Saturday - June 21, 2008 - Team 4

As a prelude to this post, we’d like to say that today was a truly amazing and memorable day that our words cannot fully capture.

Today, we put on our tourist hats. We had a full day scheduled at the two biggest tourism draws, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall – and for the first time on the trip, the smog had blown away and the sky was blue. After yet another delicious breakfast at our hotel, our Cal Poly group took a short walk down E. Chiang An Avenue to the main gates of the Forbidden City. Under the watchful gaze of Chairman Mao, we entered into the outer city. The city itself was bigger and more amazing than we had first imagined, and we were surprised to learn that the area that remains is only a small fraction of what the city used to be. Although we were given four hours to explore, we easily could have spent the entire day exploring the multitudes of rooms and exhibits set up around the city. One of our favorite areas was the imperial gardens, a lush blend of greenery, temples and gazebos. Walking through, we noticed that much of the city was under renovation. From a historical business standpoint, it is almost ridiculous to fathom how much maintenance and upkeep the city must have needed, especially realizing that it was only a part-time home for one royal family. Some people decided to head across the street to Jingshan Park and take a short hike up a hill to a large temple tower. The views from the top were amazing. Again, we were lucky to have a clear day free from the intense smog that usually covers the city.

We left the Forbidden City with a bit of time on our hands. Groups separated to explore and eat in the city. We (as well as many others) made our way via taxi to the Silk Market. The Silk Market is difficult to describe, simply because there is nothing like it in the United States. First, imagine the largest flea market you’ve ever seen. Second, imagine the flea market only selling new, brand-name (but probably fake) clothes and accessories. Third, put that flea market inside a six story building (each floor is about the size of a football field) with each booth getting a cubicle size area to work. Fourth, put a young Chinese girl in each booth shouting, grabbing, begging you to come look at their wares in broken English. Finally, imagine the place packed to the brim with shoppers looking for the best deal they can get.

Fortunately, we got to witness true capitalism in action as well as practice negotiation (on an admittedly very small scale). We bargained with the vendors for the best prices we could get on scarves to custom-tailored suits. The common bargaining tactic was for the vendors to start at ridiculously high prices for their goods, and then laugh at you when you counter-offered. Then, they try to get you to buy more items and they’ll lower the price. When you start to walk away and head for the booth two steps down selling the exact same thing, they’ll grab you and submit to a price much closer to what you want to pay. It seemed like all the vendors had little shame in the tactics they were willing to try to get even a little more money from you. In the business world, be wary of this. Though we’ve learned that most successful business relationships are built on long term friendship and reciprocation – if the friendship is not there, be prepared to deal with some dirty and ethically questionable practices. From an economic standpoint, the ability to sell items and different prices to different customers is great. There would be relatively few unconsummated wealth transactions in a micro environment, maximizing profits. At the same time, there is a high level of substitutes for products, making every item highly price elastic – thus competition between vendors significantly hurts individual profits. All in all, the Silk Market was a fun, fascinating place – though not somewhere we’d like to work or even visit on a regular basis.

The Cal Poly group regrouped at the hotel to board a bus to the Great Wall of China. The two hour ride to the Mutianyu section of the Wall was a good time to relax and view the Chinese country side. When we arrived at the small rural village, we stocked up on bottled water, and made our way up the hill to the base of the wall. The wall itself runs along the top ridge of a mountain. The group had the option to hike or to pay extra for a gondola ride, and it was split 50/50. The hike was hot and steep, but gratifying and offered some amazing views. Reaching the top and walking up the wall was a surreal experience. You look in both directions and the wall extends as far as the eye can see. Furthermore, the wall protects an area where it almost strategically impossible to bring an army (especially in the 1400s), though a dense jungle on steep hills. So the necessity of the wall is questionable, but it offered spectacular views.

Though the mode of transportation up to the wall differed, the way down was a no-brainer. The Chinese built a toboggan run down the side of the mountain and almost everybody paid the six dollars for the ride of a lifetime. People climbed onto a little sled with a handle that controlled the brake and raced down the curvy track. It was such a good time, a group found Dr. Carr to partake and paid for the gondola ride up simply to race down the track again.

