Ricardo Echenique: A chilean traveler in China

Ricardo Echenique returned to Chile in early 2006 after a whirlwind tour of thirteen months during which he visited Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mongolia, India, England, South Africa and China. These were just some of the places that his adventure took him. For weeks, Ricardo spent every day with his family and every night planning for his dream: to learn about new cultures, languages and, at first, to lend a hand in social causes.

Thus, after returning from Africa, he thought it would be ideal to end up in China. “I took an interest in this country mainly because the cost of living is well below Chile’s, and because there are scholarships that finance 100% of students’ stay and studies. Also, because it is a world power with an ancient culture. Lastly, because my father has practiced Chinese medicine for 30 years”, he explains.

Following the rigorous formalities of the related paperwork, Echenique landed in August 2006 to China.  He decided to move away from the languages he already knew, such as English and Spanish, to learn Chinese.  As such, dismissed living in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, to choose a calm city and inexpensive: Wuhu, located in Anhui Province.  “When I made the decision to travel had very little, and I mean very little, money. I am currently spending less than $ 200,000 per month, including tuition, something which never fails to surprise me because I do practically everything I want to. I live with a Chinese family, Zhang Zi Ying, a teacher, and her husband Lang Ping, who teach martial arts every day. They are very good people, who cook mixing the ying and yang. And they do not speak English. Truly an ideal situation for me.” 

Lost in Wuhu

How would you describe your life in China?

My life is very simple but entertaining. The main difference occurs in the morning. 

While I was on vacation I got up at 5:15 AM and went out with my teachers to the park, where we did half an hour of qigong (chikung, energy exercises), then practiced Taijiquan (Taichi) and Xingyiquan (Hsing I) until 10:00. Then we had a Chinese breakfast of dumplings (jiaozi) or giant pancakes stuffed with lettuce, huntun (wanton) and sauces, or noodles and I went straight to sleep, very tired. At 11:30, I had lunch with the teachers in our house. When I started my studies at the university, I stopped doing Wushu (martial arts) and went to classes every day from 8:00 to 11:30. Classes in grammar, writing, oral expression, listening comprehension and ancient Chinese calligraphy (Shufa). Afterwards, I’d have lunch at some great Chinese restaurants which were very cheap.

Afternoons, with or without classes, have been similar. I do not have a routine because that would be boring but I read all the press from Chile, China, USA, Cuba and England. Then I do some browsing on the Internet, look for new trends and opportunities chat and help many people on the Net. A few hours working on issues related to business. I try to learn other languages like Russian or Vietnamese, and as I have no television, I buy DVDs and I watch a lot of movies. I often go out to get to know the city I am in. Get together with friends and colleagues, for dinner at 7:00. I often go out to a pub. Or stay in to rest and write on my blog: http://ricardoechenique.spaces.live.com . I sleep at about 2 o'clock in the morning, something which is not very Chinese. Here the slogan is, "Wake up early, go to bed early and one’s health will be very good."

“This is absolutely personal. I've known people that have struggled to get used to living in China, because they do not like the food, are isolated, and do not share. For my part, the adjustment has not been anything complicated. There are many myths regarding China. Such as, they eat a lot of disgusting food, that everything is dirty… But this is largely due to ignorance of Chinese culture.  

In terms of daily life, China has almost everything a Westerner eats or is used to in daily life; plus all things Chinese have that we do not. In that sense, I come out ahead living here. Regarding the customs and culture, I recommend reading and studying before coming to China. Personally, I am not surprised about anything, but there are people who come here and have no idea of Chinese culture. Clearly, we might be surprised by a few of the customs that for us are not very pleasant for us. With regard to the issue of family and friends, the Internet is perfect one. Everyone is just a click away from their loved ones. I chat with my beautiful mother more than when I was in Chile.”

Man shall not live by bread alone….
 

Although Ricardo says that his main motivation for being in China is not to do business, he said he has had several opportunities to do so. It was impossible not to seize them. His preparation as an economist and Master’s in Marketing helped him to understand how business is conducted in these few months in country. He also learned how to approach the Chinese. In addition, he recently participated as a guest in the Chilean delegation headed by then President of the Senate, Eduardo Frei. “I've formed a good network of contacts with Chileans, Chinese and foreigners. And I helped some Chilean companies set up here.  For the moment, I am deciding what areas to focus on.”

With regards to failure, a word, which according to Ricardo is not in his vocabulary, he shares an anecdote: “with the little money I had, after travelling for more than a year, last year I bought USD3.000 worth of copies of the best Chinese-English course that exists in China and the world. It had multimedia, CD, mp3, and on October 15 I shipped it to Chile with the aim of selling them in December. I paid for the service to a company who stated that the shipment would arrive in one month to Chile. Well, in January 2008 it had still not arrived to Chile. They told me that I would get an answer in 90 days.” Ricardo recommends to be careful when choosing suppliers, buyers and services and indicates "don’t kill yourself over these types of issues. We must learn from them and just try to ensure they never happen again." 

Given his vast experience, Ricardo does not hesitate one second to give us his advice for both intrapreneurs (within a company) and entrepreneurs.

a) Have a clear vision, a credible dream that deeply motivates.

b) Gather a lot of information, filter it, analyse it and learn that what truly generates value. In the knowledge society that is a must.

c) Decide what kind of enterprise you want to be. The criteria will be different depending on what you plan to do: be an intermediary, a trader, establish a business in China or come to work in China for a Chinese or foreign company. They are different activities that involve different lifestyles. You need to have that very clear when it’s time to decide.

d) Develop a network of contacts; Chileans and foreigners wishing to do business with China, and vice versa. You can check with friends, websites and databases from ProChile. You can go to the Chilean-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (of which Ricardo is the representative in China). There is more than enough information available. You should ideally meet with all those in Chile you can, because once you are here it’s too late. 

e)  Choose your city well. A lot will depend on what you want to do. Many Chileans who work on issues related to foreign trade choose to live in or very close to the three commercial centers of China, Beijing / Tianjing, Shanghai or Guangzhou (Canton). But if you want to build your own business services or consumer goods, you should not rule out coming to cities that are further inland or that are smaller.

f)  Research about visas, residence permits, and costs associated with starting a venture. And I want to mention that forming a company in China is slow and expensive, so they recommend doing the paperwork in Hong Kong where it is most efficient.

Echenique ended his list of useful advice with a comment on what, in his opinion, is the most paramount issue. “Achieving your goals is what should drive you. Anyone who really wants to do something is going to achieve it. The problem is that many Chileans are their own obstacles. I would say to those with doubts, if you're prepared and you believe in yourself does it. If you do not believe in your potential, what make you think others will? Issues related to money and remoteness from Chile are secondary when one has a great dream.”

Despite all his experience, this entrepreneur ends by saying he feels like a global citizen and hopes to remain several more years in China to take advantage of travelling throughout Southeast Asia. "Then I hope to return to India, go help Palestine and leave for Africa for another good number of years. These are my dreams today, but I will view the opportunities that present themselves and will definitely make decisions based on what will make me happiest," he concluded.