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Posts: 1098

Shifu

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Q: Has anyone met this kind of crass new rich peasant?

I had the interesting experience this Spring Festival of meeting one of my wife's distant relatives for the first time. All I knew about this guy before was that he had spent some time in prison for mafia ties, has lots of money and the family avoids seeing or talking about him. Well, he was coming over and I was curious to see just who this guy was. At first, he seemed nice enough. He took an interest in my watch and asked me what brand it was - I don't know how to say the brand in Chinese so I just told him what country it was from. He  then showed me his watch and made sure to mention that he spent more than 200,000 rmb on it. During dinner, he brought out 2 bottles of Moutai baijiu and didn't forget to tell everyone that each bottle cost him over 1,000 rmb and that he spent over 10,000 rmb on baijiu during Spring Festival. Shortly thereafter he basically announced that he drives a Range Rover and that his wife drives a Mercedes even though those facts had nothing to do with the conversation and I'm pretty sure everyone aside from me already knew that information  He then congratulated my wife and me on registering our marriage and said he could help us arrange a procession of luxury cars to drive us and our guests around the city when we have our wedding. My wife politely declined the invitation, explaining that we don't intend to drive a bunch of expensive rented cars around town for an hour on our wedding day for us and our guests. He then told me that my wife's family was not as rich as his but that their standard of living was good enough although his was much better (so they have his all-important seal of approval). He then informed us that he would soon buy his son (who was also present at the dinner) an expensive car and that his son would always be rich because of him.  As he was getting ready to leave, everybody tried to stop him from going because he was clearly too drunk to be driving and the police had been conducting sobriety checkpoints. Not too worry, he said because he made his fortune as a contractor for the government and had lots of connections that could get him off any charges. As he left, he made sure to point out his Prada shoes to me and announced that he only wears expensive brands. He then flashed his Hermes belt to me to make sure that I saw the big H on it. He then assured my wife and me that he would buy us a very expensive piece of furniture as a wedding present. 

 

Now, I don't have any problem with people making lots of money and buying nice things but how tacky can you get? I'm not claiming that all rich Chinese are obnoxious crass peasants. I've met others that were quite refined (at least superficially). This guy was a perfect example of a tuhao (newly rich peasant) and the stereotypes that go along with it. Sure, I would appreciate if he buys us something nice for our wedding but he would only do it if he's sure that everyone knows about it to give him face. I mean why buy an expensive Hermes belt when no one can see the big H because your sweater is covering it? Better flash that H so everyone knows you spent thousands of RMB on a belt. Funny thing is, I was surprised that he didn't ask me how much my watch cost or any other invasive personal questions about money but I was informed by my wife and her mother that he really didn't care because he is too self-absorbed about his own wealth to ask the standard Chinese invasive personal questions about finances. 

 

So, any other tuhao stories out there? Have you met one of them up close like this? What was he/she like? How did he/she flaunt wealth like a true peasant? Or have the moneyed Chinese you've encountered had a little more class than this (ex?) mobster? 

9 years 5 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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Nouveau riche. Every country has them.

 

I am old poor, and proud of it wink

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Nouveau riche. Every country has them.

 

I am old poor, and proud of it wink

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
Posts: 548

Shifu

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Come on now. Be fair to ALL the egocentric wealth bastards in the world. There are plenty of them to go around. In America, I have had many run-ins with such people. It is not just a Chinese thing. I think wealthy Americans taught the world how to be Trumped Up Kardapplians. People are people all over the world. Money changes people. And, usually not for the better. It does not matter if you are born with a silver spoon, or you worked 80 hours a week to earn your money. Power, money, and ego destroys a person.

One of my Confusious stories is when someone asked him when he was happiest in life. Confusious ran the spectrum of poverty to wealth. He said he was happiest when he was poorest in his life. Everything he accomplished, like feeding and clothing himself with very little money, gave him pride and self worth. He had daily goals that were achievable. And, it was immensely satisfying to him to achieve the goals of putting food in his stomach.

dongbeiren:

Sure there are obnoxious rich Americans but I would argue that on the whole wealthy Americans handle their money a lot better - now in all fairness that's more a function of the money being old vs. new than American versus Chinese. Not that I think old money is great or anything - pretentious asses who look down on others and live off their family money with a sense of superiority because their family came over on the Mayflower are not exactly useful to society. But they're sure more pleasant to be around than some classless fool spitting and mentioning how much everything he has on him costs. Oh I forgot to mention in the OP that this guy had a 15,000 RMB gold phone that he was bragging about. All class.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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ScotsAlan:

It is different in China. In the place I lived before I came here, you could be in a bar with a social welfare guy on one side and a cash millionaire on the other.  The cost of drinks would be evenly distributed and never ever would the poor guy demand the rich guy pay more.

