Archive for January, 2007
January 31, 2007 at 4:53 am · Filed under Entrepreneurship & Business, Tourism, Entrepreneurship, Learning through Foreign Cultures, Traveling
This interview by a China blogger with an—dare I say—expert on Chinese outbound tourism is quite interesting and very informative. Roy Graff’s business concept is brilliant, just wish I’d thought of that. Tourism is fundamentally a good thing and Chinese outbound tourism helps to reduce China’s astronomical trade surplus. And I’m all for speeding up the ADS (Approved Destination Status) procedure, especially so that countries like Canada and the U.S. will benefit. With the recent opening of the Los Angeles VCB office in Beijing, places like LA and Vegas will certainly be among the first American cities to benefit when the U.S. finally obtains ADS. But the question is, are they ready? Can they handle and service that many Chinese tourists? Do they have the cultural sensitivity? Do they have the language skills? Certainly, with large Chinese immigrant communities (particularly in LA) they have the food to satisfy Chinese tourists. But what about the activities they will do and the fact that the majority of Chinese people can’t drive? These are the issues that Roy Graff and his company, Ccontact, help overseas tour companies and destinations work through in their China strategy. How genius is that?
In the interview Roy Graff said he expected the trend in outbound tourism for experienced Chinese travelers to be
More people will choose to stay more time in a single country or go on ‘theme’ tours, such as cultural Europe, sports activities etc.
In this case, I’m going to have to disagree with the expert. I don’t think Chinese tourists are going to choose ‘theme’ tours, unless that theme is shopping. The Chinese usually aren’t interested in culture when they travel overseas, evidenced by the fact they travel in large groups which minimizes interaction with native peoples, they refuse to eat local food, and their favorite activity is shopping. A large part of the appeal for the Chinese to travel overseas is to impress friends and relatives back in China with where they’ve been and bring back designer goods and photos to prove it. Therefore, I expect the more well-traveled Chinese will seek out iconic places like Los Angeles where they can go to Disneyland and Universal Studios or Vegas where they will stay in the MGM Grand and say they’ve rubbed the lion’s foot and gambled in Vegas. And after that, they will look to more exotic destinations like Africa and even Antarctica. Despite the fact the Chinese people shun the sun, they are surprisingly in love with places like Hawaii and the Maldives.
Although Chinese outbound tourism has huge potential and will do a lot to expose the Chinese, one group, or one solo traveler at a time, to the outside world, I have to say I’m more interested in inbound China tourism. Hence, why I have a Shanghai shopping business catering to inbound tourists and work in a local hotel that receives many foreign guests. (Just a clarification: outbound tourism is people of the country being mentioned going abroad for travel; inbound tourism is people of other countries visiting the country in discussion. For example, my family would be China inbound tourists, whereas my colleagues wanting to go to the Maldives are potential outbound Chinese tourists.) This is why I proposed doing research on and working with local governments and the China National Tourism Administration to promote to foreign tourists the appeal of remote inland locations such as the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Guangxi or Shangri-la in Yunnan. But alas, my proposal was not accepted; instead, here I am offering Shanghai inbound tourists custom shopping tours as well accommodations at a local boutique hotel.
Yay! Power to tourism! Power to entrepreneurship!
January 26, 2007 at 3:36 am · Filed under Tourism, Traveling
When filling out the comment cards on our most recent Princess Cruise, I kept saying everyone should write ‘Do something completely different.’ In my opinion, its time for the cruise lines to emphasize something other than food, activities, and depending on the itinerary, ports-of-call. With the ever-widening American waistline, should one of the main focuses of cruises be 24hr per day food service? Since when is quantity a better alternative to quality in food? And the activities…how many times can you watch the same people butcher your favorite songs while trying to karaoke? Or answer the same trivia questions? Or hear the same jokes from every cruise ship comedian (My cabin steward is so good, when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and came back, my bed was made)? Or watch the sing and dance shows that with each one seem to be a little less Broadway and a little more Vegas as they slide from real talent to relying on sex appeal? (which is not appealing, to me, at least)
And what about the limited, repetitive itineraries the mega cruise ships offer? There are only so many cruise ships that can ply the Alaskan waters without ruining the environment. There are only so many cruise ships that can physically be in any Caribbean port at one time, and likewise only so many people that can jostle each other for a spot on a Caribbean beach.
