GAME OF FACES
Chinese are noisy. Beijingers are among the loudest. In restaurants and bars, conversations get loud and slide over liters of rice alcohol and beer. Sometimes two men wrestle trying to give to the waitress a big bank note for the bill. They yell, almost fighting, under the waitress smile. She calms them down and finishes the quarrel, deciding who will have the prestige of paying the bill. Sometimes the scene is false, because the one who invite is the one who should pay, and even if you perform taking the wallet in your hands, it is expected that who proposed the meeting would pay for it.
Many times 6 to 8 thirty-something-men sit around a table, sometimes a woman sit with them all. They are good friends. The bill will be paid by only one of them and next time someone else will take charge of it, since it ’ s a shame to share it.
Everything o almost everything can happen on restaurant tables, for instance, big business deals. Potential partners or job colleagues are examined carefully and discreetly. Work and pleasure mix together. Many western businessmen complain of never knowing what is in Chinese minds. Even if an answer is positive, nothing is for sure; it all depends of the impression one made. Did you behave with respect, with too much care or slapdash? Did you accept the cigarettes they offered you, did you follow the toast they made? Did you pay homage to the Chinese culture enjoying its gastronomy … ? Have you been a good tablemate?
All these questions count, and they talk of yourself, because people don ’ t like to make business with someone they don ’ t appreciate.

A small advice: if you offer anything, be insistent. Because of politeness, one has always to refuse at first. That ’s why people insist nutty all the time to feed you or for something else that we have to refuse (the same reaction is expected from us).

One last thing: sometimes Chinese smile, but that is far from being pleased, they just hide their annoyance; you made them mad and they respond with sarcasm.