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MZ’s Interpretation of a Chinese Internet Behaviour Monitor Chart

March 12, 2013
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According to iResearch on the major entry and exit websites of the past two years, Chinese netizens’ behavior did not change too much. Portal, search engine and navigational websites are still the main choices for netizens to surf the Internet.

Above is direct quote from China Internet Watch.

Below is Michael Zhang’s interpretation and story behind what you see in the chart. Read on.

There is lots of information in this chart. And while it makes some sense, it is deceptive. Here is why.

QQ.COM

There’s a HUGE user base for QQ, the first IM software in China. In many users’ cases, automatically logging in when PC is turn on is a norm. Then there will be a pop-up window of today’s headlines, a news portal. A user sees something interesting, clicks on it, goes to the news website that carries the content. Guess where they are going? Right. QQ.COM. This process gives QQ.COM the edge on other websites, since it’s integrated with their IM software that’s still popular in China.

360.CN

360.CN has a web browser of their own, which many netizens are using right now. The reason is that 360.CN is part of the whole anti-virus package named 360 Safeguard, offered by Qihoo 360, a Chinese anti-virus software company.  Many of the users are people with little to none technical knowledge about the computer and the internet, who at the same time, needs protection of their PCs that 360.CN claims to provide. They use it simply because it’s installed when you install the anti-virus software and set to default and it opens the portal page every single time you open your browser. That counts? Yes and No.

WEIBO.COM

Despite the fact that the majority of Chinese netizens today use WEIBO, from Tencent or Sina, the number of people that actually go to WEIBO.COM (Sina weibo) is small. We need to understand that Weibo, like Twitter of Facebook, is App based as much as it’s browser based. People log onto their Weibo account from iPad, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or other smart devices. They don’t necessarily go to that .com site with their browser in the morning. What they do is they log on to their account on their hand-held device as soon as they wake up in the morning, because it’s by their pillow.

Looking at charts and numbers lead you to inaccurate conclusions, if you don’t know the meaning and reason behind them. I’m here to help.

Take Chinese Translation from Acceptable to Exceptional

January 3, 2013
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During my career as a professional translator for 12 years, I have always told people “Translation takes more than someone that speaks two languages”. I guess it’s not loud enough to be heard by all. While there is acceptable Chinese translation of advertisement, newsletters, webpages, brochures, flyers and so on, exceptional pieces are seldom seen.  And that impression is usually made after I read the Chinese translation only. 

As a translator, I can tell what the original would read in most of the cases. The word order is just like that in the English writing. The cultural aspect is usually ignored. It’s understandable. It might sound OK to some, because the purpose of a language is to make people understand. No doubt about it! 

BUT, the question is should we stop there, right at “acceptable”? 

To answer that question, we need to ask ourselves, the marketing professionals, this question: If we wouldn’t find just anybody to write our marketing contents in English, why would we find anybody to translate it into another language? 

If your English original is inspiring, exciting, tempting, inviting, welcoming or just beautiful, you need to make sure that the Chinese translation doesn’t fall under par. When the audience reads your Chinese translation, they can tell how much effort you put into communicating with them and will judge you on that. 

Good translation cannot only show how professional you are, but how much you care about the readers. And the difference made by a good piece of writing/translation over a mediocre one could never be over exaggerated. 

So don’t stop at acceptable, take it up a level, to exceptional! 

 

Michael Zhang is a professional English-Chinese translator and tourism marketing professional. As a designated translator for National Geographic Traveler (China) and Ontario Toursim Marketing Partnership Corporation, he has done many important translation works for clients from all over the world, including TV and print advertisement, brochures, books, etc., including 3 NYTimes bestsellers. 

2013 Chinese Marketing Workshops to Begin in Gravenhurst

January 3, 2013
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Michael Cultural Communication, in association with Manning Consulting Group, will present a Chinese Market Readiness workshop in the Town of Gravenhurst, Gateway to Muskoka, on January 23rd, 2013.

The full-day Chinese marketing workshop  will help local businesses and governments in the hometown of Dr. Norman Bethune decoding the Chinese tourism market, building confidence in attracting Chinese tourists and ultimately acquiring knowledge and tactics in servicing Chinese visitors on a daily basis.

More details of the Gravenhurst workshop will be added to this post and please make sure to come back and find more about it.

RTO’s and DMO’s are welcomed to contact Michael Cultural Communication to discuss possible workshops in your region and book a date.

For inquiries, please send email to:

michael@michaelzhang.ca

or,

info@mikecomm.com

 

 

The Young Hearts Lighting up the Falls

August 2, 2012
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If you’ve ever been to Niagara Falls, you probably know that the Falls are lit up at night. And the light comes from a place call the Illumination Tower, where group tourists can change the colors of the Falls with their own hands. It itself is an attraction of Niagara Falls. But have you wondered who the people are lighting up the Falls with the century-old lights every night?

