I Love This Quote!

"I must learn to love the fool in me--the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool." -- Theodore I. Rubin, MD

(via A Cup of Jo)

I posted this as my gChat status for a while, and many people wrote to me saying they loved it! So here it is again. I feel like it should live on this blog. Enjoy!

You must not cry…

This post is from Rachael Brugger, who lives in Cambodia. Her blog is One UNBELIEVABLE Cambodian Adventure!, where she originally published this post. It describes her initial experience visiting what remains of the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge.

Also, I'd like to give a quick personal introduction. The movie "The Killing Fields" came out shortly after I was born in 1984. The very first time my parents left me with a babysitter was when they went to see this movie. Sydney Schanberg's New York Times Magazine article about his relationship with his Cambodian friend and photographer Dith Pran had stuck in their minds for the previous few years. My freshman year in high school, one of our assignments was to analyze the context and accuracy of a historical movie. I wrote about "The Killing Fields." I think her post gives a great overview of this traumatic period. ~Leslie

Moving a bit from my what can be considered humorous escapades in adjusting to Cambodian life, I want to touch on a little bit about the country itself. I'm not a history buff, so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the things that have plagued Cambodia's past, but I hope to provide some sort of insight to people who might be just as naive as I was about the Cambodian genocide.

My explorations today were both highly educational and emotionally draining. I visited one of the many killing fields scattered around the country as well as S-21, a suburban school that the Khmer Rouge (think of them as the Cambodian Nazis) turned into a prison used for torturing and murdering those they arrested for opposing Ankar. The things I saw today were nauseating -- to think that humans are capable of such sadistic actions. And I think it's unfortunate how many Americans are ignorant about this tiny nation that suffered one of the most brutal examples of human cruelty the world has ever seen.

When I first entered the grounds of Tuol Sleng, the genocide museum set up at the S-21 site, it didn't appear out of the ordinary. Located on a street inside the city, it has a campus of three three-story buildings and courtyards with trees and benches. It looks like a typical Cambodian school.



The first thing that really hit me as I began walking through, was a sign that was posted depicting the rules of the prison. Rule No. 6 read:

"While getting lashes or electrification, you must not cry at all."

It wasn't the fact that they were beating or electrocuting people that struck me, as terrible as those things are. It was the "you must not cry" that really sent a chill down my spine. How inhuman. They wanted these prisoners to move and act like little zombies, like puppets. Like people without dignity or souls.

Those words rung through my head as I walked through the classrooms of Building 1 that were transformed into prison chambers. Each room had a bed where victims were chained and tortured. Some of the rooms still had stains on the floor from blood and the museum placed a photograph in each room showing an abused victims.



Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge expertly documented their victims. Building 2 contained an exhibit displaying many of the mug shots of the prisoners. According to a KR report found at Tuol Sleng, more than 10,000 foreign and Cambodian adults and 2,000 children were held at S-21 between 1975 and 1978. Only 7 survived.



Building 3 held some of the actual torture devices used in the prison and outside stood children's exercise equipment, which was used to hang prisoners by their arms until they passed out, whereupon they'd be dipped head first into cold, mucky water so quickly revived, only to have the process repeated. These people were beaten, shot and other things I don't even care to write or think about.

As I solemnly proceeded to the Killing Field located just outside Phnom Penh, I couldn't help but feel tears for the pain these people endured, and yet they had to endure it without tears.



At the field, several mass graves, which once contained the remnants of hundreds of murdered people, surround a monument memorial dedicated to the deceased. Inside the memorial are the skulls of the victims. While display might seem grotesque and unsanctified to those of you reading this, it is an even more controversial issue for the Buddhist Cambodians who feel the remains should not be enclosed in a glass case and should be cremated so that the souls can properly move about, perhaps in preparation for the next reincarnation.



But the display, controversial as it is, burdened me and I'm sure the other visitors as well. To me, it serves not only as a reminder of what happened in Cambodia, but what happened in Eastern Europe and what is happening today in Africa.

