12 minute read
STEVENSENSHAN
CITY SNAPSHOT @stevensenshan
Head of Xiaomi Visual and Xiaomi Studios, Steven Senshan has been living in Beijing for six years and working for Xiaomi for three years. His job offers him a creative challenge. Since the founding of the in-house Xiaomi Studios, they’ve created 50 short films with a community of global filmmakers, including Oscar-winning directors and interesting content creators at every level. The featured pictures were taken at Lize SOHO in Fengtai District, Beijing. He tells us that the city “represents a dream come true.” Originally from Canada but having grown up in the US, Senshan first fell in love with Beijing and China eight years ago as part of a study abroad program via the University of Toronto. He vowed to return with three goals, learn Chinese, find a job in China, and learn filmmaking and photography – which he has accomplished in the last six years. Calling Beijing home, Senshan fits in with the city’s international diversity. His family background includes his Japanese mother and his Polish, Ukranian, Danish and English father. What he loves most about Beijing is the people. “One of my favorite words in Chinese is 仗 义 which roughly translates to having someone’s back. It is often used to describe Beijing people and truly captures the kindhearted nature of the people in this city.”
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MELIÁ’S BERNARDO CABOT ESTARELLAS
Interview by Ned Kelly
Bernardo Cabot Estarellas, Managing Director of Meliá Hotels International in China, is a recent recipient of the Magnolia Silver Award, an annual honorary award initiated by the Shanghai Municipal Government in 1989 to recognize and honor foreigners who contribute significantly to Shanghai’s economic and social development. We caught up with him to wish him well on winning the prestigious prize.
First of all, big congratulations – what does the Silver Magnolia Award mean to you? It is a great honor for me. Shanghai is my second home and it makes me feel so proud to receive the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award. Shanghai is the place I feel I belong to. My family and I have established our roots here for more than a decade, and we have a very strong emotional attachment to this city. My two daughters have had a happy childhood and teenage life here and they have grown up learning Chinese culture from a young age, which will be a valuable experience for them. We welcomed our son in 2014, and formed an even bigger family in Shanghai. I feel very grateful to receive the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award, and will continue to contribute to the promotion of the hotel industry in Shanghai and China.
When did you first come to Shanghai? I arrived in Shanghai in 2010, the same year as the World Expo. I was appointed by the company to Senior Vice President for the Asia Pacific region and came to open the Shanghai office, which would serve as the headquarters not only for the company in China but also for the entire Asia Pacific region. Our family’s immersion in society was easier than I imagined; people were really nice, and I guess that helped a lot for us to adapt ourselves quite quickly to the new environment. How has the city changed and developed over the years that you have lived here? I have to say that Shanghai is evolving so fast that every day it is different. The speed of its development is marvelous. I can give some examples from my daily life. When I first arrived, it was very hard to find good coffee in Shanghai. But now, as a recent report shows, Shanghai has more coffee shops than any other city in the entire world, and more than half of them are boutique and artisanal.
Technology and digitalization is another thing that impresses me. Alipay and WeChat push China towards a cashless society. When I went back to Spain for vacation, I always forgot to bring my wallet with me when I went out because I had got used to the convenience of life here.
What is it that makes the city of Shanghai so special? I think it is its diversity and inclusivity. Shanghai has a unique ‘East meets West’ culture. It is a modern metropolis with global influence. I feel the people here are very open-minded, full of curiosity and always open their arms to new things. This is amazing and it is why the city is constantly evolving and acting as a pioneer and trendsetter for the whole country.
Undoubtedly, I think it is the most international city in China, and it certainly attracts foreigners to move and stay here. In what ways do you help promote relations between Spain and China? As a member of the China-Spain Business Advisory Council, I’m very happy to be actively involved in the Council on behalf of Meliá Hotels International in promoting economic ties and development between Spain and China from the social, political, economic and cultural perspectives.
Meliá Hotels International has long supported various activities for the promotion of relations between China and Spain. During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Spain in November 2018, I was honored to support the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism in the relevant preparatory work. In 2015, Meliá Hotels International launched a training program called ‘Pengyou,’ which aims to help our hotels around the world to learn more about Chinese culture and customs to better serve and meet the expectations of Chinese guests.
This year, we supported the roadshows of Turespaña (Spain Tourism Board) in Chengdu and Xi’an to help promote Spain as a charming travel destination. We organized an art-gastronomy workshop, inspired by the famous Spanish painter Joan Miro, to bring Spanish culture to industry and media professionals. We also just finished supporting the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Spain in Shanghai to host two successful events in celebration of Spain’s National Day at our hotel Meliá Shanghai Hongqiao in October.
How does the ‘Pengyou’ training program work? We have created a manual of service standards to educate our hotels worldwide, including guest reception, room facilities, dining services and preferences, Chinese payment methods, etc. From having Chinese-speaking staff assisting the guests during their stay to preparing traditional Chinese breakfast such as congee and dim sum, we want to make our Chinese guests feel at home away from home through those small details.
How important is cultural understanding between nations? We all come from different backgrounds and cultural understanding allows us to be able to walk in others’ shoes. It helps to build a world with less judgment and more empathy and inclusivity. Cultural understanding also helps us learn from each other and get inspired.
I am a culturally savvy person and I love to study local culture. During my time here in China, I have become fascinated by Chinese culture. Meanwhile, I am also passionate about sharing the culture of my own country, Spain, with more people. I feel very committed and I have so much enthusiasm to contribute to improving the cultural understanding between China and Spain.
