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From the perspective of an impatient and socially inept Canadian, the main reason for the excruciatingly slow pace of personal banking in China is crystal clear: too much sitting. You know the drill. As soon as you enter a bank in the misguided belief that your transaction will be completed in a quick and efficient manner, reality kicks you right in the gut. First, a “greeter” rises from his or her chair to hand you a ticket – like you’re buying bagels at a bakery. The ticket is topped with a service number. Below, in smaller print, it indicates how many customers are ahead of you. That’s when you look around and see them, forlornly perched on rows of molded plastic chairs or uncomfortably low benches. It looks like the waiting room in a hospital emergency ward. Every time this scene unfolds, I’m struck by the palpable sense of resignation. Some folks just stare blankly at the screens above the teller cages that flash the next number to be served. Others are transfixed in texting. Sometimes they’re sleeping. Some are reading or engaged in conversation. But always, they are sitting. Of course, taking a load off your feet can be a welcome respite on a hectic day, but is it really necessary to perpetuate that pose once your number finally comes up? In Chinese banks, the answer is yes. Not only is the teller comfortably seated, but he or she then gestures for you to plant yourself on the stool on the other side of the glass. It’s like banking at a blackjack table. | 