Today the effects of the genocide are still visible throughout the country. The people are uneducated. The majority of adults, including those holding government positions, process information at the level of a fifth-grader, and the younger generation, while they are going to college, aren't receiving a degree of much value. People live in poverty, and the poor agricultural technology only contributes to this. And you will hear people say over and over that the government is corrupt. I'm not sure what this means, exactly, but it seems as though moral is low and people have little hope of a better future.

Click here to see Rachael's colorful photos of these survivors' artwork.

Stories from Hamburg, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Uganda

Here are some of my favorite articles and podcasts about working overseas in Hamburg, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Uganda. I see some common themes in these four pieces, which match my own experiences in China.

- Being an outsider makes you a "big fish in a small pond" (or at least a bigger one than you'd be if you'd stayed home!)
- Living in a place with a low cost of living gives you much more flexibility in terms of work.
- As a foreigner, you have more responsibility than a local would at the same level. This can help you to build a wide range of skills.
- Being far from home connects you to people incredibly quickly. It's amazing how well I've gotten to know new friends in our first or second meeting. I think this is also true in a professional context.

OK, I'll let the pieces speak for themselves.

1. Allie Osmar writes a blog called The Creative Career, which gives advice for young people entering public relations and marketing. She has two podcasts about overseas opportunities.

- Finding Opportunities to Work Abroad is a 9-minute podcast interview with Justin Sikora, who works in public relations for Edelman in Chicago. He began in Edelman's Chicago office, and then a year later was transferred to Hamburg, Germany, for a year. It was his first experience on overseas soil. He recommends learning the language, finding a company that fosters an atmosphere of growth, and both asking for and earning this opportunity.

- Fast-Track Your Career Success by Going Abroad is an excellent 15-minute podcast interview with Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, one of the authors of the book Get Ahead By Going Abroad. She worked in marketing communications in Hong Kong for three years, and then interviewed 200 other women about their experiences working abroad for her book. She explains how working globally can skyrocket a woman's career. Allie has posted detailed notes from this interview here.

2. On the New York Times' fabulous but now-defunct Shifting Careers blog, recent Harvard graduate Rachel Nolan wrote a vivid and persuasive post about how moving to Berlin helped launch her journalism career. It begins:

A lot of my friends thought I was crazy when I moved to Berlin after graduating from college last year to try to make my way as a freelance journalist. They had teaching gigs, spots in graduate school or banking contracts with the likes of Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs. Some of these jobs turned out to be secure. But if nothing else, the financial crisis provides yet another reason for young people to move abroad. We have less to lose.

At the time, I had a few contacts and German language skills that were not quite good enough to conduct an interview. If I failed to publish a single story, I reasoned, I’d find another way to support myself, enjoy the non-career-related benefits of living abroad and come home after a year. But now I have a portfolio of professional clips, solid German, a chance to travel — and a fairly good idea that moving to Berlin sped up the process of becoming a journalist.

Click here to read the rest.

3. Jacob Elster wrote a somewhat similar post on Change.org's Social Entrepreneurship blog. Jacob is the founder of Crop to Cup, a Fair Trade coffee company which uses technology to reduce the distance between coffee farmers and consumers. His story begins:

You've done sixteen years of school, your ACT, your SAT, your etc.; you have been preparing your whole life for this one question.......good thing it's multiple choice.

• Q 1] What are you going to do when you graduate?
  • Option one, get a job.
  • Option two, go back to school.

So what's it going to be? Well, let's think about it.

He then explains how he decided against both of those options and...

As such, after graduation I founded a technology and leadership capacity building nonprofit. Called DevelopNET Iganga, this nonprofit led me to live and work in Africa where I saw how something as free as information can help to bridge the logistical barriers keep small farmers isolated from the market and stuck in a cycle of poverty. I took this lesson with me when I began working with coffee farmers, and now, five years later, I help Crop to Cup Coffee Company to source coffee, and information, directly from the farmers themselves.

I'm not sure what this story's worth, as I'm not sure how it will end. However, I did find it refreshing to know that one can put their confidence in themselves, and themselves in a position where life can happen, and that the rest sort of follows.

I highly recommend that you read the whole thing. It's part of a series called Entrepreneurs on the Verge.

