Dragin, good work. Ive been here so long I cant remember what offends and what doesnt. I think the manners I brought with me from the west were rather offensive or strange, like:
* Blowing my nose and sticking the tissue in my pocket, for 'later use'
* Putting my bag on the floor, someone picking it up and sticking it behind me on the chair (not on the back of the chair) while im sitting on the chair, me putting it back onto the floor, and they putting it back on the chair. Bit of a Laurel and Hardy sketch for a while, but now I never leave my bag or anything on the floor.
* Walking into houses without removing my shoes - I guess the European belief of the outside being just as clean as the inside of a house doesnt pass over to Asia very well.
* When I am tired and not really in the mood for talking the Chinese around me take this as me being angry. I guess its always good to keep an air of bouncy happiness about you when in China, so nobody thinks your angry for no reason.
More as I think of them.
dragin said:
17. Avoid the number four or things in sets of four. It's a reminder of death.
Yes - This is why Duracell only sell batteries in packs of 5 in China, there is hardly any packs of four things in china, also 90% of the time there is no 4th floor in buildings, its either 3b or jumps straight to 5.