Looking back, the wall itself was a massive project. A point to think about is how a project of this magnitude was managed. The project took many generations to complete. Where did the workers come from? How were they paid? How do you motivate them? How did the emperor monitor progress and deliverables? Furthermore, how was the wall maintained and staffed after completion? The similarities between problems back then and problems today in regards to business and project management are eerily similar.

After the group had their fun on the wall and were starting to fade from the heat, we gathered in the heart of town at a place called The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu. The Schoolhouse is a project started by an ex-pat named from Cal Berkeley, who leased an old schoolhouse from the local village to start a restaurant and a glass blowing gallery. The owner also is heavily involved in local real estate, building and renovating houses at the base of the Great Wall. He was able to take us to a couple local houses to see how local village people live. The first house was very humble; it was a very small house with no heat and very airy walls, although they had a T.V. All cooking was done over a wood stove and the bed was wooden boards covered with a small comforter. The owners extended a warm welcome to us and served us tea and plums grown in their garden. The second house across the street was much nicer, with windows, a kitchen with appliances, and even a T.V. and radio, and hot water for showering. Also, they had a beautiful garden where they grew most of their own food. Our guide informed us that the two couples made about the same amount of money per year, but the difference in lifestyle was based on how they spent and saved their money over the years.

The town itself was old and the population aging. We were told most young men and women were leaving for jobs in the city. Also, we realized that almost the entire economy is based on tourism. There were many people who set up stands at the base of the hike, selling water, hats, and various souvenirs to the many tourists who wanted to hike the wall. Back at the Schoolhouse, we discussed with the owner how he was promoting sustainable tourism in the area and working with local government to improve the area and lives of many of the people. He had many insights to working in China – the biggest piece of advice is, “don’t leave your ethics behind”. Though he said, in China “the law is a mild suggestion, safely ignored” yet at the end of the day he aptly pointed out that (especially) foreign firms need to be compliant or risk being shut down. To be sustainable, it does not pay to cheat to get ahead, because eventually it will catch up to you. Hire lawyers, lots of them, to help you maneuver through complicated Chinese law, and make sure all stakeholders are satisfied and happy before jumping into any project.

Next, the Schoolhouse served us a western fusion meal – called Roadhouse Grill. Their chef, from India, fired up some chicken and burgers and served it with some ice cold beer. Over dinner, we learned that the village was trying to prepare for the Olympics, and were expecting at least 7,000 more tourists for the three weeks. The Olympics will definitely help the local economy outside of Beijing, since any influx of money goes a long way in the small towns. After dinner, we got a demonstration of local glass blowing before heading back on the bus. After a quick debrief, the lights went out the bus went silent as people let the exhaustion of a long day wash over them.

About an hour and a half later, we pulled up in front of a giant building where we experienced our first Chinese foot massage. This may have been the perfect way to end this day as everyone’s feet were sore and tired after hiking the Great Wall. For roughly $12, we each got 45 minutes of heavenly bliss. Though this was a relaxing experience for us, the foot massage was a, important and valuable business experience for us as well. Beijing, like New York, does not seem to sleep. We’ve learned that after a work day in China, business after the formal work day often continues. 24/7, over dinner, foot massages, and then karaoke (or other nightlife). Having this experience gives us knowledge on what to expect and how to conduct ourselves when returning to Asia for business. Our experience is probably a little different than a massage place in the city, because we went to a reflexology school. Young students, our age and younger, were learning to do this as a career. Outside of the school, we were told that the massages can sometimes (not always) be a bit more intimate, and the masseuses can be a bit more aggressive, trying to offer add on features for extra money. A comparison point Dr. Carr provided to us to think about on this issue to get us prepared for this visit is when one goes into Best Buy, buys their flat screen T.V., and proceeds to be bombarded with add on requests for additional products and/or services. One can say no; one can say yes. It’s up to the customer.

The class floated back the bus for the final ride home. We arrived home a little after 11 pm.  Most people were exhausted, but there were a few who decided to go out, after hours and, on our own time, off the clock. Unfortunately, this is out of the scope of our one day journal since all the action happened after midnight – a new day - so we won’t go into the details.

