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Posts: 2381

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Q: What do you wish Chinese people moving to your country knew?

Obviously many of these apply to people from any country, but this is a China board so I gotta work China into the question...

 

Here's what I can think of;

 

1. Indoor voice. 

 

2. The aisles in supermarkets are for walking down, not standing in and having a chat to 20 of your best friends while a massive backlog of people forms. 

 

3. Public transport. Here's a great idea; when the bus/train stops, the people exiting get off in an orderly fashion, then the people getting on do so. It's faster, truly, and involves a lot less risk to life and limb and sanity than a mad dash does.

 

4. When you are driving, your car mirrors do not show you everything behind you, there are sections you can't see unless you turn your head. We call these 'blind spots', and if you're driving it's your responsibility to be aware of them. If you cut off someone in your blind spot it's your fault and they'll get somewhat annoyed. 

 

5. Your customs are probably not as incomprehensibly complicated as you think. "It's cultural and therefore too difficult for you to understand" is patronizing. Explain your perspective and background, and people will be interested. Promise.

 

6. Eating only the cheapest and crappiest local food you can find and then complaining about the food makes you look like a twat (the reverse applies to expats in China too, come to think of it). No McDonalds is not our cuisine. You know that's American?

 

7. Yes, it's expensive. We have a strong economy at the moment. That's why you moved here. And if the country starts to struggle, you'll jump straight back on a plane home, right? 

 

8. Yes, the queue applies to everyone and, you need to join at the end. Yes, even if you're in a hurry. Yes, even if think you're special. Yes, even if you don't look at the other people in the queue. Yes, all the time. 

 

9. Yes, we have winter. If you decided to move here in July without researching what the weather would be, that's a failure of planning on your part. 

 

10. Spatial awareness. Please don't stand too close to people. Please don't walk straight into people.

 

11. If there's a system that involves give and take, you shouldn't take unless you're also prepared to give. 

 

12. The country is more racially diverse than you probably expected. No, this is not a problem, so don't complain to me about it. 

 

13. Please learn when bargaining is appropriate. 90%+ of the time, it won't be. 

 

Rant over.

 

Thanks kindly, 

MissA

 

8 years 35 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
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Shifu

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1. I would like them to know that my country is not a place worth moving to. China is the best country in the World, so please don't move out.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 879

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I just wish Chinese people understood that there are reasons why some countries (like Australia) are better places to live than China.

 

Because almost all Australians subscribe to the principles MissA mentioned, Australia has good things. Because Chinese mainlanders don't, mainland China doesn't.

 

The awareness that living conditions are the result of people's behaviour is the primary factor separating civilised humans from mainland Chinese. Chinese people's shit-where-you-eat mentality is the result of their utter disinterest in perceiving cause-and-effect. Without understanding why things turn out the way they do, there is no reason to have principles.

 

Ever since China's most influential philosopher - Yang - said "don't try to benefit society - it's too complicated; instead be an asshole" self-interest has been the sole principle of Chinese behaviour.

 

Excellent post, by the way.

 

Unfortunately, the notion of acting for the benefit of a foreign society is doubly ridiculous for a Yangist.

 

MissA:

Thanks, and I guess your post is a better expressed version of what I mean by point 11, especially. Ultimately, we all benefit by contributing to society.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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You are now lao wai, not the locals.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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No matter how much you crammed or how much you paid to obtain those test scores, you really do need to *speak* English if you want to thrive at university. You also need critical thinking skills. Plagiarism and cheating are not tolerated. Grades are not negotiable.

 

Follow the local laws. They apply to you regardless of who your daddy back in China is. If a cop pulls you over, spouting off about your guanxi back home won't help.

 

Were you a bad boy? Trying  to buy off judges or witnesses in a criminal case is a bad idea.

 

If your dream is to open a Chinese restaurant, please think outside of the flipping box! You don't have to have the exact same dishes and depressing decor as the place down the street. A Yunnan restaurant would make a killing here, but no... It's always pork fried rice, general Tsao, Kung pao, lo mein, egg roll, dumplings, wonton soup blah blah shoot me now.

MissA:

There's a new Yunnan restaurant opened near my work in Sydney and this post made me think of it. Lunch is sorted, thanks!

8 years 34 weeks ago
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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Taxes are used for the services you use daily and to help others less fortunate. I know you cant understand why people would be happy to give such a large portion on their money to the government. This is not China, you can not just take.

You are not smart to do whatever you can to dodge taxes.

No, welfare if not free money just given away to super smart chinese.

And no, you are not clever for waiting until your parents are seniors to bring them over to cash cheques.

