Employee of the Month -

Chen Arth

Chen grew up in the People's Republic of China and attended the prestigious Beijing University. She graduated with a BA in English and went on to graduate school to receive her first MA. Following graduation, she joined the Institute of Foreign Literatures, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences as an Assistant Researcher. Her happy pursuit of an academic career was interrupted when, after putting an abrupt end to the democratic movement highlighted by students' protest in Beijing, the Chinese government decided to send young college graduates away from the city. Chen spent more than six months in a remote mountain town where a six-hour bus ride, run twice a day, provided the only transportation to the nearest city. It was then that she applied to the University of Texas at Austin and in 1990 she left China for the Lone Star State to start her life anew as a graduate student in English. Working as a TA for the Department of English, she received her second MA two years later.

While still a student in China, Chen started working as a translator and interpreter, and continued during her stay at UT. In 1996, she started working full-time for the Ralph McElroy Translation Company in Austin and today, she functions as one of the senior proofreaders, a freelance translator and a Chinese consultant for the company. Recently Chen has been involved in the localization of the RMTC website to Chinese. She enjoys her roles and challenges at RMTC and looks forward to the upcoming Chinese launch. In her free time, Chen loves to read, go to movies and cook. She also enjoys swimming and can often be found at the Barton Springs Pool after work during the long hot Texas summer.

Happy July 4!

Fourth of July Celebrations Database was researched, compiled, and arranged by James R. Heintze. The following selection was borrowed from his compilation @ www.american.edu/
heintze/fourth.htm.

The aftermath of the recent national tragedy is one that calls for considerable reflection--where the country is and what the future may hold. We must be vigilant and strong. On July 4, 1830, Speaker of the House of Representatives Andrew Stevenson conveyed these words: "Our Union. The high and holy trust committed by our fathers: the only shield of civil and religious liberty. May it be immutable and immortal" (National Intelligencer, 21 July 1830, 3).

In fact, through the 235-year history of this country, Americans have acknowledged that it is of essential importance that we view ourselves as stewards of freedom for the generations of Americans to follow. Speaking at a 4th of July celebration in 1830 in Washington, D.C., Nathan Smith, a carpenter by trade and patriot in thought, said: "It is for us, fellow citizens, to watch over the sacred legacy of our venerated Fathers, and, when necessary, 'to provide other guards for the future security' of ourselves and our posterity. To restore, when impaired, our free institutions to their original strength and purity, and to guard them in future against the open or covert assaults of their enemies. To preserve those institutions pure and uncontaminated, amidst the dangerous and corrupting influences of those who, guided not by the spirit of virtue and patriotism, seek only their own personal interests and personal aggrandizement is a sacred and solemn duty which we own to ourselves, and to those who are destined to walk after us." National Intelligencer, 9 July 1830 , 2.

The following is excerpted from the "Put Your Best Foot Forward" series by Mary Murray Bosrock. These publications are available for the U.S., Asia, Mexico/Canada, Russia, Europe and South America. We have delighted in hearing from clients that  country highlights included in previous E-Buzz editions have been put to use in their business travel abroad.

China

The People

Deeply rooted in Chinese society is the need to belong and conform to a unit, whether the family, a political party or an organization. The family is the focus of life for most Chinese. Age and rank are highly respected. However, to the dismay of older people, today's young people are rapidly modernizing, wearing blue jeans and sunglasses, drinking Coke and driving motorbikes.

Meeting and Greeting

• Shake hands upon meeting. Chinese may nod or bow instead of shaking hands, although shaking hands has become increasingly common.
• When introduced to a Chinese group, they may greet you with applause. Applaud back.
• Senior persons begin greetings. Greet the oldest, most senior person before others. During group introductions, line up according to seniority with the senior person at the head of the line.

Names and Titles

• Use family names and appropriate titles until specifically invited by your Chinese host or colleagues to use their given names.
• Address the Chinese by Mr., Mrs., Miss plus family name. Note: married women always retain their maiden name.
• Chinese are often addressed by their government or professional titles. For example, address Li Pang using his title: Mayor Li or Director Li.
• Names may have two parts; for example: Wang Chien. Traditional Chinese family names are placed first with the given name (which has one or two syllables) coming last (family name: Wang; given: Chien).
• Chinese generally introduce their guests using their full titles and company names. You should do the same. Example: Doctor John Smith, CEO of American Data Corporation.

