APRIL 10, 2007
In my conversations with my family back in the states, I have often related little details of the differences in culture and the problems with the language barrier (all while trying not to whine TOO loudly). My mother has suggested several times that I write about this so I will attempt to document the cultural struggles of an expat living in China.
One thing that causes us to often pause with the response "Say WHAT?" is the use of what we expats commonly refer to as "Chinglish." This is the Chinese attempt at signage in English which seems to be the second most common language in the country (and let me add, a DISTANT second). As the Mandarin phrasing can very seldom be translated literally, often the Chinese attempt at English is very literally lost in translation.
Some examples of Chinglish as witnessed by us are as follows:
BABY GRASS GROWS BENEATH THE FEET (keep off the grass)
NAKED FIRE CAN BE DEVASTATING (no open flame, or possibly no smoking)
DRIVING WHILE FATIGUED PROHIBITED (Huh? Everyone here is fatigued. They all sleep on whatever form of transportation they are utilizing. I swear, when the buses roll past, everyone aboard is sleeping.)
ANUS HOSPITAL (Proctology Clinic)
STRENGTHEN URINARY HOSPITAL (Not positive, but I'm thinking Prostrate Clinic)
Some of the funniest examples of Chinglish are seen while viewing one of the aforementioned pirated DVD's to which the Chinese have added their own English subtitles. In the movie, Happy Feet (which is an animated movie about penguins), the penguins were referred to as "waiters" which had me in stitches for the entire movie. I suppose you see all those guys in "tuxedos," one might suppose they were indeed waiters! And a phrase such as "Get outta here!" or "Get outta town!" (meaning "You must be joking!") comes out like, "Please leave now!" I swear the Chinglish was more humorous than the movie. I believe subtlety and innuendo are completely lost on the Chinese who are much more direct than we Americans are.
Indeed the spoken language can have it's moments of hilarity as well. Randy had taken some Mr. Muscle (like Formula 409) cleanser to work with him as the cleaning being attempted at the plant was performed with only a wet rag with piteous results. He showed the bottle to Vita, the secretary/receptionist, and requested that she get a case of this cleanser. She looked at it and replied, "This is for cleaning your chicken!" Randy appeared bewildered, and she repeated, "You mean you want CHICKEN cleaner!!" Finally, Randy had one of those "I could've had a V8!" moments as he realized she was trying to say "kitchen cleaner." OK, chicken, kitchen .... I could understand the confusion there. We've had several good laughs about that since then. Every time I use the Mr. Muscle, I grin about using the "chicken" cleaner.
Another of the cultural differences which I find peculiar is the inability of the average Chinese person to think on their feet or utilize their imagination in day to day situations. For instance, the apartment complex in which we live is probably at least half expat inhabited. As such, the vast majority of these folks do not have a common grasp of Mandarin language, especially the written form as the characters used are completely foreign to those of us who utilize an alphabet for written communication. I have lived here since the middle of January, and have never noticed until last week, any communication posted in anything other than Chinese throughout our complex. Finally, last week I noticed a posting for a Chinese language class to commence soon with the instruction that registration is at building 20, apartment 101. So Randy and I went there to sign me up (class is during the day which precludes Randy's involvement as he'll be at work). Well, they'd had the foresight to post the notice in English, but when I arrived at the office, there were 6 or 7 people working there, and not one person on hand who could speak a word of English (they did, however, bring us coffee .... sigh). I said to Randy, "What were they thinking? If I can't speak Chinese, how was I going to sign up for the class if nobody could understand me at the place of registration?" Very typical of how things are done here. We finally took somebody out to the lobby where the sign was posted and pointed to it. They, in turn, got somebody on the phone who could speak about 10 words of English, and I am not yet sure that I am signed up. Somebody is supposed to get back to me.
