China Journal Entries
Saturday May 10, 2014
Today, Jasmine and I flew from LAX to the Hong Kong International Airport. Our flight was delayed
three hours and ended up leaving the airport at 4:30 PM. Jasmine and I sat next to a Los Angeles
native who makes art for a living. He was traveling to Hong Kong for an art show. After talking to
him for a bit, I watched the movie Her on the plane, which turned out to be very weird and
uncomfortable. Because of the bad weather in Hong Kong, our plane had to land temporarily in Tai
Pei to refuel, which was rather frightening. This caused a thirteen-hour flight to turn into a sixteenhour flight. We finally made it to Hong Kong around midnight. When we arrived, Linda and Nick
were waiting for us and took us on the bus to the hotel. We finally checked into the Kimberley Hotel
around 1:00 AM.
Sunday May 11, 2014
After breakfast at the Kimberley Hotel, we walked as a group to Harbor City and wandered around
in the mall. There were a lot of high-end stores, as well as more common American stores such as
Toys R Us and food choices such as KFC. We then went to Causeway Bay and looked at the city-like
atmosphere. After visiting Causeway Bay we ate lunch at a small Chinese restaurant, which was my
first true Chinese meal. After lunch, a few of us traveled to the “Ladies Market” and viewed small
goods and knick-knacks sold by local vendors. We then traveled to a nearby Starbucks and noticed
the menu differences between the traditional American Starbucks and the Chinese Starbucks. After
finishing up at Starbucks, it began to rain, causing us to miss the light show at the Avenue of Stars.
We walked back to the hotel and turned in for the night.
Monday May 12, 2014
Today was our first company visit. We rode the bus to JCPenney and viewed the process in which
its clothing items are designed and produced. There was a timeline set up in the back of the room
that demonstrated the journey a single pair of shorts takes to become a finished product. Aspects as
small as the color of a button or the size of a zipper can make a huge difference in the finished item.
After learning about the timeline of a product, we were shown how products that do not meet the
proper requirements are reconstructed to fit the needs of the consumer. After the company visit,
Conrad, the host at JCPenney, took us all to a group lunch across the street. Once we finished lunch,
we headed to Ocean Park to hear Paul Pei speak. He talked to us about sales and demonstrated
some of the tactics he implemented that helped Ocean Park survive once Disney made its mark in
Hong Kong. By adding Halloween and other holiday events at Ocean Park, the amount of visitors
increased to numbers that had never been reached before. After his speech, we walked around
Ocean Park. Bill, Ben, Kevin, Jasmine and I took the cable car to the top of the mountain and saw an
amazing view of Hong Kong. We then walked around to various exhibits such as the panda exhibit
and the aquarium and rode the Hair Raiser roller coaster on the side of the mountain. In line for the
Hair Raiser, an Ocean Park visitor took my picture conspicuously with both the flash and the sound
on, like she had never seen an American before. This was my first weird experience where I truly
felt like a foreigner. After departing Ocean Park, we went to the Avenue of Stars and saw the light
show. Later, we had a group dinner and Kevin ate most of the food.
Tuesday May 13, 2014
We started our morning with a visit to DFS. Here I learned about the different types of stores DFS
operates - the airport shops as well as the nicer upscale gallerias. One of DFS's marketing
employees also discussed different tactics the company uses to draw in customers. We visited a
nearby DFS store and saw the different luxury brand stores, as well as the DFS lounge for members
who spend far too much money at their stores. We then headed to group lunch. We ate at a cheesy-
trying-to-be-fancy location with a "Congratulations" wedding sign on the wall. Various dishes were
brought to us including a type of chicken, which after biting into, I realized was not chicken. After a
strange group lunch experience, we traveled to Dick's Sporting Goods. Here we learned the
differences between hard and soft lines as well as the licensing process of different products. After
leaving Dick’s Sporting Goods, we made our way into Mainland China. We had to take all of our
luggage out of the bus on two separate occasions around ten minutes apart. I thought I was going to
die. When we finished going through security, we all checked into the Shangri-La Hotel. After
checking in, a few of us went to the 360 Lounge and Bar at the hotel and saw an amazing view of
Shenzen.
