Cheap Labor and Executive Elevators

In a developing country where labor is cheap, you get all sorts of inefficiencies that you don't see in other countries.  Namely, you have "office boys" whose sole purpose in life is to bring people water, and make sure everyone has a bottle of water at their desks in the morning with a clean glass.

Additionally, in hotels, you have doorman and elevator-holders whose purpose in life is to open the door, and press the button to the elevator for you.  Yet, the exact same hotel chains in a more developed country where labor is expensive have automatic doors instead. 

Lots of folks in SE Asia have live-in help, which is something you would never dream of in the US.  Again, they can get away with it because they import cheap labor from other countries (something you'd never do in the US).  I hear that Malaysia is the training ground for help (they're paid about $150/mth), and then maids go off to other countries where the pay is higher - maybe $300/mth (e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and I think even China now). 

And as a result of cheap labor, people get lazy, and you have less of a "do-it-yourself" attitude, which I think breeds inefficiencies.  Yes, time is precious and can be expensive, but I suppose when you have employment problems, you find random jobs that you wouldn't have in other countries and create those positions.

Perhaps one of the most interesting thing is the notion of an "Executive Elevator."  Apparently it is reserved for executives and serves as an express elevator, bypassing the queues and whatnot, possibly creating even more of a disconnect between the have's and have-nots. 

All that being said, there is something to be said for a developing country where everyone is working hard, trying to make a living, and not ask for give-aways.  I'd say I'm very impressed with that about the Indonesians.  I've been to my share of places where people simply ask for the handouts and don't even try...

The Sham that is Carpool in Jakarta

You gotta love SE Asia - as they find a way around everything...


Casual Carpools in Indonesia
by Martin Schell, May 1, 2006. GlobalEnglish.info

Early this year, the governor of Jakarta imposed a requirement of "3 people in a car" on major city roads during rush hours (7-10 am, 4-7 pm). This "3-in-1" (local English term) rule has spawned a whole industry of "jockeys" (another local English term, equivalent to "sluggers" in US) that has adapted to varying conditions over the course of several months.

The fine for travel on such roads (unless one drives a taxi) is Rp 50,000 and the fee for a jockey/slugger is Rp 10,000 "near or far". Some women take along a toddler or babe at arms, which enables them to offer two passengers to people who are driving solo. (Presumably these are their own children or relatives, but some Jakarta residents told me that it is common for beggars to borrow or rent babies from neighbors in order to evoke sympathy.)

Naturally, questions of organized or disorganized crime quickly come into play. No one I know has heard of attempted thefts by jockeys, so it could be assumed that the industry polices itself -- getting paid for sitting in a car is too good a job to be ruined by thieves. In the first month or two, local mafiosi demanded Rp 1,000 a head for standing on "their" corners but the mafia feudalism was soon replaced by a quasi-official version. Now, an unofficial fee of Rp 5,000 a day must be paid in the morning to the "civilian guard" (uniformed civil servant who keeps an eye on sidewalk traffic near markets, or directs traffic in a neighborhood that has a wedding or funeral in progress).

Considering the need for round-trip bus fare, the territorial payment means that the first ride (Rp 10,000 income) is basically a break- even. The jockey service is legally considered hitch-hiking, which can mean arrest of the slugger and/or fine of the driver. However, this is very difficult to prove, given the common practice of arranging to pick up a friend or relative alongside the road (instead of paying for a few minutes' use of the parking lot at an office, mall, etc.).

The Chinese

This is just an observation and you can't call me racist cuz I'm Chinese.

I've noticed that in the different countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore) that I've visited or interacted with on some level there often tends to be a fairly substantial percentage of folks with Chinese heritage that have migrated to the country in question over the years. 

And this is a generalization - but the Chinese often tend to have done quite well for themselves and have often attracted the ire of the other ethnicities.  In many countries, the Chinese have also changed their names and localized it to fit with whatever nationality is in question.  Nevertheless, in many of these countries, it's safe to say the Chinese account for a fairly small percentage of the population but often hold a substantial percentage of the economic wealth. 

As a result, I've noticed there's a lot of tension between the Chinese and the other minorities or natives for lack of a better word.  It's quite ridiculous at times as I've heard about situations where locals have called out the Chinese saying they didn't do the work, and shouldn't get the credit for it.  Yet, a lot of the tension is very subtle as people are pleasant to another but deep down, there's that level of distrust and angst.

But to make matters worse, the Chinese aren't generally accepting of whatever the "non-local Chinese" and at times feel threatened by migrant Chinese workers.  So ironic.  We're such a screwed up bunch of folks...

