Bryan's big boss from Germany is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. He comes to China a few times a year for important board meetings with their various joint venture partners.

During one formal meeting in Shanghai with the most senior Chinese partner, the discussion was heated but respectful, and the big boss was making his key points about the joint venture's next steps. In the middle of his speech, however, the Chinese partner's mobile phone rang. The Germans and Americans in the room expected he would immediately turn off the phone and apologize for the interruption. At the same time, they all made a quick check of their own mobile phones to make sure they were switched off.

Much to the Westerners' surprise, the Chinese partner didn't turn off the phone and actually had a two-minute conversation with the caller. The German CEO was dismayed. He thought the Chinese partner was being rude and disrespectful to him by answering his mobile phone in the middle of an important meeting. Although all the agenda items were discussed in the meeting, it did not end on a warm and friendly note.

After the board meeting, Bryan explained to his boss that it is not considered rude in China to answer the phone during meetings. The Chinese partner was not trying to be disrespectful by talking on the mobile phone. He simply did it out of habit. And he probably did not know it would be seen as rude.

The following year, when the same German CEO came to China, he had learned not to be upset by Chinese partners talking on mobile phones during meetings. In fact, when he attended a banquet given by the Chinese partners, he did not switch off his own phone. When the phone rang, he said "Excuse me," and went on to answer the call just like the Chinese would. He had quickly adapted to the Chinese practice!

Cellular Phones and Nora Jones

Bryan and I went to Nora Jones' concert in China a couple years ago. The indoor arena where she performed was packed with fans, most of them Chinese.

Despite the pre-concert announcement to turn off mobile phones, many people still had them switched on. A few times the jazzy tunes were interrupted by ringing mobile phones. At first, the good-natured artist just ignored the disturbance and carried on. But when one loud ring went off in the middle of a soft and soothing piano solo, Nora Jones finally got annoyed and stopped playing, she waited for the ringing to stop. Less than a minute after she resumed playing, another phone went off. This time, she stopped, shook her head and smiled at the ridiculous situation.

While some other divas would have angrily stomped off the stage, the soft spoken singer looked toward the direction of the ring and asked, "Aren't you going to answer that?" Meanwhile, many fans, Chinese and foreigners alike booed the person whose phone was ringing. Perhaps because of her graceful-ness and humor, the rest of the concert went on without further mobile phone interruptions.

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012)