Coming back to America always is a reflecting point for me, meeting my friends and family, seeing where they are in their life, their goals, dreams ….and of course they always ask me “what is it you do, exactly”?
And I have been lectured to, as a friend, to get a focus… some read this blog (Ken!), and they do not see what I am really doing to…telling me to focus and MAKE MONEY… and see me losing focus and direction.
But I will be honest, a lot of business developments and revalations have happened in just over a week being in America….and they are in China….and when I get back and firm them up, I will update everyone.
Last year I was searching a lot more than this year, this year I am committed to coming back to China, committed to ecommerce
Its really sad to talk to so many of my friends who are laid off, getting laid off, afraid to lose their jobs. The feeling of helplessness…
So many mixed feelings….living away from friends and family, growing away from one another, people focusing on different things…..
Its been emotional, and like many of my expats (people living “overseas” from their home country) that this feeling is normal…..but I have pivoted to realize the opportunities and the future is in China and Asia….and that is where I will stay.
As I talk to my American friends as about the rapid growth of China, the new subway lines being built, the buildings coming up, the inflation, the job opportunities….
But again, I think back to history, that some people have to be willing to make changes to build opportunity, to build a business…
I just cannot say I see business opportunity by staying in USA. In a way, I wish I could…
I wish my mom didn’t cry to me over the phone asking why I need to be in China in order to get opportunities…
those are the hard phone calls to make.
I think about how my grandfather must have felt when he left Italy to work in New york, to earn money for him and his current family and his future family with my grandmother and my father, uncle and aunt….
I wish I knew my grandfather on my father’s side…
My uncle Bill even comments this blog, and says how sad it is in America currently…how he is on a fixed income and inflation is growing, etc etc….(((update))) My uncle Bill was born in the Bronx, NY by my grandmother who came from Russia through Harbin, China….she also came to America for a better opportunity than the country she grew up in.
I think my grandfather Gelindo Michelini would know how I feel now…..(my grandfather came from Italy to NYC and motivates me). Sadly I never got to meet him…but he was an entrepeneur who left Italy to build his future and business in New York….
and this trip to USA has made it clear, I belong in China….
and during this trip, other Americans have approached me wanting to come to China too, and I’m working on that too.
Comments
Michael,
I’ve never met you in
person. I’ve commented on 1 of 2 of your blogs a while back… I think we’ve
spoken a time or two. I read your blog above with great understanding and
appreciation for your situation. If I had the choice, I would live in China
too. I don’t know you personally, but I wholeheartedly agree and understand
your decision. Hang in there my friend. You have experienced some serious and difficult
situations with your Mom and others [when I read that part, I thought to
myself, I can see the same thing happening in my family if I made the choice to
move there].
You may remember, I
almost moved to Shanghai around 2007, but opted for Las Vegas instead! If
the opportunities had come to fruition in China I’d be there today. Stand firm
in your passion and convictions for China. Often in these times of difficulty
and tough decisions are when the real man steps forward, that’s you. Although
remember, sometimes the naysayers are opposing you, simply because they don’t
understand or can readily identify with your passion and dreams [it’s foreign
to them and it’s simply hard to compute].
Be certain to take a
extra time to educate the naysayers on your decisions, especially if they are
family [you owe at least that to them]. But at the end of the day, they are
either going to get it, or they’re not. So spend time, but not too much. You have
your own life to live. And, you have a foundation and palace to build in China.
Like Nike says, Go For It!
Sincerely,
Gary T. Murphy
PS Since we last
spoke, I launched the world’s best soy sauce in the US [made in China]!
“Gluten Free and Low Sodium”… we’re now in 60 grocery stores, with
another 150 stores kicking us off over the next few months. We’re also all over
Las Vegas used by many big hotel casinos, like MGM Grand, MGM Mirage, TAO
Group. Check us out: www.facebook.com/LittleSoya. Cheers Michael!
Hi Gary,
thanks for your kind comment here….yes, I realize that I have to better explain to my friends and family in USA about this move…I guess this is how this blog started in the first place…to share awareness of my travels and business experiences.
I do hope we can meet in person but this blog amazes me how we can connect to people on such a personal level over the internet…it has helped me a lot in the transition to working overseas…..
WOW and congrats on the soy sauce, I just liked the fan page on facebook too – very cool – and in such a short amount of time!
Mike
MIKE,
IN YOUR BLOG YOU ARE GIVING THE WRONG IMPRESSION ABOUT WHERE I WAS BORN. IT WAS NOT IN RUSSIA BUT IN THE BRONX,NY, USA. MY MOTHER ARRIVED AT AGE 9 IN 1923 TO NEW YORK FROM HARBIN, CHINA WITH HER FAMILY.. I HOPE THAT WILL CLEAR THINGS UP SOME WHAT.
UNCLE BILL
thanks Uncle Bill…
sorry a bout the mis-understanding on my side…I remember our lunchs talking about my grandmother coming from Russia through China and I had thought you came with her.
I will update that section on the blog now .