Wednesday May 14, 2014
In the morning we traveled as a group to the local knockoff market. It was around 5 stories high and
packed with hundreds of stores. The majority of these stores sold fake Beats by Dr. Dre, Apple
devices, and various knockoff purses and wallets. The owners of the shops followed us around,
(sometimes even two or three floors around) in order to force us to buy products. We quickly
grabbed McDonalds before heading out to the Umbra store visit. Henry, a product designer at
Umbra gave us a detailed explanation about the design and development of Umbra's products.
Some of the major products he touched on were the cut out chair design, as well as the paper towel
holder stick figure design. After Henry's presentation we traveled approximately an hour away to
the Umbra factory. This gave us a better idea of how Umbra's products are made and stored. We
were able to see many different curtain rods produced, as well as how they are assembled. After the
factory visit we traveled to a Hot Pot restaurant and swam at the hotel pool.
Thursday May 15, 2014
After checking out of the Shangri-La, we visited the Brown Shoe Company. The presentation given
was primarily about China as a whole, but also touched on what defines Brown Shoe as a company.
Our presenter gave us a tour of the offices and showed us various materials and accessories in
which some of their shoes have been constructed. He also took us into a room with a variety of shoe
samples so that we could get a better understanding of the finished product. After the visit, the
presenter and his team took us to a Thai restaurant in the local mall and showed us some of the
Chinese products that resemble American products, such as TOMS. He then took us to a sketchy
DVD shop and a room packed full of fake purses in the back of the 16th floor of a local mall. After
that strange experience, our group headed to the Chimelong Circus. There were many acrobatic-like
performances, as well as animal appearances by bears, goats, monkeys, and a tiger. After checking
into the Chimelong Hotel, a few of us walked around the hotel and saw the flamingos and three
white tigers.
Friday May 16, 2014
We began our day by checking out of the Chimelong Hotel and loading our luggage on another bus.
We headed out to the US Commercial Service, where our presenter discussed the company's
business model. I learned that the US Commercial service acts as a link to small/medium sized
Chinese companies that wish to invest in the United States. They are also heavily involved in
Chinese education and allow Chinese students to study abroad at American universities. After this
visit, we had group lunch. The most memorable experience during this group lunch is that Kevin ate
black chicken feet and that the tofu had meat in it. When group lunch ended, we went to a street
market in Guangzhou. We saw many vendors trying to sell various grains and nuts, as well as fish,
scorpions, starfish, and seahorses. Walking down the street we saw many kittens and puppies in
cages. When a Chinese consumer wanted to purchase one of these animals, they were placed in a
plastic grocery bag. After finally leaving that awful street, we walked around and visited local
stores. My favorite ones were those with the bad English translations, such as a store called, "Name
Pants City." Walking down the street I was stared at by many Chinese people who acted like they
had never seen a white person before. It probably didn't help that I was walking with a group of
four Chinese students. Before dinner, I quickly ran to McDonalds to eat McNuggets, just in case my
only dinner option would be squid or chicken feet. After group dinner we headed back to the
Double Tree Hilton, one of the nicest hotels in which I have ever stayed.
Saturday May 17, 2014
After having breakfast at the hotel, our group rode the bus to the Yat-sen Memorial Hall. It was a
beautiful building with a lot of history inside. We then went to the Chen Clan Academy. This was a
very open and outdoor visit with amazing architecture. We then went to the mall and ate Brazilian
food, to my surprise. A black lady who was wearing sunglasses inside kept singing various Michael
Jackson songs. After our meal, we traveled to the Chimelong Group. Chimelong is made up of a
safari, water park, circus, and amusement park. I learned that the water park is the easiest to
operate because the season is short and the investment is lower. When we returned to the hotel, it
was pouring down raining. For dinner, I ended up walking in the rain to Beijing Road with Jasmine,
Bill, and Kevin to Pizza Hut. It was delicious.