Body Language

• The Chinese dislike being touched by strangers. Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact.
• Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude.
• Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet.
• Blowing one's nose in a handkerchief and returning it to one's pocket is considered vulgar by the Chinese.
• To beckon a Chinese person, face the palm of your hand downward and move your fingers in a scratching motion. Never use your index finger to beckon anyone.
• Sucking air in quickly and loudly through lips and teeth expresses distress or surprise at a proposed request. Attempt to change your request, allowing the Chinese to save face.
• Chinese point with an open hand. Never point with your index finger.

Corporate Culture

The Chinese are practical in business and realize they need Western investment, but dislike dependency on foreigners. They are suspicious and fearful of being cheated or pushed around by foreigners, who are perceived as culturally and economically corrupt. It is very difficult to break through the "them vs. us" philosophy (foreign partner vs. Chinese). In personal relationships, the Chinese will offer friendship and warm hospitality without conflict, but in business they are astute negotiators.

• Punctuality is important for foreign businesspeople. Being late is rude. Meetings always begin on time.
• Business cards are exchanged upon meeting. Business cards should be printed in English on one side and Chinese on the other. Make sure the Chinese side uses "simplified" characters and not "classical" characters, which are used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
• English is not spoken in business meetings, although some Chinese may understand English without making it known. Hire an interpreter or ask for one to be provided.
• Be prepared for long meetings and lengthy negotiations (often ten days straight) with many delays.
• The Chinese will enter a meeting with the highest-ranking person entering first. They will assume the first member of your group to enter the room is the leader of your delegation. The senior Chinese person welcomes everyone. The foreign leader introduces his/her team, and each member distributes his/her card. The leader invites the Chinese to do the same.
• Seating is very important at a meeting. The host sits to the left of the most important guest.
• There may be periods of silence at a business meeting; do not interrupt these.
• A contract is considered a draft subject to change. Chinese may agree on a deal and then change their minds. A signed contract is not binding and does not mean negotiations will end.
• Observing seniority and rank are extremely important in business.
• The status of the people who make the initial contact with the Chinese is very important. Don't insult the Chinese by sending someone with a low rank.
• Chinese negotiators may try to make foreign negotiators feel guilty about setbacks; they may then manipulate this sense of guilt to achieve certain concessions.
• Two Chinese negotiating tricks designed to make you agree to concessions are staged temper tantrums and a feigned sense of urgency.
• If the Chinese side no longer wishes to pursue the deal, they may not tell you. To save their own face, they may become increasingly inflexible and hard-nosed, forcing you to break off negotiations. In this way, they may avoid blame for the failure.

Dining and Entertainment

• Dining is used to probe positions without any formal commitment. Business is generally not discussed during meals. Meals are a vehicle for indirect business references.
• The Chinese are superb hosts. Twelve-course banquets with frequent toasts are a Chinese trademark.
• The Chinese sponsoring organization generally hosts a welcoming banquet. Foreign guests should reciprocate toward the end of their visits. Invite everyone with whom you have dealt.
• Always arrive exactly on time for a banquet. Never arrive early for dinner. This implies that you are hungry and might cause you to lose face.
• Spouses are not usually included in business entertaining, however, businesspeople may bring their secretaries.
• Be prepared to make a small toast for all occasions.
• The first toast normally occurs during or after the first course, not before. After the next course, the guest should reciprocate.
• Three glasses -- a large one for beer, soda or mineral water, a small wine glass and a stemmed shot glass -- are at each place setting. The shot glass is the one used for toasting.
• It is not necessary to always drain your glass after a ganbei (bottoms up), although a host should encourage it.
• Do not drink until you toast others at the table. Chinese consider drinking alone to be rude. Simply raising your glass and making eye contact is sufficient. If you are toasted, sip your drink in reply.
• A toast to friendship among companies will help cement a business relationship.
• Unless you are totally drunk, it is not advised to refuse a drink. Sipping your drink is perfectly acceptable.
• Leave some food on your plate during each course of a meal to honor the generosity of your host. It is bad manners for a Chinese host not to keep refilling guests' plates or teacups.
• Seating is very important. The guest of honor is always placed at the head of the room, facing the door. Allow the host to begin eating before joining in.
• Do not discuss business at dinner unless your Chinese counterpart initiates it.
• Slurping soup and belching are acceptable. Cover your mouth with your hand when using a toothpick. Put bones, seeds, etc. on the table, never in your rice bowl.
• Chopsticks are used for all meals. Tapping your chopsticks on the table is considered very rude.
• When finished eating, place your chopsticks neatly on the table or on the chopstick rest.
• When hosting, order one dish for every person present and one extra. In addition, order rice, noodles and buns. Soup usually comes at some point during the meal. The host should tell his/her guests to begin eating a new dish before he digs in himself.
• The host (the one who invites) pays the bill for everyone.
• If you are the guest of honor at a dinner, leave shortly after the meal is finished, as no one will leave before the guest of honor.
• Breakfast meetings are rare, but you may request one.
• Guests are rarely invited to a Chinese home. It is an honor to be a guest. Be on time or a little early for an invitation, and take a small gift.
• Bedrooms and kitchens are private. Don't enter these rooms unless you are invited to do so.
• All dishes are served at once in a home. The host will place portions of each dish on guests' plates. Sample each dish.
• Rare beef is considered barbaric by the Chinese.

