Decoding China (Tuttle book review)

[Pokarface]

Decoding China – Matthew B. Christensen (Tuttle Publishing)

 

Cliff notes:

l  Will establish the core cultural knowledge you need to know before moving on to more specific contexts (for example: doing business in China, modern life in China, Dating in China, etc.)

l  Written as a practical guide with real life examples from the author or his acquaintances (some are formal, some are funny, and some are both!).

l  A little bit of everything for everyone, from ordering from a Chinese menu to dating in China.

l  Covers common scams that some people WILL attempt on you.

 

l  Lots of useful tips and links for learning mandarin (some of them free!), booking trips, shopping in China, finding apartments, etc.

l  Includes useful phrases and words in pinyin and Chinese characters.

l  Pictures covering the culture as well as the, how-to, including: how to order train tickets from ticket vending machines, how to use the train station’s digital board, how to use long distance phone cards (since the instructions are only written in Chinese), how to read your train’s ticket information, etc.

 

      

Having studied Mandarin for 10 months while practicing my language skills around the city, it eventually became apparent that I was doing well but that I kept expecting things would get easier the more Mandarin I could speak. I was wrong! The more I could speak, the more I would get in awkward situations. Mainly because I kept being a foreigner who could speak Mandarin, instead of a local that knew his way around town.

 

I own a lot of Chinese language learning books and resources that I’d like to review, but today I will cover one that talks about something that is sparingly covered in language learning books, culture. More specifically as Dr. Christensen writes about it, behavioral culture, “This would include such seemingly mundane things as eating habits, how to greet people, protocols of transportation, etiquette, how emotions are displayed, how to develop and maintain relationships, and other related everyday things.”

 

For those who simply think about traveling to those who plan in studying abroad or even working in China, the topics covered in the book will build your core knowledge of values that are practiced in modern China, and while it is true that as a foreigner you may not be expected to understand them, showing an interest and being able to fit in, will take you a long way towards connecting with China, its people, and lifestyle (and you'll realize soon why you should care about these things).

 

A quick chapter breakdown and my favorite sections (note: there's way more things covered in the book)

 

This guide starts by covering the traveling essentials with detailed directions on where to find your way around the main Chinese airports in Beijing and Shanghai. Common scams to avoid from taxi drivers and sellers around the city. Booking hotels and other lodging resources (did you know you can stay in a college dorm without being a student? That’s covered in this book!).

 

What to expect when invited to a banquet and what not to do. Information on mobile phone plans and browsing internet in China (you’ll need this information as many websites can’t be accessed from China)

 

Opening a bank account, currency exchange, sending money, and avoiding counterfeit money.

 

Finding the different kinds of markets (including the fake designer brand ones, haha!), and the art of haggling.

 

An insight into the Chinese educational system, studying Chinese (and even how to apply to a non-language college degree) in China, tips on learning Chinese as well as free and commercial learning software reviews.

 

Business etiquette, the concept of face (reputation, dignity and repect. Very serious in China), making connections and how this will benefit you to get things done quickly, working in an office and its hierarchy.

 

Visiting friends and hosting a banquet, building and maintaining relationships, dating and expressing your affection (Differences in western and Chinese dating and what couples actually say and do once in a relationship), giving and receiving gifts.

 

The phases of cultural shock and how to cope better with them, surviving in China (literally how not to die by showing you how to access hospitals, prescription medicines, or traditional Chinese remedies)

 

Since a detailed book review covering all the chapters would have been huge, I hope this quick breakdown and the cliff notes gives you enough information to realize that whether you are learning or not Mandarin, you will need to have a basic idea of the behavioral culture that takes place in China in order to enrich your experience regardless of the time limit you plan on spending there. I hope you have as much fun reading the anecdotes and watching the pictures as I did, and I’d like to invite you to the author’s blog for more colorful pictures and experiences from China that he shares at, intothemiddlekingdom.com/

 

Order it at:
 

http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-country/decoding-china

http://www.amazon.com/Decoding-China-Handbook-Traveling-Studying/dp/0804842671

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decoding-china-matthew-b-christensen/1114036347?ean=9780804842679