Boy are you fat!

[Charlotte]

This is a really interesting topic and I just want to follow Charlotte's post by adding that the size chart in China is very different from that in the US.... most Chinese women are likely to be petite and I have quite a few friends who actually have to buy boy's jeans since they can't find anything else that would fit them here in the US.  I have been commented by my colleagues in the US as "so slim that you are going to be blown away by wind", however, last time I was in China, when I was reaching for a shirt in M size, the saleslady actually stopped me and said "no, you won't be able to fit into that, you have to get an XL!"

It is sad to find out that I was not perceived as being slim anymore in China;

Good news is, I actually fit into the M size perfectly.

The salesgirl would be considered rude or would even lose her job if she did this in the USA. Just like you said, sometimes I looked at the certain style and wondering if I should try it. She would take a glance at me and told me coldly: "don't have your size." and go on with her business. I must say customer service is one vocabulary that Chinese have a long way to catch up!

[Charlotte]

" I still think it is a little of the case of pick on the foreigner, as after I started making comments back they quickly stopped, or at least switched the comment to Chinese so I could not understand. "

I have Chinese friends coming to have dinner with us. When they see my husband likes to put a lot of salt on his dish, they would instantly tell him: "You should not eat so much salt." Because of his well-rounded figure, many of them also told him he needs more excercise. Thank God my husband has trouble understand their English, partly their accent, partly his bad hearing. I have more than once told them: do not give people unwanted advice on those personal issues. But no one ever told them before. Amercans don't like to hear it just smile and walk away. But I know better -- they just do exactly what they would do in China. They don't think they just want to pick on foreigners -- foreigners just look too different. Follow up on another thread: when we were in Shanghai, my husband's weight was every taxi driver's conversation topic.

 

[floyd]

If this is not a case of seeing what they can get away with, then why did the behavior change rapidly when I would do the same back? If it is the norm there is should not have phased them one itota.

[chinadave2001]

I think this is one of those issues that cuts both ways - Americans need to be less sensitive about their weight being directly spoken of while in China and Chinese need to understand that in the United States such frankness will be considered rude by many Americans.

Dave

[chinadave2001]

Well,  I would get some comment on my weight, and also on a grey hair or two.  I still think it is a little of the case of pick on the foreigner, as after I started making comments back they quickly stopped, or at least switched the comment to Chinese so I could not understand.....  The reactions to my commenting back, and the ceasation to the comments afterwards lead me to believe they were pushing based on me staying too polite to comment back.

I think this could be explained by their correctly interpreting your demeanor - in other words, they understood that they have offended you based on your reaction and therefore stopped.

Dave

[Charlotte]

I think this is one of those issues that cuts both ways - Americans need to be less sensitive about their weight being directly spoken of while in China and Chinese need to understand that in the United States such frankness will be considered rude by many Americans.

Dave

Totally agree!!!. Like the English saying goes: Do as the Romans do. Equivalent in Chinese: Ru Xiang Sui Shu. Otherwise people will shy away from you if you want to stick to your old hometown habit.

B)

[Guest enight]

very interesting topic!

 

and I read more interesting topics on this thread...

 

 

in several cities, people are more and more closer to western value, but in countyside, may still retain tradition valure much more.

 

my mom still recalls clearly she went to a very closed province in the middle China decades ago, and there would always dozens of children following her, and other people would point on her and making comments, she even heard several kids shout loudly 'yao jing' (sprite) just because my mom were wearing very differently (maybe just wearing cloth not as rag as them) to there people

 

so don't need to worry on those poeple's comments, they would always point on you even you just a slight diffference to them.

 

 

... to me, I like to chew on meat more than chew on the bone anyway!

[Guest enight]

... yes, Charlotte JJ, they are not picking on foreigners, they just do what they do to all the Chinese,

 

every time when I get together with my friends here, we would make comments on each other's appearance, such as ' you are getting fat! , 'you are darker!', ' you look older!' etc... lol

 

it's much more like they take you as their families, so say words without thinking for even one second

[tonado]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/880504.asp

 

The economics of a fatter America

 

http://a799.g.akamai.net/3/799/388/c60787a7e0c199/www.msnbc.com/news/1300720.gif

[Mick]

So by Tony's map, Colorado is the thinnist state. Wonder why that is?

 

I also saw a recent news report that Houston was again the fattest city. Wonder why that is?

[owenkrout]

In Colorado everything is up and down the mountain. All that extra exercise. At least in the part of Colorado where there are any people. Houston on the otherhand is all on the flat. Besides it is so hot and humid that everybody stays indoors in the air conditioning. No exercise. Hows that for deductive reasoning?

[Mick]

In Colorado everything is up and down the mountain.  All that extra exercise.  At least in the part of Colorado where there are any people.  Houston on the otherhand is all on the flat.  Besides it is so hot and humid that everybody stays indoors in the air conditioning.  No exercise.  Hows that for deductive reasoning?

No wonder you are a college professor!

[owenkrout]

Yep. My mentor told me that the one overriding requirement for success in higher education was that you have to be able to talk about anything for two hours whether you know anything about it or not! Sound like a few professors that you had in college?

[Joseph-1]

I weigh 180 pounds and Still Lynn says Im fat. But she says its good to snuggle with a fat man on a cold night.

[Mick]

Yep.  My mentor told me that the one overriding requirement for success in higher education was that you have to be able to talk about anything for two hours whether you know anything about it or not!  Sound like a few professors that you had in college?

More than a few Owen. More than a few.