It's something that Randy calls the "herd" mentality. The Chinese have been instructed their entire lives by their government how and what to think, what to do, what to say, and they don't question anything or think beyond that possibility. I believe the Chinese on the average are very intelligent, please don't get me wrong. And they are very creative when it comes to aesthetics and first impressions (especially when it might affect business dealings). But as the "whole" is far more important than the "individual," the attempt at "out of the box" thinking in general is discouraged, and is even questioned by those of us thoughtless enough to try it. An attempt to change a train or flight ticket is met with a blank stare. "Why would you do that? You have a ticket so that is the one you should use." There are no contingencies for anything that might change or be different than the standard, and to do so would upset the entire system of balance and order.
The entire idea of space is a bit of a foreign concept in China. As the cities here are very densely populated, personal space is indeed a luxury. Our apartment would be considered average sized in the States, but I'd imagine three families would live here if inhabited by Chinese locals. I think I've mentioned being jostled rather aggresively in the Carrefour store in our misguided attempt at shopping on a Sunday afternoon. Just attempt a weekend shopping trip (ALL Chinese locals shop on the weekend) and you'll quickly understand that the only way to get from point A to point B is to push and shove (and believe me, you'll BE pushed and shoved too) until you reach your objective. Just this weekend, I was pushed quite firmly into a subway car as the woman behind me thought I was boarding too slowly for her taste.
The Chinese have learned the concept that if anything is to be achieved, one must be fairly aggresive. That is not to say they are rude. Verbal rudeness is quite unlikely. But it is quite acceptable to have someone jump in front of you in the street as you attempt to hail a taxi in order to get the one that may be slowing to pick you up without so much as a "Dui bu qi" ("pardon me"). It would be simply considered quick thinking and good strategy, not rude in the slightest. Forming a line (or queueing, as the English say) is hardly attempted. Rather a mass of people all attempting to step in front of one another is more likely the case. I have gotten in line to pay at a cash register only to have someone come from my right or left to hand their money directly to the cashier right in front of me ... perfectly acceptable.
These are all things that require a bit of adjustment on our part. We have accepted that we are indeed the foreigners and as such, the burden of the communication problems and cultural differences fall on us. I will say though that I am a bit disappointed in the owners and management of our apartment complex who clearly have courted the expat establishment to fill the complex (and therefore their bank accounts), but have done little to accomodate the non-Chinese patrons. I am hoping that the classes will help me meet some folks here, and give me a forum to communicate with the management and service folks here. Who knows? Maybe I can be of service in some way as a liason between the expats and the locals in our complex. Communication has always been my strong suit.
Having said that, there are signs that they may be making progress here. Last week, a fellow showed up at our door speaking Chinese. When that attempt at communication failed, he finally was able to say, "Check da gas." OK, THAT was clear. I let him in and he proceeded to check the carbon dioxide detecter above our gas stove. With the help of a English speaking Chinese friend called on my cell phone, I was able to ascertain that he needed to replace our detector and would be back with a new one (free of charge) within a couple of weeks. Yesterday, a similar man showed up and was able to hand me a piece of paper stating that he was doing a routine check of the water heater as a free service offered by the apartment management. A good step forward, I would say, at least having it in writing so we could understand what was happening.
Along with the concept of the good first impression, there is also that entire "saving face" situation that must be considered when dealing with the Chinese. They are quick to offer assistance when our bewilderment is obvious (especially if they know any English), and that is a wonderful thing for which we are grateful, but often the answer given is incorrect. A Chinese person is unlikely to admit that they do not understand or don't know the answer to your question, therefore it is perfectly acceptable to give a wrong one in order to avoid the appearance of inadequacy (one must "save face"). Unfortunately, the effect is an added air of paranoia to any conversation you have with the locals as it forces you constantly question whether or not you are getting the truth.
While keeping in mind that we'd like to save our own "face" by not being Ugly Americans, it is a fine, thin line we walk to try to assimilate ourselves into the Chinese society while still feeling somewhat comfortable in our own skin. I have to admit that there are days that I simply retreat into the walls of my apartment and swear I won't come out until it's time to head back to the states. But eventually, the sun comes out, I hear the children playing in the garden outside our apartment, and I take a deep breath and attempt meaningful communication again. I heard somewhere that when life is at it's most fearful, that is when you are learning the most. I think we are currently living that statement which is not a bad thing.
