Friday, May 11, 2012

Things I learnt

Over the past two years, I did learn a quite a bit - though mainly non-academic, and some, perhaps not really meaningful. But as I sit here and reflect on what I did over the past 2 years, I thought I would jot some things down. As I am likely to leave Beijing, and China to pursue my career, I feel a tinge of sadness, after all, Beijing has been a very enjoyable place to stay.


1. Forget that you're a foreigner - A lot of foreigners come here with a mindset that they are foreign and thus, should be treated in a "special" manner by the locals, or sometimes, they think that they are superior to the Chinese as China is still very much a developing country. If anything, that mindset would prevent you from truly being able to assimilate and adapt to the culture. It can be as simple as trying new food, or making friends, where you expect people to say/act in a certain way. That doesn't really work - come here with no expectations of how people will treat you.

2. Carry a pack of tissue with you - you really never know when you will use this. I would go into details, but let's not get too graphic or disgusting.

3. Looks and money get the girls - if you're planning to get laid, and get laid a lot, you had better either have the cash to flash or have muscles. Do take time to spend in the gym and eat sensibly, of the people I've noticed, if you're of Chinese heritage and you're tall and have muscles, it is much much easier for you to get some. There are some things that you'll never be able to change (black/blond hair, blue/black eyes, etc) but you can change whether you're in shape or not. In fact, if you're a Causasian and you're in good shape, you'll get it on even more.

However, Chinese girls are not necessarily whores. They're not all willing to jump into bed with you. Do respect them, if you want a quick lay, look for one willing to give you a quick lay, if she's not interested, move on. Don't assume that she wants to get freaky with you just because.... (I think this is applicable anywhere in the world)

4. Make good local friends - get to know a local friend, at least one very well. He/She will give you an opportunity to really explore Beijing from their perspective. As I've said before, the foreigner's Beijing and the local's Beijing can differ vastly. Also, it's an excellent way to pick up the language, if you have language partners, try to avoid sleeping with them - that messes things up and skews the relationship.

5. There's only so much clubbing that you can do - your money is better spent on traveling around Beijing and the rest of China. If anything, at least hit the major cities (including the tourist places). After a while, stumbling back at 4am after two bottles of Grey Goose gets pretty boring.

6. Don't whine about China - if you're frustrated and you feel yourself beginning to hate China, go somewhere else. Don't stay in China and be frustrated and tell people you hate it but you don't want to leave, that just doesn't make sense. Yes, admittedly China can be frustrating, but be adaptable and move along with the program.

7. Get a smart phone - whether an iPhone or Android, get one, nothing less (I don't know about Windows Mobile though, but most applications here are for either of the former operating systems). They have them really cheap here (RMB1,000 for a Xiaomi) so pick one up if you don't have one. If you don't have a smart phone, you're going to miss out on a lot of opportunities to connect and communicate with people here.


MBA Program

Don't expect anything, don't expect anything out of the academics, and don't expect anything for your career. Do your research and build your own networks. People you meet will tend to assume two things about you;

1. That you can speak Chinese
2. That you understand how to business in China

And the only way you're going to be able to do both of that is to immerse yourself thoroughly in China and experience it and work hard.



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Sy & Technikore - Where were you

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