The two men that have been lighting up the world wonder are Peter Donald Gordon and Richard (Dick) Mann, two “young” hearts that have been guarding this great place, welcoming groups of tourists from all over the world.

In the little “office” barely bigger than a snooker table, Peter and Dick have been working for decades. When asked how many years they have been working here, Dick would smile as say: “I’m the rookie. I’ve only worked here for 30 years.” And when seeing my face showing big shock, he would smile again and add, “Peter is the old timer. 52 years.”

Peter is 82. Dick is 78. Peter had knee surgery 2 years ago, not long before when he had played his last hockey game. Dick is more talkative and jokes with me from time to time. I visit them whenever I’m in Niagara Falls, by myself or with a group of media from China. I want to see them whenever I can.

It might seem a boring job, being on duty in the tower alone. But they are never lonely. They are visited by thousands of visitors every year. “It’s a great job,” said Dick, “I’ve got to see all the nice people from around the world.” Yes, they are, especially when they see the two senior keepers going strong after decades of dedication to the tower and the Falls. “If I didn’t work here,” admitte Dick, “I would be sitting at home, watching TV all day long, feeling bored and lonely.” But they are never lonely, because they have not only human friends, but the mammal buddies. There are thirty some raccoons, big and small, living in and around the tower. “Come see the coons,” they would invite the visitors. And they are all excited when they see the bright eyes of the coons shining in the dark of the night. And the backdrop? The roaring Niagara Falls lit up with colorful lights. Peter and Dick feed the coons with bread. Bags of bread. And they are friends for a lifetime. “They were already here before I came,” Dick said about his animal friends.

There was one time when I asked Dick what would happen if any of them couldn’t work at the tower anymore. “I don’t know,” he said. “Peter’s son may be working here then. I don’t know.” I started to worry about the future of the tower and my many more visits down the road. As much as I know there will always be somebody there lighting up the Falls every night and showing the tourists how to change the colors of the Falls by themselves, I wish they could be there forever. Peter, Dick, the lights and the coons.

During one visit to the Illumination Tower not long ago, Peter’s grandchildren came to visit him. And the Tower suddenly had a stronger sense of family. At that moment, I realized that the tower has always been a family and I am proud to be part of it.

Location! Location! Location!

August 2, 2012
By

I’m not a realtor. But location in the tourism industry is as important as it in the real estate industry, especially for destinations.

I’m not saying the location of a destination will mean if there will or will not be any tourists visiting. The point is: when a destination wants to target the growing Chinese market, the very first thing to examine is their location. And that stays true to both overseas Chinese market and the local Chinese Canadian market.

For the overseas Chinese market, first time visitors will visit the must-see places: Niagara Falls, Toronto or Ottawa (where there are international airports) and/or one more selected attraction, such as Muskoka, Algonquin Park or Kingston (Thousand Islands). If a destination is more than 4 hours away from Toronto or is not as well-known as the hot spots, it’s hard for first timer Chinese ADS visitors to include in their itinerary. However, if they are VFR tourists, that means they are visiting their family and relatives, it’s possible for them to see what the remote-r destinations have to offer, such as Tobermory, Killarney, Long Point, Haliburton and Kawarthas.

For the local Chinese Canadians, including long-time immigrants and newcomers, all destinations have a chance. The only thing that matters is – you are right – LOCATION! As all regions and attractions are constantly promoting the things to see and to do, it comes down to who gets “drafted” in the first round. And location plays a critical role in that. We all hope to spend more time enjoying the destination than driving to it. So being closer means, in most cases, being more enjoyable, unless it has a unique feature to justify the longer travel.

Okay. If you are far from Toronto, do you have  chance to get many Chinese tourists? Yes, you do! Offer things that better cater to their needs, such as clean, comfy lodging, better value to the dollar, welcoming messages and important information in Chinese language and great packages that they cannot say no to.

The ultimate tast is to match your destination with the right segmentation with subtle cultural touch to win their vote as the next travel destination.

Next blog will talk about “Word of Mouth”. Please stay tuned.

 

A few points on media needs

July 15, 2012
By

I was on the road again for 11 days. I was traveling with a group of Chinese celebrities and media. And the media themselves are celebrities as well. I always take notes of what I observe on my tours with media and celebrities. But this is the first time I write them down for all who need them to better understand and cater to the Chinese media needs.

 

Fewer stops could mean better understanding of each stop. 

Media, expecially magazines, need more materials about each attraction or experience than others. They are not only telling people where they have been and how they feel, but also hoping to interpret the experience in a Chinese background, comparing Canadian culture with Chinese culture. No matter it’s a travel magazine like National Geographic Traveler or a culture magazine like Life Weekly or New Weekly, they need deeper understandings of what they are seeing and doing to make sure their articles don’t fall into the category of advertorial.

