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Q: Why do Chinese hand the item to another person after I've paid for it? (While I'm right there.)
There was an article in this very magazine about strange jobs in China. One of them related to the number of workers involved in the process of a purchase in a supermarket or store. The person that sells to you, the person that you pay, the person that wraps the item and so on until we have enough work (or silly little jobs) to cover the enormous workforce of millions in this country! Frustratingly and illogically effective!
Nessquick:
Thats right.
Also it was strange, when I pay in shops and they give back the charge to my wife :)
LAR:
Hi DD,
Thank you for your posting. I like your avatar. :) No, I think that I wasn't clear enough with my query. There's a little misunderstanding. I FULLY understand about the little jobs being filled by millions of people here..the mass inefficiency in the workforce..2,3 or 4 people doing one person's job :0. I get that. I saw the same thing in So. Korea. Here, of course it's magnified 20x. :o * ** What I'm referring to is one employee..one other person with me..like at the post office with my former Chinese manager.. the young female employee hands my change (I paid for some postage) to my manager..Why not me? :( Do I look like a ******* child? :( * This type of thing has happened several times. Heeeeeellllllllooooooo?
LAR:
Nes, spot on. ".......when..................change back to my wife" Exactly..you know what I'm talking about! :(
DaqingDevil:
Aaahhh gotcha LAR. Yes you're right. They hand the change back to my assistant when I virtually have my hand out waiting for the money. Derek may be right. Fear of me starting up a conversation - not likely with my 'command' of the Chinese language!
The waitress will routinely offer the change to my wife instead of me. This does baffle me a little. Are they afraid that I may inadvertently strike up conversation with them in an effort to force them into a situation whereby they will ultimately lose face? That's gotta be it. 
