My Life in China

Today's post is not a very long one for being a Sunday post, I've got some things to do before I turn in for the night so I'll share some dos and dont's that apply here in China. I will try to make a longer post soon.

Do:

• hold your glass below that of the eldest person in the group when toasting – the eldest (aka wise one) holds his/her glass highest

• eat all of the rice in your bowl – some Chinese believe it’s bad luck to leave even a single grain behind

Don’t:

• write anything in red ink unless you’re correcting an exam. Red ink is used for letters of protest.

• shake your feet, lest you shake away all of your luck.

• be offended when asked if you’re married – and if you’re over 30 and single, say yes, lest you be pitied

• give clocks or books as gifts. The phrase ‘to give a clock’ in Mandarin sounds too much like ‘attend a funeral’ and ‘giving a book’ sounds like ‘delivering defeat.’
• Make out in public