Chinese apetite vs. Canadian food.

French cuisine inspired Canadian fine dining is still Canadian food, not Chinese. We may try everything to show them that we can cook as well as the Frenchmen do, they can’t appreciate. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not they don’t think the food is good. It’s only they prefer Chinese food. What is good about Chinese food? Variety! Chinese stomach needs variety to be satisfied. Look at our own menu.

Appetizer

Your choice of Soup, Salad or Calamari

Entree

Your choice of Prime Rib, Sirloin Steak, Chicken, Pasta or Fish (salmon in most of the cases)

Desert

Your choice of desert or no desert

Look at the Chinese menu now.

Chinese soup, shrimp dumplings, beef or pork shumai, baked red bean dim sum, stir fried green leaf vegetables, tofu, scallop, chicken, eggplant, spicy fish, fried noodles, fried rice, fruits for desert. And most importantly, all above are shared in one meal.  No wonder why they love Chinese food even when Chinese food in Toronto is not the same as it’s in Beijing. When you eat 3 dinners of steak in a row, you get sick of it, too.

Shopping is as good as seeing Niagara Falls. Or almost as good. 

The buying power of Chinese media is eye-widening. And if you have any idea how much the same thing we buy here for 50 dollars sell for in Beijing, you will understand why they need more time shopping. A bottle of 375ml Inniskillin Icewine is over 1000 RMB (160 CND) in Beijing, while you can get it here for 67 bucks. A Michael Kors purse that you need to pay over 4000 RMB ($700) to get in Beijing will only cost you no more than $400 here. 1L of Kirkland maple syrup from Costco costs no more than 13 dollars in Toronto. But in Beijing, it sells for nearly 300 RMB ($45). A media friend in this last group brought no personal belongings but an empty suitcase from Beijing with him just to fill it with his purchases here. If you want the media to be happy and perform as you would love them to perform, give them time to shop.

Get your Chinese translation/interpretation ready.

Among all the places they visited, those with Chinese information, translation or interpretation work the best. ROM had a nice lady, Ms. Liu from Taiwan to tell the stories behind the dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and ancient Chinese murals. Another Taiwan lady, interpreter at Casa Loma, was able to get the group sticked with her through the tour in the castle using her vivid introduction to the history of Sir Henry Pellat. In order to achieve the same effect, I jumped in many times where Chinese information was lacking, just to make sure they understand the cultural background, which makes one attraction different from another. It’s so important that I couldn’t over emphasize why every attraction needs to get the language part ready to make sure their input will generation the most power.

 

 

Be Famous

June 21, 2012
By

Have you heard of Herbert Fishery? Yeah. The one in Killarney with the red vending truck (or bus?). It serves probably the best fish and chips in Ontario. Or at least, one of.  They are famous. To fish and chips lovers like me.

If you are famous, people know you. They will talk about you, they will recommend you and there will be more people know you. That’s a super nice position to be in for almost any business. So the key word, or rather key words, are BE FAMOUS!

People now will travel hundreds, even thousands of miles just to see something, something they have been dreaming to see, to have, to experience or even to eat. And depending on who you are and where you are, you can amplify your fame and direct to some direction where you want your fame to be, to attract attention from certain groups of people that may not know you. In other words, you can make yourself famous in a demographic, within which you are not famous, yet.

In Ontario, there are two fish and chips places that I really like. One is Herbert in Killarney. The other is Liddle’s in Wheatley. And the two places were recommended by my photographer friends, Rob Stimpson and Ethan Meleg. And that’s how I know about the places and alway hope to go back and have some more. Word of mouth is always the best salesperson you can have.

In the past couple of days, I posted some information / recommendation about these two places on the Chinese outdoor travel social media account I manage and people are commenting and reposting like crazy. They are planning on going there. And they are calling their friends to go with them.

Why? This is something they have been looking for. Many Chinese Canadians are eager to go out and try new things, but they just don’t know how. They need someone to show them the way and they will follow. Many active travelers in the Chinese community here in Ontario are Chinese students. They study at UofT, YorkU, Ryerson, Western and other colleges and they LOVE spending their time abroad traveling, more than studying.

So, the two-step formula would be: decoding the target demographic ===> making yourself famous there.

It reminds me of the closing lines of Tom Bergeron on America’s Funniest Videos: Be famous! Be rich! Good night, everybody!

 

Chinese Sign Language for Numbers

June 1, 2012
By

We all know how language barriers can be our biggest enemy in your efforts in marketing to a non-English-speaking demographic. Sometimes, when you are unable to communication with someone, who doesn’t speak English at all, sign language may come in handy to provide some assistance. However, sometimes even sign language is different in two different countries. Chinese languages, both spoken and written, are unique and the sign language for numbers is different, too. Here are the signs for numbers 1 to 10. Note: The sign language here is for everybody, not the sign language for deaf people, and is considered understandable/universal in China. 