Sunday May 18, 2014
Today was a free day. I slept in and later, went with Bill, Shannen, Kevin, and Jasmine to meet up
with Bill’s aunt and uncle. They took us to the top floor of the Canton Tower. From the top of the
tower you could see an amazing view of Guangzhou. After our tour of the Canton Tower, we went as
a group to a nearby lunch restaurant. It was such a nice place that you could even drink the ice
water there. When we finished lunch, we went to a nearby mall and walked around. Like many
other malls we have visited in China, it was packed full of stores that I cannot afford. It was still
interesting to see the shopping preferences of the Chinese consumers. After visiting the mall, Bill’s
aunt and uncle dropped us back off at our hotel. Shannen and I then took a three-hour nap and at
8:00, we decided to venture to KFC by ourselves. Surprisingly, we made it to KFC without getting
lost and were successfully able to order food for the first time without the help of Bill.
Monday May 19, 2014
Today we checked out of the hotel and headed to the Starwood Call Center. While at Starwood, we
listened in on a complaint call from a Chinese-speaking customer. We also shadowed a lady who
replied to any e-mails or WeChats a customer might send. Afterwards, Starwood hosted a great
lunch of pizza, pasta, and dessert that did not consist of red bean. We then departed Starwood and
traveled to an advertising agency called Y&R. Bill had to translate most of what the Y&R employee
said, and we were shown a strange commercial with various animals nursing. From the Y&R office,
we took the bus to the airport, and almost missed our flight to Shanghai. I sat next to Cindy on the
flight and learned all about her life. Upon arriving in Shanghai, Jasmine, Shannen, and I ate at a
nearby Irish Pub for dinner. We had cheese sticks, fried shrimp, and a margarita pitcher for dinner.
Tuesday May 20, 2014
We had a free morning, so Kevin, Jasmine, Shannen, and I traveled to the Shanghai Museum to look
at some of the exhibits. We really wanted to visit the Jade Buddha Temple, but because of Putin and
the Summit, it was closed. After the museum, we traveled to the City Supermarket and had lunch
with the founder. The City Supermarket has its own farm in which it grows the store’s vegetables
and meat in Shanghai. The store had four levels: the first floor for fresh produce and take away
food, the second for dry groceries, third for family accessories, and the fourth was a buffet, where
we ate lunch. This supermarket is primarily for higher income Chinese consumers. Prior to the visit,
we returned to the hotel. After a short rest, Jasmine, Bill, Kevin, Shannen and I explored the fourstory Forever 21 and ate another delicious dinner at Pizza Hut.
Wednesday May 21, 2014
This morning, we traveled to the Baosteel factory in Shanghai. We had to wear hardhats and it the
temperature in the factory was unbelievably hot. It was interesting to see the steel being made and
watching it travel across the plant. A Baosteel worker gave us some information about the company
on the bus, but it was very difficult to hear. After the Baosteel visit, we went to a group lunch at
Pizza Hut. This was my third visit to Pizza Hut during this trip. Afterwards, we visited a company
called Online Design LTD. A man from Holland greeted us and immediately told us by our first
impressions if he would hire or fire us. He was quite intimidating, but I learned how valuable first
impressions are to an employer. They are still quite a small company, and produce coats and
tailored goods for stores such as Mango and Zara. The man’s wife was the designer, Maureen. She is
currently working on her own collection, which consists of hand-painted garments from various
designers around the world. On our way back, we made a stop at a Burberry store to see how they
have implemented technology such as iPads into their store to make shopping more user-friendly.
The employees followed us around the entire time and remained inches away, in fear that we
Americans were going to steal something. After catching up on some rest, we went to dinner with a
lawyer who practiced in Shanghai.
