Comments on: “Yea, I know where it is” and other lies. http://silkroadintl.net/blog/2009/11/25/%e2%80%9cyea-i-know-where-it-is%e2%80%9d-and-other-lies/ Your Branch Office in Asia Sat, 12 May 2012 06:52:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: marcus http://silkroadintl.net/blog/2009/11/25/%e2%80%9cyea-i-know-where-it-is%e2%80%9d-and-other-lies/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 marcus Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:26:09 +0000 http://silkroadintl.net/blog/?p=674#comment-1606 The Chinese do not seem to have accepted the win/win concept only the win/lose. They seem to only want to deal from the positon of having the upper hand. Is this because they can't trust anyone and have to have complete control. Is it related to their history where they have been subjected to the wim of landlords and other powerful authority figures and have only learned survival responses to life. Do they need to feel more secure before they are fairer. In Australia we have always had an ethos of 'fair go' for all. It was a response of the early settlers aimed at avoiding the trap of living in a country where the priveledged had all the means of production and the poor nothing to eat. They had come from countries like that e. g. England and countries it had colonised. The Australian people have always fought to retain a fair go for all at least until recently. The Chinese have never had a chance to do this. They are still trying to survive in an infair society. Have they ever experienced 'fair go"? Very hard to give when you haven't been given to. The Chinese do not seem to have accepted the win/win concept only the win/lose. They seem to only want to deal from the positon of having the upper hand. Is this because they can’t trust anyone and have to have complete control. Is it related to their history where they have been subjected to the wim of landlords and other powerful authority figures and have only learned survival responses to life. Do they need to feel more secure before they are fairer.

In Australia we have always had an ethos of ‘fair go’ for all. It was a response of the early settlers aimed at avoiding the trap of living in a country where the priveledged had all the means of production and the poor nothing to eat. They had come from countries like that e. g. England and countries it had colonised. The Australian people have always fought to retain a fair go for all at least until recently. The Chinese have never had a chance to do this. They are still trying to survive in an infair society. Have they ever experienced ‘fair go”? Very hard to give when you haven’t been given to.

]]> By: Beijing Sounds http://silkroadintl.net/blog/2009/11/25/%e2%80%9cyea-i-know-where-it-is%e2%80%9d-and-other-lies/comment-page-1/#comment-1604 Beijing Sounds Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:44:59 +0000 http://silkroadintl.net/blog/?p=674#comment-1604 A couple of years ago I offered a <a href="http://www.bjshengr.com/bjs/2007/10/taxi-palavering-and-the-great-taxi-fraud/" rel="nofollow">modest defense</a> of Beijing's drivers, but I think Jeremiah Jenne put it best in the comments: "It’s one of those Beijing quirks that knowing how to get someplace is a service not automatically included in the taxi fare." I'll support you on the "doing business is taking a cab ride" analogy. Not much of a stretch at all. A couple of years ago I offered a modest defense of Beijing’s drivers, but I think Jeremiah Jenne put it best in the comments: “It’s one of those Beijing quirks that knowing how to get someplace is a service not automatically included in the taxi fare.”

I’ll support you on the “doing business is taking a cab ride” analogy. Not much of a stretch at all.

]]> By: Renaud http://silkroadintl.net/blog/2009/11/25/%e2%80%9cyea-i-know-where-it-is%e2%80%9d-and-other-lies/comment-page-1/#comment-1603 Renaud Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:28:43 +0000 http://silkroadintl.net/blog/?p=674#comment-1603 Good analogy... Everybody has a few similar taxi stories: "this bridge didn't exist last time I came here, I have to ask around to find my way", "my phone card has no more credit, may I use yours?", "wait for 5min, I have to give the car to another driver for the night", "I'm not sure which building it is, so you can get off here and you'll find it--it's the right street!"... And my favorite: it's too close and they just won't take you there. Good analogy… Everybody has a few similar taxi stories: “this bridge didn’t exist last time I came here, I have to ask around to find my way”, “my phone card has no more credit, may I use yours?”, “wait for 5min, I have to give the car to another driver for the night”, “I’m not sure which building it is, so you can get off here and you’ll find it–it’s the right street!”… And my favorite: it’s too close and they just won’t take you there.

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