international experience-tasly pharmaceuticals

Tasly Pharmaceutical Ltd.

Tianjin, China

Summer 2015

By: Jose Echevarria

Table of Contents

Tasly Pharmaceutical Ltd. 1

Interning at Tasly 5

SWOT Analysis 7

Adventures in Tianjin 11

Academics at TJFSU 19

What I learned 30

TaslyPharmaceuticalLtd.

1

This summer I had the pleasure of Interning at Tasly Pharmaceutical Ltd. in

Tianjin, China. I am a young Latino male from Connecticut who has never left my

country, the United States except for on a few brief occasions to the Caribbean. As most

would expect this experience was very new and exciting for me both professionally and

to my personal life. Being in China was a grand experience as I was able to see for my

own eyes what form the effects of the economic growth takes in person. I was able to see

the development of many businesses and the rapidly increasing quality of the

infrastructure. The scale of many businesses was large compared to American businesses

and the number of online shoppers outnumbers those in the United States by a large

amount indicating that it is the future of businesses in China. I learned much about the

people and their culture.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: is a set of natural herbal remedies unique to the Chinese

culture and practiced for thousands of years by many faithful consumers to the

effectiveness of such medicines.

Tasly Pharmaceutical Ltd.

Tasly Pharmaceutical is a large company based in Tianjin that creates Traditional

Chinese medicine products along with other projects. The size of the headquarters was

overwhelmingly huge and in my time there I was still not able to see all of it perhaps not

even half. I believe that the size itself shows how successful the company has come to be

from its humble beginnings. Indeed Tasly has cultivated the Chinese people’s

appreciation for their traditional medicine in attempts to keep its pureness but advance its

effectiveness. The products are made from pure ingredients only condensed in forms easy


2

to consume unlike many other pharmaceutical products around the world. The aim is to

benefit users while skipping on the side effects that are common in many medicinal

products. Tasly through these methods has been a huge success in the Chinese market

and popular with people of all ages.

We were introduced to four Traditional Chinese Medicinal products in the form of

capsules for our assignments. The first of these products was the Pro heart Plus

compliments a healthy diet and aids in improving blood circulation. The next is called

Re-Memory Plus a capsule that aims to counter the affects of memory loss common is

people ages 45-49 that on average decline 3.6% in memory retained. This product

promotes a strong memory, which then in term supports more clarity, focus and

concentration. Immunotain Plus is the next product, which strengthens the immune

system and is created by utilizing valuable properties of the reishi mushroom. The last of

the DeePure capsules is the Energy Power Plus which has yet to officially launch on the

Tasly website but nonetheless we were able to try and was also part of our assignments.

As the name implies the product is meant to give the users a kickstart in energy and is to

be used to compliment a meal.

Asides from the traditional Chinese medicine products they are also the holding

group for other products such as Guotai liquor a form of baijou or traditional Chinese

spirit, which is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages to consume. Many people

may find themselves at a business dinner toasting the drink in celebration for an

accomplishment with their fellow employees chanting “gambei!’ as a toast. Asides from


3

business dinners many elderly and some young people partake in drinking baijou with

their friends for recreational purposes.

Finally, Tasly also introduced to us their DeePure tea and their own brand of

water. The DeePure tea is a form of Pu’er tea (hence the name), which is conveniently

sold in cans for fast and easy consumption. Pu-erh tea is one of the most popular teas in

China and I myself was treated to drinking it freshly made on multiple occasions by both

my hosts at Tianjin Foreign Studies University and during breaks in my Tai Chi course.

Indeed the tea is very popular and in my opinion great tasting even unsweetened. Tasly’s

DeePure tea was also being introduced in powder forms for those customers that wish to

mix a packet of the product in their water bottles or perhaps boil it into a pot in order to

drink it hot as most Chinese people prefer to drink their tea (and drinks in general). The

Tasly DeePure water did not seem like anything special at first although it was very

smooth and refreshing however the process the water goes through before being bottles

and distributed is a unique one. All of the water used for distribution must always come

from one specific mountain located in the northern mountainous regions of China. This

water is special because the water is then placed in a stasis where the molecules are

maintained smaller than typical water molecules, which are then more quickly and easily

absorbed into the body’s cells. In fact this is why the label sports the phrase cellular

vitality. I believe that this high quality water could be a huge international success

however, as of now Tasly is not planning on distributing this product Internationally

because of the limited source of its origin. The most similar product I know of is Fiji

water, which is extracted from a natural aqueduct in the Fiji Islands. Fiji water however,


4

IS distributed internationally, which spurs the thought in me that it may perhaps be

possible to do the same with the Cellular Vitality water from Tasly in the future.