 

It's a self respect thing.

 

Here, the rich guy is expected to foot the bill.

 

Yeah, there is a subtle difference.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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Robk:


I agree, focusing too much on money causes a unbalance and you can never be happy.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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nashboroguy:

ScotsAlan: In America, there is a political debate in the society about the rich people paying more in taxes so the poor can have more. The same argument is being made in many European countries. So, in a sense, your bar theme, expanded on a greater scale, is incorrect. The poor guy does want the rich to pay more for his beer, while paying for the beer of the poor person.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Can't say if peasant or not, but in one class, a snotty kid brought pictures of his car (wasn't old enough to drive, but got one anyhow) to show to everyone else. He also bragged about wanting to go to Australia, so he'd experience being the richest person in class there.

 

 

RachelDiD:

Haha. So many wealthy Chinese only have the assets to be wealthy IN CHINA. They would be upper middle class at best in countries with higher standards and costs of living.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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MissA:

He'd have to be pretty damn rich to impress people here in Sydney. And even then, if he startsd bragging, people would just call him a wanker.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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when i first came to China, i visited my soon-to-be wife's aunt and grandparents in their house. in a tense moment of being stared at, i uttered the unwise baiting comment: "nice room".
after the "what did the foreigner say?"-interval, i was told that the sweet old granny was telling me the price of their house. one of my first culture shocks from an old "crassy" lady. definitely not the type of culture clash i was bracing myself for.

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Why wear cologne if no one can smell it?

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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My wifes uncle.
Her whole family has money to some extent, but never show it. Im convinced that my FIL is loaded. But he always tells everyone business is bad and hes poor. But when no extended family is around he couldnt care less about money. He didnt even drive. He thought it was useless in the city but this holiday my little brother wanted a car and we went shopping. He didnt give a damn aboit the money. " Mike you know cars, you decide, ill just pay". But once extended family came around the bidget for the car shrank considerably. He ended up buying a Nissan Teana. Funny how they all drive Nissans.

Anyways one uncle sticks out like a huge sore thumb. His money comes and goes, he does some criminal bullshit in Macau, did some jail time for an old rich man and now he has a " god father". I dont understand chinese culture too well in this regard but im sure he sucks old man balls. Hes just the type.

While everyone is overly modest about money, he is flaunting it.

This buddist idol cost a million.

This is poor quality i buy this kind.

The dumbass even publicly ridicules my FIL for being poor when anyone with a brain can see my pops is far richer.

The best part is, hes not rich! He drives a Honda. He owns one apartment in Zhongshan. Every expensive thing he has was given to him. Not earned. The dude is completly oblivious.

It was awsome. On my wedding every single person wore a suit and tie and nice dress. Even the farmer old people. But not him. He wore an Adidas track suit hahaha. Bright yellow. It was half ly family and friends. They didnt give a fuck about saving his face. They called him Adidas to his face.

None of us have seen him since haha

ScotsAlan:

I was looking forward to your answer to this one Mike .

 

Next time I am in SZ I am definitely getting in touch to go for a beer wink

9 years 4 weeks ago
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Eorthisio:

So funny the guy bragging about the cost of his Buddhist idol considering that Buddhism rejects materialism and greed.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

@scots, im sure im in GZ far more than you travel down here. The next time we go see the wifeys family ill hit you up for that pint.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

@Eorthisio, not so funny. The whole Buddist religion in China is screwed like that. I have yet to see anything associated with Buddhism here that you dont have to pay for. They sell people Karma through million RMB donations to pay for more statues. These criminals throw money at those temples for face and for justification that what they are doing isnt so bad and the monks greedily gobble up the blood money. Makes me reaaaly hope there is reincarnation.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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Eorthisio:

Mike, yes I know, well they are Chinese before being Buddhists. Also cults in China, from Buddhism to Christianity, every temples and churches are controlled by the CCP, they follow the Party's line on everything and the religious leaders are appointed by Beijing. The Vatican recently refused to recognize Catholic churches in China because of this.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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dongbeiren:

I'm not surprised that the biggest show off isn't really rich - sounds like he just really feels the need to prove himself. If he was truly loaded there wouldn't be such a need to pretend and seek admiration. 

9 years 4 weeks ago
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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Oh yes I know them very well, in my company most of the students are children of nouveaux riches with Hong Kong or Macau ID but still very "Mainlanders" in their attitudes (the parents).

