World Expo-sure

I know it’s been a while since you've heard from me and for that, I apologize. I plan on making it up to you! I thought I would try something new with this post…you know, make it worth the wait! I decided it might be interesting to keep a running list of random things that I see or myths that are dispelled or things that I learn over the summer, and since I’m keeping a blog, I felt it appropriate to publish my lists here at various times. After almost three weeks in Shanghai, I think I can begin my list. Here goes!

SURPRISE, I’m not a giant!!!
I am five feet, eight inches tall with a thirty-four inch inseam…to be clear, I’m pretty tall. I thought I would be a giant in China, but I was wrong! Don’t get me wrong, a few people have made hand gestures concerning my height but I’m not nearly as tall as I thought I would be. In Shanghai, people vary in height, and a number of Shanghai natives are my height or taller. In one conversation about our height a girl explained that it’s all about nutrition. She said the people of Shanghai eat really well (I can testify) and as a result, they grow! Other parts of the country may not be so fortunate which provides some explanation of why a majority of the Asian population is shorter than average.

What Did You Just Say?
I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but I like to talk. As a matter of fact, I have grown to love talking so much that I have failed to appreciate the value of non-verbal communication because I have not had to depend on it very much in my lifetime. That has all changed. Being here in China has certainly sharpened my non-verbal skills. Although I wish I could speak the language so that I could converse with everyone, I am really amazed at what can be communicated without any words at all.

Cultural Differences Do Matter
Have you ever been enjoying a nice lunch or dinner with friends or family and had to talk over someone who is slurping their soup or pasta at the next table? Have you ever walked down the street and come really close to someone spitting on you? Since I have been in China, I have and initially I thought people were being inconsiderate but then I noticed that everywhere I went the same things were happening. Then it hit me: these were cultural differences! In the spring I took a couple of classes at both the Clinton School and the law school that focused on cultural differences. At the law school, a class titled the Law and Cultural Competency was all about the existence and effect of cultural differences on our actions and reactions to others and of course, how this plays out in the legal system. Dynamics of Social Change at the Clinton School was all about ways in which cultural differences play a role in our abilities to incite positive social change. I appreciated these classes because they opened my eyes to the fact that cultural differences play a major role in our everyday interactions…whether we realize it or not.

Guess Who?
Before coming to China I often joked about who I would be mistaken for during my time here. Thus far, I am pleased to report the following “sightings”:

Last Monday started off as a regular day (if that’s possible in Shanghai): I woke up, showered, got dressed and headed to work with plans to meet Becca for a possible massage. Some of the ladies that Becca works with had decided that they wanted to get massages, and of course we said we would join. After debriefing from Saturday’s meeting at work, I headed out to meet Becca. Becca and I walked to a predetermined location and met up with Eva and Chelsea (from Becca’s art gallery). That is when the day turned into a real treat.

This massage that we were headed to was not just any massage. I mean, why would it be, we’re in Shanghai! We were about to partake in a Chinese body massage followed by a cupping massage. For your understanding, I will tell you a little bit about both. A Chinese body massage is like a regular body massage on steroids. This small Chinese woman came in and started rubbing my back, just like a massage therapist normally would, and then she pulled out her arsenal, which included thumbs, elbows, and other portions of her hands. I am not kidding you when I tell you that she hit every single pressure point that I have (and some I think she might have borrowed from someone else just for fun) and just when I was starting to appreciate her hands, she pulled out yet another surprise. She told me to turn over on my back and after positioning my legs to her liking, she grabbed my arms, rocked my entire body twice, and then all I heard was a series of cracks. This wonderful woman went from my sides to my neck and realigned my entire body! I was dumbfounded!

The Chinese body massage went on for an hour and then it was time for the cupping. Cupping is an ancient Chinese practice that is often used for medicinal purposes. It is said to have a host of benefits, including: improved microcirculation of blood and lymph; increased activity of metabolic processes; and overall improvement of patient's health. Who wouldn’t want to receive these benefits? As you can see from the pictures, a flame is used to warm a cup (or what looks like a small jar to me) that is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by using change in heat or by suctioning out air), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. I have never done anything like that before in my life, but I definitely want to do it again. I feel great!!!

