在老家拍摄的照片/PICS SHOOT AT MY HOMETOWN
以下照片是我今年10.01假期回家时拍摄的，现在翻腾出来，别有一番滋味。
The following pics were shoot at my back to hometown during the National Day holiday.
一—荒废的碾，中国城市化的进程，在沂蒙山区同样可以寻见踪迹，村民已经放弃了自己做煎饼的生活方式，碾也已经失去了原来的用途
No.1-Deserted Grinding Machine. We can see the trace of urbanization in China everywhere in China. Villager do not make pancakes by themselves and therefore, this grinding machine is useless.
二–孤独的老人，这位老人是我们村子里的，孩子都在外打工，自己一人在桥下捡拾些木柴，用来做饭，用来冬天取暖。这些老人，为了让孩子过的好一些，常常不忍心向在大城市打工的孩子要一分钱.
No.2-The Lonely Aged. This aged woman is from my village and, same as the others, her children are in big cities to make a living. She is collecting the woods for warming up in winter. Those elder generally do not ask for money from their children in big cities in order to let their children live better.
三–树林中的蜘蛛，这片树林是我小时候常玩耍的地方，现在的孩子，已不再像我那时亲近大自然了。现在这里野草丛生，有很多的蜘蛛。不知是否有朋友能认出这种蜘蛛，是否能有经济价值，如有，也算是为家乡人做点贡献。
No. 3-Spider In The Woodland. I played at this woodland a lot when I was young, while nowadays children are not outdoor nature. There are lots of grasses and spiders there. I wonder if there is anyone know this kind of spider and will it be any economic value?
四–放羊的老父亲与上小学的外甥女。父亲已经62岁了，还在劳作，家里放了13头羊，至今仍为我买房时没给钱而耿耿于怀，说要给我1W，我没要。外甥女因父母在上海打工，一直寄养在父母家中，现在已经是第六个年头了。
No. 4-My Father Is A Shepherd And My Niece-the little girl is together with him. My father is 62 and is still working-raising 13 sheeps now. He did not give me money when I buy apartment in city and planned to give me CNY10,000 and I refused. The little girl is my niece, her parents are working in Shanghai and leave her at my hometown. This is the 6th year of staying with her grand-parents.
五–农村的集市。这个集市，从我记事时就有了，区别是现在的集市卖的东西多了，地方也大了。但人们的穿着，还是与小时候一样，中国的发展，农民所享受到的福祉少之又少！
No. 5-Bazaar In The Countryside. This bazaar exists when I was young and the difference is it is bigger now. But people's wearings are almost the same as before-farmers do not get much welfare from China's fast development in the past 20 years.
六–建设中的豪华餐馆，或许是餐馆吧，我不清楚。照片拍摄于县城公园。县城的建设中项目很多，也有很多昂贵的小区（3000每平）。但在距县城6公里之外的我的老家农村，变化不大。
No. 6-The Underconstruction Luxury Restaurant At the County. This pic was shoot at the county park. There are lots of Residential Building underconstruction and many are expensive (over CNY3,000) per square meter. But there are little changes at my hometown which is only 6kms from this building.
Life and Death, thought after attending my university classmate’s funeral
One will know how much he/she is blessed by God after attending a Funeral.
—-Leon Yu
It is a hard time to attend the funeral-my classmate is 30 only and she is the best one in learning english in my class! Her husband is a successful businessman who is also my classmate! This is the first case of death in my class and I have to admit death is approching.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? I understand there are millions of answers in the world 'cause each person has his own philosophy of life. But there MUST something in common-such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Life is meaning of life, living is the biggest success! Anything is possible when we are alive!
Liberty is the basis of life, no one want to live like a slave.
Pursuit of happiness is the reason we are alive-we are destined to pursuit happiness all life long.
Everyday could be my doomsday and life is so fragile! I know I am not loved by everyone but there are someone DO love me–my parents, my wife, my son and my friends. I can not let them down!
Everyday I can feel the love from them and I need to express my love to them.
Live with love when alive and there will be nothing to regret!
God bless everyone!
