@seaforte
I feel your pain, I was just mentioning one direction related one.
I have plenty more. My favourite attitute is that when they get the wrong direction (on purpose or not) and they take you on a tour. But when you stop them they give you this litaney of reasons, of course it's all your fault, either way I am stupid because the place I chose is not good, or the side of the road I hauled that cab, the time of the day, weather (I kid you not) or I mentioned the wrong one of the two places that in reality only exists once (e.g. Guandu Old town) . It's awesome, and of course none of it is because the cabbie is not paying attention/i drunk/ on the phone not listening to a word I am saying/ getting out for directions/ calling his buddies, gf's, or mistresses forgetting that I speak Chinese. Oh and almost forgot...overcharging. Hardley ever getting the meter price, I think in my years in Kunming I got only twice the fare that was shown on the meter.
Of course not all of them are bad, and to give them some credit they will stop the meter when they are exposed as incompetent.
I think a realistic number of good or competent cabbies in Kunming is about 15%.
@Alien
The problem with this culture here is there is absolutely no way, not to disrespect or insulting a Chinese person, if you do not absolutely agree with him or her. For example not liking the food, culture, language, social or political system, history, personal hygiene, ..you name it.
You don't agree and you are greeted with disrespect and sometimes even agression.
In this culture there is no center or middle way.
And I don't care anymore, I did for a long time. I will never be Chinese (thank god) nor do I want to learn more than I already know of its culture. In my opinion it's one of the crulest and rudest on the entire planet, and people don't even care.
I just act, when I have to, as many of my Chinese friends,do.
It's all an act. Whenever they have to, they put on the traditional Chinese face and as soon as they can take it off, they go back to their little microcosmos.
I do the same but if people treat my like sh** I tell them what I think (politely). I am not Chinese but I read my fair share of the Chinese scholars and even then when somebody is (according to Confucius, something you should consider) I get greeted with more hostility, racial slurs, or cursed at and if I am lucky only angry silence.
So I don't need this, and especially your going home comment is the first on the top ten list. Yep all problems solved, send the uncomfortable ones home. That is exaclty the same mentality the Japanese and Nazi's had. "They disagree? let's get rid of them."
It's like cutting your testies of when you feel an itch. ...Problem solved.
P.S.
Some of the smartest people I know are Chinese and they are so smart that I rarely see them anymore because they left China. Because until now this is "no country for smart men". It's not a question of the brain but a problem of the society. I hope it's changing soon because this place has the potential to be the best place on the planet. Everybody is looking for the government to fix it, but it's impossible and they shouldn't.It's not their job.
In the end it's the uncomfortable people that make a difference, disregarding nationality. It always has been. And I am not going home becasue I have many Chinese friends and a nice little microcosmos to center my life around called....Family and friends !! No culture needed.