Next time when you are in a situation where you need to use some signs to talk to your new Chinese friends, customers, media or visitors in your town, you will be ready to at least count some numbers with them using your fingers. 

Chinese Basics (Mandarin)

May 24, 2012
By
These Chinese words and expressions won’t get you anywhere in China. But, if you are in the tourism industry and you want to impress your Chinese customers, they can be fun to learn and use. Great ice-breaker! 
 
I tried to use English spelling for words to imitate the pronunciation. So just go ahead and pronounce them as you would for English words. You will be understood! Enjoy!
 
 
 
Hello!                                           Nee how
Thank you!                                 Sheah sheah  (eah like in yeah)
You are welcome!                    Boo ke chee
Bye!                                              Zy gen
Sorry!                                         Dway boo chee
A little!                                       Yee di-an di-an
It tastes good!                            How chee

Who is your “Town Crier”

May 11, 2012
By

Kingston and area used to be my pitstop on route to Ottawa, Montreal and beyond. Gas is cheaper there than in Toronto. It used to be that way till two weeks ago when I went in the town and explored the old capital city, where I met the Town Crier, Chris Whyman.

This two-time Town Crier Competition Champion of the World showed me and the group of Chinese media I was leading some old school charm of this historic town. The cry in front of the visitor center, across street from the city hall, was something new to the Chinese, unavailable in China, unique and interesting and perfect for photo and video shooting and sharing.

It’s a good direction for all cities and towns to explore in your effort to attract Chinese tourists. Today is the era of digital sharing. You need something that they can capture with their handheld devices, so they can become your best sales and marketing team. Chinese tourists tend to trust what fellow Chinese tourists say about a destination.

This role can be performed by a person (town crier), an animal (like Wiarton Willie), a dish (like smoked pork shoulder in a German town), a landscape (Niagara Falls), an method of transportation (like the streetcar in Toronto) or an activity (like taking a boat tour on RMS Segwun).

Who is your Town Crier?

Kingston Town Crier

 

How come I didn’t know that?

November 30, 2012
By

How come I didn’t know about it? That’s the question many may ask if they misses something they feel would’ve been interesting. And when it comes to tourism marketing, no marketer wants to hear that from their potential visitors. But sadly, it happens a lot.

In marketing to the Chinese community, channel and timing are as critical as the “thing” itself. You may have a very exciting event you are organizing, but if the message doesn’t get across in the right way, you will lose many potential visitors and you may not even realize that. (Hint: language and platform.)

Think about it. You could’ve reached out to the Chinese audience and told them the Canadian Holiday Train is going to stop in your town and it’d be lots of fun for whoever sees the train and performance there, but you didn’t. And all those go see the train are, in fact, your fellow residents in the town, who would buy nothing but a cup of coffee. It’s a loss. Because, if you could move those Chinese people who don’t live in your town to go see the train, they will more than likely be eating at one of the restaurants on the Main St, and buying at one of the antique shops if they know where to go.

And if I tell you all above can be achieved for as low as 10 dollars of your marketing money, what would you say?

Marketing a destination has a two-fold definition: BUILDING A NEW IMAGE and CORRECTING A FALSE IMAGE. No matter which category your town, area, region or regions fall into, you need to ask yourself this question:

If I can get more Chinese traffic with a very low cost of my budget, shouldn’t I be doing it right now?

When your first Chinese marketing dollars get your name on the map of their next trip and those of their friends, you are a winner.

Contact Michael and get to know more details about how it can be achieved.

Sweet Icewine？

October 17, 2012
By

Last week, I took a TV crew from Guangdong Prov. of China to Niagara Falls and Toronto for filming, an assignment by Tourism Toronto. Fun trip as usually. I guess it’s the same nationality that created a natural bond between me and the visiting Chinese media. It was a fun trip, as always.

As much as it’s natural and smooth, I found one thing that had never been pointed out or noticed during previous many media Fam tours. The Guangdong people, from the south-most province in Mainland China (except for Hainan Island, which is off mainland China), didn’t seem to enjoy our Icewine very much.

The problem?  ”Too sweet!”

Guangdong, a Cantonese-speaking province that is adjacent to Hong Kong, is famous for it’s special cuisine called “粤菜” （Yuet Cuisine = Guangdong Dishes）. Defined by a lighter taste and a prominent usage of seafood, it is the most popular and most well-known Chinese food around the world. And that lighter taste is the reason why the TV crew didn’t like Icewine. Unlike Chinese from Shanghai and Zhejiang (whose enjoys sweetness) or those from Szechuan (who are famous for their spicy food), Guangdong visitors will NOT be huge fans of Icewine.

As destination marketing organizations or local businesses related to Icewine promotion and production, it’s a new subject to subtly identify the coming media and visitors to direct them to the perfect products and services.