The rest of the products will be the focus for this analysis because they also hold

potential for breaking through in foreign markets and Tasly is planning on ways to

introduce them to both American and European markets. It is important to know that all

of Tasly’s products undergo six qualification stages in order to ensure the highest quality

and integrity. These six practices are: good agricultural practice, good extracting practice,

good manufacturing practice, good clinical practice, good laboratory practice and good

supply practice. It is important for Tasly to make sure all of their products are created

from all natural non-chemical products that can be manufactured in a constant sustainable

quality. To ensure this Tasly has top professionals and manufacturing equipment to

deliver on these requirements.

InterningatTasly

5

Interning at Tasly

As mentioned before it has now become the commonly increasing trend for

Chinese consumers to purchase most of their desired products in online shops therefore it

was important for Tasly to make sure that their site was in good shape for customers to

order from. This being a major factor in their future success Tasly asked us the interns to

help renovate their website to make it more attractive and convenient for consumers to

use and order products. We helped not only give design suggestions for easier navigation

but also gave suggestions on how to let people know that Tasly is an option for those that

do not know of the company. We also helped renovate their international site for

costumers in the United States. We fixed many grammar mistakes and simplified

descriptions of each product, as many literal translations are unappealing due to run-on

details.

Product:

Our major assignment as interns in at Tasly was to split in two groups and help

them think of ways to break into the United States market. My group was tasked with

doing so for the DeePure capsule line mentioned previously. For this assignment I was

brought back to many concepts I had learned in my Marketing 201 course, which covers

a broad spectrum of marketing concepts. It required me to think as a consumer. I had to

ask myself: what would make these products appealing to me? Using marketing research

methods we were able to think of applicable ways to help execute a strategy.

Place:

For starters we planned on marketing our products to the top 20 health conscious

metropolitan areas in the United States. Some cities included were Seattle, Boston,

InterningatTasly

6

Hartford, Washington D.C (number 1), Baltimore, Miami, San Francisco, San Diego, Los

Angeles and more. It makes sense to start off in the most health conscious cities because

many people would be more willing to try new health products such as the DeePure Plus

line. By hitting these areas with these products there is a bigger chance of succeeding

highest sales possible on introduction. As for places to distribute it was best to do so in

heavily populated Asian areas of the United States as the products are Chinese and they

may play a key role in popularizing the products. As sources of distribution we chose

Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, CVS, Fitness clubs and spas. Another idea was to have

vendors at Kiosks in local malls to distribute the products while summarizing their

benefits. These places are ideals for for people in search of these products. Many people

visit Vitamin Shoppe and GNC in search of products to compliment their workout

routines and overall nutrition, which is why these places may be useful.

Promotion:

In order to promote the products we thought it best to feature them in home,

health and fitness expos, morning TV shows, health magazines, discount labels and

doctor recommendations. One other way they can utilize is multi level management or

network marketing in which customers can either sell products to others for promotion or

simply choose to purchase them for themselves. This strategy builds a chain of people

who will then become aware of the products and their benefits while spreading the

knowledge to others through their own experiences. These are fit for penetrating the

United States market successfully with the DeePure Plus capsule line. I think many

Americans would see the benefit of using daily supplements knowing that they do not

InterningatTasly

7

have to fear any side effects. One strategy I learned in marketing 201 is to place these

DeePure brand products in an exclusive section where people may be attracted to similar

to how many can see a cardboard stand branded with Tostitos brand products in super

markets. This draws customer attention and may draw them to ask questions about the

products and their benefits.

Price:

As for price Tasly would not disclose their planned retail price however in

comparison to the typical health supplements we thought customers would be

comfortable with paying $10-$25 depending on insurance implications for each bottle of

the DeePure Plus line.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

Tasly has strengths that it utilizes and may work to the benefit of their

international plans for the future. For starters all of their TCM products are natural and

that gives them an advantage, as consumers will have access to products beneficial for

their health without the common side effects. Tasly also has undergone inspections by

the FDA and is in process of completing different stages. It takes many years for products

to be officially licensed by the FDA however Tasly’s products look to yield promising

results. The products are also manufactured and created with the most modern

technological methods showing that quality is a high priority. Consumers will be

comfortable knowing that their Tasly products will provide them with top of the line

results. The TCM products are also made in easy to consume forms for convenient daily

InterningatTasly

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use rather than taking the raw materials and preparing them at home. Tasly’s products

can be taken every day and will cause no harm. The products are useful for preventing

and curing diseases so if taken daily one can expect to live a healthier than normal

lifestyle. It is also important to note that Tasly has a diverse product line which not only

include TCM but the spirit known as baijou which has its own health benefits with

moderate consumption. Baijou helps clear the blood of toxins and improve blood flow.