After our massages, we had lunch and then visited Chelsea at a studio that she and a team were painting for an upcoming art show. Eva met us there and we darted off for another walk to a Danish art show. Unfortunately, the show had been rescheduled. We made the best of it and walked back to Chelsea’s place and in route, passed a Louis Vuitton store that looked to be about 5-6 stories high and was built to resemble a piece of luggage…who knew that was even possible? We ended the evening over buy one get one burgers and fries…not a bad day AT ALL!!!

Trenia’s Finale:
As I walk home from work, I’ve noticed some very consistent behavior. In the evenings, it seems customary for families, couples and even several generations to get out and walk together. While I can’t say where they may be going, I have seen young couples, mother-daughter-grandchild trios, moms and dads with their little ones and even father and/or mother-in-laws with married couples walking along engaging in conversation or random play every evening on my walk home. It saddens me that this is something that I am not used to seeing. My question is why don’t we do more of this? Are we missing out on the best things in life because we’re too busy to stop what we’re doing and take a walk with our loved ones? I know I have been guilty of this, and I am chastising myself for that. It was just a thought that I wanted to share with you…

Welcome to my world…expo-sure!!!

On Saturday morning I woke up at 5:00am so that I could begin what was sure to be a day filled with adventure. Why? This was the day that I would meet our client from Bayer (as in the German aspirin company) China. We had a 7:30am meeting and it was in the Pudong district. In order to get there, I would need to take two taxi cabs and the metro. I was excited but a bit nervous as this would be my first time riding the metro by myself, and I would be doing it in China! For those of you that may not know, I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and have lived in Alabama, Texas and Arkansas thus far in my life. Although I have visited other parts of the country, I have been fortunate to be accompanied by someone who is familiar with the subway system the few times that I have ridden it the U.S.

So, I headed out the door at exactly 6:00am and hailed a cab to the metro station. I hopped in and told the cab driver that I wanted to go to Jiangsu ditie (subway in Chinese), and he understood me! I was thrilled that one leg of my journey went so smoothly. When I arrived at the station I quickly purchased a ticket using an electronic touch screen machine that had an English option. I boarded my first train on Line 2 and at the seventh stop, I exited and switched over to Line 6. At the fifth stop, I headed out of the station and hailed a cab to the Ramada Inn Pudong Plaza. I was so happy as I was riding along because I had made it without any trouble at all. And then what do I hear? Clug, clug, clug, clug…and then the driver pulled over and surveyed the vehicle. I could have told him that the front left tire of the car was flat and almost coming off the rim (that is, if I could speak Chinese). Needless to say, I was dropped off just a short distance from the hotel and walked the rest of the way.

We had a fantastic meeting about the project, narrowing down such particulars as desired deliverables, general timelines, meeting dates, etc. Then our contact from Bayer China suggested that we have a meeting at his home in Bejing soon. I was excited for a number of reasons, one of which surrounded travelling to Bejing, while another stemmed from the opportunity to tour the project sites and gain a deeper understanding of Bayer China’s work, and yet another was based on the fact that our client offered to make us pasta for our meeting. Did I mention that this guy is Italian? SERIOUSLY?!? My taste buds are looking forward to this experience! Our meeting ended on a high note as we transitioned from business to random conversation and in true Trenia fashion, a bit of light humor.

After the meeting the InnoCSR folks and I headed over to the Being Globally Responsible Conference that is hosted annually by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). This conference was actually started by Sam Lee, the CEO of InnoCSR during his time as a CEIBS student. In the spirit of the World Expo theme (Better City, Better Life), this year’s conference was all about environmental responsibility. As I settled into what was actually a very comfortable chair in one of the auditoriums, I listened to a brief introduction from school officials and some students. The first session was quickly summarized and three panelists took the stage. Each panelist would give a brief presentation, and the first would deliver hers in Chinese. I was so disappointed because I thought this meant that I wouldn’t be able to understand the presentation. Not at CEIBS! Khushboo (a fiery little lady from India that works at InnoCSR), turned to me and said, “Go out and show them your business card and get a translator.” I was thinking, “Wow…they have individual translators? But wait, if someone’s standing in front of me translating, won’t that interrupt the session?” I would soon learn that the translator she was speaking of was a small contraption that looked like a tape recorder only sleeker. You put the headphones in and turn to Channel 2 and…voila! I could hear the presentation in English. I was impressed to say the least because I had never experienced anything like this before. I listened intently as several speakers addressed various environmental issues from climate control to the advantages of solar energy. There was even a discussion about Copenhagen and what should be done in order to spark some action to reduce the damage that has already been done to the environment where the climate is concerned.

