Cultural Differences

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This post was written by my friend Clive about some of his thoughts on China.

On May 10th I will have been in China for 2 years, it certainly does not seem that long although sometimes I do find myself trying to remember what it was like living in Canada!! Also I realize that I no longer notice that I am the only white person in the street, on the bus, or in the restaurant. Being stared at does not even register anymore and at least where I live in Xu Jia Bang, I am seldom given 'the stare' except from the very old but I have learned to say hello in the local dialect which results in a beaming smile and if there are more than one person the smile is usually followed by a noisy conversation about the foreigner being able to speak Suzhouhua. Children all want to say 'hello' followed by 'how are you, today?' often followed by gales of laughter. Englishis spoken by most of the young people who realize and/or believe that the best jobs go to those who can speak English.

Although I have been here for two years my Chinese is still poor because I use it so infrequently and also because I am at heart lazy and can egt by quite easily without it!! One of the great advantages and disadvantages of speaking Englishis that you can always get by.

The longer I am here the more I realize that I know so little about the Chinese. One thing I do know is tha the young people all want to make lots of money in order to provide for themselves and their families. Familie are still the most important unit here and my students, without expection all expect to genuinely want to provide for their parents.

Burger King in Suzhou

Image via Wikipedia

Great news Burger King has opened in Suzhou at Times Square, on the other side of the lake. The service is slow, the burgers seem smaller than in the US, they messed up my order (I hate pickles) and the manager acted like an arrogant ass but I am still very excited that I can now get a whopper with cheese so easily.

For those of you new to Burger King, eat the french fries quickly as they are very good when hot but horrible when cooled down.

DVD's in China

This article was written by my friend Clive but I do not know how to change the author's setting. When I figure it out I will make the necessary changes. Enjoy.

One of the joys of living here if access to cheap DVDs and CDs. The speed with which versions of first run films appear in DVD format is amazing of course the first to appear are usually in Russian and are obviously filmed in a movie theater since you sometimes see a the silhouette of a head appear or you get to hear people eating popcorn. Of course according to the WTO and Hollywood this should not be happening but I just think its capitalism as it was meant to be so why are the Americans complaining? Just sour grapes I guess since they never got into this market first. It’s not just American movies, when I told a Chinese friend that I was surprised to see that a first run Chinese movie was already available on DVD two days after it opened in Suzhou they replied “This is China what did you expect?” (By the way DVDs cost $.60 and CDs $1.25 obviously the result of true “free enterprise” with an emphasis on “enterprise”.) I am sure one day this will change and the moguls of Hollywood will get what they see as their “just dessert” but at a totally selfish level I hope it’s not any time soon!!!

(SirMack) Even though the reviews for Watchmen are horrible, I eagerly await watching this movie. If you have seen it let me know if you like it.

Cycle of Family Wealth

The Chinese have an expression: 富不过三代 (fu bu guo san dai) Literally: Wealth does not pass three generations.

Meaning: It's rare the wealth of a family can last for three generations (the 2nd may see the value of hard work, the 3rd, forget it).

Year zero: First generation: Wealth creation

Starting capital: Zero. The family income generators (2 parents) are hard-working and manage to invest 10% of their after-tax income equating to RMB150/month into the Chinese stock market.

Year 45: Second generation: Wealth preservation

The parents ensured that their three children didn't have to experience hard times. The children attended decent enough schools and were fortunate enough to mix with similarly privileged friends. There is general unease in the family however, as the second generation gain independence.

The pressures of wanting to keep up with the lifestyles of their wealthier friends, coupled with an unfortunate down-turn in the economy, results in a halt in savings and as a result the RMB 50.5m family wealth no longer enjoys any debit order increases. In addition, the capital base is required to maintain an income for the folks who have now retired.

