To look or not to look is the question
<p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="barrier">barrier</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="overcome">overcome</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="dealing">dealing</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="countries">countries</span>?</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="personally">personally</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="none">none</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="party">party</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="value">value</span> <span word="eye">eye</span> <span word="contact">contact</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="something">something</span>; <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="my">my</span> "<span word="handicap">handicap</span>". <span word="For">For</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="invented">invented</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fence">fence</span>-<span word="sitting">sitting</span> <span word="strategy">strategy</span> <span word="whereby">whereby</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="conversing">conversing</span> <span word="with">with</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="slight">slight</span> <span word="angle">angle</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="wouldn">wouldn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="locked">locked</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="times">times</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="appear">appear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="looking">looking</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="ask">ask</span>: <span word="What">What</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="fuss">fuss</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="him">him</span>? <span word="Isn">Isn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span>?</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="let">let</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="you">you</span>: <span word="No">No</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="NOT">NOT</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="way">way</span>. <span word="Actually">Actually</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="encountered">encountered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="specific">specific</span> <span word="instruction">instruction</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="textbooks">textbooks</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="directly">directly</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="talking">talking</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="school">school</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="one">one</span>-<span word="on">on</span>-<span word="one">one</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="impolite">impolite</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="gaze">gaze</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="generation">generation</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="ranking">ranking</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="habit">habit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ours">ours</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="misunderstanding">misunderstanding</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="quirks">quirks</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="culture">culture</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="impolite">impolite</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span>. <span word="Besides">Besides</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="interpreted">interpreted</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="lacking">lacking</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="confidence">confidence</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="lying">lying</span>.</p>
页:
[1]