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Posts: 2186

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Q: Why do they do that!

This site is full of some of the things expats find unusual about China and the Chinese, and particularly about some of the things they do. However, do you know why?

 

If you do, enlighten us all, let us into the secrets of why certain things are done that way, please.

11 years 36 weeks ago in  General  - Other cities

 
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Comments (25)
Posts: 703

Shifu

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Yes, like why do they have to yell all the time.

Hugh.G.Rection:

Now, that one I can answer!

 

My wife says it is just the way they talk, the language(s) depend on the tones for meaning so their natural speech sounds to non natives very 'emotive' and loud. To them it's just normal talking.

 

If they are shouting at you, i.e. they are angry, you'll know it!

11 years 36 weeks ago
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11 years 36 weeks ago
 
Posts: 19790

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What is the real purpose of vehicle horn in China? 

 

I always wonder, what do they want to warn off keep pressing the horn? 

 

Comet?

Thakkudu:

Since most pedestrians and bikes just come in your way/cross the road without looking anywhere...just straight head....  there is no other way to get their attention and avoid accident other than to horn...

 

sometimes agree car could stop/slowdown... but why??? its the pedestrian or bike which is breaking law.. and crossing senselessly.. even there is no zebra line

11 years 36 weeks ago
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Hypnos:

They are simple very rude drivers... No respect for anyone else apart from them. Sorry to say but EVEN in a ZEBRA you should run for it. "#$"#

11 years 36 weeks ago
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siyingyuan:

I remember when I was little, that's about 20 some years ago, when China didn't have as many cars. I was told it's polite to horn at pedestrians to get their attention, so they don't get ran over. (I'm Chinese)

11 years 36 weeks ago
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icnif77:

'Cars don't stop to pedestrians in China' is an old habit.

In old times, people with rickshaws were higher class than walkers, or today's car owners are wealthier and more important than pedestrians. 

 

I got that reply from Chinese, when I ask a Q: 'who goes first: you as a car driver, or me as a pedestrian, standing in the rain without umbrella?'

11 years 36 weeks ago
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bigasspanda:

Not that I like Chinese traffic, being myself an assiduous bicycle rider and risking my life every single day, but can you picture all the cars stopping for crazy jaywalkers? Traffic jams, accidents, waste of time and so on....The pedestrians and smaller vehicle riders are the one who consistently brake the law. So cars kind of have no other choice than honking to attract their attention.

 

11 years 36 weeks ago
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siyingyuan:

yeah. when my mom came visited in Canada. she was laughing about cars in Canada stop for everything, pedestrians, bikes, other cars she was like "hahaha, if this is China that driver is going to wait there for the whole day." i think she got the point.

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As my students and friends would say:

 

"NO WHY!!!"

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11 years 36 weeks ago
 
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because it is China and until they go to another country to live that is the way it is done

and sometimes moving country's does not solve it

if you think about it to much you will just get a head ache

just file it under weird stuff

like we did with understanding womensurprise

GuilinRaf:

And, having a good stiff drink helps!!!

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danielmarino:

Thumbs up!

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Posts: 277

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  No idea John.....I mean Huge...Hugh, erm, sorry, Mr Erection;

  The noisy thing, as you said yourself, is just them, energetic and lively, almost childlike in their enthusiasm for life, and I don't mean that as an insult.

  Honking horns unnecessarily; no idea, but China's roads are relatively new to cars and motorbikes really. In fact you and me have probably been driving longer than 95% of the population, so having a car holds more status than it does in the west. I guess people want to advertise that they've got one. Boys with their toys.

  Eating loudly is an expression of enjoyment of a meal in China, and this is one thing that us westerners always have a hard time with. It's one area of Chinese behaviour that I always find somewhat contradictory also, as people make more noise than a horse eating toffee, with mouths wide open and food on display, then cover their mouths to use a toothpick so as not to offend anyone. Very odd.

  The bad driving thing I think is because, as was said earlier, Chinese roads are still relatively new to so many motor vehicles. I think what you have on the roads in China is millions and millions of people, driving cars as they would otherwise ride a bicycle. Traffic law enforcement hasn't caught up with the reality that the roads are NOT jam packed with bicycles anymore.

  The cheating thing and reputation for being untrustworthy in business is just a natural result of competition within the world of finance. In the west we have reached a more comfortable position economically, and as such are able to conduct ourselves more ethically in business, then congratulate ourselves on being so 'civilized', but it's just a natural result of financial pressures, not some inherent part of their nature.

  Can't think of any more right now and Louis's crying. Truth be told i've been visiting this site for about three weeks now and i'm getting kind of bored of talking about China and the Chinese. Especially tired of hearing the same old petty insults and casual bigotries regurgitated as I seem to hear so often on this site.

  Anyway I fell off the wagon last night. Proper thud too, so Saturday night's still on, but beer included for yours truly. Speak soon.

lokethebloke:

The cheating thing and reputation for being untrustworthy in business is just a natural result of competition within the world of finance. ; Are you talking about the Chinese or the British?

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Gaohao:

  Well it's the Chinese who have the bad reputation in this area and i'm just trying to shed a little understanding on it.

