> Spotlight: China Study Tour – by Jey Purushotham
Spotlight:
China Study Tour by Jey Purushotham
I have just returned from the “China Study Tour – Marketing in China” course, taught by Dr. Dawn Lerman. Aside from a mild case of jet lag and a strong case of missing China, the trip was a success. I highly recommend this instructive and outlandishly fun experience to anyone who is able. The next excursion will most likely be Spring 2009.
First off, please realize that there is NO way I could completely describe the experience in this essay. I will try to give the gist of what the days were like, but what cannot be translated through the printed word is the overall sense of togetherness and fun that the whole group felt.
The schedule is HECTIC. We started off every morning in our hotel room with a 7:00 a.m. wake up call. And then one at 7:10. And 7:20. And so on until about 7:45 a.m. (trust me, it had to happen that way). We would pack for the day, and then lug our tired, but happy selves down to the hotel breakfast.
Each day’s activities differed a bit based on what city we were in, but the overall idea remained the same. On the bus to our morning lecture, we would listen to Becky and/or Steven, our amazing Chinese tour guides, give us some background on the Chinese consumer, current events, or prep us for that morning’s academic presentation. Our Fordham professors, Marcia Flicker and Michael Chattalas always had wonderful insight to offer. Their overall administration skills were instrumental in the smooth execution of the entire trip. Thanks to both of them.
In Beijing, our lectures were held at Peking University. The lectures covered a range of topics, from the current state of the Chinese economy to how Confucian thought affects Chinese methods of business. These speakers educated us on the nuances of Chinese culture and served as a strong academic base for each day. We would then have a group lunch.
At group lunches, the food was pre-ordered and we were able to sample a plethora of Chinese cuisine. Each table of approximately 8 people had one Chinese guide/representative present to explain what each food was and how it was prepared. This was especially useful for one member of our group who only ate kosher meals. (She did always have back-up meals stashed away in her backpack.) There were some adventurous meals including pigeon, frog legs and shrimp heads. Sometimes lunch was relaxed, but other times we had to stuff it down as our afternoons were packed with company visits we dared not be late for. We could always count on Becky and Steven to set the pace for us.
During the afternoons we would commence the onsite company visits. We visited world-class organizations such as Ogilvy & Mather and White Collar (ultra high-end Chinese clothing retailer for women). We were flattered that it was the CEO or similar level who would conduct these presentations. These onsite lectures and subsequent Q&A sessions allowed us to delve into the minds of Chinese consumers, spanning various buying habits and socioeconomic levels. Afterwards, we would either go straight to dinner, or stop off at a shopping center to observe Chinese commerce in action. An especially eye-opening experiencing was visiting CarreFour – a French-based hypermarket that is immensely popular. Here we saw the emphasis placed on price and selection and could readily observe just how careful the Chinese are about their purchases.
The evenings usually involved dinners on our own. We would break off into smaller groups and try our hand at ordering our own meals at restaurants. This was exciting, since we could not speak Chinese and the waiters could not speak English. For those of us feeling nostalgic, there was always a McDonald’s close by, but I’m proud to say the times we went there were far and few between.
The nightlife, while always fun, differed somewhat depending on what city we were in. We loved the bar across the street from our hotel in Beijing. In Xi’an (China’s Ancient Capital) we only had one night and went to a club where the average age had to be no older than 19. I’m not used to going through metal detectors upon entrance, but we had a nice time after that. In beautiful and somewhat futuristic Shanghai, the club and bar scene was very ex-pat friendly. St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated at O’Malleys – a Shanghai ex-pat favorite. And finally, Hong Kong seemed to hold a continuous party. This is by far, the most westernized and cosmopolitan area in the Chinese region. And it was here that you really noticed the difference between a recently British-ceded region from mainland China. Even Shanghai, the next most westernized area could not even come close.
This is one of the many ways in which the trip was well-planned. We started off in Beijing, the most “Chinese” area of our visits, when our minds were most open and receptive to new and foreign experiences. Then we travelled south, and watched our surroundings get increasingly westernized the further south we traveled – finally ending in Hong Kong.
In what little free-time we had each day, we pursued our own agendas. Some headed to the garment districts for custom-made clothing, while some just wanted to relax and use the hotel internet.
We ended our last night in Hong Kong with a group sushi dinner and then a memorable night out in my new favorite city. Amongst all the bus trips, lectures, company presentations, meals and beautiful sites (the Great Wall, Terra Cotta Warriors and Olympic Stadium come to mind), we shared so many good times and so many laughs. It struck me how much I would miss each and every person on this trip. Even though we are all back together at Fordham, China will always remain a special and beautiful place to us all. Xie Xie!!
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