Don’t get me wrong—I love to cruise!—the chance to get away, the relaxation, letting someone else plan, enjoying time spent with traveling companions, waking up in a new place each day without ever having to repack, letting someone else do the cleaning, cooking, and the dishes, nearly all-inclusive entertainment, indulgent desserts, meeting new people, and a mostly secure and safe environment. Cruising has a definite appeal and I’m truly grateful to my grandparents for having taken us on so many cruises, and hope they will continue to do so in the future.
Despite my love of cruising, I would have a more memorable cruise experience if cruise lines would spice it up, do something different, add some variety, create a unique cruise experience. My mom explains my wanting something new as me being too experienced of a cruiser. She tells me, look how many cruises you’ve been on compared to the average American. I don’t deny it; there are plenty of first-time cruisers and potential first-time cruisers who will be thrilled for any cruise offered to them, however plain vanilla it may be to me.
But even with my eight cruises (see list below), there are people my age, or older or even younger who’ve been on 2-3 times as many cruises as I have. What about us? We’ve done Europe, we’ve done Alaska, we’ve eaten Baked Alaska, we’ve done the Caribbean, we’ve watched can-can lines galore, we’ve drunk champagne at champagne art auctions, we’ve seen the theater’s backstage, we’ve seen the galley, we’ve done it all. My cousins are so bored, they walk around the track (10times=1mi) for as many as 3 hours per day. When will the cruise lines start offering us something new? I believe it’s time for something different and new locales.
Royal Caribbean, on their newest mega ships, can boast of something different than other cruise ships: an ice-skating rink, or a rock-climbing wall or other activities/sports. Celebrity has a couple Xpedition ships, slightly smaller ships that with their smaller size can go to more unique places and offer more interesting itineraries—Galapagos, for example.
We’re at the early stages, but at least a few cruise lines are beginning to look beyond the standard summer Alaska or Europe and winter Caribbean itineraries. Always at the forefront of exotic destinations, Marco Polo Orient lines have been sailing Asia for years. Princess and Costa are just getting into Asia and the Middle East. Costa even sails out of Shanghai! though only for short cruises to Japan and Korea.
In the rare exception, there are ships that call Dubai or Mombasa their home port. But ironically, these itineraries are said to be losing money. Despite the fact that cruise ships in the Western Hemisphere are posting record number of cruise passengers, the few cruise ships with remote starting locations can barely attract enough passengers to break even.
Passenger response seems to indicate people don’t like to travel far to get to their cruise ships. This is why so few Europeans cruise out of the Americas, why ships sailing out of the western US rarely have East coast passengers, and vice versa. This may be the real curse that is preventing southern Asian or African cruises from becoming profitable—America is the largest cruise market but Americans don’t want to travel far to embark on their cruises.
Well if that’s the case, then cruise lines are going to need to branch out without going far away, much like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have started doing. This presents an opportunity for the cruise lines: cater to veteran cruisers by offering something completely different, but remain appealing to the mass cruiser by staying close to home. I believe the cruise line that can continually innovate, and find the new thing to attract experienced cruisers without pushing newbies beyond their comfort zone, will be met with an overwhelming positive response.
Until that happens, I’m ready to try one of the exotic itineraries, Asia, the Middle East, even Antarctica, and/or try a much smaller ship. But heck…I’d take any cruise, any time, anywhere.
Just after I wrote this, I was browsing Conde Nast Traveler’s website and found this article: Next Generation Cruising. It seems I wasn’t the only one looking for something a little different. 