Finally, back to the hotel where we all prepare for a much anticipated day off…

Day 4 - Beijing, China Forbidden Fun and Great Foot Fantasies - Team 5

Although we don’t know what lies ahead of us in the next upcoming weeks, our team and many of our peers said that this would be one of the most memorable days of the trip. From morning until night, we experienced the life of a tourist.  As an expat or visitor to China, a Beijing representative would surely take you to each of these locations: the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and a foot massage (more on that later).

The Forbidden City

After waking up early and having a luxurious breakfast at the Beijing Grand Hotel, our first stop would be the Forbidden City, just across from Tiananmen Square. Our hotel is four blocks from what many regard as the center of the ancient world. This relic has much historical importance to the Chinese, and is adorned with Mao’s friendly face as you enter the gates. Both Chinese and Foreigners flowed through the powerfully plain red archways. The towers that watched over the emperor now sat silent as thousands upon thousands of strangers entered the courtyard. The city is surrounded by imperial gardens and contains an impressive outer and inner courtyard. Each courtyard of a lesser official (most likely a court eunuch) is then trumped by the next courtyard of a higher official, symbolized by the number of rooftops the building has.

Although the Forbidden City is only roughly a quarter of its original size, it is still quite impressive, having an area of 720,000 square meters. Being pressed for time, as we had to make it to the bus at 1 pm, I went straight through the Forbidden City from the Gate of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Palace of Heavenly Purity, and finally the Imperial Garden. Part of the city was under renovation. Like much of the city, Beijing is preparing for the Olympics. The government is really trying to make the city, and the Forbidden City, a grand spectacle to be revealed during the Olympics. The animals on top of the roof are meant to symbolize protection (of good fortune). By keeping the good in and the bad out, the emperor can hope to prosper. China hopes this will be true for the Olympics as well.

The Great Wall

After leaving the Forbidden City, we headed two hours north-west to the Great Wall of China. We stopped at a small village situated at the base of the mountains that the wall runs along called Mutianyu. When we got off we were told that we had a nice hike up the mountain to the wall that took about an hour and half for those who choose to hike it the whole and or about 3o minute for those who took the gondola up. For those who hiked they were greeted with about of mile and half of stairs that challenged all who that dared. The walk did provide some gorgeous scenery and lush green forest to explore. Once at the top the group met up for pictures and some time to relax and take in the beautiful sights.

Tracing the path of ancient wall guards our group made our way from one tower to the next. The wall snaked out in front of us with thousands upon thousands of miles waiting for our next step. The view from the wall could not be described as anything less than incredible. A village, most likely older than the United States, sat peacefully at the bottom of the valley before us. Jagged cliff faces and tree-blanketed hills surrounded the village. The wall stretched gracefully from one zenith to the next still guarding the middle kingdom. Each of us was struck with the pure history that was under our feet. The wall was magnificent, one can only realize this when standing on the edge looking out over the past and remembering all that China was and realizing all that it will become.

Once we had digested the beauty and the power of what we had just seen we were delighted to find out that there was a toboggan track that ran from the wall back to the village in the bottom. Each person had their own cart that barreled down the track based on their individual desires for speed. The YouTube video is on its way. This was one of the most enjoyable things we have been able to here in China. Some people were had such a good time that they decided to travel back up the mountain to do it a second time.

Once at the bottom of the mountain we were bombarded by the street-side vendors who tried their hardest to get you to buy their souvenirs. Getting a good price from these vendors has become a skill that some have been able to acquire but many if not all of us have become victim of paying more than we should have. Then we met up with two of ladies who work at the schoolhouse within Mutianyu who would lead us to two different houses in the village. One house was the residence of the richest family in town while the other was the poorest family in town.

The Village

As we walked up the hill en route to a poor lady’s residence, we passed by an old man. Skin and muscles on his aged body hung with evidence of abuse from weather and decades of working in the field. Proudly he smiled to us. Wearing no shoes, he pointed to a small plot of land where he grew his vegetation.

A plot of land no bigger than the size of an American bathroom had never encompassed so much culture. Where we come from, people grow food in their garden for fun or to show off their green thumb. But for this man, this plot of land meant dinner on his table. He had put thought into finding the right place with enough sunlight and soil. He had spent days and months tendering his vegetables and worrying about the weather. Gardening for him was not a hobby. Planting vegetables in his backyard was survival.

