Happy Holidays!

My first attempt at learning iMovie. Enjoy!

Hot, Crowded, and Sweaty.

Whenever I get a little bit nostalgic about China, I usually start going through old pictures. This usually doesn’t help, as it just makes me remember the good times. But of course there are always a few pictures of the things in China that would drive me nuts. Be it the old man cutting his nails on bus, umbrellas in the summer (especially in front of you at a show of some sort), long lines, or generally no line, but instead a chaotic mass of people, never being able to pinpoint what that smell was, etc. These pictures help.

Anyways, I laughed when I came across these two pictures of touristy areas, one in Germany, one, obviously in China.

There is nothing quite like living in a sea of people for a year. Must.Return.Soon.

Bad.Photo.Opp

I took this in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange back in October. Looking back, I’m not sure why I decided to take the picture with the bear, as this decision has really been reflected in my portfolio since then. Oh well.

Oops

German vs. Chinese, Round 1

I’m back writing at THE entertaining, engaging, and informing Chinese business and culture website, Bizcult, from time-to-time. Please do check it out.

I recently wrote more about my decision to get out of China for a bit, and go to graduate school. I get asked about the differences between a Master of International Business, and an MBA quite frequently, so I try and describe them as I see it.

Because my program is focused on Euro-Chinese business relations, and is taking place in Germany, I’ve been trying to pick up German as best I can. The University also provides Chinese classes once a week, so I’ve been attending those as well. Of course, opinions vary wildly, and my German friends all say I should focus on Chinese, and that I don’t really “need” German. Sure everyone speaks English here, but I’d also like to understand eavesdrop people’s conversations over the next two years.

Here’s a bit of the post:

“When my Chinese work visa ran out in June, and I found myself faced with another semester of studying characters and working part-time piece-meal jobs to get by, I decided it was finally time to admit it: I had a mild case of Attention Deficit Disorder. Studying characters can be soothing in times of high-China stress, it’s true, but so too can watching DVD’s. In the end, it became clear that after a year, I wasn’t going to hit it big in the Chinese business world as a walking, breathing Rosetta Stone.

At the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management where I now attend, the emphasis is on Chinese business in a European context. I realized after a few attempts of explaining that I came to Germany to keep studying about China, the notion of ‘globalized education’ might still be a bit of a foreign concept for some.

In reality, it has become clear to me that gathering people from all corners of the earth to study in one place has its share of ups and downs. The first semester has been largely dedicated to bridging gaps of knowledge, and bringing everyone up to the same level. This means that the Chinese students take naps during a statistics course they claim to have taken in 8th grade, while the rest of us take notes frantically. Discussions on International and law and copyright infringements are much livelier however, as most of the non-Chinese students also have studied in China.

Here are some things to consider further with the MIB and MBA:

• Work experience is not emphasized in the MIB as heavily, so students’ ages skew younger
• MIB programs tend to span an entire two years, as opposed to the ‘executive style’ schedules MBAs offer
• Is an MBA worth as much as an MBA in the end? Due to the relative newness of the MIB, it is hard to say. Therefore, the relative strength of the university’s reputation, as well as the expertise in areas of specialization is key.
• Student loans from the U.S. don’t qualify at every international institution, so be sure to check the school’s status before making firm commitments. Also, horror stories abound of student loans falling through due to the financial crunch, so a backup plan never hurts.

Check out the full post here, and keep checking www.bizcult.com for a slightly irreverent take on all things China.