Shanghai

Day 6 – Ding Ding Hao!

September 10, 2010

This morning we went to a lecture at the University of Shanghai Science & Technology. The main topic was China and the changes they have and will continue to make to become and maintain a top position in the global economic market. One of the issues discussed was China’s 30 year reform plan which lasted from 1978 to 2008. The 30 years were broken down into six 5 year periods with the main theme being a shift from a plain market economy, where the government allocates resources to a market economy which allows the market (supply & demand) to determine the allocation of resources.  

After lunch we went to visit Omron Corporation which manufactures automatic control system devices such as sensors, terminal, controllers, etc. The focus of the presentation and company tour was on streamlined and efficient processes. One of the goals when it comes to supply chain management is to reduce inventory down to a zero inventory system with a three tier pull system which can be accomplished in one day. Another interesting component of their assembly line is the utilization of a small cell assembly line. During this process “person one” starts an assembly and it is passed through the line and ends back with “person one”. Therefore, the same person is responsible for starting and completing a project. This responsibility is reflected in their position as a team lead. Overall I thought Omron had a very complete presentation for us and we were exposed to many parts of their business structure.

On the bus ride to dinner our tour guide Miranda decided to teach us some more basic Chinese. Things like “how are you” and different responses. My favorite had to be “ding ding hao” which means very good, or literally top top good! According to one of the guys on the trip from China, Joe, they never use that term but I loved it and decided to use it regularly – here’s hoping it will catch on!

We then headed to dinner (yes, Chinese food) and then to an acrobatics show which was so cool. These performers are so impressive although Dr. Kim may have one-upped them with his summersault. The thing that’s so amazing is how does one even figure out that they can do these things? I mean there were 6 motorcycles inside a ball at one point – how do they practice that? 

The rest of the night was spent exploring the area around our hotel. I was so excited to find a little whole in the wall liquor store that had COLD bottled water (a luxury item here!) and more tiger statues – because they are freaking everywhere!!!

 

Day 7 – I LOVE SHANGHAI!

September 11, 2010

Today was a really fun day of sightseeing and hanging out with a lot of local people. We went to the Yu Yuan Garden which is a beautiful place with lots of plants, statues and rivers. It rained on us while we were there but luckily I’ve been carrying around an umbrella in my purse for the last week so I was prepared! In the same area as the garden was an outdoor market where we had some time to do some shopping. It was so crowded but there were a lot of good deals to be found, that is if you’re OK haggling and buying knock-offs, which I am!

We were supposed to go to another shopping area (more of an outdoor shopping mall) but due to the rain and general lack of enthusiasm for high end shopping we went back to the hotel and had the afternoon to ourselves. It was so nice! I got to take a nap, shower and relax for a while!! Seeing as though we had so much time we decided it was great night to go out. Everyone got dressed up (which wasn’t the easiest of tasks since most of us didn’t bring ‘going out’ clothes but we made it work) and took the subway (which turned into a taxi ride once we realized the transfer train was closed!) to go dancing. The club was packed and the same Chinese practices applied – just keep moving and push your way through. It was a very long night but we had a total blast! 

Day 8 – Long Day = Burger King & Massages

September 12, 2010

After a long night last night it was hard to get moving this morning but after a couple cups of coffee and some food (thank you continental breakfast!) I was excited to see what the World Expo had in store. 

To be honest, I wasn't really sure what the Expo was but we were told it would be very cool (this may have been an over sell or perhaps we just didn't have the best of days). The theme of the expo was Better City, better Life. Unfortunately it was pouring today and walking to the first pavilion we were all pretty drenched. Granted they were selling ponchos and umbrellas but with this much rain they didn't help a ton. I decided today would be a great day to wear sandals :) - I guess wet feet may have been better than wet shoes and socks. We started at the China pavilion which seeing as though the expo was in Shanghai was the biggest attraction and even with group admission we still had to wait a long time to get in. Once inside there were so many people and there was a lot going on. It was disappointing to get rushed through and to spend so much time waiting around for those who lagged behind. The parts we saw were very neat and you can tell China is pushing towards a more green country and improving the quality of life for all of its citizens. After the China pavilion the weather cleared a little but my spirit was a little dimmed (obviously something was wrong since I was wishing I had a pair of Crocs). We had a bite to eat and then headed over to the Saudi Arabia pavilion. One of the guys from our group, Freddy, is an international student from Saudi so with a few phone calls we were able to get in through the VIP entrance. Saudi Arabia spent a lot of money to promote their country and to show that they are ripe to become a key player in the world market. From there I opted out and was happy to head home. 


