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anonymous
Q: How do you deal with this problem?
The most irritating thing I've experienced here isn't the spitting, pissing & shitting in public.
It's when I'm having a conversation in English and someone else appears and just talks over me like I wasn't even there. Then I get shut out of my own conversation because they don't know English and don't even acknowledge that they just interrupted us. Would they still do that if I was speaking Chinese? I'm talking about a number of people from many different walks of life. I expect that those they call "countryside" aren't supposed to know any better. But this happens in the office too with people who are supposed to act professional at their jobs.
I don't normally make griping posts like this but after having it happen about a dozen times today, I just had to vent.
I don't think it is exclusive to Chinese
It can happen anywhere because somebody self importance
out weighs yours.
I've had days at home when I go to the shops and feel like I'm invisible
or as you say having a conversation and have it high jacked
I just walk away
sooner or latter they come to you and ask about something they need and I just tell them
I already did.
Stuff them
why should I waste my time
1) Yes, it happens if you're speaking Chinese, as long as you're a foreigner. People do this with my wife, often. Just strike up a conversation with her, speaking about me in the third person, as if I'm an object for their amusement and, even if I was speaking Chinese, act as if I can't understand them.
2) I find people from rural/working class backgrounds do it a lot less than white-colar types, who tend to feel infinitely entitled and want to be the centre of attention at all times.
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3) As with almost all things related to the Chinese, you have infinite, God-like patience and contextualize their behaviour while they do whatever they want at all times.
I second kchur's.....
A fun way to deal with it: Step off to the side a little so you are in the guy's peripheral vision and just stare him in the eyes. So say a word and don't break eye contact. True about half of them will be so self-centered that they won't even notice. But those that do are priceless. They will get confused, turned to you, try to address what is going on..... but don't say a word and keep the straight face.
Once the tension really builds up... quickly turn back to the guy you were talking to before and continue with the conversation like nothing happened.
It's the fun little mind games that get me through the day.
Back in guilin even the Expats started doing it too!
If "A" is talking to "B" and "C" interrupts, it was seen as ok if "C" was more interesting. ("Wait wait wait Steve, hold up. This is more interesting"). Had it been me, I would have gone Nova...
Gosh. I was taught that it was not nice to interrupt without saying excuse me...
I like Da Bens solution! Cant wait to try it!
GuilinRaf:
On a second note, I did see this happen to my Chinese teacher at the time!
I was at a tea shop with her, and she is teaching me Chinese. Suddenly, this young guy sits at our table and starts talking to me as if she were not there telling me he wants to practice his English.
Being only a few months "new" in China, I tried to be polite and told him I would be happy to help later but I was in my Chinese class. My teacher, was staring at him seething.
After a few "but I want to practice now" he finally settled down and started to read his book (first time I saw Crazy English book). But then, he would suddenly interrupted us to ask something completely unrelated to anything, again as if my teacher were not there. Well, the second time he did that, my teacher jumped to her feet yelling something at him, and he, just as fast RAN out of the place as she chased him to the door! Between she getting up and reaching the door with him gone, it was a matter of SECONDS. Then, she came back and explained to me that I could not be "so polite" to strangers.
Five years later, that was by FAR the most important lesson she taught me.
