And just like that …. I was back, in China. My China Southern flight landed with a bump and we rolled along the runway. Out of the tiny oval window, I could see that familiar muddy grey haze stretching out, almost touching the maze of concrete highways in the distance. I grimaced. I’d forgotten just how gloomy it can look after basking in Australia, with its high definition backdrop for 15 months. Yes it’s been that long since we left Xi’an, so the opportunity to come back and co host the Cross Border Summit in Shenzhen was too good to pass up. I wanted to soak up everything ‘China’ … my writing mentor excitedly urged me to take notes, on everything, thus I was armed and ready! Stepping into the airport, oddly I felt nervous. I definitely wasn’t as gung ho or nonchalant as I had been by the time we left China after 2.5 years, living it. Cautiously I eyed up the police in buggies and the military guys with their guns, watching from every corner. I stood in line in customs wondering if my Chinese would come back to me. The minute I was through with my luggage, strangers approached me from every direction… “Taxi? Taxi? You need taxi?” “Bu yong xie!” i found myself automatically saying. “No need.” Phew, I still had some Chinese up my sleeve. I was getting picked up, or so i thought. After standing conspicuously in the middle of the airport for about twenty minutes, twenty ‘bu long xies' later I realised I did need a taxi after all. I knew better than to take up one of the random strangers hovering close to me and headed to the rank. At least they’d put the metre on. Stepping outside, I inhaled….ahhh that smell. Each country has it’s own unique smell, doesn’t it? Just what was China’s? Describing it has always perplexed me, but in the name of book research, I was determined to nail it. Stale cigarettes mixed with a hint of steamed noodles? Someone mentioned that, yes, that mixed with a whiff of decomposing food that sits outside restaurants. And definitely a dash of unwashed arm pits. Hmmm..still, something else? The drive was erratic, the horns constant and the buildings looming. Everything covered in a fine coat of dust, even the cars, I mused. I was busy taking it all in… until it appeared my driver was lost in his quest to find the Day Hello hotel. Suddenly I was back in Xi’an, with a driver who couldn’t speak English and no Sat Nav. I’d given him the address in Chinese, but it wasn’t enough. Construction and a wall along the main street meant we were going in circles. He started speaking quickly in Mandarin to me. Ugh… nope I don’t understand. “Ni zhi dao ma?” Do you know, I asked? Hopefully. Then I got something. He wanted me to call someone.”Ah Dui, Keyi.” (Maybe I should keep up those weekly lessons.) Meantime, he stopped the car in the middle of the road and got out to ‘take a look’…. I called one of the conference volunteers and handed my phone to the driver. Phew! Turns out we were just around the corner. I handed him 100 kuai — even the cash was dusty. The Day Hello hotel was impressive. Luxurious even… but English was limited, which surprised me a little. Shenzhen is one of China’s first tier cities, just across the border from Hong Kong. Until recently it was the fastest growing city in the world, an IT hub, filled with ideas, creativity and money! The front desk sent me to the first floor, lugging my own bags….even though my room was actually on the 9th floor. As I soon as I entered my room, the door bell rang. There stood a lady with a trolley full of loose oranges. "Ni Yao ma?" Fruits! Sure! The epitome of luxury in China. Bags dumped and it was on for young and old. I had the VIP dinner to attend, in an effort to get to know my fellow conference goers. From that moment on, for three days, I didn’t stop. Walking to the conference venue, I remembered the friendliness of the street cleaners and security guards. They all gave me that silent nod and a smile as I walked by. The Chinese music bellowing out of restaurants and shops and this nation of people that can sleep anywhere, any which way. At the summit, I met people from all corners of the globe…and admittedly whilst at the beginning I knew nothing about ECommerce or cross border selling…. by the end, regardless, I was enlightened and most definitely inspired. We were a mixed bag, but everyone carried that common thread - a lust for life. And I realised, I'd missed the diversity. There were the expats who’d come to China on a wing and a prayer for a different way of life, a chance to pursue their passions. I could see the same sense of adventure in their eyes as they told me their stories. That unmistakeable urge to step out of your comfort zone and really live. The thirst for Asia and it’s unparalleled energy. I felt it, and I remembered it. Oh the addictiveness of Asia. There were the speakers. At least forty of them (including me) talking on everything from international branding to Amazon