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An Argentinian immerse in Chinese culture

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An Argentinian immerse in Chinese culture

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By: Alenka Bajda, Anakin Lucero, Victoria Pérez, Emmanuel Recabarren.

We want to know more about how different is culture in China.

This post will show the answer of an Argentinian (more specifically from Mendoza) living there for seven years, working as the Catena Zapata’s Winery sales manager for Asia: Valentín Aarón Saal.

Valentín says that China is divided in various regions, and each one counts with multiple subcultures, with its dialects, celebrations, traditions, religions, and so much more, that he describes as “overwhelming”.

China is full of events and festivals that celebrate its culture. They base their year on the Lunar Calendar (that works by tracking the cycles of the Moon's phases). Valentín loves to celebrate de Lunar New Year Festival, because it is tradition to prepare its famous lunar cakes, consisting of a thick pastry skin enveloping a sweet filling. He likes the Mid-Autumn Festival too, for its decorations, landscapes and colors.

The first thing he noticed when he arrived in China, was their food, very different from Argentina: rice, fish, vegetables, using sticks and always adding sauces… But, as good as it can be the culinary culture, “I will always miss lomos and tortitas, and the family and friends that it brings with them”, he said.

Football and Olympics are popular, and “they know Messi very well”, specified Valentín. “They know they aren’t very good, but they still watch and enjoy it”, except motorsports (he even didn't know who Guanyu Zhou was).

Moving to the social aspect of Chinese culture, Valentín explained that friendship is like a formal thing, as the “meetings” (hang outs) must be planned weeks before, due to the tight schedule that the Chinese people manage with their work, studies and making money, which they consider to be priorities in life. “This made me more planner, as I had to adapt”, says Valentin.

Their family is (like in many Asiatic countries) super important, and is based in hierarchy, the respect for the members, specially for the elderly.

All this changes, and much more (involving topics like work and language), are be very difficult to overcome coming from Argentina, from the opposite side of the globe. But Valentin, in his own words: “I was so excited that It wasn’t that difficult for me to adapt”. He also mentioned: “The clash within countries of such different cultures requires you to be open-minded, always be learning”. An example of this currently is his effort to learn the language, taking courses, getting to festivals, making friends there... He even has a Chinese girlfriend!

In conclusion from all the given by Valentín Saal, China can be defined in one word: “diverse”. This makes it super interesting and full of things to learn there. You will never get bored. Socially they consider their professional life as priority, sacrificing time to rest and simply enjoy the moment. In the daily life, for an Argentinian, this can be a barrier if you are not in the position to adapt to it.

If you are thinking of moving to China or a surrounding country, it’s essential to respect their culture. You will be comfortable and the people will respect you, easing your stay there. But, if there’s a spark to come here, that’s curiosity. Never loose it and exercise it. You never know where it will guide you!

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By Acosta Manuel, Corvalán Catalina, San Martin Nazareno, Stagnoli Fabrizio and Vuegen Juan Ignacio

Valentin was born in Mendoza, Argentina. He studied business at the UnCuyo University. Meanwhile, he started his own business to save money. Then, he moved to China and had some part-time jobs. Until he was hired by an Argentinian winery, Catena Zapata.

Now, his routine starts at half past seven in the morning and drinks mate. Then, he Works remotely until 3pm when he has lunch. Depending of the day he either goes to the gym or meets with some clients.

All these things were told by Valentin, who told us about his life. We personally think that life in China is good, you can have nice opportunities, and we consider that if you are planning to go abroad, China is a good option. Despite of this, the country has a difficult language. Although you Will be good just with English, it is always a better option to know the natuve language. Also, Valentin told us that people there have a ery tight schedule, so plans must be done with anticipation, even the meetings that you do with your friends.

So, what about you? Would you like to take the chance to go to another country? We think that it is always good to take the risk.

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By: Agustina Argañaraz, Maia Flores, Valentina Jiménez, Abril Pich, Emiliano Ramponi and Victoria Suárez.

