The Lighter Side of China: Note to Self

As I was rummaging through a few old movies this weekend, I chanced upon the Michael J. Fox classic, Back to the Future. I smiled and started to think about the things I could tell my younger self, if I had the chance. But which younger self? It would have to be 22 years ago, as I boarded my flight from Newark to Taipei, Taiwan to begin my Asian journey. I was 29 years of age then. The note would go something like this:

June 1991

Dear Scott,

You are about to embark on the ride of your life, so buckle up, dude. First thing you need to know is that you are going to put in a lot of hours at work. Embrace this. Don’t worry too much about work-life balance. It will all net out in the end. Soak up every bit of your existence. The next two decades are about the journey and not the destination, so when you have the chance to move to China in 1995, jump at this. It will be an inflection point in your life you will not forget.

In making decisions about career (or life, for that matter), certainly do not believe everything you read or hear. You must go and experience it for yourself. For example, when it comes to China, there are many commentators – each with a different angle – so you’ll need to shape your own views about the country and its stresses and strains.

You are going to see a major metropolis emerge from under your feet. Document every bit of this. You will see many of the traditional hutongs destroyed and huge iconic buildings emerge. One will even look like a pair of pants. There will be so much development that buildings will literally pop up all around you. When you first get to Beijing in 1995, you’ll think the buildings are bland. Just wait. There will be a national stadium in the shape of a bird’s nest, a swimming pavilion named the Water Cube and an egg-shaped national theater. Nests, water, eggs (but don’t expect anything in the shape of a turtle) … this market is anything but slow.

You are going to hear statistics that make your head swirl. Growth of 10%, 8%, 7%, whatever – don’t get too caught up in these. They are technicalities. Let’s just say there is a lot happening every which way you turn and you are going to be tired at the end of the day no matter what.

Remember how in The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman’s character was given one piece of advice? “Plastics,” he was told. Well, here is yours: “The yuan.” The exchange rate for the Chinese currency is going to hover at 8.3% for years and then it will start its appreciation. Hoard yuan. “The yuan is your ambassador of kwan.” At some point you will need to worry about its convertibility, but that is for later.

You are going to meet your wife in 1992. She will be working in a division of your company that is not related to your business, so don’t worry about the intercompany romance thing. Also, don’t worry that you won’t be able to communicate with her without a computer that translates for you. This will keep the relationship fresh by making you work to understand. There is a huge insight in that dynamic, by the way. If you work to understand, life’s frustrations will somehow subside.

When you are able to communicate with your wife, just do what she tells you. If she says to give her all of your money for real estate, don’t hesitate. In fact, you will do well by turning over all of your money to her. (It will do much better than the load of Washington Mutual stock that you'll buy the day before the bank tanks.) Just don’t piss her off, as she’s a black belt and doesn’t suffer fools lightly.

Your wife is going to give you two kids as well, who are really going to teach you about what is important in life. Enjoy every minute you have with them.

As you make your journey to the East, you will also be entering the technology age. The Internet, which you’re hearing so much about these days, is going to explode beyond your wildest dreams. When you arrive in Asia, you are going to get your first email address. Life will never be the same. By the time you are 50, you will average about 300+ email messages daily. In 1995, you will also get your first mobile phone – roughly the size and shape of a brick. Designs will ebb and flow; the phones will get smaller and smaller. Buy Apple stock and hold onto it.

The Internet and its democratization of information will drive China forward even as it presents it with its biggest challenges. There will be many successes and failures in this sector. Remember the word Baidu. You will understand later.

Living in China during this period is a huge rush with opportunities all around you. It’s infectious. So is the optimism of the youth here. Many of your colleagues will eventually live more comfortable lives than they have ever dreamed of. One of your first staff members will, when you first meet him, be sharing a one-bedroom apartment with his wife and parents. Years later, he’ll drive a BMW and have two apartments. The growth will be meteoric.

You are going to experience a ton of world events. The Olympics will be a lot of fun. Living through the SARS epidemic will not.

If I can give you one piece of advice, it is to be curious about everything around you. If you go to a meeting conducted entirely in Chinese, try to learn a new vocabulary word. If you go to a meal where nothing looks familiar, give it a try. You won’t experience new things unless you extend yourself. The people you meet are going to be friends for life. They will come in all colors, shapes and nationalities. You are going to be presented with some pretty wacky concepts. Just because they are not American doesn’t mean they are not right. They are just different. Enjoy the difference. And when you are feeling a bit frustrated, do what you do in conversations with your soon-to-be wife. Seek to understand.

Yours,
Scott

Scott Kronick is president of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, North Asia.

Photo: Orient.bowdoin.edu