Advice from Career Realism: Don't Go Away Without Thinking About Career First

Interesting advice from Career Realism, part of a Top 10 list entitled "Can You Handle The Truth?":

TIP #3: DON’T road trip, backpack or ‘take a year off’ without thinking about your career first. Those who delay to play, often pay!

As graduation approaches, many students feel the pressure of career and think, “I’ve done what’s expected of me and now I deserve to do something for myself.” However, rewarding yourself without at least organizing your plans for career before you go can make embarking on a job search when you return more difficult. Here are some stats to consider: Landing an entry-level job after school (from start to finish) averages at least two months. The process of finding the job opportunity, going on the interviews, receiving and accepting the job offer, and then starting the job, all take time. It is easier to manage this process when you are close to resources (i.e. campus career center) and a network of peers who are in the midst of finding work too. All too often, college grads put off their career homework until after they’re done having fun. They return home and suddenly find themselves alone and without the support of their friends and school to help them. Add in the potential pressure of parents over your shoulder, inquiring about your progress, and looking for a job can become very overwhelming. I once had an angry father call me to inquire about my services for his son because, in his own words, “My son just got back from a 7-month road trip of fun only for me to find out he has no idea of what he wants to do or how to find a job. What did I spent $80K on a college education for?!?!” This father-son relationship was quite strained, and much of my time coaching this new college grad was spent trying to get him to stop beating himself up for not taking responsibility for his future. Don’t get stuck in this position. You must consider the consequences of your actions.

I highly recommend reading the rest of the list. My take: I think it's important to approach this sort of trip as part of your "career story" and be sure to learn something that will give people reasons to hire you. I think this can take many forms, such as communication abilities, language skills, and quick learning, and it's important to weave them together in a compelling way.

When I came home after 18 months in China I had major reverse culture shock, the kind that had me missing China's crowds so much that I would go to the supermarket with nothing to buy! But I had done several kinds of work while overseas (teaching, writing, planning, consulting) that were relevant to working in the US. I also ended up working for someone who said that moving to France after college was the best decision she ever made.

P.S. Delaying the Real World describes this transition in more detail.

Saudades do Brasil: Top 10 Ways To Stay Sane!

My dad studied in Brazil when he was in high school, and when I was young every single time we met a Brazilian (in a restaurant, store, meeting, etc.) he would start speaking Portuguese. The listener was always charmed with this, but frequently responded in English! Anyways, I finally had the opportunity to visit Brazil in 2005, between my semesters in Chile. I had an absolutely amazing time, which I can describe in another post. Tonight, while searching for inspiration for this blog, I came across Adventures of a Gringa in Rio, Rachel Glickhouse's detailed and inspiring chronicle of her experiences teaching dance and living it up in Brazil. She graciously gave me permission to reprint this entry, which originally appeared here. Thanks Rachel! ~Leslie

Top Ten Ways To Stay Sane After You Graduate From College (Brazilian Style)

10. Drink up. Buy yourself some limes, cachaça and sugar, get some ice, and make yourself a caipirinha at the end of a long day of invoices and data entry.

9. Sign up for a dance class: exercise produces endorphins, which helps you forget about what an ass your boss is. But don't forget about your own ass--you can even take a Brazilian exercise class that focuses exclusively on the bumbum, like Leandro Caravalho's famed "Brazilian Butt Lift" class at several gyms in NYC. Samba is an excellent work-out, too.

8. Join a cause. Because how many entry-level jobs are THAT fulfilling? Volunteer in your hometown, or find an NGO worth supporting abroad, like say, in Brazil!

7. Take a hot shower with some exotic aromatic soap. Passion fruit or acerola? Cupaçu or guaraná? Soothing Amazon fruits will wash away your memories of screaming devil children.

6. Learn a new language. If you've studied any Romance language before, Portuguese is a logical and fun choice. Plus, language classes help you pretend you're still in college and help you meet new people. Vamos aprender falar português?