One thing that causes us to often pause with the response "Say WHAT?" is the use of what we expats commonly refer to as "Chinglish." This is the Chinese attempt at signage in English which seems to be the second most common language in the country (and let me add, a DISTANT second). As the Mandarin phrasing can very seldom be translated literally, often the Chinese attempt at English is very literally lost in translation.
Some examples of Chinglish as witnessed by us are as follows:
BABY GRASS GROWS BENEATH THE FEET (keep off the grass)
NAKED FIRE CAN BE DEVASTATING (no open flame, or possibly no smoking)
DRIVING WHILE FATIGUED PROHIBITED (Huh? Everyone here is fatigued. They all sleep on whatever form of transportation they are utilizing. I swear, when the buses roll past, everyone aboard is sleeping.)
ANUS HOSPITAL (Proctology Clinic)
STRENGTHEN URINARY HOSPITAL (Not positive, but I'm thinking Prostrate Clinic)
Some of the funniest examples of Chinglish are seen while viewing one of the aforementioned pirated DVD's to which the Chinese have added their own English subtitles. In the movie, Happy Feet (which is an animated movie about penguins), the penguins were referred to as "waiters" which had me in stitches for the entire movie. I suppose you see all those guys in "tuxedos," one might suppose they were indeed waiters! And a phrase such as "Get outta here!" or "Get outta town!" (meaning "You must be joking!") comes out like, "Please leave now!" I swear the Chinglish was more humorous than the movie. I believe subtlety and innuendo are completely lost on the Chinese who are much more direct than we Americans are.
Indeed the spoken language can have it's moments of hilarity as well. Randy had taken some Mr. Muscle (like Formula 409) cleanser to work with him as the cleaning being attempted at the plant was performed with only a wet rag with piteous results. He showed the bottle to Vita, the secretary/receptionist, and requested that she get a case of this cleanser. She looked at it and replied, "This is for cleaning your chicken!" Randy appeared bewildered, and she repeated, "You mean you want CHICKEN cleaner!!" Finally, Randy had one of those "I could've had a V8!" moments as he realized she was trying to say "kitchen cleaner." OK, chicken, kitchen .... I could understand the confusion there. We've had several good laughs about that since then. Every time I use the Mr. Muscle, I grin about using the "chicken" cleaner.
Another of the cultural differences which I find peculiar is the inability of the average Chinese person to think on their feet or utilize their imagination in day to day situations. For instance, the apartment complex in which we live is probably at least half expat inhabited. As such, the vast majority of these folks do not have a common grasp of Mandarin language, especially the written form as the characters used are completely foreign to those of us who utilize an alphabet for written communication. I have lived here since the middle of January, and have never noticed until last week, any communication posted in anything other than Chinese throughout our complex. Finally, last week I noticed a posting for a Chinese language class to commence soon with the instruction that registration is at building 20, apartment 101. So Randy and I went there to sign me up (class is during the day which precludes Randy's involvement as he'll be at work). Well, they'd had the foresight to post the notice in English, but when I arrived at the office, there were 6 or 7 people working there, and not one person on hand who could speak a word of English (they did, however, bring us coffee .... sigh). I said to Randy, "What were they thinking? If I can't speak Chinese, how was I going to sign up for the class if nobody could understand me at the place of registration?" Very typical of how things are done here. We finally took somebody out to the lobby where the sign was posted and pointed to it. They, in turn, got somebody on the phone who could speak about 10 words of English, and I am not yet sure that I am signed up. Somebody is supposed to get back to me.
It's something that Randy calls the "herd" mentality. The Chinese have been instructed their entire lives by their government how and what to think, what to do, what to say, and they don't question anything or think beyond that possibility. I believe the Chinese on the average are very intelligent, please don't get me wrong. And they are very creative when it comes to aesthetics and first impressions (especially when it might affect business dealings). But as the "whole" is far more important than the "individual," the attempt at "out of the box" thinking in general is discouraged, and is even questioned by those of us thoughtless enough to try it. An attempt to change a train or flight ticket is met with a blank stare. "Why would you do that? You have a ticket so that is the one you should use." There are no contingencies for anything that might change or be different than the standard, and to do so would upset the entire system of balance and order.
