Ask Your Question today
I have lived in China, and now I live in Chinatown in a major western city. I have noticed that Chinese people of both sexes and all ages spit often, loudly and without regard for anyone close by. Often though it seems more habit than actually expelling phlegm etc. Do they not know about hygiene, manners or respect for others?
It's a cultural thing. I've lived in china myself and would think if you had too, you'd have known this.
The wetern culture has been raised to be ashamed of bodily functions and fluids and as a society, we attempt to hide it. The Chinese culture is simply not ashamed of it. They also believe that not expelling it will make them sick.
How did you live there and not learn this???
I live next door to a Chinese family in Sydney. Every morning I wake up to the sound of the woman making the most disgusting sound as she brings up phlegm which she then spits out. This is repeated numerous times before she eventually stops. This is also the last thing I hear before I go to sleep at night as she partakes of this revolting activity twice daily. She is living in the west now and should have some consideration for our culture and way of life, after all she chose to come and live here. An alternative might be for her to return to China to be amongst those who can appreciate this filthy habit.
It's very true. Most of them do this, I witnessed this in Shanghai and Beijing.
when i first saw the title, i was thinking maybe because they were chewing rice powder or something. but clearing phlegm is a possibility too. could be a cultural thing, just like how in Muslim countries, its rude to use the left hand to shake with, and in some countries (italy?), its a complement to belch after a meal. The last one is also considered revolting in America.
the jury's out on farting, haven't heard any different on this.
Never noticed this but you can be sure I'll be keeping a very close eye on the Chinese from here on in.
guys do it ... not girls lol ,,, just like guys pee against a wall or bush anytime they need ... girls dont ever do this :)
I noticed this too in Hong Kong. My friend said that her father taught her to do this from a young age. She also said that he taught her to smoke and drink. It all sounded a bit suspect to me. But who am I to comment on someone else's culture? People are different!
True. It's so fucking disgusting, Expat in Shanghai, and these people are starting to piss me off.
Something else I've noticed about the Chinese and Asians in generally -- they will squat down and make #2 just about anywhere whenever they feel like it.
A lady friend and I were in Ho Chi Mihn City a couple years ago and were taking a cab from our hotel to a bar downtown. Well, the gnarled little Viet Cong cabbie stopped right in the middle of traffic without warning, opened the car door, pivoted in his seat, pulled back his trousers, and proceeded to go poop right there in the middle of a busy intersection. He was small, but seemed capable of producing a seemingly inexhaustable mound of particularly nasty waste.
Anyway, the point is, Asians seem to have no problem doing anything foul no matter who's watching. This includes their infuriating habit of hocking their vile loogies in every direction.