5. Listen to extremely upbeat music. I recommend axé. You will either love it, bop your head wildly and forget that you spent the whole morning filing, or you'll think it's absolutely ridiculous and just laugh and laugh and forget you spent the whole morning filing. A good place to start is with some Ivete and with some Daniela Mercury.

4. Go find an all-you-can-eat meat restaurant. It will really help you forget that tomorrow you have to enter a classroom filled with psychotic, back-talking children. Brazilians do churrascarias right, in New York and everywhere else.

3. Get some sun. If you're lucky enough to be near a beach, then well, you're pretty lucky. If not, take a vacation--stat! I know a good place. Or crank the heat in your apartment, turn the lights up, and put on some bossa nova.

2. Find a new social circle. It helps to mix it up a bit after you're used to your college friends. Brazilians are extremely friendly and sociable--go find some!

1. Move abroad!!! And why not to Brazil?

Cambodia-Bound: If You're Not Growing, You're Dying

This post is from Nisha Chittal. A senior at the University of Illinois, she works on business development for AIESEC, the world's largest student association, and serves as Associate Editor for CitizenJanePolitics.com. Her blog is Politicoholic. I originally read this post here on Brazen Careerist. Welcome, Nisha! ~Leslie

That is how I made my first ever big post-college career decision this week: by reminding myself of a friend who told me once: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

Well, I started my job hunt. I looked at some really interesting jobs with the federal government, a couple awesome think tanks, a couple political magazines that I love. I started applying for some, but still had this nagging sense of anxiety about the whole thing.

Learning to embrace uncertainty and instability is probably one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn the last few months. Because the one thing no one tells you about graduating from college is that it requires this whole shift in your mindset of the last 15 years: there’s no straight, narrow, certain path anymore. Your whole life is sort of open and uncertain until you make the conscious decision to do something that makes your life more stable (get married, pick a more permanent job, buy your first home…).

And that creates a comfort zone. Things are stable(r). You know where you’re going, which can be great for some people. Probably not for me though.

While I was feeling all this pressure to keep up with my friends and their Big 4 interviews and career fairs and whatever, I had the exciting realization that I have the whole world at my feet and all this time for my own adventures, to really do what I love. It doesn’t have to be scary to have your life seem uncertain; it can be really exciting.

So that is why I stopped my job hunt for now, stopped scouring job ads every day and agonizing over cover letters — for now at least.

Because in June, I am thrilled to be moving to Cambodia. And I’m putting my ass on the line for a startup NGO that I will be working with for 4 months.

(If you want to hear something really entertaining, you should ask me what happened when I called up my parents and told them my decision. All they heard were the words “startup,” “NGO,” and “cambodia.” Three things that make them think: our daughter is crazy. When people tell me I am crazy though — which happens often– I usually take that as a good sign.)

There’s nothing at all stable about it. I am going to pack two suitcases and move to what my parents consider a “third-world” country. There’s definitely nothing stable about working for an NGO still in its first year, that is in desperate need of revenue. I’ve read enough of other people’s cash-strapped startup tales to know that this is a risky decision — but also one I know I won’t regret. Because at the end of the day, I am so excited and passionate about the decision I’ve made. And if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, why even bother?

I don’t really want stable, I want to live on the edge. I want to take risks with my life, and turn them into huge learning opportunities. I definitely don’t want to look back some day and regret that I didn’t do something crazy when I had the chance.

If you’ve established a comfort zone, it’s easy to just chill there. It’s fun, kind of. But boring. So get out of it — because if you stay there, you’re not growing, you’re dying. If you’re hanging out with the same people, doing the same routine every day — do something new. Do something crazy. Do it because you know you will grow from it, not just for the sake of your resume. And if you don’t want to grow, something is wrong with you.

So yeah, my wonderful, good, stable parents are worried because they don’t know where I’ll end up. And they definitely think that I am “lost” on my way to my real career.

But I have to say… eff destinations. I’m in it for the journey.