Year 75: Third generation: Wealth destruction

The second generation finally inherit the family wealth and it is split three ways. By this time the RMB 45,000/month comfortable family living has ballooned to RMB 600,000/month as a result of inflation. Each family now only enjoys income from a capital base of RMB 110m and, because they themselves are approaching retirement they opt to de-risk their portfolios, which results in the capital invested unfortunately realising a more sedate 3% real rate of return.

After a torturous revelation later on in life, one of the 3rd generation children decided to carve out a career as a financial advisor. She made the following insightful observations:

1. Her grandparents did a fantastic job of consistently placing 10% of their monthly income into an equity investment over a 45 year period.

2. As they had generated sufficient capital to live off the dividend income there from, her grandparents had stuck with their equity investment throughout their retirement.

3. Unfortunately, her parents had failed to adopt a savings ethic and they had relied optimistically on their inheritances to generate their own retirement income.

4. The 3rd generation children (herself included) failed to comprehend the importance of generating an income and as a result were unable to adopt a savings plan or meet their own costs.

Time to start again.

28cm drill bit removed from worker's brain

Dai Longquan, a 19-year-old man from Jiangxi Province is currently recuperating at Renji Hospital after having a 28cm drill bit removed from his brain by surgeons. He was adjusting the drill when a tiny little accident happened — the bit shot into his right eye socket and was embedded 18 centimetres into his brain. By the time Dai was rushed to the hospital, he was already in a critical condition and was lapsing into a coma. Doctors made two small openings on each side of his brain and not only removed the bit (three centimetres of which had been bent into a right angle), but also saved his eye.

Shanghaiist

Cellphone explosion kills man in Guangzhou

Shanghaiist

A man in a Guangzhou Lenovo store died after the cellphone in his chest pocket exploded. The explosion severed a major artery in his neck and caused massive blood loss, almost immediately killing him. Though the make and model of the mobile phone are still under investigation, a member of the staff said the man had just changed his cellphone battery to a new one. This is the 9th recorded cellphone explosion in China since 2002, so maybe it's best to make sure your cellphone's in a bag or something, rather than on your physical person.

Here we go Steelers

Super Bowl is on in China

sLess than 48 hours to the game. I will be watching the game broadcast in Chinese, it should be interesting. I am scouring the net looking for a pittsburgh radio feed. Going shopping today looking for Super Bowl fare, it should be interesting.

Steelers Win!

I am on vacation traveling in China for the spring festival and I just found an internet bar where I see that my Steelers are going to the Super Bowl to play Arizona. For the Steeler Nation in the desert hold strong and remember its the Cardinals, we will win 63-0.

I will have to find somewhere to watch the game, I am so stoked and I miss being home. Who would have predicted Steelers and Cardinals in the Super Bowl. My part of China has been initiated into Steeler's Country and they are starting to realize how much a part of my life the Steelers are.

Time is almost up, I predict Ben has a great game and the Steelers pull away in the second half after Warner goes down. Ben shows the world he's a big game QB.

Steeler's Win, Thank God the Steelers Win!

Let us all rise up in the Steeler Nation and give thanks for this gift from the gods. Don't be shy, don't be scared even if you are watching this game from Hades amongst the heathen Patriot fans, rejoice and smoke the victory cigar, give your loved ones the attention they have been lacking the past couple of hours. If the Arizona faction of our nation is having thoughts of swaying to the dark side let it be known this is punishable by having to watch every Bengals game next year in full.

I got up at 5AM this morning to follow the game on Yahoo sports and I hoped it would not be in vain. I am having dreams of a Steelers 63-0 victory over the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. That would be sweet. The Steelers got one step closer by beating the Chargers 34-24. The Steelers dominated (at least according to my version on the internet) and now we must beat Baltimore for the third time this year, (prediction we will thump them as they are our bitches and Flacco must be stopped or the world could end).
This was the hardest three hours of my life not being able to watch the game, next week I will find somewhere to watch it. Go Steelers!!

-- Do you think Jesus points back when athletes stick their finger towards the sky after a good play?

