Driving in China

Driving in China is an adventure.  In the states, we are taught to drive defensively, but in China it's a combination of defensive, offensive, and strategic driving.  You need to be defensive because the majority of drivers react to their current mood and needs.  You need to drive offensively because if you're too passive you'll never merge into traffic or get out of the parking lot. The strategic part is the hardest part because the roads are constantly under construction which means a lack of consistency, especially for a novice driver in China.  Add to the fact that I don't read too much Chinese, and it requires a lot of strategy. 

As a driver in So Cal, part of the country with the worst traffic and drivers, China's driving takes it to the next level.  The number of people honking, unexpected stopping, merging, and parking is hard to get used to.  The idea that pedestrians need to give the right away to cars but constantly push the limits is unsettling.  Then there are the motorcycles, scooters, and delivery vehicles that cut in and out of traffic.  Although, there are fewer now than before, their actions on the road are still extremely unpredictable.

Parking is a whole other monster in itself.  Keep in mind, I am not in a major metropolis which means less rules apply and that definitely applies to parking.  It's almost laughable that they have parking spaces and lines because it seems the vast majority of people simple disregard them.  I'd say that, as long as your car doesn't block the road or intersection then anything goes, but they'd break that rule too.  To be fair, it's not as chaotic as my description may seem, but for someone from a culture that is legally governed, this "freedom" takes time to get used to.  At the same time, it can be quite fun to drive here because of the flexibility.

CM Day 3

Growing up in Southern California and only traveling to Asia for short stints, I have never experienced as much rain as a have over the past 3 days.  The amount of water falling from the sky, and the intensity of the thunderstorms are magnificently scary but mesmerizing at the same time.  I've always wanted to experience a typhoon first hand, but after just two thunderstorms, I think I'm alright. 

The more time I spend around locals the more I begin to realize, they want me to be American, especially for perception and financial reasons.  I came here trying to find ways to be more in touch with my heritage and learning the language and culture, but I find that I am speaking more English now that I did in the US.  Initially, I was worried because the people I spoke to told me that I really needed to change my ways and mindset in order to fit into the Chinese society, but now I feel that the locals want me to embrace my American mentality because that's what people here want to learn.

Three days in, I'm more confused now than before I came.  This may take a while.

CM Day 2

Chinese American in China

Americans can't cut my hair

China Move (CM) Day 1

We've been in Guangzhou (gotta be specific because China is kind of big) a little over a day now and it's everything I've expected so far. 

It's been hot and very humid, even when the thunderstorm rolled through in the afternoon.  I can just sit on the sofa and feel the sweat building up, like water behind a dam, just waiting for that moment when I move a single muscle.  We're living in a three story house which means a lot of going up and going down the stairs. I achieved 10,000 steps all before noon! 

In the afternoon, we took a trip to Ikea to look for furniture.  That was an experience all in itself.  The appearance, the layout, and the furnitures are all the same as in the US, but the biggest difference is the people, everyone is Chinese.  No surprise, but it just felt odd walking through Ikea looking at furniture and listening to everyone discuss their furniture and design needs in Mandarin or Cantonese.  The food in the restaurant and food court are different as well, but it's just a totally different experience.  There are a lot more people, a lot more disregard for others, and a lot more kids running around.  In fairness, the people shopping in Ikea were a lot more civilized than I expected, based on my past experiences in crowded Chinese stores. 

Jet lag hit us hard last night, and we all crashed around 9pm.  Hopefully, in a few days, we'd adjust to the time zone and get fully settled in.  The kids will start school soon, and that's when I will need to start concentrating on my next venture.  It's only been a day.

The Journey Begins

As I type this, on the plane ride from LAX to Guangzhou, this is the start of the next chapter.  Over the past couple of weeks, I've been giving a variety of suggestions and different advices.  Some of the advices were positive and optimistic while the others, not so much. 

China is a country with a rapidly growing economy which means a lot of opportunities, but those opportunities aren't meant for everyone.  If you have the right skills, find the right opportunities, and know the right people because as much as it depends on an individual's ability, their connection is almost more crucial.  It may be possible that I have the right skills, and I might have some connections, but it'll depend on whether or not I can align all three together and deal with the drastic cultural differences. 

This is where the dark side of a rapidly growing economy and country peers it's ugly head.  As the country grows, although at a more reasonable pace now, China has bred a new money driven demographic.  These are not only the consumers we see around the world, but those who would do just about anything to get the edge to make a few bucks.  This is part of the reason why a lot of western companies who go to China, with aspirations of wealth, leave with their tails tucked between their legs.  The cultural differences, market variables, and the lack of business ethics (not everywhere but still prominent) makes it difficult for someone from a more structured and law driven society, like the US, to succeed.  Not saying that it's impossible, but the path would be significantly more difficult.  Based on some of the warning tales and horror stories I've heard, it's a wonder why I'm on this flight.

