My dad, a professor in America, would get small gifts from his students, at least the Asian ones, and he definitely appreciated them. No red pockets -- that would be a step too far -- but we did get tins of pretty good tea.
Coolest gift was from a Nepalese who did his dissertation on something involving agriculture, and as a graduation gift, gave him a model of a yak, made with real yak fur.
If I had to guess--and I am just guessing, who knows--if the guy's relative gave the red pocket how Chinese people usually give red pockets, the doctor might not have realised there was money inside at all. He might have assumed it was a gift card, because that's what other people usually give, and back in the 2000's, China's red pocket culture might not be nearly as well known. He almost certainly didn't know how much the tea leaves actually cost either.
I buy my daughter's teachers moon cakes every year, and they've never turned it down. I think this is just an unfortunate mix where Chinese people think they have to give red pockets, and the German guy thinks it'd be rude to turn his gift down.
My dad, a professor in America, would get small gifts from his students, at least the Asian ones, and he definitely appreciated them. No red pockets -- that would be a step too far -- but we did get tins of pretty good tea.
Coolest gift was from a Nepalese who did his dissertation on something involving agriculture, and as a graduation gift, gave him a model of a yak, made with real yak fur.
That actually sounds super cool.
If I had to guess--and I am just guessing, who knows--if the guy's relative gave the red pocket how Chinese people usually give red pockets, the doctor might not have realised there was money inside at all. He might have assumed it was a gift card, because that's what other people usually give, and back in the 2000's, China's red pocket culture might not be nearly as well known. He almost certainly didn't know how much the tea leaves actually cost either.
I buy my daughter's teachers moon cakes every year, and they've never turned it down. I think this is just an unfortunate mix where Chinese people think they have to give red pockets, and the German guy thinks it'd be rude to turn his gift down.