Week Two at CEC

This week at China Entrepreneur Club was good. Nothing particularly exciting happened. I have been spending a lot of my time proof-reading and drafting invitation letters to speakers and companies that the CEC wants to come to their summit.  I am getting to know my co-worker Claire pretty well. We eat lunch together every day. She is really smart. I think Claire has her Masters degree in environmental science. Her English is also very good because she used to do translation work. It has been interesting having different discussions about politics and the world. Getting a new perspective is one of the reasons I am here in China.

                One thing that I have been struggling with is getting used to the business environment. I don't have any trouble getting to work on time or pulling an eight-hour shift. I just feel a little uncertain about what my function is exactly. I know that my title is "International Relations Associate Intern," but my tasks day-by-day are not always consistent. I often ask Claire and Amy (the director of my department) if there is anything I can be doing. When I am not given a task, I spend my time as productively as possible familiarizing myself with current events, as well as members within CEC and their various events, but sometimes I feel like I am not being very productive. Maybe this is the perfectionist/people-pleaser coming out in me, but I am just worried that someone will walk by my desk and see that I am not working hard like everyone else. I don't want anyone to think that I am a lazy American intern. This might also have to do with being new, I'm not sure. I think I am still in the "leave a good impression" mode so I just don't want to mess anything up.

                I think some of my feelings are also coming from being unfamiliar with Chinese perceptions of Americans. For the most part, I believe they are positive perceptions. I guess I don't want to do something wrong and make the people in the company feel like that's how all Americans are…Or I could be just awesomely amazing and make everyone think that all Americans are as cool as me! ;) I just need to not worry as much and do the best I can. This is my first professional working experience, so I am sure they are expecting performance not perfection. So far, so good. I am getting more relaxed in the office and people are beginning to become more familiar with me. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. And I hope that if there is something I am doing that could be improved upon that no one will hesitate to give me some constructive criticism.

Chinese Word of the Day

Ge bi 隔壁: "next door"

Verse of the Day
Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

High Heels in the Snow! ;)

February 18, 2011

                Here is a good quote from Chinese business giant, Jack Ma 马云, of Alibaba.com:

"As we are looking forward, thoughts are important, but actions are more important. What is even more important than actions is the right direction. When we choose our values, we are choosing our destinies."

                My first week in my internship at the China Entrepreneur Club (http://www.daonong.com)  has been a good experience. On Sunday night I received a call from Abroad China (the company arranging my internship) saying that the CEC liked me during my interview and wanted me to start that very next morning. This gave me approximately 12 hours to prepare for the start of my internship. I was SO ready! This is the company I had wanted to work at for a long time. It was also the company that I was telling everyone back at home that I was working for, so if it would've fallen through my spirits and pride would've been crushed. So, Monday morning came and I headed to the office in my spiffy new suit. With excitement growing, I braved the snowy streets in my high heels. Nothing could put a damper on my first day interning at CEC. This was my first "real" job.

         When I got to the office, I was filled with mixed feelings of nerves and excitement. I arrived in the middle of an office-wide meeting where the boss was giving an impassioned speech. I couldn't tell if he was angry or just very enthusiastic because I couldn't understand all of what he was saying in Chinese. The work of my first day entailed writing a letter to U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman. The CEC wishes to invite him to a going-away dinner to thank him for all the ways he has helped the organization. He has worked close with the CEC in the past, but has recently sent his resignation letter to President Obama. Rumor has it that he will focus his energies on securing the Republican presidential candidacy for the 2012 election. See the news story here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030120-503544.html So on my first day, I wrote a letter to the man who might be my next president. Not too shabby.

         Monday also happened to be Valentine's Day. All of my single co-workers decided to go out to dinner and then to karaoke. It was a really fancy dinner. Someone suggested that we play "Fei Cheng Wu Rao" (If You Are the One..) so we all went around the table and said what we were looking for in a person of the opposite sex and everyone else, consequently, picked out the co-worker they believed to be the most suitable person for you based on your stated criteria. I didn't know anyone very well, so this was definitely an interesting ice-breaker for me. I think everyone at the CEC is really cool though. I am looking forward to working more closely with all of them.

         The rest of this week I have just spent time drafting emails and invitation letters for the upcoming Annual Summit for Green Companies that takes place every April 22 (Earth Day). Sometimes I found myself a little bit bored when my supervisor didn't have anything for me to do, so I have been spending a lot of my time researching Chinese entrepreneurs and business leaders' visions for a Greener world. But, things are going to start getting really busy in the office. I am ready for the challenge.

