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Post by Prometheus on Nov 26, 2020 2:43:19 GMT
Being first
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, being first is part of the Chinese cultural make-up. I suppose it has something to do with "face" (which I will cover later), but it also might have to do with centuries of poverty and people fighting over scraps.
Anyway, they aren't good at it but they are getting better. When I first arrived, even most fast food restaurants had cordons set up to force people into lines otherwise there would be a free-for-all at the ordering counter. At times, though, even the cordons couldn't stop some grandma or self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first. This usually resulted in a row and people moving to another line if there was one. These days, most people accept queuing up or simply forego it in order to order with their phones and then wait for their order to be called.
Ditto for ticketing counters.
Buses are pretty much the same now as 12 years ago: everyone lines up at the first stop and every stop thereafter is a crush of people jostling for dominance. The fiercest warriors of all are the grandmas. And it's not like there are seats available. They just want to be first. I usually just hang back and wait.
Where the lack of queuing etiquette really gets messy is when there are a line of cars waiting to enter a parking area... or just a single lane side street. You can be sure that someone will scoot around to the left of the line and try to push in.
There's a reason why just about every English idiom referencing the Chinese has to do with "confusion": Chinese Fire Brigade... Chinese Auction....
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 26, 2020 10:59:47 GMT
Being first
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, being first is part of the Chinese cultural make-up. I suppose it has something to do with "face" (which I will cover later), but it also might have to do with centuries of poverty and people fighting over scraps.
Anyway, they aren't good at it but they are getting better. When I first arrived, even most fast food restaurants had cordons set up to force people into lines otherwise there would be a free-for-all at the ordering counter. At times, though, even the cordons couldn't stop some grandma or self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first. This usually resulted in a row and people moving to another line if there was one. These days, most people accept queuing up or simply forego it in order to order with their phones and then wait for their order to be called.
Ditto for ticketing counters.
Buses are pretty much the same now as 12 years ago: everyone lines up at the first stop and every stop thereafter is a crush of people jostling for dominance. The fiercest warriors of all are the grandmas. And it's not like there are seats available. They just want to be first. I usually just hang back and wait.
Where the lack of queuing etiquette really gets messy is when there are a line of cars waiting to enter a parking area... or just a single lane side street. You can be sure that someone will scoot around to the left of the line and try to push in.
There's a reason why just about every English idiom referencing the Chinese has to do with "confusion": Chinese Fire Brigade... Chinese Auction....
"self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first" That's not a mistake you'd make twice in an Australian bar.  The only time I ever really witnessed any real chaos with buses or other forms of public transport, it normally involved teenage boys... going to or from school.  As for one-way streets... I suppose if they're only going one-way...  So other than that, it's all a barely contained free-for-all.  |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 26, 2020 15:32:58 GMT
Being first
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, being first is part of the Chinese cultural make-up. I suppose it has something to do with "face" (which I will cover later), but it also might have to do with centuries of poverty and people fighting over scraps.
Anyway, they aren't good at it but they are getting better. When I first arrived, even most fast food restaurants had cordons set up to force people into lines otherwise there would be a free-for-all at the ordering counter. At times, though, even the cordons couldn't stop some grandma or self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first. This usually resulted in a row and people moving to another line if there was one. These days, most people accept queuing up or simply forego it in order to order with their phones and then wait for their order to be called.
Ditto for ticketing counters.
Buses are pretty much the same now as 12 years ago: everyone lines up at the first stop and every stop thereafter is a crush of people jostling for dominance. The fiercest warriors of all are the grandmas. And it's not like there are seats available. They just want to be first. I usually just hang back and wait.
Where the lack of queuing etiquette really gets messy is when there are a line of cars waiting to enter a parking area... or just a single lane side street. You can be sure that someone will scoot around to the left of the line and try to push in.
There's a reason why just about every English idiom referencing the Chinese has to do with "confusion": Chinese Fire Brigade... Chinese Auction....
