Chinese Dining Etiquette for Business (part 2)

Do (know)

• Even if you don't like something on table, please do take a sample of it. If you don't, the host will feel very awkward and will not pick it up until you do.
• Chinese people love Karaoke. You should sing couple of songs.
• Cover your mouth when using the toothpick.
• Do know Tsingtao most famous beer, and Maotai is the most common liquor.
• Try to remember to toasts your host. Toast pronoun gam and bottom up is gambei.
• For the toast in self, just make a remark about the host hospitality and making some compliment.
• Put food on to other people plate, to show your consideration and sincere.

Don't

• Not blow your nose on the table. This gesture is acceptable for children.
• Few restaurants have ice. Chinese people have a drink at room temperature. To them, cold drink is unhealthy.
• Do not get drunk during banquet.
• Don't talk about business during banquet.
• Do not make a toast about the business. For example, "Toast for our future company and all the money we can make."
• Do not joke when giving a toast. The reason is that something may be funny in your country but may not be funny in China.

Let start eating...

Once the banquet starts, the waiters will bring out the first course. The first course will depend on which region you are in. In north of China it will be cold dishes, which include some dried fruit or (everyone favorite) one-thousand-years old egg will serve as first course. However in the south region, soup will be the first course.

The host will pick up the chopsticks and point to the food, which signal for everyone to start eating. Even if you don't like something on table, please do take a sample of it. If you don't, the host will feel very awkward and will not pick it up until you do.

Few restaurants will provide ice. In China, people tend to have drinks at room temperature. The natives believe that cold drink is not good for the health. Since everyone concern about his/her health, it is best not to blow your nose on the table. This is acceptable for children.

Shortly after the first course, the host will raise his/her glass and make a toast. The host will have a very brief speech, such as welcoming you there. A proper way to raise the glass is with two hands, one around the cup and the other will be under it. It is not necessary to click the glass, because the glass is very small. After the second course, you should make a toast back to the host.

Let talk business, shall we?

A little side note for business people.

There is one thing I want you to understand and be clear about, and that is banquet is very good for making business deal. However, that is not a place to talk about business itself. Very confusing, am I right? I understand, so let me give you an example.

A friend of mine, his dad owns a printing company. Every time, when he is about to hire a new employee he would take the candidate to a restaurant. During the course of the meal, he would intentionally put the food closer to him, and make the potential employee reach for food. If the potential employee reaches for the plate that is farthest away from him, then that person will be pick to work for the company.

Why you may ask? The reason is simple, if a person willing to reach for the thing that he/she wants and is not afraid to do so, he/she may do the same for the company.

In another word, banquet is the place for social, not to make a deal. This is a place that people will look at how you act and how you treat others. After everything has been said and done, the Chinese people then will decide how they want to do business with you.

Back to banquet, when you are making a toast, do not say anything about the business. For example, "I'm happy to be here. Here's to our company and all the great deals we will make in the future." Instead, you can just thanks the host for the banquet and give a couple of compliments.

Toast to our friendship...

When making a toast, you should not try to make a joke, because no one will get it. At best, people will give you a sympathy smile. Because the languages are not equivalent to one another, it is very hard to get the message across.

The best brand for beer in China is Tsingtao, and the best know drink is Maotai. There are two ways to say the cheer: normal cheer is gam, and bottom up is gambei. There will be quite a few toasts during the party. So, it is good just to say cheer gam, instead of bottom up gambei. When you said gambei, the host is force to finish the drink to save face.

So, in the banquet, if you are continuously said gambei, there would be two things that can happen. First, you will get drunk and make a fool out of yourself on the karaoke machine. Second, you will send your (much older) host into the emergency room. Believe me, the host will try to finish all the drinks, even if he/she can't take it.

But then again, you can always come to the hospital to show your sincere. Some of you may say "Oh, my god, that's horrible," but I said "That's reaching for the goal." I am too funny (hehe).

As I mentioned before, please, do pick up some food and put onto someone else plate because the host will do it to you. The host does this gesture because he/she is trying to be a good host and it is a way to show his/her sincere. The reason for you do this is to try to match the host's hospitality, and also shows that you are considerate to others around you.

Now, as you know, Chinese people love karaoke. So you don't have to be shy, stand up and let your voice be heard. Even if you don't, you will still be invite to sing. You don't have to sing Chinese, because the host will ask you to sing in your own language.

It is good idea to rush up your high note. If you are an American, I heard the best songs to sing in China are "She bang, she bang" and "Living La Viva Loca" by Ricky Martin. (hehe)

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