Guest Post: A Year Back in the Ol' U.S.A

I'm happy to introduce our first guest post, from Ellie Behling. I first came across her blog when Brazen Careerist syndicated her thought-provoking post about combining sexual health and financial education. I then poked around her site and found that she had worked in London, before moving to New York. I hope you find her observations as interesting as I did. ~Leslie

It's already been a year since I returned from working abroad. I've recently been in touch with Leslie Forman, author of a new blog about spending your quarter-life crisis abroad, and it got me thinking about how my first year at a job in the U.S. compares with the six months I spent in England. While it's been nice to be back in a place where the customs make sense, I'm a bit sad to be accustomed to some of them.


For instance, in America we do not value vacation as much as many European countries. I noticed that the English view themselves as workaholics like Americans--and it's certainly true--but they still know how to take a holiday. Sure, Americans take vacation (although not as much right now), but it is not as integral a part of our culture. I spent a lot of time defending Americans for their lack of passports (Europeans like to pick on us a lot for that). However, the truth is, after living in another country and returning here, I did find some Americans to be rather narrow-minded and unexposed to other countries (or other regions of their own country for that matter!). Sometimes it seems to me that Americans could use a vacation not just to get away from work, but to see past their own noses.

Also the work day is so much more airy in England. Pub lunch here, tea break there. In the U.S. I find myself barreling through each day, attached to an IV of coffee. Lunches are spent hunched over the computer. Many Americans do not know how to get a bit of fresh air. Again, this work ethic is something I felt proud of in England, but some days I wonder if it's quite unhealthy.

And on top of that, our workplace benefits are famously lacking compared to other countries. Maternity leave? Ha! Wouldn't it be nice to be in virtually any other country and enjoy months of paid maternity leave? You are lucky to get a few paid weeks in the U.S. and the Family Medical Leave Act only guarantees 12 unpaid weeks.

It's true I spent the whole six months working abroad complaining about the British. But the grass is always greener on the other side of the pond, isn't it?


The photo of Tower Bridge was taken in the fall of 2007.

How to Find a Job Overseas, Part Two

I just came across this article that gives a great example of option #3 that I mentioned yesterday.

Hired! Putting your best face forward
When Marissa Anshutz moved from New York to England without knowing anyone, she found a new life, and a job.
By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: March 4, 2009: 2:27 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- These days, finding a job is all about who you know. But what if you're in a new city and you don't know anybody?

Marissa Anshutz, 27, had a blossoming career in public relations in New York City, but the L.A.-native yearned to go even farther east.

"New York is great but I have to see what else is out there," she said.

Despite having no network, no contacts and no leads in the worst job market in years, Anshutz packed her bags and moved to London, hoping to land a job at a U.K.-based firm.

Once she got there, Anshutz went to work researching PR companies in London, setting up meetings and introducing herself to potential employers.

Click here to read the rest. She's in PR, and she probably pitched this story to CNN herself, which is a great example of her ability to reach out to American media.

Thanks Jojo for the link!

Three Ways to Find a Job Overseas

I believe that there are three basic ways to find a job overseas.

1. Convince your home-country-based company to transfer you.

• In China, I've found that this is most common for senior managers. These people come to China to begin a new division, mentor Chinese employees, or manage manufacturing processes.
  
• One of my good friends works for a multinational public relations firm and successfully convinced her company to transfer her from San Francisco to London. She had been with the company for approximately two years (first as a summer intern, and then as a full-time employee) and had to be very persistent to convince her managers to allow this.
• I have one friend who works for a huge multinational engineering company. In Spain he worked in an internal communications role. The company ended that contract and then re-hired him for a similar role in China.
• This article, from LindsayOlson.com, describes how this process could work within an international PR firm.

2. Use an agency or personal connections to find an overseas gig.

• I came to China with an organization called CIEE, which placed me in an English teaching job at Jiaxing University. The personal references, visa assistance, and orientation were quite helpful for me. I paid a fee to CIEE, and then earned a salary for my work.
• Many of my friends in Shanghai found internships and traineeships through AIESEC, the world's largest student organization. AIESEC partners with a wide variety of companies to provide these opportunities. It is a strong international network of incredibly bright and motivated young people.
• Personal connections, called guanxi in China and pitutos in Chile, truly make the world go round! A friend of a friend can be your greatest resource. I find that these second-degree connections are most useful if you can articulate your goals and value in a way that can be easily passed along via email.
• Note that these jobs offer much more in terms of experience than financial compensation. I think that young people will have many more options if they are willing to accept local, salaries for their work. This may limit your eating and drinking and traveling options a bit, but I think that it's worth the short-term financial sacrifice for this type of unusual experience!