Valentín Aarón Saal, from Argentina, lives in Shangai, China. During an interview, he shared how English had played an important role in his personal and professional life abroad. Before moving to China, Valentín had studied English for several years and as soon as he felt ready, he did the First Cambridge Exam. He uses this language daily to communicate with customers in his job and also with friends from all over the world. English had allowed him to connect with people from many different countries and cultures.

Although he is nowadays living in China, he lived some time in South Korea and there he realized English is the international language, so it doesn't matter if you go to a country that speaks either Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Spanish, it's easier to find people that speak English.

Valentín also shared his advice for students, who are currently learning English. He mentioned that knowing all the basics of how to write and how to express yourself are important things to know. However, he focused on the importance of practicing oral communication and listening, and also, Valentín said that it's not necessary to have a paper that certificates your English level. He suggested listening to music, to watching movies and YouTube videos in English, as well as listening podcasts. Do you agree with him? What other advice would you give?

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By Delfina Ortiz, Agustina Ochoa, Juan Ignacio Cabello, Santiago Mateo, Santino Hidalgo.

Do you want to know about an adventurous person? I can tell you about Valentin Aarón Saal, a very interesting person. He’s from Argentina, Mendoza.

He has travelled around the world. In fact, he has been to the United States, South Korea and China. As soon as he finished high school, he travelled to California, USA, for a work and travelled experience. He did that twice. After that, he went to South Korea because he decided to study there. As soon as he finished his university career, he decided to pick up all his things and moved to Shangi, China.

We think that he’s very adventorous because he liked to take a lot of risks to achieve whatever he wanted. He's very clever and he was a very good student and that helped him a lot in his life. He would like to move to Australia or Europe, to try new experiencies, but he doesn't know when and where, yet.

Now, would you go to another country alone to work as him?

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A new life in China by Rocio Carabajal, Bianca Gelves, Alma García e Ignacio Reynoso.

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A new life in China by Rocio Carabajal, Bianca Gelves, Alma García e Ignacio Reynoso.

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Have you ever thought about moving to another country? Well, Valentin did. He wanted to live a new life and try new experiences far from his native country, Argentina.

His parents always supported his decision because he had his own savings which demonstrates how independent he is. His parents told him to do it as soon as we was concious about the responsabilities.

One of the most important experiences in his life was back to 2020, in the pandemic. Valentin said that China was closed and very strict in this period. He was isolated from everything for three years. This led him to become a more flexible and adaptable person in different ways.

We think that it was a really interesting story to tell, because he made a difficult decision but it was worth it. This shows that stepping out of your comfort zone brings positive results. Now, would you do the same as Valentin?

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By Fabricio Tamborini, Ignacio Duo and Juan Ferrán.

How do you think friendships are built in China? We got surprised when interviewing Valentina Saal. He’s lived in Shanghai for the last seven years.

He told us that most of the friends he’s made were through work or sports. However, these friendships aren’t lifelong because when people change their job, they don't keep in touch anymore.

Valentin mentioned that they must schedule the meetings with their Friends. Meeting places can be either parks or restaurants. Also, the spare time between working shifts is another option. In the interview he emphasized on trust as a key value so that it's possible to have a true long-term friendship.

As a result, we learned that chinese friendships are definitely more prívate and formal than here in Argentina.

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By Joaquín López & Yu Shirley

Have you ever thought about working or living abroad? If so, Valentin Aaron Saal's experience may inspire you! He is an Argentinian guy who is currently working in Shanghai, China.

Although Argentina and China are very different, both have their own things to offer. Argentinian people are usually cheerful and relaxed. Whereas Chinese people are respectful and very hardworking. Also, when it comes to hanging out, Argentinians can be more spontaneous. However, Chinese people like to plan meetings beforehand.

Valentin has learned a lot from his experience. Being surrounded by hardworking people, he has learned to be more organized and focused on his job, which has helped him develop as a professional.

