Ch 44: Eve

Dec. 24

I spend Christmas eve dinner at Just Grapes a brilliant wine store with a private dining loft rented out by a friend of mine and his business partners. Turkey was the last thing I expected to have in Shanghai. I skipped the mashed potatoes as my body is now 42% potato from spending three months in England! It was fun to celebrate Christmas with Americans (and one Aussie). I even introduced the Oxonian tradition of “Sconcing” to everyone- with very interesting results>=).

Afterwards I ventured off into the night (as is common custom in Shanghai). FuXing park was the area of choice for Christmas revelers. Park 97 was OK and a friend had a table there- we also met up with another group of friends who just happened to be upstairs. Quality travels in packs I suppose =)

After a few delicious glasses of whiskey & green tea we made our way to the other lounge in the park -

Ch 43: A Shanghai Christmas Jingle

Dec. 24

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house (ahem Hotel)
Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse
Room 5519 was silent and dark, was there nobody there?
No, the electricity was out!- the staff cuts if off from 4-5am without a care.

Was Ashton angry or disappointed?
Certainly not.
He had a great night- a better time could not be bought.

And he knows that it’s Christmas Eve in Shanghai and he’s among a fortunate lot
To be attending a friend’s private Christmas dinner that evening- a winter party that promises to be hot!

Ch 42: Saturday Night “Fa Sao”

Dec. 23

My first Saturday in Shanghai. I spent the morning with a friend (MA Lawyer , Cambridge Alum, & cool Hang Zhou girl) scoping out costumes for a party in the evening. We settled on some masks from a shop that makes costumes for the Shanghai Opera (ours were not quite as fancy). Had some lunch and snacks off of the street side shops. To come to China and only go to restaurants from hotel listings and official maps is a big No No in my book- you would lose out on too much local flavor and life!

I wish I could say that the party was hoppin’ but I can’t- it was a bit low key and the price (180-220yuan per head- without Dinner!) made if feel like a fund raising event =p. So we followed my stomach and another friend’s phone call to a good Chinese restaurant instead (Can you believe that China is full of them? =)

I love spicy Chinese food (and I don’t use the term love lightly- once I love something it just doesn’t stop). Folks here are so lucky-they have a great selection of food at any price level. The best in the world- and at least 1.5 billion would agree with me. Should I return to England having done nothing in China except eating it would have been a good trip. Fortunately, all the activities in between my “feedings” are making this a great trip.

Bund 15 (not to be confused with Bund 18) was a club called Attica on the 11th floor of the building. Nice layout- beautiful view of Pudong on the outside deck. We had a private table, 20 new friends, a great crowd and an assortment of whisky mixes and elixirs at our disposal (plus our masks from the costume party).

A fine evening- even greater now that I have discovered a new favorite drink – whisky with green tea! A smoother blending of east and west cannot be had. It’s definitely coming back with me to Old Oxford.

Ch 41: Family, Optimism, and More Food

Dec. 21

I attended an official Oxbridge alumni gathering tonight at the Southern Barbarian (Hunan Food). It was good to meet other folks from Camford who have been out and about in Shanghai in various capacities. It’s even better to get to know them as individuals- which was done afterwards at Bund 18 (A Lounge- you guessed it- on the Bund of course!)


Dec. 22
Today is Dong Zhi Jie! It’s the holiday in China celebrating the winter solstice. As the shortest day (and hence longest night of the year) it is a time to spend with family and be optimistic as the daylight hours will continue to grow longer starting with sunrise the next day. I love the fact that a majority of Chinese holidays correspond to natural events- it just “feels” right. As my own family is across an ocean and a continent I had dinner with a good friend from SBS and her family (Lulu’s - Shanghainese restaurant in Plaza 66). I really trust her taste in food and the choices of her family were no different. Yum.

