working there, no matter how diligent that person may be. Especially since I know absolutely nothing about food additives, or even chemicals in general. He didn't ask for my job experience, work references, or even my resume. I know that the obvious advantage is that I can speak and write English well, but with over 450 well-educated employees, many of which who have studied abroad in the US, why would I be put in charge of this foreign operation? I began to wonder if it was only because I am a white American. Did they think that having a white American working on their team makes them seem to be more of a legitimate company? This experience has finalized my previous thoughts that it is easy for Americans to do well in the Chinese business environment just because of their ethnic background. Chinese businesses see the West as an opportunity for growth and education, and want to make a connection with this newly opened frontier. In this case I just happen to be the connection.

- Ryan L.

Day 23, Nanjing

Today, a rainy one, marked the second day of our internship experiences. We are all working at very different organizations ranging from large supply chain companies to smaller environmental NGOs. As we begin to settle in our roles have become more defined and we have a better idea of what is expected of us.
 
Winnie (pictured) and myself were fortunate enough to be placed at the European Union Chamber of Commerce here in Nanjing, a non-profit advocacy group representing European business interests in China. (If you've been following the blog we heard from Helmut Güsten, former general manager of the Nanjing chapter earlier on our trip.) The Chamber's mission is to act as the "official voice of European companies doing business in China" and to "seek greater market access and improved operating conditions" for its members. The Chamber has offices in significant Chinese economic hubs including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Nanjing. With more than 1,700 member companies the Chamber is recognized by the European Commission and the Chinese Authorities as the official voice of European business in China.
 
Once a year, the Chamber publishes a comprehensive "Position Paper" which details the Chinese business environment seen through a corporate European lens. And when I say comprehensive I truly mean it. Last year's "paper" was over 350 pages long! The Paper is the result of collaboration and knowledge sharing among the Chamber's member companies and working groups, each with a specific industry and regional focus. Upon publication, the Paper is presented to the respective European policy makers and Chinese government officials and is intended to be used a tool to guide future trade agreements, legislative changes, and best practices.
 
The deadline for the 2013/2014 Paper is fast approaching so on my first afternoon I was tasked with skimming and getting a basic understanding of the document. Today, to my surprise, I was actually tasked with updating several parts of the Paper using the Internet, print media, and Chinese government sources. I had not expected so much responsibility to be handed to me on the second day, but I am far from complaining. As a business major with an interest in economics and the Chinese market in particular, the chance to do this kind of work is an amazing opportunity.
 
Beyond the Position Paper, our manager shared with us the details of Danish trade delegation that occurred earlier in the day. Members of the Denmark government met with officials from the Jiangsu provincial government to explore opportunities for collaboration in the healthcare, tourism and education sectors. As I write this post the two parties will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to officially recognize that talks have begun between the two governments. This is history in the making.
 
At the beginning of this trip I had never imagined that it would afford me real exposure related to business in China. The more time I spend in China the more I realize what an incredible change the country is undergoing. I continue to be amazed by the speed and breadth of expansion. Just a few days ago, as we traveled from Nanjing to Anhui, I counted the number of cranes that doted the skyline, easily 100 or more. This would be unprecedented in the United States. The level of development further enforces the role that China will play in the global economy. However, the question remains if China's pace is too quick. Growing pains such as human rights violations, food safety, and pollution have come to the forefront. As far as we've seen, the government seems to make a conceited effort to respond to these issues. One thing is clear though, if China really intends to be a global leader, more things that just business practices will need to be revolutionized.

- Brendan G. 

Day 22, Nanjing - Internship starts!

 

After a busy and exhausting weekend in the Anhui province, we finally made it back to Nanjing! As our normal class schedule resumes, I realized how much we have seen and experienced so far on our trip. From bustling urban cities to remote villages, I am starting to get a sense for just how massive and diverse China is.

            After class and a quick lunch, it was time for our first day at work at our internship sites. I am an international business student, and have been really looking forward to getting a sense of what the Chinese workplace is like. I have worked at several different companies in America, and I was curious to compare the two. My internship here is at Jiangsu Sainty Runlong Trade Company (picture here), a large supply chain and networking company in China. It is the same company that we visited on a prior dialogue a few weeks ago. My first day on the job was pretty uneventful but I got a great taste of the culture at the company. I was surprised to notice how similar the office culture is to companies in America. The way co-workers communicate and interact mimics that of American businesses, which surprised me. My expectation was that things would be completely different and that I would have a hard time getting acclimated to the way business was run, but I am getting the feeling that the transition to working in China will not be too difficult. I am looking forward to the rest of this internship, and to further my understanding of business in China.