The DeePure tea also has the potential of breaking into foreign markets with similar

success as green tea has. As green tea grew in popularity many brands such as Lipton

started to make their own for distribution. It is possible that the same may happen with

Pu’er tea but with Tasly as a flagship representative for the style of tea it may retain its

place as the most popular brand to buy from. Heart disease has been the leading cause in

American deaths for many years and an advantage that Tasly products has is that many

prevent such illnesses from becoming a problem for common users. I believe Tasly has

the potential to use their strengths and even improve on them as they learn more about

their future target markets and the consumers they consist of.

Weaknesses:

Along with their strengths Tasly has a few weaknesses as well worth mentioning.

For example although registering the products to be approved by the FDA is a good thing

it still is only undergoing the testing fazes and because it will take a long time to be fully

approved consumers may look to products that are already approved to get their

supplements. Tasly will also be an unknown foreign brand to Americans and Europeans

and there will need to be a level of trust and prestige built before it can solidify success.

InterningatTasly

9

Although the products being natural and not having side effects sounds attractive to

health conscious consumers many others will be skeptical since the typical products they

already buy may work faster. TCM products are meant to be taken with patience so that

consumers may feel the results gradually as opposed to many chemically manufactured

drugs that are designed to cure immediate ailments. These factors can all contribute to a

bad run in foreign markets for Tasly but if marketed well can be flipped on their heads.

Opportunities:

Tasly has many opportunities in the American market because there are no known

TCM companies in the United States. They also have the opportunity to market their

products against chemically manufactured ones in order to show potential consumers that

they are the healthier option in the long run. They can steer American towards choosing

naturally made medicines over chemically made ones. Another good chance is that the

products can be taken daily and without side- effects, Tasly has the opportunity to market

to both children and adults as potential consumers. Another opportunity is to provide

sponsorships and endorsements while perhaps even having celebrity users become

ambassadors for the brand. After breaking the ice with their introductory products Tasly

may gain the opportunity to market the rest of their products in the United States. I

honestly believe that Tasly has the potential to differentiate them and become successful

in a country like the United States that is becoming more and more health conscious.

Threats:

InterningatTasly

10

With the opportunities also are threats to bear in mind for Tasly. One such threat

is the existence of already established brands, which hold a “go to” place in the minds of

many consumers. For example when someone has a headache or pain they often either go

or purchase a well-known brand like Advil or Tylenol, which have fast acting results.

Tasly may also invest in advertisement however the fees are expensive and if

unsuccessful may prove to be a waste. As Tasly’s products are foreign they have the

potential to be more expensive which may cause consumers to look past the product for a

cheaper option. There are already established products that try to do what Tasly does and

it may be a bit of an uphill battle for Tasly in the market. Although, the market for dietary

supplements is growing it is at a small rate and will be the largest factor to take into

consideration for Tasly. They will have to decide if they think it is worth breaking into

the market in the first place or not at all.

AdventuresinTianjin

11

Adventures in Tianjin

I had the pleasure of experiencing a month long trip to china with five other

college students from the United States. The students’ names were Sydney Einstein,

Mason Powers, Jenna Braca, Alexandra Castro and Kate Scewczyk. All group members

were from the states of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey with two from each state.

Sydney, Alexandra, Jenna, and I went to Tianjin through the program offered at

Quinnipiac University where we attend whereas Mason and Kate were two students from

Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Through this trip we were able to interact with each

other and discuss our experiences. We had many fun times during our experience in

Tianjin along with the pleasure of working on assignments together and learning how we

each think. We had good times and rough times but no matter what we always supported

each other when it came down to it. We prevented each other from getting into trouble or

even getting ripped off at vendor shops when bargaining. Overall I appreciated

everyone’s company on this journey that I won’t soon (or ever) forget. I am happy to

have had this experience with my group. I will now commence to elaborate on my time

spent in Tianjin but first I must mention that I have met many people in my short time in

China and therefore some names will be left out due to me forgetting. I respect everyone

who I had the pleasure of meeting through this experience and am eternally grateful.