This is also Meliá Hotels International’s commitment, as a Spanish company in China, we aim to bring the best of both cultures together. You are also a black belt in Taekwondo and Judo. Martial Arts are sports with a certain amount of philosophy behind them. Does that transfer over into your work life? What I like about practicing martial arts, and what it helps me to improve, is concentration and resilience. I think these two things are extremely important in our lives, both at work and on a personal level. I dedicate 100% when I do something. High concentration helps me to have high efficiency and effectiveness. Resilience is also essential. We often face difficult situations in our lives. We might need to bend, we might get hit, but if we resist, we will stay standing until the end.
What do you see for Shanghai and yourself in the future? Without a doubt, Shanghai is and will be a reference worldwide in all aspects: urban development, education, lifestyle, fashion, healthcare, hospitality and infrastructure. In my opinion, Shanghai is a place where everyone should invest part of their life to feel the soul of a modern eastern city.
As for myself, I don’t know. It is hard to say about the future because the world is changing so quickly. But what I can say is that I am now working hard for the city, the country, my company and enjoying, with my family, this extraordinary opportunity. We are in the right place at the right moment.
Bernardo Cabot Estarellas’ Favorite Meliá Properties Around China
It is very hard to choose the favorites because every property has its unique charm. But I can talk about a few highlights of our recent projects in China. I think it is interesting to talk about these hotels because they reflect a new trend in the market: urban resorts, which meet both the demands of leisure and business travelers.
We can start from Shanghai. Meliá Shanghai Parkside is a hotel that reflects the Shanghainese Shikumen-style architecture. It is located right next to Shanghai Disneyland Park and famous luxury shopping outlets center Shanghai Village.
Then we travel to Chengdu, the ‘Land of Abundance,’ where we opened Gran Meliá Chengdu in 2020. Strategically built by Jincheng Lake, an oasis of tranquility and nature in the center of Chengdu, Gran Meliá Chengdu consists of seven buildings that combine the traditional Shu-Han design of the city with modernist elegance and lush gardens.
Following the same ‘bleisure’ trend, Gran Meliá Xian, its sister hotel and our first flagship hotel in China, is also located next to a beautiful lake and a magnificent park – Qujiang Pond Ruins Park. It allows travelers to enjoy natural scenery and healthy walks during their trip.
As I learned, mountains and water are fundamental compositional elements of Chinese culture. People enjoy going to the mountains, thus leading to the next hotel I am going to talk about. Meliá Chongqing is an urban resort located amid the beautiful Tieshanping Forest Park. The tranquility of nature in the mountain brings guests a sense of peace. It focuses on the well-being of the guests and respects the local environment, which fully aligns with Meliá’s strategy of sustainability. It is also a great place for families to spend a vacation as the hotel and its partner organizations provide abundant activity programs for children of all ages.
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Kaizen Your Work: Big Achievements with Small Changes
Three years ago, British entrepreneur Alex Mackrell had a full-time job on top of running two companies, but he was not doing well. His dedication to work was great for business, but not for his mental health - he was demotivated and burnt out.
Mackrell, who graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s MSc Management programme in 2018, knew things had to change. In early 2019, he discovered the potential of habit psychology and began applying it alongside the kaizen philosophy which he studied at XJTLU. Both went on to transform his life.
Mackrell looked into the simple but powerful processes behind habit formation and reinforcement. Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy meaning “change for the better”, focuses on small, continuous improvements that lead to huge results over time. “Making life changes can be daunting. Kaizen breaks goals into smaller, achievable chunks, and habits make those improvements automatic,” he explains.
Over the past two years, he got his life back on track and made big changes by starting small. Here are his tips:
1. Start small Mackrell says the changes should not only be small, but “stupidly small”. For example, he wanted to eventually get into the habit of planning his day before getting down to tasks. His first “stupidly small” change? Setting an alarm. “On day zero, I set an alarm for 9 am the next morning. On day one, I woke up, picked up my notebook, and put it back down. Day two: at 9 am, pick up the notebook and write down tasks for the day. Day three, look at the task list and work on one for just five minutes,” he says.
Small changes are easier to implement, and Mackrell says despite their relative size, they bring him a great sense of achievement and encourage him to keep going.
2. Be consistent Consistency is key, and the only way towards real progress.
As Mackrell improved his routine, the agenda began to look different. “Day 30: alarm goes off at 9 am. Pick up the notebook. Get a coffee. Work for 45 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes. Work for 45 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes. Get more coffee, and write down the tasks for tomorrow.” By day 497, the list evolved into a powerful routine. “Alarm goes off at 9 am. Write out today’s date and checklist, and reflect on yesterday. Get coffee. Write down three important work goals and sub-goals for the day. Work for 45 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes. Work for 45 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes. Get more coffee. Work for 45 minutes. Reflect on today’s productivity, and write down the routine for tomorrow.”
3. Acknowledge your progress To keep track of his progress, Mackrell uses a notebook to document his routines. He also rewards himself upon completing his work routine.
“Rewards tell your brain that the habit you have just completed should be repeated. The stronger the reward, the faster the habit will stick,” he says. For Mackrell, the most powerful rewards are the intrinsic feelings of autonomy, mastery and purpose, and each of these empower him to keep building his business.
Mackrell’s company, Manakai Consulting, was started in 2019 with the goal of teaching others to build their own habits using kaizen. He no longer works at the cost of his health, is more motivated, productive, and has much lower stress.
Mackrell continues to use kaizen to improve his routines and his business. “Small changes can lead to huge results over time,” he says. “To start, all you need is a pen, paper, and an alarm.”
To learn more about XJTLU’s programmes, scan the QR code.