The entire idea of space is a bit of a foreign concept in China. As the cities here are very densely populated, personal space is indeed a luxury. Our apartment would be considered average sized in the States, but I'd imagine three families would live here if inhabited by Chinese locals. I think I've mentioned being jostled rather aggresively in the Carrefour store in our misguided attempt at shopping on a Sunday afternoon. Just attempt a weekend shopping trip (ALL Chinese locals shop on the weekend) and you'll quickly understand that the only way to get from point A to point B is to push and shove (and believe me, you'll BE pushed and shoved too) until you reach your objective. Just this weekend, I was pushed quite firmly into a subway car as the woman behind me thought I was boarding too slowly for her taste.
The Chinese have learned the concept that if anything is to be achieved, one must be fairly aggresive. That is not to say they are rude. Verbal rudeness is quite unlikely. But it is quite acceptable to have someone jump in front of you in the street as you attempt to hail a taxi in order to get the one that may be slowing to pick you up without so much as a "Dui bu qi" ("pardon me"). It would be simply considered quick thinking and good strategy, not rude in the slightest. Forming a line (or queueing, as the English say) is hardly attempted. Rather a mass of people all attempting to step in front of one another is more likely the case. I have gotten in line to pay at a cash register only to have someone come from my right or left to hand their money directly to the cashier right in front of me ... perfectly acceptable.
These are all things that require a bit of adjustment on our part. We have accepted that we are indeed the foreigners and as such, the burden of the communication problems and cultural differences fall on us. I will say though that I am a bit disappointed in the owners and management of our apartment complex who clearly have courted the expat establishment to fill the complex (and therefore their bank accounts), but have done little to accomodate the non-Chinese patrons. I am hoping that the classes will help me meet some folks here, and give me a forum to communicate with the management and service folks here. Who knows? Maybe I can be of service in some way as a liason between the expats and the locals in our complex. Communication has always been my strong suit.
Having said that, there are signs that they may be making progress here. Last week, a fellow showed up at our door speaking Chinese. When that attempt at communication failed, he finally was able to say, "Check da gas." OK, THAT was clear. I let him in and he proceeded to check the carbon dioxide detecter above our gas stove. With the help of a English speaking Chinese friend called on my cell phone, I was able to ascertain that he needed to replace our detector and would be back with a new one (free of charge) within a couple of weeks. Yesterday, a similar man showed up and was able to hand me a piece of paper stating that he was doing a routine check of the water heater as a free service offered by the apartment management. A good step forward, I would say, at least having it in writing so we could understand what was happening.
Along with the concept of the good first impression, there is also that entire "saving face" situation that must be considered when dealing with the Chinese. They are quick to offer assistance when our bewilderment is obvious (especially if they know any English), and that is a wonderful thing for which we are grateful, but often the answer given is incorrect. A Chinese person is unlikely to admit that they do not understand or don't know the answer to your question, therefore it is perfectly acceptable to give a wrong one in order to avoid the appearance of inadequacy (one must "save face"). Unfortunately, the effect is an added air of paranoia to any conversation you have with the locals as it forces you constantly question whether or not you are getting the truth.
While keeping in mind that we'd like to save our own "face" by not being Ugly Americans, it is a fine, thin line we walk to try to assimilate ourselves into the Chinese society while still feeling somewhat comfortable in our own skin. I have to admit that there are days that I simply retreat into the walls of my apartment and swear I won't come out until it's time to head back to the states. But eventually, the sun comes out, I hear the children playing in the garden outside our apartment, and I take a deep breath and attempt meaningful communication again. I heard somewhere that when life is at it's most fearful, that is when you are learning the most. I think we are currently living that statement which is not a bad thing.
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
5:49 PM
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