Newman Huo

FILIPINA, Grace Barbara Granlund, who is a part-owner of Avana Spa in Shekou in Nanshan District with a Chinese business partner, is planning to open more branches in Shenzhen in the years to come.

The spa has been in operation for more than two years and is now simply known as "the Spa" in Shekou.

With a Southeast Asian theme, the spa, from its ambience to treatment, is quite different from most spas in China.

Having the city's expatriates as most of their customers, all staff members speak English and adhere strictly to international standards.

"Most of our customers tell us that when they go to Avana, they feel like they are in a resort somewhere in Southeast Asia, like Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines," said Granlund, 38.

Granlund finds it's challenging doing business in the city, especially with her concept geared to Western tastes.

"To adapt our business to the local taste without compromising the quality has been a challenge for us," she said.

"But we have managed to do so and we are planning to open another branch in the city," she said.

A business administration graduate in the Philippines, Granlund had been working in the sales and marketing field ever since she graduated in 1988.

She started her career as a sales representative for a travel agency in Manila at the age of 19.

She became a general manager of a travel agency at Cebu in the Philippines in 1993.

She moved on to become a sales director in the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. She resigned from the hotel to open a maternity clothing shop called Positive in 2000.

A few months later, Granlund and her British husband, Mike, went into partnership with some friends to open a popular bar in Cebu, called Mi Vida. She was in charge of sales and marketing for the bar.

The couple moved to Shenzhen in 2001 when Granlund's husband's watch manufacturing company transferred him here.

They lived in Futian District for four years before moving to Shekou where their 5-year-old son had to attend an international school.

Granlund has adjusted to her life in Shenzhen, although there are really frustrating days as well as good days.

"Having my own business here is such a great thing because Avana Spa has been really successful and my Chinese partner and I are very pleased with it," she said.

"When I become frustrated, my husband reminds me that patience is the key," she said.

She has realized there are many differences between the Philippines and China, but these differences do not have to be bad.

"As my husband has often told me, the Chinese people are curious about my ways and that can be an advantage for me," she said.

Granlund and her husband have established themselves here in Shenzhen. They are directors of Shenzhen Wine and Cheese Club, a non-profit social club with more than 800 members, most of whom are expatriates.

They meet each month, mostly at five-star hotels in the city, to drink wine, eat cheese and socialize.