Dress

• Conservative, simple, unpretentious, modest clothing should be worn -- nothing flashy or overly fashionable.
• Women should avoid bare backs, shorts, low-cut tops and excessive jewelry.
• For business, men should wear sport coats and ties. Slacks and open-necked shirts are generally suitable in the summer for business meetings; jackets and ties are not necessary.
• Women should wear dresses or pantsuits for business and should avoid heavy make-up and dangling, gaudy jewelry.

Gifts

• Present a gift with both hands. Gifts are generally not opened upon receiving. Always give a gift to everyone present or don't give gifts at all.
• Older Chinese usually refuse a gift at first to be polite. Offer a second time.
• Never give a gift of great value until a clear relationship is established. This would cause embarrassment and may not be accepted. Never give gifts in sets (i.e., dishes), but never in sets of four (a number associated with death).
• Avoid white, which is symbolic of death, especially of parents, and black, which symbolizes tragedy or death.
• When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the hostess, such as brandy, chocolates or cakes.
• Be prepared to exchange a modest gift with your business colleagues at the first meeting. Not giving a gift could start a business meeting off on the wrong foot.
• Always give gifts to each member of the Chinese delegation that meets you in the order in which they were introduced. Suggested gifts: cigarettes (especially Marlboro and Kent), French brandy, whiskey, pens, lighters, desk attire, cognac, books, framed paintings. Give more valuable gifts — like cellular phones or small CD players — to senior level people.
• Give a group gift from your company to the host company. Present this gift to the leader of the delegation.

Helpful Hints

• Chinese find "no" difficult to say. They may say "maybe" or "we'll see" in order to save face.
• Always refer to China as "China" or "People's Republic of China," never as "Red China," "Communist China" or "Mainland China."
• Always refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan" or "Province of Taiwan," never "China," "Republic of China" (the name adapted by the Nationalist forces after they fled to Taiwan) or "Free China."
• Do not in any way suggest that Taiwan is not part of China.
• Show respect for older people. Offer a seat or right of way through the door to a colleague or older person as a polite gesture.
• Return applause when applauded.
• Refrain from being loud, boisterous or showy.
• Do not be insulted if the Chinese ask personal questions such as "How much money do you make?" "How many children do you have?" or "Are you married?" Just change the subject if you do not want to answer.
• Asking about divorce would cause a Chinese person to lose face.
• Forcing the Chinese to say "no" will quickly end a relationship.
• Never say or act like you are starving and don’t ask for a doggy bag.
• Most Chinese women don't wear wedding rings. Don't assume marital status.

Especially for Women

• China is a difficult place for anyone to conduct business. A woman may gain acceptance, but it will take time and will not be easy.
• China is a male-dominated society. However, there are many women in business in China and some occupy high-ranking positions and important managerial jobs. One of the principles of the Chinese communist system is to work toward sexual equality.
• Negotiating teams may have women members. Women may be used to decline unpopular proposals.
• Businesswomen attend business dinners, but rarely bring their spouses.
• Chinese women rarely smoke or drink. However, it is acceptable for Western women to do so moderately.

