After 3 years, the spitting has just become second nature to me. I try not think about it, try not to listen to it…but…
Staying in an “International Youth Hostel”, I can’t NOT take note that every morning and night I get to hear the beautiful serenade of every Chinese male that blesses me with his presence. They have ranged from the “local” men to educated and well-traveled 20-something – they all have one thing in common. They are like beautiful peacocks but their strut and colors…is the beautiful song they sing to me every morning and night. Oh, woo me with that tune…
Last night, my current roommate is speaking extremely loud into his cell phone – after taking a break from his QQ messaging and having to hear the alert every 1-3 seconds – he’s dropping his loogs into the wastebasket. I’m wondering if he drools when he talks because he’s actually just standing over the wastebasket dropping them in, silently too. Okay, thanks for the courtesy.
So, what did I do? I googled, “Why do Chinese men hack spit”?
The responses and threads I found, were…predictable. I was hoping for a WebMD article of health benefits. No. All I found were “sexpats” and “FOB Laoweis” complaining about their time in China. Side note: Your complaining about China on expat forums are as un-tasteful and have no health benefit as the constant spitting and kids pissing on the street corners. How about this, spend your time studying the language and educate people?
What I found that was interesting was this:
A banner raised during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 read: “Certainly foreign soldiers are a horde; but if each of our people spits once, they will drown.”
I’ve actually used spitting technique as an insult to people. “Oh, you are going to run me over with your car while you stare me down…you get saliva on your window – hope it’s up!” – depending on how feisty I am that day. “Want to rip me off or make comments about how I’m a stupid laowei with perverted gestures” (I can understand Chinese fool!)…you get a hack near your feet and the stink eye (maybe an added finger gesture). Sometimes I even cruise through the streets with prepared ammo, waiting for the next target, aka kill the cyclist offender.
Please, reader, do not think I’m being a rude young lady traveling through China – as an ambassador of America. Spitting is also used to express disgust here, if you pay attention you will see it too.
This is your spit for thought today.