 

Ontario Tourism Chinese Media Fam Tour

August 29, 2012
By

A group of media consisting of the most listened to radio station in Beijing, Beijing Communication Radio, China and the largest video sharing website company, Youku Tudou (Chinese version of Youtube) had a 6-day Fam tour in Ontario. Michael Zhang escorted the group and played the translator role throughout the trip in Niagara Falls, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa. Michael’s experience with the tourism products and media operation helped the media better understand Ontario and facilicated their media coverage and production after the trip.

MCC Tip

Find a good escort who knows both your destination and media needs with strong language ability to crack the language barrier. It can turn a media fam tour from scratching the surface every time to a in-depth coverage of different parts you want exposure of.

 

OTMPC Brochure Translation Completed

August 29, 2012
By

MILTON–

MCC has successfully completed another project with Ontario Tourism, translating its Chinese brochures and suggested itineraries for the Chinese market. MCC applied REEF Standard throughout the whole project, from initial communication to proofreading. Chinese travel agencies will now have effective tools for promoting Ontario attractions and experiences to the vast Chinese audience.

MCC Tip

When doing  a big translation job, there are several things that need extra attention:

1. Glossary consistency

2. Target language grammar, usage and style

3. Proofread after designing

4. Captions

Bruce County Tourism Workshops Completed

August 29, 2012
By

June 1, 2012 MILTON-

On May 28th and 29th, Michael Zhang successfully conducted 3 training workshops on Chinese tourist market readiness and marketing in Bruce County. Over 130 people from Parks Canada, local businesses, chambers of commerce, township and tourism organizations attended the 3 workshops held at Tobermory Community Center and Southampton Town Hall respectively. Bruce County Tourism, who organized the workshops, did an amazing job as the host.

MCC Tip

Decoding a demographic is a critical step for a destination or a business to take before deciding to market to it and how to market to it. When there’s particular culture involved, the first step is more important.

MCC Does CTC Ads Translation for NPC, WJB

August 29, 2012
By

Aug 24, 2012 MILTON–

Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) and Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour (WJB) have respectively contracted Michael Cultural Communication for the translation of their advertisements in Canada Tourism Commission’s Chinese publication. Accurate, attractive, fun-filled Chinese contents are a key to the success of an ads campaign and the two clients fully understand the importance of hiring the right translator. Congratulations to NPC and WJB for their smart move in exploring the Chinese market!

MCC Tip

Choosing the right media, hiring a qualified translator, and creating culturally relevant contents are equally important to the success of an Chinese ads campaign.

Voyageur Quest: Algonquin More than Fall Colors

July 23, 2012
By

To me, Algonquin Provincial Park used to be all about the beautiful fall colors. I have
been to Algonquin Park many times, in most of which I would drive down Highway
60 and admire the endless maple forest, which was so colorful that it seemed like
burning. However, a 2-night stay at the Algonquin Log Cabin by Voyageur Quest
totally changed my perspective about this huge outdoor destination in Ontario.

No electricity, no cell phone signal, no modern complicity, only primitive nature and
lots of rustic fun—this place in Algonquin Park is a perfect haven for people who are
seeking outdoor fun without being disturbed by anything.

I went swimming, fishing, wild blueberry picking, hiking, sunbathing on the dock
and picnicking on a small island while enjoying a beautiful sunset. There’s even a
floating sauna in the middle of the water. And canoeing to the picnic area was lots
of fun. Keeping the canoe going straight forward using my immature J-stroke skills
was not easy. But I didn’t mind doing a little zig zag at all, because the scenery of
the wilderness was stunning. The owner John, the guide Matt and the cook Joe were
all so nice and fun and so were my fellow vacationers from Austria, Australia and
Ireland.

Getting off the canoe and setting up a picnic table using a canoe turned upside down,
I felt that I just rediscovered Algonquin. It’s no longer just about the maple trees in
the fall. It’s about an outdoor living that awaits people to enjoy. It’s about exploring
the unexpected.

Click here for exciting Ontario canoeing adventures.

For the Crystal Water of Georgian Bay

July 19, 2012
By

I’ve been kind of addicted to water since I moved to Canada. One of the advantages of living in Ontario is that you are never too far from it. Three years ago, I saw the crystal clear waters of Georgian Bay for the first time. Since then, I’ve been traveling back every year, just for the jewel of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

 

The tip of the Bruce Peninsula, Tobermory, is a place I visit over and over again. The largest glass bottom boat in Canada is located in Tobermory and I’ve had the opportunity to take this cruise. With the crystal clear waters of the Bay, you are able to see the century old shipwrecks on the bottom. The white fish at the little diner at Big Tub Habour is excellent. Watching the beautiful sailboats elegantly cruising in and out of the harbor, while eating dinner, is a great combination and adds to the experience.

