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Posts: 105

Governor

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Q: Polite way of telling Chinese co-worker they smell?

I doubt there is...

One of the co-workers in my office starts out fine early in the day but releases a stale-cheesish kind of stench starting early in the afternoon, which drifts over gently to my desk like a guided poison cloud.

Should I just drop a deodorant stick on his desk early in the day when he's not here yet?

12 years 2 weeks ago in  Health & Safety - China

 
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Posts: 1932

Emperor

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Impossible. Complete loss of face. Especially as they say that we smell like hippos and they smell like turtles. If you reverse a stereotype they go ballistic. I have a coemployee who likes to shove her face directly into my notebook at the office and see what I'm doing, and her breath in unbearable.

But I just have to accept it as a part of China's beautiful genetically and spiritually superior five thousand year culture. Monkeys like us could never understand their advanced ways

HugAPanda:

turtles? really? seriously? Have they ever sniffed on a turtle?

12 years 2 weeks ago
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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
Posts: 747

Shifu

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Dropping the deodarant on the desk is one option.

The other option just say I have some new deodarant and say he should try some and spray some on him.

Or 

Forget the face and just tell him directly that his smell is bad and should take care in his body.

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1084

Shifu

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Yeah like brisguy said.

Take a bottle of cologne into work with you one day.

Talk to your employee; "Oh hey try this new cologone I bought"

Get them to spray it on themselves (Or give them a hand by spraying a 'liberal' amount onto them) then say;

"Oh wow you smell so good! You should use this every day, handsome boy, you will get all the girls"

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
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In general, Chinese people do not use deodorant at all, much less  a cologne or mouthwash.  And yes, sometimes they do not smell themselves at all, and have no idea how offensive their body odor could be to others.  But that is their way of life.

If it does bother you, a veru private short chat with the guy, pointing out to him or her in a nice way that sometimes the smell really bothers you to the point of almost making you sick could be a solution. 

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
Posts: 316

Shifu

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explaining health benefit of cleaning or hygiene. another point is to show them in picture different diseases or dirting things associated with dirt. if your pocket is big gift them with mouthwash, good tooth paste, expensive toothbrush, nice shampoo, branded perfume, and etc.. 
if your pocket is small so talk to them in a distance or better stop breathing when you are near them. change chinese is harder.

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
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I think u will eventually just distance yourself from him. Changing his habits won't happen for about 5000 years.

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
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Scream "PeeeeeYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!" While pointing at him!cheeky
I cannot think of any polote way to be honest. I guess Dharmas answer is the best (i.e. most Chinese) way.

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
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Just asked my wife this question. She said that its easy to solve the problem. Just utter a blanket statement within earshot of others like, "Hey, does anyone else here smell that?"  If you do that a few times, the guilty will get the message and will not "lose face."

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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
Posts: 517

Shifu

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i think its not actually body hygene..  its some vegetable they eat... i think its leek? 

Monterey:

its some garlic leek that they eat. it fks reeks. And for some reason, the cab drivers here love it!

12 years 2 weeks ago
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raptors:

Better to eat leek than baked beans

11 years 31 weeks ago
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12 years 2 weeks ago
 
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