Ch 40: Good Days Part "Er"

Wednesday, Dec 20

Awesome day. Kicked off with another long walk (not to a buffet this time). Walking around JingAn Temple and looking at the buildings really gives you a sense of how much Shanghai has grown (and continues to do so). A lot of construction and demolition of older sections (which if you read the news is a sad thing but I've seen these places close up- they are pretty damn decrepit and dangerous to live in<-destroying them is not a bad thing). Kicked off my first meeting with a partner at a commodity research company (hot industry in a hot country). Great learnings on how lean company structures are necessary in most Chinese companies (as things move fast) and a good discussion on why Chinese companies slow down in growth once they get acquired by American companies (it's the structure and process- once the subsidiary is acquired decisions are slowed down and processes changes to the point where the company soon becomes at a disadvantage versus its pure Chinese peer set). I promised to follow up with him and discuss the branding challenges for his company <-key interest area of mine.

Afterwards I met with the China general manager of a engineering and consulting company. Awesome talk on innovation and the challenges of innovating in China. If you read the papers you'll hear "cultural this and that" with the Chinese and how it inhibits innovation. Short and simple that is bunk (or "rubbish" in Oxford). I think the culture that invented paper, the printing press, and gun powder might just have a bit more to contribute toward world-class innovation (just a bit).Chinese don't innovate because they are not incented to. The current incentive ($$) is in making things cheaper and faster to market. Once the lower end manufacturing market is saturated you will see higher end production and eventually RD which is the root of corporate innovation. IP laws will become effective at this point as locals will have incentive to protect their own creations. It's a process that still being played out.

I love the first hand knowledge and advice from folks who are out here on the frontier. It educates me! It inspires me! It gives me energy! You feelin' my flow?

Later that evening I ventured off to happy hour with SBS Alums at Barbarrosa- a beautiful 3 story Moorish(?) Architecture building/bar in the middle of RenMin Square. It's quite a site with it's golden glow on a clear winter night. Good company, great time. Life is "Hen Hao".

Ch 39: I Gained 10 Pounds Today

Tuesday, Dec 19
Today was the day of the cookie monster, except replace the word "cookie" with "food". Starring me as the title character. I woke up hungry today. Really hungry, so like Forrest Gump once did, I started walking, and kept walking, which made me hungrier.. and then even more so. I chanced upon a sign that read "Lunch Buffet 49 Yuan". "Not bad" I thought, as I kept walking I looked inside the place and saw a hot pot ("excellent!"), and right next to it on the same table a BBQ top ("way Ted!").

I was all over it and lovin' it like a fat kid loves cake. All you can eat Chinese hot pot & BBQ- where have you been all my life? I stayed for 2 hours. Ate non stop- the waiter even came by and said "Sir please slow down"... You can't stop a soldier baby! Afterwards I was not hungry. End of story. End of day (or the most important part =)

Ch 38: Dreaming Above the Clouds

Reflections on my flight over to China Dec 16-17.

A lot of kids in China means a lot on the plane going back to China. Most cried and made a general fuss about the bother of travel. All actually, except one. He was content to just lounge around his mommy and take the occasional walk. A cute kid. During one of his walks he stumbled over one of my errantly placed legs- he smiled and spoke to me in gibberish (or was it a form of Chinese I did not understand?). He couldn't be more then two so I would assume the former. But then again my Chinese isn't much better then a two year olds so perhaps I am the one guilty of not understanding =p?

Being so small he was able to sleep in what looked like a large bath bucket. Sleep comes so easily to children (and many adults of which I am unfortunately not one). You dream when you sleep and when you can't sleep as easily (like me) you are forced to dream when you are awake.

I dream of an equitable world where every kid gets a shot at growing up as a first class citizen. I feel that our generation can fill in the gap towards making this a reality and that the bulk of this labor will be done through business.

I wondered what the kid in the bath bucket dreamt of?

Perhaps we are not so different.

Ch 37: What did Ice Cube use to say?