"self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first" That's not a mistake you'd make twice in an Australian bar. The only time I ever really witnessed any real chaos with buses or other forms of public transport, it normally involved teenage boys... going to or from school. As for one-way streets... I suppose if they're only going one-way... So other than that, it's all a barely contained free-for-all. 1. Or an American one 2. The problem with teenage boys on buses is when they are blocking the exit and are quite unaware that they should move as they are quite near the top of the social food chain. I say, "Excuse me" once then push... hard. I don't have to push often. I'm 1.9 meters tall and 100+ kilos. One look at me and the little shits usually move.
3. 1 valid lane and 3 makeshift lanes trying to merge into one is usually a recipe for at least one fender bender and/or plenty of beeping and shouting as they all try to assert dominance over one another. It's really a good thing that China has no guns. However, If China had "The Purge" the number of mouths to feed would go way down.
4. The only reason that it's "barely contained" is simply because this is the ways it's always been. Most aspects of Chinese culture haven't really changed in hundreds - maybe thousands - of years. That's why they have to add "with Chinese characteristics" to every official phrase.
People blame communism for the problems with China. It's not. The CCP is just the latest in a long line of Emperors.
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 26, 2020 16:01:34 GMT
"self-important middle-aged fucktard from pushing their way to the front and demanding that they be served first" That's not a mistake you'd make twice in an Australian bar. The only time I ever really witnessed any real chaos with buses or other forms of public transport, it normally involved teenage boys... going to or from school. As for one-way streets... I suppose if they're only going one-way... So other than that, it's all a barely contained free-for-all. 1. Or an American one 2. The problem with teenage boys on buses is when they are blocking the exit and are quite unaware that they should move as they are quite near the top of the social food chain. I say, "Excuse me" once then push... hard. I don't have to push often. I'm 1.9 meters tall and 100+ kilos. One look at me and the little shits usually move.
3. 1 valid lane and 3 makeshift lanes trying to merge into one is usually a recipe for at least one fender bender and/or plenty of beeping and shouting as they all try to assert dominance over one another. It's really a good thing that China has no guns. However, If China had "The Purge" the number of mouths to feed would go way down.
4. The only reason that it's "barely contained" is simply because this is the ways it's always been. Most aspects of Chinese culture haven't really changed in hundreds - maybe thousands - of years. That's why they have to add "with Chinese characteristics" to every official phrase.
People blame communism for the problems with China. It's not. The CCP is just the latest in a long line of Emperors.
1. And let's not even consider a Scottish one... 2. A teenage boy once pushed my ex aside as she was boarding a bus, whilst carrying our newborn son. If I'd been present, I'd probably be getting out of prison around about now... If you lived in Japan, you'd look like Godzilla to the "little shits". 3. All those fireworks... and it never occurred to them. Oh well... 4. Yeah, our nations are still newbies in the grand scheme of things. And I don't know if we've got what it takes to last as long as China has. PS - China still has its emperor, Russia still has its tzar... There are a few countries around that have changed the names, but little else. |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 27, 2020 4:05:00 GMT
1. Or an American one 2. The problem with teenage boys on buses is when they are blocking the exit and are quite unaware that they should move as they are quite near the top of the social food chain. I say, "Excuse me" once then push... hard. I don't have to push often. I'm 1.9 meters tall and 100+ kilos. One look at me and the little shits usually move.
3. 1 valid lane and 3 makeshift lanes trying to merge into one is usually a recipe for at least one fender bender and/or plenty of beeping and shouting as they all try to assert dominance over one another. It's really a good thing that China has no guns. However, If China had "The Purge" the number of mouths to feed would go way down.
4. The only reason that it's "barely contained" is simply because this is the ways it's always been. Most aspects of Chinese culture haven't really changed in hundreds - maybe thousands - of years. That's why they have to add "with Chinese characteristics" to every official phrase.
People blame communism for the problems with China. It's not. The CCP is just the latest in a long line of Emperors.
1. And let's not even consider a Scottish one... 2. A teenage boy once pushed my ex aside as she was boarding a bus, whilst carrying our newborn son. If I'd been present, I'd probably be getting out of prison around about now... If you lived in Japan, you'd look like Godzilla to the "little shits". 3. All those fireworks... and it never occurred to them. Oh well... 4. Yeah, our nations are still newbies in the grand scheme of things. And I don't know if we've got what it takes to last as long as China has. PS - China still has its emperor, Russia still has its tzar... There are a few countries around that have changed the names, but little else. 1. 