selling, marketing, manufacturing, technology and the media (me), even cultural differences. China’s biggest YouTuber…from South Africa, Winston Sterzel, otherwise known as SerpantZA told us how he’d ridden the length of China on a motorbike. His stories were beyond your wildest dreams, his one million followers, among the most dedicated. Look him up! The young ‘dude’ from Minnesota who’s obsession with UFC boxing now sees him run a squillion dollar business selling boxing paraphernalia on Amazon and makes him an FBA Mastermind. The entrepreneurial skills of this 24 year old were mind boggling. The former UK DJ, now podcast and Amazon guru Danny McMillan, broadening our horizons with all guns blazing; the young and gorgeous Russian girl who blew everyone away with her enthusiasm and knowledge of China’s social media. Watch out for her! She's going places. The Chinese lady who runs a shipping company, alone; the Aussie guy importing much sought after western food into China. (By the way, thanks for keeping me going for three days on your muesli bars)! The serial entrepreneur from Poland and the Israeli with ten years in China wowing us with his inside knowledge. It was like a United Nations meeting of business gurus. The dedication of these people was palpable. By the end of it, people were buzzing and so was I - not just on the cheap 'bai pu tao jiu' (white wine) at the after party either! Oh and while it’s no secret China moves at a rate of knots, I wasn’t quite ready for the fact that cash is barely used anymore. I’ve even written a post on the possibility of China becoming the first cashless society and it seems to be well and truly on the way! The bar staff were dumbfounded when I handed them cash, and then disappeared out the back for ten minutes, scrounging for my change. We celebrated on a rooftop balcony overlooking Shenzhen and I knew I’d met friends for life. Taking an Uber back to the airport the next day, I was on a high….and when the driver opened the door and spat on the road at the toll gates, I didn’t even flinch. I was back. China, still a land of many contradictions, but a place where anything is possible. This is China. … [Read more...]
Why My Six Year Old is Learning Chinese, Down Under.
When Ava was just three years old, she started coming home from pre-school spouting off words, phrases, even songs in Chinese, which to be honest, I thought was merely 'toddler gibberish'. That is, until we were out to dinner one night, and a friend pointed out the seemingly un-obvious, to me, “You know she’s counting to ten in Mandarin, right?” “Er, what?!” In Hong Kong, they like to start school at a young age; competition is fierce and in such a heavily populated metropolis it’s believed, education is the key to success. Born in the fragrant harbour, at the tender age of two and a half my daughter’s class had both a full time English teacher and full time Mandarin teacher. At parent-teacher interviews, the Mandarin teacher attempted to explain Ava’s progress in Mandarin. "Say what?!" I knew I had to up my game, so I enrolled myself in online Mandarin classes. (I wrote about the beginning of that journey here.) It was just as well, because within a year, we moved to the middle of China, where, unlike Hong Kong, English was rarely spoken. For someone who spoke only one language (and a handful of school French phrases), learning Mandarin (one of the world’s most complex languages) was suddenly at the top of our entire family’s ‘to do’ list, even the hoteliers! My Small Person, who was at an international school had Mandarin lessons four times a week during our two and a half years in Xi'an, and for the most part, detested them! I soon learned she was much happier getting in on my weekly tutored lessons, where our young, enthusiastic teacher 'Vera' played games and did craft with her, in Chinese. She also had a great friendship with our Chinese babysitter where the benefits were mutual. Ava would teach the babysitter English and she would teach her Mandarin. Despite my skepticism, everyone told me she really could understand Chinese. Actually in the end, we made quite a formidable team. She was far better at understanding, and I found it easier, speaking Mandarin. After seven years away, we're back in Sydney and to be honest, I’m a little surprised, despite Mandarin being the most commonly spoken language in the world (with over one billion speakers), it’s still only taught in a handful of Aussie schools. Australia might lay claim to being one of the most multicultural countries in the world, yet learning a second language is still not compulsory in many primary schools. For those schools that take it upon themselves, the language of choice is predominately French, German, Indonesian or Spanish; or in my daughter’s case, Italian (which just quietly, she loves!) Research tells us, learning any language at any age is beneficial and learning a language as a child, should almost be a rite of passage. Author