Chinese Culture

Because I am not an expert on cross-cultural relationships, I’m going to rely on the Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook and a book called, “It’s All Chinese To Me” to help explain a few of the many cultural components.

The Peace Corps' Cross Cultural workbook states, "Culture has been aptly compared to an iceberg. Just as an iceberg has a visible section above the waterline, and a larger, invisible section below the water line, so culture has some aspects that are observable and others that can only be suspected, imagined, or intuited.  Also like an iceberg, that part of culture that is visible (observable behavior) is only a small part of a much bigger whole.

A few examples:

Observable Behaviors		Underlying Cultural Components
Food		Values
Clothes		Importance of Time
Gestures		Concept of Self
Holiday Customs		Rules of Social Etiquette
Music		Concept of Personal Space
Art		Leadership Ideas
Literature		Work Ethic
Facial Expressions		Concept of Beauty

You can see that there is a relationship between some of the items that appear above the waterline and those that appear below it.  In most cases, the invisible aspects of culture influence or cause the visible ones.  For example, the concept of beauty is clearly manifested in the style of clothes; and rules of social etiquette are portrayed through gestures and facial expressions." 

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Culturally, China and the United States are extremely different.  In most cultural aspects, China is on one side of the spectrum and the U.S. is on the other end. 

The most distinct cultural issues I have experienced include: the concept of time, the concept of self (individualists v. collectivists), and communication styles (direct v. indirect, and the importance of “face” and relationships).

As someone who values punctuality, efficiency, and organization, I admit that there are days that I struggle with the Chinese concept of time.  In America, “time is money” right?!  Schedules, deadlines, and to-do lists, fill our lives.  We expect people to be on time, and we anticipate that things will go according to plan.  Unfortunately, China (rural China especially) has the converse idea of time.  Time here is focused on people and relationships, rather than on tasks or appointments.  Plans are always changing, and scheduling something in advance is literally unheard of.  (For example, you should usually not book a plane ticket more than three weeks in advance; and school holidays or start/end dates are never set more than a month prior to the date).  Schedules often seem unreliable, and plans are always subject to change.  For this reason, many aspects of life feel unpredictable (definitely not good for my Type A personality; although, I am really learning to let go of the control and be a little more relaxed… I know the ross street girls won't believe this, but for real  : )

Personal identity is another major difference between China and America.  Americans are classified as individualists because we value independence and self-sufficiency.  A person should not rely on anyone but themself.  We have mottos such as, “Stand on your own two feet,” “Look out for number one,” and “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.”  Americans encourage their children to think for themselves and to make their own decisions.

On the other hand, Chinese people are usually collectivists.  Their identity is based on their role and membership within a group (family, friends, work).  The needs of the group come before one’s personal needs.  Interdependence is valued and desired.  If you are a member of a group, expect that your fellow members will do anything for you (and they expect that it be reciprocated) – loan you money, allow you to live in their home, help raise their children, etc.  (I experienced this when my co-worker offered to sell me her bike.  She insisted that I only pay half of her asking price; the reason being that we were coworkers and friends – part of the same group).  Conversely, if you do not belong to the group, do not expect people to assist you. 

(Side note: this is why our service projects make such an impact.  The villagers cannot comprehend why we would help them because we are not part of their group). 

The importance of group membership is highlighted in another major cultural component in China: relationships (or guanxi).  Relationships are the key aspect in Chinese culture.  Without relationships, you have no influence, “pull” or connections. (This is true in many cultures; think along the same lines as our motto, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” but the significance is magnified by a million in China).  In China it is not just about who you know; it is also how the other person sees his or her obligations toward you.  The more favors you do for someone, the more obligations they have toward you – and vice versa.  Returning favors is paramount to maintaining one’s web of relationships.  Failure to reciprocate a favor, no matter what they ask, is committing a major moral transgression (It’s All Chinese to Me).  Without guanxi, it is nearly impossible to get anything done in China.

