Global village

Beijing

Message remains the same

How do you adjust to a new life in China? It seems the answers have been the same ever since Marco Polo was a boy. It's all about guanxi (relationships). Human resource company Mercer held an expat management forum in Paris three years ago and China was high on the agenda. The speakers raised the issues we hear now: China is a long-term project and relationships are everything.

Lost and found

It seems many expats lose their mobile phones at least once during their tour of duty in the Middle Kingdom, and the back seat of a taxi is the most common place of misfortune. A handy hint is to always get the taxi fare receipt, in order to locate the driver, if you leave your phone behind. Getting your old phone number is easy. Roll up to any China Mobile Communications office and provide your passport, and three common numbers you had previously called.

Suzhou

Help for fairytale

The newly formed Suzhou Operatic & Drama Society is recruiting volunteers for its forthcoming stage production of Cinderella. Wanted two very ugly sisters and expats with costume designing, lighting skills, and pyrotechnical abilities. Yes, there will be fireworks, apparently. The first round of rehearsals is set for September, following the summer break.

Guangzhou

Card shark

Too many business cards are never enough, according to Marjut Rantakari, the Finnish consul in Guangzhou. "One of the biggest shocks to me was the size of the functions here," says Rantakari, who is also a member of expat charity group G.I.V.E.S.

"Finland is small, we only have five million or so people, so at dinners we will have four or five tables. In Guangzhou, I will go to a function and there will be dozens of tables.

"In China, a host will come to a table with a whole entourage so you have to meet a large group at one time. Foreigners never have enough business cards to hand out, but now I come better prepared."

Shanghai

Uber luncheon

An online community of expats in Shanghai will kick off the first of their monthly summer barbecues this Sunday. It is a chance to get together in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy all-you-can-eat German sausages, burgers and salad, with half-price beer. See the website for further details or to join for free.

And another thing...

Finders keepers

A young American lost his phone in a taxi and managed to contact the driver. But what followed left the Beijing journalist bewildered.

The taxi driver flatly refused to return his phone. "I am not stealing your phone, but you are not getting it back," the taxi driver said very righteously. Translated, his comments mean "Finders keepers, losers weepers."

(China Daily 06/22/2007 page19)