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Why are they so obsessed with opening the umbrella and placing it on the floor in the classroom or office so "it can dry".? To state the painfully obvious, the umbrella is designed to get wet. Honestly, has anyone ever had a problem with the dreaded "Umbrella mold"?

siyingyuan:

coz then they can put umbrella away when it's dried.

carrying wet umbrella in a purse/bag can wet their bags (or stuff in the bags); and carry it in their hand may wet those around them on a bus (I assume you know how crowded buses are in China); and that's considered as impolite.

11 years 36 weeks ago
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icnif77:

Not with the mold, but with the after-stench of wet umbrella in the briefcase.

 

Smell of not dried umbrella is the same as the stench of a dog running in the rain.

11 years 36 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

Actually, I had this problem in Guilin (umbrella smelling like wet dog) and when I finally listened to my gf started leaving my open (wet) umbrella in the kitchen (I never cook) the problem stopped.

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Posts: 40

Governor

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So where does the "spitting tradition" come from?  And don't tell me it's because they need. We ALL have spat a couple of times in our life, but making it a habit that EVEN on a restaurant floor they would do it, I never saw apart from here.

siyingyuan:

too bad that's something most Chinese people hates (at least my family and friends) but seem not able to get rid of.

I wasn't able to understand for a while till last year I visited a friend in a small village in AnHui Province. I can't say I fully understand it but I'm becoming more understanding. (it does not mean I agree with such behavior, I still think spitting is gross)

So in my friend's village most people grew up living in a house with concrete, brick, or even mud floor in the house. No marble or carpet or anything clean and fancy, just the very basic concrete /brick/mud you will see on the street or parking lot. So I saw them eating fruit and letting the juice dripping on the floor, and leave left overs on the floor for dogs. I didn't see anyone spit on the floor but I won't surprised if they do. It's in a village anyway, it's dirty, in and out of house. No one really cares. If you can't picture it, just to think when you go out camping, do you care if you dropped anything on the floor (I'm not talking about inside of the tent where you sleep), or spit on the floor? probably not. Their house is of course better than camp ground; they sweep it, but never mop, just like no one would mop a parking lot.

OK, so after I visited my friend's house, I then visited his aunt who lives in the town. They live in apartment, with nice hardwood floor. Guess what I see? They still allow juice dripping on the floor while eating fruit, so as left overs!! They grew up in a small village, so even though they moved to the town, in nice apartment, they've never got rid of the habit they developed in village. They've never developed the concept of a clean floor! And most people around them are also came from villages, and are doing the same thing. Not until they get exposed to or moved to an environment where most people keep their floor clean, they won't find any pressure/need to change their behavior.

So in re. of spitting, my best guess would be similar; they've developed that in somewhere spitting is more acceptable and never get rid of it.

11 years 36 weeks ago
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danielmarino:

It is interesting how besides spitting they must intensify the whole thing by adding extra amount of noise so everybody around can turn to see. 

11 years 36 weeks ago
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bigasspanda:

My boyfriend is Chinese and he spits, at times. The thing is still pretty gross for me and I guess I will never get used to it. But he learned to limit it and he does it only if urgent and even in those cases he will try his best to avoid me seeing him. We talked about it and found a mutual understanding. I am more understanding after knowing the reasons and he is more sensitive after knowing my point of view.

Anyway, it is hard for him to eradicate such a habit practiced by all the people around him and encouraged by his own parents. They believe that it is much healthier for the body to spit out one's own mucus instead of swallowing it down. As a matter of fact, they believe we (foreigners) are gross when swallowing mucus and, thus, sort of poisoning our body with it.

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siyingyuan:

yes. I have been told as a child not to swallow muc because i am suppose to spit my germ out not to swallow it back down to my body. and i still believe it (guess its hard to un-learn things learned from childhood), so i try to spit when no one is around and in tissue paper. spitting in public especially inside i gross and careless. glad your bf realized and is working on it. good job communicating, thats never easy.

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Posts: 1201

Shifu

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Why jesus is jesus?......and why MJ is the greatest ball player?.......and there is too many why's and your question is one of them

Gaohao:

 Michael Jackson's the greatest ball player?

11 years 36 weeks ago
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Createach:

Michael Jordan

11 years 36 weeks ago
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Gaohao:

Ohhhhh, Michael Joooordon! That tall fella!

11 years 36 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

I thought "ball players" referred to Baseball....

11 years 36 weeks ago
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Createach:

maybe my English is bad?!!!!......maybe am not an American?!!!!..........maybe you think am not a native speaker?!!!!.........maybe it is just a ball and basketball is a ball too?!!!......you pick

11 years 35 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

I have never made a slight against your English, nor have I ever questioned your nationality.  I was just asking since in the area of the States that I grew up in, "Ball" referred to base-ball. Anything else we would add the specific Foot-Basket, etc before Ball.

Not everyone is out to "get you".

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Posts: 1090

Shifu

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Well, as I've read before the Chinese simply think that their way of doing certain things is the best.

Gaohao:

  Doesn't every country think that?

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I heard that a Chinese emperor told the Chinese people to spit more because it isn't healthy to swallow your own polluted mucus. As far as loudly hawking before spitting, Canadian farm boys will also do that but they will usually let fly into bushes or beyond trees I dislike hearing it and seeing it in China because usually it is the elderly man and older woman that does it on the street or on the sidewalk or even on the lobby floor of my building.

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