My past Cruise list
Celebrity — Alaska — Summer ‘99
Royal Olympic — Greece — Summer
Celebrity — Baltic — Summer ‘02
Carnival — Long Beach-Mexico – December ‘02
Celebrity – Mediterranean – Summer ‘04
Celebrity – Mexican Riviera – Winter ’05-‘06
Carnival – New York-Canada – Summer ‘06
Princess – W. Caribbean – December ‘06
January 25, 2007 at 5:47 am · Filed under Uncategorized, Entrepreneurship & Business, Entrepreneurship
Saturday night, Andrew and I sat at a bar discussing how we could get our picture on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine, ie what either of us could do to become a successful entrepreneur. Not long after this conversation, a few USC alums walked in, including a couple who have started a number of their own businesses. The coincidence of this situation got me thinking about all the entrepreneurs I know in Shanghai. This led me to think that perhaps this wasn’t so much coincidence but rather a very expected situation. If it weren’t for the fact that we are in constant contact with entrepreneurs, we probably wouldn’t have been having the conversation at all, and with how many entrepreneurs we know in Shanghai, it’s not all that surprising that at least 1 would walk in.
Even though we didn’t come up with the next big thing, we do know plenty of entrepreneurs we can call on to ask for advice when we do. As such, I’ve decided to make a list of all the entrepreneurs I know in Shanghai.
Alex Cureton-Griffiths – Shanghai Networking News — www.shanghainn.com
Camille – Fashion Design
Charlie Chen – Swisstar Communications Consulting — www.swisstar-global.com
Chun Xu (USC alum) – Kingsway Investment Advisors Co. Ltd — www.kingsadv.com
Daniel Benefield – One Stop China, Ltd — www.onestopchinasource.com
Dave Whittingham – Consulting
Dilong Zhao – Black Card Life — www.blackcardlife.com
George M. Felbinger – China Golden Source Ltd. — www.chinagoldensource.com
Josh Steinberg – Software/Technology
J. (a USC alum) – Teavalize — www.teavalize.com
Keith Wang – Custom Printing
Kevin Chen– A social networking site for China
Lawrence Liao – WizHouse Consulting — www.wizhouse.com.cn
Marcus Lee – Ewarcus - www.ewarcus.com
Maria Trombly – Source Media — www.SecuritiesIndustry.com
Michael Bulter – an English teaching company — www.uru.net.cn
Paul Kung – Pacrim Martec Company — www.pacrimusa.com
Robert Tagg – Herbert Software Solutions, Inc — www.herbertsoftware.com
Sean Regan (USC alum) – Axis Industrial — www.axisindustrial.com.com
Toffler (USC alum) – Shop My Shanghai — www.ShopMyShanghai.com
Wen-Lee Ying (USC alum) – A wedding consulting and services company
Zhijie Wang (USC alum) – Shanghai Double-PhD Info-Tech Co. Ltd — www.haiguichina.net
If I forgot to mention you and your business in this list, my apologies. Please add your information in the comments section below.
January 23, 2007 at 7:33 am · Filed under Tourism, Traveling
As my friends recently set-off for to spend their 6-week holiday to traveling through Southeast Asia, and I receive glowing reports from my friend traveling in Vietnam
(Vietnam has to be my favorite country in Asia by far. The people seem to be much for genuinely friendly here than in any other country and it is not so underdeveloped that I feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. It’s also really beautiful here. We went to Halong Bay the other day in the north, about 2 hours from Hanoi. It was so pretty with all the limestone mountains and natural made caves… very cool. Now we are in Ninh Binh for 2 days. Today we saw some more natural caves but these were not in the ocean but through rice fields. The rice fields in Vietnam are gorgeous.),
I have to wish I were going too. Though I’ve already been to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia, I would happily go again to ride elephants in northern Thailand, explore the welcoming culture of Vietnam, photograph hill tribes in Laos, lay on the beach in Thailand, and indulge in eminently affordable Indochina cuisine.
