Juan finally arrived a week ago (though 3 weeks late) -due to problems buying tickets to get here (damn World Cup). He is teaching me lots about Costa Rica (only 3 million people -about the same as our appartment building!) and we are sharing lots of ideas about the future of learning networks in China and how all our students (and others) can learn about Corporate Responsibility and then follow their passion in specific issues further.
Before he got here I was taking it easy for a few days then realised how much I had not done and had to rush to finish some things-which are still not done yet, so I'm staying on a week or so more to finish up. So far we have spent 4 days having between 4-6 meetings a day, which keeps us busy running around town in taxis, getting wet (yay!), and praying that Juan and the other new guys don't get too lost trying to meet us oldies! A couple of British AIESECers are here too for a month helping me out on some projects (our Impact Report and the presentation/training/facilitation event to a bunch of other NGOs). Thankfully some of the local students are finishing their exams, and can start pitching in for this and other projects.
Exam season is not the best -Reminds me of the nightmares of 3 years ago... but it was 3 years ago, and not I can just forget all about it. Though I am shocked to hear that there are a couple of suicides each year in EACH University in China. yikes. I hope that is just at the top Universities. There is also free counselling for students -which I suppose is a good thing. How many would there be without it? Just shows how much pressure students are under (and I belive it is much more intense before University -once you are in the top universities, you are one of the lucky few!)
Returning to work me Juan has been asking me all kinds of questions, and I thought you readers might be interested in some general answers:
-What is the biggest issue and problem in China?
*um, they are all big: water, energy, poverty, education, governance, health, population, migration, urbanisation...
-So which ones should we focus on creating opportunities for the aiesec students to learn more about?
*what are the criteria?
-Internal demand of the students, exernal demand of the market and possible partners
*There are possible partners for absolutely everything: think tanks, universities, businesses, international organisations, NGOs... from all over the world there is someone doing something in China. They have to -as the saying goes: "There can not be a sustainable World without a sustainable China"
Students in China are keen to learn about everything, but (like all students around the World) don't know that they are keen! -But once you open their eyes to something, they are quick to realise its relevance and interest
The market doesn't seem to care right now! But lets try to change that!
-Who are the key people I should know about?
*Well I have this spreadsheet...
-There are over 400 people listed on it!
*Uh, yeah
-Well who are the important ones?
*Most of them... you need to be able to access all kinds of resources from all kinds of places to do this job. You also have to travel to all the universities, go to loads of conferences, create or support an average of 1 event each week, manage a team of over 15 people, create at least 5 new projects...
Anyway, a few insights. What is exciting though are some of the ideas we have been having.. of using the money we are receiving from the British Government and from other companies who are sponsoring our CSR programme. Stay tuned for the output, if you are an aiesec member, and if you are not, then just wait and see if i start complaining about Juan not being up to the job!
Actually I am very impressed with his knowledge and how he has jumped in at the deep end. I realise how many networks I have made in almost 2 years, how much I have learned, and how good I have got at certain things.. its hard to transition this to Juan. The hardest thing though.. is having so many ideas, and not being able to do ALL of them. But, by doing some, Juan will be able to really drive things forward and carry on making a difference. Good luck!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
British Bulldog Pub -Engalnd vs Paraguay
The 3 story (theatre-style) British Bulldog Pub in Shanghai with English, British and Chinese flags. Lots of people, very orderly. Not the best of games!
World Cup in China
Back in Beijing, about to start our transition to the new team, and stifling in the heat. Its 3o something apparently and certainly feels it. Though the evenings are great -great for sitting outside and eating or drinking and of course great for watching the World Cup on the big screens that every bar and club have put up. Or if you go one place there are 9 TVs inside and 2 big screens outside.. on the plus side there is way more capacity than demand, so its normally easy to find a place where you can sit, or at least see the screen (all the bars in the same district, conveniently).
The first game I watched in the British Bulldog pub in Shanghai. If the game was actually good the atmosphere might have been fantastic. As the game was not the best, neither was the atmosphere. Yesterday was better. Not many people bother to go out to watch a team unless it is there own, so when we were watching the switzerland -france game it was a great atmosphere of swiss and french. And its the same for every game -it makes every game fun. I heard the brazilians (Especially the women!) were the most fun so we're going to watch their next game!
Suprisingly a lot of Chinese people seem to be watching the World Cup (cumulatively about 10 billion people will watch games apparently) -so they just watch it on TV or for students on the internet (where we also watch ESPN 2's world cup programming through some software) -taxi drivers talk about it and a bunch of girl students too (maybe they just don't want to study, or want to find out what the fuss is all about). Since I am constantly reminded of how bad england are i can remind them that China did not qualify.
When we were in Shanghai a lot of people in the Pduong business district were being given holidays, or told to work an extra weekend instead of some work days. Why? Because the Shanghai government decided to close down the area where most big companies' offices are, due to the SCO meeting. I wonder what economic impact there is from this... It seems a bit drastic, even if it is for security purposes.
The SCO, by the way is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; a bunch of countries in the middle east/ex-soviet states talking about co-oepration, terrorism, enerrgy etc. In other words it is an anti-USA club. Especially since Iran is now an official observer in the organisation!
Time to buy yet another ice cream (just so cheap) and get back to work, which is not geared up for transition and wrapping up a few things. Just like last year its the crazy exam time, its the dangerous sun-umbrella period, and it seems like the 'rainy season' has unfortuantely ended already! At least the World Cup keeps life exciting, though does affect sleep patterns with the time difference...and alcohol consumption!