=================
The funeral was held at her husband's hometown at the village:
People bring wreath into the house
The man on the left is responsible to record guests come to the funeral
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躺在时间的河流上怀念他们——南都汶川地震三周年社论
很少在我的个人博客上发表中文的文章，因为脚下这片土地，总是让我双眼满含泪水，腐败、有毒食品、环境污染，等等等等，犹如刺刀一般，一次次刺痛我的良知。恰恰也在今天，当地某部门到我工厂稽查，中午自然要招待一下，他们喝酒的态势，他们的作风，让我看不到民族的任何希望。
但是，感谢南都的这篇社论，让我找回了1999年阅读南方周末新年献词–总有一种力量让我们泪流满面时的感动，阅读中数次哽咽。
我们要相信，即便存在GFW，即便GOOGLE离开中国，即便国进民退，即便贫富差距不断扩大，即便地震的伤痛被CCAV之流粉墨为某党的功绩，但总有一些有良知的国人，给我们带来希望，让我们看到这个民族，不是精神上的东亚病夫，我们必须相信！
汶川地震的所有罹难同胞，我们不仅仅躺在事件的河流上怀念你们，我们还会尽我们所能，推动社会的进步，避免人祸，让建筑质量高一些，让毒奶粉断绝……，这，也算是生者所能的一点力量吧，但愿。
以此为记。
————————
躺在事件的河流上怀念他们（转）
今天是汶川地震三周年纪念日，读者诸君一定知道我们的哀悼所在。那场大地震令山河破碎，八万多人罹难失踪，连绵不绝的哀伤延续至今。哀伤是为同胞一去不还，五月就此成为悲哀的月份；哀伤也因为念及自身无力，不能抵挡决绝的离逝。又一年祭祀重来，躺在时间的河流上怀念他们，实有必要确认诸多问题：他们是谁？他们遇到了什么？他们在哪里？他们想要我们做什么？
馨香几枝，烟气袅袅，升腾至虚空。他们不是冰冷的数字，他们也曾顶着百家姓活泼泼地存在过。他们用整整一生，走进五月的废墟。他们开心地在世上生活过七年，抑或更长更短的岁月。他们是父母，是子女，是姐妹，是兄弟，是黄皮肤的人。他们是寨子里的居民和过客，是跋涉山川河流的人，看云起云落，他们是一切真情。他们是你遇见或未见的人类，是住在大地上的灵魂。
生是偶然的，死亡是必然。三年前的今天，同个时刻，下午黄昏黑夜如朽木，纷纷落下，壅塞时间的河流。红色是血，灰色是扬尘，白色是眩晕，黑色是死神的衣袂，他们在颜色横流中倒下，像是不幸的庄稼，被锐利的刀锋杀害。他们失去了所有，他们的老年中年青年或童年时代结束得太早太快。他们成了各种各样碎片，使用尖锐的边缘，把日子割出眼泪，将故乡抛弃。
他们从四方而来，往八方而去。我们悔恨，他们本该有更好的死亡方式，譬如从容悼念，并且允许泪飞成雨。匆匆复匆匆，他们永远离开伤感的村庄和城市，他们现在石头长有新绿的山坡上，他们仍在学校，在路上，在地下，在无名之处。他们和他们在一起，就像麦子与麦子长在一起。在夏天，在他们最后的黄昏去了我们看不见的地方，他们是生者唯一的痛楚，唯一的安慰。
我们在心里为他们降过半旗，我们在哀悼日为他们招魂请安，我们搜集过他们一世为人的证据，我们一起念出过他们的名字。我们答应过要念念不忘，要生生不息。我们做了很多，又做得太少。迷途不返的人，你们在哪里？我们点燃的光能否照亮你们的路？我们无法做得更多，只好摆上铁做的十二生肖，敬上瓷做的瓜子，象征且祭奠你们凝固了的生命。你们还想要我们做什么？
我们知道，死亡已经发生，而遗忘等候一旁，觊觎他们的再一次死亡。如果不怀念，遗忘就会越来越强大。今天的祭祀就是为了拒绝遗忘，拒绝再次失去他们。以后的纪念，目的无他，也是一遍遍证明给他们看：我们从未远离，我们一直在一起，哪怕是遇到死亡和恐惧。这是一种要被记取的承诺，人千古，人又永远在。这是我们对整座村落、整座城市、良知国民的交代。
起于尘土而又归于尘土，可有一种责任无法推卸。这就是我们对他们的纪念，是校园对学生的纪念，山野对农夫的纪念，黄泥雕群对凝视者的纪念，是家庭对逝者的纪念，是鲜花对坟墓的纪念，是生命对生命的纪念。我们始终不忘，始终向着他们的方向眺望。我们的生活里有他们，我们不只是为自己过活。时间的河流联系彼此，让我们重聚在一起，就像是真的没有失去过。
止歇欢娱，今天此时，让我们躺在时间的河流上，采用他们惯常的姿势，感知他们的所在和请求，察觉我们的对话与诺言。在他们走后，没有一个夜晚能让我们安睡。可三年来，我们谨记并警醒我们的原则。五月是悲哀的，又是清醒的。通过对他们的取态，丈量我们与人类的距离。祝愿大地上的神祇同样能保佑他们，就像他们保佑我们一样。祈祷彼岸乐土。伏食尚飨。
来源：南都社论
How to working with Chinese business partners best 18 tips
Businesspeople interested in doing business in China will benefit from knowing the Chinese mindset and practicing the following practical cross-border skills.