Best Chili Ever (in China at least)

I love living in China but I do miss having a bowl of chili when it is cold
outside, especially from Steak & Shake. I found this recipe on-line and
it's not too bad. Try it out and let me know what you think or send me
your best chili recipe.

SERVES 2 -4 (change servings and units)

Cross Cultural Contamination

a typical Chinese “meat market” in Fuqing, Fujian

The following post was taken from Ben's Blog.

As Westerners, one of our first impressions of the China is an apparent lack of sanitation, especially in regards to food. In Chinese markets, one can find meat remaining out on tables all day long, unwrapped and unrefrigerated. Vegetables are sprawled over the dirty ground, often only a few feet away from heaps of rotting garbage. Flies and other pests are abundant. Chinese restaurants can be even worse. Like the market, the floors are dirty, the food is not always refrigerated, cooking utensils are often old and rusty, and cooks slice their vegetables on the same surface as raw meat without washing in between. Based on Western standards, China’s restaurants and markets fall far below our expectations of cleanliness in the West. (note: Many high-end Chinese restaurants follow Western sanitation standards. This article is concerned with the mid-range and cheaper places, which are more common.)

I believe there are 3 main reasons for this.

1. China is a developing country, and amenities such as refrigeration are still relatively new. Although they are available to most of the population, it still requires time for these devices to be completely integrated into the culture. A refrigerator in China is still an amenity, not a necessity as it is in the West. The same could be said for individual packaging of meats and vegetables, which is available in most high-end grocery stores, but still not the norm for Chinese families buying groceries.

2. Americans* are over-paranoid about food sanitation. Our mysophobic society spends too much time and effort ensuring all our food products are clean, sealed, fresh, air-tight, unpolluted, untainted, uncontaminated, dirt free, sanitary, hygienic, sterile, disinfected, anti-bacterial, and vacuum-packed. Yes, germs are the culprits of most infectious diseases, but when did we forget that each of our bodies come equipped with its own personal immune system. While I am not saying food sanitation is not important, I do think it is a little overkill in the US.
*I could have probably said “Westerners” but I have not spent enough time in other Western countries to accurately judge.

3. This is the point I want to focus on. Traditional Chinese cooking methods, are by nature, more sanitary than those of the West. Because Chinese society survived for nearly 5,000 years without “modern” sanitation technology, the food culture developed with built-in sanitary checks.

Let’s look at some examples.

1. The Chinese rarely touch their food with their hands. As much as we fret about sneezing, spitting, and passing our bodily fluids, there is quite possibly no spot of the body which spreads as many germs as the hands. Yet, a good proportion of Western cuisine is “finger food.” In China this is rare. Even snacks such as peanuts are eaten with chop sticks. If you order fried chicken at a Chinese fast food restaurant, you will likely be given plastic gloves to assist you with your consumption. Why? Less chance of food touching the hands means less chance germs will enter through the mouth. I am not suggesting that the ancient Chinese possessed the knowledge of germ theory. However, it does not take a microscope to figure out that touching food with grimy hands can lead to sickness.

Vegetables, such as this homemade baby bok choy, are always served cooked in China.

2. In China, vegetables come cooked. Outside of the context of Western cuisine, most Chinese people would not even think of eating uncooked vegetables. Whether they are stir-fried or dipped in boiling water, Chinese vegetables are served cooked, 99% of the time. Often times, food-born illness such as E. Coli are ingested from contaminated fresh vegetables. With cooked veggies this is a non-issue. This also nullifies the danger of cutting vegetables on the same surface as raw meat.

3. The Chinese tendency towards eating meat in morsels. In the West, we like our meat in large pieces. Cutting it up ourselves is part of the dining experience. In China, this task is relegated to the cook. Meat is diced up into small pieces before it hits the wok. With small morsels it is easier to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked. In the West, we prefer cooking large pieces of meat before they are cut up. This method increases the likelihood that part of the meat will not be fully cooked.

