Wow...my folks are about same age as you and imagining them to have same open relation with their parents in these kind of things...
...but i'm quessing each case is different and we cannot make generalizations like i did before...
what do you want to know about PRC?
- Thread starter silverpike
- Start date
Wow...my folks are about same age as you and imagining them to have same open relation with their parents in these kind of things...
...but i'm quessing each case is different and we cannot make generalizations like i did before...
Gollevainen said:Wow...my folks are about same age as you and imagining them to have same open relation with their parents in these kind of things...
I have 4 "kids" All adults now....In California where I lived they have a sex/human/race eduction class in the 6th grade. I told them if they did not undertsand anything about the class I would answer them...My ex-wife talked to my daughter about sex. I talked to my sons as need be...Ain't easy but I did it....
You are right ..everyone is different!..
Baibar of Jalat said:
Religious influence is not big on Chinese community. I guess this can be attributed to CPP's Atheism teaching. Family value is still pretty good, thing such as respect for the elders, loyal to your country, be kind to others, and stick up for your friends are still there. In respect to communism, collective farms and government owned enterprises are almost all but disapperaed. Private enterprises composed of majority of the commerce. Property ownership, which is a big distinguishing factor between communism and capitalism, is all private now!
National Day, Labour Day, Chinese New years are treated as nothing but Big vacations times (They get 10 days off for each occation, so I've heard, not like the puny two days off for Christmas, and two days off for New Years you are getting in Canada) How it is celebrated can also show the change, before Chiese New Year used to be a time you spent with your family and you make a bigger dinner yourselves. But now, more and more families are eating out in the restraunts instead of cooking at home, and quite a bit of people use this time to travel instead of the tradition family gathering, etc.
All in all, if you live in the cities, the lives is no different from that of a western capitalist country. If you live in the country side, most people are still poor, but that is not communism, either.
So China is only communism in name!
Aerodriver
New Member
Silverspike
In answer to your question about my thoughts of living in China, yes there are many good things and many bad things. I will list some below. For the bad things please do not think I am country bashing, they are just my opinion from living here, so please do not think I am being personal. When I say China, I am not including HK, Macau and I am going to take Shanghai out of China also, not because like HK it is a SAR but because I have found Shanghai to be so different from the rest of China. (Shanghai is one of my favourite Cities in the world)
My dislikes.
1. I find Chinese cities are dirty. Sometime the sky is not clear for weeks and even when there are no clouds there is so much pollution you do not get a nice blue sky. At ground level the cities are very dusty, and dirty. A lot of buildings have a 2 foot dirt mark around the bottom of them and only on some buildings, government or international hotels etc is this washed off.
2. Spitting, it is so common and I find the habit disgusting.
3. Cheaters. So many Chinese people try to cheat people, especially because I am white and they assume all foreigners (laowei) are rich.
4. The quality of buildings and general infrastructure is poor, even many of the new buildings in the major cities are not constructed to what I would say is a good standard. The showcase building that China likes building are all much better and built to western standards. (Remember not including HK, Macau or Shanghai)
5. I know the history between Japan and understand why Chinese do not like them, but most people really HATE (and I mean hate) the Japanese (including children) and that worry me for the future.
6. Chinese find it very hard to take a criticism and always think they have to defend china. China is not the best and can not be the best at everything, many Chinese need to accept that.
7. Sometimes western history books differ from Chinese history books (not talking about japans history books here) Chinese people need at accept that maybe some of the fact from the western history books regarding China are correct.
8. Pickpockets and beggars and they way children are exploited in this role.
9. I do not have free access to news.
10. The way some parts of even the big cities are so poor. China is a county of have and has not.
11. I feel to my friends I can say what I want, but still feel I need to be careful about what I say when meeting certain people, and even on this internet.BUT ON THE WHOLE, I DO NOT FEEL THAT BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING ME.
12. Paper work and bearacrusey
Great things about China.
1. When you make friends with Chinese people they are very loyal and always want to help you.
2. I hate Chinese white wine, but always seem to drink a lot. The reason is because the culture of drinking at dinner when you go out, or for meetings. I really enjoy this side of life in China.
3. it’s an exciting place to be, the country is changing and being a part of that is exciting.
4. Seeing the pride in a Chinese person when they are talking about the space program or other things.
5. In most areas, apart from pickpockets, you feel safe.
6. Everything is so cheap.
7. Chinese food- the best on earth, and so much more varied than I expected.(although I hate the 4kg's I have put on in weight since being here)
8. Chinese girls, some are so pretty - but I guess that is personal taste.
9. Using a san lun che (3 wheel car) scares the crap out of me when I’m in them but also kinda like a Rolla coaster.
10. Such a varied country, because of my job I get to see lots of it and some parts are very beautiful.
I could probably list about 100 good and bad points. To go from a European country to living in China there are things that are not as good or human rights (I use the term very loosely) that I am used to, and because I am used to the European way I miss them. Sometimes because a Chinese person has never had these things they do not miss them when they go to a western country.
