A photo of newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke is generating buzz in China according to the Huffington Post. No, he wasn’t caught doing something wrong or gossip-worthy. It’s because he ordered his own coffee at a Seattle airport while wearing a backpack.
What’s the big deal? According to the report, officials just don’t do that sort of thing in China—ordering coffee and carrying bags are tasks relegated to others.
The photo was snapped by Chinese-American businessman ZhaoHui Tang and posted on Chinese social network Sina Weibo.
The result? Locke’s photo was reposted 40,000 times and generated comments from thousands of users, many reportedly charmed by the image.
Most of us aren’t at the level of a U.S. ambassador. And most of us won’t get attention for ordering a cup of joe (at least I hope not considering how I looked when I picked up my cup this morning).
But the point is that you never know what’s going to spark one online conversation—or thousands of them. Are you prepared?
Image courtesy of Gareth Weeks at www.garethweeks.com