Things I don't like talking about as an IBC
Created Tuesday, 19th April 2011, 09:35 by Whykay
Read an article from CNNGo about 10 things Chinese and foreigners hate talking about, and it got me thinking. What annoys me? Well, here's my own list (some might share what's in the article from CNNGo though):-
- After getting asked "Where are you from?", I answer from Ireland, the next question is "No, really, where are you from?". I'm not sure about anyone else, after decades of answering this question, I have a quick summary of myself which would answer many of the questions that follow, which includes "Where are your parents from?", "How did they get here?". It depends on my mood really, and who I'm talking to.
- "You are in Ireland, why do you need to use chopsticks?" kind of annoys me, especially if you are in a Chinese or any other Asian restaurant. They normally offer knife and forks anyway. The food cooked is adapted for chopsticks usage, and it's hard to explain why I like using them. Obviously they are useless for steaks, that's just silliness. *Ignoring all those who say this just to pull my leg, you know who you are. ;-)
- Putting a bowl up to your mouth and scooping rice your rice into your mouth is not proper outside of Chinese households/restaurants. The looks you get and also questions, personally I feel it's the only way to properly eat your bowl of rice.
- "Do Chinese people really eat dog meat?" It's a subject I hate answering, if I say "yes", large gasps and many more questions ensue, but China isn't the only ones who eat this type of meat. They are banning it in China and it's illegal in Hong Kong. And it's especially untrue about Chinese restaurants and dogs, I really abhor these types of vicious hearsay and unfounded rumours, which causes damages to reputation of of businesses.
- Chinese people and materialism. Their better-than-thou attitude is intolerable. Why can't people just be nice and just chat normally. Money isn't everything.
- Chinese who are in shock that I can't speak Mandarin, obviously this is from some people who are from China, not Hong Kong. No matter how much I say I do, that I speak Cantonese (it is Chinese as well), they look at my funnily. It doesn't help when I mention I understand Hakka as well. This coming from an intern I was training years back and a tour guide in Beijing are such examples!
I'm pretty sure there are more, but these are some of the things that annoys me. I suppose some people are genuinely curious about the mixed culture I'm in, more so about my Chinese side.
The article from CNNGo - http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/stop-talking-about-876120