Chinese With Their Chitchat

People sure like to talk here.

For the past two weeks in my International Communications class, the students just chitchat away while the teacher is lecturing. The first time I didn't really notice it as much because I was sitting closer to the front of the class. During this week's class I sat more in the middle and could hear the girls behind me talking away.

Another American I was sitting next to kept commenting on how sorry she felt for the professor. I couldn't believe how disrespectful they were being. Why do you even attend class if you won't be paying attention?

Later that night I asked my roommate (she's from the mainland) if people talk in her class, and she said people here talk when the professor isn't that great, or if they have something to discuss with their friends. Then she asked if people did that in America and I said no. I've never heard people having private conversations throughout an entire class period.

At least this doesn't happen in my other classes. The girl sitting next to me said people chat in ALL of her classes.

I've also noticed that girls tend to chat while they're showering in the communal bathrooms. I asked my roommate if she's noticed it, and she said that she chats with her friend sometimes when she's showering. She asked me if that was strange, and I realized I never had to experience communal bathrooms until now. I wonder if the girls in America chat while showering in communal bathrooms...