Job Discussion Forums

[A.K.A.T.D.N.]

I don't know about some of you, but I get wet feet every time I'm invited to go out with the Chinese for whatever occasion. Perhaps it suits me better to avoid the stress of not being able to communicate in short-mono-syllabic sentences or having to repeat myself again and again. Or maybe it's just the embarrassment of it all, not being able to communicate in Chinese or have myself belittled by another round of formalities.

This holiday I was invited to a barbecue but declined. I guess I feel a little anti-social, but it really does me a service to just lay back and do nothing when I'm not working, like sitting in front of this computer and strumming on this keyboard.

But anyone else avoid informal engagements here, or formal ones, and keep to yourself in your free time? Feel like you just want to get away from the English-Is-Me aspect of it all? Things getting to be like 'The Wizard of Oz? Looking for 'The Yellow Brick Wall' to climb over, the one keeping us barbarians out?

I always feel as if the Asians are uneasy about having a foreigner around and that I've got to stick my neck out to be social with them, since I can't communicate in my own, galvanizing way and must always be tender, tweedlewinkish, toadish.

[Polina]

Likewise.

[Chairman Roberto]

Sorry to hear that, boss. Maybe you're hanging with the wrong Asians.

good luck,
C.R.

[Wonder]

I can sympathise with this issue. There are some very cool Chinese people out there. I meet them all the time. But it is a bit of a shaky situation celebrating one of their national holidays in their home.

Break yourself in easy by spending more time with Chinese people in a neutral environment. The charm iof these people is subtle so don't look for dramatics when you are with those who cannot coomunicate well in English.

You can probably just be yourself, babble on in English with your personality traits and they will be confortable with that.

On the other hand, I also kicked back on my own over the holiday and it felt great. No guilty feelings here. Mind you, the Moon Festival was audible and visual since I had to keep my head down driving my scooter, lest I get nicked by a fireball.