NETWORKS, DISCUSSION AND ALL THE TEA IN CHINA
Self-help group that started as a chat over tea has grown into a popular source of knowledge and networking, writes Ramola Talwar Badam
Every month, a group of Dubai’s Chinese residents meet to discuss issues such as career development, VAT and their President Xi Jinping’s visit, over cups of hot green tea.
Members of the Chinese Tea Lovers’ Party gather in the wood-panelled Yao Yi Teahouse in International City. The store is filled with tea sets of delicate, blue and white china and sturdy cast-iron pots.
They draw up chairs around a server who brews the tea and hands it out in tiny cups or large glass mugs.
“This is popular in China. We chat over tea,” says organiser Shaojin Chai, chairman of a think tank called the Yap Centre for Blockchain Studies.
“We wanted to do the same here so people could share their views and opinions. We keep it small so we have an effective exchange. It is a chance for people to get a reminder of our culture and to network.
“They get to know people from other professions and learn about marketing, business development, Chinese, Islamic culture, history, international relations – there is a sharing of knowledge.”
The group began six years ago, with mostly Chinese nationals congregating regularly to gain a better understanding of the country in which they live.
Drawn from industries including hospitality, property, construction, media and academia, they meet in groups of between 20 and 25 people. The meetings are conducted in Chinese but are open to all.
The club, which originally hopped between coffee shops and restaurants, found a permanent home at the Yao Yi Teahouse in October last year.
On a recent evening, Mr Shaojin brought the meeting to order and announced it would be an open session.
Wu Chao, who works with a property developer, wanted to use the meeting as a sounding board for his plans to return to China and study after his wedding in Jordan next month.
“My fiancee is Jordanian and wants to learn Chinese for her masters,” says Mr Wu. “I plan to go back to China to study too, so we can both go back to learn.
“What I want to ask is, what subject should I should learn? What will help me when I come back to Dubai?”
One of the suggestions from longtime residents was to gain a deeper understanding of online shopping, which is booming in China and picking up fast in the UAE. Mr Wu has worked in a luxury hotel and at a mall during his three years in Dubai.
The conversation is animated, laughter fills the room and glasses are topped up with green, white, black, yellow and oolong infusions.
The sessions are free and the tea house lets out its premises to help Chinese residents interact, with tea and biscuits provided for free.
Meetings are often addressed by a local or international professor, or a business leader. The topics are announced on WeChat – a popular Chinese messaging platform.
Recent subjects have included cultural challenges, personal and economic development and a dialogue between Islam and Confucianism and VAT.
At the recent meeting, the main discussion was the importance of Mr Xi’s visit last month.
“Following our president’s visit there is more interest in China among local people,” says Yiming Mao, manager of online group Seeniun Media. “They want to know more so the visit has been beneficial for us.”
Mr Yiming attends meetings to tap into the group’s knowledge for new ideas, and remembers a meeting where a speaker dwelt on the strengths of the different emirates.
“It helped me understand some of the differences, with Abu Dhabi focused on culture, politics, science and technology and Dubai on finance, the economy, entertainment and hospitality,” Mr Yiming says.
“I want to learn more because I must know everything I can about Dubai and the UAE.”