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Posts: 280

Shifu

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Q: What type of expat do you think is the worst?

There are many different expats here in the Middle Kingdom but I would say most (not all) fall into one of a few common categories:

 

  • Old man with extremely young Chinese wife: carries on as if he's hot shit and doesn't know she's only with him for his money/passport
  • Young adult English teaches here for a good time: usually has little to no respect for anything here, just wants to get wasted for a year or 3 then go back and be serious in his own country, gives us all a bad rep
  • Expat snob: expat who has been here for many years and thinks he/she knows EVERYTHING about everything here
  • Born again Chinese: this is an expat who in his/her attempt to "respect the culture" basically gives up everything they know to be right in order to please the Chinese around him/her
  • Arrogant non-English teaching expat: This expat isn't here to teach English and is oh so offended when you dare accuse him of such, he wants everyone to know he has a "real" job here
  • and lastly, the expat who hates other expats: This expat goes out of their way to make sure you all know that he or she is different from the other "westerners" 

 

I wanna know, which one do you guys think is the worst? While I enjoy meeting other foreigners , there are some who really know how to irk you! These are the main ones that come to mind but I'm sure I'm missing someone, so feel free to add your own. 

 

All opinions welcome! :) 

12 years 22 weeks ago in  Lifestyle - China

 
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Posts: 1318

Emperor

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The expat that take too much advantage of the good thing we have going for us.  The ones that light a joint in the middle of an outside bar or that when drunk force their way into the kitch of McDonald's so they can fix their own food.  

thedude:

Holy crap!! You have seen people do this? That is messed up.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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DaBen:

Yeah I was serious about those examples. Or I've seen an expat just hissing at the Chinese walking by because he was methed out of his mind.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1084

Shifu

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The worst kind of expats are the people who choose to be here but just compain about everything.

dharma86:

complain*

12 years 22 weeks ago
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thedude:

But it's also fun to complain about complainers too.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Expats who thnk they can do whatever they want here without actually working for it. IE, people who want to "get into public relations" yet have no PR experience. Etc.

nevermind:

I should ad that isn't a knock at beufort in the other thread. It's in reference to a stream of idiots I've met her playing pretend.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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beaufortninja:

We must duel.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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lchickman:

I think it's because of the celebrity thing . Same way real celebrities who are famous for one thing start thinking they are all qualified to create clothing lines , products , etc just because they're famous . I guess when people treat you like you're amazing for one thing some people start to think they can and should do anything .

12 years 22 weeks ago
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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 363

Shifu

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the self hating expat.  you know the type. been here a few years and if you say something critical of china  they go on a rant about all the horrible stuff the "west" did. slavery and colonialism being their favorite got to argument for how horrible western people are. usualy married to a chinese girl, and they try their hardest to become a local.  what they dont realise or choose to ignore is that no matter how well they can speak the chinese, how many years they stay in China of how many bottles of baijiu they drink with the inlaws. they are still and always be laowais, never be one of them. 

 

i acctualy know one that is going back to the States with his wife.  after all the bitching about the US he did. and now back he goes. 

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 960

Shifu

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The ones who don't attempt to find at least a little middle ground, who see everthing as black and white. 

 

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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the worst are the ones who come here and nag the schools into implementing policies that only they like  instead of simply shutting up , doing your job, and not worry about if other teachers are teaching their classes the exact same way you are teaching your classes. these are the assholes that come here because they would be run out of any university in their home country. because we all know in our countries we are expected to know our positions and never would you call your collegues, and bosses stupid and expect to have a job tomorrow.

chinese should learn to have self respect and not tolerate subtle insults if a teacher feels that being at a school for 10 years gives her the right to thing she should be running the school , show her a door and set an example, and the school wouldnt have find 10 new  foreign teachers a year. there should be some kind of mechanism in place to get rid of expats who come here thinking they run the company or school better than those in charge and insult them at every opportunity.

