Day 9 - Shanghai

No one likes Mondays, except if they’re on vacation. I feel like I’m on vacation, so I don’t mind. Today we had a lecture on the Chinese culture. We learned today that “No” does not necessarily mean “No.”  Sometimes it means yes, but they’re just too polite to say yes. The major theme of the lecture was to show us different ways to create guanxi (关系), or relations.  This is one of the most important elements in the Chinese business culture. Without it, you can have any relations whatsoever and with no relations, no business deals.

 

Afterwards, we went to the Volkswagen factory. They produce 9 or 10 different models of cars there, to serve the Chinese people. Unfortunately, we were unable to take any pictures of the inside of the factory and I could barely understand the girl giving the tour because there was so much noise, but just watching the process was interesting enough.  All inventory items are created at different stages and in different areas. The most fascinating part, though, was the assembly of the various components.  Although over 70% of the plant is automated, the actual putting together of the pieces was done primarily by hand. A better description is by machine guided by hands. Overall, it was a magnificent example of an assembly line.

We ended the night with a dinner at a restaurant that would have been very romantic, if I weren’t with a whole bunch of other people. One would suffice. Again, the food was stupendous.

Lesson learned: Relations are the backbone of business not only in Asia, but elsewhere. The connections I am making with not only the Chinese students, but with my fellow travelers will be a huge benefit in the future. I must maintain all my business (and personal) connections throughout the rest of my career and life.