2. I hear that
3. They essentially created rocket launchers. If you take a look at a list of the deadliest wars, you'll find China probably locks down most of the top 10. Of course, they were fighting each other, but then again, if left to their own devices, they will breed a new army in a generation or so.
4. And they love to remind us here.
I'm not sure we (the US) have the staying power of China because we simply lack a cultural backbone to support progress (regardless of speed). Oz might be slightly better off as you have older institutions to fall back on, but at the end of the day, "diversity" can be as much a weakness as a strength.
China and some other nations have survived for so long due to being homogenous and strictly controlling immigration. This isn't just about skin color or "race" but about maintaining "cultural purity."
An aside: no one ever bitches about how many refugees China, Japan, etc. DON'T let in. No one at the UN is demanding that Japan accept x number of Syrian refugees every year.
China only allows us here for expertise and monetary investment. The minute they think they can do without us, we'll be gone. Fortunately for us, Chinese culture, as it relates to education, works in our favor: no critical thinking allowed!
I'll have to do a bit on education here as well....
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 27, 2020 18:13:15 GMT
And they don't like it when someone criticizes them or their behaviour... of course, who does? This seems to be a lesson that Australia isn't prepared to learn.
Well, both our countries share a common heritage... up to a certain point. Many of the underlying social norms and mores that influence my country and its most important institutions are also present to some degree in yours. Of course, there's also a lot that we differ on. And given a choice between diversity and homogeneity, I'll go with diversity every time, despite the various strengths or weaknesses involved.
I suppose if China isn't prepared to change its ways - for whatever reason - then it's up to the rest of the nations around the world to make the most of it while the opportunities remain. Although there already seems to be a lot of discussion around about weaning ourselves and others off of the Chinese teat... hence the plans surrounding the theoretical cultural, political and economic community comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom known as CANZUK.
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 28, 2020 0:07:08 GMT
And they don't like it when someone criticizes them or their behaviour... of course, who does? This seems to be a lesson that Australia isn't prepared to learn. Well, both our countries share a common heritage... up to a certain point. Many of the underlying social norms and mores that influence my country and its most important institutions are also present to some degree in yours. Of course, there's also a lot that we differ on. And given a choice between diversity and homogeneity, I'll go with diversity every time, despite the various strengths or weaknesses involved. I suppose if China isn't prepared to change its ways - for whatever reason - then it's up to the rest of the nations around the world to make the most of it while the opportunities remain. Although there already seems to be a lot of discussion around about weaning ourselves and others off of the Chinese teat... hence the plans surrounding the theoretical cultural, political and economic community comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom known as CANZUK. Why just those 4? I'm sure some other Commonwealth Nations could use an economic bolstering, such as the insular nations. Or are the inhabitants too... diverse... to be included?  |
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 28, 2020 0:32:52 GMT
And they don't like it when someone criticizes them or their behaviour... of course, who does? This seems to be a lesson that Australia isn't prepared to learn. Well, both our countries share a common heritage... up to a certain point. Many of the underlying social norms and mores that influence my country and its most important institutions are also present to some degree in yours. Of course, there's also a lot that we differ on. And given a choice between diversity and homogeneity, I'll go with diversity every time, despite the various strengths or weaknesses involved. I suppose if China isn't prepared to change its ways - for whatever reason - then it's up to the rest of the nations around the world to make the most of it while the opportunities remain. Although there already seems to be a lot of discussion around about weaning ourselves and others off of the Chinese teat... hence the plans surrounding the theoretical cultural, political and economic community comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom known as CANZUK. Why just those 4? I'm sure some other Commonwealth Nations could use an economic bolstering, such as the insular nations. Or are the inhabitants too... diverse... to be included? I've wondered about that myself... I suppose it's just possible the rest of the countries may not be considered economically substantial enough to be included. Surely if there were enough of them interested in being included, then that might help to defray any extra costs. For the record, there are currently 53 members of the Commonwealth. Well, we wouldn't want to expose Her Majesty to those savages... At her age, the sight of a big black dick swinging about during a native dance ceremony might be fatal. |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 28, 2020 3:18:30 GMT
