Is this a Chinese cultural thing? (Sorry - a bit grim!)

[KatpissEverdeen]

Genuinely interested here...

I go to a Chinese nail salon, and two of the staff (a man and a woman) continually make that snooking noise like when you're trying to swallow phlegm.

It's such a disgusting noise, and turns my stomach but neither of them seem to have any self awareness and just snook away quite happily!

They wear masks, but I wondered if it might be down to something they're breathing in inadvertently during the course of their work. But I cant fathom how they think it's OK? Is it normal in Chinese culture?

Would you prefer they use a spittoon?

Yes it's normal in Chinese culture.

amp.theguardian.com/world/2006/mar/02/china.jonathanwatts

How do you know they’re Chinese?

I've never heard the terms snook or snooking, but sounds revolting. Are you sure they are Chinese and not Vietnamese, like the vast majority of nail bars are?

Normal in China. Spitting is quite common too although not so much in the more well to do population.
Maybe with Covid it's no longer a thing to spit but hacking is alive and well.

1. As the above suggested, the vast majority nail salon bars are run by Vietnamese.

1. The link about spitting was nearly 20 years ago. No, it is not a culture thing. Streets in Beijing are much cleaner than those in London.

I'm not actually sure if Chinese or Vietnamese tbh - there is a bit of a language barrier, so I don't mean to offend.

I just find it really weird that it's as acceptable it seems, as something a bit more involuntary, like sneezing!

Not in my experience (precovid till 2019) ! It was still a thing albeit less common in Shanghai than Beijing.
Hacking/ clearing was very common but not necessarily followed by spitting.
Having said that, China is massive so it may be less of a thing in Guangzhou, I guess it's hard to generalise!

I would prefer they didn’t do it at all.