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Netizen "fyliumin" has sent in the following vid to Youku.com with the following comment:
今天去看一个病人，六张床的病房，居然来看望的男男女女有二十多人，只见孩子哭的，抽烟的，大叫的，床下堆满了各式纸箱，大都是亲友送来的外表花哨，内里低劣的营养品。中国特色的看病人模式体现了中华民族深厚的家庭观念，仿佛只有这样才能表示亲友的重视，人堆人围着一个病人拉家长，拉得时间越长，表示越亲密。但这种模式确实不利于病人休养，不利于医院管理，更不文明，反正见怪不怪了。
Today while visiting someone at the hospital, I saw 20-over visitors crammed into a small 6-bed ward. There were men and women, children crying, some were smoking, some were screaming. Under the beds were various boxes -- all presents sent by relatives and friends, full of stuff that look good on the outside but full of cheap nutrients on the inside. The way the Chinese people visit people at the hospital reflect their perspective of family values. It is as though this is the only way to show kinship and closeness -- the more people the merrier, the longer your visiting time, the closer you will appear to be. Such a culture not only makes the environment unconducive for the patient's recovery, it also does not bode well for hospital management. Furthermore it is totally uncivilised. Anyway, what's new?! [Translation by Shanghaiist]
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That's VIBRANT chinese characteristics to you!
nanheyangrouchuan
I don't know if that was as funny as I thought it was. I watched it without sound as my speakers are dead. I cracked up when those guys lit their smokes over by the window. As if.
I don't see what's odd. Chinese don't tend define comfort or relaxation by solitude or quiet. They usually LIKE family structures and the accompanying noise and commotion. If they can't be home with the comfort of their family- well the family will come to them. They should learn from us wise round eyes and learn to leave aging relatives to rot in nursing homes?
Those Chinese families might look upon a western hospital with the same disbelief, there in a strange place, sick, with strange unfamiliar food and little or no family to comfort you? Why would you abandon a sick person to the oversight of total strangers?
The neo-colonial "lets laugh at the locals" game gets old and tends to rely on conveniently forgetting how we really do things at home much of the time. We don't visit Uncle Albert in the hospital because we are worried about his recovery if he has too may visitors, we don't visit because honestly we don't give a shit. So why ridicule people with solid family structures for the occasional commotion that results?
That's VIBRANT chinese characteristics to you!
nanheyangrouchuan
i dont know if youre serious or not. i mean it certainly looks like a jubilant get together in the tradition of chinese visitations but it is far from 'vibrant'. vibrancy implies merriness on the event occurred but this is a hospital situation where there are sick people and diseases. i mean it'll be easily transmittable when coming in close contact. i think their relatives should keep at a safe distance to avoid catching diseases its dangerous.
While we can agree or disagree about whether or not crowds are helpful or harmful in hospitals, can we at least agree that smoking there is rude, and not to mention a generally s#!t idea?
Guest number 3, I think you are being a bit myopic and overly apologetic... Being a Mexican American, we usually display a lot of what you mistakenly attribute to the Chinese in a Western/Chinese dichotomy. At least in my household we don't define comfort or relaxation by solitude of quiet and we respect and care for our elders.
We just have the good sense and manners to keep it out of a hospital.
So spare me the "we's" in your article. Speak for yourself anytime you want to be an apologist or shill for what are inexcusable and crude behaviors exhibited by SOME Chinese. Don't include the "West" in your self-loathing.
I think Nanheyangrouchuan has a little gold star sticker for you for your use of the word neo-colonial. Pretty appropriate for your level of usage and understanding. Don't ask me where he is going to put it...
Xiaonanhe
GET WELL SOON!
btw: they even smoke beside babies and spitting in the hospital is common too.
they turn every place in a dirty market. They have been always like this and they will never change.