To add another wrinkle to this challenge, something you'd assume would be an advantage, me being Chinese American can make things tougher for me. Conversationally, I speak Mandarin fairly fluently; however, my reading and writing skills are at a first grade level, if even. But the biggest thing is, I am of Chinese decent so I look 100% Chinese.  My physical appearance will give people the perception and expectations that I should understand and know the local language (Cantonese) as well as the understanding of the local cultural norms.  The problem is, I don't know their "norms" because I grew up in America.  I may speak English like an American, but I look Chinese and speak Mandarin, so they have a lower perception of my English skills, even compared to Caucasians from European country, who's primary language isn't English. 

That's a lot to ponder on a long trans-Pacific flight, but these are all realistic issues and situations I will have to face.  Some of my expectations may be accurate while others may be drastically different, but only through personal experience will I be able to make my own judgement. 

A few more hours to go before arriving at Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou, the place I'll call "home" for the time being.  Some friends have said I won't last more than 6 months, but I think I realistically need to give it at least a year. 

Just landed.  Let the fun, excited, chaos, and humidity begin.

Time Off

I've been off work for almost two weeks now, and during this time I've been spending it all with family.  If you have the opportunity to do so, I would highly recommend it.  I was skeptical at first because I've never had this much time off, and I didn't know how I would feel about this much time away from "work", but this experience has been great.  I got to to take the kids places, teach them, spend time with them, and just be around family.  Plus, it's a real workout. When working, I rarely go over 10,000 steps, unless I go running, but with the kids, it's a daily thing.  We don't even need to go anywhere, just be around the house, and I'll exceed 10,000 steps.  It's a great experience and exercise to have kids at this age, but it is also damn tiring. 

We're about a day away from taking the plunge and getting on the bird to China.  That's when the real excitement start.  *Deep Breaths*

Anxi-cited

The two most common questions I get asked when people find out I'm moving to China are, (1) are you excited, and (2) do you have anything lined up?

How do I feel about our decision to move to China?  Am I excited, scared, nervous, or any other emotions I can use to describe how I feel?  My feeling towards the upcoming move to China should be an emotion most people would have, the combination of anxious and excited, anxi-cited.  

As I previously mentioned, I've never lived outside of Southern California, not even a different state in the United States.  I spent plenty of summers in Taiwan when I was a child, but those were short trips, and we were on vacation.  Although there are similarities between Taiwan and China, the differences seem to outweigh the similarities.  When I am in Taiwan, it feels familiar.  Maybe it's because of nostalgia, or it may be because I still have family members there, but I don't get those same feelings going to China, even though I've been to Guangzhou a lot more frequently over the past few years.  I am anxious about how I will adapt to the culture, handling the different lifestyle, deal with the working environment, and survive the mosquito-filled hot and humid summers.  I am anxious about the language and my ability to communicate in Guangzhou.  Even though the official Chinese language in China is Mandarin, In Guangzhou, Cantonese is the primary spoken language.  I speak conversational Mandarin fluently, but if the conversation gets technical or too academic, then I have difficulties keeping up, which means my comprehension of Cantonese is very minimal.  The majority of children all speak perfect Mandarin, and a lot of them no longer speak Cantonese, but the parents and the elderly still prefer speaking in Cantonese.  Being able to speak and understand Mandarin should allow me to get by, but my bigger challenge is my ability to read and write Chinese because I basically don't.  

After being in China for two and a half years, I am pretty confident both my boys (six and five) and possibly even my daughter (three), can recognize more Chinese characters than I can.  Unlike English, Chinese words are not 26 characters constructed together to create a word, but instead, each character represents one word.  To make things even more complicated, each character can have anywhere between one to ten to twenty strokes, and each character can have multiple pronunciations and meanings.  It is said that a person will need to know approximately 2000 to 3000 characters to read the newspaper.  I think I remember, from my Saturday Chinese school days from elementary through high school, about 150-200 characters.  (I may know a little more than that, but I don't want to oversell myself.)  That is not enough characters to even read first grader's book!  With such limited vocabulary, I cannot read menus, store names, and road signs let alone take care of official business.  I am confident that being fully immersed in a 100% Chinese environment I will pick up the language significantly quicker; however, how long will it take?  

There is a lot for me to be anxious about, and we haven't even talked about what I plan to do in China yet.  With that being said, I am excited for this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to move to a different country and experience something completely new.  When most people make a decision of this magnitude, they have to worry about how their family will assimilate to the new environment and handle the changes, but I'm lucky because my family has been there for the past few years, so I'm the only person who needs the adjustment.  Our living situation is already set up in Guangzhou, the kids are enrolled in school, and my wife has family there who can help out if needed.  I figured if I don't do this now, when the kids are still young, and at my age, I may never get this opportunity again.  For that reason, I am excited about this adventure.  

What do I have lined up?  I'm going to a new country (for me) and trying something I've never done before, so why start my own business and give that a try?  I'm going to take the knowledge and experience I have, find the need for my strengths, and utilize that to my advantage.  That is all I can say.