The Little Things

Our final papers are due tomorrow, so I'm reminiscing about our time in Asia and the small things I was so looking forward to upon our arrival.

So here's the list of the top things you miss about Cincinnati and the good old USA when travelling abroad:

1. Skyline Chili - checked this one off with a Regular 3-Way on the way home from the airport
2. Water (from the sink) - who knew this was something I took for granted?!
3. Normal teeth brushing techniques - my Asian teeth cleaning ritual went something like this:  fill the cup halfway with water, dip the toothbrush, apply toothpaste and brush, spit and rinse with a small sip of water, stir the toothbrush in the remaining water to clean... GROSS
4. English - AHHH, the ability to understand exactly what was being said the first time!
5. And of course, family and friends! 

Travelling is fun, but coming home is great, too!

On Holiday in Bali

When in Asia, do as the Australians?  Well, that's our motto for the week. 

Hayley and I arrived in Bali, Indonesia last Saturday evening after traveling from Shanghai to Hong Kong and then to Denpasar, where the Bali airport is located.  We took a short ride to our hotel, the Melia Benoa Sol Beach House All Inclusive Resort, which is located in Nusa Dua.

On Sunday, we chilled at the pool, reading books (who knew we would ever have time for that?!) and drinking cocktails at the pool's swim-up bar.

Monday was spent at the beach... getting a bit too sunburned... OWWW!  But the ocean water was clear, and for maybe the 5th time in my life, I went in the ocean, only because I could see my feet (and to be sure no sea creatures were going to attack!)

Tuesday was reserved for the markets in Kuta, the tourist area where the Australians holiday.  Maybe you live with the thought that a market is a market, and once you've seen one, you've seen them all.  Well, in Bali, that's not the case.  I quickly realized (by incorporating my general business and marketing skills, obviously) that these markets were certainly not catering to American tourists.  Instead, we found shops and stalls all selling sundresses and other "surfer" apparel. 

On Wednesday, we sat at the pool reading our books in the shade doing everything possible to stay out of the sun. 

We decided to explore more of Bali on Thursday. We rented a taxi service for the day and they took us to a variety of places.  Our first stop was a traditional Balinese dance/theater performance.  It was interesting....  We then traveled to the silver and painting markets.  The silver was set at a fixed price, and since we couldn't' bargain, we didn't buy.  The painting market didn't really turn out to be a market, it was just some art on display, which was weird.  After the markets, we went to the Monkey Forest where the monkeys rule the land.  They walk around and hop onto people whenever they please - AH!  We then went to Ubud, the countryside, for lunch and feasted our eyes on the beautiful rice fields and our stomachs on delicious Indonesian fried rice. After lunch, we took a long drive to the coast to see Tanah Lot, one of the top three temples in Bali.  It's situated in the ocean, and provided such a beautiful sight.  Standing on the cliffs looking out into the ocean was a humbling and beautiful sight. 



At Tanah Lot, looking super sweaty



Rice fields in Ubud

Friday morning, we went to the pool at the hotel and then grabbed some lunch before heading back to Kuta for some more shopping!  I think we now have 20 pairs of elephant pants combined - thank goodness for the extremely giving weight limits on our remaining flights! 

Tomorrow will be a day of total relaxation.  I'm getting a massage at the hotel, Hayley is getting a pedicure.  Then, I will walk across the street to Carla Spa (the best place ever) and try a hair spa (creambath - yeah, I don't know either).  Should be fun!

China: Beijing and Shanghai

So I finally have a bit of time to catch up on the blog, so here's what happened in Beijing and Shanghai.  We'll start with the companies first, and then I'll talk about the exciting cultural activities!

Beijing:

• JD.com is the largest ecommerce business in China.  We were able to learn about the various delivery methods the company offers its customers, including packages delivered anywhere in China within 3 hours of ordering.  It was amazing!
• We also visited the Beijing Film Academy where we learned about how the school took courses from Tisch and USC to create a world-renowned program in Beijing.  The school offers classes in Cinematography, Directing, and Production.
• Dinner with Gang Li was quite an experience!  We had a multitude of toasts and the rounds of food were endless!  We all got to try Peking duck, and a few other foods...

Shanghai:

• We were lucky enough to visit General Cable again in Shanghai!  We learned about the company's commitment to safety and the logistics of running the business in China.  Julian, our host, was also very helpful in giving suggestions of subway stops to check out for food and shopping. 
• Nielsen was able to provide us with information on the typical Chinese consumer.  We also learned about the importance of brands for a Chinese consumer.  Walking around with a Gucci bag and a Starbucks cup helps make the Chinese feel as though they are part of high society.
• We visited the Unilever Customer Insights and Innovation Center in Shanghai where we gained insights into the how the company gets customer insights.  We also learned and saw first-hand the fast-paced social media world in China. 
• JWT is an advertising company that taught us that the Chinese consumers want to be modernized, not Westernized.  I think this came as a bit of a shock for many of us, but the Chinese want to protect their heritage while projecting themselves in society.  For the Chinese, instant messaging and blogging are very popular ways of communicating ideas, and there are 463 million Chinese who use mobile.  Speaking of mobile, we felt so left out on the subways because they all were using their phones for the internet, games, or texting and we had no service.
• EY was located in Shanghai World Financial Center, which is currently the tallest building in Shanghai (if not China).  We learned about EY's new branding campaign and how the company is looking to double their business by the year 2020.  We also learned about the training programs the company offers and the employee mobility between teams and countries.
• Dow Chemical was quite an eye-opening experience for many of us.  Who knew that so many products are produced by Dow Chemical?!  The company makes products in almost all sectors of business, and we had a tour of their R&D facility in Shanghai.  They were trying to explain some chemical formulas to us, and we all knew that a career in business was the perfect path for us!
• General Electric was the last company we visited on our trip.  We were able to learn more about the aviation business from an engineer and a salesman.  We learned about the business analytics of their products and got to see how they track different planes.  Very cool!

