If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that Mr. C is my driver here in Shanghai.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you also know that Mr. C is a quirky kind of guy. A little different from most of my friends’ drivers.

In the past, I’ve attributed his odd behaviors to boredom during his long days with us. Being a driver is a respected position in Shanghai, but it does require lots of hours of sitting around doing nothing.

But now I’m convinced there’s something deeper going on. This isn’t just boredom.

What’s he doing?

Lying down on the couches in the front lobby of our apartment building when he waits for us to come down to get in the car.

Now, keep in mind that almost every expat in our apartment building has a car and driver...SO the front parking area is often full of drivers. The drivers are a friendly group of guys. They stand around chatting and smoking cigarettes together. Probably telling funny stories about all us expats in China. If they are working a long day and are feeling a little snoozy, they’ll get into their car and take a nap in the front seat.

No big deal. Snoozing in the car is an accepted behavior in “driver etiquette.”

But lately Mr. C has taken to lying down on the couches in the lobby area, then leaping up into action when he sees us.

Sprawling actually. In a fully reclined position. With his feet draped over the arm of the couch and one arm propped behind his head. In the lobby area.

All this in the lobby area.

On the couches where kids sit every day to wait for their school buses. And where moms sit while their kids play together.

Sprawled. With his feet draped over the arm of the couch. One arm propped behind his head. A mug of tea in the other hand.

In the lobby area.

It is so weird.

To be honest, I wouldn’t even lie down on the couches in the lobby area of our building. It would be inappropriate for me to do it...and I live here. It’s not a lying-down kind of place...unless you’re two and you need a nap.

But Mr. C seems to relaxing into this new behavior quite nicely. It’s happening more and more.

I want to tell him it’s inappropriate and yes, unprofessional, but I don’t have the Chinese words for this AND I don’t want him to lose face. So I’m not sure what to do.

Is this a cultural thing?

Is this an employer/employee thing?

Is he challenging us?

Is this just another weird Mr. C thing?

As you can see, I don’t know much. But I do know that the longer I wait to point this out, the worse it will get.

Soon he’ll be wearing his PJs while lying on the couch.

Good gracious.