Well, since I can’t go myself, I will just have to be satisfied with my memories, photos, and living vicariously through my friends with their trip reports. So to help their planning, and relive memories, I wrote up a few things that I remembered from trips (and heard from other people) and offer them as suggestions to my friends and other travellers.
Thailand—
- Bangkok—Though touristy, the Kao San Road area is a fun, active area where backpackers can compare travel notes and build a community.
- Lonely Planet’s restaurant recommendations in Bangkok are great
- Don’t let the touts try to trick you into believing that a certain cultural or other tourist site is closed for the day. We had heard the warning numerous times and so thought we were prepared. But, nonetheless, on our way to the Royal Palace (I forgot what it’s called), we were approached and told it was closed for a special event of the royal family, and while it could have been a valid argument, we knew better. Therefore, we responded, thanks for the tip, but we’ll go check ourselves. Turns out, it was just a ploy to get us to buy into their touring/shopping scam. These people who will try to trick you are everywhere. Beware. Tell them no. Check out the situation for yourself.
- Koh Samui—Too developed, over-priced and touristy for the average backpacker.
- Koh Phangnan—Relaxing days on the beach, picture-perfect sunset walks on the beach, affordable luscious food cooked in residents’ houses, hot and sunny. Altogether a better alternative to Koh Samui, if you can stomach the boat ride. (Tip: Stand up, or at least put pressure on your knees, during the boat ride to minimize seasickness. There’s a function in your knees that regulates your balance and therefore reduces seasickness. I learned this in sailing class.)
- But whichever island you choose, wear SUNSCREEN! And make sure it’s applied all over and reapply. That was one of the worst sunburns I ever got.
- My friend also recommends the beach side Thai massages.
- Pay the extra money and spring for the luxury of air-conditioned rooms—it’ll be worth it.
Cambodia—
- Not my favorite country in the region, but the Temples of Angkor are a must!
- Temples of Angkor—Try to see either sunrise or sunset at Angkor; it’s truly a mesmerizing experience.
- Don’t wear yourself out using the temples as adult-sized jungle gyms—the heat and humidity will kill you; instead take the time to appreciate the architectural and structural wonder from the ground.
- If you’ve seen the Royal Palace in Bangkok, the one in Phnom Penh isn’t worth the time. Unless you’re committed to seeing the killing fields and other sites of the Pol Pot regime, Phnom Penh can be skipped altogether.
Lao—
- A wonder of a country in S.E. Asia. It’s amazing how fantastic this country is given its recent history, lack of outlet to the sea, and somewhat limited natural resources (that the Thais keep stealing)
- Take the overland route through Lao—you will appreciate the drive as you see the varying countryside and can interact with locals. Just be careful not to step off the side of the road and into a latent landmine.
- Spend some extra time in Luang Prabang. Its no surprise this has become the new backpackers resting place, with its colourful night market, range of eateries and accommodations, temples, monasteries, and sunsets overlooking the river. All of it will enchant you and keep you here longer than you expected—plan for it.
Vietnam—
- Here’s to hoping I get to Vietnam sooner rather than later. Since Vietnam just joined the WTO and opened its tourism industry to foreign competitors, the influx of tourists will undoubtedly wear away at this country’s notable charms.
Malaysia—
- If you have the choice, skip Malaysia’s beaches in favor of Thailand’s or Vietnam’s.
- Malacca was a very nice smaller city in peninsular Malaysia, including a Buddhist canteen where you can eat for free (yes, that’s right, Free!).
- We stayed in a very friendly, hospitable guesthouse. It was across from a lovely cafe with great desserts.
- We also attended the evening light show, which was informative regarding the colonial history of Malacca. There’s no reason to buy a ticket—its not exactly sold out and there is no one to check tickets.
- It’s my understanding that Kuala Lumpur (KL) doesn’t have much appeal (just another large city in Asia) unless you’re shopping for cheap Malaysian manufactured goods (shoes) or enthralled by the Petronas Towers.