Communication styles are another fundamental difference between China and the United States (another thing I struggle with).  As Americans, we practice direct communication.  We adhere to sayings such as, “Don’t beat around the bush” and “Tell it like it is.”  Again, China is on the opposite end of the spectrum because people are indirect communicators.  Saving face/not losing face takes precedence over the truth; maintaining harmony is the overriding goal of the communication exchange.  Confrontation is avoided.  Criticism is handled very delicately, and people rarely respond with a straightforward no.  What a person says and what a feels are often not the same.  (Peace Corps Culture Matters) 

Here in lies the ever-important concept of “face.”  Difficult to specifically define, “face” includes a person’s pride, dignity, reputation, and self-esteem.  A person can either gain face from a positive situation or lose face from a negative situation.  In China, it is very important to not cause someone to lose face.  If you cause someone to lose face, even if it is unintentional, your friendship, customer/client relationship will severely suffer.  A person should take great lengths to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Here are some examples from “It’s All Chinese To Me” of how to gain face and how to lose face, respectively.

Ways to Gain Face (you’ll notice that some of these are very similar to our idea of achieving success in America):

1.     Give someone a sincere compliment

2.     Praise someone publicly

3.     Treating someone to a meal (which is why we often take our work partners out to dinner; and also why I feel pressure to "act right" and be culturally sensitive during dinner... which also means that I cannot refuse food when someone offers it. Saying 'No' is incredibly rude and will cause someone to lose face.  Don't worry, I've discovered the trick of burying the food that I don't like in my rice - one of the positives of only eating out of a bowl).

4.     Going out of one’s way to do something for a friend

5.     Receiving an expensive gift, especially an imported one

6.     Being wealthy

7.     Earning a degree from a prestigious university

8.     Marrying well

9.     Having a son

10.  Having a successful child

Ways to Lose Face:

1.     Not showing respect to elders or authority figures

2.     Criticizing someone publicly

3.     Turning down an invitation with an outright “No.”  In China, there are 3 proper ways to say no: a) Maybe; b)Yes, maybe; and c)I will discuss it with so and so.

4.     Interrupting someone when they are talking

5.     Threatening to fire someone or actually firing them (Donald Trump and The Apprentice definitely never gained popularity in China : )

6.     Exposing someone for lying

7.     Becoming angry with someone

8.     Not being able to do something

9.     Admitting to having made a mistake.  Try to avoid forcing anyone into doing this.  Always leave them a way out, even if it means accepting a lie.  (NOTE: I recently experienced this with one of my coworkers.  I recognized that there was an error in a document we were working on; rather than directly stating, “that number is wrong; it should be ___.”  I delicately brought it to their attention by saying, “I think I made a mistake and told you this number, but maybe we should try another number).”

10.  Admitting to not knowing something can also result in a serious loss of face.  Often, misleading information is given as a means of preserving face. (Hence, why I NEVER trust a Chinese person when they give me directions! lol).

As you can see, the cultural adjustments to living in China encompass about every aspect of daily life.  Some days it is incredibly frustrating and mindboggling, but it is so interesting to experience how differently things work in China (for better and for worse).  

Yunnan Suffering from Drought

Villagers wait to collect buckets of water from a neighboring town

(Photo courtesy of People's Daily Online)

Clear blue skies, radiant sunshine, and an average temperature of sixty degrees have blessed Kunming almost daily for the past six months. (A little different than the winter Missouri has experienced, huh?!) The “Eternal City of Spring” has definitely held true to its nickname; however, the old adage is true – too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Kunming’s apparent blessing of bright blue skies has produced negative consequences as the city is now facing its worst drought in over 100 years.

To date, the drought in the Yunnan Province has affected over 50 million people. (Equivalent to the sum of the populations of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana). And according to China Daily, 16 million people and 11 million livestock are lacking adequate drinking water. Zhu Yong, of Yunnan’s Meterological Authority said that the province has seen 58% less rain fall since last September.