China is a country holding up to 5000 years of recorded history, the longest of any

country in the world. Before having taken my trip to Tianjin for my internship at Tasly

Pharmaceutical I had preconceptions of China that were based on western perceptions

AdventuresinTianjin

12

and representations. I had imagined China being a very tradition driven culture with

people using ancient gestures. Of course what we see in the United States of China are

martial arts movies, stories of boys being preferred over girls (causing mistreatment) and

of course communism. I had so many expectations of witnessing how these things are put

into play in the everyday lives of the Chinese people. As it turned out all of these

questions I had were forgotten because that land that I pictured in my head did not exist.

Tianjin was in many ways similar to New York in the way that it was very modern and

had a dense population. There were taxis everywhere and stores on every corner. There

were large-scale buildings and people walking dogs as if it were a western country. Many

buildings were built European style and maintain a long history. There were many banks

and fast food places such as MacDonald and KFC seemingly endlessly. The modern parts

of the city were balanced out with lakes and ponds decorated with traditional style

architecture for locals to relax and go on walks or paddle boats. Chinese people young

and old like to stay active and you will see many of them hanging out in groups.

Describing my experiences in China can often be difficult because it is if I had

lived another life in the month that I was there. There were so many diverse activities that

my group and I were involved in daily from sightseeing, shopping, traveling, going to

restaurants and much more. Overall my experience was amazing and I can say that it was

my first time ever being out of the Americas and for that reason I thought it was best for

me to have experienced this journey on the other side of the world.

AdventuresinTianjin

13

From our arrival until it was time to depart and end our journey I had this feeling

of never having really accepted that I was in China. It was an experience that was so new

to me that a part of me could not accept it. Even now as I write this I reminisce on my

time there and how it felt like a dream. I would really enjoy going back to Tianjin

someday perhaps in the next two years. We first arrived to Tianjin foreign studies

University 3 hours after leaving Beijing. It was a long drive and many of us were

exhausted. Professor Gao met up with us in the recession hall and briefed us on our living

quarters and how to make the stay less difficult. We were accommodated extremely well

especially compared to Chinese students as we were assigned hotel rooms on the top

floors of the building. We received a university card for entering our rooms as well as a

meal card similar to a Qcard in its function. After being briefed on our living details we

were let go to rest. I had an adrenaline rush all night from being in such a new place that I

instead went outside the dorm to call my parents and let them know that I was safe and

sound. I told them how excited I am and after a few exchanges of words and sentiments I

hung up the call. It wasn’t long after that I started to make friends the same night I

arrived. They were international students from Italy, Iran and France who were very nice

and invited me to go sightseeing. I quickly went upstairs to invite mason and the girls as

well with all of them too tired except for Mason. It was then that we got to see how

miraculous the city life is in Tianjin. It was totally the opposite of what any of us

expected. We had much fun talking to the international students and learning why they

themselves were at the university. We told them we were only there for a month and they

promised to help us have a good time.

AdventuresinTianjin

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I did not feel uncomfortable at all interacting with the Chinese people. For the

most part Chinese people were helpful even if they did not speak English. I was able to

get by in shops and small restaurants by just using my basic knowledge of Mandarin.

Many of them were impressed by my pronunciation, which I accredit to me already

knowing two languages. The few practical phrases were enough to get me by. At shops I

would only need the phrase “duo shao chen” (how much money?) and the memorization

of numbers to make successful interactions. However, many shop vendors expect tourists

and carry a calculator on hand to crunch in the numbers anyway. Vendors were very nice

for the most part and in one instance one had returned a bad I accidently left behind while

I was purchasing refreshment on Culture Street in Tianjin. One thing that may disturb

visitors to Tianjin may be the odors of trash, waste and pollution that persist. Many areas

towards the central part of the city are kept clean and appealing to the eye however, many

back roads commonly hosting lower class locals are not renovated and may carry these

bad smells due to the accumulation of waste from small businesses and homes in the

same spot. We came to find this out on our many trips to a local fried chicken shop

behind the University which me and Mason nicknamed “la de bu la de” or spicy and not

spicy because it is the way we ordered out chicken sandwiches there. The street was

nicknamed stinky street by international students for obvious reasons however the food

was so good we could not resist. There were no road rules or at least it seemed as such

because crossing the street is dangerous. Pedestrians do not have the right of way and

crossing the street resembled a game of Frogger for a beginner. However I was able to

learn and eventually cross on my own confidently.

AdventuresinTianjin

15

Perhaps my favorite place to visit in Tianjin was a coliseum-like complex in

which many European style restaurants and shops were located in a circular area.

