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Q: Challenge your cynicism
Another year another load of comments about people coming to a developing country, assuming an air of smug superiority then moaning about it being a developing country. This forum sometimes is useful for information, sharing experiences, more often it's the same offenders just oozing lazy cynicism about china. Lots of things annoy me about china, but I get a feeling some people are incapable of ever saying anything nice. If so then that's not very balanced is it?
just to mix it up a little, why don't you try to say 5 nice things about china? If so you ve passed the test and proved me wrong.
i ll go first:
1. Asian women are hot.
2. A lot of the river cities are stunningly beautiful.
3. Shanghai rocks, east meets west usually results in something good.
4. No drug problems, junkies or widespread antisocial behaviour.
5. Hospitality is generally pretty good.
1. Subway!
2. KFC
3. Pizza Hut
4. Papa John's
5. iPhones
Do I win?!?!
Well, China is kinda a big country... one place isn't going to be the same as another... but I can give it a shot, focused on the city I live now.
1. Food is cheap.
2. Food tastes good.
3. Public transportation is cheap.
4. Plenty of cultural, historical stuff all over the city. Can't walk down the road without tripping over some bazillion-year-old something or other.
5. Natural stuff to do, like lakes, mountains, etc. are all pretty well accessible, and there is a good variety.
dokken:
Only real effort made. Well done you passed. Only I'm not sure I agree with you on food but I might live in a different place.
Mateusz:
Which part? The cheapness is pretty relative to back home (and might be this city). I can go out to eat and get a good meal at a Chinese restaurant for ~30 kuai. I don't eat meat, so that cuts down the price (it seems that vegan dishes are much cheaper than meat dishes here). Ingredients are pretty cheap too. It's only when I go to Western comfort foods that I pay a high price.
As for the taste, I get a pretty good variety. I like most Chinese cuisine, with Sichuan being a favorite.
1. 10/10 looking Chinese women flock to me and want to have sex no conditions since I am white, tall, handsome, blonde and blue eyed.
2. Bless Metro supermarket and its giganormous choice of imported food at fair price without what I would have to eat the contaminated local food as I wouldn't be crazy enough to eat only imported food for the much higher price tag it is sold for in other shops.
3. More foreign influence means people are getting more civilized, this is a good thing, I see less spitting, less crapping and pissing on the streets, more first world behaviors.
4. It has become easier to fly out of the country for a quick weekend in some Southeast Asian country and other civilized places.
5. China's growth is slowing down, means less crazy wild pollution and more time to clean up the mess.
bill8899:
Dammit that does it. I'm dying my hair blonde. Hello Miss Clairol!!
dokken:
You re not really saying anything nice just disguising some bad points. Oh well at least you tried
1. Beer and food are plentiful and reasonably priced.
2. Public transport is cheap and actually not as bad as many try to make out.
3. Public order and crime rates are pretty good compared to many other places.
4. Many Chinese women are friendly and submissive.
5. Renting a decent property is way cheaper than my own country.
dokken:
Pass, good effort. Give yourself a thumbs up. Oh wait you can't
Kaiwen:
Sorry, just re-read your OP and jumped at the wrong conclusion.
You talkin to me? You talkin to me? You talkin to Me?
Hahahahaha.......
I guess you are. That's ok. I accept the criticism. I am a seriously flawed individual. Tomorrow I'll improve. Woah!!! De je vu all over again....
5) Hun dun.
4) Kao rou
3) Pi jiu
2) Giant
1) Mrs Royce
Thank you China. "thank you so bleeping much...." (uttered in true John Cleese style complete with fist shaking and jumping up and down)
royceH:
Hun dun's just been bumped to no 6. Da pan ji has taken no 5.
And a special mention of Chinese ppl who have no agenda other than friendship. I love those ppl. Zhenda!
Five nice things to say
1. My family in-law is great. My parents in law are decent, honest, they listen to reason and say reasonable things. They would give their last shirt to us, and I would give them my last shirt.
2. The food culture suits me. The diversity is great, and most of it is accessible, you can enjoy many great dishes for a fair price.