As a piece of advice, he says that learning English is a powerful tool when it comes to working abroad, because it gives you many opportunities.

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By:

Alaniz Briana

Marangoni Marco

Vega Juan Pablo

Quezada Nicolás

Have you ever lived and worked in China? Well, that is what Valentín Aaron did. He said that moving to China was not difficult but it was hard to get used to China's traditions. In his first year, it was very hard to communicate with people. He did not know the language but it was very useful to speak english.

He also said that Chinese people were very kind with him, although people in China were not very sociable. So that relationships were fine but he could not make any close friend.

He started working in a half-time job in his first years, but with his hard work and the experience he was getting there, toghether with the experience he got in Argentina, he could be a business man, working as a regional representative for Asia, for the Catena Zapata's winery.

In conclusion, living in China was an unforgettable experience for Valentin. Even though it was hard at the beginning, he learned to adapt and understand a very different culture. This experience taught him to be more independent, patient, and open-minded. It also helped him discover what he wanted for his future, and he feels proud of everything he achieved there.

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The importance of english in our daily life

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The importance of english in our daily life

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By: Bagoros Uma, Fontana Emilia, Lucero Morena y Urzi Florencia.

Do you think English is important in your daily life? Valentín Aron Saal, who was born in Mendoza and nowadays lives in Shangai-China, said that he uses English everytime and everywhere. He started learning English when he was 17 years old and he realized the prestige of the language.

Valentín told us about English in his daily life. He uses it for working and communicating. He was very grateful for the opportunity that English gave him. It allowed him to travel to different in a foreing country, makes the communication easier, even when you do not know the local language.

We think He is adventurous and a very intelligent person. He recommended us different interchange programs to study in China and improve our English. Are you eager to live the same experience as him?

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By Valentina Ramirez, Candela Reyes, Fausto Rubio & Victoria Zárraga.

Have you ever wondered how an Argentinian would live in the other side of the world? Well, we´ve interviewed Valentin Saal and asked him some questions about his experience. He´s lived in Shanghái, China for 8 years. Although he´s used to the Chinese lifestyle, he wasn´t at first.

When he arrived, he wasn´t that shocked about cultural differences because of how excited he was. The shock came later. Making friends was hard, Chinese people are not as spontaneous as we Argentinians are. They tend to prefer arranging meetings with weeks of planning! Even though the difficulties of adapting were clear, Valentin managed to adapt easily because he went there with an open mind.

It is well known that Chinese people are not like us. Valentin said that the people where he lives were more hard working than Argentinians. However, he told us that we were funnier and chiller, making us more fun. This kind of stuff is what he misses the most. But also, food like lomos and tortitas, his family, friends and easy connection with others are on top of his list.

If you wanna try this experience, maybe you should just go for it. Life is too short to live in doubts.

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Living abroad: a door of new apportunities by Agostini, Alloisio, Baracchini, Viruez

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Living abroad: a door of new apportunities by Agostini, Alloisio, Baracchini, Viruez

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Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live in another country, far from your family, your friends and your confort zone? Many people dream about it but only a few take this risk. That's exactly what Valentin Aaron, from Mnedoza, Argentina decided to do and his story shows us how valuable it can be to stres out into the word.

Valentin was born in Mendoza, but today he lives in Shangai, China. At first, he was not sure what to study at university, he know he didn't want to be neither a doctor or a lowyer. He did want to study something meaningful. Finally, he decided to study Bussines at the UnCuyo University. Later, he joind an exchange program in shouth Korea, which opened his mind to new cultures, ideas and ways of living when he started working, he took part-time jobs sorrounded by people, but now he works online for winery company in Mendoza, from his home in Shanghai. Even though he doesn't see his boss and coworkers in person, they have a good relationship. He also shared thar, at first, he needed to adapt to the chinese lenguaje and work culture, but with the time he learned enjoy it and grow from it. Now, he is even planning to move to another Asian country to keep learning and discovering more.

