Mulberry leaves & silk gowns?

In spite of the fact we’re in Europe again, Mr B and I find ourselves keeping an eye on things in China and India. I suppose this is natural as we enjoyed our Asian time so much and also because from a professional viewpoint we find it an important perspective to bring to the table in EU-centric discussions here in Brussels.

One of the things expats in Beijing like to discuss is how the business environment has changed over the last 5 years as China has developed economically but more importantly in terms of self-confidence.

In both Mumbai and Beijing, it was evident that governments and the national business community had reached the point where they wanted to strike out on their own in terms of management and personnel. In theory there is nothing wrong with this at all – some would argue it is a sign of  successful economic development. Each government has a duty to nurture national economies as they see fit.

The other side of the coin are expat workers who increasingly feel marginalised, dismayed and concerned that companies in India and China are now trying to run before they can walk.

While many companies (both subsidiaries of western businesses and national companies) could demonstrate perfect mastery of technology and business processes, we heard many discussions about limits on critical thinking/the ability of employees to think outside rigid systems they had experienced directly and the problems this often posed for HQ. Most pointed to the rote-based education systems in both India and China that reward memorisation as opposed to abstract reasoning/independent  research more common in the western education system.

I’m well aware of how arrogant this sounds.

Most expats are experienced senior managers, sent to solve problems or set up new businesses and recruit the best local talent. Most of them accept if they do their jobs correctly, they’ll eventually make themselves redundant and either go home or move on to the next posting.  That’s expat life. Always has been.

Even during our short time in Beijing, however, we felt the times a changin’; the real problems friends and trailing spouses had in obtaining or extending visas, the increasing blocks on the internet, the visibility of police and PLA personnel on the streets, the growing frustration and concern of Mr B’s clients about ever changing rules on doing business there and subtle limits imposed on those trying to expand market share.

All this is a very long way of saying yesterday’s Financial Times carried an interesting Op-Ed about changing  business conditions in China which is worth a look. It’s not just Goggle re-considering whether the promise of billions of new consumers is either possible or desirable. I question whether EU-based businesses are the most competitive or those best placed to transfer skills to China but it is an interesting barometer of current thought amongst the expat business community in Beijing.

The Chinese have a proverb about perseverance, “with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown”. It seems western businesses are increasingly feeling the fruits of their efforts might resemble the “Emperor’s New Clothes”.

Hello darkness, my old friend

It’s been a tough couple of months. I’ve been a bad wife encore even though I’ve tried to balance this with ironing (ironing, my god, things must be bad) and cooking (ditto).

I’ve failed to take my own advice and get a routine up and running so I’ve made it harder on myself.  This means I’ve been struggling with my own broodings. And indulging myself with black thoughts far too often.

I’ve been going through a cycle of trying to hold on to the positive  outlook I’ve gained from being away from Europe, failing, getting depressed by Belgium, being amused by how much Belgium is like India, getting frustrated at the job market, getting annoyed by having no money, being very lonely and bored, meeting old friends and loving them, thanking the Gods of the  Interweb for Skype and long chats with dear friends in distant climes, having Mr B introduce enforced socialising to get me out of the apart-hotel, and becoming worryingly addicted to Under the Hammer, Charmed and Oprah.

Last week, I took matters back into my own hands and went to an expat wives coffee morning which, it turns out, had the added complication of being a Francophone affair. Quelle horreur!

And, of course, since then, a few things have appeared on the job horizon which is somewhat of a relief.

And Mr B and I LOVE our new home in the ‘hood. Despite the fact one of the streets very close by has been, according to our quartier newsletter, voted one of the worst in Brussels by the Belgian police. On Sunday, on said street, we saw two young guys casually breaking into a car, in broad daylight with the world and his wife walking by.

I’m still struggling with it all. I’m trying to look at it as a new posting rather than thinking we’re “back” here again, if that makes sense. Being surrounded by our own things again has definitely helped a lot (no two ways about it the apart-hotel phase of expat life sucks).

Onwards and upwards.