Chinese Business Practices
1. Respect their business cards.
The Chinese consider exchanging business cards the same way we consider a handshake. They exchange business cards the moment they greet you. People often present their business cards to you with both hands. Take them with both hands. Don’t put the card away immediately. Rather, place it on the table or hold it in your hand for some time. Make an effort to look at the person’s title. Take plenty of business cards with you when you go to China. It’s advisable to adopt a Chinese name. That will signal to people you’re culturally savvy. Ask a Chinese-speaking friend to help you. Print only your name and title in Chinese. The rest should be in English.
2. Make friends first, do business later.
The Chinese enjoy small talk and pleasantries. They want to learn more about you. Therefore, initial meetings are rarely expected to produce results. Chinese salespeople routinely wine and dine prospects before they sit down to talk business. Let people feel that they are "connected" with you before you close a deal with them. In America, where we feel that the legal system is largely enforceable, we can meet strangers and sign contracts with people quite speedily and start doing business. China is a people-based rather than a law-based culture. People in China build trust by “profiling” one another. They observe one another’s behavior over time before they’ll do big business. This is why it takes longer to get things done there.
3. Let people save face, especially in public.
An American behavior that perhaps irks the Chinese most is someone probing into their affairs. Naturally you want all the answers, since you’ve traveled so far to find out the truth. But the Chinese aren’t accustomed to revealing much about themselves, especially in public seminars. If someone is vague about a particular issue, or unwilling or unable to give a straight answer, don’t force the issue. Avoid forcing people to tell the truth in public against their will. Rather, practice the “one-on-one” skill mentioned in this paper.
4. Avoid certain colors.
White is the color of mourning in the Chinese tradition. People in packaging should avoid too much white background. Red, suggesting power, prosperity and authority, is the preferred color.
5. Avoid giving a green-colored hat to a Chinese man.
"Wearing a green hat" in Chinese means that someone’s wife is being unfaithful, a shameful thing to admit in public.
6. Never give a Chinese person a clock.
The phrase "to give a clock" rhymes with another phrase that means “to attend someone’s funeral.” It is all right to give a wrist watch, but not a clock.
7. Respect Chinese superstitions.
Many Chinese people are superstitious about numbers. For example, the number 4 in Chinese rhymes with "death" or "failure." Many people try very hard not to have their house numbers or telephone numbers contain the numeral 4. The number 14 is even worse. The Chinese for 14 rhymes with "sure to fail, sure to die." Numerals 3 and 8 are "good." The numeral 3 in Chinese rhymes with "growth," while the numeral 8 rhymes with "prosperity." It’s no accident that the telephone numbers of Western hotels in various Chinese cities contain the numerals 8888. They want their Chinese customers to feel good.
8. Cultivate "guan xi".
To make things happen in China, you have to know people. "Knowing" is what the Chinese mean by "guan xi" ." When you cultivate "guan xi" with people, you might get them to bend over backwards for you, let alone buy into your demands and style. Cross-Cultural Communication Skills
9. Smile.
Smiling is the most common way to show friendliness among strangers. Wearing a serious-looking, poker face will cause your relationship to get off on the wrong foot. The Chinese use smiles as a defense mechanism. They smile when they’re nervous or uncomfortable. They smile when they feel embarrassed. In some Western countries, giggling isn’t proper behavior. In China, it’s practiced by people at all social levels. You’ll make more friends and influence more people with a smile.
10. Speak slowly.
Some Americans like to speak fast. The result is that they lose their audience.
