him because he could demonstrate to workers what needed to be done. He also found that while he did not speak the language, he often could understand what was being said at least to a limited extent because he heard similar conversations day after day. “In Kasakhtan, I had interpreters, but I also speak and read the Russian language, which is what most people in Kazakhstan speak,” Lambert said. Kazakh is the area’s other language and has some similarities to Russian. “Most people in Kazakhstan speak at least a little bit of English,” he recalled. “In Korea, a combination of gestures was used although many Koreans at least understand a bit of the English language. In Mexico, I had an interpreter but I also learned the language, and, of course, in New Zealand and Australia, English is the native language.” Erickson said he has never found language differences to be an issue. “English is spoken at many locations and, when not, you have to rely on other means such as pictures, drawings, and slower explanation. Remember to be patient and take the extra time in the beginning to ensure that all is being understood correctly,” he suggested. “Interpreters are always helpful but do not rely on them as this is only a plus.” Erickson added that today’s technology, including smart phone applications and computer language translation programs, offer great help. “The stumbling blocks of language difficulties are only minor considerations,” he said. “One of the biggest mistakes I see new expats make is to go to a foreign country and expect to find language and customs the same as in the United States,” Merrill noted. “A lot of people expect everyone to speak English, eat American food, drive like Americans, etc. When going overseas people need to embrace the culture they are in. If they don’t, they will only become frustrated and unhappy. I have had to send many technicians and engineers home because they could not do this.” Learning the Work Customs All four respondents said they researched work and other customs in the places where they would be working themselves, which helped increase their comfort levels, even though some companies did provide orientation programs. All found the Internet to be a great source of information but, as Erickson noted, “The in-country locals and expats can provide you with the best information for which the Internet does not provide.” “Depending on the country you are in, simple things can create a very embarrassing moment,” Merrill said. He offered some examples: “In Korea, you never fill your own glass; the other members of the dinner party will fill your glass, and you are expected to fill theirs. In the Middle East, if you cross your legs and point the bottom of your shoes toward someone you have done the equivalent of flipping someone the bird in the United States. In China, you can never say that ‘someone’ has done something wrong. There may be ‘something’ that is wrong but you can never attach that to a person or you will cause them to lose face, and you will forever have an enemy no matter how hard you try to fix the situation. So the lesson to the reader is to understand the little things that may be very different in the U.S. culture and be sure you understand them well enough that you can integrate them into your daily actions.” Snyder stressed the importance of being patient and willing to adapt to different situations. Lambert found work customs to be mostly the same all over. “One thing I’ve found regardless of where I’ve worked, is in general terms, people are people, and if we try — just a little bit — we can get along with everyone.” Dealing with the Unexpected The four men were asked to describe a situation that made it clear they were no longer in the United States. All four have interesting tales to tell. Being Handed a Baby In Bangladesh, Erickson said, westerners were called “round eyes” and all were considered to be very wealthy. “On one occasion, a woman offered me her baby to hold,” he recalled. “I refused and found out later from the hotel front desk that the woman would have then left without the baby.” Her hope would have been that Erickson would take the child to raise, providing a better life for it than she could. “This also happened while I was riding a taxi one day.” Culinary Adventures Merrill said there were so many unusual situations it was hard to select just one. “But here is one that is not too hard to understand. I was in Jiang Yin, China, with one of my technicians, Robert Mertz, and we were being taken out to dinner by one of the local fabricators. They took us to one of the nicer restaurants in town for some local foods. “When they brought out one of the dishes and Robert looked at it, he leaned over to me and said, ‘Man, are those maggots?’ I took a look and said, ‘No, they have feet.’ By the way, we went on to enjoy the meal, but there was nothing on the table that looked like anything we were accustomed to.” A Trip to Nowhere During his time in Kazakhstan, Lambert needed to visit a vendor in Taraz, a town located near the Chinese and Kyrgyzstan border. “Not the end of the earth, but you could see it from there,” he recalled. “Part of the Kazakh policy for migrant workers was to register their passports with Kazakh police if they would be in country for more than one week. As my travel was over the Christmas and New Year holidays, I asked my Human Resources (person) if I could just have my hotel manage getting my passport registered with the police. (The hotel had offered). I was given approval to do so and my passport was returned a few days later with a signature on my visa stamp. I took that as ‘okay.’” Lambert stayed in Taraz for ten days then boarded a train for an 8-h ride. In the middle of the night, the train stopped and the police came on board. “Naturally they came to my cabin and asked to see my passport. I handed it over to them, and they had some chatter between themselves. Then back to me one of the officers made a ‘pay me’ gesture with his hands and smiled saying ‘George Bush.’ I smiled back and pled ignorance. After about 15 minutes they left.” The next day, Lambert delivered his passport to Human Resources “who literally freaked out and said I didn’t have a stamp in my passport — the signature meant nothing. I explained about the police on the train on the previous night and was told I could have Inspection Trends / Spring 2013 17
Inspection Trends | April 2013
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