            While I found many similarities at my internship, this trip as a whole has made me realize how very different China and America are. From little things such as the way people dress, to major issues like the role of government in society, China is completely distinct. As my Chinese improves and I am able to converse more and more with Chinese people these differences are becoming even more visible. From a average foreigners perspective there are many noticeable differences but I, along with other Chinese speakers who are more advanced than myself in our program, have realized that speaking in the native language is the only true way to understand the culture and people. The more I learn about it, the more I question what I am seeing. Experiences such as living with the host family and speaking with natives in the Huang village have given me a variety of perspectives on the real China. Though I am learning a great deal as the trip progresses, I at the same time find myself becoming more and more confused about China and its society as a whole. The differences I mentioned above are extremely difficult to comprehend, and leave me wondering. Sheltered in the suburbs of Boston, it is difficult to imagine how different things are in other areas of the globe.  I look forward to continuing our adventures and understanding more of the complex Chinese world.

- Max G.

Day 21, Anhui

This was a trip with disaster written all over it.

We were going to the Yellow Mountains, the source of inspiration for the movie "Avatar", home to vast mountain ranges with invariably steep cliff faces and many scenic overlooks situated above dizzying heights. This was to be the highlight of many people's experiences on this dialogue. And naturally, the weather gods chose this weekend as an opportune time to unleash heavy rain and endless clouds upon us.

On the first day, visibility was nearly zero. We rode the trolleys up the mountain completely enshrouded in mist, and we were hardly able to see even the trolley cars in the front or back of us. At each scenic overlook, we relied on our imaginations to depict the otherwise breathtaking views that existed on a normal, fair-weather day, and we trudged along with dull interest and growing irritation as we were presented with splendid views of fog, fog, and more fog.

When we awoke the next day at 8am, conditions did not appear to have changed, and we were resigning ourselves to another mundane trek through fog. But through an act of god or some sort of divine favor, by the time noon rolled along, the fog lifted, and suddenly incredible mountains appeared out of nowhere, replacing with their stark reality the previous wispy replicas of our imagination. Amazing valleys of lush green forestry stretched below us, and we saw with clarity awesome bonsai-looking trees growing out of barren cliff faces, which seemed utterly devoid of bearing any tree-sustaining nourishment.

And just like that, our trip to the Yellow Mountains was salvaged.

The times in which I am left speechless in my life are few and far in between. Seeing the Grand Canyon was one, and listening to Garth Brooks' Greatest Hits was a close second, and most recently, climbing the Great Wall was another. Seeing the Yellow Mountains, sans cloud and fog, arguably trumps all of these. Since words cannot adequately describe my wonder, it's convenient that I had my camera along with me, for they say a picture speaks a thousand words, and I took close to a hundred pictures.  You do the math.

Before the hike, our tour guide said that there are five great mountains in the world, and upon seeing them, all else is not worth seeing, but upon seeing the Yellow Mountains, these other five are put to shame. Speaking as someone who doesn't enjoy mountain climbing and hiking much as it is, there is logic in her words, and I don't think there are many more mountains in this world that can compare to the raw beauty of China's Yellow Mountains.

- Mike H. 

Day 20, Anhui - Journey to Huangshan

            After last night's festivities, we all woke up early to a wonderful breakfast before starting our journey to Huangshan, The Yellow Mountain. We were all quite sad to leave the comforts of the village guesthouse, but still excited for the day's adventure. On the way over to the mountain we stopped at an ancient Ink making factory. This factory was founded during the Qing Dynasty, and is well known for its high quality ink. In China, calligraphy is a highly esteemed art and a tradition that has been preserved within the culture. We were given a quick tour of the factory and even got to watch a demonstration on how the ink is transformed into a solid final product. Chinese calligraphy ink is a bit different from normal pen ink, it is deep black in color and is made from mostly natural ingredients. The base of the ink is made from a combination of ashes for the dark coloring, and animal gelatin to create some stickiness in the texture. High quality ink, they told us, takes months to dry and be ready for use, and so producing the ink is an art in itself.

            After the ink factory, we continued our drive to the base of the mountain. Upon arriving we looked up, searching the air for this huge mountain that we were about to hike. Unfortunately, we were met with almost nothing- the heavy fog in the air completely concealed the peak of the mountain. Instead of hiking all the way up, we took a cable car up mid-mountain, and then walked the rest of the way to our hotel where we would stay for the night. Sitting in the cable car, it felt like we were slowly rising up into the clouds, and we couldn't see anything around us. After what felt like a long 15 minutes, we arrived at a spot close to the top of the mountain and began our brief, but adventurous hike. The lack of visibility was disappointing, but nevertheless, the hike was an exciting experience. We took our time slowly going up and down Huangshan's many steps through the rain and fog, stopping to look for some of its amazing natural wonders. The whole experience sort of reminded me that there is more to China than big cities or factories, it is filled with so much natural beauty. It was really nice breathing in some fresh clean air for a change too! As the storm clouds turned full strength we finally arrived at our destination. Wet and freezing, we all relished the opportunity to unwind after a strenuous day.

            Tonight night we had our third discussion group meeting where we went over some of the things we've learned about China through our experiences with the host family, and our trip to Anhui. Needless to say, the journey so far has been very exhausting, so it's time to get some sleep so we can be up bright and early to hike the west side of the mountain in the morning. I hear that's the inspiration for some of the scenes in Avatar! Can't wait!

- Sania M.