I feel like a foreigner here. Don’t get me wrong, I was born and raised here, where I am currently sitting, in the cold Portland, Oregon November (well, it’s cold to me). But I haven’t lived here in years. Fourteen years, to be exact. I’ve spent a bulk of that time living in Hong Kong, with some stints in Shanghai, China and Ueda, Japan. And, working for one of the major sporting goods companies in the area, I would come back for work every few months. So, I am aware of my surroundings, but at the same time, it’s all brand new. Portland has changed. The United States has changed. For a while, I would come back and it would feel like the twilight zone: your life continues, develops, progresses, but the place you left doesn’t. It remains stagnant. But that was an illusion.
Living in Asia was great, though. Once there, we all felt like we were accomplishing something; the fastest growing economic region in the world. We focused on results, and were not bogged down by politics, as I’ve heard so many companies in the U.S. are. You could make a decision and see it executed on the street the next day. It was very, very rewarding.
It also helped that I was working with a sport I loved – basketball. Market research was sneaker shopping in Harajuku or joining a pickup game in Sathorn Playground. But that’s the key, isn’t it? Doing something you love, work isn’t hard.
But even since I left China almost 8 months ago, China has changed. I hear it from my friends, I see it in the news. The youth in China are growing up with a sort of pride that has never been seen before. My opinion is that Chinese are in a struggle with each other. This was a necessity, stemming through Mao’s China, the Cultural Revolution, but there are also issues with those from different regions (understandable, we Oregonians can’t stand Washingtonians – sorry Washingtonians!).
The insecurity can be seen every time China is criticized. If the U.S. government is criticized, they would either ignore it, or say something to the effect of “they have the right to say what they want.” The Chinese government, on the other hand, will demand an apology and that so-and-so be fired. Somewhat like a petulant child.
It could also be seen during the Beijing Olympic Games. It was so imperative that China be better than everyone else, to show how great they were (insinuating that they had this inferiority complex previously). And granted, they did a fantastic job. I was in Beijing during that time, and it was probably my most enjoyable trip. However, I’m sure that Great Britain will approach their motivation for executing their version of the Olympic games in quite a different fashion.
However, during President Obama’s recent trip to Asia, I heard mentioned on NPR that during the town hall meeting, that the youth in attendance were not the shy, quiet students of generations past. It seems that they are beginning to feel their entitlement, understanding their place on the current world stage, and their place in history. It seems that China is finally coming of age. I suppose, the question is, who is next? North Korea? India? But that’s speculation for another time.
All right, enough of politics for now. I’m used to the short, crisp prose of corporate email, but it certainly is a nice change.