Okay, so enough about the business part. 

So we climbed the Great Wall of China!  And of course, we didn't choose the easy part, or even the slightly challenging part.  Instead, we chose the steepest part of the wall.  Boy are we out of shape!  The stairs were all shaped differently, and some were a foot tall.  After 1700+ stairs, our calves were killing.  But we all made it to the top and found a great Aussie to take our picture!

 

 

We also stopped at the Bird's Nest and Olympic Park for some photo opportunities.  Although it was a bit hazy the first time, many of us went back for better pictures.  Also a great spot for the Chinese to approach you for pictures.

 

Inside the Bird's Nest

 

The class also went to the Summer Palace with Susan and Jeri and we got a taste of what it was like to be a Chinese royal.  The palace and gardens seemed to be endless, and some people even rented a boat to go out to an island. 

 

We also stopped in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City (with Su as our tour guide).  Was she great?  I tell you, she was great.  She also showed us where the good photo opportunities were and insisted we take pictures. 

In Shanghai, we were extremely busy with company visits, but we did get to take a river cruise.  It was so fun seeing the harbor lit up at night, and it made us wish we were staying in the beautiful city longer!

Full Recap of the Thailand Elephant Park

As a scholarship requirement, each of us had to document some aspect of the trip.  While many of us chose to blog or write a piece in the LHP newsletter, Jack Stewart found a different way to document his experience.  The elephant park was definitely a trip highlight, and his video will help us cherish the memories forever!

When in Greater China...

Be prepared for differences, including but not limited to the following:

• No access to Facebook, Twitter, or Google (who knew I had become so reliant on one search engine?) unless you 'hack in'
• Extremely slow subways (most definitely not moving at China speed)
• A quite diverse cityscape (buildings shaped in spheres, handbags, you name it)
• Tough bargaining at the markets (it's not impossible to get your price but they want to move inventory, so go in on deals with friends)
• So many pictures with Chinese people... those over 6 feet, have blonde hair, or are African American prepare yourselves for the paparazzi!  But be sure to snap a photo on tour camera, too

Andre and I met the requirements...

Obviously a short blog post, but I'm off to do some yoga in Bali, so more China posts will be coming soon! 

Also, those who flew home made it back to Cincinnati safely.  The Australia group arrived in Sydney, and the Koh Samui guys were in Phuket waiting for their private jet.

Singapore in Pictures

Quick post about what we saw in Singapore before heading to bed!  We have to be in the hotel lobby at 6:30am...

 

Where else should one partake of the Singapore Sling but at Raffles Hotel?  We stopped by for a refreshing drink! 

 

We went to the Gardens by the Bay and walked around admiring the beautifully lit trees.

 

 

 We stopped in Chinatown to see what was happening... and to prepare for our flight to Beijing.

 

The view of the Singapore Flyer from the Luxottica office.

 

Of course I had to take a picture of the weird sign, but seriously, jaywalking is a crime here.

 

Only in Singapore would you find a gondola in a shopping mall.  Did I mention this city is SO expensive?!

 

We are headed in Beijing in the morning, and will keep you updated when we arrive!

Business in Singapore

We have had such a business couple of days in Singapore, so I am using this evening before our flight to Beijing to catch up on the blog.

So here's what happened this week from a company visit standpoint:

Monday, March 24th
--- Met with Vince Ng at Samtec and he spoke to us about how Samtec is a private, debt-free company that is service-oriented.  They can get their products to customers within two business days and have a free sample program.  We were able to see the small production facility here in Singapore, and had a fabulous lunch!
--- Met with a variety of people at Luxottica, including Mattia (Director of SEAA HR), Paolo (Head of Business for SEAA), Claus (Managing Director of SEAA), Céline (Head of SEAA Marketing), and Roberto (Head of Sunglass Hut Asia).  We learned about the company's history, its brands, and opportunities and challenges of doing business in Asia.  We also learned about marketing to a variety of Asian consumers and the cost of retail space in Asia.

Tuesday, March 25th
--- Met with Peter Ter Kulve (EVP of SEAA) who spoke to us about Unilever's history and how corporate social responsibility is a part of the company's heritage.  Unilever runs the Dove True Beauty campaign, works with children in India to get them to the age of 5 with its cleanliness program and the Life Buoy soap, and helps poor women in India become fiscally independent with Project Shakti. 
--- Went to P&G and met with Will Esterle, a UC grad, about business segment performance, the life of an ex-pat in Asia, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing business in Asia.  We were also able to see their new concept for office spaces to raise productivity.