As an American, going into this restaurant seems to create a slight feeling of discomfort due to the language barrier. There is a much higher level of interaction and exchange between the Chinese speakers and the workers of the restaurant. Speaking to order food and ask about specials allows a social interaction that encourages a positive experience. Although the workers at the restaurant can speak some English, there is no need to communicate due to the process of pointing to food and paying the set price that has been established on the sign. If you do not know how to read the Chinese signs, then there is no way of knowing about the specials or that they have a full Kitchen staff on hand to make fresh made-to-order meals. Americans tend to eat the buffet food, which is basically the same every time you go in and which has probably been sitting out for a while.
Being aware of these differences in experience at the very same restaurant has made me think more about language barriers and how it must have a profound affect on the relationships one forms. This may not be something that affects everybody’s everyday life, but when you consider all of the students who are studying abroad in Athens, it brings to light how different their experiences might be from my own. Different cultures provide individuals with schemas, which are mental processes that help us organize and simplify our experiences. When these schemas do not work due to changes in the environment, it can cause uneasiness. I tried to go through the “Chinese process” as an American at Peking and found myself very confused and shy about what I was supposed to be doing and what I was ordering. Although it is a minimal example, and I had a lot of help from Jia who speaks Chinese, I can see how place defines space based on culture in this instance.
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