- Teman Negara (a national park on peninsular Malaysia) got rave reviews from my friends, especially the night safari where they saw all kinds of large jungle animals. But apparently it’s not an easy trip from KL to the Nat’l park.
- If it were my choice, I’d opt to go to Borneo and Sarawak in search of a more remote location and opportunities to interact with native people and explore the jungle.
Singapore—
- A great city but it hardly needs to be on a backpackers ‘not-to-miss list’ unless you’re longing for stainless steel skyscrapers, ethnic diversity, upscale shopping, a modern transportation system, or Western food.
In Laos, Cambodia, and parts of Vietnam and Thailand, anti-malarial tablets are a must. Also, in all countries, wear bug repellent daily to avoid dengue fever and just plain annoying mosquito bites.
In preparing for the trip, pack loose-fitting, breezy, cool clothing, as it will be hot and humid. A rain jacket/poncho might also be a good idea, especially in the rainy season. Also, make sure to bring along enough bug repellent and sunscreen to last you through daily usage.
Of course, it’s been almost 2 years since I travelled in the region (except for a recent 5 days in Singapore), so for updated reports and a broader perspective of what to see and do, visit travel message boards like Travelfish and LP’s Thorn Tree.
Happy Travelling! and take me with you next time
January 20, 2007 at 12:37 am · Filed under Uncategorized, Tourism, Traveling
Over the Christmas holiday I went on my 8th cruise, but surprisingly my first Caribbean or Princess cruise (pictures). Aside from some mechanical and weather issues, we had a great cruise, as always. However, I believe, and most of my family would agree, this is more accurately attributed to the time spent with family rather than to the cruise itself.
Princess Cruise line
We found Princess to be a pleasant cruising experience, though not on par with Celebrity. Below is a list of pros and cons we have for Princess and a few points of comparison. However, as my mom and I learned on Carnival, 1 ship and 1 cruise can be very different from another on the same line, therefore, take our assessment with a grain of salt.
To start with, perhaps the first bad experience we had was during the boarding process when we had to run 200-yards in the pouring rain through 6-inches of water from the terminal to the gangway. Wet t-shirt picture? Those are my favorite! Why don’t they enclose or at least cover the path from the terminal to the gangway?
+ for Princess
• More closet space & all the hangars came off the rod
• Closet door didn’t bang other doors
• The theatre was excellent with sufficient slant so we could see, seats were comfortable and they had pull out trays for drinks
• We were not hassled for cocktails in the theatre
• Good fire drill - held in lounge - with sufficient explanation- didn’t have to go out on deck
• Large selections of books in library
• “Safe” easier to access
• Better pizza
• Excellent steak in gourmet dining room
• No long buffet lines at breakfast
- for Princess
• No DVD’s or cassette players in room - no clock in room
• Charge for ice cream
• No pasta bar
• Pool party was mainly for selling $6.95 cocktails
• Those with drink cards should not have to pay for soda on Princess Cays Island
• Can’t order room service on TV
• No presentation of desserts on tray
• Very slow service in gourmet dining room
• Should be able to view your account on TV screen prior to getting statement
• No trays for breakfast and no one to carry dishes - lack of coffee servers
• Need new movies as same ones shown multiple times
• Very small ($50) compensation for being 5 hrs late getting into Jamaica
• Food was generally better on Celebrity (especially French fries and ice cream)
• In general employees are better trained on Celebrity than Princess
• Evening shows are much better on Celebrity than Princess
Overall, we’d say Celebrity is a nicer, more elegant, upscale cruise line than Princess, and certainly more so than Carnival. Even so, there have never been less than 400 kids on any Celebrity cruise we’ve been on.
My guess is we’ll stick with Celebrity whenever possible, except when we start pushing out to more exotic destinations to which Celebrity does not sail. I’m personally advocating for Royal Caribbean the next family cruise. And I’m really hoping to take a cruise myself on one of Conde Nast Reader’s Choice cruise lines: SeaDream Yacht Club, Seabourne, Crystal, Silversea, or Regent Seven Seas.