Shortly after returning him with smiles, we walked into the house where he and his wife lived. We were told that the lady before us was poor. We didn’t need to be told; the lady’s poverty lay before us in the smoke lined walls and the rotting wood of the beds they slept in. She carried a bamboo broomstick to fend off her dog so we might enter. From the way she held the broomstick– not fearing the unsanitary state of it - I could tell she was a woman with little possession.

Little possession was an understatement. Her house would have looked shabby a hundred years ago. The first thing that engulfed us when we entered the dark living room/kitchen was an smell, a smell that came from decades of grease and some unknown inch-thick liquid in the black pan on the stove. Every bit of the layout in her living quarter concerned me. For example, when I saw a cleaver lying on a wooden cutting board, the dried food and grime still clinging to its blade made me cringe. But what could she do? She didn’t even have a refrigerator. Every piece of her residences was in a perpetual state of half-rottenness.

Her bedroom was even drearier. Her bed was not much of a bed, but a large wooden platform with linen cover that seemed to be decades old. Separated by a thin curtain, the bed was two feet away from the stove and the kitchen. The smell in the bedroom was thus not any better than the outside. Without air conditioning, the inside of the room was not only hot, but humid and dark. By the way, the windows were made of paper. Sweat just poured out of my follicles as I stood in her room, observing her humble possession. On one of the old cups a phrase read, “Fight Against the American; Support the Communists….” That cup probably dated back to the Korean War.

On the outside of her shack I saw stacks of firewood neatly chopped and organized under a tarp. How did she have the strength to organize and stack firewood? Who in this day and age still collects and uses firewood? Who helps her to cut down these branches? Did she get hurt doing that? Does she have children? Why are their still people that live in such a state?

In her room, she generously offered us apricots and tea. For someone with so little, she surely had emptied her closet for us. Yet I was afraid to eat them. Heck, I didn’t even want to touch them! Did she wash these? Did she wash with her hands? Did she wash her hands before she washed these? Did she drop these and pick it up from her floor that was so dirty that I wouldn’t even walk on with shoes? We saved the apricot pits so that they may plant them again.

Yet she seemed content in living in this shack. She seemed happy to have guests. She certainly was generous in giving us all she had, although none of us knew her or would ever see her again.

Thinking about our different fates and how much I am blessed to live in America, I was very humble. What kind of cars, which electronics, or iPhone 3G, all seemed ridiculously irrelevant when I thought about this old lady’s life. What gives me the right to be so selfish, greedy, and ungrateful? Afterward, wanting to cry, I handed two hundreds RMB to the guide and told her to give this money to the old lady. I knew my money wouldn’t help her life much. Maybe she could buy some vitamins and eat them for a year or two. Maybe she could replenish her fruit supply. Or maybe people who read this blog will be encouraged to give more to those who have less than we do.

Our next stop was the richest house in the village. We found it in defiant contrast to the previous home. It had a shower house, several storage rooms for food and television in the living room. The lady of the house offered us tea. We graciously accepted and completed the tour of her house by watching her husband cook a scorpion and root soup in the caldron outside.

The Schoolhouse and the Foot Massage

After the tour of the city was over we came back to The Shoolhouse at Mutianyu and met its owner. He lives with his wife and two daughters as an eco-tourism entrepreneur among 350 villagers in a small hamlet called Mutianyu under the gaze of the Great Wall. He has created a haven for the tourists seeking a small passionate environment away from the impersonal interactions of Beijing called The Schoolhouse. This small retreat has gained a lot of attention over the past couple of years as a restaurant, and a art dealership. He spoke to us about life in China and what it was like starting his own business in such a different environment. He told us of the importance of partnerships and keeping your values. He was a man of great energy and intelligence of people.

After a delectable meal cooked by a French cuisine trained Indian man from Canada living in a small village in Northern China, we got on the bus and left for the highlight of the day. We arrived at a enormous building with architectural characteristics similar to the district of Columbia’s great museums. We were about to experience something that many of us had never done before and the women dressed as nurses and candy stripers welcomed us with friendly smiles. This was a massage school where people learn the trade of becoming a masseuse. Although the people giving us the massages were only students one would have never guessed this. Their hands were strong and our feet had never needed the attention so much. After an hour of skillful kneading and rubbing we could do nothing but stare into space and try to take in what the day had just given us.

This was a day that each one of us will remember for a lifetime