My Experience of Working in Different Asia Offices
In the past year, I had the pleasure working in Shanghai for roughly 6 months and also visited other Asia offices in Korea, Japan and, Hong Kong. Each ones of them is surprisingly great but different from one another.
Disclaimer: I did not travel for work. Traveling for work is often intense and stressful. I only visited work.
Shanghai
Working in Shanghai felt like being at home not just because I went to school there ten years ago and spoke the native language (but it helps). There were preconceived notions about ways I learned from my parents' generation and foreign-born Chinese who had never been to China. I was cautious and curious.
None of that was true, and I was amazed about the whole experience.
Shanghai office has the best view from my cubical, and everyone had a foreign degree and work experiences mostly from Australia, USA, and European countries. Everyone had a unique background and experience; however, we were all bonded over the same pop culture from 10 years ago.
My Canadian ways of approaching going-about-my-days often differ from others; but, surprisingly, everyone understood. Coworkers were often generous and were willing to share their experience abroad.
I used to have stigma against going home in Shanghai because all of the Western stereotypes I had learned. I thought they could be true. I used to go back to China once every three years. But this experience was so great that I went back to China twice in one year last year!
Tokyo
Personally I felt the city were very hyped up by many, which led me to an mediocre experience in Japan due to high expectations.
One event is worth mentioning: I had the most polite coworker who went above and beyond. Water coolers are the norms in Asian work offices. One would often need to change the giant blue 10-L barrel from the ground up. I happened to walk by and helped.
She, just like the legend says, was graciously thankful. She bowed like Erlich explains on the show Silicon Valley about the Japanese Tradition.
Five minutes later, I received this email. I did not delete it; I saved it. Everyone was indeed very polite and gentle when we first met.
Seoul
With zero expectation and understanding, I decided to visit Seoul on a whim with booking my flights 2 weeks from the departure date.
To my least surprise, have I just arrived in Toronto? The streets and food prices are looking familiar. Everyone in the office spoke proper English. I was surprised and un-surprised as the same time. There was not much to adjust to be in the city.
What I Noticed
These were truly fantastic experiences that a standardized tour of the city would not suffice. Many around me often have traditional images about the city or the country that were merely truly 10 years ago. Things can change; people can change. It is typically those who had never Western countries tried to talk down about others; and those who had never experienced Asia try to be funny with the stereotypes.