A Tip...
Don't tip your waiter in China.
Shocking thing to hear me say, I know. But it's true.
Today, the gang and I had lunch at a very nice little cafe called Cornfield Coffee. That odd little misuse of english was only the begining. The menu listed their Fruit Juices as "Fish Juices," and on the coffee menu they offered a "Pot of Coffee With Cock." We spent about five minutes trying to guess what they really meant by that before theorizing the possibility that it was not a mistake, and what horrors that would entail.
Well, after moving off of the entertainment that was self-contained in the menu, we were repeatedly delighted by the quality of service, presentation, and attitude among the staff. The place was marginally full, but we never had to wait long for a single thing. Coffee cups, soda glasses, and water glasses were refilled before we even realized they were empty. The food arrived within minutes and was of a quality that I had never even dreamed of in my life. The coup de gras was a dish of Pork Chop Fried Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf. An expensive dish at 60 Yuan (about 8 Dollars), but worth every jiao(dime).
At the end of the meal, we paid up the bill and prepared to leave. I noticed that we weren't leaving a tip. I asked my hosts what the heck the deal was. They explained to me that in China, leaving a tip is not considered a reward, it's considered charity. And, offering someone charity is an insult.
Look at it this way, when you say "Thank you" to someone in China, they're way of saying "Your welcome" translates literally to "It is my duty." In China, your job, no matter how menial, is your duty to your country and your people. They take pride in their job and their role in making China a great place for Chinese people to live. When you give someone a tip, it is seen as a way of telling them "You need this more than I do, because you're not very good at your job."
This infuriated me. It's not that I'm mad that I can't waste money on overtipping like I did back in The States. It's that here, I don't know any other way to show my appreciation. I don't know enough Chinese yet to wax poetic on the talent and skill of the girl that brought me my chopsticks. They aren't very big on touching here either, so handshakes and hugs are also out of the question. How else am I to display my gratitude if I can't leave a gratuity?
So, as soon as I got home, I began looking up translations for phrases like "Excellent," "The Best," and "Better Than Sex."
Not that any of it will do me any good since I'm currently residing in a town with a notoriously obscure dialect.
Shocking thing to hear me say, I know. But it's true.
Today, the gang and I had lunch at a very nice little cafe called Cornfield Coffee. That odd little misuse of english was only the begining. The menu listed their Fruit Juices as "Fish Juices," and on the coffee menu they offered a "Pot of Coffee With Cock." We spent about five minutes trying to guess what they really meant by that before theorizing the possibility that it was not a mistake, and what horrors that would entail.
Well, after moving off of the entertainment that was self-contained in the menu, we were repeatedly delighted by the quality of service, presentation, and attitude among the staff. The place was marginally full, but we never had to wait long for a single thing. Coffee cups, soda glasses, and water glasses were refilled before we even realized they were empty. The food arrived within minutes and was of a quality that I had never even dreamed of in my life. The coup de gras was a dish of Pork Chop Fried Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf. An expensive dish at 60 Yuan (about 8 Dollars), but worth every jiao(dime).
At the end of the meal, we paid up the bill and prepared to leave. I noticed that we weren't leaving a tip. I asked my hosts what the heck the deal was. They explained to me that in China, leaving a tip is not considered a reward, it's considered charity. And, offering someone charity is an insult.
Look at it this way, when you say "Thank you" to someone in China, they're way of saying "Your welcome" translates literally to "It is my duty." In China, your job, no matter how menial, is your duty to your country and your people. They take pride in their job and their role in making China a great place for Chinese people to live. When you give someone a tip, it is seen as a way of telling them "You need this more than I do, because you're not very good at your job."
This infuriated me. It's not that I'm mad that I can't waste money on overtipping like I did back in The States. It's that here, I don't know any other way to show my appreciation. I don't know enough Chinese yet to wax poetic on the talent and skill of the girl that brought me my chopsticks. They aren't very big on touching here either, so handshakes and hugs are also out of the question. How else am I to display my gratitude if I can't leave a gratuity?
So, as soon as I got home, I began looking up translations for phrases like "Excellent," "The Best," and "Better Than Sex."
Not that any of it will do me any good since I'm currently residing in a town with a notoriously obscure dialect.
posted by The Infinite Jester at 9:42 PM
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