Made in China

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr

I surprise others and myself when I admit I’ve never been anywhere in mainland Asia.  Unless you count Russia.  I don’t.  India, southeast Asia, a Pacific island here and there, I’ve crawled and hopped all around the region, but I’ve never stepped foot into China…until now.  There was always something very overwhelming about it, I viewed it much the same way as I’ve viewed South America:  it’s just too big a trip not to spend at least 6 months galumphing through.  Well, screw all that for the moment because 1) I currently have travel super powers and 2) I’ve got business to do.  Sort of.  Maybe.

For my latest trick, I’ve decided to give entrepreneurship a go.  My (as yet imaginary) product is small and kind of gimmicky and not going to change anyone’s life, but I’m still excited.  Less about the product itself, and more about the experience and hopeful perks of having my own business.  I was gifted a book (thank you, Trevor), The 4 Hour Work Week which initially inspired the mania that has brought me to China–land of so much to see wherein I’ve spent a week seeing absolutely nothing.  The product, while not earth shattering, is still a new one, and I’m currently tasked with finding a manufacturer.  It’s a much longer process than the literature led me to believe, but it is interesting.  One of the companies I’ve been in touch with invited me to an industry exposition in Shanghai.  So here I am.

Part of what has made this process so much fun and challenging at the same time is that fact that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.  Or rather, I have no previous experience with it.  But it’s critical that I can convince others I do.  Actually, I guess that’s pretty standard operating procedure.

My business card identifies me at the Vice President of Product Development.  What does that mean?  I don’t know!  But “product development” covers a lot of what I have to  do right now, so I’m hoping I won’t have to order new cards until “Sales” and that these two versions will suffice.  I went with VP instead of CEO because 1) It makes my business look like a bigger, more substantial operation and 2) because it helps when I don’t know the answer to a question to fall back on, “let me ask my boss and get back to you.”  Never underestimate the value in not having the final say.

But I feel like a boss.  Even with no employees.  And it’s nice.  And even though it is a longer process than I had envisioned, it is for the most part, still an exciting one.  The funny thing is that I’m so excited, but nothing actually exists yet.  The webpage, the logo, the cards, the specs, it’s hardly even infrastructure.  It feels a little like magic, something from nothing.  Well, here’s hoping.  The flight I hitched to Beijing only helped to fuel my delusions of grandeur.  As part of my travel superpowers, I get upgraded to business class if there is a seat available.  I’ve been waiting for an excuse to catch the flight from JFK to Narita, Japan since I started working for the airline.  It’s the double decker, the big bird, the 747.  I’ve spent a lot of time wondering what that upper deck looked like, especially with those newly installed flat bed seats I’ve been hearing about.

I am pleased to report, and hopefully I can keep my douchiness to a minimum here, that it was awesome.  Consider this a plug for Delta Airlines new spread of trans-Atlantic Business Elite class, but it’s definitely something worth becoming a medallion member for the upgrades….or getting a job for the airline.  Aside from the literal flat beddedness, there is like, a personal workstation with an outlet, shelves, a built in desk, big (for a plane) screen tv, and TWO pillows….WHY?  A big one and a small one, it’s OUTRAGEOUS!!!

I hit Beijing around 11pm, after the subway was shut down for the night.  I had an early flight the next day to Shanghai, and without cab fare in the budget I decided it best to spend the night at the airport.  So it was straight out of business class and into the luxurious folds of the cold, metallic “departures level” benches.  I took my dirty and well worn backpack filled with business casual attire and used it as a pillow.  Doing so also allows me to stay in contact with my bag and thwart possible thieves (not that sleeping in an airport screams, “rob me, I’m rich!”).  When I would get to the hostel, I could leave the unshowered backpacker look behind, don a pair of sensible heels and lie to say that I was staying at the Marriott on the company card if anyone asked.  Until then, I’d just have to deal with mulling about, without sleep, in my own filth.

Ah yes, this is the life.