21 March 2008 Miscellaneous musings
Weird and Odd musings, observations of a rather eccentric individual in Asia:

1. The shortshifting taxi cab drivers do inside China makes me cringe. They must go through gearboxes at a high rate, trying to keep the fuel mileage up. Absolutely crazy driving in every other aspect (no rules about lights, lanes, pedestrians or bikes, and ultimate speed), but it is a rare bird indeed that takes his engine over 2,000 RPM. Most shift around 1,500.
   
2. Every good and viable company I have run across here in Asia and in the US has people at its core that care about the people that work around them. My data set is primarily with sub 100 employee companies or plants, but many of them. Those people that tie together those around them, keep people working together, keep attitudes and activities pointed in the same direction, are the glue in any organization. They tend to be peacemakers and allow the gentle side to be exposed in a dog eat dog environment (called manufacturing, in my instance). These people might or might not be the managers, but they certainly are leaders, and 'inheritors of the earth' in ways most 'managers' would not want to admit. Time after time I have seen the peacemakers pushed out by managers perceiving a complacency that is anything but, only to have a given project or organizational unit implode on itself after. It sounds funny hearing myself say that, as I tend to be aggressive by nature, but it is absolutely true.
3. I went to a funeral yesterday, for a good friend's dad (Hong Kong citizen). I was reminded yet again the differences that are forced on cultural procedures due to population density!
   
1. You can't get a funeral room to conduct the ceremony for upwards of 30 days.
2. The funeral building I went to had 5-6 different rooms per floor, 6 floors high, 2-3 funerals per room per day. The crematorium was next door. Can you say MACHINE?
3. The staff moving the bodies in and out of the rooms were in t-shirts and polo shirts, on the move between rooms constantly.
4. As the ceremony I was in drew to a close, the staff came in and took down all the signage and decorations unique to that ceremony, well before everyone had left, and started to work on the next ceremony's decorations!
4. As another indication of population density and transportation efficiency/frequency here, seating in the train and MTR stations is almost non existent! It eliminates loitering; there is no need to stay in the stations for more than 2-3 minutes.
5. Boy, am I stretching myself in terms of business development in Asia. Having never done this, I can see where my skills fit well, but it is still the first time for me, and my head regularly swims figuring it all out. I am blessed having this opportunity, and I hope and pray I do it more than justice. 4 months into it, I am just starting to enjoy aspects of it, as opposed to really struggling to keep my head above water and figure out exactly how things will get done.
   
6. As well, the family is really stretching and learning, in ways that are not obvious to anyone at times. It can and is very stressful at times, but perseverance brings about other character qualities, as well. Keep moving :) My wife is a real trooper, no two ways about it. I love you, D!