Chinese people certainly have a sense of humour. But like most regions of the world, they have their own take on what’s funny and what’s not. In China, slapstick and double entendre have their place, but political satire is a “no-no”, publicly. Pan-language humour is easy to get lost in, and in China, dry sarcasm can sometimes be taken literally, depending on who you are exchanging it with.
Having taught at a Chinese university, developed a circle of local Chinese friends, and I am fostering a relationship with a local female, it’s apparent that most humour is universal. However, the following scenarios are three outright “humour fails” I uncomfortably endured in my first year in China:
1: Where Can I Buy These?
Within a food hall set on university grounds in Zhejiang province, students were handing out narcotics-awareness literature. The pamphlets featured images of illegal drugs, with bullet points highlighting the health and legal implications of why you should not touch them, plus some information on health contacts. On being handed one, I browsed through the printout enthusiastically, pretending it was a menu. Showing interest in the contents, I exclaimed to the group in Chinese, “Awesome! Where can buy these?”
Straight away, a member of the group began talking to me quickly in a heated fashion. I stated in Chinese that I was joking, and thankfully another member of her entourage reiterated my comments back to her and she disengaged from me and continued handing out her anti-drugs literature.
2: New Wife
I was in a Wenzhou suburb, near the University Town, dining in a locals’ local restaurant. There are very few foreigners living in the entire city, let alone the suburb we were dining in. Naturally, I was the only foreigner in the restaurant, and therefore, heads were turning. The staff were friendly, yet inquisitive. So one waitress; a personable, 50-something local lady, asked if I was my girlfriend’s husband, to which I replied “Ta shi wo xing de lao por”, or “she’s my new wife”. After two bottles of the local beer, it seemed an amusing thing to say. “NEW wife?”, she asked. She then began a semi-confusing rant about foreigners coming to China for wives. No number of stating “wo zai kai wan xiao” (I’m joking), would initially pacify her.
3: He Looks Like a Sweaty Toad
Tip of the day: Just don’t joke about the Chinese leadership. It’s not like poking fun or deriding Boris, Liz, et al.
Alighting a subway train, a huge poster of a prominent Chinese political figure adorned the adjacent wall. In fairness, it wasn’t a flattering photograph. So speaking my mind, I observingly asserted that he looked like a sweating toad. Not terribly loudly, but loud enough for my girlfriend to stop me, and in all seriousness, she grabbed my collars and pulled me up to her face. Slowly, in an ominous monotonal voice, she said, “Shut… up. Do that again, and we’re going home”. As the sobering reality of her reaction sank in, I realised that perhaps it wasn’t a great idea to publicly deride Chinese leaders, or drink two beers before going out. Double Deer is an extremely good local beer. Double “Oh Dear” the following day it seems.
