Month: July 2012

Never Assume

Published on by Helen Martin4 Comments

Brands that we know and admire, light the skies and the tops of buildings around the world. When designers roll out the latest trends, whether we live in Sydney, Hong Kong or San Francisco, we’re all wearing the same great new looks within months of one another. Restaurant chains offer internationally acclaimed dining concepts and large multinationals and financial institutions offer international services. So, it’s safe to say that the world is becoming flatter every day and we’ve come to expect the same quality and breadth of services, food and experiences no matter where we are in the world.

Many years ago someone told me that I should never assume, as it makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’. Common sense really! However, you’d be surprised how many times we assume things every single day. I was reminded of this fact just the other week when I transferred money from my European bank account to my Hong Kong bank account. I hadn’t yet activated internet banking, so I went to the ATM daily to see if the funds had been transferred. Everyday, I became more and more frustrated since my bank balance hadn’t increased a penny. I assumed that the money would automatically be deposited into my savings account. Never assume. On calling customer services, I heard that the money had, in fact, been deposited, quite quickly, into a suspense account. The bank wanted to leave it up to me when to transfer the money to my savings account, based on the best rate of exchange. Logical really, but not so, when you’re expecting something else to happen.

Hong Kong is a bustling city and those brand names could fool us into thinking that the world is identical, no matter where we are in the world. Luxury brands line the streets of Hong Kong and extreme wealth and consumer optimism, gloss over many of this beautiful city’s problems which are left undiscussed and well-disguised. A week ago, I met Liz Chamberlain, director of the Samaritans. Samaritans is an organisation providing emotional support to people who are suicidal, or in general distress. As a European, one may assume that if you have a problem, that you discuss it with family or friends in the spirit of ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Not every culture is the same, so never assume. Many Chinese will not discuss issues with family or friends and they are then left to their own devices. Liz and her team are doing a sterling job to ensure that people in need are helped and in doing so reducing the numbers of suicides in Hong Kong. The Samaritans is always looking for great people who will give up some of their time to volunteer. Or you can donate to this worthy cause.

My move to Hong Kong has once again reinforced the fact that I have a lot to learn.  Ask more questions and never assume!

The Art of Integration

Published on by Helen Martin2 Comments

When I told people that I was moving to Hong Kong, they asked, “For how long?” I fully recognise that when business people move to foreign shores, that they often do so as expatriates and for a specified or unspecified period of time. Very often these same people do little to fit in. They continue buying their groceries from international brands, they eat in Western restaurants, they don’t learn much of the local language or culture and perhaps do nothing to befriend local people.

When you immigrate as a child, you are forced to fit in i.e. if you’re fortunate enough to be sent to a local school and not an international one. You soon make friends, learn a second language, learn a lot about local culture and feel very much at home. As an adult my move to the Netherlands was also pain free. I immediately started a Dutch language course and I avoided becoming a member of a British or South African Women’s Association. Through work, I soon became acquainted with Dutch nationals, who still remain friends today. 

With immigration, comes integration, or so I believe anyway. I prefer referring to myself as a ‘localised immigrant.’ Beyond professional networking associations, I actually try to avoid groups which may ostracize me from meeting local people. But, I was fortunate! A wonderful Chinese lady reached out to me through Linked-in (prior to my move) after I had posted an update which had inspired her. Neither of us, generally speaking, reach out to strangers through Linked-in, but we agreed that our professional backgrounds and ideals lent themselves to further investigation. When we met recently in Hong Kong, it was as if we had been friends forever. We attended a couple of courses together at the Hong Kong University, during which I have met three of her friends, and we all just know that we’ll be friends for a very long time. Was this just luck? Or, do you attract the people that you need in your life? Or, is it just so obvious, that if you attend activities that you’re interested in, you’re bound to meet like-minded people i.e. as long as you’re open to meeting other people. Remember, you are the visitor to the country and the locals don’t need to change for you. Would it surprise you to hear that we all have an interest in CSR? I guess not! 

This evening we had a fantastic meal in a place that I probably wouldn’t have dared go to on my own, just because I don’t speak Cantonese yet. I say yet, because that’s my next mission; to study the language and to be able to have conversation; no matter how badly I pronounce the words. This evening, I was also christened again as these lovely ladies took the time to discuss what my Cantonese/Mandarin name should be. More on that next time.

Our next step is to meet regularly in each other’s homes, which is entirely unusual for Hong Kong. Homes are small and people generally don’t invite strangers to visit. But, we all believe that if we cook for each other, we will get to know one another better and we can use the time to discuss important personal, CSR and business-related issues. 

So, how long will I be living and working in Hong Kong? Perhaps I’ll answer that question with “how high is up?” I don’t know? But given the fun I’m having, the number of friends I’ve already made and my fantastic new job at Cisco Systems, it could be for a very long time!