Why just those 4? I'm sure some other Commonwealth Nations could use an economic bolstering, such as the insular nations. Or are the inhabitants too... diverse... to be included? "Substantial" or "sustainable"? I think it's 54 but paTAYto poTAHto TBH, I said "nations" when I was thinking "realms"... or whatever the distinction is... places where Lizzie's the queen I think Lizzie might like it. And that would surely piss of poor Philip. |
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 28, 2020 4:31:34 GMT
"Substantial" or "sustainable"? I think it's 54 but paTAYto poTAHto TBH, I said "nations" when I was thinking "realms"... or whatever the distinction is... places where Lizzie's the queen I think Lizzie might like it. And that would surely piss of poor Philip. 1. I meant "substantial". Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth. 2. I looked it up and the figure given was 53. And she is Queen of Australia... and we're a nation, not a realm. 3. "Of" or "Off"? |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 28, 2020 4:50:36 GMT
1. I meant "substantial". Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth. 2. I looked it up and the figure given was 53. And she is Queen of Australia... and we're a nation, not a realm. 3. "Of" or "Off"? 1. That's what I figured
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 28, 2020 5:03:49 GMT
1. I meant "substantial". Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth. 2. I looked it up and the figure given was 53. And she is Queen of Australia... and we're a nation, not a realm. 3. "Of" or "Off"? 1. That's what I figured
2. I just checked Google... and it said both 53 and 54. I do like consistency. Let's go with 54, it's the bigger number. 3. According to Wikipedia, Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 26 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. There's also something about the previous indigenous owners of the land, but let's not worry about that here and now. |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 28, 2020 5:08:54 GMT
2. I just checked Google... and it said both 53 and 54. I do like consistency. Let's go with 54, it's the bigger number. 3. According to Wikipedia, Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 26 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. There's also something about the previous indigenous owners of the land, but let's not worry about that here and now. 2. Maybe someone is thinking, "UK + 53"?
3. It's still a "realm" of the Commonwealth.
Anywho... don't forget those smaller island "nations" when CANZUK (?) becomes a powerhouse.
Time to head off for afternoon classes.
I'll check in after 5:00 local
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 28, 2020 5:15:25 GMT
2. I just checked Google... and it said both 53 and 54. I do like consistency. Let's go with 54, it's the bigger number. 3. According to Wikipedia, Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 26 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. There's also something about the previous indigenous owners of the land, but let's not worry about that here and now. 2. Maybe someone is thinking, "UK + 53"?
3. It's still a "realm" of the Commonwealth.
Anywho... don't forget those smaller island "nations" when CANZUK (?) becomes a powerhouse.
Time to head off for afternoon classes.
I'll check in after 5:00 local
3. Perhaps we're both... and more? Perhaps we're all things to all people. A shining light on... oh, wait... that's America. Jesus Christ, if all 54 sign up, the new acronym will be a fucking nightmare. Catch you on the flipside. |
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Post by Prometheus on Nov 28, 2020 10:19:52 GMT
2. Maybe someone is thinking, "UK + 53"?
3. It's still a "realm" of the Commonwealth.
Anywho... don't forget those smaller island "nations" when CANZUK (?) becomes a powerhouse.
Time to head off for afternoon classes.
I'll check in after 5:00 local
3. Perhaps we're both... and more? Perhaps we're all things to all people. A shining light on... oh, wait... that's America. Jesus Christ, if all 54 sign up, the new acronym will be a fucking nightmare. Catch you on the flipside. ommonwealth Union of Nations Together Singularly
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 28, 2020 13:49:19 GMT
3. Perhaps we're both... and more? Perhaps we're all things to all people. A shining light on... oh, wait... that's America. Jesus Christ, if all 54 sign up, the new acronym will be a fucking nightmare. Catch you on the flipside. ommonwealth Union of Nations Together Singularly
I like it, but if only some of the countries, realms or territories joined together, we might end up with this acronym... Lesotho Australia Zambia India Falkland Islands United Kingdom Canada Kenya Eswatini Rwanda & South Africa |
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