All Roads Lead to Rome
– Fresh Graduates Starting Their Own Business
By Leona Lin Liyun
Sitting on his desk at 9 AM, Liang Jiali, General Manager of his own Advertising Agency logged on his email account to check for new mails immediately after he came to work. “Some orders came through e-mails, and we send out our company ad to potential customers all the time.” He said.
Liang Jiali was graduated from college last year at Zhuhai. Before his graduation, he worked for an Advertising Agency in his hometown Foshan, an industry city in Guangdong Province for a few months. “My major in the university was PR and Advertising. It was my first choice to work in this field.” He said that those few months had boosted his confidence of starting his own business. A colleague was persuaded to leave the company and became his business partner.
Given the limited funds and social network, the company’s main business is graphic design for small firms and organizations. “I started with 100,000 Yuan, thanks to my family,” Liang noted, “My partner is a graphic designer and I’m the Account Executive, responsible for customer service and financial planning.”
Liang’s agency is focusing on corporate logo design and print production for the moment. As his business expanded, he hired 2 employees 3 months after the company opened and set up an office downtown. “We began to make profit in last November. It’s happy to see return in such short period of time.”
While processing all his mails and orders, Liang also had to remind his coworkers of the coming deadlines, after which he joined a friend for lunch. A quiet restaurant was chosen for straightly business reasons. The friend introduced a client to Liang, whom Liang managed to close a deal with at the end. It was a promotion catalog for a Chinese red wood furniture factory. According to Liang, the friend, who’s a former client to him is also introduced through another friend. This kind of interpersonal communication is essential to the business of initial stage like his.
“I hope my agency can all-round develop to a competitive company.” Liang said, “Other than design, we hope to extend our services to branding, business promotion, strategy planning etc. as a professional ad agency.”
Liang is lucky, compared to most of the college graduates with hopes to establish their own business. An authoritative survey shows the entrepreneurship successful rate of college students in mainland China is only 2.4%.
Employment is an extremely urgent matter for university graduates. As social resources, company openings are limited, especially during the global economic downturn. Therefore, starting their own business seems to be a way out for fresh graduates.
However, there are still a lot of risks people have to take to run a formal business. Initial investment and financial backup are first on the list. It is advised by Prof. Zhang of Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Campus that fresh graduates could consider multi-channel financing, namely bank loans, private loans, self-financing and venture capital funds.
Graduated from Bradford University last year, Liu Changqing, a double degree holder of Civil Engineering and E- business management is bold enough to start his business on which initial investment was up to 400 million RMB. Main investors of the refrigeratory company which located in Nanhai are Liu’s family and his other partner. “My partner is playing as a locator and leading me to solute the government administration problems.” Paused, he added, “Plus, he can share the risks.”
Running a refrigeratory storage company is a huge responsibility. Liu admits that he is under a lot of pressure. “My company’s main businesses are cold chain logistics and cold storage. It requires massive customer base.” He said, “But I am glad I can show what I’ve learn and what I can do after graduation.”
Newly engaged to a girl in Guangzhou, Liu came home after 10 PM most of the time. “I have to earn money to support my future family too.” He smiled.
Even though the storehouse is still under construction, Liu said according to his assessment, the company can yield return after 4 years.
Having told about Liu’s story, not all graduates can fulfill their ambition due to lack of funding and experience. Internet and e-commerce provide opportunities to those who are willing to start from almost zero.
Online shopping websites like Taobao.com and e-commerce website like Alibaba.com have offered a very low entrance to the business world. Taobao.com announced in its website that it had over 62 million registered members by the year 2008.
Lin xiaolong started to sell clothes on Taobao since he was year 2 of college. He’s graduating this summer without a firm job offer. He said that he could support himself by selling clothes, but he would like a job as well.
Unlike Lin, Mo Yifan is so successful in selling cosmetic products online and she actually opens a small shop in her campus just not far from her dormitory. “I like the campus atmosphere. I don’t have to leave the campus even after I graduate in this way.” She implied, “The money is good, and it’s girls’ dream to follow a career of either beauty or fashion.”
Put the Money on Bets
By Leona Lin Liyun
People became suspected of sound traditional investments under financial turmoil, many of who are looking for a more secure investment, while some are still betting their money on luck.
At Cheung Sha Wan station, people line up long before it opens
“These three are my friends’ bet. These two are mine.” Mr. Kwok said, holding 5 tickets on his hand. “It’s like a habit for me and my friends. We’ve been doing this for years.” He claimed that he didn’t increase spending on gambling. “I spend more time studying horse racing before action though.”
Horse racing continues to be the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s core activity, accounting for over 60% of turnover and duty payments in 2007/2008 financial year, However, both the turnover and attendance slipped slightly from last year. The Club said the figures can be seen as very successful given the current circumstances and economic sentiment. Despite the financial turmoil, some of the race meetings are still achieving a total turnover in excess of HK$1 billion. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club said in his blog, “We are still remaining cautious about the full-season figures, as we expect the economic downturn to have a delayed effect on turnover as the season goes on.”
