Interesting article on cultural norms.
Further discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9710950
I think this is really interesting. I have trouble showing excitement for things a lot of the time in the moment, and am not really the type to greedily open gifts right away. Sometimes this can be taken as being unappreciative, but to me it just seems to be the correct response to be thankful and humble. I think my natural reaction to thanks would probably be better suited to the Chinese culture described than here in the US. Thanks for the share.
Me too. Sometimes I feel that a lot of the "thankfulness" that goes on is a little extraneous. I worked at a fast food place for a year in university, and I always felt a little weird when people said thank you after I gave them their order. I didn't do it for them, and I didn't give them any special treatment. I was just performing a task in exchange for money.
I was raised to say thank you when people helped you out in any way. I guess I understand the thank you when you make food for people because to them they are paying for the food, but someone (who is probably underpaid) still had to make it. People that actually appreciate cooks an severs tip, saying thank you is more of a common courtesy/practice. Also, I think a lot of people get that they don't pay the cooks, they are paying the owners of the restaurant so the thank you may be more or less genuine in that situation.
You might enjoy this short film that scarp posted a while back. It's pretty clever:
Interesting coincidence. Also, great to see you scarp. We used to have some good discussions. I hope you've been well!
Yeah, they definitely pepper in actual English words in there. I think the actors do a great job. Also, she's... well, slumper hon.
This was a very interesting read. I wish that my country could be the same but instead we build barriers of fake formality between us. We always greet eachother the same way and always have the same response but both people know that it is not genuine, but rather something that we must do to seem polite.
Some things I take away from this article: - They don't make it clear, maybe they don't know (because I didn't for a long time), but "bu yao" (不要) is really something you ought to only ever say to somebody selling you something or serving you. It's pretty rude otherwise, like if someone invites you somewhere, for example. - This guy heard "man zou" (慢走) way more than I did in local shops. I only heard it in about half of them. I guess that's what I get for going to run down shops in poorer looking areas, with a group of loud foreigners. - Westerners really need to stop learning "ni hao" if they learn Chinese. Nobody says that, unless they're talking with a foreigner.
Have you checked this article out? Also from the Atlantic. I used this in my class this past week and it opened up a really interesting discussion.