It's A Lot Like Banking

Manufacturing in China is a lot like a trip to the local bank.  All the waits, crowds, the responses and the communication level that you find in dealing with your vendor, you’ll also find in a basic window transaction.

Bustling

China is bustling.  There’s no two ways about it, good or bad, the place is rowdy.   It’s a developing nation, it’s changing faster than any nation has changed in modern times and currently it’s a mess.

Keep Your Cool_Part I

Before I moved to China back in 2001, I was under the impression that the Chinese were a very calm bunch.  I think many Westerners have this idea (stereotype?) in their minds of the solemn, stone-faced, cool-as-a-cucumber Chinese from the mysterious and ancient land.  Even the Chinese play this up;  they do teach to keep your cool in any and all situations.  A calm spirit is an admired spirit here and folks exalt this ability.  In comparing and contrasting Chinese to Westerners (again all from my worldview and time here spent), the Chinese themselves think and say that Westerners are emotional and excitable and Chinese are calm and logical. 

Chinese New Year Build-Up

For all practical purposes, it’s here.  The Chinese New Year;  Year of the Tiger is going out with a whimper and Year of the Rabbit is coming in hopping! 

JLmade’s last day at the office was last Friday.  A good portion of our team even cut out before then.  Those last few work days; we were organizing, prioritizing and planning for the post-New Year madness – “battening down the hatches” before the storm of yearly relaxation, you might say.