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Q: What free things or perks do you get for being a foreigner?
Sure, we hear stories all the time of being charged more money for stuff. But foreign people also get free stuff or extra perks from being non-Chinese. Just this morning a local in my town bought me break fast wrap because he was glad to meet me.
At my school's canteen the servers give me my food and then charge me two yuan for the food. (I wish they would not do that because it is not their food to give.) At some restaurants I have been given V.I.P cards that cost a few hundred yuan. It certainly helps being respectful to your servers.
In 2007 i lived in Wuhan for a year. Not so many foreigners at that time. For the full year i never paid for a single drink in those bars. Every manager would come. Give his number and ask us to come to his bar if we wanna drink. At minimum a bottle every single time. And we didnt have to do shit. They didnt parade us around. Nothing at all. They just felt it was high level to have us there. Then i moved to Guangdong....and that all went away. Im not a big drinker but when i think back i regret not taking advantage of it more.
Apart from the perks we get from the schools, there's nothing that's really free. I've learnt that when people give you expensive stuff they will expect something in return, perhaps in future. I'd be careful accepting such expensive stuff. People here don't do things for no reason.
Well, it has nothing to do with me being a foreigner, but i have several VERY sexy Chinese lady friends. Every time that they go to the bar, I drink for free.
By principle, I expect nothing and hope for a fair treatment (as an ideal, seldom realized), and I refuse special treatments like getting free shots in bars. I don't like owing people I don't know.
But I must admit the biggest perk of being a "foreigner" is the trust bonus. We don't have to justify or prove what we declare constantly like Chinese do with each other. But heh, we simply don't lie as much as they do.
Gifts from neighbors and friends, invitations for lunch or dinner almost every second weekend from friends. I agree with mike for I am at Wuhan currently and people would ask to visit their gym, shops. I love the Cross Country Jeep Bar and its staff.
The best thing I had during first month, I played badminton for three weeks without paying as I didn't know and the coach didn't ask me either. Now I play their regularly and have made many friends at the court.The coach trained me for free though he charge others 60RMB/hour.
Apart from gifts, some fresh vegs and fruits(paid) and smiles, my employer's surprise for a dinner on my birthday was the best thing I had couple of days ago.
I value the smiles not the materials.
I am very cautious, when somebody say to me: 'You're my friend'!
In US, I would always reply: 'What do you want?'
I'm not looking for 'free', anywhere I am. It makes me really uncomfortable!
I think the service is a big perk. It drives my wife crazy. If we are in a hotel and she calls. 20 min or more if they come at all. If i call, mere seconds later they will arrive. Same goes with many other aspects of the service industry. I know we think service is crap here but compare it to what chinese get and its definatly a big perk