Thursday May 22, 2014
This morning, we traveled to Jack Wolfskin and met an employee named Josh Pearlman. He
primarily discussed the Chinese economy as a whole. He told us that in order to understand
business, you must understand the culture of the country in which you are working. This company
is Europe’s largest outdoor store and operates 1,200 different stores. After Jack Wolfskin, we ate at
a Japanese restaurant in the mall. We then traveled to UCCAL, a fashion group. Edward, a creative
director, informed us of how the middle class is constantly growing. Those born in the late 80’s and
90’s are the primary drivers of the Chinese luxury market. UCCAL began in 1999 and has acquired
brands such as Jockey, Calvin Klein, and Nike. We returned to the hotel, and around half of our
group went to the Shanghai River Cruise to see the buildings from the water. When the river cruise
ended, Bill and I ate Carl’s Jr. and we headed back to the hotel.
Friday May 23, 2014
Today we checked out of the hotel and headed to Outback Steakhouse for a company visit. At
Outback we met with Alex Zhou, along with three other Outback employees, including a girl named
Jessie who had studied abroad at UF. Alex informed us that Outback plans to change its Chinese
menu in August to include more food that fits the taste of the Chinese consumers, as well as the
presentation and portion size of the food. There are plans to open Fleming’s, a sister company of the
Outback chain, in China as well. We were served delicious food from Outback and then headed to
the train station to catch the train to Beijing. The train ride was five hours long, so Shannen and I
watched a movie called Monte Carlo and tried to sleep. When we checked into our hotel it was late,
so Jasmine, Bill, Kevin and I ordered pizza in the lobby restaurant.
Saturday May 24, 2014
This morning we had breakfast downstairs and then headed off to the cultural visits of the day. We
followed Alice, our tour guide, to Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City. The weather was
rainy and the sky was foggy, which was disappointing for sightseeing purposes. But regardless of
the weather, the buildings were very unique and completely unlike anything I have ever seen
before. The Forbidden City was much larger than I ever could have imagined and the buildings had
so many intimate details on them. We had to rush through the Forbidden City in order to make it to
the Great Wall on time, but it was still a great experience. We then got back on the bus and made the
hour and a half journey to the Great Wall. Bill and I rode on a ski lift to the top of the Wall. It was the
most scary/exciting thing I have ever done. It was hard to see beneath us because of the fog, but it
was still pretty scary being that high up with not much from keeping us from falling out. When we
reached the Great Wall, Bill, Jasmine, Kevin, Lesley, Shannen, and I walked around for a little bit.
Although it was foggy, you could still see a little bit of the Wall from afar. It was thrilling to be able
to say that I have been to the Great Wall of China. After awhile we took the ski lift down and I
bought hand-painted glassware and some carved stamps from vendors outside of the Great Wall.
When we returned to the hotel, Shannen and I ordered room service off the kid’s menu and fell
asleep after a long, eventful day.
Sunday May 25, 2014
Today was a free day, so we slept in and Shannen and I grabbed breakfast in the lobby downstairs.
We then went to a ramen restaurant in the China World Mall, so that Bill, Jasmine, and Kevin could
eat. When we were done, we headed to the Temple of Heaven. Kevin, Shannen, and I took a taxi to
the Temple and thankfully arrived at the same time as Jasmine and Bill. The Temple was extremely
crowded, but reasonably so. The buildings were all extraordinary. It is amazing how much detail is
even put into the ceilings of some of these buildings. After the Temple of Heaven, we walked around
a mall that was nearby our hotel called The Place. We walked back to the hotel after a while and
took a nap because no one was feeling well. Later that evening, Jasmine, Kevin, Bill and I went to the
ramen restaurant for the second time that day to celebrate Bill’s birthday.
Monday May 26, 2014
Today we visited the Beijing Hyundai Factory. We watched a short video about the history of
Hyundai in China, and learned that its beginnings were in 2002. We were given a headset to listen
to the tour guide of the factory. She did not speak very good English, so it was difficult to
understand what was going on in the factory. After the factory visit, we ate at a nearby Indian
restaurant. We then visited a senior care center called Right at Home. They provide medical
services to seniors who prefer to live at home rather than a care facility. The best hospitals in China
are always extremely busy, so this makes it easier for those in need to good care. After Right at
Home, we returned to the hotel. Shannen and I watched Across the Universe and I fell asleep. Later
that night we went to the Ramen place in the mall for the third time for dinner.
