Going Dutch in Beijing

How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home

Mark McCrum

Henry Holt and Co.

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What to do and what not to do when traveling almost anywhere—an entertainment for the armchair or the intrepid traveler
 
Why shouldn’t you offer to pay for your share of the meal in China? Or use the thumbs-up sign to mean “that’s excellent” in Sardinia?
 
Because, of course, despite the ease with which we can now communicate with and visit one another, they still do things differently over there. In China your host will “lose face” if you don’t let him pick up the tab. In Sardinia a raised thumb means, literally, “Sit on this!”
 
Going Dutch in Beijing offers a lighthearted and informative guide to everything from first meeting to last rites. Subjects covered include the opening contact between strangers; greetings, gestures, handshakes, and getting names right; as well as more complex traditions and how to behave if you decide to stick around for good.
 
Whether you are heading abroad or staying at home, Going Dutch in Beijing is a delightful and indispensable handbook designed to ensure that your sense of the world is informed and your travel is happy.

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Going Dutch in Beijing
1Ha Na?GREETINGSNot for nothing did primitive cultures tread warily with outsiders. From the very first moment you set eyes on another human being, the possibility of some kind of misunderstanding arises. To those accustomed to informality, the niceties of our initial dealings with strangers may seem unimportant. But the right way to greet people still varies enormously from one place to another ... .Bula!In Manhattan, London, or Shanghai, saying "Hello" (or Ni hao) to a stranger on the street would be seen as odd, even intrusive.

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About the Author

Mark McCrum

Mark McCrum has visited six of the seven continents (not Antarctica), and written several books. He has been mugged in Rio, picnicked on a glacier in Chilean Patagonia, and lunched with the King of the Zulus, a strict teetotaler, whose manners were impeccable. McCrum lives in London.

Mark McCrum

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Available Formats and Book Details

Going Dutch in Beijing
How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home
Mark McCrum

Hardcover

Hardcover
Henry Holt and Co.
April 2008
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780805086768
ISBN10: 0805086765
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches, 224 pages, 10-15 b&w line drawings throughout
$22.00

e-Book Agency

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e-Book Agency
Henry Holt and Co.
April 2008
e-Book Agency
ISBN: 9781429941402
ISBN10: 1429941405
224 pages, Includes fifteen black-and-white line drawings
$6.99
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