3. Move there first then look for work.

• David Dayton of Silk Road International explains this very well in an article for China Success Stories:

First, if you want to work in China, you need to be in China.

I’ve heard that finding a new job is a full time job in and of itself. I agree. And how effective is working in China from the US? Less effective, right. So if you’re looking for work here you need to be here.

If you’re here you can talk with people that own companies, that are doing projects, that are employed by the companies you want to talk with—you see these people at church, at Starbucks, at the supermarkets, at the schools, at local pick-up ball games, etc. You don’t meet these people at home in the US.

Click here to read the rest of his article. I whole-heartedly agree!

• You're probably thinking, "What will my friends and family say if I move across the world without a job?" I have an answer for that. How about enrolling in a short-term language program? Speaking the local language is pretty crucial for getting things done, in any culture. And that will give you a good explanation, as well as the time to follow David Dayton's advice.
  

Good luck! I look forward to hearing your comments and stories.

Delaying the Real World: My Favorite Book Ever!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book! It gives about 1000 ideas of what to do after college, that don't include jumping immediately into law school or a cubicle. From singing on a cruise ship to writing for a Cambodian newspaper, the options are truly limitless. Colleen Kinder doesn't shy away from big issues like paying for your adventure.

I remember buying it on January 1, 2006, as a New Years' gift to myself. At that point I had just come back from a full year in Chile and was about to start my last semester at Berkeley. Every New Year's Day I find myself looking for inspiration for the coming year, and I found it in these pages. I read this book over and over and lent it to many friends. I bought copies as gifts.

And when I graduated on May 18, 2006, with my degree in Latin American Studies, I opened the book again and started googling options listed. A section on teaching English overseas mentioned CIEE Teach in China. The program required being a native speaker with a college degree, and the deadline had been extended until June 1. I began contacting program alums who were listed as references. And a few days later I FedEx'd in my passport and application and began to convince myself of rational reasons for my move to China.

Over the next few weeks, I bought myself a Pimsleur Chinese language program and began its listen-and-repeat lessons. I volunteered in an ESL class for recent immigrants, which taught me to speak in the measured tones of an English teacher. And I gradually stopped worrying too much about the "real world."

Here's how you can get your hands on my favorite book:
-Buy it for $4.49 on Amazon.com
-Become a fan on Facebook
-Visit the official website
-Read Colleen Kinder's essay on Powells.com

Two Views of Recession's Impact on Young Chinese

I just came across these two excellent posts, explaining how the economic crisis has shaped the ways that young Chinese earn and spend money.

First, in terms of earning potential, the news is not pretty.

"Eat bitterness and endure hard labor"

Sometimes economists concentrate too heavily on the big picture. As always, macroeconomics is the summation of individual behaviour and experience.

The title of this blog post is a notice for those wanting a job. I suspect a few more Western employees should be as equally truthful when advertising employment opportunities.

He then goes on to excerpt an article from the Buffalo News that profiles one such Chinese jobseeker:

Xian Yuguo has a tattoo on his left arm with the Chinese character for wealth. But the 20-year-old was growing worried as he competed for a job with tens of millions of laborers in China's increasingly wobbly economy.

He had heard a tip about work at a toy factory in this industrial city. Time was running out.

"I've only got about 400 yuan" - $73 - "in my pocket, just enough to last me a week," he said, being bounced around in a crowded bus speeding down a southern China highway. "If I don't find something by then, I've got to go back home and just hang around my family's tangerine farm."

Click here to read the rest on China Economics Blog. (Hat tip to Dan Harris)

Second, in terms of spending limits, the news is much more encouraging.

This clip shares the story of a young Chinese white-collar worker who started the 100 RMB per week club, to make saving money fun.



