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Q: How has China changed since you first arrived?
This is aimed mostly at the 'long term' (5 years and longer) expats. What ways have you seen China change, since you first arrived.
-The opinion locals have of foreigners went from worship to disdain.
-The pollution has worsened.
-The cities are invaded by dirty, rude waidiren.
-The price of everything has doubled.
- Censorship got worse. More websites are blocked, Weibo posts/blogs disappear more often, etc.
- Several grass root citizen right movement have been dismantled (I kinda though it might be more accepted than in the past)
- A wild crackdown on corruption appeared
- The red tape to get one-year residency is more stream-lined
- Economy slowed down, with some cracks in the real estate market
- Pollution got worse in Suzhou
- My rent went 300 RMB higher in 3 years
- My district have more people, and bad driving habits rose in proportion to the influx
- Increasing resentment of foreigners and general homophobia.
- Increasing rude behaviour.
- Traffic congestion is getting significantly worse.
- Ever increasing consumerism.
- Decreasing opportunities and prospects.
I'm seeing more English teachers come here from non-native English speaking countries to teach. However, I will say that in the the top tier cities you need to be on your game a lot more. Also, the reliance on PPT's, eurgh!
The rent is escalating quicker than general inflation.
People are not as friendly. Most probably because of the past 15 years of foreigners taking advantage of em' and places becoming used to the sight of laowais pillaging their villages.. Who in the US would be like 'Ahh man, there's a new Danish person in our town, let's take him out every day/week to restaurants, ktv and bars AND PAY FOR HIM/HER. Chinese people have wised up to the onslaught of a different foreigner coming here on high wages expected to be treated like a king, they're just not bothered by you anymore.
Visa process is sucking some major ballage right now.
Shit ton of Western food in the supermarkets. Bread sections now have pizza/french sticks. More and more German beer (next step IPA / British Ales), spirits and foreign produced milk. Western brands more prevalent. Also, coffee shops galore.
I'm still trying my hand at different centres and schools and the base English level has improved a shit ton. Especially kids now at Kindergartens and Primary Schools. You're getting a high proportion of the class already well equipped with a good standard of English.
Less and less Chinese friends.
tattoos and the new fade of showing off your belly button. Skirts shorts continue to get shorter. I guess that's why I can't leave.
Lord_hanson:
Sadly here in Tianjin only the fat (i mean really big) girls wear the belly tops.
ScotsAlan:
Yup.
When I first came here on business in 2005 all the girls wore the same. Training shoes, jeans and tee shirt. And of course they all wore the thick tights.
Now every day at work is like going to a fashion show.
Some Chinese has miserable life so they blame foreigners.
Stiggs:
I don't think blaming everyone else for their miserable lives is a new thing.
Only been here 3.5 years but more cars, more traffic, more pollution, more western food options at both supermarkets and restaurants, more foreigners around, higher cost of living, about the same amount of staring
Two things in addition to the previous posts, which are all valid.
1. a lot of spending on infrastructure to develop the country. Fast trains, new subway lines, roads, sidewalks, paved community areas, that type of thing.
2. less random halllooooooooos (in that high pitched girl voice) , I used to hear it most days. People here have matured a little in that respect I think.