My first full day in Shanghai and it feels like it's been a week already. Had lunch with an Oxford alum (consulting/strategic planning background) who clued me in on expat life in CN and the overall excitement of the climate here. Dispite the many pitfalls which we discussed, her enthusiam for the future here really caught on with mine. Meetings like this add a lot of tremendous value to my China knowledge base but more importantly provide me with the added reserves of energy which I will need in the months ahead after gradution (This is a key factor for success in China- it will test your resolve in many unexpected ways). The afternoon was spent speaking to an established China Hand (MA banking background) with similarly stellar results. The flow of money across borders is a great litmus test of which countries are benefiting from China's return (and which are not). He also reiterated the importance of understanding different cultures when working in what is essentially a model "global business environment" (Go D.E.M.!)

Dinner consisted of delicious "street food"- fried meats and takoyaki! What can I say, I am a man of the street (and Hutongs). The evening was spent having tea with the CEO of a start-up. We discussed challenges to company growth, the importance of structure before strategy, and again the excitement of working in China at an inflection point in world history. More great learnings and energy to store in my reserves. My China dream is my China adventure is my China war. They are all things you need to prepare for if you want to achieve the best outcome.

So I'm back at the hotel room (after polishing off some more delicious meat on a stick- 6 freshly grilled wings and 3 lamb kabobs for 15 Yuan- that's less then 1 Pound UK! I'm definitely not missing the Oxford sandwich shops...)

To top it all off I finally went to a "fun places" Yeah Baby!

just kidding...

or am I? >=)

Like Ice Cube used to say (back in the nine zeros hommie):

"Today was a good day!"

Ch 36: Beware the Fun Places!

Back in Shanghai. Back on the frontier of the 21st century economy. There's an ad on the official Shanghai map that reads "Shanghai is the new center of the world, and xyz company is in the center of Shanghai". If this town is the new center of the world then I would have to say that this new world we are all living in is a very different place then the old one we came from. Different can bring challenges and opportunities. Where there is great change you will find great opportunity. Or just weird stuff.

Take for example the English "safety" guide in every room at my hotel. There's quite an extensive list of 20 odd tips, here are my top three:
3.) "Be on alert against any knock on the door from strangers"
2.) "No Fighting" (it's the new wild west baby!)
1.) "Follow no strangers to the fun places"
(I laughed out loud when I read the last one.) Beware of strangers, fighting, and the "fun places". Got it. Oh China! Gotta love it.

Ch 35: UK ->China

I hear birds out. They come out rather early in Oxford before the sun rises. It's 6:56am in England. I didn't just get up. I've been awake. Why you might ask? Two reasons. One we just finished a smashing birthday party over at my apartment at 104 Botley Road. Quite a good time and a great momentum starter to go into the holidays with.

Secondly it's 2:56pm... in China. Which is where I'll be headed in the next few hours. My first landing was a great time with my younger brothers. My second landing will be another great time but with a slightly different focus. I will be meeting with entrepreneurs, businessmen/women, a CEO or two, China business bloggers and Oxford Alumni. They will be my much needed guides and advisors as I seek to learn more about the opportunities and pitfalls of business (and general life) in China.

It's funny but I don't consider this "work". It's fun. It's engaging. It ENERGISES and INSPIRES me to hear the stories of the China pioneers both young and seasoned. When I made the choice to come to Oxford (with my sites set on China) I also made a commitment to put the concept of "work life" and "personal life" behind me. Life is life and I plan to do things with my life that I love. It just happens to be that I'm keen on China business. Hopefully with the right focus, efforts and attitude, Chinese business will be keen on me. 7:08AM... that's 3:08pm China time. I have a plane to catch. Zai Jian.

Ch 34: Faster Then a Speeding Bullet

But just as deadly effective. Michaelmas term seemed to have started just yesterday. Yet it's the end of our first term and I have to admit that it's been quite a ride. A ride in which I was sometimes the driver and most of the times the passenger. The destination is still the same in either case. The lessons learned were many- time & resource (people) management being among the major ones. The classes were great- like a good meal that I'm still digesting. A perfect time to go into the winter holidays.

