High Hopes

　　If you are a tall foreigner living in or visiting China， don’tbe surprised if you’re told by a Chinese person that youare very lucky and must have been a really good personin a past life. Why？ Some Chinese believe that if you aretall in this life it means you are being rewarded for manyacts of kindness you have done in the past and you areblessed.

　　It’s a great sentiment， if a touch fanciful.Being tall (1.9 meters and over)， you get accustomed totowering over most people and hearing regular commentsabout your height - mostly complimentary.

　　In China the desire to be taller is high (excuse thepun)， despite people’s genetic make-up. It’s a desiredriven by the sheer volume of folk competing forpartners， promotions and prime job offerings， whereany advantage is sought in order to get a foot inthe door. And with the vast numbers of job seekerscompeting for positions， recruiters behind thosedoors can afford to be picky. The word on the streetis height means rapid advancement through theranks. Many young professionals hold the commonbelief that taller people have more opportunity forpromotion in the desperate climb up the corporateladder.

　　A Chinese friend of mine who spends his lifescanning the jobs-vacant columns and taking partin interviews， told me that height is often one of thecriteria for the better positions. He said there is anincreasing number of employers calling for womento be over 1.65 meters and men over 1.7 meters aspart of the job requirements. Height nearly alwayshas nothing to do with the type of work involved， butit’s all about image. In a country where the averageheight for both men and women is far lower thanthis standard， it’s making the going tougher for jobseekers.

　　Even in the marriage stakes Chinese women prefertheir men taller， if online forums are to be believed，and men in turn seek taller women to avoid the risk ofhaving short children. A vicious circle indeed.But times are slowly changing and as nutritionimproves across the country and calcium loadedproducts like cheese， yogurt and milk become part ofthe staple diet of children， young Chinese are growingaway from their vertically challenged past andbeginning to rise up - literally， in the height stakes.

　　Despite all the adoration your collectivecentimeters may invite， being tall in China has its definitedownside. Bumping your head on subway doors， railsand hand-holds is a regular occurrence， not to mentionsqueezing into often cramped restaurant seating. Also， ina country where public transport and travel is an essentialpart of life， try contorting a big frame into the kindergartenseats and spaces available on buses， trains and aircraft，etc. It’s excruciating and you’ll be casting jealous glancesover at the Chinese commuter comfortably reclining in theseat next to you. I guess no one is ever satisfied with whatthey’ve got.