Fanny Packs & Gambling

I am currently on the student council retreat in Changzhou (Ch-ahng-Jo), which is a 2 hour drive away from Shanghai.  This is a 3-day retreat for the students to learn leadership skills and to grow in unity. You can read about last year’s retreat here.  This year, I have already noticed some amazing things about our students and their leadership styles.  However, I have also learned 2 important lessons about culture:

Lesson Number One: Intentions & Appearances Can Be Interpreted Differently From One Culture To Another

As we were waiting for other ISC schools to arrive at the Shanghai Hongqiao airport, we sat at a large booth at KFC for about 4 hours.  The 8 of us set our luggage aside, cleared the table, and set out a deck of cards.  We had just gotten off a plane and the students were ready for some games and interaction.  Damian mentions to me that we should order some food or drinks while we wait, so I get out 400 kuai (about 65 dollars) on the table. 

We start the discussion of which student will order for everyone and we remind them to get receipts.  Just as our conversation completes, a KFC waitress comes by, looks at us and the table and says that we can’t play cards.  We were confused, and asked what she meant.  She clarified that she meant gambling (This is all in Chinese, of course).  The students were confused.  I was confused.  We all looked at each other to try to understand.   Then we look down. At the table.  With cards.  And 400 kuai.   We all laugh nervously and explain that we are about to buy food at KFC, and then play cards.  No gambling.  She smiled and walked away, although she did keep a close eye on us throughout the 4 hours.  Rightly so, though, because our team was quite loud playing Egyptian Ratscew. 

Lesson Number Two: The Same Word in Two Different Cultures Can Mean Completely Different Things

In one activity, the student councilors received about 5 or 7 small items in a bag. Their goal was to create a product and come up with a sales pitch.  With the colored paper, buttons, and string, they created a woman’s handbag. 

In the naming-the-product conversation, the idea of a fanny pack arose, to which Damian’s face turned bright red.  Him and I started laughing (I have know that “fanny” isn’t the best choice of words around him for a while now).  The students didn’t know why we were laughing, so after some prompting, and more blushing, Damian explains, “In Australia, and Britain, and South Africa, we don’t call …a fanny …it’s…not something you have on your backside.  It’s actually…  a frontside.   Of a female.”  Nervous laughter ensued, and the topic quickly changed.

These humorous experiences happen daily as I experience cross-cultural ideals in nearly every interaction.  What an awesome blessing to have these experiences (as funny or embarrassing as they may be), to understand the people and the world around me.