3. I enjoyed traveling in China a lot, some great experiences and sights. Gobi Desert, the Tibetan Plateau blew my mind.
4. I love cities with a soul, which China have. I think of Kunming, Chengdu, Suzhou...
5. The job market for specialists in emerging technologies is great. Job security is a nice perk, those days.
Done. The "but this is a developing country, so that's why <insert here common point of ranting>" is as lazy, politically correct and anti-intellectual as it gets. Really. I mean, most people here spent years dealing with students on a personal basis, work in Chinese companies under Chinese contracts, and have to face the same ordeals of life that Chinese people face. They have in-law families, have to go to hospitals, etc... Actual expats on corporate packages are a rare breed. An example : go to an hospital. The failure it is have *nothing* to do with being a developing country, it's some deep social issues at play, such as education system, serious lack of trust, appearance over substance, and more. Pick other topics, the same root cause appears, there's a pattern. It's being cynical ?!
5 good things about China...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
…Yeah… I can't find anything.
dokken:
Challenge failed. Was it really too painful to say anything complimentary. Even one thing. Thus proves my point.
There are some good points above. All valid. China obviously isn't all bad.
But, me challenge my cynicism.. that's not going to happen.
When I came to China my cynicism was the skinny, reasonable, mild mannered accountant type. Now it's a muscular, 300 pound pipe hitting street fighter thug with tattoos and teeth missing. I could challenge him but he'd murder me.
Stiggs:
Haha, failed again, oh well..
It's not that I want to be a cynical bastard, it's just that when you see the same thing again and again and again, then realize it has being happening for '5000 years' and will probably keep happening the cynic in you becomes a godzilla.
1. A lot of newbies are really shallow and it's fun to watch them get used and manipulated, then spat out.
2. A lot of newbies have never been anywhere else in the world so they're so wonderfully naive.
3. A lot of newbies think that Hong Kong, Shanghai and Macau are China and thus have absolutely no idea what China really is.
4. A lot of newbies have absolutely no clue as to what the drug problem is in China and never visit anywhere where they'd be able to experience it, anyway.
5. Hostility is pretty good, if you understand what's being said and, again, you go where people don't have doodley-squat and only know that we foreigners are responsible for them having aforementioned doodley-squat.
As Dr. Monkey said, if you're fresh out of mommy and daddy's basement, young, single, and have no real responsibilities, China is a paradise. When you are responsible for more than just yourself (wife, kids, employees, etc.), you just might find that China isn't really the free-ride that you think it is.
You say cynic, I say realist.
Let's face it, China is so great most people who are Chinese and rich leave...
1. there are some habits here that are environmentally friendly. thermal underwear for example, but lots more little things the west should take over, but i cant think of them right now.
2. streets are seemingly safe to walk at night. sorry for the cynicism (seemingly)
3. the benefits of being a first-generation immigrant in a very homogenous society. people have to respect you (albeit grudgingly and with many pathetic, unconvincing displays intended to belittle you). cynicism again - sorry. did i fail already?
4. easy for individuals to start a clandestine business, though once it becomes really profitable it's tricky to gain legal status.
5. i'll finish with "family values": families in china can be severely disfunctional, but they stick together out of necessity. all i did was knock up my young wife, and suddenly relatives i never heard of are pulling together with wedding gifts, baby shower gifts and the funds for a mortgage i couldn't otherwise have afforded.
my mom on the other hand, came to china for a month on our dime, and instead of showing effort for her newborn grandson, just threw a tantrum because her free accommodation and room service was not up to Holiday Hotel standards.
Ok, here's my list of 10 nice things about China.
1. Public transportation is great.
2. Relatively easy to save money for most of us foreigners and a lot of Chinese.
3. Chinese families are very close and supportive.
4. Very little violent crime.
5. If you get to know them, Chinese can be very sacrificial.
6. There is still a lot of opportunity here for most, both foreigners and Chinese.
7. The wide variety of food.
8. Most Chinese work very hard
9. Lots to learn from Chinese history.
10. Overall most Chinese are friendly. If you try you should always find someone to talk with.
The departure terminal bar at the airport 
