When my manager was asked to lead the team to perform GENBA at our suppliers in China, I was disappointed primarily for not able to visit one of my favourite countries again. However, my energy with the preparations worked and my manager entrusted the job to me, inside I was like a kid who just won a candy bar at a carnival.
My love for China began when I travelled for a few MBA modules, spread over two years. Its growth story, hospitality, passion and drive among the people as well the food that I would die for, are the things which impressed me the most.
So early October this year, before I landed in Shanghai, was thinking about what changes I expect to see in China; there were so many options to choose from; more high rises, electric cars and increased pollution. But my gut feeling was that there will be some surprises.
Unlike previous visits, this time I spent most of the time in small cities and towns. After travelling around 2200kms within the country, in a span of eleven days, I have realized that there is more diversity than I expected. Be it dialect, food or landscape. But one thing was common everywhere, hospitality; all went an extra mile to ensure that we had no issues, be it mobility, food or stay. They even took time to shows us around after dinners, prioritizing us over their family. Such an extent of hospitality cannot be expected in Germany.
Being from Germany, I was fascinated to see possibilities of non-cash payment systems such as AliPay, WeChat Pay. As I am informed, one can buy from a candy to a house using such payment systems. These systems, which have simplified transactions, have received wide scale of acceptance in the society and making such concepts a success.
As my team and I reached Shanghai for the weekend, I felt the city during the night was darker than earlier. The fancy lights were less to be seen and the lighting at “Bund” is turned off at 10PM (was 11PM back in 2012). This is a surprising and an important change. Surprising as I was not expecting a mighty country which has been spending a lot money to showcase its might to the world, would work to reduce electricity consumption. Important as this could potentially delay the extinction of resources.
Another positive development that I noticed for the first time is that the leftover food at restaurants is being packed and taken home. Irrespective of hierarchical position, food was shared among the team as . This trend is such an achievement for two reasons. Firstly, in countries like China and also India, there is social stigma at upper middle class and above to carry the leftovers home, it can be overcome only as a society together and governments can help the process by guiding with incentives to restaurants or educating value preposition (could take longer). In China I see that the upper layers of the society has overcome the stigma and has accepted the trend for good reasons.
Secondly, as food will be scarce and countries are fighting for agricultural land across borders, for eg. in Africa where European and Chinese are growing crops to feed their citizens back home. In such a scenario, it makes sense to use what we have efficiently, which could potentially push out food scarcity a little further. Hope other countries in the world will follow the path. If required we should not shy away from having a law to reduce waste and save resources.
Being a food lover and advocate of not wasting food, it was good to see that change. I am in the process of making my daughter (4 yrs) understand that there are so many kids out there, who are starving and food that we waste could save or make someone’s life. We all can make a difference!!
Staying with the topic of food, I had a feast for 11 days, enjoying everything that made it to the table; hotpots, Beijing duck, snails, crabs (luckily, I didn’t have to do the dissection), chicken feet, snake, variety of fish and vegetables. Of course, not to forget Qingdao beer, rice wine (@53% alcohol, it was more like spirit than wine).
As it was the first trip to China for the team members, I am glad that I ensured that the team experienced all that the Chinese cuisine and culture had to offer.
Special thanks to all our hosts, who made the trip hassle free, memorable and professionally successful.
Till the next time zài jiàn