Traveler:

I think we have all run into these people before, but generally the schools realise they are all talk, and no real benefit, in a relatively short time. I am very surprised this person has been able to fool the school for ten years, unless of course the ideas have really been beneficial.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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crimochina:

not in the smaller cities, they put up with their BS act out of desperation for keeping foreign teachers

12 years 22 weeks ago
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Traveler:

That's true. Also, with limited exposure to foreigners, they possibly think she is a good leader, based on Chinese principles. A real manager can do the same thing and be accepted by foreign peers.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Those that fall into more than one category. Like the young adult teacher who thinks he knows everything. Or the old man with a young wife, who thinks he's a young adult teacher.

lchickman:

lmao at the old man w/ young wife who thinks he's young. I totally see those, too hahaha they make me laugh!

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For me it's 2 kinds.

The first being the expat (any age) that thinks they are better than all the Chinese, and look down on them and act arrogant and superior, just because of where they are from or any other reason you can think of.  Instead of arrogance they should be thankful of where they came from especially with this new eye opening experience, and show some compassion and humility.

The second being the "born again Chinese" who drink the local cool-aid and believe all things Chinese are the greatest.

It's important to have balance.

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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I hate the expats who were douches in their home countries but reach a new plateau of douchery when they come to China.  Example, I know a guy in the export business who's been here for 4 years or so and he thinks he knows all there is to know about the place. He'll talk your ear off about everything that's wrong with China and then acts insulted when you ask if he hates it. He's pretty much like all the man-children who think China owes them something for traveling all the way here.

DaBen:

Well I've been waiting for years for my Welcome To China gift basket. So they at least owe me that.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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The absolute worst expats I have met in ten years were some members of a binge drinking club at a bar in Nantong, who specialised in sexually harassing and humialiating the local Chinese girls. Strangely enough, Nantong also has the best expats I have met.

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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For me it's the "born again Chinese" because many of them border on split-personality psycho. To their Western buddies they act fairly normal, but once they're around Chinese it's like they transform into a new ass-kissing identity. I know a lot of girls who are like this, not so much men.

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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the expat and visitors that think everybody should speak perfect english

and the ones that have an opinion on everything in china after 1 day

or judge before trying to understand

your plane is now boarding

please dont let the door hit you in the butt as you leave

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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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There are a lot of things that tick me off here but there are also a lot of things I like. I enjoy teaching too. What I can't understand is the expat who has lived here a while, is married to a Chinese girl and still complains loudly to anybody who will listen about the stupidity of Chinese people and all things Chinese. I must be stupid too - I just don't get that!

kchur:

Adapting to the host culture.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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The "China Defender" - they're sort of a combination of the kool-aid drinking guys and the arrogant expat, but way more annoying.  These people think it's their mission to rationalize everything China does and explain it in a positive light - I guess like an unpaid laowai Wumao.  They will try to explain any and everything to you about why stupid things happen here as if they have 3 PhDs in the subject, but their trump card is always "Well, you just don't understand Chinese culture."  This applies to everything from China as a whole (ie, "Why does China think it owns the entire South China Sea even though it's bordered with like 5 other countries and international law states....") to the simplest things (ie, "Why do taxi drivers seem to think any wall is a toilet?")

 

There is ALWAYS an answer, never logical, and any debate seems to end with the "You don't understand Chinese culture."

 

These people annoy me most of all simply because I can't figure out their reasonings or motives for this method of thinking. 

 

 

Jnusb416:

I would assume they have picked this up like a religious zealot with a bible. Do they have any logic either? No, anything that can't be explained is said to be because God said so. Honestly, there are many better things to be zealous about, such as money, or that cat statue that waves to you in every shop. By the way, I agree with you about the taxi drivers. The outside wall of this college is a popular spot for that, of which I walk by to get to my apartment every day.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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TedDBayer:

EEE I think I have China Defender tendencies,, somebody bitch slap me !

12 years 22 weeks ago
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MrTibbles:

No Ted, you're fine. I have no problem with someone defending China when there is an actual reason to defend it.

12 years 22 weeks ago
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12 years 22 weeks ago
 
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