The first game I watched in the British Bulldog pub in Shanghai. If the game was actually good the atmosphere might have been fantastic. As the game was not the best, neither was the atmosphere. Yesterday was better. Not many people bother to go out to watch a team unless it is there own, so when we were watching the switzerland -france game it was a great atmosphere of swiss and french. And its the same for every game -it makes every game fun. I heard the brazilians (Especially the women!) were the most fun so we're going to watch their next game!
Suprisingly a lot of Chinese people seem to be watching the World Cup (cumulatively about 10 billion people will watch games apparently) -so they just watch it on TV or for students on the internet (where we also watch ESPN 2's world cup programming through some software) -taxi drivers talk about it and a bunch of girl students too (maybe they just don't want to study, or want to find out what the fuss is all about). Since I am constantly reminded of how bad england are i can remind them that China did not qualify.
When we were in Shanghai a lot of people in the Pduong business district were being given holidays, or told to work an extra weekend instead of some work days. Why? Because the Shanghai government decided to close down the area where most big companies' offices are, due to the SCO meeting. I wonder what economic impact there is from this... It seems a bit drastic, even if it is for security purposes.
The SCO, by the way is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; a bunch of countries in the middle east/ex-soviet states talking about co-oepration, terrorism, enerrgy etc. In other words it is an anti-USA club. Especially since Iran is now an official observer in the organisation!
Time to buy yet another ice cream (just so cheap) and get back to work, which is not geared up for transition and wrapping up a few things. Just like last year its the crazy exam time, its the dangerous sun-umbrella period, and it seems like the 'rainy season' has unfortuantely ended already! At least the World Cup keeps life exciting, though does affect sleep patterns with the time difference...and alcohol consumption!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
outdoors and aftertastes
The best of Beijing's summer is to head outside and join the thousands who sit outside restaurants eating and drinking in the warmth. Restaurants become empty on the inside, cold beer sales rocket, streets become noisier and the litter collecting street sweepers get busier. Often in Beijing you will get 3-5 restaurants next to each other (and then none for ages), so its chaotic -but great.
Last weekend we went 1 step further. We trusted our lives to Leon (maybe we were drunk when we agreed to this, since he originally 'bought' his license, then learned how to drive afterwards) who hired a car and drove us (and some others who were in another van) north for some BBQ (chinese style, ie. meet/fish/vegetable kebabs on BBQs that are 2m long and only 4 inches wide) and fishing. I skipped the fishing to explore the local beach and lake (ie. sleep, listen to ipod and get a sandle-tan). The others caught tons of fish.. but since they were fishing in a fish pond it wasn't too tough!
Tonight i was a the 5th anniversary party of a Chinese newspaper that is under the Ministry of Civil Affairs (so focuses on social welfare stuff which is related to harmonius and sustainable development -my work). It was part official chinese (with rounds of toasting, and awful maotai/moutai which actually taskes like vodka but then 2 days later another taste appears) but mostly not very chinese. People weren't throwing name-cards around, the speeches were short, and the food wasn't as wasteful as usual. The night was actually a caberet-style. 100 of the 250 ppl were the newspaper employees and each department had to do a skit/song..some had practised for weeks.
Before their 'karaoke on a stage', there were some serious performed... boy bands, actresses and child orchestras. all very nice. not overly fancy -but enjoyable. topped off with the free gift of strange herbal teas that might have vitamins in but are made by a biological chemical company. Anyway, the chinese love their gifts (and their big, horrible, creamy birthday cakes!)
Its the end of 2 weeks of just normal work, and now its crazy mode again.. but its also the beginning of the week when I will find out what I will do in my next 6 months. ooh, exciting. happy children's day and happy-30-degrees-at-night-so-lets-use-the-air-conditioning-for-the-1st-time-day too!
Last weekend we went 1 step further. We trusted our lives to Leon (maybe we were drunk when we agreed to this, since he originally 'bought' his license, then learned how to drive afterwards) who hired a car and drove us (and some others who were in another van) north for some BBQ (chinese style, ie. meet/fish/vegetable kebabs on BBQs that are 2m long and only 4 inches wide) and fishing. I skipped the fishing to explore the local beach and lake (ie. sleep, listen to ipod and get a sandle-tan). The others caught tons of fish.. but since they were fishing in a fish pond it wasn't too tough!
Tonight i was a the 5th anniversary party of a Chinese newspaper that is under the Ministry of Civil Affairs (so focuses on social welfare stuff which is related to harmonius and sustainable development -my work). It was part official chinese (with rounds of toasting, and awful maotai/moutai which actually taskes like vodka but then 2 days later another taste appears) but mostly not very chinese. People weren't throwing name-cards around, the speeches were short, and the food wasn't as wasteful as usual. The night was actually a caberet-style. 100 of the 250 ppl were the newspaper employees and each department had to do a skit/song..some had practised for weeks.
Before their 'karaoke on a stage', there were some serious performed... boy bands, actresses and child orchestras. all very nice. not overly fancy -but enjoyable. topped off with the free gift of strange herbal teas that might have vitamins in but are made by a biological chemical company. Anyway, the chinese love their gifts (and their big, horrible, creamy birthday cakes!)
Its the end of 2 weeks of just normal work, and now its crazy mode again.. but its also the beginning of the week when I will find out what I will do in my next 6 months. ooh, exciting. happy children's day and happy-30-degrees-at-night-so-lets-use-the-air-conditioning-for-the-1st-time-day too!
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