Tuesday May 27, 2014
This morning we took the bus to go visit a company called 51Ants. 51Ants acts as a middleman
between the supplier and local convenience stores. The business model was rather confusing, and
no one spoke English, so it was difficult to ask questions regarding the company model. We then ate
a somewhat suspicious lunch in the company cafeteria, and Lesley taught me how to use chopsticks.
Afterwards, we headed to the Olympic Park. We visited the location where Olympians who won
gold medals were interviewed and saw the outside of the stadium. Afterwards, we visited an
underground mall located at the Olympic Stadium. Later, we met with Dr. Xia who worked for the
Beijing Science Park. When we finished our three company visits, we took a subway back to the
hotel. Bill, Shannen and I went and ate at a noodle restaurant and shopped around on a street
known as “Ghost Street”.
Wednesday May 28, 2014
After hotel breakfast, we went to JD.com for a company visit. This was a really interesting company
that began back in 2004. They are currently expanding their products and services to include such
things as hotel reservations and rental car bookings. We then ate a delicious group lunch at a
nearby Greek restaurant. Alice called it “western food”, which I guess makes sense if you live in
China. After our visit, we traveled to Perry Ellis. Although we did not learn much about the
company, we learned a great deal about meditation. We then got back on the bus and traveled to a
nearby Laundry store in the mall, a brand owned by Perry Ellis. When we left the mall, we took the
bus to our final group dinner of the trip. We ate Peking duck. When I say we ate Peking duck, I mean
Kevin and Bill ate Peking duck. It was a great end to the trip, and was definitely a bittersweet time.
Thursday May 29, 2014
This morning I woke up at 5:30 AM in order to check out of the hotel and leave for the airport.
Jasmine and I got in a taxi around 6:30 and arrived at the airport at 7:00. We had to print out our
boarding passes at the American Airlines counter and of course I was chosen for the random
extensive security check. Our plane departed around 10:00 AM to Chicago and the flight took
approximately thirteen hours. We arrived in Chicago at 9:45 AM on May 29th, so it seemed like we
hadn’t traveled at all. Around noon, I flew from Chicago to Atlanta. Once landing in Atlanta, I got on
my third and final flight to Panama City Beach. I arrived home at around 6:00 PM. It was so strange
finally leaving China and knowing that I would no longer be with the same group of people I had
been with for the past month. It was an amazing experience and something that I will treasure
forever!
Reflective Experience Paper
Three weeks, five cities, and over twenty company visits later, I finally arrived home
from China. This whirlwind adventure will be something that I will never forget, and I am
still in disbelief that it actually happened. I learned so much along the way, not only about
international business, but also about myself. This was definitely the trip of a lifetime.
After an extra long flight from LAX (we made an unscheduled stop in Tai Pei to
refuel because of bad weather) we began our journey in Hong Kong. Hong Kong, a very
westernized city, was an easy transition for us - coming from America. Our tour guide for
the entire trip, Linda, met us at the airport with our Hong Kong city tour guide, Nick. This
was the routine for each city – Linda would remain with us, while our city tour guide
changed with each place that we visited. During our stay in Hong Kong, we were able to see
well-known locations, such as Causeway Bay, Harbor City, and the light show at the Avenue
of Stars. We also experienced our first company visits here, such as JCPenney Sourcing
Office, Ocean Park and DFS. Each location allowed us to learn a variety of things. For
example, the JCPenney tour demonstrated how complicated it was and the numerous steps
involved to produce a single pair of shorts. This set the tone of the trip because we were
able to know what to expect from our visits, as well as the appropriate questions to ask. It
was also a treat in that we were able to visit the amusement park at Ocean City and take
advantage of the various exhibits and rides. Our stay in Hong Kong was sadly short-lived,
but we were all anxious to see what was in store for us in our journey throughout China.
