RTCPODS - China English Podcast Hub

Name one city that attracts the most foreigners in China. I'm sure Shanghai ranks among the top picks. With its iconic skyline, rich cultural fusion and modern lifestyle, this eastern gem is more than just a tourist hotspot. It has evolved into a thriving hub of opportunities. And it's here, in the heart of this dynamic city, that Linda Painan has made her mark. I'm Linda Painan. I'm from Singapore, a mother of three and the chairperson of TEC, the Expatriate Centre here in Shanghai. It was on a hot summer day that I first met Linda. Her bright pink suit and radiant smile perfectly captured the energy of the season. I soon learned that she loves to wear bright colours for different occasions. Oftentimes, in a sea of suit-clad male entrepreneurs, her colourful outfits make her impossible to miss. Having spent nearly three decades in Shanghai, Linda has come to regard the city as her home. And through her work, she's helping thousands of others from different parts of the world find the same sense of belonging. Located in Changning District, an area west of downtown Shanghai that houses a large expatriate community, TEC was established six years ago. Linda says, long before its inception, her vision of connecting the international community had already begun to take shape. Many years ago, about 14 years ago, I actually met with a lady, an Afro-American lady. Her name was Velkita. I met her at a nail salon. She was trying to communicate with the storeperson about doing her nails and everything. And she obviously couldn't communicate very well because she doesn't speak Chinese. And the storeperson doesn't really speak English. I turned to her and I said, can I translate for you? So she said, oh, yes, please. So we started having a conversation. I started talking to her. And we became friends. And I didn't know then. It was much later that she told me she actually was intending to leave Shanghai that night, that she had bought an air ticket to bring her four-year-old son and return to the U.S. alone and leave her husband here. Fluent in both Chinese and English, Linda stepped in to help. Little did she know her kind act would be a turning point for Velkita. In the case for Velkita, she came from a background where she had a professional career back home. She sacrificed that in order to come out here to Shanghai with her husband. And her husband has a very good job here, obviously, so they relocated to Shanghai. But once coming here, she couldn't really integrate into the community because of language barrier, because of cultural barrier, and culturally the working environment in the U.S. and in Shanghai was very different. So she had trouble adjusting. And her husband was away most of the time. There were no friends here. There were no community here. And there's no one that she can reach out to and even have a normal conversation, per se. So that's why she felt she needed to leave. And that would have broken up a wonderful family. So she felt that now that she has a friend, maybe she could stay. And by meeting her that day and by even doing a small act of translation for her, she felt she's not alone. Loneliness, helplessness, and the absence of friends. These are common challenges that many expatriates face when they arrive in a new place. Linda understands these struggles all too well. Born in Indonesia, Linda was sent to Singapore at the age of five. Overnight, she found herself in a completely new environment and was forced to grow up quickly. This experience gave her a deep empathy for those living in foreign lands. And Valkita's story is just one example of a broader reality. When men are the breadwinners, women in the family can often feel overlooked, especially in a foreign country. To address these issues, TEC hosts various events to bring expats together. And TEC women is a key part of this effort. It offers weekly opportunities for women to connect, share, and support one another. Honestly, the women's a lot of times is the center of the family. And so by doing TEC women, making sure that women are taken care of, we're helping not just the woman itself, but the entire ecosystem, in this case, the individual family unit. Beyond family life, the organization also connects both newcomers and settlers with job opportunities. One of the flagship events is the 3E Fair, which stands for entrepreneurship, employment, and enterprise. This annual fair brings together multinational and local companies as well as government representatives to address employment-related matters on the spot. We had to put this together for such a big fair. We had two days, Saturday and Sunday. We used over 200 volunteers to do it. But all the community came. Everyone came. We had big top CEOs who came to give talks. We had high-level executives who teach how to write better resumes, who teach interview skills, how to get better interviews. Everyone came together to do this. We had an American lady. Linda was particularly impressed by one attendee, a woman from the U.S. who had only nine days left on her visa and was desperately searching for a job. Through our 3E Fair, she was able to find her job at the 111th booth that we let in the night before. And because we had the government people on site at our fair, so she was able to facilitate that and get her visa sorted out on the same day. This year marks the fifth year of the event. So far, it has attracted over 5,000 job seekers and created more than 1,200 job positions. Chris Barnard has known Linda for quite some time. Originally from the UK, Chris has lived in China for over two decades and his three children were all born in Shanghai. He says, when he first arrived in the country, he had all the administrative procedures handled by the company that he was working for. It's very fortunate, the company that managed all that those 20 years ago. But I can imagine now, coming if I was doing it on my own or even integrating into the community, you rely on word of mouth, friends that you know are small, a circle of friends. So I can see now what the services TEC offer from that perspective as a newcomer and it's great because it's all there, it's headed towards the expatriate lifestyle. Earlier this year, Chris faced a new challenge when he was laid off. But he wanted to remain in China and continue working. That's when he turned to TEC. So I came to TEC to ask, what are the requirements, how do I go about reapplying what are the requirements to searching for jobs and once I get that, what are the requirements for the pieces and the like. So I came to TEC and they gave me some guidance about leaving the last job as well. What is the procedures for work permits cancellation, renewals, how much time do I have, what are the document requirements, just to plan ahead. With the support of the local government, TEC set up the office at the Guo Bay Civic Centre. Linda says this significantly reduced operating costs and allowed them to focus more on community development. I think the local Shanghai government, it's a big thank you to them, because without them, a lot of the things that we do will not be possible. So it is through this collaboration, a partnership hand in hand that we're able to accomplish a lot of things that we have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future. TEC is a big thank you to the local government, the local government and the local government. Linda's journey to Shanghai began with a job assignment, 28 years ago. While working for