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Q: What's the one thing Chinese simply can't understand about us?
Not so much by any fault of theirs, just something that can't be understood with words only. Something that would actually require them to experience it to understand, or to go abroad.
Very often I've tried to explain things to people, and they nod, they smile, but I know they have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm talking about. It's so remote they can't even begin to imagine it...
Driving regulations, personal lifestyles, etc, etc.
Not having to rank everything. How it's not important how many bottles you can drink, or how much bonus you got last holiday.
Rebellion. They have no idea why we question things.
That, in other countries, when you are in your mid-teens to until roughly the time you marry or have children your peer relationships become more important and your familial relations become less important. I'd argue that explaining our differing notions of rebellion, rank, and criticism/logic can be tied to the fact that we spend a larger portion of our development into adulthood dealing with people that are essentially our peers instead of people that occupy a higher or lower rung.
The advantages of good communication and how it's much healthier to give a voice to your feelings even if it means the other person will 'lose face' (what a stupid concept in the first place).
Giving a direct, straight-forward answer without any hidden meanings...in other words just speaking our minds there and then.
how a heavy set guy can have soo much stamina in bed.
Multiculturalism
yian:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
That we believe it's possible to find alternatives to solutions for given problems. That we are flexible!The 2 and half years I have lived in China have shown me that a lot of Chinese are clueless as to how to proceed when what they are taught to do in any given situation fails...so they resort to 'mei ban fa'. How I hate this 'mei ban fa' stuff!....I tell them, hey, 'you ban fa' and explain what I think is a solution.....despite what I tell them making sense, they will always say ' that's not how we do things'.Come on, put the head to good use to find solutions to new problems! Most Chinese are ridiculously too rigid in their reasoning. Sucks sometimes!
that we actually understand china and its culture. Too often we are just brush off because "ohh this is china, its different, you dont know
And that the concept of face is something utterly petty and juvenile.
The concept of racism. Apparently, "there's no racism in China", and we never have a reason to be offended by anything.
OH, you all understand china and its culture. wow, a big thing. wooooow
you think your foreigners really smarter than Chinese. this is ridiculous.
nevermind:
I would say that history shows we are far FAR smarter than Chinese. We had people on the moon when you could not even feed yourselves. Even today, our countries may be in economic crisis, but they are still years ahead of China and much nicer to live in.
Sorry, Chinese are not smarter than westerners. This is proven all the time.
Honestly, what evidence could you POSSIBLY display that shows Chinese people are smarter? There is none. Also, your culture is crap, I decided long ago it was not worth getting to know about lying and stealing. I prefer noble cultures, like Japan and Greece.Jnusb416:
Haha, nevermind, Japan may be ahead technology-wise, but they are still quite racist. They just don't come out and say it to your face.
nevermind:
I'm just talking about organization and history.
I find it funny that Japan is racist... imagine how much it just drives their nationalist NUTS that they lost that war.
They really dont understand bread. or that rice is eaten everywhere in the world
Why would you not answer a telephone call ?
You must be available to talk at all times, as I demand.
GuilinRaf:
Why cant you proofread my Thesis which is due tomorrow? So WHAT if it is 10:00 pm already, you are home right?
Why do westerners find some of the Chinese dishes horrifying? I am Chinese and don't understand...
xunliang:
because you eat things we either give to our dogs or simply just throw away
nevermind:
It's because we are picky eaters. We are used to cuts of meat being totally faceless and non-descript. So, if we see a part of an animal that looks like it is part of one it reminds us we are eating an animal and spooks us...
That's my best guess. For me it's just that stuff looks gross and I don't want to eat it.
But i am a very picky eater.bonita8187:
xun liang: Some of the strange looking dishes can be delicous, but it seems some foods are simply not good enough for xunliang, sad. I suggest eating some chicken feet. Thanks for the explanation nevermind.
kchur:
I've never had any real problem with any Chinese food, except those preserved shoots they eat a lot in Zhejiang. What I do have a problem with is Chinese refusing to let me eat this or that because "foreigner no like, no have you country", even if it's something really common in every country, such as carrots.
MissA:
Nevermind is mostly right; but there are exceptions to the "looks like an animal" rule. I've never had ANY problem with a whole fish or a leg of lamb or whole baby octopus, for example, which are all clearly recognisable as dead animal. On the other hand, chicken feet, insects and brains just don't agree with me; I guess I'm not an adventurous eater.
I have heard it described as a lack of understanding of Human Rights, but really I think there are just flaws or contradictions in the understanding of Human Rights by the average Chinese. There are just a lot of aspects of fairness and dignity that Chinese people apparently can't grasp. It is like there is no understanding of the concept of having values, meaning internal rules which guide behavior and are therefore visible to others who observe a person's actions. Maybe under the surface is a lack of concept of human equality.
The thing I think of in particular is waiting in line. Here, people do whatever they can to get ahead in the line. You can be waiting there and they just push past you. I can only imagine that they don't think at all about who deserves to be served first. In the west, it is understood, probably universally, that people should be served in the order they arrive. Therefore lines in the West have almost no people deliberately cutting ahead, and certainly not doing so in a blatant way.
woody:
Imagine if one day having good manners and respecting others is seen in China as a way of having face. Manners and behaviour is one thing in the Western world that does equate to face.
that trying to catch a bus is not a life or death emergency situation.
we don't choose who we hangout with simply because someone is a similar in race / nationality.
woody:
After a bad China day I wish I could hang out with a few of you guys on here and chew the fat over a few cold beers. Cyber hangout just don't cut it at times. Cheers.
why we ask direct questions and give direct answers.
ie
me. i was originally told that "x" class was to be 4 weeks long. the students are under the impression that there is a fifth week. can you let me know if there will be a fifth class next week?
reply: blah blah blah great job blah blah blah blah blah blah ..........................
students like you..................... blah blah blah blah..................... blah ......... (i'm trying to impress you with my use of the language) .............. blah blah (i'm also trying to save face by not admitting, implying or in anyway hinting that i gave you or the students wrong info. even though we are all human and make mistakes and it is usually no big deal as long as we correct the wrong asap, but i'm special i am something more than human i can't admit mistakes because i'm perfect) (no answer to my question, now i have to send a text message!!!!)
also they don't understand (while driving) why we stop when small children are trying to cross the street.
also why we look before opening the car door!!!
CALGONE PLEASE TAKE ME AWAY!