It had been a long and exhausting day so Jenelle and I decided to go get massages and pedicures. It felt amazing and the price definitely can’t be beat. The place was very nice and the people warmed up to us after we finally made up our mind on what services we wanted. On the way home we ate at Burger King which surprisingly is exactly like Burger King back home. It may have been even better since it was so nice to have something other than sit down Chinese food. Once we got back to the hotel I headed downstairs to use the internet at the bar (it was free there but cost us money to use it in the room) to work on my blog and send some emails. Some of the guys from our group decided to join us and we spent the rest of the night in the hotel bar playing a Chinese dice game. It was a really relaxing way to end a very tough day of walking and rain. 

Day 9 – I’ll Go But I’m Not Singing

September 13, 2010

We headed back to the University of Shanghai for a morning lecture on how to avoid “cultural traps” in China. Chinese culture is very difficult to explain because it varies slightly from person to person and from region to region. However, there are some underlying attributes such as modesty, harmony, cohesion and the concept of “guan xi”. Guan xi is the status of interpersonal relationships. Associated with Guan xi is “face”. If one has been embarrassed or somehow been shamed or caused shame they would be considered to have lost face. One who holds themselves with dignity would win face. Guan xi is very important in Chinese culture because it could mean a lot of opportunities if you can gain and maintain good favor with those they come in contact with. Guan xi also extends from the individual to their family. Some ways to improve Guan xi is to do personal favors in advance for people. Also, gift giving is a major way to gain favor from those you wish to have or maintain relationships with. 

After our lecture we visited the Volkswagen Shanghai manufacturing plant. Yes, they do make Volkswagens in China. In 1984 the Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Company was established as a partner company to produce and sell Volkswagens inside of China. It was one of the first partner groups within the China Automotive Group and has been very successful since its inception. At the factory we toured they make several types of Volkswagens: Passat, Lavida, Touran, Polo, and Santana. As well as a secondary brand called Skoda which includes:  Octavia, Fabia, and Superb. We were able to go through the plant while cars were actually being assembled and it was a very neat experience to watch cars being built. The partnership between Volkswagen and China is such a good example of the business diversification that China is trying achieve. (The picture below of the inside of the plant is not one that I took because we were not allowed to take photos inside but I found this online to show how cool it was.)

 Back at the hotel we had a couple of hours before dinner so Jenelle, Mauricio and myself went to get massages. This time we opted for a leg and foot massage which when you’ve been walking for 9 days is so nice. It was a really funny experience because it reminded of going to the nail salon back home where you know the people working on you are talking about you – oh well, it was still nice. Plus, we got a chance to watch some Chinese soap operas which are very intense (and quite comical)! 

We had dinner down by the Bund which is an area that runs along the Huangpu River. The view is beautiful and the food was good. After we finished eating some of us decided to go on a boat ride which lasted about an hour and takes you up and down the river. It was a really nice night and a lot of fun. 


I guess we figured our night hadn’t been long enough so off to karaoke we went. I’ve never been a super big fan of karaoke and as you can tell from the title of this post I had no intention to participate in the singing festivities – I was wrong!!! The karaoke place we went to (much like many in China) was so cool. Your group has its own room with full karaoke set up, comfy couches, and “room service” for lack of better term. As soon as we got there Lady Gaga was on and I was singing - it’s so infectious being there and I believe everyone took a turn at the mic. It was so much fun and a big part of Chinese culture and I’m glad I not only decided to go but to participate. A big thank you to all of the Chinese international students for setting it up and taking such great care of us!!

Day 10 – Beijing Bound

Tuesday

September 14, 2010

Woke up feeling pretty crappy today with a sore throat and headache but had to get up and get moving. Had to pack my bag which was more difficult than I anticipated since the weight limit on domestic flights drops to 44 lbs. from 50 lbs. Considering my bag barely made weight on the flight over I knew I had some maneuvering to do.

After we packed and got our stuff downstairs we headed to the Shanghai museum for a quick visit. There was an exhibit on Ancient Chinese Sculptures that was pretty amazing. I had to go by the gift shop where I bought my name written in Chinese (well, technically it’s the male equivalent of my name because the female one was sold out). We made it to the airport with just a little time to spare some of which was eaten up by my jam-packed carry on being completely emptied out an scrutinized by security. I have a curling iron and some necklaces - what was she looking for? Drugs perhaps? At least she neatly packed it back up for me. Another weird thing happened at the airport. As we waited in line to board the plane there was a little kid in front of me, maybe five or six years old. We’re standing there and out of nowhere he just falls backwards. We just stared it was so bizarre. Narcolepsy? As we gain our bearing over what happened one of the guys in the group, AJ, asks loudly if I pulled him over by his backpack. I didn’t want to laugh but it was really hard to control. The kid was fine and we all boarded the plane. So weird! 

After we arrived in Beijing we checked into our hotel and got ready for dinner of peking duck which is a very traditional Chinese dish. It was good but I didn’t love it like some people did. Once we were done it was time to check out the new hotel which was just as nice as our place in Shanghai By check out I mean go swimming and use the sauna. Afterward I hung out with some people from the group at the hotel and called it a somewhat early night.