And what about next term? If our current term was any indication then it's going to be quite a ride again. With one term's classes under the belt, Hillary term will be a time to extend my time behind the wheel (and perhaps take a few more side trips along the way).

Ch 33: Michaelmas: Top 3 Social Events

Oxford Socials come in all size, color, variety, and flavors. They tend to be as creative and fun as the folks that come up with them (and attend). Here are a handful that I particularly enjoyed:

1.) Fresher's Week- A special time for all souls new to the Oxford community to come out and play. It was an exciting time for me. My first chance to experience full college "bops", revel in the awe of it all- of being in a community so rich with tradition and yet ripe with excitement.

2.) Oxbridge Boat Party- What could be more fun then taking a fancy-paints, black tie boat ride around London on a luxury cruise and dance with 400 mates from Oxford & Cambridge? I was even able to write the outline for a paper on the trip over- what a bonus! One of the many reasons to invest in a good a tuxedo in Oxford.

3.) Matriculation Day- A tradition at Oxford that funny enough does not take place the first week but rather a few weeks into the first term. Matriculation marks your full acceptance as a student of both the University and the college you belong to (mine is Pembroke, a great college started in the 1600s by the Earl of Pembroke). The day starts at your college (where you are dressed in full subfusc), continues with a march to the Sheldonian building (where a welcome speech is given in Latin) and end(?) with a long afternoon and evening within the many pubs of Oxford.

Ch 32: Michaelmas: Top 3 Classes

It's hard to believe that it's already been one full term since I started here in the middle of England. The weather has gone from mildly sunning to cold and some days wet. I'm told this will be par for the course come winter term. Should be interesting. Back to Michaelmas (we can never go backwards but we can always reflect):

Top 3 Classes:
1.) Strategy- what can I say but the "art of creating superior" performance delivered. Professor Powell was a master of the craft. Sustainable competitive advantage measures, x-factors et al- they are all great tools and frameworks to have in my arsenal as I approach the challenges in my life ahead.
2.) Developing Effective Managers- I really enjoyed this class which focused on the "people" side of the business equation. Technology advancements have made human capital KEY within the organization as all lower level tasks become mechanized. "Feelings" and "emotions" were generally discussed in class which was relevant to me as it has been my experience that people tend to make decisions with their feelings first, followed by rational to back it up (and not the other way around). Understanding people and more importantly yourself is a good thing (Actually it's the top category on Maslow's hierarchy of Needs- "self actualization").
3.) Financial Reporting- this one came as a shocker to me but Prof. Tomo Suzuki and company opened my eyes to the world of financial reporting (of which accounting is large part) and how much of it is finesse vs. hard science. I will never look at financial numbers the same way. Ever.

Ch 31: Just Subfusc It!

An oxford tradition. An now that Cambridge and dropped the policy- the only place that does it the old old way is Oxford. What am I talking about? The traditional garb of the Oxbridge academic- the Subfusc! And the tradition? Why wearing it of course during exams.
During exam times (this week) we are required by policy to dress accordingly, in full suit, black shoes, white bow tie, and our gowns AKA subfuscs. It felt a bit funny at first to sit in an exam hall with 200 of my closet MBA mates dressed up for a fancy party. But after you do it once you get used to it. Then you stop thinking "man this is strange", and you start thinking "man, this is strange AND something special". When else in my life will I do this again? To share in this experience with 200 others.

"man, this is pretty cool".

Ch 30: Oxford Surprise #2

Fire hose?

Try geyser.