There was a joint restaurant called Smoki’s, which served American food on one side and

Italian food on the other. The food and service was great and the group and I enjoyed a

nice dinner there. Some other activities we did in Tianjin were visiting the Silk Road and

dinosaur museums. Both were intriguing experiences especially the Silk Road in which

we viewed many ancient pieces of Chinese architecture and art many of which had

ancient forms of Chinese written on them. We tried many different foods popular among

the Chinese including steamed dumplings, pot stickers and hot pot. The dumplings and

pot stickers quickly became a favorite for us however the hot pot made us feel some

concerns because it was basically a pot with boiling water in which many ingredients of

choice are tossed in leaving an unhealthy broth behind fir the next items to be put in.

Nonetheless we enjoyed the foods and the generosity offered to us by Professor Gao and

our guides.

During our stay we also were taken on short tours to both Boeing and AirBus in

Tianjin. Tianjin being the large city that it is caused out transportation to both companies

to be around 2 hours each. The tours however lasted no longer than 30 minutes. This was

disappointing for me because we did not get to learn as much as we would have liked but

it was certainly interesting seeing planes being pieced together at AirBus plus we

received a small walk around tour at Boeing which showcased some advanced

technology used on the planes for effectiveness and cost-cutting. We also received

another tour of a Chinese food company that sells cooking oils ad other products for

AdventuresinTianjin

16

homes. On this trip the Chinese students from out University came along and we got to

get to know them as well on the trip to the factory.

Chinese students are very hard working individuals that take their family’s honor

very seriously. Most students still attending the universities do not partake in nightlife

since it is forbidden to be outside of their dorms past 11:00pm. For this reasons many

choose to be solely dedicated students. From my observations I gathered that the rules

were stricter towards females. Girls were not allowed to dye their hair, paint their nails or

pierce their ears. Some mentioned that Professor Gao himself forbid them from doing so

and although their was no consequence they still chose to respect him by obeying. Most

of our guides were girls and they were very sweet and helpful to us. I think the group

would agree that our guide Lillian was most dear to us. She spent almost everyday with

us at dinner and assisted us in bargaining at shops making sure we got the best prices.

When we were offered to participate in an activity we would not hesitate to ask professor

Gao if she could come along. Another of our guides who was a great friend to us was

Tony who accompanied us to work at Tasly everyday and took us to eat Hot Pot and

massages. All of our guides were great people and I hope that they live great lives if I do

not get to see them again. They truly made this experience a special one.

Shanghai was to be a major highlight of my experience in China, Unfortunately

due to the cost and bad weather as well as time for transportation me and Mason had

decided it was not worth it to go to Shanghai and luckily we did not regret out decision.

AdventuresinTianjin

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Instead we got the opportunity to experience a Buddhist temple. The temple was beautiful

and had many shrines each containing a different Buddha to pray to. I was able to

purchase a bracelet prayed on by a priest, which I have been wearing everyday since.

Near the temple was conveniently located the riverside mall. The riverside mall was by

far the largest mall I have ever seen in my life. In the mall were stores familiar to

westerners as well as some original brands. What shocked me is that as dense of a

population in Tianjin as there is there were virtually no people at any of the stores. As it

turns out most Chinese people nowadays prefer to do most of their shopping online which

is predicted to cause major problems for distributors in stores.

Asides from getting tours and becoming friendly with Chinese students we also

got the opportunity to interact with international students from Iran, Italy, Cuba, Florida,

U.K, Japan, Spain, Russia, France and South Korea. The international students were

helpful in teaching us a few useful phrases in Mandarin but they also showed us around

Tianjin to some good restaurants and gave us insight on how it is that they manage to be

away from home for so long. It made me realize that a life in China is achievable for a

foreigner and quickly sparked an interest in me to perhaps do the same once I graduate

from Quinnipiac University. Surprisingly the international students at Tianjin Foreign

studies University weren’t much different than American students. They are typically a

few years older than their American counterparts of the same age it seemed. However,

they did like to enjoy the nightlife when they had the chance to get away from their

studies, which seem difficult due to the fact that most classes are taught in Mandarin.

AdventuresinTianjin

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Thus students must balance keeping up with the language while learning material

pertaining to each class.

AcademicsatTianjinForeignStudiesUniversity

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Academics at TJFSU

Marketing (Day 1):

Asides from all of the exploring and fun we had in Tianjin we also were given

lectures and classes that were both interesting and relaxing. Our first class was a

Marketing class with Chinese students, which was taught in English. The lecture was

about three hours long but it was an active environment and so the time passed quickly.

