Visiting the Great Wall of China early one Sunday morning

Going to Great Wall of China required getting up early. At first I thought the tour that I had booked was a group one but since it was the middle of winter and Beijing had been experiencing lots of smog that reduced visibility, I was the only one. The day started early with a long drive from Beijing to the Great Wall with the temperature dropping to -5 but thankfully the car was warm and so it didn’t feel too bad.

When the guide asked me if I wanted to climbed the 400 steps or take the ski lift up I eagerly chose the steps but the ski lift option soon became more attractive but by that time it was too late. The only benefit to climb up to the wall was that it was a great way to keep warm.

After the little exercise session we got to the top and the effort to climb all those steps was so worth it. Since it was early on a Sunday morning, the wall seemed deserted. It was also so quiet, except for the clucking of several chickens and later someone singing Italian opera.

It was great to learn more about the history of the wall and that it was built to keep the Mongolians out and the Chinese in rather than to keep the rabbits out. It was also built as a mode of getting soldiers from one part of the country to another.

After a few hours of enjoying the amazing view it was ready for lunch which was the usual rice and a few local dishes which was really nice and so much nicer than traditional English food which is so bland.

On the way home we stopped for a massage which was a perfect way to sooth sore feet and legs after vaulting up (and down) 400 steps.

Luckily, Monday’s little adventure around Beijing didn’t involve getting up super early but it did involve visiting the Forbidden City, Temple of Haven and Tiananmen Square, all of which were very interesting and Tiananmen Square was especially moving. We didn’t really talk about the square much; I guess the Chinese Government don’t want it discussed that much.

 Tiananmen Square

The trip back was equally much of an adventure. Trying to get a correct ticket was a nightmare but it was great to travel back to Shanghai with the super fast train that goes up to 30o km per hour and links two of Asia's biggest train stations. 

I got home at 1 am, totally exhausted but happy that it was such a great final weekend in China.  

Making the most of living in Shanghai

Knowing that this was there was not much time left in China I had to plan my time so I could do everything that I want to do in Shanghai before I had to leave.

Apart from work and the usual tasks involving more researching importers and exporters, editing marketing documents/press releases and developing ideas for the VIP Wine Club, I knew I wanted to visit the famous Shanghai JZ Club.

I didn’t know what to expect but if it was that “pumped vibe” maybe I had picked the wrong night because I got the whole place to myself. It was still cool to listen to the group that was playing. Who know what they were called but they were cool; there were a DJ, a Sax player and a guy on a classical Chinese instrument, all just jamming together. It was great!!

Soon enough it was weekend so I visited the Tianzifang area near my apartment. With its tiny laneways and lots cool places to hang I had to linger there awhile on the way home. There was this German bar that does this wonderful Mulled Wine, I can never find it but I have to rely on the smell of its hot spicy wine to locate it.

Saturday was a shopping day with the girls. First of all we went to the Fabric Market where I got measured up for a pair of pants and a jacket, all for under $100AU. Later we visited the fake market and this antique market. In between there we ate a lot and tried more of the great local food and I can tell you now that after eating out for just a couple of dollars per meal it will be hard to go home and start cooking again.

On Sunday, I squeezed in a visit to the museum. I must look like a push over because I keep on getting asked if I want to attend a tea ceremony but being scam I hung on to my bag I said no!!!

This scam often involves being approached by two locals asking if you need help to find your way or if you can take their photo. They have this story about one of them being from out of town and is being shown around the sights Shanghai and would you like to join them for a traditional tea ceremony?  

Just say no and smile because you’ve just avoided paying $100 for a cup of tea.

But the museum was great. It was full of great Chinese treasures including calligraphy, china, jade carvings and traditional dresses.
    

The weekend finished with an outing to a Jazz place on The Bund and an early night in preparation for another week of exploring Shanghai.

Internship gives insight into China’s love of luxury goods

How times have changed!

It wasn’t so long ago that life in China was a harsh place to live and probably as colourful as the smog that blankets its major cities but with the opening up of the economy and increasing wealth of the country’s middle class the changes have been massive.

Now China is the biggest consumer of Louis Vuitton and by 2020 and according to a CLSA report (a brokerage and investment firm) this will rise to 19%.

So I was quite excited my Internship placement this week with an Importer and Distributor of Spanish food and wine. While the company doesn’t have the same profile as Louis Vuitton or Burberry, it aims to satisfy China’s appetite for high end goods and food/wine from overseas.

All week I have been reviewing and editing a lot of documents and doing market research. I’ve especially enjoyed the editing and making the documents sound a little more “Western” sounding. The market research showed me how keen China is to trade with the rest of the world and it been interesting to find out more about cosmopolitan Shanghai as well as how much the Chinese want high quality items from The West, especially food and wine.

But what I’ve found really interesting (among many other things) about working in China is that what people wear to work isn’t as formal as I thought it would be. People wear jeans, ugg boots and hoodies but none of the suits that would be common in Australia and the UK. But as I’m in the shop I get to dress up, which I don't mind at all.     

But outside of work there had been Karaoke night which was fun. The weekend allowed me to visit the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art as well as visit to couple of the sights of Shanghai and few bars. On Sunday afternoon we went to see a movie because a trip to China wouldn’t be complete without seeing a Jakki Chan movie, would it?    

The Bund

The Shanghai weather gives an icy first impression

Coming from an Australian heatwave the moment when we first stepped in to Shanghai’s icy winter was a massive shock to the system. 

Luckily the car that drove us from the airport through the ice cold wind was heated. From the warmth of the car my first impressions seemed to be that Shanghai is super flat and whose gray landscape appeared to go on forever.

Much of the first few days in Shanghai seemed to be coming to grips with the cold weather.

But next was our internship induction day which was an orientation to China and its business culture. We learnt all about Guanxi and Mianzi. Every comment here has to be positive and had to “save the face” of the other person. This Chinese way of communicating seemed completely different to the Western tradition of interacting with each other. After this session working in China became even more daunting and a potential minefield for miscommunication and misunderstanding.

At the end of the day we enjoyed a Chinese Banquet which was a great introduction to Chinese food and dining style. There were about 6 to 8 dishes that were on a Lazy Susan that we shared among ourselves.

The weekend was spent exploring Shanghai, including a fair amount of time in the freezing cold. On Saturday we were able to visit a Migrant School for Children which they did dancing and songs in the open air. It was all very cute but it was so cold.

Sunday allowed us to do bit of warm clothes shopping and more sightseeing. We spent a little while in the Yu Gardens which was great. The palace was in typical Chinese style with fine woodwork and stone carvings of dragons and warriors.

After walking to The Bund we sat in the cold waiting for the famous Shanghai skyline to be lit up and after an hour we able to see the views that litter the guide books and postcards.        

Tomorrow we start our internship and I hope it is everything that it is cracked up to be and thatI get to learn something.