Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Imperfect Balance Between Work and Life
I stumbled across this article a few months ago, and it spoke to me:
http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/08/the-imperfect-balance-between/
It is from the Harvard Business Review, and discusses the idea behind the American Dream of achieving the perfect work/life balance, and having it ALL. It discusses the idea that you can have it all, it just won't all be perfect.
I used to have the American Dream. I wanted to be a consultant and work 60 hours a week, get paid a ton of money, have a big house, a nice car, name brand everything. I wanted everything to be perfect - until Denmark happened.
My version of the American Dream is now, a mix of a Danish/American dream. I have realized I just want to be happy. I don't need a big house. I don't need a ton of name brands. I just need simplicity and functionality, to be my best me. My clean and simple apartment means a clean and simple life and a clean and simple mind.
Perfect is not perfect. Perfect is boring. Who is perfect anyway?
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Work Conditions in China
Fast forward a year, and I just got back from spending all of March 2013 in China. What an experience, and more to come on that later. But as I was driving around the Shenzhen area for different meetings, we did pass the infamous Apple factory - Foxconn.
Per the article, work conditions have been so bad here, that people were committing suicide at an alarming rate by jumping out the window. The premise of the buildings are now surrounded by nets (to catch people) and bar-type things, to prevent people jumping out.
There are approximately 400,000 people working here. Below is a picture of the change of night and day shifts - the line of people going to and from was ridiculous. This placed was huge, and a machine.
On the eve of my 30th birthday...
http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/may/27/keegan-opposite-loneliness/
The world has lost a great person - as evidence through the viewpoints in this single article. Something about this article inspired me.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Chinese Coworker is Pregnant
After my trip to China, my eyes were opened to a new world, most especially, a new work culture. I am so interested and fascinated now, regarding my Chinese coworkers that I work with daily. They think differently. They act differently, they respond differently. They live in a completely different world.
I don't often ask personal questions of my Chinese team, but sometimes I do. If they have a National holiday, which is not often, I will ask 'What are you doing with your days off?' I often get responses such as 'Oh Liz. China is just mountains, water, and mountains. Sigh. There is nothing here.' Or in regards to the week (plus) they get off for Chinese New Year, they save money the whole year, just to be able to travel home, which can take 2-3 days to even get home, just to turn around and come back. It is nuts.
Regarding Chinese New Year particularly, I had no idea that factory workers leave for CNY, and we don't know if they are coming back. They can come back and reapply for their old job, or they can apply for a new job in another place. Normally, the slightly more educated workers come back, but that is not always a given. At my company's factory I visited, it was nice and clean. The workers are working from 7 or 8am, until about 7 or 8at night. They work Saturdays. They stay in dorms on site. Their lives are work. It is crazy.
I have a merchandiser on my team in China, who specializes in suitcases. She manages a lot of projects for me, and is considered valuable to the team. When I visited in December, she was sick, and had just gotten married - so it was rumored she was pregnant. I just found out on Friday she was pregnant, and this is how our Skype conversation went:
Elizabeth Jones: Ok. Enjoy your weekend :)
Elizabeth Jones: Any special plans?
GP-Tina: i need to go to hospital
Elizabeth Jones: Why?
Elizabeth Jones: Are you ok?
Elizabeth Jones: (You don't have to tell me)
GP-Tina: Haha, good news: Pregnant
GP-Tina: i thought you should already know this
Elizabeth Jones: Oh wow!
Elizabeth Jones: Congrats!
GP-Tina: Thanks
Elizabeth Jones: How far along are you?
GP-Tina: more than 5 months
Elizabeth Jones: Wow! Great. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?
GP-Tina: i don't know
Elizabeth Jones: Will you find out, or is it too early?
GP-Tina: Hospital couldn't tell every mother the baby is a boy or a girl
Elizabeth Jones: How does it work in China? how much time do you get off work when you have a baby?
GP-Tina: I will leave end of May, or Middle of June
Elizabeth Jones: And wow, no one knows in China if it is a boy or a girl before you have it?
Elizabeth Jones: And when will you be back?
GP-Tina: Maybe will come back next year
Elizabeth Jones: Ok, wow! Are you and your husband excited?
GP-Tina: of course
GP-Tina: heihei
Elizabeth Jones: Great news. Are your families happy?
GP-Tina: Yes, all of them ask me to leave earlier and back to hometown have a rest
GP-Tina: But it seems that that will be too relaxing, maybe will feel that the time is slowly
Elizabeth Jones: I can understand that.
GP-Tina: yes
Elizabeth Jones: Do women in China normally come back to work after they have babies?
GP-Tina: yes
GP-Tina: always
GP-Tina: just 2months rest after baby is born
GP-Tina: then come back to work
Elizabeth Jones: Ok. But you will take more time?
GP-Tina: yes, i want to spare some more time with baby
GP-Tina: It's too far away from my hometown and Shenzhen
GP-Tina: My mother can't spare too much time with baby due to her health
Elizabeth Jones: Ok, so you go home to be with your mom/family?
GP-Tina: yes
GP-Tina: my husband's home is near to my home
GP-Tina: so i can visit my own mother every 2-3days
Elizabeth Jones: Great. We are very happy for you
So it seems amazing that the mother's are seemingly unable to find out the sex of the babies! Of course, my team is sad at the prospect that Tina may not be returning to work after the birth of her baby.
After this conversation, I chatted with Tina (her chosen English name) more. She asked me to send a picture of myself, and I asked why, and she said for memories, so she can show her baby who her friends were.
So very touching.