During the class differences between eastern and western cultures were highlighted in

order to determine how marketing strategies may differ. We were shown charts that

illustrated statistics to support the information the professor was giving us. We were then

put n groups and asked how we can bring a western company like Ben and Jerry’s to

China and makes it successful. We were then put to a vote to ask which group the

students preferred. Each group went over the four P’s of marketing and illustrated their

points by backing them up with cultural facts supporting the effectiveness of their

methods. For example the products (ice cream) had to be likened to what Chinese people

prefer to eat so one suggestion was to modify flavors exclusively for the Chinese market.

For place we chose heavily crowded city areas especially during summer where many

Chinese people will stop by to get a scoop of ice cream. For price we wanted to aim a

little higher to show off the quality. This is because in China many people are starting to

show off their social status by driving luxury cars and buying pets as westerners do.

Therefore higher quality ice cream will be seen as something worth paying for. As for


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promotion we thought it would be a good idea to give the first 100 ice cream cones away

for free during the introductory faze to get people to first try the ice cream and come back

once they crave it again. I think that all of the groups followed through pretty well with

this assignment. Mason’s group (Pink Dragon) came in at first place with 9 votes and my

group (Sweet and Cool) came in second at 7 votes. The girls did not do so well but I

could not help to think that there was a bias in the class as the Professor mentioned

herself that boys try harder for some reason. Perhaps it is a cultural thing she was

referring to however, the experience was great and getting to know the Chinese students

and working with them was a great opportunity to delve into something new.

Marketing (Day 2):

We did not have marketing class again for another week or two and this time it

was similar only we focused a broader topic of promoting a type of business to get people

to choose it over the competition. This time mason and me were grouped together and we

chose to do the clothing industry as well as banking. For clothing we thought the most

important aspects were convenience, speed and price. Therefore after learning that most

Chinese prefer shopping online we decided to mention that it would be best to have a

strictly online store. Next we said that shipping should be free after the customer pays

over a certain price which was not given as it is just a concept but is common to find on

many websites. Finally we thought that seasonal deals should be put in place. For

example at the end of every season items will go on sale for clearance to prepare for the

next season. Also to keep customers in the loop of up and coming items for the following

season we would register emails and send out notifications and links to a look book and


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release date so that our closest followers may get their preferred items before we stock

out. As for the banking industry we decided to focus on safety and rewards benefits. For

safety we would track peoples activity and record anything out of the ordinary. For

rewards we mentioned how many American banks will give clients points for each time

they use their card until they are qualified to receive free rewards such as free meals at

certain restaurants or airline tickets.

Chinese Culture:

Our next class was titled Confucianism on our schedule but was actually a

cultural lecture. We explored the differences between Chinese and American culture

more closely through pictures that the professor had us guess the meanings. It appears

that the Chinese view Americans as more self-centered although the word we use to

explain this difference is individualism. We learned that in Chinese families it is typically

the grandparent that takes care of the grandchildren and not the parents. This is done so

that the father and mother can bring much success and honor to the family name without

worrying about their children being raised properly.

In Chinese businesses the top official is highly overpowered compared to his

underlings whereas in the United States in many businesses it is acceptable to even call

your own boss by his first name once comfortable. Chinese people are also not openly

expressive about personal opinions especially in business settings. One cannot simply ask

his colleagues how the business can be improved because no one feels comfortable


22

enough to take on the responsibility. Often in interviews it is difficult to even get Chinese

expats to explain how they as an individual had benefited a group without them referring

to the group as a whole.

In networking it appears that Chinese people all know the same network of

people where as in western cultures their can be exclusive networks between people.

Another thing that we learned is that in China it may take a long while before

negotiations can be started because the Chinese like to make friends for long lasting

relationships rather than short term ones in order to build trust among partners. It can be

quite the task for a foreigner expecting to negotiate with Chinese because they often get

impatient and frustrated with the lack of progress being made.

We also, learned some interesting things about queuing for example in China

there are no lines at restaurants one simply orders when they are ready. I had a firsthand

experience with this at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant where I was cut in line many

times and each time I grew more and more furious until I ended up cutting someone else

for revenge only to find out it was the norm. On the contrary Chinese people are actually

very helpful especially if you have trouble communicating.

Superstition was also a topic we discussed, as many Chinese believe certain

numbers and symbols are bad luck. In many tall buildings many will notice that there are

no 13 and 14th floors because they are considered bad omens. Gifting a clock to someone

in the hospital is also bad luck as it represents time running out. The number 9 is

considered the highest number because the number ten is considered a reset. All of these


23

were fun facts about Chinese superstition but the professor let us know that many people

really take them seriously and if concerned enough will bring them to your attention. All

of these things mentioned above gave me interesting insight on Chinese culture and gave

me things I should take into consideration in order to both understand the Chinese but

also prevent myself from causing disrespect even if accidental.

