Superstitions still persist, 88% of the time

Well, perhaps it's more, but who's counting?

The China Law Blog wrote an interesting post about things foreign companies should consider when opening in China, one of them being superstitions. We all know that superstitions exist, even in western countries. I still avoid walking under a ladder, for example, and don't have any fond desire to smash a mirror. That being said, if I did happen to walk under a ladder, I wouldn't be too concerned.

It's different here, it seems.

I work at a boutique public relations firm in Beijing, and the manager of the firm is very superstitious. We have fish in bowls and tanks around the office for good luck (perhaps somebody can explain this further?), we've had the place vetted by a Feng Shui master, and the number on our door is 1808. In fact, due to the smallish nature of our office, we are planning to move to another building. But after securing an arrangement with the managers, decided to forgo the move because the address of our office would not contain a single 8. It's amazing what opportunities we let pass on the basis of superstition.

I, of course, don't believe in this kind of thing. That was until the manager of the company invited a certified (?) gypsy-cum-palm reader-cum-fortune teller to give us some foresight into the company's future. After a meeting with our founder, she came over to me and pointed at my chin. I needed a translation.

"She says you have a long chin," the translator said. "So you will be rich."

My next thought was to go home and relax, because my success is assured.