CITYLIFE / Hip & New
Living like a local
(City Weekend)
Updated: 2007-05-31 10:07
There are a lot of sites out in the Chinese blogosphere that try and
bridge the gulf between cultures. Probably the most obvious include
language and cultural blogs like Sinosplice and ChinesePod.com. Sites
like these are great resources for China newbies trying to graduate from
the training wheels of language and cultural immersion.
In my mind, though, one of the largest hurdles to negotiate when learning
more about your favourite Zhonguoren is a disparity in disposable income.
Everyone around the world likes to socialise, but no one, no matter your
culture or nationality, likes to spend out of their league to do so. The
contrast in wages between Zhonguoren and waiguoren colleagues on an equal
rung of the employment ladder can make forging ties a difficult task.
Even the curiously monickered "half-pat", a career-hungry foreigner who
works for far fewer perks than those found in a traditional expat
package, usually makes significantly more than local counterparts:
In the past, this was a significant issue as companies had only two
options¡ªto hire and relocate expensive expatriate (expat) staff from
overseas, or inexpensive, inexperienced local staff. In the last 5-10
years however, a third option has emerged¡ªthe "local hire expatriate,"
or halfpat. Attracted to China by either a sense of curiosity, or a
strong belief in China¡¯s potential, the halfpat is generally a recent
graduate or young professional who has moved to China without a
predetermined career path.
With this in mind, I was fascinated to learn of the new internship that
Fuzhou blogger Ben Ross recently initiated. After working in China for
three years, Ben took on a month-long stint as a xietu (apprentice) in a
local barbershop at the beginning of May. Ben receives equal pay, equal
treatment and equally crappy tasks. Here is an excerpt of the impetus
behind Ben's reasoning for this unusual career move:
It's (China) a place we come to expand our horizons, to learn a culture,
to spend our copious free time studying Tai Chi and Chinese cooking or
picking up girls at the bar. But for Fuzhou's working class, there is no
such fun and relaxation, no time for hobbies and no money for Tsingtaos
at the pub. Work is a way of life and a means for survival...
...How will this put into perspective my life in China as a foreigner, or
my life in America as an American? How does the other half (or in this
case 99.9%) live, and how do they respond to a foreigner trying to do the
same? I hope to find the answers to these questions, and hopefully have a
little fun doing it.
Ben is diligently recording his experiences in his blog, and here's his
description of the often seen, but rarely documented account of a
manager's pep talk to improve customer service in Chinese retail and
service.
After the obligatory statistics and figures, the speech turned
motivational... "What was your goal when you chose this job?" he yelled
at all of us. Nobody answered. "Xiao Fang, what was your goal when you
chose this job?" "Make money," he replied after an awkward pause. "Chen
Lin, what was your goal when you chose this job?" "¡ make money?" "Jie
Lun, what was your goal when you chose this job?" "Make money!" Mr. Zheng
gazed across the room with a scowl on his face. "You're all wrong! If
your goal was simply to make money, you should quit right now and go
tomorrow to work at the karaoke bar. You'll make more money. There are
lots of pretty girls there, and it's more exciting. Why do people choose
this industry? You guys all know you don't make very much money. But why
work here?... It is because you can improve yourself. You can learn
something."
What makes this blog a refreshing read is that it isn't what you could
call a run-of-the-mill expat blog bleating about how great that
all-you-can-eat teppanyaki place was last Friday night.
After reading more of Ben's blog, you could accuse him of flippantly
deciding to "slum it" for his own whims or for some kind of stunt. I
believe, however, that Ben has found a direct, albeit eccentric way,
possibly inspired by Orwell's Down-and-Out adventure, in which people of
contrasting cultures and experience can relate to each other.
Feature
Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!
Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!
Editors' Picks
· Slow down and enjoy three meals a day
· Beat the heat at the beach
· More foods, more smiles
· The privileges of being a woman
· Time for the birds
Beijing Guide
Eating out: Everything is kosher
Bars&Cafes: 9 till 5
Weekend&Holiday: Chinese style beach outing
Shopping: How to bargain like a Beijinger
What's on: Prince of piano
Shanghai Guide
Eating out: Go beyond the sign
Bars&Cafes: Micro machines
Weekend&Holiday: Longing for Longjing
Shopping: Music pavilion
What's on: Elmer in concert