Singlish

So the locals here generally speak multiple languages (English, Chinese (Mandarin plus some dialects), Malay, etc.)  As a result of the fusion of multiple cultures, there english is a bit different than what's spoken at home.  It tends to be very rhythmic and they add lots of random superlatives that one would think is not necessary.  Plus they have a big tendency to switch between languages a lot and so there is english mixed with chinese, malay and other random dialects.

For example, if you're in a taxi and say YongAn Park, they wont understand.  However, if you say Yong An Park La, then they totally understand.  It's magic how the "la" seems to make everything make sense.  Perhaps the funniest thing is I saw some white people yesterday say "Taxi La."  I guess you can say people adapt!

Politics, Help...

Back in America, unless you are a die hard politics person, people are sick of the election talk as it has simply dragged on forever and ever.  Plus, I've noticed that people tend to not talk politics in the states unless it is among close friends as it often creates very precarious and difficult situations. 

Yet in Asia, the notion of being "politically correct" does not really seem to exit.  The folks here are utterly fascinated with the U.S. presidential elections and makes me think they follow it way closer than the average America (which is kind of sad).  And they are intently fascinated on what you think about it as well, which is pretty crazy, if you ask me.

The other thing that I've had a tough time adjusting to is "the help."  Everyone under the sun has help here as I think labor is cheap.  And I'd say there's a fair number of folks that just don't treat "the help" very well.  Maybe it is my American upbringing, and the entire notion of self reliance and all that protestant stuff has instilled a notion of doing things for yourself but I feel REALLY bad for the help and the conditions and stuff that they have to do... especially when people don't treat them with respect.  In my mind, they are just as much as person as you and me - hence why should they be subjugated to these conditions just because they had some bad luck and weren't born into a good family situation??  I guess this all goes back to the notion of social inequality, which I guess I still have difficulty with... that everyone should be given the chance to work hard and have a good life.  Maybe I'm too idealistic...

And lastly, doing business in Asia is definitely different because the business environment is different.  Contracts aren't really enforceable and the notion of "ethics" is a little different - I get the sense they look at things differently...

This is boring, so I'm ending it here... random ramblings!

Lines

One of the things that have been somewhat annoying is the length of lines or queues as they call them out here.  It seems like whenever there is a major event of some sort, things sort of get out of control.

I was at the Singapore Airshow yesterday, which was sort of neat, but the lines and/or queue management could be something that could be improved.  First, there were just too many vehicles going to the event, making crowd management too difficult.  They allowed taxis and private vehicles to go - what they should've done is make parking prohibitively expensive and not really allow taxis - or have them sent to a staging are and then bus to the event.  Plus, they didn't have a bus only lane, which created more problems with congestion.  We also queued almost half an hour to get on the bus from the mass transit rail station before getting on the bus.  And because of the long lines and delays, there was this Aussie on the bus and he got really annoyed at the fact they hadn't done any sort of planning.  He even mentioned that because of this lack of experience, the locals may have some difficulty with the upcoming nightime formula one racing.

This is not the only example of long lines.  Grocery stores during Chinese New Years were also insane, and they didn't even bother opening all the different lane positions, which was really annoying!  Plus, taxi's at the airport experience similar issues - the lines are hideously long, and I guess people are maybe more patient here but it really gets old and annoying quite fast!

Adapting to new cultures

The experts say that it generally takes an individual about six months to adjust and adapt to a new culture, and they generally go through some phases:

1. Honeymoon - Everything is new and exciting.

2. Anxiety - You start feeling irritable and bewildered.  The newness is wearing off and reality is setting in.  Things that were colorful and exotic now seem dirty, inconvenient or crowded.  Everything seems to be going wrong.

3. Rejection - All your feelings and resentment are targeted at the new culture... everything at home is so much better and you look for things that remind you of home.

4. Regression - This occurs concurrently with rejection - you retreat as much as possible, avoiding contact with new culture/people.

5. Adaptation - Adjustment starts to occur when you start feeling comfortable in your new surroundings.


I think this is actually some really good stuff... I would say that I've been through stages 1, 2, 3, and probably even parts of #4.. and hopefully gradually will get to stage 5...

The reason I think it's fascinating is that there's this guy in the office that's in the process of moving from Singapore to San Ramon, and was just mouthing off about how awful America is, and how inconvenient everything is... 

People in this part of the world are used to cheap help (maids, etc.) and in America, it's the country of protestant "self-reliance" where you do things yourself, and it costs an arm and a leg to get others to do stuff for you...

Plus, Asia is much smaller place (with more people more densely packed into an area than America), and so things tend to be quite convenient from the public transportation to corner 711 and other convenience stores that sell stuff.  Granted not all of Asia is like this, but big developed cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong are like that... and so for people going from this to America where you have to do everything yourself, is probably a big change. 

