Outdoing the New Year Celebration You might recall my description of those deafening firecrackers and fireworks that lit up the sky of Shanghai this time last year in Awakening Dragon. That was last year's Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. Those newly affluent Chinese celebrated their new prosperity by setting fire to billions of yuans worth of "cracks, pops, and booms." This time the decibel level is several times higher as I have moved from a 22nd floor apartment to the fifth floor, making me that much more closer to the source of the explosions. Though I am writing on the fourth night of Chinese New Year celebrations, there seems more firecrackers today than on New Year's eve 4 days ago. Puzzled, I called up my Chinese friend for an explanation... "Oh, after midnight, it is the beginning of the fifth day of the new year. All the Gods are supposed to report to the Emperor of the Heaven during the new year and return to the human earth on the fifth day of the new year. People fire the firecrackers to welcome the Gods back to human earth, especially the God of Prosperity (Cai-Shen), so that he will bless them with fortunes and wealth. The intensity of the firecrackers simply reflected the intensity of people's desire to get rich in addition to their new affordability! The first round of intense explosions sounded at 11 p.m., the most intense round at midnight, then another round at 1 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. I found my ears still ringing in the morning long after those "welcoming sounds". In the past, despite relatively very low take home earnings, Chinese workers were virtually guaranteed a flat for residence. Recently, more and more state enterprises and government agencies adopted a system of providing a salary supplement for housing according to the person's position level. This is to replace the previous practice of housing all of their employees from their first day of employment. The new system means that employees can make their own housing arrangements according to market prices. They are now well on the way to following the pattern of employees in western countries who, despite their high wages, spend their life-time paying off housing mortgages. There can be no argument that the Chinese are very practical people indeed. In the reformed China, money - especially personally accumulated fortunes - will become more fundamental to living standards as the state gradually phases out its welfare state programs. With the government carrying out its policy of reducing their own financial burdens, opening up the market for entry into WTO, and leaving most state enterprises to struggle for their own survival, the nervous anticipation of workers was well reflected by the unprecedented intensity of the fireworks display today. One Child Families Invited to a large restaurant for a traditional Chinese New Year Dinner, I can count over 20 of the 50 tables occupied by family groups of three comprising of two parents and their only child. The view clearly reflects the Chinese government's population control policy of allowing only one child per married couple. Immediately it aroused my imagination of a future Chinese society dominated by a large number of well-spoiled only-children. I would really hate to have to teach one of those classes full of the uncompromising only-children. The conversation turned to the subject in hand... Mr. Zhu, a friend of mine, told me how his 4 year-old boy refused to move into their new home with them from his grand parents' apartment when he could not find the air-conditioner in his bedroom at the new house. Mr. Tang, a senior city councillor and his wife were turned all tame and obedient at our casual luncheon get together when their 3 year-old would settle for nothing other than the fried chicken and french fries from KFC. Mr. Pan and his wife gave in after days trying to negotiate with their 6 year-old daughter to change her new year's present to something else other than the personal computer she demanded. Mr. Jin and his wife had to spend weeks keeping close watch over their 4 year-old daughter after she threatened to runaway via taxi to her grand parents' apartment. I guess this might be a good time for Dr. Benjamin Spock to come back to serve the parents of China's one-child families. Prosper with 8 88 888 88888 Chinese is probably one of the very few languages where several different words meaning different things can have identical pronunciation. For example "zhong" can mean "center", "royal", "end", "clock", "bell", "love", "sincerity", or "rice dumpling"; "tong" can mean "same", "copper", "child", "servant",and "barrel". A number of words also have very similar pronunciations