— DANGER TO THE PLANET

   (Monday, 17 November 2008 23:00)

 China is the world's second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the most polluted cities in the world. China's own State Environmental Protection Administration has reported that 400 out of China's 661 cities consistently fail to meet minimally acceptable air quality standards.

Car and motorcycle traffic is i [...]

— WEST vs CHINESE TERMIATION NOTICES

   (Friday, 14 November 2008 23:00)

Three different approaches to fire a staff, purely based on my personal observation - a lighthearted joke.  

An American boss would say, "This report is lousy. YOU ARE FIRED"  

An Englishman boss would say, "Thank you for you the report. However, it does not meet my expectation." The staff will then get a [...]

— WHO HAS THE SAY

   (Thursday, 13 November 2008 23:00)

The decision making of a board member is very different from that of a senior manager. I have experiences in these two capacities. Being a board member, I could comment on items to which I feel I have to draw the board's attention. Even if I feel strongly about a certain issue and the collective decision of the board may not be to my liking, I will have [...]

— RULE OF MAN

   (Saturday, 08 November 2008 23:00)

China has a reputation as a police state. It has an inflexible one-party system. Ordinary people have no voice, no choice and no legal recourse to any injustice that they perceive they may have suffered.  But strangely enough, local businessmen in China often feel that China is a lawless country. They very often do exactly [...]

— UNWELCOME ETIQUETTE

   (Wednesday, 05 November 2008 23:00)

 Talking about cultural differences between the West and China, I would like to describe my experience to illustrate such differences.   One of my female Chinese colleagues in the Hong Kong office, who was born and brought up in Hong Kong, hated to shake hands or have any body contact with men. Whenever we met customers coming from the West, [...]

— Walk tall

   (Sunday, 02 November 2008 23:00)

Walk tall; make an effort to walk straight (when I've picked up an unnerving ‘waddle' from the family line that I never knew I had); walk with confidence. Kung fu can teach these things. Walking tall comes from simply knowing I've been training and feeling great about it. A short stature (5'3" or 1m 61) is no obstacle to at least feeling tall, even if I never was. Walking straight comes from awareness; walking with confidence, ditto. Confidence comes from knowing you're more able [...]

— PLAY HIDE

   (Friday, 31 October 2008 23:00)

 China is often seen by  Western countries as mysterious, inscrutable and sometimes difficult to deal with. The language, culture and the diversity of the people plus the vastness of the country invariably bring about a culture shock to the many western businessmen when they visit China to do business there. To take an active interest in the [...]

— Learning the real meaning of respect

   (Friday, 31 October 2008 23:00)

When learning a martial art, the state of mind must change. Instead of "I can't," it needs to be "I have to," because it could one day be literally a matter of life and death. Also, to be a good martial artist, practice is vital, or little can be achieved in any real sense. Sometimes, especially during training when muscles are aching, or when trying to build up discipline to train - properly - alone, this thought process and determination is easier discussed than realised [...]

— MANAGING HOSTILITY AT WORK

   (Friday, 24 October 2008 23:00)

I have a friend who belongs to a profession and works in a small professional office. She would never understand why the office manager, who is a relative of the boss, is so hostile to her. She survives [...]

— LEAD FROM THE FRONT

   (Wednesday, 22 October 2008 23:00)

  I have been away on holiday and have not done any writing. Now that I am back and busy clearing my backlog, I will write something short.

— DOUBLE FACES

   (Saturday, 11 October 2008 23:00)

Facial expressions provide the key to people's feeling. Therefore what appears on your face will show how you feel.

Acting fair on the table during business negotiations will definitely gain you the trust of your customer. As you ma [...]

— MARKET SURVEY ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS

   (Wednesday, 08 October 2008 23:00)

Further to my last commentary on the topic 'no free lunch', which was based on the 'discreet' manner in which market research was conducted, let me talk about the importance of [...]

— NO FREE LUNCH

   (Tuesday, 07 October 2008 23:00)

I have been invited to an event entitled 'FACING THE CHALLENGES, What lies ahead for the future leaders and entrepreneurs of the United Kingdom and China'. I had accepted the invitation not because it was hosted by a royalty and a prominent businessman, but because I expected i [...]

— PRECAUTION

   (Friday, 03 October 2008 23:00)

— LACK OF DEDICATION ALINATES CUSTOMERS

   (Wednesday, 01 October 2008 23:00)

It has always been reported that this company were struggling with their sales. They subsequently re-created their images by producing different lines of clothing and commissioning new models. They definitely realised th [...]

— SELFISHNESS AGAINST SELFDEFENCE

   (Tuesday, 30 September 2008 23:00)

When I was walking in Oxford Street yesterday, I saw a lady throw a ball of paper in the street casually. Later, when I was in a shop, a shop assistant rushed past me, knocking my shoulder She did say sorry (to me, I suppose), when she was several feet away from me and her head looking ahead.

When I was travelling in my car today, I saw tiny nut shells being thrown out of the window of the c [...]

— THINK OUT OF THE BOX

   (Monday, 29 September 2008 23:00)

I was astonished and fascinated by the way in which some Yoville (a game in the Facebook) participants have designed their apartments. They displayed so much creativity and innovation which are original and beyond imagination. In the game, we are p [...]

— September is back to school and back to work

   (Friday, 12 September 2008 23:00)

September is back to school and back to work if you have taken a long break in August. If you are studying or you have children who are at school, then here is a feng shui tip to help with academic achievement:
 
This year 2008, Rat Year, the annual energies associated with academic achievement comes to your home form the north-east direction. Place a pretty pen holder with four pens or pencils in the north-east sector of your home to boost this energy. In September, the monthly e [...]

— All 8's at the Olympics and Top Tips for a Summer Party

   (Monday, 11 August 2008 23:00)

Did you see the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on 8 August 2008, at 8pm Beijing time? Many of you will know that for Chinese people the number 8 is highly auspicious. I also checked the date using Chinese Astrology (Four Pillars) and Feng Shui (Xuan Kong) and guess what? A very good date indeed, more to it than just all the 8's. I am hoping that at the closing ceremony the torch gets passed on at an auspicious moment to the next Summer Olympics in London.

My dad (who w [...]

— Face the Future

   (Wednesday, 02 July 2008 23:00)

We have been enjoying some lovely sunny days in June and I noticed that we have already moved into July! This morning it was hot and close and by afternoon the dark clouds burst forth with a cooling shower. In the evening as I looked out of my office window whilst chatting to a dear friend on the phone I noticed a rainbow form and fade. If only I had my camera to hand! I love rainbows and it was amazing to watch the colours on this one brighten in the evening sky.  That flicker of colour [...]