 

I’ve also hiked the Georgian Bay Trail in the Bruce Peninsula National Park. This trail takes you to the turquoise colored waters of the Grotto. Definitely a must see. Located beside the Grotto is Indian Head Cove, a rock beach, which is popular to many. I’ve swam and snorkeled in the cool but clean water.

 

Not too far from Tobermory is the town of Lion’s Head. Here I’ve walked over the giant cobblestones and have made out the shape of Lion’s Head in the rock face of the escarpment. Sauble Beach, the second largest freshwater beach in the world is a little further from Tobermory but is worth the drive. I’ve sunbathed on this popular beach and splashed around in the waves. Tobermory and the surrounding areas are so much fun that you will forget the four-plus-hour drive up from Toronto.

 

There is one thing I haven’t done yet in Tobermory. I still need to go onboard of Chi-Cheemaun and visit Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater island. I’ve seen the Chi-Cheemaun so many times from my rental cottage by the water, but have never driven my car into her big “mouth” at the bow. This is something I plan on doing this summer of 2012. Here I come, Chi-Cheemaun!

 

The difference between the bustling, charming town of Tobermory on the southern coast of Georgian Bay, and the tiny rugged village of Killarney, is its flavor.

 

If the turquoise water and stunning cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment interest you, then the different kinds of rock formations in West Desjardin, about 15 kilometers west of Killarney Mountain Lodge, will certainly take your breath away.

 

Early last fall, I stayed at the Killarney Mountain Lodge. It was cooler, but the weather was just beautiful. Taken by a fast boat we hired, we travelled along the rugged, pine tree lined coast of Georgian Bay to the little islands of West Desjardin. The rocks that form the big and small bumps in the sparkling water are as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The pine trees, which can be found in the paintings of Group of Seven, stand on top of some of the big islands in front of a seemingly endless backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.

 

The world famous Herbert Fishery Fish n’ Chips is right by the Killarney harbor. If you are looking for the freshest fish and chips, Herbert Fisheries is a great place to visit. Fish are caught daily and hundreds of fish and chip orders are fried up every day.

 

Killarney is home to the Killarney Provincial Park and campgrounds are abundant. Highway 637 takes you through the Provincial Park and not only welcomes you with an abundance of trees of different shapes and colors, but also with lots of wild animals. Driving along this highway, I’ve seen two deer, one fox, one bear and uncountable herons along the way.

 

There are other great locations to visit close to Killarney. Sudbury is not far and you can find Science North and Dynamic Earth where you can play and explore. French River is also close, where you will find a beautiful gorge that can be admired atop of a long suspension bridge.

 

The northern coast of Georgian Bay is a four-season destination and is never lacking interesting things to do. Its beauty is waiting for you to discover in this summer.

 

Getting on Board

June 25, 2012
By

Getting on Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to admit that, though I love water sports, I’m not a super skillful aquatic person. I have a good sense of balance when feet on the ground, but it’s a different story when I’m on this new thing, called SUP.

Stand Up Paddleboard (or Paddling), aka. SUP, is fairly new to Canadians, but now it’s super duper popular among water-loving fun-seekers. I got a chance to learn SUP at Toronto’s beautiful Harbourfront. A day of “Alright, I will give it a shot.” turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.

My instructor was Alex. We were taken out on a boat to a little tiny bay along the shore of Toronto Islands. Alex was a fun guy. He once lived in Qingdao, China, so we started chatting in Chinese. What an icebreaker!

Task #1 of playing SUP is to get onboard. I walked my board, which was attached to my ankle with a “leash”, to some shallow calm water. Step by step, I was on my stomach, knees and finally my feet standing on top of a board that’s longer than me, holding a paddle, well, longer than me as well. Blue sky, sunshine, just a little breeze and the ever-charming Toronto skyline made me feel like I was standing on top of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before then, I never realized how much fun you can have when you fall into water from somewhere other than a dock. If you want to have some hot summer fun, why not try SUP and get wet and cool just in this town called Toronto

Click here for exciting Ontario stand-up paddling adventures.

 

Huron Sunset

June 3, 2012
By

I AM DRIVING on the one-way street in Tobermory’s business district to the cottage I will be staying in for the next couple of days. Grocery and dinner on the passenger seat, I am sort of in a hurry. All of a sudden, a bright but soft beam of sunlight pokes through the car window and pours onto my face. Out of instinct, I turn my head left and see a stunningly beautiful sunset. A mixed hue of blue, red and purple is the backdrop. Against it is a golden sun like an egg yolk with some steam radiating out of it. Under, or rather diagonally under the sun is the sparkling water of the Big Tub Harbour with MS Chi Cheemaun just no more than a couple of hundred feet away in front of me. A little sail boat is anchored in the middle of the little bay like a white buoy, white triangular sail pointing to the glowing clouds in the sky.