4. Everything goes on the fire. Chinese kitchens may be dirty, but there isn’t an item in that kitchen which won’t be exposed to extreme heat before it makes its way onto your plate. 2 million years of human civilization has proven that there is no better germ-killer than good old-fashioned fire. Virtually every item ordered in a traditional Chinese restaurant will arrive at your table straight from a fiery wok. Unlike when cooking with an oven, the operator of a wok constantly flips and turns the contents to ensure all ingredients are properly exposed to heat. With only a few small exceptions, everything in China is served hot (read: sterilized). Heck, the Chinese even boil their water before drinking it.

Interestingly enough, in nearly three years in China, I have only gotten sick off of food once; this as opposed to my average of at least once or twice a year when I was living in the US. At first glance, it would seem logical that living in an environment where food sanitation regulations are lax or non-existent would lead to an increase in food-related stomach ailments. However, three years of subsisting off a diet consisting primarily of cheap Chinese restaurant food has shown this not to be the case.

For the record, I am no doctor, nor do I have statistics to back up my claims. Instead, I am speaking on personal experience and observation, when I say posit that Chinese food culture is inherently more sanitary than that of the West. Western societies have developed higher degrees of sanitation standards, in part to compensate for a food culture which is in and of itself, relatively unhygienic. Had we been slicing our food into little bits, cooking everything on a wok, and not using our fingers, we might have been able to allow our sanitation standards to slide a bit as well. Alright, I’m off to get some stir-fried beef and boiled spinach.

Wisdom from Zataki

Image via Wikipedia
Here are some of my favorite Economic/Financial web sites:

China Financial Markets - this website gives an in-depth viewpoint of the Chinese economy that is a must read if you have an interest in China

Naked Capitalism - my favorite financial website as Yves Smith does a tremendous job of explaining the latest, most difficult economic problems in an understandable manner

ClusterStock - Interesting takes on current financial events

The Business Sheet - Sister site of ClusterStock, that gives further insight into current financial events

24/7 Wall St. - Opinions on diverse financial news

Wildcard Weekend Blues

One of the drawbacks of living in China is the inability to follow American sports as thoroughly as one can in the states. Most of the time I am able to cope by reading about the games online and watching a few ESPN, MLB or NFL.com videos. The experience is not the same but I have realized a huge savings of time that helps compensate from the lost experience but it still is very sad to miss all of the NFL playoffs.

Congratulations to the Cardinals for their second playoff win in the past 60 years. If you double that win total it is Super Bowl Baby. The Colt's pulled their annual choke job and lost to the Chargers, again. Can you say, Norv Turner for coach of the year.

Two more games tomorrow and then the real playoffs begin as the Steelers try to earn one for the 2nd pinkie.

Links

USC should never lose - SportingNews.com
Except for Oregon State, Stanford or Notre Dame (A man can dream)

China Melamine yet again and this time it's getting mighty fishy - China Law Blog
What can we eat that's healthy, forget about it, let's go to Fat Burger

Did USC cheat and win at Notre Dame - The Wizard of Odds
Clive, you know it's true

Man bikes 180 miles for sex with 15-year old girl - SportsbyBrooks
Love the bike, were can I get one.

Contradictions in China and the rise of a billionaire family - New York Times
Uncle Liu why won't you return my calls

Links Happy New Year

Hong Kong KFC serves food from trash - Shanghaist
Finger-licking good

Top fake news of 2008 - Danwei
$50 billion Ponzi scheme involving the financial elite, too bizarre to be true

China Blog Awards 2008 - Chinalyst
Next year Zataki will win

About Me

I am from Phoenix, AZ and am currently residing in Suzhou, China which is about 40 miles from Shanghai. Life is very exciting and fun-filled as I learn about a foreign culture and attempt to easily assimilate myself into it.

This forum will also be used as a teaching tool as I am a professor of business at Suzhou University. This semester I am teaching an E-Marketing class and am using this blog as a means for explaining the subject. Any tips or suggestions would gladly be appreciated.