Shenzen was our next stop. Travelling into the city of Shenzen was eye opening in
that we were stopped and searched twice within about a ten-minute timeframe. Because
this city is in Mainland China, we were able to witness how many typical Chinese residents
lived, compared to more wealthy classes in Hong Kong. During our stay, we visited Dick’s
Sporting Goods and Umbra, a housewares company that produces for retailers such as
Target. At Dick’s Sporting Goods we learned the differences between hard and soft lines, as
well as the licensing process of various items. We were also able to tour the Umbra factory,
which gave us an idea of how millions of products are made in China every day. Touring
Umbra also made us realize the large numbers of Chinese citizens who make a living
working long, tiring hours in the factory.
The next location on our journey was Guangzhou. Here we visited companies such
as Brown Shoe Company, U.S. Commercial Service Office, Chimelong Group, Starwood Hotel
Call Center, and Y&R. These five visits were all very different and each one taught us
something new about international business. It was interesting to see the various materials
and accessories used in producing a pair of shoes at the Brown Shoe Company. We learned
about the U.S. Commercial Service’s business model and at the Chimelong Group, we
discovered that the water park was the easiest of its divisions to run. The Y&R advertising
agency visit proved to be quite interesting, but the Starwood Hotels was one of my favorite
companies throughout the trip. The team members here taught us a great deal about
customer service, as well as what it takes to have a successful business model
internationally. Guangzhou was also the place of our first cultural sightseeing adventure,
where we visited Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the Chen Clan Academy and the Canton
Tower.
My favorite city of our tour was Shanghai, our next stop. The Shanghai City
Supermarket, Baosteel, Online Design Ltd., Jack Wolfskin, UCCAL Fashion Group, and
Outback Steakhouse were all companies visited during our stay in Shanghai. Wearing
hardhats and enduring high temperatures, we actually toured the Baosteel factory and saw
firsthand how steel was made. I also enjoyed the Outback Steakhouse visit, because it was
interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the American and the
Chinese Outback. The reason that I preferred the city of Shanghai over the other stops was
because it reminded me of a big, exciting city such as New York City or Chicago. It was
bustling and filled with tall buildings, bright lights, and endless opportunities for
entertainment.
The final stay on our trip was Beijing. Here we visited Beijing Hyundai, Right at
Home, 51ants, Olympic Management Center, JD.com, and Perry Ellis. My favorite company
in Beijing was JD.com. JD.com is a very popular company in China, and had just officially
gone public within days of our arrival. It was also interesting to watch the cars being built
at the Hyundai factory, and standing in the presence of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium.
The cultural visits in Beijing were easily some of the highlights of our journey. Tian’anmen
Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall were all amazing to
see. The intricate detail and architecture that went into these sites were extremely
beautiful and unlike anything I have ever seen before. I will also never forget how terrifying
it was to ride the ski lift up to the Great Wall, viewing the landscape so far below me.
Standing on the Great Wall and looking at the thousands of miles it continued on in the
distance was incredible. I am still in shock that I was fortunate enough to have been
immersed in the culture of China and to have experienced those amazing sites.
Unfortunately, Beijing marked the end of our trip, and it was time to say goodbye to our
home for the past month and return back to the United States.
I never pictured myself traveling to China, especially not with a group of people I did
not know very well. I can honestly say that this was a life-changing experience for me, and
something I will remember forever. I learned a great deal about international business and
realized how much opportunity China holds in the business world. Being a part of this
study tour and visiting a variety of companies reassured me that the business field was for
me. I loved noticing how different the lifestyle was in China compared to that of the United
States. The food, houses, businesses, and general lifestyle were completely different from
that of America. Although I learned a lot on this adventure, one of the most important
things I took away from this trip was that I saw a change in myself. The people that I barely
knew a few weeks previously had become close friends to me. By spending three weeks in a
foreign country, where I spoke and read zero Chinese, ate unfamiliar food, and had unique
experiences with new friends, I learned that I could truly do anything I put my mind to.