My Trip to China - Part 2. The Travel.

So whats it like to travel to China?  Not half as interesting as it is to travel in China!

So you get on a plane and go to the airport.  Then after making your way through Customs etc you jump on a plane and fly.  Guess what - ho hum.

Te fun really begins when you jump in the taxi from the airport to your hotel.  Now I have seen some amazing driving but NOTHING beats a Chinese taxi driver.  Those guys are great!

The best thing about travel in urban China is the accessibility and the price.  Example - a train journey from Nanjing to Shanghai (2 hours by train) = $10US approx.  How good is that?

What about the taxi.  Travel for 30 minutes after being picked up from your door and being dropped off at your destination = $4US maximum!

I thoroughly recommend travelling both to China and in China as well.  It's well worth the effort.

(Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peoplezchronicles/4199898668/ - train
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sminor/54840789/ - car)

My Trip to China - Part 1. Understanding The People.

For the first time in my life (so far) I was able to travel to China and get an education (all be it a very quick one) on who and how the Chinese operate.

I loved my time in China. The people were great and appeared really genuine. The structure and systems provide a clean operating area for life and for conducting business.

Yes it was a business funded trip but for this trip I plated the part of observer more than negotiator.  For me this was actually quite a different role to play.  I am used to being a talker and working towards cutting a deal.

This trip however required different skills and a different methodology and approach.  So what did I do?

1. Observed.  Watching people in their own environment and the way they interact with others plays a large part in negotiations and in getting along with others.  When in China do as the Chinese do.  This lesson saved my bacon a few times (more on that in future posts).
2. Listened.  We are trying to find some common ground and synergies with fellow educators and agents.  I think I learnt the most from our trip in two different conversations that we had.  I sat and listened and absorbed what was being said. 
3. Asked questions.  When I saw people who could speak English and were open to us I asked questions.  What's the average income?  Where do the students come from? What employment opportunities do they expect when they are finished?  Simple questions but they will help me determine the future approach we will take when we return to China to talk some more.
4. Reflected. Spending time musing and considering what has taken place is just as vital a step as is the actual being there.  I am now 50 times more knowledgeable about the people, their aspirations, their educational setup and methodologies than I ever was before.

I could have expected to have gone to China (or any other country for that fact) and expected that they would listen to me because I showed up.  How wrong would your thinking be if this was the case.

My first trip to China was very much aa reconnaissance mission.  Now I feel I have learnt much from that trip and now I will do everything within my power to assure the success of future plans we have in partnering with China.


(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewamphyri/4530622390/)

The Power of Saying - Yes

In a weeks time I get a huge opportunity and the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream to be able to travel, and not only to travel, but travel into China.  To be honest I was pretty sure I would get there one day I just hadn'tfigured it would be in 7 days.

The really great aspect of the entire process of my being able to go all comes down to three basic things.

1. I said yes.
2. I was prepared at the right time.
3. I am ready to go and have the ability to.

In what I thought was just another plain day at work my boss asked me a completely random question.  Do you have a passport?  Answer - yes.  I had no idea where he was going with this.  Second question - is it current?  Answer - yes.  Now my interest was beginning to peak.  Then the third question - do you want to go to China?  Answer - Yes.

It really is that simple.  I made an on the spot decision and it has turned out to be all good.  To put this all into context what happened was my boss has previously visited China in the past few months and had an excellent time there.  While he was there he had the chance to meet faculty from the Nanjing Forestry University.

So what does this have to do with me?  The University have extended the invitation for us to visit again.  As my boss has been on a few international trips already recently he felt he did not have the time to commit with the ever increasing pressures of work.

So he decided to pass the opportunity on to someone else.  That someone - is me.  Awesome! 

So I must say a HUGE thanks to my wife is allowing me to go :-) and oh yeah - I even get to pop into Shanghai for the weekend for some sighseeing and shopping!  So I better bring home something nice!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfgangstaudt/3856140286/