Today I learned a lot about corporate culture here, and how it differs from North America. I may have already mentioned that the company expects you to live, eat and breathe the job. I should also mention the extreme side of this is seeing the company host group weddings, which, I'm not going to lie, scared the SHIT out of me. A wedding branded under the company's name, plus an entirely free gift registry...but would anyone really want that? I guess there are, because there were dozens of couples in the photos I saw.

Anyways that's besides the point. There is a lot of social structure at the company that keeps various 'ranks' apart. It seems a little disturbing to me, that people 'only play with their own kind'. I realize this happens in more corporate environments downtown TO or anywhere else, but to have that division really disturbs me. Really, what do you have on someone else other than experience, and anyone can gain it simply by being on the planet longer, or being willing to learn. The next thing I need to comment on is the age thing. It really seems that unless you are a bit older here, you cannot gain respect. I am more 'middle of the road,' but there are several younger people to which older people simply say 'oh they are too young to know' without ever finding out if they actually are.

I learned another thing...you need to go through several ranks in communication before you reach the 'person at the top'. i.e. you aren't allowed to approach higher ranking people directly, you can only do that through their assistants or lower ranking people. It feels a bit like the army in that respect.

Today I did my first presentation at the company. It was for clients from the UK, and it was done in a glass boardroom, of which there were--I want to say--20 people. I wasn't too nervous, but I did find out afterwards I had violated some important 'Chinese' business rules. First of all, you go around the table and shake everyone's hand. Afterwards, you give them your business card *with both hands*...not casually flicking it out of your wallet (oops). The next thing is, the clients always sit on the side with the windows, and the hosts always face across from them. Lastly, it seems that when it comes to Q & A, it's a free for all. Our company was grilling the client, and even got out of our seats (not me, other people) to ambush them for marketing figures. To a Westerner, it was strange to see, and I could see the English people were quite taken aback.

It is very very interesting working here, and I'm wondering each day how many cultural rules I'm breaking. I'm also told, here, no one bothers to 'be polite'...just "turn on the AC if you're hot, don't ask if it bothers someone else--that's a Canadian thing," I'm told. I also learned you shouldn't use the washroom unless it's lunchtime or break time--or an emergency. You shouldn't eat at your desk, because it's improper. It's ok when everyone talks in a foreign language in front of you and you have no idea what they're saying, because it's 'normal'. Hmm what else... oh yes, the lunch 'nap time'....people here gulp their food so they can run back to their desk and nap. Wow, I am clearly not well-versed on Chinese culture at all. But I am learning...

To come, I will write a commentary on the differences between China and HK culture--because, despite popular belief, the two are exorbitantly different things...and yes, I am learning that because my family background is HK, it doesn't qualify me as "Chinese knowledgeable" for where I'm living...more on that to come.