Thursday, October 05, 2006
Suzhou Manners
I used to think that the people of Fuzhou were the least friendly of anywhere I'd been in China. I visited twice in the 80's and the reception there was far from the usual overwhelming friendliness Chinese businessmen extended to all foreigners. I may have been unfair to them however. I was visiting first on behalf of, and then with a delegation from an Austalian firm interested in a joint venture in Fuzhou to make PVC building materials. My host seemed very standoffish, and did not offer the usual standard of cooperation and courtesy I had come to expect in China.
It was not until some years later that I learned that the firm had already begun joint venture negotiations via their Hong Kong agent and had become dissatisfied with the flow of information via the agent. Without informing me of the history they sent me in to arrange a meeting so they could get a better feeling for their potential partner than the HK agent was prepared to impart.
After my initial contact however the Chinese side contacted the HK agent to see what was going on. Presuming the Aussies were trying to cut him out (not an unreasonable assumption) he asked the Chinese side not to cooperate - hence the cool reception. I never forgot the slight however and never failed to tell people when I had the oppofrtunity, that the people of Fuzhou were the most unfriendly in China.
I may have cause to revise that unfair prejudice. Although I have had a good experience in Suzhou with most of my associations - my wife often complains of the attitude of service people here. Now I know what you're thinking - expat wives do not have a great reputation for getting along with the locals, regardless of where they are. Expat wives are often a particularly embittered race, withdrawn, protesting from their homeland, they have none of the rewards of the expatriate bosses who have the satisfaction of working with willing, intelligent and friendly local employees and the approval of head office when things go well. The business entertainment can also be very enjoyable depending on your appreciation of the local food and customs. Husbands are often away from the home over 12 hours a day including weekends. So the expatriate wives often take out their frustrations on the servants and local service people.
Well my wife is not like that. For a start she is Chinese from Hong Kong, and for seconds she has been living here in China with me since 1980. She appears to have a fine way with local people, fluent in their language (while making it plain she is a native Cantonese speaker)and she doesn't have the airs of social elevation some imagine they gain by marrying a foreigner. She seems to get along well with both government officials and local service people.
Today I went shopping with her to the local supermarket called Bairunfa (百润发)on the city East Inner Ringroad. It is one of several in Suzhou which includes Aushang, Ole, and Metro (wholesale only). They generally follow the Western design priciples but largely stock products suitable for the local market. At one corner of the shop will be a few imported items. Twenty years ago supermarkets were shunned by locals shocked by the high prices. Now such places throng with the teeming masses, espceially on days like today which comes just before the traditional Chinese Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie). So it was a revelation to see just how impossibly rude and ignorant the shop assistants there were. They didn't just argue with my wife, but with everyone! My wife avers it is the same in all supermarkets here. It is not universal of course, we did find one or two courteous and well informed staff. Sullen service was mostly the norm with gratuitous rudeness being just as exceptional as courtesy.
The large number of people thronging the stores cannot be the cause. In Huizhou there is a similar number of supermarkets locked in bitter competition, and the assistants generally appear well trained and courtious. Nor would anyone accuse the Hakka Cantonese of taking the World Best prize for politeness. So I have to return to my wife's refrain: Suzhou people appear the least pleasant and well manner of anywhere we have been in China. It seems to be a similar pattern in buses, restaurants, the famous gardens and all. Odd for a major tourism centre don't you think?
I used to think that the people of Fuzhou were the least friendly of anywhere I'd been in China. I visited twice in the 80's and the reception there was far from the usual overwhelming friendliness Chinese businessmen extended to all foreigners. I may have been unfair to them however. I was visiting first on behalf of, and then with a delegation from an Austalian firm interested in a joint venture in Fuzhou to make PVC building materials. My host seemed very standoffish, and did not offer the usual standard of cooperation and courtesy I had come to expect in China.
It was not until some years later that I learned that the firm had already begun joint venture negotiations via their Hong Kong agent and had become dissatisfied with the flow of information via the agent. Without informing me of the history they sent me in to arrange a meeting so they could get a better feeling for their potential partner than the HK agent was prepared to impart.
After my initial contact however the Chinese side contacted the HK agent to see what was going on. Presuming the Aussies were trying to cut him out (not an unreasonable assumption) he asked the Chinese side not to cooperate - hence the cool reception. I never forgot the slight however and never failed to tell people when I had the oppofrtunity, that the people of Fuzhou were the most unfriendly in China.
I may have cause to revise that unfair prejudice. Although I have had a good experience in Suzhou with most of my associations - my wife often complains of the attitude of service people here. Now I know what you're thinking - expat wives do not have a great reputation for getting along with the locals, regardless of where they are. Expat wives are often a particularly embittered race, withdrawn, protesting from their homeland, they have none of the rewards of the expatriate bosses who have the satisfaction of working with willing, intelligent and friendly local employees and the approval of head office when things go well. The business entertainment can also be very enjoyable depending on your appreciation of the local food and customs. Husbands are often away from the home over 12 hours a day including weekends. So the expatriate wives often take out their frustrations on the servants and local service people.
Well my wife is not like that. For a start she is Chinese from Hong Kong, and for seconds she has been living here in China with me since 1980. She appears to have a fine way with local people, fluent in their language (while making it plain she is a native Cantonese speaker)and she doesn't have the airs of social elevation some imagine they gain by marrying a foreigner. She seems to get along well with both government officials and local service people.
Today I went shopping with her to the local supermarket called Bairunfa (百润发)on the city East Inner Ringroad. It is one of several in Suzhou which includes Aushang, Ole, and Metro (wholesale only). They generally follow the Western design priciples but largely stock products suitable for the local market. At one corner of the shop will be a few imported items. Twenty years ago supermarkets were shunned by locals shocked by the high prices. Now such places throng with the teeming masses, espceially on days like today which comes just before the traditional Chinese Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie). So it was a revelation to see just how impossibly rude and ignorant the shop assistants there were. They didn't just argue with my wife, but with everyone! My wife avers it is the same in all supermarkets here. It is not universal of course, we did find one or two courteous and well informed staff. Sullen service was mostly the norm with gratuitous rudeness being just as exceptional as courtesy.
The large number of people thronging the stores cannot be the cause. In Huizhou there is a similar number of supermarkets locked in bitter competition, and the assistants generally appear well trained and courtious. Nor would anyone accuse the Hakka Cantonese of taking the World Best prize for politeness. So I have to return to my wife's refrain: Suzhou people appear the least pleasant and well manner of anywhere we have been in China. It seems to be a similar pattern in buses, restaurants, the famous gardens and all. Odd for a major tourism centre don't you think?