Trenia’s Finale:
One of the panelists from the presentation was a woman by the name of Peggy Liu. As I read her bio in the conference program, I was truly in awe. A graduate of MIT with a work history that would stop anyone dead in their tracks, Ms. Liu was named a Time Magazine Environmental Hero in 2008 and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2009, was an advisor to the 2008 Clinton Global Initiative on Energy & Climate Change, and currently serves as Chair to the Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE). After the presentation, I went up and introduced myself to her (who wouldn’t?) and told her what I was doing in Shanghai. She leaned in as we shook hands, looked deep into my eyes and said, “You made the right decision coming here. It will change your life. This is where it’s at.” Her words sent chills down my spine and left me speechless (which for those of you who know me know that this doesn’t happen very often). When I could speak again, I thanked her and walked away. Her words keep echoing in my mind and now I have to find Peggy Liu in order to gain some insight into the meaning behind her words. Stay tuned…

Welcome to my world…expo-sure!!!

Now I’m sure you’re wondering why in the world I named my blog World Expo-sure, so I’ll tell you why. Shanghai is hosting the 2010 World Expo (A.K.A. World’s Fair), which is a massive collection of galleries of human inspiration from around the world. As Shanghai’s World Expo has been named the largest site ever, I thought it fitting to pay tribute to the accomplishment in my blog name. Since my arrival, I have seen this cute little blue guy everywhere that reminds me of Gumby and eventually someone explained that this character was the mascot of this year’s Expo. After doing a little research, I found out that his name is Haibao, which means “treasure of the world.” How neat is that?

I decided that although the cab ride to work is pretty cheap, I was missing out on the experience of walking and taking in the scenery. So yesterday I walked home from work and had the best time! I found a small park that was beautifully decorated with flowers, saw a dance routine by a group of girls at school, viewed what seemed to be a friendly game of checkers being watched by a group of men, and of course, enjoyed the intense stares of a host of Shanghai natives. I also browsed a store that was filled with bags, belts and scarves (don’t worry, I used self control), and purchased a 20 oz. Sprite for forty-seven cents. All in all, it was a fabulous walk home!

Trenia’s Finale:
As I was walking home, it dawned on me that I was in Shanghai, China (this ah-ha occurs all the time by the way), and I thought about the fact that if you had told me two years ago that I would be spending my summer in China I would have thought you were crazy. But here I am, and I know that it is because I am becoming increasingly comfortable with the “possibilities.” The moral? Keep an open mind and never limit yourself to your current situation and amazing things will start to happen. I have, and I’m in China…that’s all I’m saying.

Welcome to my world…expo-sure!!!

Hi there! I realized that I have neglected to tell you about the purpose of my trip to Shanghai, so I think now would be good time to do that. As a part of the Clinton School curriculum, each student is required to undertake an International Public Service Project (IPSP). If you take a look at my Class 5 Classmates blogs, you will see that we are all over the world this summer. I decided that I wanted to come to China and after talking with one of my classmates from Class 4, Todd Moore, I narrowed it down to Shanghai. I was comfortable with my project being just about anything because I knew that no matter what, it would be a learning opportunity that I would never forget and I would be helping people. After contacting Sam Lee at InnoCSR, I confirmed that my project would be all about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). InnoCSR is a strategic consulting agency that specializes in Sustainability and CSR. I have provided a link to InnoCSR’s website if you would like to learn more about the organization.

For my project, I will be working with Bayer China to create CSR factsheets that will summarize Bayer China’s amazing CSR initiatives. Bayer China is currently involved in projects that range from microfinancing to restoring and maintaining a lake in Bejing that has become a wetland ecosystem to providing medicines to organizations that are working to save moon bears. These factsheet summations must be done in a very concise manner so as to inform stakeholders, shareholders and current/future partners about the goals and objectives, financial and human investments and measured outcomes of these initiatives.

