So, it’s my 3^rd day here in China and it feels like my 300^th.  I’m sitting here trying to figure out why it feels that way and the best I can come up with is that I feel I’ve learned an amazing amount in such a short time, there is an even more mountainous amount that I absolutely can’t figure out and the days drag at an excruciatingly slow pace here – just like business.

Monday and Tuesday, we attended an Economic Business Forum for one of Beijing’s nearby provinces, Hebei – I’ve never taken so many shots (liquor, not slams) in my life and that was just by lunchtime on Monday.  Business here is a very different animal.  Relationships (and subsequently, business) are built based on how well you hold your Baijiu and how much Guānxi (mojo) you have.

Now, it has been interesting – I’ve dined with Ministers of State, Mayors, Deputy Secretary-Generals, Mayors and more.  Note: if you want to do business here, you get close to the Government.  Chinese Business = Chinese Government.  I still don’t know what to actually do with these connections but we’ve exchanged business cards and now, I gather I start what seems to be a long road towards cultivating a relationship helped by some trusted Chinese contacts.  I may be a bit of a curiosity and sensation here (many people staring!) but that alone won’t get me very far - I will need some insiders to help me to build Guanxi.

This afternoon will be more meetings with companies about their M&A activities.  We’ll see how drunk I am by evening!