Assume Nothing

I read an article about a high-end wine dealer from the US who tried to sell his wine in China. Initially, using a Chinese distributor he had connections with, sales were poor. Upon further investigation, he discovered that his Chinese distributors were using bicycles for distribution, leaving the wine in the sun, which damages the taste and even selling the wine at convenience stores. The Americans discovered the Chinese knew little about wine (and the Americans knew little about the Chinese). They decided to start from scratch in marketing to China, using the theme "Assume Nothing". The wine maker spent more effort and money on ensuring proper logistics, marketing techniques and consumer research. Eventually, the dealer created a respectable brand image among Chinese wine connoisseurs and was able to sell in upscale restaurants, which led to profits.

I thought the idea of Assume Nothing is a good motto for going to China. Its seems there is nothing you can take for granted here, at least for now. Some toilets are little more than porcelain holes. You can't throw your used TP into the toilets, you have to throw it in the waste bin. You can't get hot water to take a shower whenever you want it. You have to look in 8 directions before crossing the street. Don't expect cars or bicycles to stop for you, because it is not widely accepted that pedestrians have the right of way.

Don't expect "Thank you" and "You're Welcome" when you expect it. You can't even know what to expect in a friendship. I exchanged my phone number with a Chinese guy who seemed smart and nice enough, and later he text-messaged me a 15 line poem. I thought that was strange, but I think it is a sign of friendship. He was not the first Chinese person to do that to me either. Don't expect to be quoted a fair price, let alone see a price tag. Don't expect stale and expired food to be taken off the shelves.

Don't expect people to understand you, your needs, your country, your beliefs, your values, your govt. anything. And that is just the beginning. Expect the unexpected and be prepared to be expected to know what you may not expect. In other words, Assume Nothing.

I went to the Hohai area yesterday. Hohai is a little farther north of the Forbidden Palace and is popular with foreigners because it has the distinct flavor of old Beijing. There are some pretty lakes, the nearby residential area still looks about 200 or more years old and the streets are narrow and full of shops. It reminds me of the old Arizona mining towns that became ghost towns and came back to life as upscale art communities. Hohai seems to attract tourists and the newly affluent. I hear the restaurants along the lake are packed every night with foreigners and cosmopolitan Chinese.

I hear and agree that one of the biggest challenges facing China today is the growing gap between rich and poor. It would be bad for China to have very small, very rich group of people and a large poor population. It would be better for it to have a large middle class. I am not sure how China will tackle this problem, but I sense this is something to watch in China's development.