11. Avoid being too casual.
In America, we often call people we don’t know very well by their first names. CEOs and employees may address each other as if they were on equal footing. This is not considered good manners in China. Always be formal in addressing people. That’s the safe and the only right thing to do. In China, only childhood friends and spouses call each other by their first names.
12. Don’t expect much eye contact.
We in America must make steady eye contact when we talk with people. This is not the case among the Chinese. For the Chinese, a lack of steady eye contact doesn’t indicate a lack of attention or respect. On the contrary, because of Chinese society’s more authoritarian nature, steady eye contact is viewed as inappropriate, especially when subordinates talk with their superiors. Eye contact is sometimes viewed as a gesture of challenge or defiance. When people get angry, they tend to maintain steady eye contact. Otherwise, they look elsewhere or appear nonchalant while talking.
13. Let them smoke.
There are 350 million people who smoke in China. They consume 1.8 trillion cigarettes each year, or one-third of cigarettes smoked worldwide. Many Chinese consider smoking, usually among men, the right thing to do in a business environment. They will offer you a cigarette. Simply decline and thank them. Don’t lecture them on how smoking is bad for their health. If you allow them to smoke, they’ll listen to you longer. The growing Chinese economy has produced so many successful businesspeople that they now have a craving for cigars. "Cigar bars" are all the rage in large Chinese cities and in Western-style hotels.
14. Don’t take their saying "yes" literally to mean affirmative.
Chinese people have a habit of saying "yes" to show that they’re paying attention or that they’re following what you say. In such a context, the word "yes" doesn’t mean that they agree with what you say or with your terms.
15. Watch your language.
Many Chinese who speak and read English learned the language in an academic setting. As a result, they’re often unaware of colloquialisms or figures of speech that we take for granted. I’ve seen "Love Canal" translated as "sex virology." An article on negotiation skills contains the phrase "football field" when in fact the English original talks about "a level playing field." Other American phrases such as “in terms of,” “the skinny,” “ballpark,” “sidebar” and other sports jargon will confuse the Chinese mind. Keep in mind that most Chinese people (translators or even executives) will not ask you to explain your terms because they don’t want to lose “face” themselves or put you on the spot. To avoid these pitfalls, it’s important that you have someone with experience living and working in Western countries to review your translations.
16. Talk metric.
Supply technical and pricing information in both English and metric units. Your customers and suppliers will appreciate and understand you better this way.
Recruiting, Training and Managing People
17. Introduce your people to the Chinese personally.
The Chinese people are conditioned by centuries of dynastic histories to obey their political leaders the way they obey their parents. If you’re the only person who travels to China but you need your colleagues to help out with operations, introduce them formally to your Chinese contact, especially in person. One American CEO shared his personal experience regarding this critical management skill. He wrote: "Introduce as many of your people to the Chinese as possible. The Chinese do place very high value on face-to-face contact and I found that I was the only person with whom our Chinese distributor would communicate, because I was the only one who had ever traveled to China and met him. As a CEO this can be very time consuming. While the Chinese place great stock in meeting the top person in a company (the status thing again), they tend to only want to communicate with the people in a company whom they have met face-to-face.” To resolve this common problem, introduce your colleagues and departmental managers to your Chinese partner in person. By delegating responsibilities, you authorize your colleagues to be your deputies and signal to your Chinese contact that they represent you and therefore they can be trusted. Asian cultures that are influenced by the Confucian ethos—Chinese, Japanese, Korean—place great emphasis on personal introductions as the basis of trust.
18. Arrange one-on-one meetings.
The Chinese political system is a one-party system. People have learned not to challenge their political leaders. They find ways to work out their problems by involving other people who can help them. This is why Chinese people tend not to express what they have in mind in public. But when they’re with you on a “one-on-one” situation without other people around, they’re direct and straightforward. . If you want to know the truth—and how you can compete in the China market—learn to pull people aside and talk with them privately
How to Import from China-from wikihow.com
This is one of the best articles I see on the internet and would like to share here, original article, click HERE
You may be able to find a new business opportunity or profit growth by directly importing products from China. It can be complicated, but it can pay off in both immediate profit and long-term success. The process is becoming easier and easier thanks to the trend of globalization and advances in international trade technology.
- Find the products you're interested in. There are many sources to find your products. The internet is the easiest one to start with. There are many web listing services, where you can register your username, post the products of your interest, and you will receive tons of products supply information and perhaps a price list.
