Topic: adb2014 's blog Queuing in China - a True Cultural Experience

A little off the subject, yet indirectly involves queuing, so to speak. One day I had finished classes and took my young son to eat lunch in the college cafeteria where I work. Pretty much as a little guy he gets run over by the hordes of large students racing to get their meals and do something else. My kid tries to stand where he thinks there is some simulation of a line, only to find that everyone else has gotten their food while he is left waiting to say something. I watch him and step in to help lead the way - Although he was born in China, he still follows western habits. Later, we sit outside to enjoy a sunnier day than usual, and while we are relaxing in a courtyard setting along a common roadway, many students happen to pass by after small classes had just let out. Unexpectedly, they were in sort of a line (along the street) - most would shyly wave, smile or say hi. We didn’t plan on being there, especially at the busy time. We just randomly found a peaceful spot - or so we thought... One person (not a student, but a business shop worker on the campus decides to say something derogatory as he takes a turn in passing by us. I surprised him in questioning what he had just said and why - Chinese, but when I do this he turns viciously upset and claims that I just "scolded him" - with responding that he had just said something offensive to us in fact! His loss of face (in us recognizing what he said - my son's Chinese is better than mine - and challenging him at why he had to say such when others were all politely sharing normal greetings, at what he thought was a free opportunity to harass us for no reason almost turned into a scene! I know it's best not to have said anything, but he caught me with my guard down, as I was desperately trying to relax after a busy morning... I was probably in a bad mood too!