I was invited to Tobermory by Bruce County Tourism to do workshops for local businesses to share with them my knowkedge and experience in attracting and getting ready for the Chinese tourists. Going in Tobermory as a tourist with some work to do, I didn’t expect to see such a beautiful sunset on the first night at the tip of Bruce Peninsula. What a lovely surprise!  And the following day in Tobermory presented me with a similar gift again. This time, I was prepared. Camera ready, I was almost waiting for it to come. And it didn’t fail me at all. Once again, a big, round, golden sun set some good mood for my burger and wine dinner.

On the third day of my Bruce County workshop trip, I moved from Tobermory to where the third workshop would take place, Southampton, Ontario. This little town on the east coast of Lake Huron has only several thousand residents. And those are the lucky thousands. If you have been to Southampton, you will know there’s a HUGE Canadian flag flying at the end of the main street, by the lake, over a pretty strip of sandy beach. Again, on my way back from picking up some food from a local Chinese restraunt, I saw the sun start falling on the horizon. The bottom of this golden, reddish colored plate was already touch the vague divide line between the sky and the water. So again, I stopped at the end of a little side street by the beach, car idling twenty feet behind me and snapped a few shots with my iPhone before it was too late. And that proved to be a right decision, since when the sun sets, it sets so quickly. Before I could make a U-turn, the sun was already half  way down, leaving the stage to the clouds, which looked like some burning cotton rolling on a vast land. Southampton is not quite a tourist town. Locals even told me that this cottage town is resided by many lawyers and doctors and alike as their summer home and there are not many parking spaces there by the lake because they are trying to keep the beach and the sunset as “private” as possible. And I can see why.

Next time I am going to the East coast of Lake Huron, I will know what to expect, at least to some degree. I may even want to go there just for that. Huron sunset, isn’t that a perfect reason for a weekend journey to the west? (Question: Do Chinese tourists from the GTA know about these towns and parks? Are they well informed of what the can expect for a weekend getaway to the east coast of Lake Huron?)

Below is a list of the beatiful Ontario towns and parks on the east  coast of Lake Huron that one can enjoy historic towns, nature, some old-school hospitality and beautiful sunset.

Tobermory

Southampton

Port Elgin

McGregor Point Provincial Park

Inverhuron Provincial Park

Kincardine

Goderich

Bayfield

Grand Bend

 

Canoe Through Point Pelee National Park

May 30, 2012
By

I’ve been to Point Pelee National Park many times, sometimes with my wife, sometimes with my wife and friends. In fact, Point Pelee is the park that I showed to some of my friends when they just arrived in Canada as new immigrants. But not until last summer did I find the true beauty of this park at the Southern-most tip of mainland Canada.

I’ve walked the boardwalk, explored the trail and seen the sunrise and sunset over the water. Last summer, for the first time, I sat in a voyageur canoe and went further to the heart of the beautiful marsh. And I was shocked! There were just too many things to see and hear—frogs, birds, turtles, grasshoppers, fishes, water lilies, only willow tree and even a floating piece of “land”, which I hopped onto from the canoe. Along the way, we said Hi to many fellow canoeist and kayakers.

The water lilies are the most attractive part of the park. They are so white, so beautiful. I remember there were 7 different water lily species in the park and one of them was so unique. The lilies formed a big, big circle after years of blooming and dying and expanding. Paddling with a naturalist interpreter through the soothing colors was a both relaxing and learning experience.

Today, when I hear someone saying Point Pelee is a small park not worth driving all the way from Toronto, I know they haven’t been in that big canoe and I know how much beauty of the park they have missed.

Click here for exciting Ontario canoeing adventures.

 

What do Chinese tourists buy? Part 2

May 9, 2012
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This is the second part of one topic. If you haven’t read the first part, here is the link. http://michaelzhang.ca/?p=38

Now the question is: What do you have to offer to the Chinese tourists for them to buy like crazy?

Here are some tips:

1. something Canadian (especially it is obviously Canadian to them and their friends)

2. something unique (or you can say one or two of a kind)

3. something you offer at a discounted price

4. something local

5. something affordable if they need to buy more

6. a big smile even when you don’t understand what they are saying

7. most importantly, Chinese language used in both verbal and written forms to facilitate and encourage  their purchase

Inniskillin, along with other established businesses in Ontario, is ready to do that. They have a Chinese tour guide/salesperson onsite, leading the group from the initial welcoming (first impression) to wine tasting (generating more interest) to the final POS transaction (solving credit card problems, giving clear instruction on completing transactions, packaging according to their traveling needs). This is a 5-star experience for the medi/tourists. So no doubt they would buy the Icewine from the winery.

When people are treated better than they expected, they start to have a sense of guilty if they don’t buy anything from you. That’s exactly what you need.