Last night, JianJuan and I watched the Kunming news, and they reported that many village elementary schools have run out of water. Their cisterns are empty, and they have no water to give the children during the school day. Even if there is water, the schools limit each child to one bottle for the entire day. Water is so scarce in some villages that it is only used for drinking and for the animals. One villager interviewed said he had not bathed in six months due to the lack of water.

School children waiting in line for their 1 daily bottle of water

(Photo courtesy of People's Daily Online)

JianJuan said that many people in her hometown are suffering from the drought. Not only is there little water in the village, but many people are facing devastating crop losses. JJ (as I like to call her) is from a rural, farming community, where the main source of income is agriculture. The water deficit has caused many of their crops to die. Her village is just one of many to face financial difficulties due to the drought. According to the China News Service, direct losses have surpassed 19 billion yuan (2.7 billion USD).

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao traveled to Yunnan this week to survey the damage; his visit focused on the Degehaizi reservoir, which is essentially dry. Not only did he observe the severity of the drought, but he also used his time to encourage the villagers, promising that help was on the way. The government has allocated funds to help transport water to the rural villages. However, the scope of the drought is so vast that many people are still suffering.

In some of Yunnan's more remote areas, villagers have to walk up to 20 kilometers in order to buy water at high prices, then carry the water home on their backs. Residents in the area where Premier Wen visited are currently forced to make a four-hour ox cart trip to get water 

from the nearest town.

But the water crisis is not isolated to the rural villages; Kunming has reported that its water reserves will be depleted by the end of May. Meaning, if it doesn’t rain within the next two months, Kunming will also have a severe water shortage.

Please think of the people in Yunnan who are suffering because of the drought. Ask that He send rainfall soon.

Premier Wen examines a dried-up river bed in Yunnan

(Photo courtesy of Kunming Information Hub)

A Yunnan man hauls two pails of water from a dangerously low river

(Photo Courtesy of China Digital Times)

Secondhand Smoke

In order to maintain the integrity of my blog and share the full realm of my experiences in China, I must also include an account of my miserable trip home from the CWLA Training. (Life isn't always peaches and cream, so it wouldn't be fair for my blog to paint such a picture).

Because I had Chinese class on Monday morning, I had to return to Kunming as soon as the workshop was over on Sunday. My coworker still had meetings to attend at the school on Monday morning, so I had to return to Kunming solo. No problem, I thought. The easiest/cheapest way to travel between Kunming and this rural town is to “buy” a seat in a car that drives back and forth. Basically, someone runs a caravan business and you pay for a ride in their car. Great.

As I packed up to head back to Kunming, I readied myself with all the necessary items to ensure a safe, comfortable ride home: my ipod, a book, dove chocolate, a People magazine my parents sent me, and my adorable travel pillow Grandma made me. I was armed and loaded, ready to go.

The car pulls up, a small four-door VolksWagon Passat with super dark tinted windows (dark enough to be illegal at home). The car comes to a hault in front of me and as the back door opens, a billow of smoke leaks from the interior. A fifty year-old Chinese man with greasy hair and an old, wrinkled suit saunters out of the back seat. He waves his cigarette at me, motioning to climb in the backseat.

As luck would have it, I was blessed to get the middle seat in the small sedan. You know, the seat where you have to put one leg on either side of the center consul. Miserable. (Friends, I am the oldest and bossiest child in the Heins Family. I never sit in the middle. In fact, on our family road trips to Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and everywhere else in the Continental U.S., I always got the entire backseat of the van to myself. I could lay down with my feet up and read the whole journey, while my sisters suffered in the middle bench seat. Well, I guess what goes around comes around. Kel & Dev – I have officially been paid back. And- I apologize for all the years I made you suffer, haha. Forgive me?)

So, as I tried to get situated in the backseat, I surveyed the surroundings. It was ridiculously dark in the car because the windows were so tinted and there was a dense haze due to all of the cigarette smoke. The guy on my left looked about college-aged. He had his headphones in and seemed to be a good travel buddy – quiet and not taking up too much space. There was a woman in the passenger seat who was already sleeping. Great, two-for-two with good car mates.