As to 2008/2009 financial year, it is expected to see a decrease in total turnover in the coming financial release in August. Meanwhile, the Jockey Club is detecting other factors that have been affecting their revenue.
Reading gambling section from the newspaper, Mr. Chan said, “I used to bet on almost every horse racing game, nowadays I bet on football more, and horse racing less.” It’s his routine to study the newspaper when traveling on MTR, “Most of us bet through phones.” Paused, he added, “Sometimes we bet from illegal operators. Their odds are good, then gradually became a habit. I wasn’t surprised when hearing some housewives are betting from mainland illegal Mark-Six operators now. It’s even becoming popular.”
Illegal and offshore operators are increasingly targeting the Club’s major customers and it is not being given many opportunities to respond. Recently, the Jockey Club proposed a plan of adding five more race days and 20 simulcast race days each season. Hoping to reattract local gamblers, the club has already collected research statistics proving a large amount of HK $20 billion capital flow to Macaw from Hong Kong people to persuade government to open Hong Kong gambling market.
The Pol Pot years
By Leona Lin Liyun
Hong Kong – March 4 – IJS – Global Saloth Sar, also known as Pol Pot, was the leader of the Cambodian communist party from 1963 to 1979. He ran the country as Prime Minister of the Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 to 1979.
Because of his anti-Soviet policies, his regime was supported by China, the United States, Thailand and some Western countries, yet what he had done when he was at height of his power is generally condemned by international community, during which an estimated two million Cambodians were killed.
During his time in power, Pol Pot imposed agrarian collectivization, relocating city dwellers to the countryside by force to work in collective farms and forced labour projects, toward a goal of “restarting civilization”.
In 1975, Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh, as the leader of the communist party, Pol Pot overthrew of the original Lon Nol regime.
Slave labour, malnutrition, poor medical care, and executions resulted in the deaths of an estimated 750,000 to 1.7 million people, approximately 26% of the Cambodian population[1]. Under Khmer Rough, money was canceled, which caused the total collapse of the nation’s economy. But the communist ideals and did not come true. The victims of the regime even included many of the Communist Party leaders who were suspected of being unfaithful to Pol Pot.
Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979 and occupied most parts of the country. Pol Pot fled to the mountains and set up guerrilla to resist Vietnamese. He hid under the radar most of the time, but there were rumors of his death every now and then. In 1998, he died uneder house arrest in Cambodian mountain area.
[1] “The Cambodian Genocide Program”. Genocide Studies Program. Yale University. 1994-2008. http://www.yale.edu/cgp/. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
Vox Pop
Approximately 300 outsourced workers staged a strike yesterday to protest against PCCW’s decision to cut wages. They are threatening to take further industrial action if the company insists on doing so.
We interviewed some people on the street about this.
Q: What do you think about PCCW’s decision of cutting wages and the contractor workers’ strike yesterday?
A bus driver said: “Yes, I know about the news. But no comment. It’s not the business of mine.”
The husband of a young couple: “It’s only natural for a company to do such a thing, as long as the process is legal. However, the company should adopt proper social responsibilities.”
A salesman in 3 HK: “It’s not good. The workers all have their family to support. PCCW has already outsourced most of their projects, not to mention cutting staffs’ pay check.”
A undergraduate girl in HKBU: “It’s not responsible for the company. If the salary is being reduced, at least offer more holidays as compensation.”
The principle of Kowloon Tong International Baptist Church: “I know, it’s normal. Every company does that. If they only gather signatures on the street, the effect would be minimum. They need the help of mass media.”
Who wants to be a journalist in Cambodia?
Who wants to be a journalist in Cambodia?
By Leona Lin Liyun
Phnom Penh – February 10 – IJS – Global Journalist in the past was not a serious profession in Cambodia, which is about to change since more colleges open media major and offer courses of this discipline.
It has been 4 years since Royal University of Phnom Penh started their media management major in Department of Media Communication. Although this is not the money-making majors like business and accounting, Ly Sokheng, a sophomore in DMC said he had to pass three stages to get in the program at the beginning: TOEFL exam, common knowledge in both Khmer and English about media, and finally an interview. The process of enrollment seems a lot stricter than any other colleges. “Other schools like Public University of Cambodia and Limkokwing University opened journalism major lately, but DMC offers media education more formally.” Ly added.
As media environment in the country is yet to be improved at the moment, the department tends to train each of the students to be able to work in different areas. A wide range of core courses are required: TV and radio programming, public relations, news writing in both English and Khmer, etc. Apparently, only journalism skill isn’t enough in the market, because most of the reporters in Phnom Penh didn’t receive proper journalism training. They might come from very different background. Neth Pheaktra, Deputy Chief of Staff in Phnom Penh Post was a student of foreign language back in college. French was his major. However, he joined the newspaper business soon after he graduated and held on in the industry for 8 years now. “Language is just a tool. I am only making some use of it.” He said.