Tai Chi:

Our Next course that I personally enjoyed very much due to my background in

Chinese martial arts is Tai Chi. Our Instructor was a 52-year-old man who was once

china’s national champion in the sport. We started off with basics in out first session.

Some simple hand movements where the key to learning the techniques was to pretend as

if we were holding a ball in front of us. The movements of the hand were all circular,

never forgetting that we are holding this imaginary ball. It was difficult at first for me

however; the girls in my group seemed to have picked it up naturally according to the

Master.

Professor Gao (our hosts) also attended the class, as he is both a friend and pupil

of the Tai Chi master. He helped demonstrate in English how to better understand the

movements and gave us each constructive criticism translated from the master himself.

My movements were stiff at first and once I overcame my stiffness I was then burdened

by making my tai chi techniques seem cinematic as I was exaggerating the movements.

Through this I learned that another part of Chinese culture is to never go to “the


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extreme”. The Chinese appreciate minimalism in the arts. To go to the extreme is to be

possessed by your ambitions or to be controlled rather than be the controller. This is why

many Chinese paintings typically have white backgrounds around the subject of the

piece. After learning this concept I was able to do better and still practice my techniques

until this day. The master also taught us a lengthy routine, which seemed difficult at first

but took only a few tries before we adapted the muscle memory to complete it.

In order to erase any doubts of the effectiveness of Tai Chi the master had us test

his strength. Neither I nor Mason who is much bigger and athletic than I could budge his

arm unless we pushed our strengths to the extreme and even then the progress we made

was so minimal that we knew it was futile. Next he had us learn how to develop this

strength through Tai Chi by paring us up with partners. He did this in order to perform

exercises where we would use the same circular movements only with our partners so

that we may train with resistance. The aim was to create a circular movement with our

partners while aiming for each other’s throats. Each person would create resistance once

they felt their partner extend the arm toward their throat followed by using the force in a

circular motion in order to create momentum so that the person defending can now attack

the other’s throat. We continued these exercises for quite awhile to the point where many

of our arms were exhausted. This was alleviated because the Master had a good sense of

when to stop for a tea break.

The tea breaks were new to us because most of us had never drunk something hot

in order to cool ourselves. He made the tea himself freshly and with a variety of choices


25

in small cups. The teas were delicious especially the Puer and wildflower teas. We talked

with the master through our translators who attended class with us and he proved to be a

very nice man who not only practices Tai Chi but also calligraphy. We told him about

ourselves and he would tell us about his life including on how his daughter attends a

university in England and how he has taught celebrities who have appeared in martial arts

movies. Each class we would pause to have these breaks and surely enough I felt

refreshed once we resumed class.

Although, Tai Chi is more of a practice than a contact martial art he did have us

spar with each other in a way similar to wrestling. The objective in this exercise was for

one person to attempt to push the other against the wall while the other resists. Someone

proficient in Tai Chi thus will be harder to push against the wall while using minimal

strength. We did the exercise with both the Tai Chi master and his students (who were

more aggressive). His students however were very kind and patient in assisting us. The

students also had good English skills and even helped translate things when out

translators would have a hard time.

Overall I enjoyed the class and will continue to practice what I know and if

fortune favors me I may continue to learn Tai Chi someday. I believe that this art has

strengthened my knowledge in martial arts while also making me a bit more graceful as I

consider myself to be clumsy. After all of our sessions of Tai Chi it was time to say

goodbye to the Master and his pupils. It was such a pleasure to meet and be taught by a

former champion of china and I feel very lucky to have been one of his few foreign

students for the short time I was there. I was impressed by not only the strength he


26

developed through his art but his grace and patience. Perhaps when I return to Tianjin I

will have the opportunity to train with him once again.

Confucianism:

Our host Professor Gao is a high authority member of the Tianjin Foreign studies

university and fortunately he was able to teach us the Confucianism class we were

waiting for. We were taught a private class in his office that although the temperature had

us sweating was interesting enough to keep our attention. This class was important

because it highlighted the origin of modern Chinese values. Confucius in many ways

started the Chinese version of the bible, which are known as the analects. The analects

are a code of ethics that are 4000 years old. Even today this code of ethics is the most

prevalent religious influence in China. I say religious lightly because there are neither

gods involved nor faith only knowledge on how to function well in a society full of other

individuals who matter as well. The analects represent similar values and ways of living

for a society to function in harmony as well as for individuals to achieve happiness

without robbing others of their own. “Do on to others as one would like to be done on

yourself” is the biggest similarity between biblical and Confucian teachings. We learned

of many beliefs belonging to followers of Confucianism. The first is that unlike

Christians who believe in original sin (sins passed down from our ancestors [or Adam

and Eve]), Confucians believe that all humans are born good and are later corrupted if

they fall into vices and bad influences. The next is filial piety, which is respecting your

parents and other elders. It is important for the children to assist their parents once they