 

Chinese Word of the Day

Jing Li 经历："Experience"

 

Verse of the Day

James 1:4-6 "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

An Unexpected Volunteer Opportunity

February 6, 2011
               I have been going to the Haidian Church here in Beijing. This was my second week. Most people were gone because they have gone home for Chinese New Year. So, I made the hour trip to Haidian via the subway system (which I am getting quite good at!) and got there just in time for the English Fellowship. I met my new friend Lidan (her English name is Liz) there. Her English I would say is about as good as my Chinese. That is good because I feel like we are both able to learn a lot from each other. In this way, we don't end up using one language to dominate the conversation, so we both get a lot of practice. We went out to eat lunch at a noodle place across the street. Lidan asked me if I wanted to go back to church after lunch to help out with some power point things. I figured that I didn't have any plans, so I decided that I would tag along and help out where I could.
                But here is the cool part...I get there and they asked me what I could do. I told them that I was a Chinese studies and Communication major back in the U.S. So, guess what they asked me to do! Edit together their Christmas video! Now, if you know me, you know that this kinda stuff is what I really like to do! I know that for most people video editing is just about the most boring thing in the world, but I love it! I think it gives my perfectionism a good outlet. It was funny how they just asked me if I knew how to edit video and then were like, "Here ya go! Here's a video for you to edit!" So basically I am super excited to be able to volunteer in this way. God is just continuing to amaze me in all the different things that He has planned for me to do in China. I am seriously considering just going to church everyday and editing videos all day if none of my internships work out (which I am sure one will). I left church around 5:30 in the afternoon after nearly finishing the one-hour Christmas video. Time just flew by. It was awesome. I was surprised by two things: 1)how fast I picked up on the new video editing software that I hadn't used before (it was a lot easier than Adobe Premier which is what I was used to), and 2) that I actually was able to understand, for the most part, when the other media guy at the church was saying when he explained what he wanted the video to look like. Maybe my Chinese isn't as bad as I thought! :-)

Chinese Word of the Day

义工 Yi Gong: "Volunteer Work"

Verse of the Day

Isaiah 44:22
"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."

Happy Chinese New Year from Hainan

This week I was given the pleasant surprise of going to Sanya 三亚 for Chinese new year. It was only a couple days, but it was awesome to be able to do some sightseeing and go to the beach! I actually got a little bit sunburned which I couldn't believe could ever happen in the beginning of February!

This trip was one of the first ones I have ever been on where I got to the airport completely on my own! I took the subway to the airport express in Beijing. I thought I missed a stop and was beginning to freak out a little bit, but I was fine I got there just on time. I talked to an Israeli man and a Chinese college student on the express train.This is why I almost missed my stop. So I will always be more conscious of where I am an not get too distracted. It is really interesting to get foreign opinions about things we think we have all figured out; ideas on religion, politics, and the world economy.  As the saying goes, "True knowledge lies in knowing that you know nothing." This is very true, and I am becoming more knowledgeable in this notion day by day. I don't want to admit that I am beginning to feel any tinge of culture shock. I thought that all these years of studying Chinese has made me immune. However, I would be lying. My Chinese is grossly sub-par. To put it mildly, I have a long way to go! But, I will just keep writing new words in my little notebook everyday, and hopefully all of those words will one day amount to a meaningful conversation.

But anyways, back to Chinese new year! The first day after I got there, we drove along Ya Long Wan, one of the largest beaches and a huge tourist attraction. "We" is me, my host father, his brother, and their father and step-mother. Even though I could only communicate superficially with them, I feel that we connected. I was able to share with them a little bit of my culture, and they, in turn, shared a LOT of theirs. I shared their new year's dinner with them and helped bao jiaozi 包 饺子. Being in the "Hawaii" of China for the new year was just so awesome! I feel like it was such a blessing to be able to go to such a cool place! One thing that you have to know about the Chinese during the new year is that they LOVE their fireworks! Austin, I think you should come to China next Chinese new year, you would probably blow yourself up, but have a lot of fun doing it! Gunpowder was one of China's big inventions that they introduced to the world. And boy did they put it to good use! They put our new year and Independence Day to shame! I guess fireworks lihua(I don't know the character) that go up into the air are pretty expensive, so most Chinese just buy rolls and rolls of firecrackers bianpao 鞭 炮.  If I didn't know any better, I would think I was in a war-zone all night long. It was cool to see all of the Chinese celebrate. I didn't get much sleep either, but that's ok. I was just thankful for the experience and to be in Hainan! :-)

The second day we took a cable car to the top of what they call "Dog Mountain." It gave us a 360 degree panoramic view of Hainan which was really awesome. It was really sunny and nice outside! There were monkeys too! I love monkeys, but I guess these ones sometimes attack people, so I reluctantly kept my distance. I really didn't want to go back to the freezing Beijing weather. Afterward, I went to see the #2 Marketplace 第二市场. Unfortunately, it was closed, but it was interesting to see some places in Sanya that not many tourists go to. I didn't get the opportunity to visit Fu Ming, one of the close friends of my sister's boyfriend, but I hope that we can meet if I ever go back! I attached a LOT of pictures, so I hope they all show up! 春节快乐！

Chinese Word of the Day
Bai Nian 拜年 ： To wish someone a Happy New Year

Verse of the Day

1 Corinthians 9:22-24

"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."