to numbers. For example: The number 1 (pronounced "yao") is very close to the pronunciation for the word "yao" that means "want" or "you" that means "has". The number 4 (prounced "shi") can mean "generation", "world", "is", or "death". The number 5 (pronounced "wu") is very close to "wo" meaning "me" The number 6 (pronounced "liu") is close to "liu" that means "slippery". Thus "66" means slippery or "smooth running" The number 7 (pronounced "chi") sounds like "chu" meaing "go" or "che" meaning "eat" The number 8 (pronounced "ba") sounds close to "fa" which means "prosper" If you have been to China, you might notice the unusual frequency of the number "8" in the telephone numbers of hotels, airlines or businesses. Most of these are supposed to carry a good omen or blessing for the "prosperity" of the enterprises. Telecommunication companies and car registration authorities in China have unwritten rules to charge extra for each number "8" that you want on your telephone number or your car license plate. Here are some "properous" telephone numbers: Shanghai Shi Mao Riviera Garden Estate - 6888 8888 Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Shanghai - 6252 8888, 6280 8888 Ocean Hotel, Shanghai - 6545 8888 Sheraton Taiping Hotel, Shanghai - 6275 8888 Rizt Carlton Portman Hotel - 6279 8888 China Travel Services, Shanghai - 6247 8888 Northwest Airlines - 6279 8088 J.C. Mandarin Hotel - 6279 1888 Galaxy Hotel - 6275 5888 Nikko Hotel - 6255 9888 Overseas Chinese Bank Corp - 6329 0888 In your travels you also have noticed that many buildings in China are sans floors 13 and 14. They lifts simply go straight from the 12th floor to 15th floor. The opened- up China seems to have adopted the western superstition relating to the number "13" as well as keeping local superstitions alive by avoiding the Foor "14" pronounced "shi-si" meaning "accidents". Volkswagen would have to adopt a new name completely unrelated to its German name pronunciation of "da zhong" meaning "the people," due to popular perceptions of the term. The nearest Chinese word for "volkswagon" used among the Chinese in Southeast Asia is "fu shi huo gen" meaning "fortune is the root of disasters." Ford has better luck in the translation as it's translated name "fu te" means "extra fortune". AIWA also has has landed a good fortune fluke as "ai hua" - its Chinese name - means "love China". Similarly with Suntory as it's Chinese translation - "san de li" - means "benefitting three parties" (implying the people, the nation and the company). Companies must be warned however not to get too carried away too far by naming superstitions. Beijing Da Fa Zheng Da - commonly called "beijing da fa" meaning "big fortunes in Beijing" was a joint venture between a Thai company and a Beijing state enterprise. Rather than providing "big fortunes is Beijing" it became a "pain in the back" for the C.P. Group of Thailand. For many years it ran continuous losses. Among the Caozhou overseas Chinese in Thailand, it is customary to give a cash sum that ends with the number 4 to married couples. "44" is pronounced "shi shi" meaning "every generation or eternity." "104" therfore means "100 life times". This carries a blessing for the married couple to be in love for 100 life times or forever. Interestingly however, my friends in China were shocked to hear that I planned to use this number for a friend who was getting married. In China "shi" would be interpreted as meaning "death". When my employer decided to close down our Shanghai representative office in 1999, it took me months to find a buyer for my Volvo. Then as the prospective buyer approached the front of my car to check the license plate number, he decided to change his mind. My car's license number ended with "84", pronounced "fa-shi", means "have accidents", he murmered while making a quick exit. No wonder, I lost my job... Piset Wattanavitukul Shanghai, China

Piset Wattanavitukul is Managing Director of P. W. Consultants specializing in Investment, Management and Trade in and with China and Human Resource Development in Shanghai and Ningbo.

...from Piset Wattanavitukul's Awakening Dragon

Piset Wattanavitukul Amigo Consultants Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Piset is one of the Asia Pacific Management Forum's China columnists, providing on-the-ground tips, advice and commentary on doing business, marketing, and management in China. His colorful street level observations expressed in his unique local style have made him a indispensible monthly read to many. Piset is based in Shanghai, one of the world's most exciting cities. You can learn more about Piset by clicking on his photo.

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