It was one thing to work with Chinese people, have Chinese friends and Chinese clients, but one of my most enriching experiences was living as a member of a middle-class Chinese family.
For two years, I was married to a wonderful, beautiful and successful Shanghainese businesswoman, Michelle, who had a seven-year-old daughter.
All I had heard about and read about the Chinese culture, I was able to experience from the inside. Family, friends and health awareness are integral parts of their culture.
There are no nursing homes in China. Confucian philosophy dictates the relationship between the son and his parents. It is expected that the son will look after his parents in their old age. A room is set aside for the eventual occupation of his remaining parent in the son’s home. Because of the one-child policy, sons are Read the rest of “China Chapter Eight: China Experience” or post a comment
Food is important in all cultures, but in China, it plays a paramount role as the tool for face and guanxi.
Business eating is where guanxi is established. To get to know another person and to build trust, eating together is necessary. The Chinese don’t eat at their desks, and they don’t rush out to the nearest fast-food joint. It is a specific time for talking and getting to know the other person. Typically, business is not discussed. That’s done during the many business meetings.
I recalled two phenomena from living in Richmond, B.C., for twenty-seven years.
The influx of Orientals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China changed the population mix among Caucasian, East Indian and Chinese.
The Chinese drivers soon overtook women drivers as the ones to beware of on the roads. Their unpredictability, ignorance of common courtesies of the road, their seeming inattention to…
Did you know that in China more than 45 billion pairs of wooden chopsticks are produced? This requires about 25 million trees. Yearly. That is why the Chinese government currently tries to promote non-disposable chopsticks in restaurants. Let’s hope China succeeds in this particular effort. For eating with chopsticks can be a lot of fun. Especially when you know how, as this instruction video demonstrates. By all means: do try this at home!
Living in a Chinese Family