I don't consider myself a big spender, but for me 100 RMB per day would be tight! That's about $15. However, it is feasible if you take the bus and subway, cook simple dinners with ingredients from the wet market, avoid expensive luxuries like coffee and cocktails, and, perhaps most importantly, hang out with people with similar financial discipline. (Hat tip to Rich Brubaker)

A Naked Man, Wal-Mart, and China's Course of Development

Email sent to friends and family, October 19, 2006. It inspired many responses, and I look forward to hearing your opinion

Ni hao jiaren he pengyou!
(That means, "Hello family and friends")

I hope this note finds you well.

Living in China has complicated my perspective on international development. It casts a different light on my experiences in Chile and my idealistic Berkeley education. I started thinking about this when I read that microfinance inventor Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize.

I heard Yunus speak at a conference in Chile, which I attended as part of my internship with Acción Emprendedora. Acción Emprendedora helps the poor build small businesses through entrepreneurship classes, one-on-one tutoring with college students, and access to microcredit loans. By facilitating the creation of handmade wooden toys, dried fruit shops, and costume workshops, Acción Emprendedora catalyzes capitalist development in Chile from the bottom up. Through my interviews and surveys, I came to believe that this is the best way to build a better world.

The other day, I came across a New York Times editorial which made me question this belief. John Tierney argues that Wal-Mart has been more important than microfinance in reducing global poverty. In Chile or Berkeley, I would have discounted it quickly, singing the praises of Acción Emprendedora.

But here, I think that Wal-Mart (and other companies that produce things in China for export) has made a huge difference in raising of living. Jiaxing is one of the richest cities in China's richest province. Its name means "Esteemed Prosperity."


Yesterday the sky was blue (a rare event in a place where 80% of the energy comes from coal) so I walked all around town taking pictures.


Most of my pictures were of ladies shocked at my minimal Chinese and funny Chinglish signs.



But there is one shot I just can't get out of my head.


An emaciated homeless man bathing in a city park fountain. His backside scraped and bloody. A police officer scolding him.

I've attached it, and I think it's worth more than a thousand words. Before export-oriented production, there were probably so many more men like him, starving and filthy. Now, China has more cell phones than there are people in the United States. Jiaxing's Wal-Mart (or val-a-ma as the locals pronounce it) opened a few months ago. The mall it anchors also has a Starbucks, a Dairy Queen, a KFC, and a McDonalds. I went there once. It sure looks like any mall in the Bible Belt. My boss was so proud when it opened that she rushed there the first day, only to find it too crowded to go inside.

People are obsessed with money. Everyone asks me how much money I make, from taxi drivers to hole-in-the-wall waitresses. When I plug in my iPod and speakers to play music for my class, I hear echoing whispers of "Duo shao qian?" (How much money?) Migrant workers from the countryside work ridiculous hours (10pm Saturday, 7am Sunday, etc) on construction.

Though my Berkeley side hates Wal-Mart, I do believe that it has brought many Chinese out of extreme poverty. I still idolize Mohammad Yunus. But now I see that there is no one-size-fits-all way to make this world a better place.

I want to know what you think about this. Please write back.

Love,
Leslie

Greetings from Beer Town, China!

From an email sent to friends and family, dated October 11, 2006, less than two months after my arrival in China.

I just got back from an exhilarating trip to Qingdao (which was spelled Tsingtao in an older transliteration system, and that spelling stuck for the beer.) I had a week off for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival Holidays. I think that traveling alone is the absolute best way to pick up a language. With few English speakers around, I had to strike up conversations in Chinese, at a level that surprised and impressed the locals (and myself.)

Now, when people ask me, "Do you like Bush?" I understand the question, and can respond, "No, I don't like Bush." I don't quite have the vocabulary to give a good reason, but it is a start. It is somewhat of a relief to be in a country where people are not accustomed to asking "why." More commonly I get asked, "Do you like China?" and "Do you like basketball?" And those are much easier to answer with gestures and a limited vocabulary.

One of my most often-repeated sentences was "Ni shi wo de zhongwen laoshi" (You are my Chinese teacher) even to small children. Everyone laughed when I said this, but I truly believe it. I had half of Shandong province teaching me vocabulary and applauding my Chinese.

