The "Look See"

This is my first entry in what I hope is a two-year blog project to capture what it is like to move to Shanghai with my husband and three kids and to work for two years in IBM’s growth market unit. 

I need to explain this job, which I’m starting to get my head around.  I am still in the IBM’s consulting unit – Global Business Services.  While I used to be in the global marketing group, I am now I’m in geography.  I have a really small team who sit in country and then I’m basically by myself at the regional level.  In this region we cover Latin America, India, the ASEAN region, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  The regional HQ is in Shanghai for a good reason – it is 12 – 13 hours away from corporate in NY.  Sometimes this is awesome.  Mondays are really productive here.  You get tons done before anyone wakes up in the US.  Nights are -- not so great.  There are still lots of phone calls you need to show up for in NY, which are in the middle of the night here.

I’ve been in the job for five weeks and have gone to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Shanghai and Singapore so far.  Each place is so unique and amazing.  I’ll write some more on them later. 

My big learning thus far is that I’m embracing my Gringo-ness. I’m a gringo.  There is no hiding it.   I’m blonde.  I’m pale.  And in a lot of world I’m actually tall, although not by western standards.  Let’s face it … I stand out.  I was flying from Shanghai to Singapore this week and a Chinese little girl (maybe 4 or 5) kept turning around to smile and wave at me and then giggle.  She said something to her mother who translated to me “she says you look odd.”  Okay, it might not have been an elegant translation but that really was what the kid was thinking.  It wasn’t mean.  I was odd looking to her and that was actually interesting.  (Little kids like to pet my hair here, it is “odd.”)  But embracing my Gringo-ness isn’t just admitting I stand out, it is admitting I’m out of my element.  In China I’m illiterate when I walk down the street, which is very humbling.  Some ex-Pats embrace their Gringo-ness by hunkering down only with other ex-Pats.  I get it and I am happy in Shanghai knowing I can get western food when I want it.  (Who doesn’t like eggs for brunch!)  But I also welcome having no idea what I just ate and being open to asking people stupid questions about their culture, their lives and why they do what they do.

Basically my saving grace on this assignment is I smile a lot and am interested in other people.  Wish me luck.  I have no apartment yet, my kids and husband are in NY, we don't have seat in the American school yet and I don't think I've been this sleep deprived since having a new born.  But it is exciting and I can't wait to show my kids Shanghai.