No green hats, nothing in fours, don't eat all your food. It seems like a lot for an Olympic athlete to remember. In addition to the countless hours spent training for the games, hundreds of U.S. athletes are going through training in Chinese etiquette.
"The biggest bungle you can make is to embarrass another person," an expert on Chinese culture told the athletes in a class in Colorado Springs.
Jennifer Wu and Joan Brzezinski are directors at the University of Minnesota's China Center. They've spent months training local businessmen on the ins and outs of Chinese culture. "It's always important to stand up and be recognized," Brzezinski warns. "Make sure you know how to pronounce the name," Wu adds.
The directors gave KARE 11 a quick class on what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what not to do when traveling to the Orient. The Chinese hold fast to ancient traditions and Wu says it's important to respect those traditions. For example, don't be offended if someone offers you a "wet noodle handshake."
"Very weak, very loose. It doesn't mean the person's not interested in you, it's just the way you shake hands," Wu explained.
"I think if they (tourists and athletes) just keep in mind their own manners, what their grandmothers taught them, they'll be very successful," Brzezinski said. Though there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, it's not respectful to eat everything on your plate, contrary to what your grandmother may have taught you. "To leave a little on your plate would show that you were more than satisfied," Brzezinski explained. Not a bad idea, considering the Chinese often eat 12 course meals.
Mary Murray Bosrock wrote the book on how Americans should act in China. "I always say ask, look, and listen. The Chinese said to me, when I was interviewing them, if you come to visit us, crawl like a baby. Be interested, ask questions, and use chopsticks, even if you don't use them well, we're still going to appreciate it," Bosrock said. The St. Paul author has written several award winning books on how to act in other countries.
Bosrock said the number 'four' is extremely unlucky in the Chinese culture. It sounds a lot like the word for death. "You don't want to give anything in fours," she advises.
So what is the deal with green hats? "If you bring a man a green hat, it means his wife is having an affair," Wu told us. Imagine what it's like for a Chinese tourist to visit the U.S. on St. Patrick's Day. Gift giving for hosts is an important Chinese tradition, but never give a clock. It is also a symbol of death.
"Eight is a number of prosperity," Bosrock says. If you're going to give multiple gifts, give them in groups of eight, not four.
On the eighth day of the eighth month at precisely 8 a.m. (China time), the World Olympic Games will begin in Beijing. The world will be watching the athletes, and the Chinese will be watching their Western guests.
(Copyright 2008 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