In our opinion, stories lika Valentin's show how brave and open-minded young people can be. Many of us want to explore the word, learn new lenguajes and face challenges that help us become more independence, adaptasies, and confident. It teaches us that the word is full of oppotunities if we dare to take them.

To conclude, Valentin's experience remined us that going abroad is not just about moving to a new place, it's about discovering yourself. We live in a word full of posiblilities, and each experience, even the difficult ones, helps us become stronger and wiser. So would you take the chance to live somewhere new and see what the world has to offer?

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By: Alfano Lautaro, Bertagno Matias, Gabriel Sofia, Maselli Constanza y Palma Priscila.

Do you know anyone who works in Asia? We talked to a guy named Valentin Arón Saal, who used to lived here in Mendoza, but now he lives in china.

He studied Business at UnCuyo University and joined on an exchange program in South Korea. He liked oriental culture so he decided to live in china.

At first, he started working part time jobs to pay his education. As soon as he finished his studies, he started working at a full time job in Catena Zapata winery.

Nowadays he is the sales manager for Asia, he is the one who talks to big clients to close contracts. However he does the work from his home, so he can manage his time effectively.

We are able to see that Valentin's life went through a lot of changes. He studied here, after his exchange program he made a big decition and now he is the sales manager of Catena Zapata.

We think that if you have an opportunity to do something like this, yo should take it, and you can gain experinces.

What about you?

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By Rodríguez Florencia and Salinas Martina

Have you ever thought about living in another country? An Argentinian shared their experience of living in China, and it was really interesting!

Valentin Saal explained that the biggest difference between Argentina and China is the food and social life. In Argentina, people are more spontaneous, while in China, friends plan meetings in advance because everyone is very busy. Also, Chinese food is more varied and different from Argentinian "asado".

His best advice for people who want to study or work abroad is to learn English and be flexible. From this experience, he learned to adapt and ask for help. Would you like to live in China one day like him?

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By: Catalani Martino, Cataldo Aixa, Claros Lila y Gomez Benjamín

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By: Catalani Martino, Cataldo Aixa, Claros Lila y Gomez Benjamín

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Living in China being Argentinian

Tell us about your family and relationships living in China as an Argentinian.

What does your family think about living in China?

How do you communicate with your family and close ones?

Differences between Argentinian and Chinese people.

What activities do you do with your friends?

The bettee story sill make the front page!

Living in China being Argentinian

We think that living in China as an Argentinian must be a very interesting experience. Valentín Aaron Saal, an Argentinian man who lives in Shanghai, probably moved there because he loves Asian culture. We believe he first discovered it when he went on a university exchange program to South Korea, and since then, he wanted to know more about that part of the world.

When he decided to move to China, we imagine he felt very excited and a bit nervous too. His family must have been proud of him, even though they surely missed him. We suppose they talk often through WhatsApp to stay close and share their daily lives.

For Valentín, it was easier to make friends with other Argentinians at first, because they are usually more expressive and open-minded. However, we also think that after some time, he started to understand Chinese people better and made good friends there too.

Living in another country can teach you a lot about patience, respect, and understanding. We believe that this experience helped Valentín grow as a person and see the world in a different way. How did Valentín’s experience living in China change your view of other cultures? Would you try it?

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by Martin, Milagros, Santiago, Camilo, Lola and Diego.

Valentín Aarón Saal was born in Mendoza, Argentina but nowadays he's living in Shanghai, China. But, why did he go so far away?

Well, he used to study in UNCUYO and the University offered students exchange programs. He wanted to live new experiences, so he went to live for a few months in South Korea. He loved Asia so much that when he finished his degree, he decided to move to China.

Although now he has a stable job, it wasn't always like that. When he first arrived, he started with part-time jobs. He also had some money saved from his first job in Argentina. After a year and a half living there, he got a really interesting work: being the regional manager of the Catena Zapata winery.

Living in China as an Argentinian can be hard, but we can take this story as an example to follow. Valentín didn't have a plan, but with courage and will, he accomplished his dreams. You can do it too!