You are only a piece of shit.

Yes, I am from Vancouver.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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The sad thing is, I think a lot of the things mentioned above they actually do know, they just don't care.

I'll give the benefit of the doubt for now though and assume people don't know.

 

Most things I don't care about. If some idiot cheats at uni and gets kicked out I don't care, someone tries to bribe a cop and gets thrown in prison or something I don't care. When someone jumps the queue it's annoying but the way I see it they're just humiliating themselves and their country by acting like peasants. 

 

What I really wish immigrants to my country knew (or gave a shit about) is that going to a beautiful beach or national park is fine, but leaving your trash scattered everywhere is not.

If you want to take advantage of the great fishing opportunities and get out there on the weekend good for you, take the kids and have a great time, but rules like releasing undersized fish, and catch limits are there for a reason, it's so our kids and hopefully their grandkids can still go fishing in the future.

 

Chinese seem to have chosen to destroy their own environment and I guess that's their business, but doing the same thing in other countries is not cool.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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come up behind a guy in Texas and blow your horn at him, well, don't be surprised when u wake up in the hospital.

 

 

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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1. Being rich doesn’t make you a better person. Don’t act like it. If you flaunt your wealth, you won’t gain face. You’ll look like a douche.

2. People look different. Get used to it.

3. You aren’t the center of the universe. You are the foreigner, even though locals aren’t going to remind you of that 20 times a day.

4. Related to the above, you know it it feels when people don’t call you “foreigner” continuously, or point out the differences of how you all act in Foreignland? Consider how you would feel if locals would walk up to you and say, “Ni hao!” before giggling, point and stare, or make comments about stereotypes regarding your race/nationality. Tell your friends and family back in China that the former behavior is much better than the latter.

5. The food won’t kill you. You can eat the same as locals, and no, their bodies aren’t different beyond superficial appearances.

6. Public urination/defecation is not allowed, no matter how young. And related, cover your child’s genitals. Please.

7. The rules apply to you as much as everyone else. If you push ahead of a line, you will piss off people.

8. Especially, laws also apply to you as much as everyone else. If it’s illegal to smoke in public buildings, then you can face actual legal trouble. It’s the same with traffic laws, where speeding, driving on the sidewalk, running red lights, etc., will get you ticketed if caught, or even arrested if you put other people’s lives in danger.

9. You can’t bribe your way out of a problem.

10. Headphones aren’t expensive. Use them. If you’re blaring your music or the sound from your movies, people will get annoyed.

11. Most important, and related to most of the above, you are in another country, taking part in another culture. It’s not a “foreign” culture in a “foreign” country. Don’t just dismiss everything around you because it’s not Chinese.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
Posts: 544

Shifu

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1. Being rich doesn’t make you a better person. Don’t act like it. If you flaunt your wealth, you won’t gain face. You’ll look like a douche.

2. People look different. Get used to it.

3. You aren’t the center of the universe. You are the foreigner, even though locals aren’t going to remind you of that 20 times a day.

4. Related to the above, you know it it feels when people don’t call you “foreigner” continuously, or point out the differences of how you all act in Foreignland? Consider how you would feel if locals would walk up to you and say, “Ni hao!” before giggling, point and stare, or make comments about stereotypes regarding your race/nationality. Tell your friends and family back in China that the former behavior is much better than the latter.

5. The food won’t kill you. You can eat the same as locals, and no, their bodies aren’t different beyond superficial appearances.

6. Public urination/defecation is not allowed, no matter how young. And related, cover your child’s genitals. Please.

7. The rules apply to you as much as everyone else. If you push ahead of a line, you will piss off people.

8. Especially, laws also apply to you as much as everyone else. If it’s illegal to smoke in public buildings, then you can face actual legal trouble. It’s the same with traffic laws, where speeding, driving on the sidewalk, running red lights, etc., will get you ticketed if caught, or even arrested if you put other people’s lives in danger.

9. You can’t bribe your way out of a problem.

10. Headphones aren’t expensive. Use them. If you’re blaring your music or the sound from your movies, people will get annoyed.

11. Most important, and related to most of the above, you are in another country, taking part in another culture. It’s not a “foreign” culture in a “foreign” country. Don’t just dismiss everything around you because it’s not Chinese.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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1. That guanxi doesn't work here. Wait, actually, yes it does. If you have enough money, guanxi works almost everywhere. I'd appreciate it if Chinese people would stop cheating in college, and if Chinese girls would stop selling their bodies for good grades. Seen it happen, not fond of it.

