There Ain't No Privacy
The first point is “In China, There ain’t no privacy!” In the States, we all know that in the last couple of years, we had to sign form after form for privacy. That was probably the first we really began to understand our rights in this regard. It spawned efforts by stores, offices, and the like, to suddenly make our transactions private from others. Partitions sprung up between counters in pharmacies. Muszak, the elevator music company found a burgeoning business in background music to mask transactions in medical facilities where the walls were too thin.Well, here in China, there ain’t no privacy! (And I’m only talking about daily activities – not government related points.) There isn’t much privacy at all. As I’ve said before, the massive population means so much to everything, and that includes privacy. When you throw this many people in to the limited space here, there isn’t much room for privacy. Just think about 40 million people in an area the size of North Carolina. That’s just a bunch of folks!
Second, the Chinese accept not having privacy. They all just huddle and work in close environments without care or consideration. I think they are just so used to growing up in crowded homes, that they don’t expect privacy. My doctor’s office has eight nurses huddled at a long counter at the entry. They act as receptionists and nurse for individual doctors. But this counter is about 15 feet long. They don’t have but about two feet per person!
I share an office with three people on a regular basis, and two others that come in for a day or two each week. That’s an office smaller than the one I had in Mocksville. And yet here I share this one with 3 to 5 people. And just outside my office door is a space for our general factory staff of clerks, assistants, phone receptionists, CAD operators, etc. There are about 24 people in a small office. I can hardly walk between the aisles.
But most surprising, these folks just don’t even give ya much privacy. Go in any store, office, bank, or whatever, and almost always there will be someone show up to look over your shoulder (although rarely is anyone here tall enough to look over mine) or nudge his way in to see what you are doing. And I don’t mean discreetly. I mean folks that just push their way up beside you and stare at your paperwork. This can be while you are paying a clerk or at a doctor’s office where you are looking at your medical records.
Their curiosity pervades over privacy. I am constantly amazed at how when I stop to discuss an issue in the plant, that suddenly other workers nearby just stop and wander right up to see what is going on. They don’t even understand my English! But here they are snooping right in your face to see what is going on.
It all can get more than a little disconcerting. You do get a little used to the fact that there is no privacy…. Not that I enjoy it anymore though. On the contrary, it is one of the most irritating things here. But for most Chinese, they just ignore and accept. I’m not there. Give me some privacy!
posted by A Bryson (formerly) in China @ 9:34 AM
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