What would you do?

Hi everybody and special hi to all my followers that don't speak dutch. Here's a post in english! Finally! Of course I expect you to read it with great care and attention and write me a reaction.



In foreign countries people tend to do things differently. They speak different, eat different, dress different, behave different, have different standards, different opinions etc. A lot of people travel because they like to be confronted with these different things. And it's not only the big things that are being done different, it's also the way people sweep the floor, give back your cash in stores, wait for the metro. What you do 5 times a day without thinking in your homecountry, can be hard work in a foreign country.


Here are three situations everybody will/can get into while being in China. Under every description multiple possibilities of how an average person could react. What would you do if you would got in the situation.


Situation 1: giving directions to a taxidriver

Image that you only have bee studying chinese for 3 weeks. You barely know that there are four tones in the language and how to pronounce the different lettercombinations. You want to go to a restaurant and decides to take a taxi because it's quick. You get in a taxi and then have to explain to the taxidriver what the adress is. You tell the adress slowly a couple of time (adress + nearest street with which is crosses) because you know that they don't understand your accent. Instead driving to the destination, the driver looks at you as if you were from a different planet and says: "Shama?" meaning "what?" What do you do?

a) pronounce the adress in all the tonesorts combinations that exist, till you hit the right combination
b) get your map out and point out the destination
c) call the special service of the taxicompany for foreigners who cannot communicate with the taxidriver
d) get out of the taxi and find a new one.


Situation 2: No shortcut
There is a Carrefour supermarket near the apartment. It's a 15 minute walk which is fine. On the way you have to cross a very busy road, pass some shops and a big luxurious compound. One day you think you can cut back the walking time by crossing the compound. Most compounds have several entrances/exits. In this case you bump into a high fence. What do you do?

a) climb over the fence
b) walk back
c) ask a person where the exit is
d) try out the fitness equipment that stood there



Situation 3: Crossing the street
You are on the curb in front of a zebra crossing waiting till the traffic light jumps to green. When it does, you cross the street. At the same time a big BMW turns right and crosses the zebra just in front of your nose. He misses you by an inch. What do you do?


a) you stop for a moment till the car has totally passed and think: "that just went right"
b) you swear like hell to the driver telling him all the bad words you know in chinese and your own language
c) you jump in front of the car and tell the driver to buy a new pair of glasses
d) write down the numberplate and report it to the police.


These are all situations that really happen to me. In the next message I will write what I did.