World Cup News

As this edition of E-Buzz goes to press excitement is mounting as the June 30 World Cup Final approaches. Germany is "in" and will face the winner of the match between Brazil and Turkey. From http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com we offer the following World Cup perspectives.

HISTORY:

No other sporting event captures the world's imagination like the FIFA World Cup. Ever since the first tentative competition in Uruguay in 1930, FIFA's flagship has constantly grown in popularity and prestige.

A group of visionary French football administrators, led in the 1920s by the innovative Jules Rimet, are credited with the original idea of bringing the world's strongest national football teams together to compete for the title of World Champions. The original gold trophy bore Jules Rimet's name and was contested three times in the 1930s, before the Second World War put a 12-year stop to the competition.

When it resumed, the FIFA World Cup rapidly advanced to its undisputed status as the greatest single sporting event of the modern world. Held since 1958 alternately in Europe and the Americas, the World Cup broke new ground with the Executive Committee's decision in May 1996 to select Korea and Japan as co-hosts for the 2002 edition.

Since 1930, the 16 tournaments have seen only seven different winners. However, the FIFA World Cup has also been punctuated by dramatic upsets that have helped create footballing history - the United States defeating England in 1950, North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966, Cameroon's emergence in the 1980s and their opening match defeat of the Argentinean cup-holders in 1990....

Today, the FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadia.

After all these years and so many changes, however, the main focus of the FIFA World Cup remains the same - the glistening golden trophy, which is the embodiment of every footballer's ambition.

GERMANY CELEBRATES

Germany’s surprise appearance in the FIFA World Cup™ Final has unleashed a tidal wave of enthusiasm across the country, the like of which has not been seen since they last lifted the trophy 12 years ago.

Tens of thousands of fans in dozens of towns watched on big screens in squares, bars and cafés as Germany overcame Korea Republic 1:0 in the semi-final in Seoul.

The final whistle was the cue for celebratory processions of cars and a deafening chorus of horns, just as there was after the quarter-final success over the USA. People waved flags in jubilation, celebrating with cries of “Finale, Finale” and “Rudi, Rudi”, in appreciation of the German coach. Even the worlds of business and officialdom virtually ground to a halt as people took time out to gather round a TV screen.

One of the biggest crowds in Germany was at Hamburg fish market, where police estimate around 50,000 fans collected in front of a huge screen to enjoy the action. In another part of the city, St. Pauli, the authorities estimate that some 20,000 gathered in the Spielbudenplatz to do likewise. When Michael Ballack knocked in the winning goal in the 75th minute, the screams could be heard for kilometres around.

Fans also came together in Berlin and Hanover to get behind the German team. The Sony Center in the capital saw 3,000 fans assemble, including mayor Klaus Wowereit. His colleague in Lower Saxony, Sigmar Gabriel, stood amidst a sea of black, red and gold flags in the Opernplatz in Hanover, temporarily abandoning his official business as Prime Minister. There were similar scenes in other major cities such as Munich, Dresden and Leipzig.

At the Kieler Woche sailing event in Schilksee, people packed in front of anything resembling a TV screen. But not all of the sailors could watch the game – they had a competition of their own to take part in. The German team’s victory also triggered scenes of joy at the CHIO, the world’s largest horse racing event in Aachen. However, Sunday’s final is set to cause problems for the organisers. The most important race of the meeting is due to clash with the 13:00 local kick-off time.

The working day in Germany was severely affected by the semi-final. Just before midday on court number 5 of the Federal Court of Justice in Leipzig a verdict was reached in a case that would usually take until early afternoon. Some of the biggest building sites in Berlin such as the Palace of the Republic came to a standstill, despite the trade unions and building companies agreeing special rates of pay. Workers brought their own TV sets so that they would not miss out on the party.

A test carried out by Hamburg agency “achtung!kommunikation” found the press spokespersons at 90 out of 103 firms unavailable. The telephone was not even answered at 29% of companies, whilst in 51 percent of cases, the spokesman was either “in a meeting” or simply not available.

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