articles
China Elevator Stories
“You Can Take Apples Right Out Of These Boxes”
I chat with a couple at a supermarket in Shenzhen.
26/04/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
One day in November 2013, I’m at a supermarket in Shenzhen buying fruit. I go to a shelf filled with apples. Not far from me, a supermarket employee is busy unpacking boxes and is surrounded by people.
A couple standing right next to me point their finger toward him. They point without saying a word, seemingly assuming that I don’t understand Mandarin Chinese. When I ask them what exactly they are trying to communicate, they explain:
“You can take apples right out of these boxes.”
I respond: “But I can also take the apples from here, can’t I?”
The couple replies: “Of course you can, but the ones in the boxes are fresh.”
I finally understand. I wait until the employee has finished unloading the apples and then go over to take some of the fresh ones, just like everyone else.
Do you like the service culture in China?
This is part of the series ‘Conversations with Locals in China,’ where I share conversations with Chinese people on my blog.