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Establish a relationship with potential suppliers. Select a few potential suppliers to communicate with. When contacting suppliers, provide information about your company. The good suppliers already have more business than they can handle – you want to market yourself so that they want to do business with you. When qualifying suppliers, you can ask them how long they've been in business, which trade shows they attend, how long they've been attending these trade shows and which companies they manufacture for. Check and confirm everything that you can.
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Narrow down to the supplier that you really want to work with. Discuss the price and trade relationship. Obtain product samples and review them (and their packaging, instructions, and any other collateral) for quality – you may have to pay a nominal fee. Discuss shipping and payment terms. Gather all necessary information to prepare for placing a trial order. When placing the purchase order, include as many details as you can think of.
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Understand trade terms and use them. Before placing any order, you need to understand and confirm with your suppliers about shipment terms. Most popular are "fob" and "cif", as well as payment terms. These are closely related to your landing cost calculation and risk assessment. You can consult an import management company and a freight forwarder for detail break-down on the costs and risks. You can also use an import management company to negotiate the trade terms.
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Understand payment terms. Somewhat common is to pay 30% at time of order, and the remaining 70% when the product ships. The down payment gives the manufacturer/supplier funds necessary to begin production. These terms are negotiable.
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As the Importer of record, you (not the supplier) are legally responsible for making sure that goods brought into the country meet all national regulatory requirements. Goods that don't meet requirements can be stopped at the border or can result in future legal suits. Don't just take a supplier's word that requirements are being met. Do your homework on compliance issues and make sure you know requirements are being met. You need to understand the relevant import compliance regulations beforehand. Besides US Customs and Border Protection, other government authorities like USDA, FDA, DOT, and ATF also regulate the importation. Pay particular attention when you import textile products from china. Go to the websites of these agencies to understand, register or download the forms. Compliance issues can be very complicated for some products. It is highly recommended to consult a good customs house broker before placing any order.
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Select a forwarder and customs house broker. Go to your local international trade organization/association and customs office to find the list. Visit them, and select the one you like. For the first time importer, use more individualized services, because you need more attention than you would expect. You may ask your local customs bureau for help on assessing custom duties amount for your products, or use online services such as AsiaCalculator
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Place a trial order with a written purchase order if everything goes well. In the purchase order, besides typing out a detailed description of the products, product requirements, packaging requirements, etc., and trade terms, list all needed shipping documents.
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Appoint an inspection company to check your goods on site in the factory, and give you a detailed report. It is very helpful to provide the inspection company details about what to check. Without such details, the inspection company may think products are okay even though you won't. You may also consider having inspections done of components that are going into assembly early in the process. This can help avoid last minute quality problems. This is usually done a few days before the expected shipment, so you can address any issues that would be raised. This will allow you to avoid receiving defective or non-conforming goods.
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Track the transportation and customs clearance. Your forwarder and customs broker should take care of your transportation and customs clearance. However, you also need to track the process and assistance, such as providing additional products information and endorsing bill of landing. You need to issue a power of attorney to your broker and purchase customs bond for your importation.
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Receive the products and keep the records. Now you can go to your next step to sell your products and make profit.
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Do not order counterfeit or branded products, unless the supplier can prove they are an authorized reseller. You can contact the brand owner to confirm the supplier is an authorized resel.
Related articles
- The Five Steps To Successfully Buying Product From China. (chinalawblog.com)
- China Manufacturing Agreements. Watching The Sausage Get Made. (chinalawblog.com)
- What You Need To Know Before Manufacturing Your First Product (entrepreneurs-journey.com)
- China Outsourcing. The Basics. But Don't Just Trust Me…. (chinalawblog.com)
- Difference between a Freight Forwarder and Broker (shippinginsouthafrica.wordpress.com)
- Auditing Factories in China – Practical Guide (theodmgroup.com)
Facts on Chinese Manufacturers
The following information are from my working experience only and I take full responsibility on my words:
- Most factory bosses are without high education level, they are doers who believe no pains, no gains;
- Some new generation bosses have worked in big factories/trading companies and then started their own business, they have good knowledge on their products and have clients (some clients are from their previous companies);
- Generally, most bosses do not believe their sales team's faith–they are always try their best to avoid salesman steal their clients' information;
- It is harder and harder to hire more workers now;
- Labor cost is rising rapidly in China;
- Chinese suppliers used to provide very low prices to attract buyers, but it is changing slowly now–they are realizing the importance of service;
- Big manufacturers have very intimate connections with local government;
- Chinese manufacturers are starting to move factories to Middle/West China to save costs;
- Money talks–both bosses and workers belive this;
- Product quality will be better and better, almost every Chinese manufacturer are confident on this.
