@Robert Gentel,
Robert Gentel wrote:
I didn't mean that you exaggerated it, but that the things you've ascribed to cultural differences seem to me to have more to do with an atypical experience with some rather weird folk. There may be cultural elements that are amplified (that's a better word) by it having been some rather shady folk.
Thank you...based on former experiences in conversation with you I took a very different and aggressive meaning from your comment.
I have no idea of the truth re normality...but what I experienced was so shocking and distressing to me, that it has remained burned upon my memory.....at the same time as my other experiences/discussions with people I worked with very closely and intimately at that time made me very aware of the enormous distress and offence and misunderstanding that can occur with absolutely no malign intent and with almost frightening ease from both sides. I am deeply aware of the offence that we Anglo-australians caused to our bosses, when they reached out in very Chinese fashion to some of us in terms of patronage and mentorship, and to which we totally failed to respond as expected....to their great distress. Took me ages to learn about that.
The cross-cultural discussions that sometimes ensued were utterly fascinating.
As it happens, I have numbers of close Chinese friends, and they attribute a number of the experiecnces I have had to cultural differences.
As they are very bi-cultural (having lived in Oz since the seventies) they can comment from both cultures, and none has attributed to me exaggeration, nor atypicality of the behaviour I described within certain cultural sub-sets.
They certainly considered the behaviours I discussed as undesirable, and the cultural sub-set as ignorant and highly censurable....(just as I did the horribly racist and ignorant Anglo Australians I cringed and blushed about) but not as "shady".....simply as normal for their class and education level.
Thing is, one of the fellas I speak of was a fifth year medical student...and he still reacted with the hilarity I discussed. He would NEVER have done so within his professional setting.
Similarly, I don't dismiss the racist and revolting Australians I saw as customers as (generally) shady....just as ignorant, racist and sad.
Anyhoo, enough.
This is a funny animal thread...sorry for the disturbance.
