69 5 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 I am just watching a news item on the tv now about manners in China and the way lots of Chinese are going to classes and the like to "learn manners". I have never been to China (would love to go actually) but surely their own manners are their own manners and they might find some manners of westerners and other nationalities to be annoying. Anyone been care to comment on impressions from China? Is it as 'bad' as this rather strange item is saying. Link to post Share on other sites
jgraves 0 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 About a half of this bunch of westerners' Japan-related trivial irritations" are related to Japanese "bad" manners. And how much of "business Japanese" language classes are more about Japanese business manners rather than language? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 This is directly related to the Olympics in 08. Trust me, with so many people fighting for a right to feed their families, manners come not high on priorities. The main ones being taught are spitting on the streets, crushing onto the buses, and attrociously dangerous driving behaviour. And there's much much more, you just don't want to hear about it. Link to post Share on other sites
jgraves 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yeah. The spitting thing isn't bad manners its a public health nightmare. But until somthing is done about the air polution, I don't see people swallowing all that black-lung induced phlem. But mark my words. As China's economy keeps booming, its not going to be long before western businessmen are being taught how to hock a golf-ball sized lugers in the center of a bull's eye at 50 yards in Chinese Business language classes. Link to post Share on other sites
taguchi 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Quote: And there's much much more, you just don't want to hear about it. I would be very interested. I saw the news and they mentioned like the things you mention. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I've been to China many times...Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, etc. The spitting is by far the worse manner of all. They don't seem to control any of thier body functions - they wiz in the streets, blow killer kai lan farts in crowded confined spaces, and a whole host of other unpleanties. While you'd think that queing would be perfected in such a crowded city - they can't be bothered (or civilized enough) to realize that all these people are standing in a line waiting...they just rush to the front and cut in. I once missed a domestic chinese flight becuase I couldn't fight my way thru the crush of people that were blocking the counter to get my bording pass...it was a free for all. I don't think it's as much manners as it is pure selishness. They just have zero consideration for anyone else and will try to get away with as much as possible. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 yes, that's a good illustration. What gets me the most is the non-stop smoking in confined spaces as if they are required to do so. They can't afford the health care so why bother caring for their health or other peoples'. Getting away with what they can is all about survival. If there's an advantage and it comes free, then to hell with you. I had a colleague held up on the Silk road. He had $100 in his pocket and that's all he gave them. They could not believe anybody could have so much money on them, so they let his car go. My colleague was sure he would've been killed if he didn't have any money on him. Life is cheap, cheaper than talk so it seems. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Interesting. Does this attitude change a lot from the big cities to smaller places? Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I watched a documentary about that a short while back. They didn't mention this one... Quote: blow killer kai lan farts in crowded confined spaces ...but there were some pretty incredible road traffic scenes and the spitting was featured quite a lot as well. Makes you wonder (duh) how they got the Olympics. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hong Kongers are quite alright...They are an agressive lot and can be a bit rude to westerners - but all cultures have thier embarrassments. I have lots of HK friends and they are all kewl and well mannered. Taiwanese are a bit more rude than HK'ers but also quite ok. Shanghainese can be pretty rude and the lack of manners starts showing with this crowd. They have had money for a bit longer, so the well healed bunch is pretty ok. Bejing Chinese are the worse. I also have some BJ Chinese friends and i'm sometimes embarrased to be with them outside of China. One of the probs with BJ chinese is that they have just come into money but haven't been cultured in the process. Becuase they suddenly have money, they think they own the world. I had a miserable flight to the Maldives with a lot of BJ chinese that were SPITTING IN THE AILES OF THE PLANE! They were obviously new money, with expensive clothes and bags. In Xian and the more remote places, you can't really blame them - they are country people...I don't expect the same level of manners as I do city folk. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 SPITTING IN THE AILES OF THE PLANE! The question is, why? Whats with the spitting habit? Link to post Share on other sites
giggsy 0 Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Quote: I don't expect the same level of manners as I do city folk Interesting comment that. I often feel the opposite and find city folk to be often very cold and lacking compared to country folk. They may be more 'sophisticated' (whatever that means, not sure ) Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 I agree Giggsy. I live in a small tourist town and every year we get invaded by rude city folk. All the locals just roll there eyes and go 'here we go again'. Buying a loaf of bread at the local bakery that would normally be a simple exchange of pleasantries, turns into an argy bargy "me first, me first" affair. A slight misunderstanding in the carpark that wouldn't normally raise an eyebrow, suddenly requires verbal abuse to be hurled out the window............aagrh.....Don't get me started. I've found this the world over. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 there you have it. Country people, SLOW but they prefer to roll their eyes instead of standing up and shouting the cities down. That's why city peeps take adavantage. Nah, it's just natural when interacting in the city, it's nothing like the country. Not saying which is more civilized, just saying that's life. Link to post Share on other sites
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