Actually, I have no idea what I do here.
Technically, I am the communication director for a specialist medical equipment company that is trying to get a joint venture going here in Beijing. And if you have read Mr. China, you will know how well that really works..
Anyway, in reality I am the go to guy for everything that requires dealing with the outside world. That includes getting certified to service the huge complicated machines (think DNA sequencers, HLA crossmatching systems, etc), train people to use and work the machines, and dealing with tons of idiots who came waltzing in China thinking he/she knew what the F*ck is going on here and get ripped off. Frankly, I am surprised at the suppose level of sophistication compared with the realities of operating it. I thought my distaste for chemistry will probably hamper me in this field, but surprisingly, nobody gives a damn. A lot of people I work with have 2 - 3 PHds, and I am surprised that these people (many of whom can't really understand English worth a damn) hold so many lives in their hands. Of course, oligarchy at work. I don't really think anybody here really cared if 1.3 billion is + or -1.
Other than that, I have started a few businesses on the side centering around the tried and true such as education, dating site, import/export and such. I'll probably take a part time job teaching ESL to local MBA students in a BJ uni. I'll eventually write that crappy memoir that so many of us expats write to get rich consulting jobs. I was thinking about finishing my Masters in Psy/marketing or actually do a MBA or something.
)
(I know I'm stupid so don't flame me)...