Related articles
- Why we all need to learn Chinese (metalev.org)
下辈子，无论爱与不爱，都不会再见—送给儿子的备忘录
Business Etiquette in India
Originally Posted at: http://www.sideroad.com/Business_Etiquette/business-etiquette-India.html
Westerners going to India to do business find out pretty soon that India is a culture where it is absolutely impossible to just drop in to conduct business and then fly away unaffected. The pace of life, the vivacity of the teeming masses, the mêlée of sounds, the richness of colors and smells, the tenacity of the unpredictable to surface like an ubiquitous spook amidst all attempts on both sides to make business smooth and manageable – all this is India. Trying to understand the astonishing diversity of this ancient yet vibrant culture and yet finding rules for behaving in an effective manner is a daunting challenge for anyone. In India you would discover thriving matriarchal societies, a group of people utterly convinced that they are one of the lost tribes of the Jews, signs of democratic forms of governments 2000 years before the Athenians, aboriginals who shun `civilization' and shoot poisoned arrows at anyone going near them etc. India is not a monolithic culture but the kaleidoscopic variety also contains underlying streams of unity. One mentor gives you a valuable piece of advice on business etiquette and then you notice that people behave exactly the opposite in some contexts. The first thing for Westerners to learn about business etiquette in India is:
- You need to be sensitive to the context at all times.
Focus of Business One of the major blunders Western people make in India is to forget people and concentrate on schedule, contracts, results, facts and issues.
| Western Business = End Results |
| Indian Business = Process of Interaction, Relationships |
The credibility and trustworthiness of a business partner are critical in securing cooperation so these have to be built up over time. Orientation to time
| West: Time = Scarce commodity |
| India: Time = Expression of eternity |
In India everything takes time. Indian business people like to be on time but in real life things don't work like clockwork. Keep a lot of margin in your schedules for the unexpected events. A Western person likes to concentrate on one thing at a time while his Indian counterpart is poly chronic and attends to many things at the same time. Be prepared for lots of interruptions all the time. Personal space Indians keep very small bubbles of personal space around them and there is so much touchy cuddly walking hand in hand behavior all around. However:
- Men don't touch women in public and vice versa.
Superiors pat subordinates on their shoulders and there is much collegial backslapping. The handshake is practiced everywhere in cities. The traditional Indian greeting is the "Namaste," which you do with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest with a slight nod or bow of the head. This has a spiritual basis in recognizing a common divine essence within the other person.
- Always be polite, although you need to be firm.
- Never lose your temper, even when it is to your advantage to show anger.
Conversation All meetings start with some small talk. Indians are very curious and like to exchange views even with total strangers. Be prepared for Indians talking about matters which would be considered an invasion of privacy in the west.
- Learn to recognize the "NO" as Indians don't say NO directly, unless it is a crucial issue.
- Don't point out poverty, dirt, and social ills to Indians as they might interpret it as condescending coming from a foreigner. Indians are proud of their rich history and appreciate intelligent discussions with mutual respect, so avoid preaching about democracy and women's rights etc.
Addressing others Indian businesses are hierarchical. Titles such as Mr, Mrs or Professor are used almost always unless the other person asks you to go on a first name basis.
- Get used to people always calling you Mr this or Madam this or saying "yes, Sir" or "yes, Madam" all the time.
- Find out how you should address the other person – naming and addressing practices vary across the country.
Giving Gifts Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. If your Indian host insists on your opening the gift, do so and show appreciation for his/her choice. If you are invited to an Indian home for dinner, take some small gift, like a box of chocolates or flowers or a gift for the children (if they have any). Wrap in red, yellow, green or blue colored wrapping paper. White and black colors in wrappings are considered inauspicious. A small gift from your culture or a framed photograph with the host or colleagues would be valued as a gift. If your Indian host drinks and keeps alcoholic drinks at home, a bottle would be an appreciated gift. Meetings and Negotiations Meetings and negotiations are spaced over time and there are many digressions. Give background information such as who is involved, who else has implemented such a proposal or who higher up has endorsed – Indians understand matters in their overall context and such information is vital for them. Don't get nervous over frequent interruptions, digressions or bargaining in negotiations. Keep buffers, which you can cut in your offers as Indians interpret fixed offers as inflexible thus unsuitable for their needs. Don't expect quick commitment as all decisions take time and may involve people not present in meetings. Business Dress Business attire varies in different parts of India. Decency and decorum is the guiding principle here. It is better to dress slightly more conservatively than too casually. In India position in the hierarchy of business dictates formality of dress. Use common sense in dressing Visiting Cards The visiting card ritual is not so formal as in China or Japan but you should always carry decent and presentable cards with you. Cards in English are fine. You don't need to print them in local languages.
