Speaking of stereotypes

New photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2459758628233.94773.1680191390&type=1&l=81a6c87569

Warning. This is not a real blog entry. If this were a real blog entry I would have something intelligent to say. Haven’t noticed anything intelligent in previous entries? Well, you have a point.

While we are on the subject of dumb stuff allow me to wax eloquent in the one area I excel – namely, dumb stuff.

One of the things that struck me most about China was the extreme lack of organization. No one seemed to be in charge and the schedule was changed every day, more than once. Contrast that to Japan where a mere three individuals were in charge during the entire tour and the schedule was only changed twice, once due to weather conditions beyond the control of the tour guides.

A phrase remembered from my youth kept popping into my head. “Chinese fire drill.” According to dictionary.com this is a noun, which is “informal” and “sometimes offensive.” (Gosh, you think?) I have no desire to offend anyone but I will beg your indulgence here briefly to explain. Dictionary.com says the phrase means, “A state of chaotic, often clamorous disorder.” Such a state recurred repeatedly on our trip.

One example: When going to Shangri-la, which is located at an altitude of over 10,000 feet, one of our group requested and received bottled oxygen (readily available in small shops in Shangri-la). This request, however, set off great waves of consternation among our hosts. A group consisting of our bus’ assigned guide, a doctor, a local government official and various other unidentified individuals, spent some time trying to convince the oxygen user to stay behind. No deal. This group then conferred with a larger group in the parking lot in full view of the bus. The aforementioned delegation re-entered our bus to let the individual in question know that he/she (I am protecting identity here) would be allowed to continue only if the individual signed a waiver letting China off the hook for any responsibility for whatever damages might ensue. This was readily agreed to but then another hasty confab was held in the parking lot following which we were informed that every single passenger on each bus had to sign an identical waiver. We all agreed and off we set about one hour behind schedule.

Having aired these comments let me hasten to assure you that, despite bureaucratic rules that made the USA look all loosey-goosey the vast majority of the folk we met, both official, commercial and just plain ordinary were friendly and charming.

Footnote #1: “Chinese fire drill” also took on a second meaning in the late 60’s or early 70’s when it began to refer to a game played by college students (male undoubtedly). The game worked like this: Once a carload of students was stopped at a red light someone in the car would yell “Chinese fire drill.” At this point everyone had to exit the car and get back in again sitting in a different seat. This was all to be accomplished before the light changed to green. Many of those self same students are today in their fifties and sixties, leaders of government and industry. Go figure.

http://www.word-detective.com/back-x.html

Footnote #2: While on the subject of racial stereotypes I, being a lifelong basketball fan freshly returned from China, find the current enthusiasm over second year NBA player and Palo Alto native Jeremy Lin fascinating. Stereotypes are meant to be shattered. "Lin-sanity." I love it.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/02/17/sports/s003849S55.DTL

http://blog.sfgate.com/wwong/2012/02/15/linsanity-2-redefining-american/