It's a common phrase in the states to compare business school to drinking from a fire hose. But most schools are two years. The Oxford program is one and you surely feel it. A two year course may have 21 credits (like HBS). The Oxford program has 18 credits broken down by 3 terms. They are as follows:
Michaelmas (fall)- 6 core classes
Hillary (winter)- 4 core classes and 2 electives
Trinity (spring)- 6 electives
It's a great way to get a common grounding for everyone through the core classes while having the flexibility to allow students to explore their own unique interests through elective courses. Additionally there is a winter term Entrepreneurial Project and a summer long Strategic Consulting project. Overall a power packed 1 year ride. And one that you should come thirsty for- because this is no fire hose my friend, it's a full on geyser =).

Ch 29: Smells like Team Spirit

One of the concepts used at Oxford and other MBA programs is the work group. And I say group and not team for a reason. Groups are generally made up of individuals who seek individual goals and subsequent rewards- Teams on the other hand are individuals who come together for a common cause and work toward common goals. Not all groups become teams.

Fortunately for me I was able to find myself in a team that worked out quite well. One of the key skills of being a 21st century manager is the ability to work effectively with people who have a different understanding of the world then you. This is becoming quite the common challenge at many multi-national firms- I definitely experienced this throughout my past in consulting and later on within Marketing.

So here's to my Michaelmas-term (Posh speak for fall quarter) team 29. Hailing from different cultures/nations (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and America) we successfully went through the stages of team development (storming, norming, formning, performing) and now we are at the last (adjourning). It has been a pleasure.

Ch 28: Oxford Surprise #1

Today is another day of revision. A time to study what we were meant to learn over the past 8 weeks in Michaelmas Term (fall quarter in "American"). This was expected. An education is still an education. But there are many things that have surprised me (in a good way) since I've arrived. Without further ado:

Surprise #1: Bops

Oxford has a ton of parties. Not that American schools (they certainly do!) don't but I'm still impressed by the number of formal social society gatherings, holiday events, and "bops":

Oxford Language Lesson: Bop - a social gathering and/or party- most likely fueled by alcohol but "creatively" themed and certainly well organized.

The number and quality of our bops has far surpassed my expectations. There are 39 colleges in Oxford- that's 39 colleges with their own social calendars. Mix in 500 student societies, an odd mix of creative and smart students from all around the world (who like to dress up) and you have the ingredients of a very good time. Halloween for example lasted 10 days with dozens of bops across college campuses and within the pubs and taverns. Additionally, each college has a number of black tie events every term. You can always tend another bop should you have a friend at that college. A great MBA class and overall friendly student culture encourages making friends at other colleges (so "bopping" at another college is never a problem =)

Now if only there were more then 24 hours in a day...

Ch 27: Typical Oxford

Nov. 30, 2006

"Today is going to be a late night" I thought. I had just finished listening to Rita Clifton, Chairwoman and former CEO of Interbrand speak on the "future of Brands". Rita mentioned branding in China(she said the C word which makes my ears perk up)and why it was so important to the country's development. Later on I would ask her about the Challenges facing home-grown Chinese brands overseas. Rita responded that the immediate challenges were:
- The "China" brand itself (i.e. how can it go from cheap stuff to quality)
- China's Corporate Governance (how they are enforced)
She also posed the question "when will we see a Chinese brand with a Chinese name in the global top 100 brands?"

"Good points" I thought, better blog 'em.

Highlights of the speech and our conversation afterwards included:
- The "Consumer" is never used at Interbrand; "People" is preferred and helps clients think of their customers as individuals with individual needs/emotions beyond consumption.
- The trend of the humanizing of capitalism
- The trend of luxury being defined and exported from the east to the west (and not vice versa)
- Brands will increasingly be focused on knowledge and less on hard costs
- Greatest growth areas will be in:
1. Health & Well Being
2. Leisure
3. New lives for "new old"
4. Tech (Duh)
5. Personal info. Management

Following the reception I slipped over to an SBS seminar rm where our team (group work consists of 6 person teams) was busy working on our final submission for financial reporting. I worked on my section while sipping a glass of red wine(pretty posh right?). "Just another typical night in Oxford", I thought.