Take a number

Photo by Evan

Friends of ours just returned from a five month hiatus in the States. After we caught up about the past year, I asked her if her kids had a hard time adjusting to American culture (they’ve lived here since they were babies, and now they’re almost 7 years old).

She thought for a moment, then said, “They went to summer camp, and when they returned, I asked their counselor how they did. She said they did great, but then added, ‘You know… They don’t really understand the concept of standing in a line. That took some work.’”

That made me laugh, because when we first moved here, that was one of the things that drove me ca-RAYzy. When you order food at a counter, you stand in a huddle and fight your way to the cashier. Might makes right. When you have to stand in a line, such as at the grocery store checkout or the ATM machine, people have no concept of personal space, and stand so close they actually touch you.  That’s bizarre at the ATM machine, for sure.

I also heard today that in Beijing, local people were encouraged to learn the art of standing in a line for the influx of foreigners coming for the Olympics. They’d line people up and have them just stand there for a long time. Then they’d reward them with some sort of gift. One time, they wanted to see if the people were getting the concept, and brought out a stack of gifts in front of them. Mayhem ensued, and everyone made a beeline for the loot.

Yep… standing in a line is definitely a western concept.