China in your hands

From all the discussions and debates that expats have amongst themselves here and because I love sweeping generalisations, I thought I’d share the consensus that there are 4 kinds of “China hands” here in Beijing:

The Long-termers: normally bitter, fluent and not going anywhere fast – often the kind of person who would not fit in anywhere else in the world.

The Could-Be-Anywheres: those who make no attempt to fit in to China at all; don’t bother to learn the language; keep a driver to avoid public transport but have a great expat life.

The Starting Outers: college kids with identikit backgrounds coming for an “experience” to put on their CVs and to wait out the recession. This includes vast numbers of ABCs and CBCs (American born Chinese, Canadian born Chinese).

The Over-Its: those who have been here for a while, learned the language, tried to understand the culture but who are tired of it all and just want to head home.

Perhaps Google are in the latter category? The announcement they are considering pulling out of China has been received with equal measures of admiration and scepticism. Personally I think it was a crazy move to begin with, given the required rules of operation here are completely at odds with the company’s raison d’etre. I will not miss the Great Firewall of China at all and can only hope expats and others continue to be able to access VPN services as the government continues its crackdown of the internet.It’s definitely become much harder to do things on the internet since we arrived here 9 months ago.

Is the move by Google really a result of a new round of cyber attacks targeting those involved in human rights? Or has the company realised that the cost of doing business here at the moment is just too high? Read all about it here and here and decide for yourselves.

Xin nian kuai le!*

As the (western, I’ve got used to distinguishing this week) New Year approaches, it seems the thing to do to look back over a pretty crazy year which has seen me living in 3 different countries.

Bad things about 2009:

• By far and away the worst aspect of this year was watching Mr B’s mounting frustration at his Beijing posting. Our decision to leave early was not taken lightly but, under the circumstances, waiting it out would have been fruitless.

• An all-too-brief stay in Mumbai after returning from 6 months of the most hard-core work experience of my life in Jakarta. We miss the tropical weather, M & his family and the craziness of life in India.

Good things about 2009:

• The arrival of my beautiful niece and god-daughter A. And the arrival of lots and lots of gorgeous babies to friends. Before we reach next mid-summer, we know of 6 new arrivals to come – a bumper crop.

• New friends – so many, and what a difference they make. Friends we made in Mumbai and especially those in Beijing have made us feel at home and given us lots of laughs and memories. In many ways, I feel happier in Beijing than in Mumbai – there is so much going on here. It is true that for expat wives finding friends who you can trust and share problems with is invaluable.

• Getting an insight into arguably the most important country of this century. And having a chance to get to know some of the language, tortuous as it has been.

I’m not sure I’ve improved as a wife this year. Does it count that I tried? I’ve certainly cooked more and for a few months of the year have even earned my keep!

2010 brings another new posting – this time to Brussels in mid-January. Mr B & I met in Brussels. We have a lot of good friends still living there, we know enough French to muddle through, and we pretty much know how things work. Plus I’ll be able to get back to work, in theory. It should all be good, right?

2009 has been a hectic but fascinating year.

Wishing everyone a happy 2010! Thanks for reading.

* Happy new year!

Working Girl?

I was asked recently by a reader whether or not expat wives can work in Beijing. The answer is “yes, but”…Let me explain.

If you speak to women who’ve been trailing spouses in China for a while, some of them will tell you they were given an automatic work visa along with their husbands upon entry into China.  That’s certainly what I was told but alas it has proved untrue.

The combination of the 60th anniversary (which raised feelings of invincibility to a whole new level here) and the recession have meant the Chinese government sees less and less need for foreign workers. I’ve been told anecdotally that work visas generally are now much harder to come by, with companies having to provide a lot more detailed evidence of why they want to hire a foreign worker over a Chinese one. Information from the Chinese government on this point is often conflicting and unclear.

If you want to find work here it is possible. Many expat wives set up their own businesses to ensure a portable career. Others decide to start a family. Others find companies willing to take them on under the table (albeit for a token wage – think around EUROs 150-300 a month), and others trawl around for freelance work, the favourites being writing/editing and teaching English. A very good place to start and to seek up-to-the-minute advice is the excellent VIVA network which holds monthly networking meetings and is run by seasoned expat business women. I’d also recommend the national chambers of commerce, specialist Beijing-based groups on LinkedIn and alumni associations.