Weather/Clothes/Packing
I thought I was the only one taking my first winter trip to the Caribbean, but I’ve found out, I’m not, and I’ve gotten questions on what to wear and what to pack. First of all, weather.com. Just check the weather, both the predictions for your trip and the averages. Most likely, you’re going to be wearing cool summer clothes, even swimsuits all day long. It’s a tropical climate, even in the winter, so you might spend your days laying on the beach or snorkelling the reefs. Pack accordingly, this includes a rain jacket. However, at dinner the restaurant won’t let you forget you left winter back at home. They crank on the air-conditioner clearly forgetting ladies are wearing sleeveless tops and dresses in accordance with the tropical locale. Bring a pashmina or a cardigan for your shoulders. Don’t forget the cruise line’s evening dress codes.
Activities
Well, it’s the Caribbean, so any tropical, outdoor things you can imagine:
• Beach, swimming
• Snorkeling, Scuba diving
• Zip lines
• Horseback riding
• Shopping, exploring the town and markets
• Cultural/historical tours
• Waterfall climbing (Jamaica)
• Drinking margaritas, eating Mexican food (Margaritaville)
I was surprised how pleasant of a destination the Caribbean was overall, and especially Cozumel. I expected the places to be overrun with cruise passengers and just a total pain (Jamaica was a bit of a problem). But the air temperature was nice, the places were reasonably developed, and the crowds weren’t bothersome (but maybe I’m just used to it after living in China). The Caribbean was not nearly as hot as beaches in Thailand or Malaysia, which dissuaded me from going swimming (the water was actually chilly) but was nicer for looking around or lying on the beach. I guess it makes sense that the Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination for Americans and one of the most popular vacation destinations as well.
A very pleasant and enjoyable trip. Yay for family, Western food, and sun!
January 14, 2007 at 4:11 am · Filed under Uncategorized
In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman makes many compelling arguments describing how America is losing its edge in innovation and how our education system is starting to fail us. Other prominent Americans have noticed this slippery slope, as well. Therefore, a Council was formed and a lengthy report was published dealing the issues of decline and the necessary reform of the system.
Friedman elaborates: (partially paraphrased for relevancy)
On December 15, 2004, the Council on Competitiveness hosted a National Innovation Initiative Summit, to release its long-term study “Innovate America: Thriving in a World of Challenge and Change” –a detailed bipartisan analysis by America’s leading technologists and industrialists about how to re-energize American competitiveness through more research, education, and innovation. Several months after the report came out, China’s vice minister of science and technology visited the Council’s president. The president offered to share the report but it wasn’t necessary.
“He said they had already translated the report and were planning to integrate it into their twenty-year strategic plan, said the Council’s president, adding that while the council had taken the initiative to share the report with other countries, “the Chinese came to us–we didn’t come to them.” They had clearly been following the council’s work very closely, which is published on its website. The Council’s president, Deborah Wince-Smith said these days she is wondering “whether we are going to implement the Innovate America report or China is going to beat us to our own plan.”
Don’t laugh. The day the Innovate America report was released the public in Washing, the authors, who as I said, were a very high-powered group of American educators and business leaders, begged the White House to have President Bush attend the ceremony, in the hope that he would use his bully pulpit to highlight their report and draw national attention to it. The president’s aides refused the request, apparently because they thought it would dilute his message of the day.
And where was President Bush speaking that day? He was literally down the hall, in the very same Regan Building, at the exact same time the Innovate America report was being issued. He was holding his own economic summit, speaking to a carefully selected audience that included many Republican campaign donors…The president spoke against a backdrop that was printed with the words “Securing Our Economic Future.” So there was the president trying to take apart the old New Deal–just when he should have been using his office to promote a New New Deal for the 21st Century. And down the hall, a bipartisan group headed by Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM and G. Wayne Clough, president of Georgia Tech, was offering up just such a New New Deal agenda at a National Innovation Summit and the president could not devote five minutes to it. But the Chinese immediately translated it.