a German bank in Hong Kong's special administrative region, she was sent to this eastern city for a project. Well, 28 years ago... She vividly recalls her first impression of Pudong, the district on the east side of the Huangpu River. At that time, the iconic skyline was nowhere to be found. Instead, she was greeted by vast farmlands. But over the past three decades, the region has undergone a remarkable transformation through reform and opening up. Today, it stands as a symbol of the country's global connectivity. In the late 1990s, Linda and her husband moved to Shanghai and launched their real estate business together, which has since become quite successful. As an expat herself, Linda never imagined she would spend so many years in Shanghai. Yet over time, she has developed a deep attachment to the city. Shanghai is very inclusive. It's very easy to integrate and be part of the city because it's multicultural. Whether you come from any country overseas, you are able to find a peace or somewhere where you can fit into right away here in Shanghai. What do I like the most about the city? In addition to the city's inclusivity, Linda also likes its dynamism. There's nothing that is static here in Shanghai. So from today to the next moment to the next day, it's evolving very, very quickly. It has the most updated things that you can find anywhere else in the world. In fact, in many ways, it has surpassed even my country back home in Singapore, where you can imagine payment systems. You don't even have to bring a wallet out in Shanghai. You just bring your phone. And everywhere, it's a swipe away from your payment. During her time in Shanghai, Linda has developed a keen appreciation for traditional Chinese culture. She has collected several strips of ancient Chinese embroidery from the 19th century that uses silk thread to create tiny knots on the fabric surface. And it has buttons of embroidery on top. So it's 3D because it pops up. It's very textured. It's not just very pretty, but it gives a very strong visual representation of such amazing handicraft from so many years ago. Speaking of Chinese culture, Linda shares that her eldest son, now an adult, has recently developed a keen interest in kung fu. He researched a lot into Chinese history of where the different martial arts, different types come from, different parts of China. And from there, he learned Chinese history related to martial arts. Why the particular martial arts is practiced in that province or in that city? What are the characteristics? What makes them different from each other? And he absolutely adores it. So he really learned by himself. He even started researching and calling up the different masters in the different cities to see if they're willing to teach him. As a mother of three wonderful sons, Linda not only cares for her own, but also for those in need. She has been actively involved in charitable work for many years. She leads a charity project supporting children in impoverished mountainous areas of Sichuan Province in southwestern China, providing them with access to education. During her youngest son's 100-day celebration, Linda encouraged guests to donate money for a meaningful cause instead of giving gifts. This effort funded life-saving surgeries for five children with congenital heart disease in Yunnan Province. Linda views charity work as more than just financial aid. She says it's about creating a sustainable impact and empowering others to make lasting changes in their lives. Help them make that long-term difference in their lives. Currently, Linda's team is collaborating with the Shanghai Voluntary Service Foundation, the Shanghai Disabled Persons Federation, on a children's hospital project. So the Fudan Children's Hospital, they have a new international building and it's the National Medical Center for Children here in Shanghai. So we plan to have a new showcase. This has never been done before, not in Shanghai, not in China, not even in the world. So this is a first-of-its-kind community showcase where we're getting strong partnership and collaborations from all over the world. With multiple international companies involved, including those specializing in fast food, ice cream and toys, the profits generated will support children with congenital heart disease and Down syndrome. Additionally, the facility will create employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and offer educational and volunteering programs for local children. Wang Yi, head of Fudan Children's Hospital, is thrilled about this opportunity as it involves broad societal support to create a positive impact on children and their families. I believe this is a very rare and valuable opportunity for a collaboration. This partnership goes beyond mere financial support. It's about shared values. We are introducing new mechanism for humanitarian care and innovative designs. This is crucial, as it sets a project apart from typical public welfare initiatives. It's customized to meet the specific needs of our children, addressing their health and disease prevention requirements, rehabilitation and comprehensive management and support, with a high level of internationalization. This project is scheduled to run for the next five years. By involving more children and encouraging them to volunteer and connect with others, Linda aims to foster a sense of community from a young age. While I admire her heart of gold, I was also curious about how she manages it all. Balancing a busy work schedule with family responsibilities seems daunting for any entrepreneur, yet the 50-year-old always radiates boundless energy. I think it's a lot of teamwork. She says she couldn't have achieved all this alone. It's through teamwork and community support that made everything possible. That's the power of having a community. In the eyes of TEC's staff, Linda is both driven and hardworking. She doesn't give up very easily. She's very persistent. Whenever there are projects that need to be done, she always should go through them until fruition, and she's also able to finish up the project and make sure that it's a success. Many people might see her as a highly successful businesswoman, a devoted mother or a philanthropist and entrepreneur, all of which contribute to her impressive aura. But beyond these roles, she exiles at balancing these different areas. To minimize her talents, what truly stands out to me is her remarkable work ethic. Every time she talks to someone, she always considers things from their perspective. This is a valuable lesson that I've learned from her. Now with the rapid development of technology, Linda believes more opportunities will arise, and they hope to incorporate cutting-edge technologies into a wider range of questions and issues for the international community. It's actually a very exciting time to be in China right now, especially in Shanghai. Now with the market opening up fully opened, there are a lot of opportunities rising from within here in China, and especially in Shanghai, as a key hub for innovation. A lot of the new technologies are coming in or developing from here. So this is where the place is to be. Shanghai is the first city anyone should come into, and this is the melting pot of all the cultures, of investment opportunities, as well as growth opportunities. We have been partnering with the city for the last six years, and we will continue to do so and evolve together with the city and grow together with the city and develop together with the city.