27

grow up and become successful as repayment for the parents nurturing them. Chinese

people however, do not see this as an involuntary obligation instead it is their pleasure

because it indeed does show their success and love for their family. It is also important to

respect your ancestors and learn from them because they provide the “cards you are

dealt”. The Chinese are known for being great scholars and perhaps this is accredited to

the belief that education is important and a necessity. The many Chinese students who

were always busy and had to be in their dorms early without time to hang out with friends

and relax often demonstrated this. In the United States we also have hard working

students but this dedication was different in the way that although there were no

consequences the Chinese students would feel shame. I once overheard a Chinese student

speaking in Spanish (to a Spanish international student) saying that she studied for two

days straight for a big test and so she did not have time to shower. The Spanish student

jokingly said he was wondering what smelled so bad. The Chinese student was however

very humble and laughed it off. This brings me to mention how important it is to have

good manners. It is another thing emphasized in Confucianism. It is very similar to how

Christians say to love both your enemies and your friends. Out of these Professor Gao

asked us which we thought was most important with all of us agreeing that the first was

most important. He then responded by saying that naturally most people choose the

human heartedness principle as most important because it is out of this one that the others

can be achieved with success. In order to love your parents, become truly smart, and be

polite etc. one must maintain himself or herself as a good-hearted person by realizing that

they can be. Thus by always striving to be good one avoids the bad.


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Calligraphy:

The Final course that we were taught was one session of calligraphy. It was our

pleasure to be taught by the University’s dean himself. The dean is typically a very busy

man as shown when we arrived and he was already tending to an important call.

Nonetheless we quickly got into the course once we were all seated. We were given

special paper that absorbs water and brushes. He briefly went over the history of Chinese

characters and how they have evolved and simplified over the past thousands of years.

Each form when introduced was more simplified than the last up until the most modern.

Originally Chinese characters were similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics in concept. After

giving us the brief history lesson on Chinese characters he proceeded to teach us the

techniques for stroking the brush. Calligraphy is not simply writing words on a paper but

actually is more about the individual mastering his/her unique handwriting. This is why

most pieces of calligraphy that are for sale have a red stamp signifying the artist who was

responsible for the piece. The dean compared the art of calligraphy to martial arts in the

way that each technique has a range of motion and the more practiced it is the easier it

becomes to access by will. Some strokes may start with a deep press of the brush on the

paper and ending with a soft touch as the brush is slid across and vice versa. It is

important to master these techniques in order to become proficient at calligraphy. The

dean was kind enough to provide us with our own pieces of calligraphy made by him

with words of our choosing. I myself asked him for the words heaven and earth on my

paper. He then created a piece with a Chinese proverb instead which translates somewhat


29

to “ anything heavenly is achievable and respect the earth you walk on”. I was not

disappointed as I thought what he produced for me was much better.

WhatILearned

30

What I Learned:

I believe that this internship has transformed my way of thinking. I have acquired

a new inspiration from within to drive me to accomplish my goals. I now believe that I

can accomplish anything with not only hard work but by getting as much as I can from

the opportunities I am given. I took every chance that I could to truly explore Tianjin

from going to local restaurants with or without guides, talking to strangers and interacting

with them and exploring the language. I have never experienced anything like what this

internship has provided me with. Before I came to Tianjin the world was much smaller

than it is now to me. I hope to have many more experiences like this around the world so

that I may continue growing and learning. As the saying goes it is much better to travel

10,000 miles than read 10,000 books. Although I will not let my literal skills go to waste

I will indeed partake in discovering for myself the potential within me and my place in

the world by seeing what our world has in store for me. I would like to thank everyone

responsible for this wonderful journey including Professor Mohammed Elahee without

whom this would have never happened and professor Gao from Tianjin Foreign Studies

University for the accommodations, hospitality and lessons learned. I would also, like to

thank my group mates and guides for making this experience unique with the added

contributions of great personalities. I hope to someday return to Tianjin in order to learn

to better speak mandarin and perhaps do business in China. I have one more year left for

my undergraduate degree however I am strongly considering returning to Tianjin to

achieve my master degree. For everything I am grateful and I hope that my future is only

brighter.

WhatILearned

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