Unfortunately, it goes WAY downhill from here… the drive started getting phone calls every two minutes, and each time he would start yelling into the phone. It wasn’t an angry yell, but he was talking so loudly you would have thought he was shouting to someone in another car. (Chinese people are really funny on the phone anyways because they literally spend the first minute of each phone conversation making sure the other person can hear them. No kidding – this is true across the board. They’re like – hello? Hello, can you hear me? Hi, are you there? Yeah, can you hear me? Okay, what about now? Are you there? Oh my goodness, it’s ridiculous). So driver man is sitting in the front seat, every two minutes shouting into his cell phone trying to be sure the other person can hear him; then they talk for 30 seconds and hang up; then two minutes later, the phone rings again. Repeat.

The driver seems like a saint compared to the dude on my right though. Mr. Chain Smoker felt it necessary to subject the whole car to second-hand smoke inhalation for the entire 5-hour car ride home. And why crack the window? I mean, it’s cold outside so maybe just crack the widow for every other cig you light. And like most Chinese people, his idea of personal space is much different than mine. His left elbow seemed to continuously jam my side anytime he moved. Not only that, but he was clearly mesmerized by the celebrity pictures in People, so he kept creepily peering over my shoulder every time I turned the page. This is too much, I thought. So I buried my head in my book, turned up my music, and breathed into my pillow in order to escape from the situation.

Perfect. My book was really good, and my ipod seemed to read my mind as it was shuffling through songs.

Things were looking up… UNTIL we stopped at a “gas station” about halfway through the trip. Everyone else got out of the car to use the “bathroom” – aka the public trough that has no stalls or doors. I have learned that only in dire emergencies will I use most of the public restrooms in China. So I happily stayed in the car. Luckily, all the doors were opened so the car had a chance to air out. And I got some peace and quiet.

Everyone piled back into the car, and Mr. Ciggs was holding nothing else but a fifth of Baijiu (the Chinese equivalent to vodka or everclear). I stared at him in disbelief; my naïve little mind thought, oh well maybe he is going to a party in Kunming and doesn’t want to buy any booze when he gets there. Haha, how silly of me… The car wasn’t even in Drive before he broke the seal and started taking swigs of his hard alcohol. The smell wafted through the entire car, burning my nostrils. Every five miles he would unscrew the cap and take another pull of biajiu. I was simultaneously disgusted and slightly impressed by his tenacious drinking. (I think he could have given some fraternity boys a run for their money. That’s saying something, lol).

Within thirty minutes, Joe Camel was obliterated and decided to start talking to me. Of course, not only was he slurring his words, but he was speaking in Chinese. All I could understand for the entire forty minutes he was talking to me was something about foreigners in Kunming. I think he talked about the weather for a few minutes, and he possibly told me how long he had lived in Kunming. The rest of the time I just stared at him, expressionless, confused as to how to respond to the crazy man beside me. Luckily, he passed out shortly after our conversation ended so I could return to my book.

About an hour later, I finally arrived at my doorstop – safe and sound, if not slightly traumatized.

As you can see, the ride home was awful. This story provides a small glimpse into Chinese culture and how much men here drink and smoke. It is one of the things that bothers me most living here. Don’t misunderstand me, drinking and smoking is an issue in most countries; however, being a foreigner here, I feel especially vulnerable and uncomfortable. The men I encounter that are drunk are usually in authoritative roles, and they get sloppy drunk. In Chinese culture it is accepted, if not expected in most cases. And to be honest, when out to dinner, most men don’t have a choice because it would be rude and disrespectful to not accept a drink of alcohol, and it is unthinkable to not toast every person at the table individually. Whether it was the person’s intent to get drunk or not, it is often a product of societal rules and social norms. Perhaps you could argue that this isn't so different than American culture. But regardless, it isn't pleasant to encounter or observe.