Many people from the Western world, particularly Americans have the long-held belief that China is backwards. From the latter years of the Qing dynasty when China was overrun with foreigners and carved up, to the years of Communism including the Cultural Revolution and devastating Agriculture Plan, to its continued single party, authoritarian, internet-policing regime, China is perceived as backwards and out of touch with the modern world by many Westerners.
But this passage from The World is Flat, makes you wonder, who’s out of touch with the modern world now? Who’s backwards now?
January 13, 2007 at 6:33 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
While back in the states, I went to Target to stock up on cold medicines and specialty toiletries. While there, I browsed through the sporting goods section and lamented that they didn’t have such quality, affordable home fitness products readily available in China. Sporting goods, aside from tennis racquets, are a bit hard to find and overpriced in Shanghai, so I wished I could have Target’s selection conveniently located in Shanghai.
Then later, as a walked past the consumer electronics section I struck by the mass of products and sheer variety of items for sale. I was instantaneously reminded of American’s consumerism. I was a bit perturbed and embarrassed that we, as Americans, and particularly young Americans, had relinquished long-term visions for immediate gratification to purchase the latest electronic or fad item instead of saving money. Furthermore, I was disappointed that the very successful advertising industry, in conspiracy with product developers, had convinced Americans that they needed to upgrade their electronics constantly to ‘keep with the Joneses.’ (Case and point to America’s consuming nature: when walked by a Starbucks in the US, I thought ‘that’s the largest coffee cup I’ve ever seen.’ But then I remembered I was back in the US and that’s the norm. I had adjusted to Chinese sizes.) Because of these factors, America has one of the lowest savings rates in the world; a fact it will undoubtedly pay for not far in the future.
China, on the other hand, has one of the highest rates of personal saving. However, with having already the world’s second largest, but fastest growing, advertising industry, I suspect this is likely to change. For the past few years, cell phones have been the hot item that consumers spend money on, and basically the only item that demands upgrading. But with more consumers becoming Internet users and car drivers, perhaps computers or cars are the next product the Chinese will seek to constantly upgrade. Though the foundation of the savings culture is not likely to change quickly, I believe Chinese consumers will be increasingly affected by advertising. Even if China never becomes a consumerist society on par with America, the massive population would undoubtedly propel it beyond the US as the largest consuming nation in the world.
Is having a nation that consumes more that the US a good thing or a bad thing? Well, the short-term business perspective would certainly indicate that businesses and investors would be happy as they reap the profits from a consuming China. However, a longer-term environmental perspective (particularly that espoused by Thomas Friedman in “The World is Flat”) indicates that planet earth cannot support China consuming on a level equivalent to that of the U.S. As they say in China, 怎么办? (what can be done?)
Does the advertising industry in China need to take a more responsible approach to promoting consumerism than it has in the US? Or is the saving nature so fundamentally rooted in Chinese culture that advertising won’t be as effective at driving consumerism as it has been in the US? (Doubtful, China is already the world’s second or third largest market for luxury goods) Should the government change its policy of promoting consumer spending? Should the US government create plans and policies to encourage Americans to cut back on their spending and emulate China in savings? Perhaps the US government can use the very successful advertising industry to advertise to Americans the benefits and long-term rewards of saving.
January 11, 2007 at 8:32 am · Filed under Uncategorized
In China, when checking-out (ie, paying for things) at convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc, one is met with a large display of condoms.
At first I didn’t take much notice because everything was so overwhelming. After repeated shopping trips, when I began to see far more boxes of Durex condoms than I’d ever seen in my life, I started to think wow, power on Durex for a foreign company to have exclusive distribution and such a great distribution system in China.
