User Comments - peterinchangsha

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 4: Communication in the Office

This lesson is already a few years old, but it's the first time I read it.  This dialogue is really what I go trough every day:

不同部门的同事不怎么沟通。 

and

这种决定应该由我们来做

Chinese are used to define clear boundaries between departments.  When drafting our quality system, in the first draft, every process description started with "this process belongs to the ... department".  When we define process in terms of what kind of activities are in the scope, but here in China, they define scope by department.  And be sure, as soon as the scope is defined in that way, all other departments will adopt a 'non of my business attitude."

As soon as something cross-department comes up, they look at the boss to take a decision. Typically they will send a few E-mails and if it can't be solved, the issue is dropped on my desk.  Meanwhile, they know that I will not move if they haven't had at least a face-to-face discussion with everyone involved.

Posted on: Fresh Air vs. Heat

Good question. Does anyone know where this obsession for fresh air comes from? (I don't think it's fear of CO poisoning.) I think it must be something Confusian or something? I sure is one of those things where tradition beats common sense.

Posted on: National Stereotypes

Lucky you. I live in Changsha, Hunan, and I can't go downtown without hearing 'laowai'.

It is so rude, and most of the time I just joke and look over my shoulder as if I don't realize they are pointing at me, but once and I while a get fed up with it and then someone gets to see my less friendly face. I think that if you would shout like that at someone in one of our cities back home, you might end-up with a broken jaw.

Posted on: Matchmaking in the Park

The youngsters themselves probably know how to use the internet and will try dating sites when they get desperate. Very few people of their parent's generation are very familiar with the internet. Besides, those parents are not looking for a love marriage but for a business deal: photo's and age are less important than diploma and salary.

If you haven't seen it yet, those parents are walking around with a paper with key data about their son/daughter, and salary is always listed. When there is a possible match, they start talking and show some photo's or talk about hobbies.