It was with amuzement and a smidge of sadness that I read an article in the Hong Kong South China Morning Press this morning titled, Kudos to Beijingers for good manners. Over the last four years the Beijing government as undertaken a campaign to teach Beijing people manners. The Office of Capital Spiritual Civilisation Construction Commission distributred a booklet about proper manners to 4.3 million households and 5 million people had been given classes on how to behave in public.
Highlights of what these 5 million people have been taught:
*Don’t match white socks with black shoes (one of my personal pet peeves!)
*It is bad taste to wear more than three colors.
*Only shake hands for less then three seconds.
*Don’t jump queues (lines we call them in America).
*No spitting.
*People were discouraged from visiting neighbors in pyjamas and slippers.
*Men were told to refrain from helping women carry their handbags. (This has definitely not filtered down to Shenzhen where everyday I still see a couple holding hands while they walk with the man having a purse slung around his shoulder or carrying down by his side. And I had just assumed it was his purse all this time!).
*Visits to new friends should not last longer then 10 minutes.
*Don’t swear.
*Women were told to stand with their feet slightly apart, in a V or Y shape, when wearing skirts. Why is that??
*Males and females were cautioned against putting their faces too close to members of the opposite sex when talking in public. (Must have something to do with the rampant problem of halitosis).
I find it sad that so much effort has been made to try and change the face of Beijing for the tourists who will be visiting during the Olympics. Does anyone really care how others dress? Spitting, though disgusting, has more to do with the pollution problem rather then poor manners. Clean up the skies and I guarantee I will cease to have the need to spit in Shenzhen. Of course waiting patiently in line is an expectation that Americans have, though I have become quite accustomed to jumping queue and find it can be quite time saving even when driving. Though I have never carried a purse, I do always get a smile when I see some bloke carrying his girl’s purse and wonder why no mention was made of the man who carries one while walking solo. And what is with having women stand in a V shape?? Who cares how a woman stands, at least she isn’t squatting. Speaking of squatting, I have finally mastered the technique but hardly find it comfortable to rest that way in public let alone private. Wonder why no mention of not squatting when not in the bathroom?
On the other hand, any effort to have a city of well dressed citizens, smiling while they patiently wait in line keeping their swear words in their thoughts and spit in their mouth can only be a good thing. Wonder if these classes would work in say, New York?
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