By Art Vandelay
BEIJING – An American proofreader has hurt the feelings of his Chinese co-workers by donating too much money to the company’s earthquake relief fund, prompting the intranet gossip, “Who did he thought he was? Bob Gates?”
John Warner, of Littleton, Colorado, was feeling nauseous during lunch and decided to go home early, not knowing that HR representatives had planned a fundraising activity that day in the canteen during lunch. Warner’s absence was immediately noticed by the company’s receptionist and resident tattle tale, Carolyn Wei. “I knew he had gotten salary higher than ours did, so he should have been the first to donate it!” said Wei.
After receiving a text message from colleague, Li Zhifang, Warner went back to the company and promptly donated 1,000 yuan to the cause, stifling dissent, but creating a new problem.
“It was at that moment,” said Li, “that everyone’s comment begin to change. Now they said he thought he was better than the everyone.”
The total sum of RMB 5,862, raised by 126 individual employees, was donated to the Red Cross Saturday.
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