On Sunday, I rode the subway all around town till I almost fainted; right around hour 4...
This is my last week at Talk and I'm very busy trying to finish the assignments they want me to do for the October issue before I leave plus trying to my own stuff and Maggie wants me to edit some English she translated. I see now that the articles in Chinese are MUCH more propaganda-y than what they print in English. This is before my editing because the underlying message is clearer this way; it took me about an hour and a half to fluent-Englishize it:
"Chen Zhigang, a Chinese-American, works in the fur and wool business in New York. He owns a variety of shops in which to sell the high quality furs and wools. Mrs. Chen is the chief engineer of a manufacturing plant which transforms the furs for use in automobiles. She is also the owner of Zhongkai Estate.
Years ago, I heard that people could see how they spent their time.
When I met Mr. and Mrs. Chen at the City Lights Centre of Zhongkai, those words came to mind immediately. The clock moved quickly while they shared their wise words and their movements indicated times passed. The couple chatted casually and held hands as they left for the gym in their workout clothes.
Mr. Chen is ever the businessman in a red-striped T-shirt; he moves gently and gracefully. Mrs. Chen embodies a scholar; she is meek and refined in clean and fitted light gray shorts. Mr. Chen smiles and says, “We are an old couple who are back on vacation to visit. We just hope that we can have a relaxing time.”
Although they are over sixty years old, they are still lively and in high spirits. One cannot help but imagine how romantic the couple must have been in their youth. Old memories stir a bright smile on Mrs. Chen’s face.
About forty years ago, when they were both students at Shanghai Light Industries College, Mr. Chen was the chairman of the Student Union. He gave a speech to welcome new students and saw a cute girl in the audience staring at him. The meeting may have been destiny’s pull, for the chairman gazed back at the smart and graceful girl and after graduation, they were married.
Even now, the two remain a perfect couple with excellent temperament for each other. Time continues to pass but does little to cool the the love and affection between them.
In the first twenty years of their lives, they studied at school, met each other, and supported each other in all endeavors. Over their next twenty years together, they were both employed by large local enterprises. The Chens devoted the prime years of their lives to China. At the time, people were supposed to live their lives simply, but a shedding of the old ways occurred when they were about forty years old. Mrs. Chen was able to go abroad to study in the United States and she was soon followed by Mr. Chen. There, they started a business from scratch and within a decade, their business was worldwide.
When the Chens got New York the first time, there were many business opportunities but none of them quite appealed to the couple. Chinese businesses there prospered but nearly all of them were restaurants, supermarkets and similar types of manual work. The Chens knew this was not the sort of work for them as they were already almost fifty years old. Instead, they used their courage and experience to tap into a potential market.
They took aim at the high-end wool market. The hardest part, initially, was finding the correct marketing outlet, comparing the supplies of goods and locating prospective buyers. To combat these difficulties, Mr. and Mrs. Chen opened up their own business in order to meet the demands of the high quality wool market.
After 9/11, many shops on 7th Street in New York closed because the location is quite close to where the World Trade Towers stood. Smartly, the Chens took this chance to expand their business and confidence in the local market recovered rapidly. Business kept improving and they began to not only manufacture wool but also furs. When fur manufacturing first began in China, many of New York’s fur tradesmen were supercilious towards Chinese fur production. However, the Chens have now taken the upperhand as their shops are all over the high-end shopping malls of New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland.
Some people say they were just lucky but nowadays lucky people also need a clear mind and courage aside from basic opportunities to get ahead in the world.
The Chens often suggest that Chinese producers sell their product in the U.S. but many are hesitant due to the import tax the U.S. inflicts upon Chinese products. At their urging, many producers visited the U.S. to assess the business environment but quickly withdrew their plans.
Is there anything to be afraid of? Mr. Chen still remembers the hard work they did at the beginning. Looking back over the last decade, that time seems to be just a drop in the bucket compared to everything that has happened since.
Time has treated them well not only physically but has also widened their world perspective and given them a special sort of spiritual richness.
The house that Mr. Chen bought for about $1 million USD over ten years ago when they first came to New York is already worth $4 million now. Mr. Chen thinks the current Shanghai is just like New York was then.
Time makes people sensible. Mr. Chen smiles as he says, “Eyes on the prize for the long run but ideas must change with the times. I hope Shanghainese can soon live as well as the people who are abroad.”
Now, Mr. and Mrs. Chen are usually quite relaxed when they come to China. They settle down in a delicately designed apartment in Zhongkai. In Shanghai, the first thing they do is go to the Town God’s Temple for a small steamed bun, then it’s off to the Nanjing Barbershop for physical rejuvenation. They also enjoy the quiet community center and friendly atmosphere of the local gym. Their activities bring to mind the Chinese poem by Tao Yuanming which says people should enjoy a leisurable life and ought not be bothered by that which doesn’t concern them.
Despite their success, Mr. and Mrs. Chen still remain busy with their business. They have led the fast-paced and aggressive life of the American business world for many years but their hearts remain full with Chinese wisdom: high ideals and a soft pace of life. These two styles combine within their hearts to create a beautiful and happy life."
Look... babies in drawers at the nursery:
No comments:
Post a Comment