 

2. Basic safety education. Seat belts, not keeping plastic bags around babies, being careful while driving, not giving babies things that are choking hazards, and not being suicidally insane without realizing it. Not leaving the gas stove on for several hours without realizing it, not looking over their shoulder when changing lanes, not reading the label on over-the-counter medicine, specifically the part where "doses exceeding 4 in a 24 hour period can cause severe liver damage," not letting babies play with strings, not encouraging your baby to fall back and smash their head against the floor to "impress" people (one of our friends did this; her baby has Down Syndrome - is she trying to get rid of him?), and pretty much every other unimaginable safety hazard that we were taught about since we were kids. The Chinese don't know ANY of them. AT ALL. It's scary.

 

3. Basic hygienic education. Washing hands, not spitting everywhere, not throwing garbage everywhere.

 

There's honestly too much to list, but those three categories are the most important to me.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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That giving/showing respect will get you a lot farther than having face.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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8 years 35 weeks ago
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Back home, the Chinese people I know are mostly model migrants... If there's one thing I would advise to those willing to go to France to study in university : don't cheat about your French level. I saw many students who did that. Sure enough, they were accepted to study in France. But it was not a blessing : the classes are in French, and they understood *nothing* of the lectures, because they could not understand a word of it. A fake/inflated certificate won't replace hard work and the fruits of that work. Many of those students (more than half of those I got to know) struggled for a year or two and went back in China empty handed. So please, ho pretty please, better study the language a good solid year in France, before starting to study in France.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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1. I would like them to know that my country is not a place worth moving to. China is the best country in the World, so please don't move out.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1439

Shifu

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Nothing. I want them to know absolutely nothing and intend to learn as little as possible.

 

Countries opening their borders for money get the pest they deserve.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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Love thy neighbour.

No, it doesn't involve sex. It's about being cooperative and helpful without getting anything directly in return. It's a cultural thing.

You know what? It's too difficult to explain. Just watch others and (for your own sake try to) learn from their example.

Nessquick:

Those days, when mom send me to neighbor at evening for a cup of sugar because she forgot to buy so we have for our morning tea ... Or as we was living in the ground level of an 5 floor "highrise", when water supply shortage came, only we got water, so we supply for people above us in need for a day or two. And It was fine and normal, no one lost face.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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I'd like them to know that they are allowed to interact with the society as it is truely multicultural as an alternative to trying to remain as Chinese as possible. Doing so does not bring happiness. 

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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wish they knew enlish, Canada is official bilingual, French/English. It's shocking how many products also have Chinese written on them, ATM has F/E and Chinese. When did it become an official language??? Why isn't Mohican recognised, first nation language?

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Just when in Rome, do as the Romans do maybe?

Save up all the trouble for those pics and bullitin points.

Also not everyone is the same so those points don't cover everything for everyone.

(I feel bad for being Chinese after I read the posts. Will I get bullied by those aggressive people if I go abroad for being Chinese?)

DrMonkey:

In 5 months in France, my wife never been bullied so far, same for her Chinese friends who stayed longer than that... Hell, one of them felt from her bike and knocked herself for a minute : people helped her to get an ambulance in the minute that followed. No arguing about who pays the ambulance and the doctor... So, no, you're unlike to be bullied for being Chinese. People might assume you are a local, since being Asian and French is like, so common it's boring. You might be called off of you do obnoxious things (say, driving like a suicidal maniac), but that would be for being obnoxious, not for being Chinese.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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SpongeBob:

Cool, so no need to pick up my Chinese kongfu then. 

8 years 35 weeks ago
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ScotsAlan:

Spongebob... you should be saying "when I go abroad", not "if I go abroad" :) And, ha ha, you wont be bullied. But I will say this, when in China I have to adapt my behaviour when doing certain things. Getting on or off busses for example. No option really but to shove and barge. If I done that in the west I would soon be pulled up on it. But every Chinese national I have been with in the UK with has adapted to the "manners" culture automatically. Its a lot more efficient and easier than the pushing and shoving culture here. Another observation... all the Chinese Nationals I know who have spent time in the west now use street bins back in China. Ha ha... the guys I know who work a lot in the UK come back to China and "tut tut" all the time.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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Posts: 127

Governor

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Thought of another one:

If you have children, you better work on socialization. Elementary school students here are expected to share with each other, take turns and keep their hands to themselves. 

 

These days the local schools come down very hard on any kind of bullying or violent behavior.

 

There are some kids who recently immigrated  after spending the first couple years in Chinese schools. While they tend to do well academically, they spend a lot of time in the principal's office. They have no idea how to get along with other children.

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A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77