of ‘Why Bilinguals Are Smarter’ says, “Evidence suggests the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called 'executive function' — a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks.” Sounds impressive?! A study from Pennsylvania State University has found learning a foreign languages provides a competitive edge in career choices, enhances listening skills and memory, and improves the knowledge of one's own language. Multilingual people, especially children, are skilled at switching between two systems of speech, writing, and structure. As an added bonus, according to Macquarie University’s Senior Lecturer in Literacy in a Multicultural Society, Dr Robyn Moloney, says, “After learning a secondary language, subsequent languages are easier to learn - patterns can be recognised a lot faster.'' So no matter what language my now six year old is learning, be it Italian, French or Spanish, for now, I’m pretty happy. But, still, we’re keeping up the Mandarin. For her and for me! (The hotelier on the other hand has called it a day, and I can hardly blame him!) Some friends have asked, why we don’t we just let it go, now that we’re back on Aussie soil? Touche! “It’s a pretty tough language, isn’t it?” They query. And yes, it bloody is! Sometimes I'd rather poke sticks in my eye than have a lesson. The same word can mean four different things, depending on the tone you use! Chinese people will even admit to being confused by their own language! (Not kidding!) We definitely don’t need it the minute we step foot outside our front door anymore, or do we? In 2017, China is Australia's biggest trading partner. By 2020, Chinese visitors to Australia are expected to top the one million mark and pump as much as $13 billion a year into the national economy. Yep! One thing’s for sure, it’s the Asian Century and our Zhonguo Ren friends aren’t going away. Consider this: At the moment only eight per cent of the country’s 1.4 billion people actually own a passport. You don’t have to be a mathematician to work out what’s going to happen as the growing (wealthy) middle class increases. There are still millions of Chinese who’ve never travelled outside of China. Speaking at a recent ACRI ‘in conversation’ event I went to, Colin Mackerras, Australian Professor at Griffith University, said learning about Chinese culture and the language should be regarded as an asset. “There is an emerging Middle Class in China and it’s going to have a big impact on the world, I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it in history.” Australia China Business Council president, John Brumby says, "The booming Chinese middle class is attracted to Australia for tourism and education, based in part on the clean air, orderly cities and desire of wealthy parents to provide the best for their children." Having spent two years in an often extremely polluted Xi’an, where chaos reigns supreme and education is everything, he’s on the money. There are also increasing numbers of Chinese students coming Down Under to study. According to the Australian China Relations Institute, 140,000 to be precise! This new generation is a curious bunch, keen to see what the Western world they’ve often only ever seen in movies or on television shows like ‘Friends’ (it’s one of the few western shows they’ve been able to have access to) is really all about. So, why the resistance to teaching Mandarin in schools? Even the federal government says we should “promote, protect and even privilege the learning of Chinese in our schools.” The front page of the London Times ran the headlined story ‘Ni hao! The British school where half the day is in Mandarin.’ The theme - parents are hoping to ‘future proof’ their children at a prep school that immerses pupils in Chinese. It’s well documented that we have a natural ability to learn languages more easily at a young age. Professor of second-language acquisition at the University of Maryland, Robert DeKeyser, believes the ability to absorb a new language effortlessly begins to decline by the age of six. Having studied Mandarin alongside my six year old, I know which one of us has had an easier time picking up the language! Even so, I still get howls of protest when it’s time for lessons. To make it more fun, I’ve engaged a uni student from China’s far north to come over to our place and effectively play games in Chinese, and have a chat to me in Chinese afterwards. I figure as long as she doesn't hate it, i'm on track, for now, anyway. Chinese strongly believe in the proverb: “Shou ren yi yu buru shou ren yi yu!” You’ll know it as, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach him to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” So while my small person likes to complain about “yet another Chinese lesson”, I plan to do everything in my power to make sure she’s ‘future proofed.’ … [Read more...]
Don’t Call Us ‘Leftovers!’ China’s Unmarried Women Hit Back at Ikea.