Nonetheless, we were still put-off by how prominently displayed the condoms are in every store. So my Dutch friend and I asked our Shanghainese friend, why do they put the condoms in large displays near the cashier? She explained that condoms are relatively small but expensive items so they put them in a place where the cashier can watch them to make sure they’re not stolen.
Well that makes sense…but that doesn’t explain why nearly every other street corner has a condom vending machine. Hmm…in a country which has and enforces a 1 child per couple policy, I guess contraception is a very good alternative to abortion.
Even so, do they need that many types and packages in so many places? Well, it is a big city, with a lot of people, but still…
Then today, while reading China Daily, I found the answer in the article entitled: “Student survey stumps sex specialists.”
Though I had sensed it, this article confirms it–young people in China are fairly open-minded about sex and willing to engage in it. And, in my opinion, far more so than in Hong Kong.
What an interesting social study it is though when you compare the US, which through advertising, shoves sexuality in your face, with China, which many foreigners perceive to be a prude, conservative, sexless society, yet both have an equally young average age of first sexual encounter.
Perhaps what’s most surprising (and disturbing) though, is the rate of teenage abortions in China. According to the article, “Teenage pregnancies have been on the rise in recent years; and under-age girls account for about a quarter of the 1.5 million abortions on the mainland each year.”
I can only imagine the horror of strong anti-abortionists. Anyway, its an interesting article, and does well as explaining the daily encounter with condom vending.
January 9, 2007 at 7:16 am · Filed under Knowledge and Experiences, Tourism, Traveling
More than 2 weeks ago, when I exchanged my overcoat for a swimsuit and headed off to my Christmas cruise around the Western Caribbean, I thought it’d be easy to be away from my computer for a week. In fact, I was looking forward to being unplugged, disconnected, turned-off, and away from my computer for that 7 days. During that week the closest I got to an internet-connected computer was using my Pocket PC as an MP3 player (since mine’s getting repaired in Beijing). However, five days into my cruise, I was itching to use a computer and get on the internet. I began to worry that I may no longer have a job or that my business wouldn’t survive a week of my absence, or that I’d otherwise be missing important emails, and I missed writing my blog.
Seven years ago, when I took my first cruise, I didn’t even have my own email address. Needless to say, then, I didn’t feel at a loss without an internet computer. While on the airplanes and on the cruise, I was reading “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman. In this much more traditional form entertainment and information, he talks about the rise of the internet and the easy access anyone can have to information and other people 24/7/365. He explains that it was a combination of factors working together in the last 10 to 12 years that really made the internet a universal presence. Given that I don’t normally consider myself an early adopter, it makes sense that 7 years ago, I wouldn’t have had my own email address, yet now, I can’t even be away from my computer and the internet for 5 days without my nerves getting the better of me.
Well fortunately, when I was able to get on the internet again (free wireless via my pocket PC at the Fort Lauderdale Airport), I hadn’t missed anything too important. What a relief! But it really makes me wonder, if I at only 22 years-old and therefore not yet a senior manager at a global corporation who is being relied on to make major decisions everyday can’t even stand to be out of touch for a week, how do global executives ever get to take a vacation? Do they opt for vacation places where, like my dad, they can be in constant contact via phone and email with the office so they won’t miss anything important? Or are they more like me, who tries to take a break from the ever-connected world but can barely stand their vacation because they worry about what they’re missing? Or can those execs choose a remote island in the South Pacific and totally disconnect from the world for their vacation without any worries or fears of what might happen in their absence?
If vacations are becoming increasingly punctuated and filled with getting in touch with the office or at least worrying about work, are we really ‘getting-away’? Is it considered a vacation anymore if you check-in with your office 5 times a day? As we lead increasingly stressed lives and take less and less real vacation, either there’s going to be a greater need for doctors to deal with our associated health problems, or there’s a serious market opportunity for businesses that can provide full–but quick–relaxation for the overstressed business exec. (Perhaps that explains the proliferation of spas in recent years.)
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