My first day at work was pretty amazing. I sat in on a couple of interviews for a driver for the CEO and although I have no idea what they were saying (because let’s be clear, right now I speak a few words of Chinese and that’s about it), I was asked what I thought about the interviewees and my pick was hired! I realize that the two may have absolutely no connection, but I can dream, can’t I? After doing some research on project management systems and working on a couple of chapters of a book on CSR, my first day ended with a planning meeting for an event for an organization called NetImpact (www.netimpact.org). At this meeting I met an American woman (Kris) who is utilizing her JD to conduct various trainings related to the Human Resources functions of her company, an Italian man (Alessander) who’s company is focused on LEED certifications for the buildings and new construction efforts in China, and a young Chinese male (Bo) who works for a company that is devoted to transforming the energy industry to be cleaner and more efficient. What a day!!!

Trenia’s Finale:
What if your bodily waste was used to power your home? I know it’s kind of disgusting, but bear with me. During the NetImpact meeting there was an intense discussion (no pun intended) about the energy industry and the work that Bo’s company was doing. Bo mentioned this concept of turning the gas that is emitted from the waste of animals and humans into energy that can be used as electricity. All I could think about was the environmental benefits that would come from the world turning crap into energy! I was stumped for the rest of the evening.

Welcome to my world…expo-sure!

Hello again! I am reaching out to you from Shanghai, China, just a few days after my arrival to this massive city. It is difficult to get to my blog on a regular basis because of the firewall here in China, but I will do my best. I want to update you on my experiences thus far. Let's go back in time...

My journey to Shanghai began on Tuesday, May 18th at around 5:00pm when my flight left Little Rock headed to Houston. After quickly changing planes, I headed to New Jersey and met a really nice woman named Carolyn on the plane. We talked the entire flight from Houston to New Jersey and managed to discuss life, relationships, a career in pharmaceutical sales, at least three books that I need to read, and of course, why I was going to Shanghai. I made it through an eleven hour layover in New Jersey before embarking on a fourteen hour flight to Shanghai. Because this is the longest flight I’ve ever taken, I was prepared to entertain myself for fourteen hours with music, books, magazines, and my Nintendo DSi. Wouldn’t you know that I didn’t listen to any music, I read nothing, and my Nintendo DSi is feeling quite unloved right about now. Continental fed us like five times and kept the plane dark, so I took that as an opportunity to eat and get some much-needed sleep. I did manage to catch two movies when I wasn't sleeping. I have to give a nod to Mircha for serving as my travel companion…it was comforting to have someone familiar with me as I ventured into the unknown.

We landed in Shanghai and exited the plane to an absolutely immaculate airport. After going through airport security, we were greeted by the assistant of one of Dr. Singhal’s (one of my professors) friends (thanks Min and Caroline) and then whisked away into what I have been told is the largest city in the world. We met up with Becca (another class 5er) and went to grab a bite to eat at a local spot where the ladies were eating ice cream and waving at us. Good times...good times!

Trenia's Finale:
I managed to get in a couple of movies on the plane (that is whenever I wasn't sleeping or stuffing my face of course), one of which was Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Yes, I like to watch animated kids’ movies and I’m comfortable admitting it! Anyway, throughout the movie there is this reoccurring mention of family because one of the main characters was expecting a baby. One of the other characters is struggling with feeling that being a part of a family is not for him while another character wants nothing more than to have a family, so he tries to mother some baby dinosaurs (this is ironic because the character is a sloth). At the end of the movie, these two characters reconcile their very different struggles by realizing that 1.) Family is something that everyone needs to be a part of and 2.) What you are seeking in a familial structure may not be what you expected but it might just be right in front of you.

This got me to thinking, so I thought I would share my thoughts with you. This movie (and today’s finale) serve as an opportunity to remind all of us to embrace our families (which could be the one that you were given at birth or the one that you have adopted along the way) by realizing and appreciating the vital role they play in who we are as individuals and be careful not to take them for granted.

Welcome to my world…expo-sure!!!