Tuesday, December 25, 2007

No more gesturing for me...

Reading up on Chinese cultural habits, I found some interesting tidbits:

-"Avoid making expansive gestures and using unusual facial expressions.
-The Chinese do not use their hands when speaking, and will only become annoyed with a speaker who does.
-Use your whole hand rather than your index finger to point.
-The Chinese, especially those who are older and in positions of authority, dislike being touched by strangers.
-Smiling is not as noticeable in China, since there is a heavy emphasis on repressing emotion.
-Members of the same sex may hold hands in public in order to show friendliness.
-Do not put your hands in your mouth, as it is considered vulgar. Consequently, when in public, avoid biting your nails, removing food from your teeth, and similar practices.
-Negative replies are considered impolite. Instead of saying 'no', answer 'maybe', 'I'll think about it', or 'We'll see' and get into specifics later. You'll find that the Chinese will do the same. When your Chinese counterparts smilingly and politely or even enthusiastically say 'No big problem' or 'The problem is not serious', they usually mean 'There are still problems.'
-In Chinese culture, the question 'Have you eaten?' or or 'Where have you been?' is the equivalent to 'How are you?' in North America; it's just a superficial inquiry that does not require a literal-minded, detailed answer. Simply answer, 'yes', even if you haven't actually eaten or simply smile and say 'thank you.'
-Pushing and cutting ahead is common in lineups among Chinese, but they do not appreciate being cut in front of themselves."


2 comments:

Kevin said...

Fyi, Chinese people like to point at things with their middle finger. Better get used to it.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, I would 100% not survive in China. I do everything that the Chinese hate.