 

Some of their parents own Rolls Royce, some others Ferraris, they have massive flats but still look and behave like peasants. Most like to remind me how they are angry at some Western countries for closing their "investment for citizenship" programs, because now they are stuck in China, to what I usually answer "What can I say, I'm not a politician", deep inside I am happy that such obnoxious people can't move to most of our countries anymore.

 

The kids are kids, I'm not teaching them myself but they don't seem any different from other kids, I see them playing yoyo and soccer, none of them is like "my dad is rich, fuck you" or think himself untouchable and fortunately because the teachers from Hong Kong are as strict as one can be, you feel their decades of experience, one of them was teaching English to prisoners among them criminals in Hong Kong, he's not afraid of some kids lol.

 

Chinese nouveaux riches are the worst, the bottom of the barrel even compared to nouveaux riches from other countries, they grew up in a society deprived of culture, spirituality or religion, their only value is materialism and the flaunt of wealth that comes with it.

 

Some people in China became rich overnight, so quickly that they had no idea how to compare themselves with others, so they decided that flaunting your wealth around is the way to do it.

 

And they can't understand it whenever other people don't bend to them for being rich, they expect the world to worship them because in capitalist... I mean communist China the only value is money.

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Sounds like a normal Zhuhai resident.

 

Please keep in mind that his 200000RMB watch is most likely a fake, if he paid that amount or not does not matter, what matters is that he thinks it looks like something he can claim was that expensive. 

 

I find very few humble people among the people in the newly built residential towers. Until 30 years ago, Zhuhai had a population of a few, then 1.5 million farmers was let in and the result is everyone is bragging about shit. 

 

Top tip. If you get offered a bottle of drink and the price is mentioned, just say "Nah, I'll pas, don't drink the cheap stuff"

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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My favorite situation is when a Chinese person tells me that they are poor. I look at them and tell them that they are not. They question me why i say that. I them proceed to tell them that they have a new phone, nice clothes, ride an e-bike, probably have cable and internet at home, built a new house, maybe have a car, eat out at restaurants many times, etc. That is not something a poor person has and does. Poor is what their parents and grandparents were in old China. They just do not have the amount of money that they wish they had. They were not able to capitalize on China's growth as much as other Chinese might have. But, they are far from being poor.

diverdude1:

Speaking of true poverty, among the memories that my ex-gf's grandad recounted to us one was about how he used to eat grass and tree-bark when he was a young man living/fighting in Hebei (Hubei?) province. I never forgot that. Nice old fella, really nice, gentle, humble.  I kept wanting to ask him more about those days, the days leading up to and right after a certain fella took over the MK and up thru the CR. But I was new to China and I didn't really know what to ask and I also felt kinda like it wasn't polite to ask and on top of that I thought it probably brought back memories he didn't particularly want to dwell on.  I also tried to get my gf to document it for publication.  But, alas, I lacked follow-through.  

9 years 4 weeks ago
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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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What about the second generation peasant rich...as almost all are.

Like my friend...of a friend...who's parents own a factory and business...he is about 30...recently married to a hot smart fluent English speaking college grad.

She is so awesome he fucks at least 2 girls a week on the side.  He doesn't have a fancy car or anything more than a modest home...no bling...just above average attire...but he parties like a rock star and blows about $100,000 a year gambling....and probably the same for whores and KTV (and invites me out for most of the debauchery and pays).

Who is worse?

 

 

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Haha.

 

Just tell him where you went to school.

Say you sat next to the sons and daughters of the top leaders of China and they were all useless students who clearly only bought their way in.

It will kill him stone dead. Either that or he'll spend the next few years pressuring a family member to the point of a nervous breakdown to end up at Sloan sitting next to some Assad-type creature.

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Met a bunch of guys in the local bar who were bragging about their cars. They asked me what I thought of so many Chinese guys having such amazing cars. I said that it'd be even more amazing if you could parallel park or reverse without the help of a friend.

laowaigentleman:

Did they actually ask you what you thought of Chinese people owning expensive cars?

Talk about having a chip on your shoulder!

 

I'd love to see them try a three point turn. In China it seems a 32 pointer is the norm. All conducted while bellowing into a handheld electronic device loaded with instant messages from equally inept and vacuous people.

9 years 4 weeks ago
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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Dongbeiren. There is a phrase you need to keep especially for this guy. From South Park:

 

"Only a Persian would think that's classy."

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9 years 4 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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He reminds me of that English wannabe girl in that Friends episode. Never thought those people existed in real life until now. 

laowaigentleman:

Not Hyacinth Bucket?

9 years 4 weeks ago
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