In DMC, Ly and most of his classmates attending the course don’t plan to become journalist but TV producer, film maker or program host. “The employers are always looking for multifunctional student who can also multi-task.” Ly explained. For a better competitiveness, he is also attending English literature in Institute of Foreign Languages just a few blocks away from Phnom Penh Royal University. According to him, he is not the only one who’s attending two universities at the same time. But he has to keep both sides in the dark.
Ly himself wants to be a sports program producer in TV station. He considers there are still too many rules and regulations about journalism in the country, despite the official’s claim of free media environment. “Media industry is booming these years, more capacities means more choices for us.” He implied.
Icing on the cake
The happy couple is giving out love speech
Icing on the cake
By Leona Lin Liyun
Guang Zhou – Jannary 31 – IJS – Global – Decorated by peach flowers and red roses, the ballroom of a four star hotel in Huadu, a town where located the GuangZhou Baiyun International Airport is filled with joy. Lin Tingting and her fiancée decided to hold their engagement party in Spring Festival holidays a few weeks ago. Lin’s father picked the fifth day of Lunar New Year specifically because it is recorded on a Chinese fortune-telling book that this day is “marriage appropriated”.
“My fiancée and I are from different provinces of the country, it’s hard to reunite the two families.” Wearing Chinese Qipao, Lin said the seven-day vocation gave them the chance to get the relatives together, “Not only have we got the opportunity to celebrate the special occasion of our lives with the love ones, but also two families can spend the festival as one for the very first time.”
As an Ox herself, Lin wasn’t worried about getting married in the Year of Ox. “My husband-to-be wants our first child born in the Year of Rabbit, a wedding this year makes sense.” She said the wedding would be in September 9, 2009. The couple believes the day of three 9s as the anniversary is a blessing of their marriage, since “9” pronounces exactly the same as “forever” in Putonghua. She also implied that 2009 is the Leap year in Lunar Calendar, which makes the year even better for marriage.
Dishes of seafood, suckling pig, chicken and drinks cost the host RMB 2,500 ( US$368 ) a table. However, both sides of the family agreed that it was worth the money because this time of the year was supposed to be the money-making season of restaurants and the hotel didn’t charge them extra. In fact, a RMB 2,500 wedding menu of another restaurant in downtown Guang Zhou includes Shark’s fin soup already, which sounds like a good deal for customers under the current circumstance of economical downturn.
Although it is not a spring festival dinner, the couple required all the guests came in Tang Suit or Chinese Qipao. The combination of western engagement party and Chinese garment indicates the new wedding trends in Mainland China, as the boyfriend purposed to the girl using a big screen in a busy commercial street in Guang Zhou city, a romantic yet audacious way that their parents would not try nor even think about two decades ago. Lin said the support of their parents was essential because the couple was still in the beginning of their careers. “I am grateful for their understanding.” She said, “Having them witness the most important step of my life in New Year’s time makes the moment even more precious.”
Who wants to be a journalist in Cambodia? (outline)
–profile of a student in Department of Media Management in Royal University of Phnom Penh
Ly Sokheng is a sophomore in DMC of Royal University of Phnom Penh. After a serious college entrance exam, he needed to pass 3 very difficult stages of panel to get in the programme.
What the DMC do:
1, the school wants to train each of the students to be able to work in different area.
2, multifunctional student
3, only journalism skill doesn’t work
However, most students attending the course don’t want to become journalists but TV producer, film maker or host.
There are only a few institutions offering reporting training, there used to be 1-3 monthes’ training in CCI (former DMC), and now some universities, too.
For a better future, Ly Sokheng is now attending 2 different universities at the same time- Institute of Foreign, majoring English. But he has to keep both sides in the dark, according to him, he’s not the only one who’s doing this.
He himself wants to be a sports programme producer in TV station.
What do I know about it?
Plagiarism
I have heard stories about plagiarism and been warned not to commit it ever since I went to college. However, never did I pay much attention to the matter. As it is said in the plagiarism handbook of Hong Kong Baptist University, what plagiarism about is dishonesty and “taking someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own”.
The word plagiarism comes from a Latin word for kidnapping. You know that kidnapping is stealing a person[1]. The way that I interpret plagiarism is that whenever you take someone else’s work without giving credit or getting consent and use it as if it’s your own. Actually there’re many forms of plagiarism: ideas, speech, materials of both written and electronic can be stolen for others disposal. Imagine how you would feel when someone steals your beloved property and write his name on it, you would probably know it’s shameful to be that someone.
Can I legally post any picture on my blog that I have downloaded from the Internet as long as I credit the source?
Not really, some authors do not like their photos to be reused so that some of the photos might be labeled as “not for reprint” or something like that. Some websites even take their photos very seriously that you can not copy and download the picture in the first place. Of course, there are agencies would like you to pay for the pictures, therefore you are expected to pay a certain amount of money if you want to get hold of the picture. Still, many people posting their pictures in facebook, flickr or picasa have the internet spirit of sharing. In that case I would assume that I could use the picture for non-commercial use as long as I identify the source.
[1] What is plagiarism? Steven Dowshen, MD http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/plagiarism.html
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