All of this brings me to the bigger topic of what happens when working women become expat wives. I know from personal experience it is not at all an easy transition to make. Whatever the benefits of taking time out, don’t let anyone tell you there is no loss of identity involved in becoming a tai-tai. Speaking personally, loss of financial independence is a big part of this. I’ve seen firsthand how it can make expat women here in Beijing incredibly lonely, depressed and angry, and take a huge toll on marriages.

There have been a couple of very interesting stories in the media here about this phenomenon over the last few weeks. I’m linking them here so those who are new to this odd trailing spouse life know they are not alone, and more importantly, that there is help out there. Get thee to an expat coffee morning!

Some Hard Truths about working in China – hints & tips

When I attended my first expat wives coffee morning here, one of the most heated topics of discussion was the treatment of expat husbands in the Chinese workplace.

Not so much in terms of support from corporate HQ, although that came up, (congrats Microsoft, your HR support for accompanying families and working spouses is the only one I’ve heard consistently good things about) but the day to day reality. The overwhelming sense was one of bewilderment.

Of course, adjusting expectations and battling to understand complex behavioural norms is a fact of life for expats. Add a language barrier and you have yourself a situation.

Neither is it fair to say every expat working here has an awful time. Everyone has come here for the opportunity to work in the most important market of the 21st century. Most love it. Some never leave. But almost everyone will also admit to some serious frustrations at one point or another.

I’m not going to touch on the issue of “face” or table manners or how to present business cards. What follows is based on raw observation and feedback from the coal face – tips from anecdotes heard over the past 6 months:

• Start learning Mandarin – you can have an interpreter (and sometimes this is a useful negotiating tactic during meetings with clients) but they will always edit and you won’t gain as much respect as if you have a go;
• However, make sure it is clear from the outset to HQ and the local team that language ability does not happen overnight and, in the vast majority of cases, that’s not why expat workers have been bought in;
• Insist on a foreign line manager – a truth universally acknowledged in Beijing is that reporting to a Chinese boss does not work, leading to massive stress and resentment on both sides which often filters back to HQ. If you can’t, insist on having a liaison at HQ (NOT someone in HR);
• Likewise, understand that for most Chinese, having a foreign boss is like a slap in the face. While it will never be acknowleged publicly, the view is that expat workers are lazy and spoiled and completely unecessary. Maybe they are. More often than not, you will be resented. See point 1;
• Understand that while most Chinese employees will get a kick out of being invited into your home, trying western food and drink, hearing western music etc, it is almost always done out of politesse and will last a very short time. One woman I met spoke of preparing for hours before her team came for a drinks party, only to have them arrive en masse and leave after 30 mins.
• The office hierarchy is unspoken but strict. If you manage to make real Chinese friends at the office, count your blessings, it is extremely rare and will probably consist of Chinese who have studied abroad;
• Yes, at some point expect to be presented with bizarre foods and plenty of booze. And yes, it is a test of your manhood;
• Get used to finding 15 different ways to explain something – short and simple is best;
• After handing out instructions, set a deadline for the team to come to you and ask questions. If you don’t, you may find that when you check in on progress days later, team members are still struggling to understand what needs to be done or discussing it amongst themselves;
• Don’t be surprised if after a team discussion about a task where no one appears to have immediate questions or concerns, a team member is appointed by his/her fellows to come to you with questions. Understand that culturally, this is extremely hard for the person in question;
• Don’t be surprised if you receive negative appraisal/feedback on your performance. Remember the Chinese education system is based on trying to shame pupils into good habits and on fierce competition where all tactics are considered valid. Try not to take it personally but above all manage it with HQ – if you work with teams in other offices, insist on feedback from them to provide a more balanced perspective;
• Get used to resentful colleagues sending emails directly to your boss, with you in CC, for all manner of petty issues. These normally revolve around the fact you have refused to do your colleague’s work for them. Emailing up is a daily occurrence, it seems.
• Take a look at Sam Goodman’s Top 10 Tips

Forewarned is forearmed, right?