The 30 second television advert begins with a tense family dinner scene. A young woman turns apprehensively towards her mother and says ”Ma Ma…” Her mother cuts in, bangs down her chopsticks and says scathingly (in Mandarin of course) "If you don't bring home a boyfriend next time, then don't call me Mum!” Next minute, there’s a knock at the door and a well-dressed young man appears with a bouquet of flowers. “This is my boyfriend,” the daughter says proudly. Her now beaming parents, whip out their best (Ikea) tableware and home decorations, inviting him in. Let me tell you, today, in much of China, that scene is too not far from the truth, but this latest Ikea advertisement has caused an almighty uproar amongst local netizens. In 2007, the China Women’s Federation, coined the phrase ‘Sheng Nu’ for all Chinese women who were not married by the ripe old age of 27! Yes, 27! Translated, Sheng Nu means ‘Leftover Women.’ That may have only been ten years ago but traditionally China has long made matrimony the final and ultimate goal for a Chinese girl. Even ‘Confucious’ is known to have said, “The woman follows the man! In her youth she follows her father and elder brother; when married, she follows her husband; when her husband is dead, she follows her son.” Marriage is about fulfilling ones duty and having societal stability rather than love. The ‘one child policy’ introduced in the early 80’s saw families favouring sons over daughters meaning an astronomical number of abortions and female babies abandoned. Today that means there’s a dire shortage of women when it comes to pairing up in matrimonial heaven. Currently there are 117 boys for every 100 girls. Men outnumber women by 33.66 million. But while ultimately men are the ones having more difficulty finding a match, women still face heavy pressure from family and society. So much so, many are resorting to renting ‘fake' boyfriends to take back to their home villages, during the annual Chinese New Year holiday. A lot of young Chinese I’ve spoken with, say, despite being highly educated with thriving careers, the pressure from mum and dad is very real. Older generations still feel they need to ‘save face’ in their immediate communities and if their daughter, turns up unmarried without children, it’s terribly embarrassing. “A parent is always on standby to sacrifice everything for their children.” a friend in her fifties says. It’s widely accepted they will be the one’s looking after the grandchildren while their children work and in return their child/ren will look after them in old age. A lot of parents are even taking matters into their own hands, fronting up, weekly to ‘marriage markets’ with their children’s statistics on a piece of paper. Height, gender, education, job, and property ownership! “My mother keeps calling me and reminding me I only have a couple more years to find someone,” comments a weary 25-year-old friend. Another married friend, Monica, says, “Almost all Sheng Nu are really good students in school; they don’t have the time to go outside with friends or meet people. Their parents introduce them to potential husbands, but when they meet, they struggle to communicate ..they just know how to study. It’s a big problem.” Men though aren’t escaping the wrath of unsatisfied parents. “My mother told me I must get married and it’s her duty to see that I do.” says 28 year old Leo. “I argue with her that the choice is mine, why is it your duty?” “She says, she’ll lose face, all my friends say, why don’t you plan a marriage for your son?" She says, When I’m with friends who have grandchildren, I feel bad and embarrassed and walk away.” Leo says, “She is transferring her pressure onto me.” I ask one friend if it’s weird to her, that I got married so late at 37, mainly because I’ll never forget those first few visits to the hair salon in Xi’an, when they all looked at me like I was from Mars, especially when I told them how old I was when I tied the knot! "And you think your 'Sheng Nu' have got problems!" :lol: Encouragingly though, many of China’s young educated women I talk to are pushing back against the leftover stereotype and waiting until they find love, regardless of their parents expectations. Hence why Ikea’s latest ad hit a sore spot. Lu Tiao from the hair salon says, “I want a soul mate with a modern day approach who will support my career.” There’s even a new Chinese term that means ‘Naked Marriage’ - getting married purely for love without a house, ring, ceremony or car. Still - in a culture where many are still clinging onto the Chinese family idea of having many generations under one roof, it’s a tough one to get their head around. Ikea’s been forced to withdraw the ad and issue a nation wide apology, admitting it got it’s normally intrepid research, terribly wrong. This is China. … [Read more...]
The Lord of the Rings! My Journey to China…And Back. (Podcast)
When Michael from Global From Asia wanted to chat to me for his show, how could I possibly refuse? An American who's kicking butt in Shenzhen, married to a Chinese lady, together they are giving others the knowledge and tools to take their business from Asia and make it 'global!' Pop over to his website to listen to the podcast. It's about 35 minutes and we chat about everything from culture shock to finding friends in China and learning how to navigate the Middle Earth that is China. So grab a coffee or stick those head phones in and carry on, carrying on. https://www.globalfromasia.com/to-china-and-back/ … [Read more...]
The Digital Kingdom: Will China be the First Cash-Free Society?