But the bottom line is I choose to live here, so that should say it all.:china: If anyone has specific questions please ask. Oh- and please no country comparisons between what I have wrote about, they are just my personal thoughts.
And to BAIBAR OF JALAT
quote "Britain still is a nation of drunks, highest alcohol death rate in the EU "
I find that saying a country is a nation of drunks and using the sniggering face after it highly insulting to anyone living in Britain and I hope someone from Britain meets you one day and smacks you in the mouth.:nono: We could come up with a bad statistic for every country on earth if we want to.
In answer to your question about my thoughts of living in China, yes there are many good things and many bad things. I will list some below. For the bad things please do not think I am country bashing, they are just my opinion from living here, so please do not think I am being personal. When I say China, I am not including HK, Macau and I am going to take Shanghai out of China also, not because like HK it is a SAR but because I have found Shanghai to be so different from the rest of China. (Shanghai is one of my favourite Cities in the world)
My dislikes.
1. I find Chinese cities are dirty. Sometime the sky is not clear for weeks and even when there are no clouds there is so much pollution you do not get a nice blue sky. At ground level the cities are very dusty, and dirty. A lot of buildings have a 2 foot dirt mark around the bottom of them and only on some buildings, government or international hotels etc is this washed off.
2. Spitting, it is so common and I find the habit disgusting.
3. Cheaters. So many Chinese people try to cheat people, especially because I am white and they assume all foreigners (laowei) are rich.
4. The quality of buildings and general infrastructure is poor, even many of the new buildings in the major cities are not constructed to what I would say is a good standard. The showcase building that China likes building are all much better and built to western standards. (Remember not including HK, Macau or Shanghai)
5. I know the history between Japan and understand why Chinese do not like them, but most people really HATE (and I mean hate) the Japanese (including children) and that worry me for the future.
6. Chinese find it very hard to take a criticism and always think they have to defend china. China is not the best and can not be the best at everything, many Chinese need to accept that.
7. Sometimes western history books differ from Chinese history books (not talking about japans history books here) Chinese people need at accept that maybe some of the fact from the western history books regarding China are correct.
8. Pickpockets and beggars and they way children are exploited in this role.
9. I do not have free access to news.
10. The way some parts of even the big cities are so poor. China is a county of have and has not.
11. I feel to my friends I can say what I want, but still feel I need to be careful about what I say when meeting certain people, and even on this internet.BUT ON THE WHOLE, I DO NOT FEEL THAT BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING ME.
12. Paper work and bearacrusey
Great things about China.
1. When you make friends with Chinese people they are very loyal and always want to help you.
2. I hate Chinese white wine, but always seem to drink a lot. The reason is because the culture of drinking at dinner when you go out, or for meetings. I really enjoy this side of life in China.
3. it’s an exciting place to be, the country is changing and being a part of that is exciting.
4. Seeing the pride in a Chinese person when they are talking about the space program or other things.
5. In most areas, apart from pickpockets, you feel safe.
6. Everything is so cheap.
7. Chinese food- the best on earth, and so much more varied than I expected.(although I hate the 4kg's I have put on in weight since being here)
8. Chinese girls, some are so pretty - but I guess that is personal taste.
9. Using a san lun che (3 wheel car) scares the crap out of me when I’m in them but also kinda like a Rolla coaster.
10. Such a varied country, because of my job I get to see lots of it and some parts are very beautiful.
I could probably list about 100 good and bad points. To go from a European country to living in China there are things that are not as good or human rights (I use the term very loosely) that I am used to, and because I am used to the European way I miss them. Sometimes because a Chinese person has never had these things they do not miss them when they go to a western country.
But the bottom line is I choose to live here, so that should say it all.:china: If anyone has specific questions please ask. Oh- and please no country comparisons between what I have wrote about, they are just my personal thoughts.
And to BAIBAR OF JALAT
quote "Britain still is a nation of drunks, highest alcohol death rate in the EU
"I find that saying a country is a nation of drunks and using the sniggering face after it highly insulting to anyone living in Britain and I hope someone from Britain meets you one day and smacks you in the mouth.:nono: We could come up with a bad statistic for every country on earth if we want to.
