International exchange

The next step

01/01/2017 Consulting International business

As my consulting business in China became busier and projects for both the PRC central government and local government offices increased, a number of people pointed out that some of my blog posts could be taken as somewhat anti-Chinese. As a result, I decided to take a break from posting for a while. Fast forward four years . . . I originally established a consulting company in China in order to accomplish the following. Study the Chinese language Establish and run a company in China Better understand the lifestyle and customs in China Learn about the differences between the tax laws and normal business practices in Japan and China Experience …

Nationality is irrelevant?

04/11/2011 China Chinese people International exchange

Having grown up in the UK, graduated from universities in both the UK and Greece, having visited more than thirty countries, spent extensive periods of time in Nepal, India and Thailand before arriving in Japan, having started and managing companies in both Japan and China, having lived in Japan and China for a total of about twenty years, having studied seven languages, and having been married to somebody with a different nationality for more than a decade, I thought I had come to the conclusion that a person’s nationality—something assigned to them when they are born, and totally beyond their control—is even less relevant than their favorite color. But, . …

Survival game in the PRC (Qingdao)

02/14/2011 International exchange Qingdao

Apart from it being cold, and half of the organizers being Chinese ex-military, the scary thing was that this was in a normal park with people walking their dogs or going for strolls with their kids.

JIMTOF is international?

12/30/2010 Cheap translations International business Japan

While my company translates a broad range of fields, a lot of my own translation work involves machine tools, machining centers, and related technology. So, when the “Japan International Machine Tool Fair” is held, I try to attend. Not only is it a good way to meet up with a dozen or so clients in one day, but I also get to see the latest developments and technology. This year I flew out from China (just two nights) to Tokyo for the event. It seemed a lot to do for an exhibition, but it is only held once every two years. The usual players were there and, unfortunately, many of …

Renting a room

09/15/2010 China International exchange

Back in March when I decided to have an employee from my Japanese company stay here in Qingdao for three months (August to October), I searched for a suitable room for him to live in. Three months is too long to stay in a hotel, but not long enough to rent a room for a year. So, we eventually settled on a room in a large house about fifteen minutes from here by bus. The room had its own on-suite bathroom, and the common toilet was just next door. The location was good, and the price was reasonable: 1,500 RMB per month, plus 50 RMB a month for water and …

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