I have been so incredibly busy these past few weeks! As you may or may not know, my internship with KITO will end after three months in November, which will be here before I know it. Although I feel somewhat guilty about looking for other jobs while Mr. Kamen needs my assistance so much, I am not banking on the possibility that he will hire me after this stint of work. Besides, I am not even sure if I would want to work for KITO full time. But that is not to say that my experience here so far has not been rewarding. Everyday I learn something new about doing business in China: whether it’s a minimal thing, such as interpersonal communication and office culture in China, or something much bigger, like developing an understanding for the nature of the Venture Capital industry here, each day brings plenty of learning opportunities.
That said, I terribly miss working in fashion, which is why I am looking forward to attending a Fashion Networking Event at a bar in Shanghai tomorrow night. These events (which are for nearly every industry that falls within the China spectrum) are very frequent. I get invitations on Facebook or via email every week inviting me to attend the latest mixer for Head Hunters, Advertising, Consulting Professionals, etc. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity to expand my fashion network here (which is pretty much non-existent!), I made a spur of the moment decision to get business cards made. Some online research uncovered that most expats get cards made at these high-end places which charge about ten cents per card, not within my entrepreneurial budget. But, luck was on my side. Yesterday I wanted to buy notebook for the little girl I tutor. I rode my bike to this dilapidated, dirty, dark and dingy store about the size of a pantry. When purchasing the the notebook, I casually asked if they made business cards, and sure enough they did. After some squabbling over layout and rudimentary design, I paid 36 RMB (five dollars) for 200 cards. Considering the price and the condition of the store, I am not expecting top-quality, but at least I have something to hand out at the event.
I also spent several hours yesterday sprucing up my fashion blog, Shanghai Style File. I am a little embarrassed that there is so little content on it so far. I have been so busy that I’ve barely had enough time or energy to write about Shanghai fashion. I am disappointed in myself, especially because writing about fashion and documenting and analyzing trends in foreign cultures is my passion! But, now that I feel like I am fully settled into my new schedule and responsibilities here, I feel it will be a whole lot easier to allot time for my blog. I am so excited to start collecting content! It’s a great way for me to meet industry professionals in SH.
In addition to the hours spent on my resume, writing emails to contacts and preparing for the networking event, I tutor a 12 yr-old girl named Vivian Monday through Friday, 5-7pm. I make very good money for a fairly easy job. I usually leave KITO around 3:45 to get to her Mom’s office (the City Bank skyscraper in PuDong). The job is convenient because it is on the same subway line between KITO and my apartment. But, because I leave work a little early, I have to begin work at little early....which means looooong days.
Even though I am exhausted, I am so happy with all of these things I am doing! Last night as I was walking out of the City Bank building, the Pearl Tower shone brightly right in front me. The night was cool and windy, and the Tower’s colorful lights were flashing wildly in some orchestrated dance. Usually I think of the Pearl Tower as some tacky, monstrous phallic copy of the Eiffel Tower, but last night the sight stopped me in my tracks. As I stared in awe, I felt a huge wave of gratitude surge over me, filling me with appreciation for all that I have now and excitement for whatever is to come. Continuing to marvel at the structure, I kept very still, but I was transported back to my desk at Vandy, where the picture of the Pearl Tower was tacked in between my To-Do list and my list of life goals, the first one being:
“1. Get a job and move back to Shanghai....”
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