The place to ask China-related questions!
Beijing Shanghai Guangzhou Shenzhen Chengdu Xi'an Hangzhou Qingdao Dalian Suzhou Nanjing More Cities>>

Categories

Close
Welcome to eChinacities Answers! Please or register if you wish to join conversations or ask questions relating to life in China. For help, click here.
X

Verify email

Your verification code has been sent to:

Didn`t receive your code? Resend code

By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook
Sign up with Email Already have an account? .
Posts: 9192

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Q: Do all Chinese snoop in your stuff?

I wonder how much of my stuff my girl friend and others go through. Usually I won't care, but when we went to Thailand I took pictures with signs in them,, the arrow to Hong Kong, airport signs. I know that if it comes to proving I've had a relationship with her for a visa, pictures help. I told her this. Later I discovered she had been looking at my pictures and deleting any she didn't like and it was alot. So I explained that the pictures were mine and once deleted they could not be replaced. They capture a moment in time, something to remember and please never do this. She said she wanted me to have pictures of her that looked good. I wonder how much of my stuff she goes in.

Once in awhile I notice some small things missing.  I know they haven't been misplaced because they are things I have but not use. I caught one of my Chinese guy friends quickly closing my closet once when I came out of the washroom. Now I don't trust him. He snoops in my frig etc when I am looking. Is this snoopiness a common Chinese trait or just with the ones I know?

11 years 44 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
Highest Voted
Posts: 3837

Emperor

2
2
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

i invited a couple of foreign friends and the chinese girl-friend back for an evening. The foreigners just glanced around the living room, as you do when you are in a new place, before sitting down. I had tidied the place up, putting all my work related stuff in out of the way. The girl-friend proceeded to look through everything thoroughly, commenting as she did so. It's strange when this happens especially in this intrusive way. Made me decide to remove all work related things before the next visit.

crimochina:

i really wonder if they do this when visiting the home of another chinese person. it is really odd to watch them work up a sweat trying to go through as much of your stuff, as humanly possible. 

10 years 37 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
10 years 37 weeks ago
 
Answers (13)
Comments (5)
Posts: 458

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

This is definitely one of the things it takes some getting used to here. From your desk at work (if unlocked), to inviting friends over to your place -- shit! they're nosey. The one that irks me some days is people looking in my carrier bags to see what the white man eats. One day I'm putting a dead baby in there.

TedDBayer:

road kill is easier to get

11 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2536

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Ted...same thing happens to me with the gf and pictures....it drives me nuts and I finally gave her shit after this happened for the 100th time...I have sooo little pictures of her and us because she didn't like them and deleted them before I could say no.  I had to tell her the same thing you did...I don't care if it's not a great picture or your not wearing make-up.  I had to re-assure her that I would only show friends the good ones and keep the rest on my computer only.

As for snooping...nope...I haven't experienced this at all besides her checking my phone and computer for messages from other girls.

 

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1718

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Man I never noticed that.  My girlfriend snoops on my pc but obviously thats for other reasons....

 

I wouldnt trust him either if it was me.  get some new friends, ones that aren't shady

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2409

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Normally, I only get snooped by the locals when I am shopping.  The things in my shopping cart tend to be great objects of interest/discussion.

 

At my home, it tends to be foreigners that snoop more than the locals do.  The foreigners always seem to want to either compare or see what I use as a product for "X".  

 

Either way, I don't mind snooping as long as it is not too intrusive.  I think it is all part of the natural curiosity process.

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2253

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I think it's just part of that nonexistent personal space. There might be more curiosity because you are foreign (or in this case because she is your girlfriend) but they also do it to their friends. Their friends don't seem to have a problem with it, so they probably figure it won't be a big deal with you either. Honestly, back home, we have huge personal space bubbles that most other countries don't have, or at least their bubbles are much smaller. Obviously if someone is taking something, that's not ok. You'll either have to deal with it, or if it's someone you know, you can try explaining that it bothers you. It might not stop them though.

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1630

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I have 3 students who come for a class twice a week. They are the worst! I have to hide everything or they will eventually get into it. They are always saying, "What's this? What's this?" It's exhausting! If they weren't paying so much I would cancel the class in a heartbeat.

Jnusb416:

That reminds me of a student/friend I have. Everywhere we go, she's always touching things, picking things up. I keep telling her not to do that, but every new place we go, same thing.

11 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2604

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

If you're saying that they are theives then for sure they could be looking to take something of value to you. If they know you are richer then them and they can take what you have and sell it they might just do that. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.....Don't be surprised to see more of your valueables swiped from right under your nose in the next couple of months if you're not smart enough to lock your possessions up somewhere.

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3025

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I would say all the time from my experience locally.  They do come to the apartment during a visit, and more frequently on the first ones, will snoop everything they can think of, opening doors, drawers, bags, etc.  Nothing is safe from their curiosity.

I honestly do not care, I do have a safe at home, and all my valuables are in there, and the key hangs from my neck.

It is natural for Chinese to be curious to an extreme.  Why do you think you get stared at so much ?.  anything could happen on a street, and within seconds you will see 30 or 40 persons standing and looking at whatever is going on.

I do have an electronic translator.  If I pull it out to use it, everyone around me leans to see what I am writing on it.  It is totally natural for them , so better get used to this.

Report Abuse
11 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1153

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

instinct

Report Abuse
11 years 43 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3318

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Chinese women seem terrified of the idea of a photo of them out there in which they don't look good. 

 

My friends and I have a game where we try to get candid shots of my wife before she strikes a pose. It's fun. 

TedDBayer:

Women seem to take getting their picture taken seriously, I have to hold the camera at her eye level and she has her poses. I've noticed Chinese women on POF have pics done in makeup, they look great and then they post pics of what they really look like,,night and day.

11 years 43 weeks ago
Report Abuse

mike168229:

That game sounds a tad creepy.

10 years 37 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
11 years 43 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3837

Emperor

2
2
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

i invited a couple of foreign friends and the chinese girl-friend back for an evening. The foreigners just glanced around the living room, as you do when you are in a new place, before sitting down. I had tidied the place up, putting all my work related stuff in out of the way. The girl-friend proceeded to look through everything thoroughly, commenting as she did so. It's strange when this happens especially in this intrusive way. Made me decide to remove all work related things before the next visit.

crimochina:

i really wonder if they do this when visiting the home of another chinese person. it is really odd to watch them work up a sweat trying to go through as much of your stuff, as humanly possible. 

10 years 37 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
10 years 37 weeks ago
 
0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

No personal space combined with curiosity, which can be extremely exhausting.

The most noticeable thing that girls did when they came to my place was opening the fridge to check thoroughly what's inside and then just close it after the inspection.

And when I come back from food shopping on my scooter, people in my community always peek at what's inside the bags with absolutely no shame. I am not even white, dammit!

Report Abuse
10 years 37 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1263

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

One thing that really bothered me in my local supermarket.

Standing in line with my little basket, I would quite often see a hand delve into what I had. I would whip around and there would be some old/middle aged person calmly regarding what they had taken out of my basket then just as calmly replacing it. Like that was cool.

I was not amused.

The third time it happened I put my basket down and left.

Report Abuse
10 years 37 weeks ago
 
Know the answer ?
Please or register to post answer.

Report Abuse

Security Code: * Enter the text diplayed in the box below
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <p> <u>
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.

More information about formatting options

Forward Question

Answer of the DayMORE >>
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