The last time I flew to America from China I took Air China, which has a Chinese flight crew. This time I took United, which meant we had an American flight crew.
The young Chinese guy in the row ahead of me brought a lot of carry-on luggage, and I watched through culturally enlightened eyes the way the flight attendant tried to deal with him. She was being so American! And he was being so Chinese! She kept telling him that it wasn't fair for him to have three bags, because it meant that someone else wouldn't have space for their luggage. And he kept answering in a very Chinese way: "But my bags are already here, and they fit." And she kept right on with her very American line of reasoning that the fair thing to do is to check some of his bags. And he wouldn't give an inch, because he didn't see why he should. In China, if you're first, you win. And that's that. And I'm watching this go on for 5 or so minutes and I want to tell this woman, "You're in charge! Just tell him you're checking some of his bags. You're the boss. He won't challenge you." And sure enough, after about 10 minutes of this back and forth culture clash, she finally told him, "I'm checking this bag." And he didn't protest at all.
An appeal to fairness rarely works in China. Hierarchy and rank, these are the things people respect. There is no such thing as 'fair.' It means you have to shove your way onto a bus, but there is a certain freedom in things not being fair (when it's in your favor, that is. So learn to throw those elbows!). Being a teacher in China is just about the easiest teaching job in the world as far as discipline goes because your students pretty much fall in line with just a mean look. You're the teacher, you have the power. Early on I confiscated students' ringing cell phones and took them home with me for a few days. This got the message across, and I rarely had cell phone problems after that. In fact, there was a Chinese teacher who threw a student's cell phone out a fifth story window! I never had the guts to do that, but if I had, it would have been totally okay.
I wonder if next time, the flight attendant will just take the bag.
Currently reading: The Gita, translated by Irina Gajjar
Currently watching: Seinfeld reruns
Currently cooking: artichokes
Currently shopping online for: work clothes and a cool, not-too-formal briefcase-type bag
I need to rename this blog, but I'm not sure yet what it'll be. Stay tuned, so exciting!
Wow the teacher threw the cell phone out of the window? Thats crazy. Wow.
ReplyDeleteCan you introduce that concept to America? Pleeeze! :)
ReplyDeleteCan you re-introduce that concept to America?
ReplyDeleteCorrected it for ya...even when I was in school the teachers still could've gotten away with throwing a cellphone (if they existed) out the window. Heck, we still had one teacher in Junior High who still got away with banging the heads of two unruly students together...and I saw him do it a few times. "Meeting of the Minds."
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Had to buy a new briefcase last week...because we had a skunk incident at my house and before I got everything under control one of the dogs wiped his skunk-sprayed face across my old one :(
I love this concept of following in line; conforming. :) This is how I roll...most of the time.
ReplyDeleteHow about Rebecca's adventures. Everyday is an adventure, right???
I love hearing examples of the culture shock you're noticing here in the states. I think the Chinese boy was going to do what he felt he could get away with, but it doesn't appear he was being rude about it. What's suprising is that he didn't protest at all when she took a stand. An American who's engaged in that much dialogue is bound to get ruder, not more adaptable, as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteRebecca! I just tuned into your blog after a few months not checking it (got out of the habit, darn it). Welcome home!!!
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean we get to see you at Parley's this Sunday? I wouldn't blame you if you're not ready for that yet.... But I'd love to hear from ya either way!
Rebecca's Adventures on Planet Earth ;-)
ReplyDeleteCool that you got to see a situation happening from both sides - few ever have that luxury... LOL!
Artichokes? :-o
Isn't it so funny how different cultures view things?! I would TOTALLY have appealed to his sense of fairness, and that he was making things difficult for his fellow passengers as well! How American! (And I would have assumed he would have "gotten it"... but that's just not so!)
ReplyDeleteI like Technodoll's suggestions "Rebeccas Adventures on Planet Earth" - great name!
It must have been hilarious to watch such a culture clash. I love the idea of throwing the cellphone out of the window. LOL
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