Please sing a song or do a dance. now.
Today was class picture day!
But I didn't know that. !Bonus! - I woke up late and didn't have time to shave. My first graders liked that...
In America you get notices warnings heads-ups etc. In China, somebody walks up to you and says, "Today is ____."
Or even better, I get invited somewhere, for what I assume is "fun", and then on arrival I am told that I need to perform. Example:
During the Christmas season last year Betty and I were invited by the Foreign Affairs office to a swank local hotel for a western dinner. Also invited were Mr. and Mrs. Downstairs and Mr. Upstairs, our neighbors and fellow foreigners. Once we got to dinner we were told that we would be participating in some games at the dinner. The host/mc kept asking for volunteers to participate. Surprisingly, he only chose people devoid of Asian ancestry. The highlight of the night was when we were told we were going next door to sing Christmas carols to the childrens restaurant.
I was irritated. I refused to play games and I feigned ignorance when beckoned. Unfortunately a house divided cannot stand, so when the others agreed to go next door and put on the "foreign pony show" I had to go too. We sang our songs and waved to a smattering of applause.
Leaders in China are used to saying something and having it done immediately, no advanced notice needed or given. Because, to my way of thinking, people are a vast, easily replaceable resource in China. If a Leader is displeased with a worker, fire him or her and find a similarly skilled worker. As I've mentioned before, foreigners in this city are a limited resource and because of our western upbringing, we don't find it too difficult to say no. Leaders don't know how to handle that.
Don't misunderstand, we try to be as flexible as possible and roll with the punches but sometimes we have to say no. and then say no again because people assume we didn't understand the command.
But I didn't know that. !Bonus! - I woke up late and didn't have time to shave. My first graders liked that...
In America you get notices warnings heads-ups etc. In China, somebody walks up to you and says, "Today is ____."
Or even better, I get invited somewhere, for what I assume is "fun", and then on arrival I am told that I need to perform. Example:
During the Christmas season last year Betty and I were invited by the Foreign Affairs office to a swank local hotel for a western dinner. Also invited were Mr. and Mrs. Downstairs and Mr. Upstairs, our neighbors and fellow foreigners. Once we got to dinner we were told that we would be participating in some games at the dinner. The host/mc kept asking for volunteers to participate. Surprisingly, he only chose people devoid of Asian ancestry. The highlight of the night was when we were told we were going next door to sing Christmas carols to the childrens restaurant.
I was irritated. I refused to play games and I feigned ignorance when beckoned. Unfortunately a house divided cannot stand, so when the others agreed to go next door and put on the "foreign pony show" I had to go too. We sang our songs and waved to a smattering of applause.
Leaders in China are used to saying something and having it done immediately, no advanced notice needed or given. Because, to my way of thinking, people are a vast, easily replaceable resource in China. If a Leader is displeased with a worker, fire him or her and find a similarly skilled worker. As I've mentioned before, foreigners in this city are a limited resource and because of our western upbringing, we don't find it too difficult to say no. Leaders don't know how to handle that.
Don't misunderstand, we try to be as flexible as possible and roll with the punches but sometimes we have to say no. and then say no again because people assume we didn't understand the command.