It is Asia after all...

One of the many stereotypes of Asia has always been that it is the land of the exotic and magical, some of which has been propelled by the notion of pretty girls and prostitution.  From a Western perspective, these are unsavory activities that are demeaning to women.  Yet the practice is widely accepted in many areas in this part of the world as people are poor and they need to make money to survive.

I would say that this practice is alive and well in Singapore as well.  There's this place called Orchard Towers, which is situated near some relatively high-end hotels and the major upscale shopping district in Singapore.  It's essentially a "mall" type of place with five stories of bars, some KTV (karaoke) places.  Let's just say that the few times I've walked by this place, there's lots of unsavory activities going on here...

The other night I noticed quite a number of older gentlemen getting into taxi cabs with some that are a bit younger than them... It's subtle but there... and I have a feeling it's even more apparent in other parts of Asia.

Haircut in 10 Minutes

This is definitely an unique concept.  The most interesting part is the vacuum that sucks up all the hair at the end of the haircut.


Here is the info from their website (http://www.ec-house.com.sg)

EC House Concept
Time is money and in the fast moving pace of the society, prompt service is critical in consumers' spending decisions. This is what EC (short for Express Cut) House has to offer - professional, no frills and quick haircut service. At EC House, customers are promised reliable, straightforward 10 Minutes cut for just $10!

Catering to the fast paced lifestyle of the 21st Century, EC House has revolutionized the way to cut your hair. Our innovative concept, combined with the latest technology and well trained staff, enables us to complete a haircut in just 10 minutes for $10/- only! EC offers high quality, seamless services to consumers on the move, who can now experience the innovative concept of $10 haircut in 10 minutes - anytime, anywhere!

Our Hairstylists
The pioneer EC House Hair Stylists are professionally trained by Japanese instructors, who impart the proficient expertise of different hair cutting technique as well as quick hair cutting skill. The Japanese-trained hair stylists then train the succeeding hair stylists in EC House. Our hair stylists are well trained on their skills and our concept before being assigned to the outlets. The staff in EC House is highly motivated to move along with the company bringing it to greater heights. The company also takes added care to the welfare of the staff, including sending them overseas to Japan.

Hygiene Policy
EC House's Express Cut hygiene policy ensures that every customer is provided with a new set of towel and comb. A sanitation facility is available at every station to ensure the equipments used for the haircut are disinfected.

EC House Express Cut employs not only the finest in technology but in hair stylists as well. All EC House Hair stylists are well trained in fast cut techniques by professionals trained in Japan and each cut ensures a natural finishing.

As such, customers will neither have the 'sticky' feeling nor the 'disheveled" look after their cut.

Societal Hierarchy & other odds and ends

It's no secret that Asian societies in general are historically much more hierarchical than Western societies where equality tends to be favored over structured class system of elitists, servants, etc.  Much of that is still present in modern day Singapore culture.  A few examples:

 

·         Maids – everyone has maids and some type of help here.  People in the states tend to be much more self-reliant and the protestant work ethic has really permeated society.  In the land of cheap labor (from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), people can have a stay-at-home maid for $200-$300 Singapore dollars a month (about $150-250 USD).  As a result, some have said that people in this region gets spoiled, and aren’t used to doing a lot of things for themselves – like laundry, babysitting, cooking food.

·         Work environment.  I’ve traditionally been used to an environment where there is some hierarchy but in general bosses are open and want open thoughts and feedback from their employees.  In Singapore, I’ve noticed that local-to-local boss/employee interactions tend to be very one sided, with bosses telling locals explicitly what to do, and employees don’t openly question in front of the boss.  They might go gossip afterwards with their co-workers but saving face is really important.  Yet, when the locals are dealing with expats, the interaction is different and almost more like the U.S. system.  One has to wonder if the guy is trying to “appease” people that are from the head office even if they aren’t important but it’s the ivory tower syndrome.  Expat to expat interactions seem pretty normal (like the US).

·         Government – the government here takes care of everything.  I was reading a local paper and their model is that they take the smartest people in Singapore and give them the top government jobs so that they end up running the country, paying attention to EVERY detail.  For instance, there are two big funds that the Singapore government invests (stock markets, other companies, etc) and every year people here get a refund check for the earnings in the investment.  Pretty cool!  However, the newspaper cites that some have questioned whether this will continue to work in the future with folks going abroad?

 

Other interesting tidbits:

·         Some places charge a surcharge for take-out food orders, charging for the containers.

·         People still read the newspapers in print rather than online.

Introduction

This will be a blog featuring the travels and observations of a guy on a temporary assignment in Singapore for a six-month duration. I'll try and make it interesting and hope you will enjoy it. Look for updates hopefully at least once a month if not more frequent.