With one of my many Chinese teachers, on a trip I took to a coastal landmark called Chengshantou with a Chinese tour group. I couldn't understand the guide's endless descriptions, which she said through a megaphone, but I did understand her when she spoke directly to me, since she asked very simple questions.

Qingdao is a charming and prosperous city, with some German architecture from when Germany colonized the area. The beaches were misty, and sometimes crowded, sometimes pristine. I strolled with a French friend I met in the hostel and we saw seriously 200 couples on the beach, in ill-fitting, rented white dresses and suits, taking cheezy wedding pictures with half-smiles and unnatural poses.

"You may kiss the bride!" Never mind that these photos are often taken several months before the real wedding, and printed as life-sized posters for the entrance to the wedding venue.

Couples waiting for their moment in the spotlight. The Mid-Autumn Festival is supposedly the luckiest time of year to get married, and everyone has the week off.

Reflections on Teaching

From an email I sent to friends and family, dated October 11, 2006 (slightly adapted):

Jiaxing University Front Gate

It's crazy for me to think that in the past five months I have gone from being a student of Latin America to a teacher in China. It is also the most empowering thing I have ever done. I did this simply by putting my mind to it, without any specialized training.

I love this picture because it brings together a game created in my home country (basketball) and an icon from my chosen field of study (Che Guevara) and the distinct pose so common in China (which would be called a peace sign in the US but means "victory" in China.)

It's the sixth week of school now, and I am on my third round of lessons. I only see each group of students every other week, so I can use the same lesson plans sixteen times before having to come up with something new. I do vary it, though, because I get bored repeating exactly the same thing.

my students on the first day of school

My first week's topic was ME. (Sounds conceited, but they were incredibly curious, and I stretched their questions into a full hour of role-play, in which they acted as me and my mother, wearing a hat and necklace I brought to represent these characters.)

My second week's topic was LOVE. This is a country of sappy love songs and Hallmark Card imaginations. We discussed and contrasted song lyrics... once I convinced the students to open their mouths. In one class I played a song, asked the students what they thought of it, and waited for an answer. Silence. Finally I called on the most talkative student in the room and asked what he thought. "Excuse me, teacher. I want to know what you think first." This is something that you could never get away with saying at Cal! Once I clarified that they could say the song was romantic, slow, fast, boring, interesting, etc. they started to talk a bit.

Neil Young's "Love is a Rose" inspired the most interesting comments. I had my brightest classes write metaphors in response. One of my favorites was: "Love is a cup of tea. If you smell it then have it slowly, slowly you will taste its sweetness and you'll be relax. You can smell its happiness..." (unedited, of course)

This week we've been discussing MONEY. I've been showing them American money and reading Shel Silverstein's "Smart." They love talking about money, but it is tough to start a substantial discussion because most of them are incredibly literal in their thinking. It's not just that they are practicing a new language. They have never been encouraged to develop their own ideas. Of course, there are some exceptions. My favorite classes are my Math and Fashion Design students. (The above sample came from a Math student named Apple.) My theory is that these disciplines require more creative abilities than, say, Accounting or Chemistry. Also, my Math and Fashion students are mostly girls.

girls staying cool and pale in the sweaty summer heat

One of the most entertaining parts of teaching is taking roll, since the students' English names are often hilarious: Banana, Wood, Fly, Drumdragon, Smile, Snoopy, Cookie, Orange (who always sits next to Apple—in at least 3 of my classes.)

flagpole in the center of campus

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting Quarterlife Abroad!

I am currently in the process of building this blog. It will contain all sorts of stories about young people living overseas. I plan to include sections on preparation, networking, relationships, cross-cultural communication, reverse culture shock, and similar topics. Lots of pictures too!

I will feature articles from friends both old and new who have spent their "me" years overseas. I have lived in China for the majority of my post-college experience, but I do not want this blog to be entirely China-focused. If you have any interest in contributing your stories let me know.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@leslieforman) or email me (leslie dot forman at gmail dot com.)

Cheers, and happy travels!
Leslie