2021/10/16 week 05 Culture Miscommunication.

 Thoughts on culture Miscommunication:

    If you have ever had to interact with tourists, been a tourist yourself, or live in a large country with different cultures depending on geographical location, you have probably had a few moments when you have had to stop and think, "what is going on!" Did they really just say/do that! Why are they being so difficult, and many other thoughts. have you ever stopped to think that you might appear the exact same to the other person?

    We are so ingrained into thinking that we are always right, that we never stop to think that maybe both of us are right/wrong, just from a different point of view. Just because one culture does things one way, does not make every other one wrong. So why get frustrated when instead we can have a good laugh about the struggles of communicating accurately with different people and do our best to enjoy a novel situation.

    When I was teaching English in Beijing, China, I had many opportunities to observe culture miscommunication first hand. My first observations of the Chinese people were that they could be extremely rude and had no manners at times. I quickly learnt how wrong I was, their system of values was just different to mine. I just had to adapt and learn how/why they did things the way they did. After all I was a guest in their country, if I did not like it, then I could always go back home. I also remember wishing that they would value my personal space and not crowd around me. However this was just not possible, there were far too many people in the streets or on public transport. So once again I would just have to deal with an unfamiliar situation and not make it unpleasant for everyone by getting angry.

    I also remember thinking that they blasphemed a lot! For them though it was completely normally, it was just another set of English words to use, especially as the vast majority of the country is not Christian, so blasphemy is not something they even think about. I had to learn to just live with it, though the Chinese friends I made did put an effort in to cut down on it when I explained how it made me feel, which was really kind and thoughtful of them.

    One experience I will always remember though, that really showed the kindness  and helpfulness of the Chinese people was when I was traveling for the first time to a city 200km away and was going by train. I was on my way to visit one of my cousins who lived there. I had never traveled by train before, as it is not safe to do so in my country. My cousins Chinese girlfriend sent me a message in Chinese and told me to show it to other Chinese people. In it it explained where I wished to go and what help I needed (None of the signs at the station were in English so I was really stuck without help). I landed up having about 6 different strangers help me get my ticket, get on the right train, get  off at the right stop, navigate Tianjin's subway network and get off at the right place to meet my cousin. At each point the current person helping me would find the next person who was going to the same place and hand me over to them. The one thig that puzzled me was that at each point when I had to pay for tickets and such they insisted on paying for me. Even though I had plenty of cash on me and tried to pay for it myself. This really puzzled me but, I thanked them and was grateful for the help. When I mentioned this to my cousin and his girlfriend, she reread the message and realized she had worded it slightly wrong, she had meant to ask them to show me how to pay (I had been in China for two weeks and their currency still confused me a bit), instead she had asked them to help me pay for it. They took this to mean that they must pay for it. In their mind someone had asked them to help a stranger, so they felt compelled to do so. Even if it would be a financial burden for them. This would never have happened in South Africa, if the wording was even slightly ambiguous, we would help with directions, but take the excuse not to help financially. 

    Throughout my stay in China I had many wonderful experiences with Chinese people and Expats from around the world.  I had many opportunities to learn and grow as well. My mindset changed from different = bad to different = good. I also became far more tolerant and understanding of differences in people.  

     I cannot wait to continue traveling around the world, living in different countries and getting the opportunity to immerse myself in their culture. I know I will have manty moments still when I stop and scratch my head and think, what is going on! I know that I will have far more experiences that I will love and learn a lot from. For me culture miscommunication is just an opportunity to open your mind to new ways of thinking, ways which could be far better to your own.