Coming back to the language, why is it so important? Because it will speed up the buying decision! If potential customers with all the motive to make a purchase can get all the information and help they need, they will buy. Or to put it another way, if potential customers (in this case the conservative Chinese people) can’t obtain the information and help to help them make the buying decision IN TIME, they will walk away!

That’s something that needs immediate attention if you are in a good position to sell those products and services (criteria listed above) to the Chinese tourist.

And here comes another question after that: have you positioned yourself in the seemingly wonderful Chinese market? Answering the question “Who you are” is the first step you should take in exploring this complex demographic. (Stay tuned for more tips on that point.)

Let the Pros Do Their Thing

May 8, 2012
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Let the Pros Do Their Thing

For the past hour, I was vigorously trying to figure out how to make the appearance of this blog page even more attractive. Though, as a marketing specialist, I have worked with many fantastic graphic designers on lots of projects, I can’t even in my wildest imagination say that I’m an expert in that. It looks better now, but it can be even better if I get a professional graphic designer to help me with the layout, fond, color and the combination of all above. In this particular field, they are pros, while I’m not.

This process once agains reminded me of how important it is to “let the pros do their thing”. That’s my interpretation of an old Chinese saying, “术业有专攻”, from On Teaching (《师说》) by Han Yu (Tang Dynasty). It’s original meaning is “different people are specialized in different crafts”.

In translation, it’s the same idea. High quality translation takes more than just someone that speaks two languages. It’s about in-depth understanding of both languages, skillful using of both languages and, on top of everything, mastering the subtle cultural differences in both languages.

I’ve seen many translators’ work doing damage to their clients reputation and, consequently, their business. That’s SCARY! What’s even more scary is that the clients are totally unaware of the damage they are suffering by choosing the wrong person for their translation needs.

One of my clients presented me a piece of translation work not long ago for proofreading. The Chinese used by the translator was horrible. Mistakes, by misunderstanding and/or mistranslating, were all over the place. I felt very sad and angry! Even till this day, I still feel sad, angry and scared about what they could’ve ended up using.

In my career as a translator, I dare not to fool my clients with “I’m-not-100%-sure-about-it” kind of translation. It takes lots of time and effort to make translation right, the first time, but it’s worth it.

At the end of this blog piece, let’s look at how Google Translation put the famous Chinese words of wisdom into English: Industry specializing in surgery.

I wish you understood what that would mean.

Feb 27, 2012

What do Chinese tourists buy? Part 1

May 8, 2012
By

Last week, I was leading a Chinese media group to some of the most popular tourist attractions in Ontario for a media fam tour. And without doubt, Niagara Region was one of them. While we were there, a stop at Inniskillin Winery was arranged and the media friends from China, who had never been here before, had no idea of what they would be seeing.

After a tour of the winery and a brief but delicious Icewine tasting session in the winery’s below ground celler, the media persons, now become pure tourists, start to bombard the winery boutique with their credit cards and, of course, cash. Vintage Icewines priced at about 65 dollars each bottle were bought like Coca-Cola.

Some may say: Chinese now have money and good for them if they can buy what they like. The fact is that most of the Icewine they buy here will NOT be consumed by the buyers themselves. They are perfect gifts! When we travel, we even buy stupid things just to tell people “I’ve been there”. But Icewine is not something stupid for Chinese. Chinese LOVE higher sugar code. It’s more acceptable than most of the dry red wines, no matter what vintage, what vineyard or what region.

Now the question is: What do you have to offer to the Chinese tourists for them to buy like crazy?

Video Link: Icewine Buying

Second half of the story will come in the next post. Here is the link: http://michaelzhang.ca/?p=57

Travel Between the Lines

May 8, 2012
By
Travel Between the Lines

 

Good travel journalists inspire people in many ways. They visit a destination, write about it, publish their words and people that read them fall in love with it.I have been having the privilege to work with National Geographic Traveler and translate the writings of many great travel writers, including award-winning contributing editor Daisann McLane, who has become a friend. Their travel experience brings fun, excitement, inspiration and desire to my life.

I haven’t been to most of the places they wrote about: the crystal waters of Tahiti, the unpredictable volcanoes of Iceland, the star-lit trails of Yosemite, the 19th Century lighthouses of Croatia or the sand dunes in Namibia. However, I have helped thousands of thousands of Chinese readers travel between the lines of those great writers to those somewhat remote destinations.

Certainly, there’s nothing better than seeing a world wonder with one’s own eyes, touching an ancient stone wall with one’s own hands and experiencing what a trip of a life time has to offer with one’s own time. However, not every one of us has all the resources needed to measure the planet with our own feet. So we love reading, letting others who have been there to tell us the stories, just like we are there. So I love translating, bringing the writers and the readers together and enabling the latter to travel between the lines  of the former.

That’s the wonderful part about my job, being a facilitator in this journey around the world with translation and imagination. And that’s what I will keep doing, because, as what a friend of mine Chris Hughes also believes, we are all tourist!