Written by Nicole Webb and Chao Huang, Edited by Nicole Webb Living in China, my purse was usually stuffed with wads of cash. Sadly, not because I was super rich but because I couldn’t use my non-Chinese credit cards in any stores other than those western brands like H & M and Zara (Oh dear, you feel my pain right?). And opening a bank account in China was like pulling teeth, so cash it was all the way. Counterfeit money is a huge problem (almost every cashier slides your notes through a scanner) so the biggest note made in China is 100RMB - which is equivalent to about US$14 - so you can imagine, this makes your wallet even fatter! Mind you, I wasn’t alone in my cash stashing ways; as the first country to introduce paper money in the 11th century, most of the Chinese population have long been cash converts, renowned for carrying briefcases full of cash to buy everything from jewellery to cars, even houses! A few years ago, the New York Times reported a guy showing up to a dealership in China in a beat-up old Honda carrying a black rubbish bag stuffed with cash. He bought a brand new BMW with it. In Xi'an, I heard about stories like this all the time! But it seems that's all changing...with China on track to become the first cashless society! What does that mean and how does that even work? Guest writer, my dear friend and local Chinese, Chao Huang from Xi'an, gives us the low down! A quick question: what do you take with you when you leave your house? Keys, wallet, and your phone, right? And people from China? I can tell you, most of the time, I just take my phone and just like me, there are now millions of people in China enjoying this cash-free life. You may have heard the news that some ardent 'Apple' fans in China sold one of their kidneys (sure, we have two of them - a spare one - so it isn't that big of a deal, is it?) to buy a new iPhone 4 when the revolutionary smart phone first came on the scene, sending fans into a frenzy. Of course not everyone goes to such extreme measures and most of us keep our kidneys and settle for cheaper Chinese brands like XiaoMi, Huawei and Vivo. ;) In February last year statistics showed 1.28 billion mobile phone subscriptions had been registered in China, which means more smartphone users than the US, Brazil and Indonesia, combined. It's an understatement to say that Chinese are now living in the People’s Republic of Digital. And it's no surprise that this year a study found China's smartphone users spent an average of 98 minutes a day using their phone. You might be wondering what we do with our phone given it's no secret we can’t go on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram or Google?! But let me tell you, when the internet censorship Gods handed Chinese lemons, many of the smart and diligent Chinese internet companies made so much lemonade, that most of the Chinese people don't even care about those Western websites. Super app, Taobao, is one -- and if you haven't read Nicole’s article about the company that has changed the way Chinese live, please click here. (Oh and did I tell you, I made 2.6 yuan last week just by putting my un-used money on my Alipay investment account?) Super apps in China have changed our life, blown our minds, and introduced a new era where small change and cash has been left behind. Credit cards weren't brought into China until the mid '80s, so it's fair to say, China has largely bypassed cards....and looks to be going from cash, straight to mobile! Software and gaming giant, Tencent monopolised an entire generation of Internet users in China with its clever multi-use platform WeChat. Not only can you communicate with friends via text messaging and calls, use it as a platform to share moments and pictures but it’s also your Trip Advisor, Amazon and Uber equivalent, and most importantly, your cash card. Alibaba’s Alipay digital wallet has been around since 2004 and easily trounced its US counterpart PayPal. The Alipay Wallet, currently sees 80 million transactions a day. The company has cooperated with a growing number of wet markets selling fruit and veggies, to install a QR code at each stall. What's a QR code? It's a Quick Response code which is a two dimensional barcode with a random pattern of tiny black squares against a white background, capable of holding 300 times more data than a traditional one-dimensional code. Shoppers scan the code with their phones after selecting their goods. The days of plastic buckets and polystyrene boxes filled with cash, lining the pavements are truly on their way out. In a sign of the times, everything from supermarkets to convenient stores, shopping malls, hospitals, restaurants, parking tickets and cabs can now easily be paid by the scan of a smart phone. The fact is, every morning when I go to buy breakfast at the street cart vendor, my 4RMB (US58c) Chinese jian bing (a kind of pancake with vegetables and eggs inside, which is really yummy by the way) I can just scan, beep and walk off with my pancakes! There are even reports of homeless people wearing QR code tags around their necks, so passers-by can easily give them money with a quick scan. A bridesmaid even wore a QR tag to collect gift money from guests at a wedding ceremony! The South China Morning Post reported, "Some restaurants have pinned barcode tags to the chests of waiters, waitresses and even chefs. Customers can scan the code to leave a tip if they are satisfied with service." It sounds like China's started the transition to a cash-free economy faster than anyone could have imagined, but what about those older generations so used to paying with cash? My parents and a large number of their friends (most are in their late 50s or early 60s) all own smart phones and are daily users of WeChat, but say they never use any form of digital payment. And this cultural preference for carrying large sums of cash instead of credit cards has travelled together with the new wealthy class out of China. Chinese tourists are the prime target for pickpockets and muggers because it's known they carry far more cash than visitors from other countries. This reminds me of a childhood memory whenever our family went on holidays, my parents would wrap a red cloth around their money bills and stash them inside their underwear! Today not much has changed, my mum protests, “If you go to any local markets without cash, it’s like going without wearing clothes.” (Which of course you need to stash the cash!) But it looks like she'll have to get used to bearing all, because experts say by 2030 China will be for all intents and purposes, cashless! Stay tuned. This is China. … [Read more...]