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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Why talk about things in the foreigner is always so excited?
12 years 49 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
Wait... what? Ting bu Dong... what are you even trying to ask?
Today, we and a foreign building designer talk about a glass railing changes of plan, in the processing of armrest, there is some debate, he once excited.
DaBen:
What the hell? I swear, if someone can explain what is being asked in the post based off of this last comment in the next 20 mins... I will give up drinking forever.
TedDBayer:
i've noticed hand railing in China to be low and unsafe , so maybe the foreigner was upset becasue the hand rail was not 42'' high.. yeah i love the 24'' high ones on slippery steps.
zengpingjiang:
daben: for you feel I was sympathetic, like yesterday, I listen to the words of engineers as, in fact I also never understand. If there is no interpreter, I estimate also collapsed.
Why do foreigners talk with so much emotion, and give thumbs up and say "oh yeah", use a lot of exaggerated body language and facial expressions and so on.
Here's the deal, zengpingjiang: In Canada (I'm visiting home right now), I never act excited. In my part of Canada, no one really does and if I did it would bother people.
In China I act excited for two reasons:
1) My Chinese still needs some work. Very few Chinese speak good English, so there are a lot of communication problems. Exaggerating my body language helps to make up for in non-verbal communication what I lack in verbal communication.
2) The Chinese expect me to. When I act like a normal Canadian, the Chinese often comment that I'm boring. Understand, that as a foreigner in China, everyone I meet expects me to put on an "excited foreigner" show, from strangers walking down the street, to neighbours, to my landlord, to people at the restaurant I'm eating at, to (most importantly) my boss and co-employees. If I don't, they whine and complain. When I was working with computers (as a LAN man), I had an employee complain that I wasn't outgoing enough, and the boss took me in the office and screamed at me for a good two hours, telling me to act more excited, basically.
I had to degrade myself, but if it makes my work life easier to show my emotions a bit more, fine. It's the Chineses' problem, not mine. But I hate acting that way and never do in Canada.
zengpingjiang:
i agree with you ,like most of chinese speak english, I'm a typical example so i need improve my english
You're saying he got mad? Your explanation is just as unclear as the original question. Maybe run your question through a translater a few times and see if it makes better sense.
At home, I too am quite reserved and calm. But when in China, we are thought of as dancing monkey's so it is fun to play the part!!
I once got excited about an awesome BBQ resteraunt my hosts took me to in Shenzhen, and after that they took me weekly!
I got excited about how Heniken is by far the best non-imported beer in China, and after this I had them bringing me Heni's every day!!
Sometimes it pays off to get excited!!
Hey, if something is exciting and we like it, we'll be enthusuatic about it. Most people everywhere else in the world are the same way.
It's a uniquely Chinese thing to act reserved about something exciting or interesting. Personally I don't get it, but I chalk it up to Chinese culture.
Shining_brow:
You forgot Japanese culture - certainly the older Japanese culture.
Like the dude, I, too, have found that it's an excellent way to get what you want. For Chinese people it's rude to just tell them you don't like something, so I act extra excited about the things I want to make it clear what I like. Then when something's just okay or I don't like it I act normal. They get the hint.
Kchur is a bit right, too; it is a good way to communicate. Not only that, but I often do it when the Chinese person trying to speak to me in English isn't making any sense to encourage them and make them feel better .
I do get excited about some things. I really like Halloween. When I got excited about it, my friend Rose, who is in charge of the English club at this college, decided to throw a Halloween party. I don't know how good it will be but I don't care, it should be at least a little fun. Actually, Rose gets more excited about all kinds of things, more than me, and she's Chinese.
zengpingjiang:
If you can, I really want to join with you in Halloween. All haven't played, every day except work is home in the home, I really don't like this kind of life.
Acting over excited makes you lose face and you are no longer the impressive foreigner on a pedestal, so it makes them more comfortable to talk or interact with you