- Never use the left hand to give and receive cards.
Appointments Appointments must be fixed well in advance. Always confirm beforehand to make sure nothing has changed meanwhile. Traffic is always unpredictable so leave a lot of margin.Be prepared to be kept waiting when visiting government officials. Invitations Foreigners visiting India might receive many social invitations. A direct refusal to an invitation (e.g., "Sorry, I can't come.") would be seen as impolite or arrogant.
- Use "I'll try" or "I will confirm with you later," etc. when declining social invitations.
When refreshments/ snacks or beverages are served, it is customary, though not compulsory, to refuse the first offer, but to accept the second or third. Accept what is offered to you even if you don't want to eat or drink everything. Leave some on the plate or all of it untouched. If you eat all, it is a sign you want more. What people consider taboo in food or drinks varies greatly among people in India:
- Generally Muslims don't eat pork and Hindus shun beef.
- Chicken, mutton or fish suit most people.
- All vegetable menus are safer choices for everyone.
- Be very sensitive to customs and preferences when hosting invitations.
- Never use your left hand for eating, serving, or taking food or in fact handing over or accepting things. The left hand is considered the toilet hand and thus taboo.
Rana Sinha is a cross-cultural consultant and author who has lived in many places and traveled in over 80 countries. Rana runs www.dot-connect.com, which specializes in designing and delivering cross-cultural training, professional communications skills, personal development, and management solutions to all types of organizations and businesses in many countries.
Read all advice by Rana Sinha; Find more Business Etiquette experts
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I have been in the export field for more than 10 years and owning my own trading company is my dream–my dream for years!
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TweetWhy Morning People Rule the World
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Original article, click HERE:
To paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald, the morning people are different from you and me – or so says new research.
Early birds are more proactive than evening people – and so they do well in business, says Christoph Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany.
“When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards,” Randler told the Harvard Business Review of his research, some of which originally appeared in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. “[T]hey tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimize them. They’re proactive.” (Not that evening people are life’s losers: They’re smarter and more creative, and have a better sense of humor, other studies have shown.)
Who is a morning person, by definition? Randler says it is someone who gets up at roughly the same time on weekdays as on weekends. He surveyed 367 college students (an age group not exactly famous for early rising) when they were most energetic and willing to change a situation. The morning people were more likely to agree with statements such as “I feel in charge of making things happen” and “I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself.” (In the sample, the “evening people tended to sleep two hours later on weekends.)
Can you change type? “Somewhat,” says Randler, pointing to a study where half of schoolchildren were able to shift permanently their wake-up time by an hour. Still, it can be tough, partly because half of your chronotype, as it’s called, is determined by genetics. And just changing the hour you wake up may not change your inherent “morning-ness” or “evening-ness” In other words, getting up earlier will not automatically make you proactive.
Chronotypes also evolve over a person’s life cycle: Teenagers are evening types; between the ages of 30 and 50, people are evenly split between morning and evening types; and people become morning types as they pass through their fifties.
Randler says the challenge for businesses is to “bring out the best from their night owls.” He points to universities, which often do this successfully. (Randler is a morning person who gets up at 5 a.m. and works, whereas he has a colleague who arrives at work at 11:30 a.m. and stays until 7 or 8 p.m.)
But if morning people are ruling the world – winning the promotions and the top decision-making jobs – will night people ever get any concessions?
Says Randler: “Morning people are very capable of understanding the value of chronotype diversity. Remember, we’re conscientious. This understanding probably originated far back in history, when groups comprising morning people, evening people, and various chronotypes in between would have been better able to watch for danger at all hours. Evening types may no longer serve as our midnight lookouts, but their intelligence, creativity, humor, and extroversion are huge potential benefits to the organization.”
