No place like home
By Hu Min |
June 5, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AMERICAN Bill Dodson has been to many cities, towns and villages in China over the years, but decided to live in Suzhou because each time he returned there he felt "very much at home." Dodson still remembers clearly when in August 2003 he visited the public garden at Gongyuan Road for the first time.
"It was a beautiful summer's day, and not too hot," he recalls. "Everyone in the park seemed so happy: children were laughing on the rides in the small amusement park; parents were fishing in the pond with long bamboo poles and the elderly people were singing popular songs and dancing."
He was so touched by the scene that he called his family in the United States to describe it to them.
The first book by Dodson, a writer and China markets analyst, was "China Inside Out: 10 Irreversible Trends Re-shaping China and Its Relationship with the World."
The accumulation of eight years of experiences in China and interviews with Westerners and Chinese, the book is aimed at Westerners who want to better understand the rapid changes China is experiencing.
Dodson's second book "China Fast Forward: The Technologies, Green Industries and Innovations Driving the Mainland's Future" will be published in August.
It's a book that anyone who does not know China well can learn from, while Western business people will also find find it helpful if they plan to enter or expand in China markets, the author says.
Dodson began studying Chinese in 1998 at a language school in Boston, as his dream after graduating from Cornell University was to live and work in China.
As he could not find a company to send him to China 10 years ago, Dodson started his own market research business for Western firms that wanted to come to China.
Working for clients gave him the opportunity to travel to many places in China and Dodson received a business license for his market research company at Suzhou Industrial Park in 2004.
Dodson said local administrators were kind and helpful, and that his greatest challenge in growing the company was keeping talented staff.
"After they received training and experience they would fly away to a larger company. It always made me sad to lose them."
Now Dodson spends most of his time writing and advising companies in China.
"The extent to which local governments are involved in business in China is greater than in the US, and personal relationships in China also shape business transactions and contract terms to a greater degree than in America," he says.
His fascination for things Chinese is evident as Dodson enthuses about the country's history and culture.
"I love the art of the Sui (AD 581-618) and Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties; the stories of the Silk Road at its height; Chinese history from the mid-1800s and Chinese martial arts, which I studied with great devotion in the US many years ago."
Dodson also likes the Buddhist temples and is impressed by how local governments throughout China are restoring and maintaining them.
"I always feel peaceful when I go to them," he explains.
And Dodson has his own personal link to China as his wife is Chinese.
To address all things Chinese, Dodson has a blog entitled "This is China!" and adds new entries every couple of days. Articles are in English with topics covering everything from the economic race between China and India to yogurt in China and eyelashes.
Enticing entry titles include, "When Even the Chinese Don't Want ?Made in China'" and "Opening a Restaurant Chain in China: As Easy As Instant Noodles."
"This is the most important time in China's history since the reign of Emperor Qingshihuang," says Dodson.
"Now, China is engaging the world in a way it never has before, creating unforeseen challenges and questions for the society and individuals, the answers to which will impact the entire world."
Bill Dodson
Nationality: American
Profession: Author and China markets analyst
Self-description: Ever-curious, an international kind of guy.
￥ Strangest sight:
Watching as my Suzhou friend and his mates smash in the door ? literally ? of his uncle's home to fetch the woman he was going to marry that day. Auntie and uncle were not impressed by their nephew's exuberance.
￥ Motto for life:The world is not enough, but family is a good place to begin.
￥ Worst experience:
Leaving Suzhou after my third or fourth business trip to the city nine years ago, and not sure if I'd ever have an opportunity to return.
￥ How to improve Suzhou:
Make Shiquan Street for pedestrians only, banning all cars. Then do the same for Ligong Causeway. Stop raising rents downtown and driving out the fun and interesting family-owned businesses just to attract the money from the international franchises.
￥ Advice for newcomers:
Don't be afraid to approach any foreigner with questions about the place. And any local Suzhou resident who speaks Chinese will be glad to answer your questions.
"It was a beautiful summer's day, and not too hot," he recalls. "Everyone in the park seemed so happy: children were laughing on the rides in the small amusement park; parents were fishing in the pond with long bamboo poles and the elderly people were singing popular songs and dancing."
He was so touched by the scene that he called his family in the United States to describe it to them.
The first book by Dodson, a writer and China markets analyst, was "China Inside Out: 10 Irreversible Trends Re-shaping China and Its Relationship with the World."
The accumulation of eight years of experiences in China and interviews with Westerners and Chinese, the book is aimed at Westerners who want to better understand the rapid changes China is experiencing.
Dodson's second book "China Fast Forward: The Technologies, Green Industries and Innovations Driving the Mainland's Future" will be published in August.
It's a book that anyone who does not know China well can learn from, while Western business people will also find find it helpful if they plan to enter or expand in China markets, the author says.
Dodson began studying Chinese in 1998 at a language school in Boston, as his dream after graduating from Cornell University was to live and work in China.
As he could not find a company to send him to China 10 years ago, Dodson started his own market research business for Western firms that wanted to come to China.
Working for clients gave him the opportunity to travel to many places in China and Dodson received a business license for his market research company at Suzhou Industrial Park in 2004.
Dodson said local administrators were kind and helpful, and that his greatest challenge in growing the company was keeping talented staff.
"After they received training and experience they would fly away to a larger company. It always made me sad to lose them."
Now Dodson spends most of his time writing and advising companies in China.
"The extent to which local governments are involved in business in China is greater than in the US, and personal relationships in China also shape business transactions and contract terms to a greater degree than in America," he says.
His fascination for things Chinese is evident as Dodson enthuses about the country's history and culture.
"I love the art of the Sui (AD 581-618) and Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties; the stories of the Silk Road at its height; Chinese history from the mid-1800s and Chinese martial arts, which I studied with great devotion in the US many years ago."
Dodson also likes the Buddhist temples and is impressed by how local governments throughout China are restoring and maintaining them.
"I always feel peaceful when I go to them," he explains.
And Dodson has his own personal link to China as his wife is Chinese.
To address all things Chinese, Dodson has a blog entitled "This is China!" and adds new entries every couple of days. Articles are in English with topics covering everything from the economic race between China and India to yogurt in China and eyelashes.
Enticing entry titles include, "When Even the Chinese Don't Want ?Made in China'" and "Opening a Restaurant Chain in China: As Easy As Instant Noodles."
"This is the most important time in China's history since the reign of Emperor Qingshihuang," says Dodson.
"Now, China is engaging the world in a way it never has before, creating unforeseen challenges and questions for the society and individuals, the answers to which will impact the entire world."
Bill Dodson
Nationality: American
Profession: Author and China markets analyst
Self-description: Ever-curious, an international kind of guy.
￥ Strangest sight:
Watching as my Suzhou friend and his mates smash in the door ? literally ? of his uncle's home to fetch the woman he was going to marry that day. Auntie and uncle were not impressed by their nephew's exuberance.
￥ Motto for life:The world is not enough, but family is a good place to begin.
￥ Worst experience:
Leaving Suzhou after my third or fourth business trip to the city nine years ago, and not sure if I'd ever have an opportunity to return.
￥ How to improve Suzhou:
Make Shiquan Street for pedestrians only, banning all cars. Then do the same for Ligong Causeway. Stop raising rents downtown and driving out the fun and interesting family-owned businesses just to attract the money from the international franchises.
￥ Advice for newcomers:
Don't be afraid to approach any foreigner with questions about the place. And any local Suzhou resident who speaks Chinese will be glad to answer your questions.
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