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Well A guestion popped my mind (and this isent only for china, Other cultural areas representatives can also answer from their own halv)
Does the concept of sauna (using of steam in bathing), appear in chinese/asian culture, and what are the general traditions of bathing in there?
Thougth we finns claim the Sauna as our own (the word Sauna, nevertheless is pure finnish), Its quite common in Russia too, and also in middle east. Other scandinavia have inherited Sauna from viking days, from east...or from us finns
(so when ever you spot a sweden claiming sauna as their own invention, you know he is lying, or replacing a national feeling of inferiority
joke, joke no harm taken )
So the sauna surely is 'eastern' concept, but wheter this is unique gift from finno-ugric people to the world or typical eastern phenemmenon, I dont know. So does it root as far as to china? Or to any miniority culture in china??
And thats not even truth. yeas, britons migth score in the statistics, but i think we finns would take that tittle to our own, as will russians.
Does the concept of sauna (using of steam in bathing), appear in chinese/asian culture, and what are the general traditions of bathing in there?
Thougth we finns claim the Sauna as our own (the word Sauna, nevertheless is pure finnish), Its quite common in Russia too, and also in middle east. Other scandinavia have inherited Sauna from viking days, from east...or from us finns
(so when ever you spot a sweden claiming sauna as their own invention, you know he is lying, or replacing a national feeling of inferiority
joke, joke no harm taken )So the sauna surely is 'eastern' concept, but wheter this is unique gift from finno-ugric people to the world or typical eastern phenemmenon, I dont know. So does it root as far as to china? Or to any miniority culture in china??
And thats not even truth. yeas, britons migth score in the statistics, but i think we finns would take that tittle to our own, as will russians.
bd popeye said:
Well i did know about these things from a older neighbour boy, I think, when I was 6 or 7 years old...still cannot imagine my parents of saying or telling it to me....not even today...
and then it has been constantly arround in the media so I quess nowadays children in the west (or att least in US and Finland as we share the TV program population, in oneway manner thougth
)Dont have to do more than open a TV, watch it for one day, whitout their parents noticing it, and voilà...
Another thank you to Silverspike for his on going recollections. I certainly look forward to reading more.
This time however, I would like to say hello to AeroDriver.
I notice you are an Airline Pilot and am curious as to who you fly for? Is is a International Haulier or an Internal Chinese Carrier?
My experience of China is restricted to Hong Kong/Guangdong where I have family, so can claim no knowlege of the Central and Northern Parts.
One thing I always notice straight away when I arrive (I am partly curious as to whether or not you have been in PRC long enough to start accepting this as normal) is the tremendous energy and buzz you feel as soon as you step out of the Airport. I cannot ever remember feeling anything like it here in the UK.
Conversely when you visit Europe (are you a Brit?) are you struck by how slow everything seems?
Broadly much of what you say concurs with my own experience, both the good and the bad. I do tired of the beggars and street hawkers (Hello boss you buy watch, you buy DVD)
I also agree about a lot of the new build housing. I remeber a couple of years back been show around a brand new Luxury Estate just outside Dongguang, by a sales girl who was totally oblivious to the fact the the Bathroom Tap had sprung a fountain like leak and was flooding out the entire appartment.
I kknow what you mean about Big Brother too. I have sometimes wished that this "Police State" would sometimes provide a few more Police.
Finally, if you have any thoughts or observations on the development of China's Air Travel Industry, I would be very interested to hear them.
Cheers SPV
This time however, I would like to say hello to AeroDriver.
I notice you are an Airline Pilot and am curious as to who you fly for? Is is a International Haulier or an Internal Chinese Carrier?
My experience of China is restricted to Hong Kong/Guangdong where I have family, so can claim no knowlege of the Central and Northern Parts.
One thing I always notice straight away when I arrive (I am partly curious as to whether or not you have been in PRC long enough to start accepting this as normal) is the tremendous energy and buzz you feel as soon as you step out of the Airport. I cannot ever remember feeling anything like it here in the UK.
Conversely when you visit Europe (are you a Brit?) are you struck by how slow everything seems?
Broadly much of what you say concurs with my own experience, both the good and the bad. I do tired of the beggars and street hawkers (Hello boss you buy watch, you buy DVD)
I also agree about a lot of the new build housing. I remeber a couple of years back been show around a brand new Luxury Estate just outside Dongguang, by a sales girl who was totally oblivious to the fact the the Bathroom Tap had sprung a fountain like leak and was flooding out the entire appartment.
I kknow what you mean about Big Brother too. I have sometimes wished that this "Police State" would sometimes provide a few more Police.
Finally, if you have any thoughts or observations on the development of China's Air Travel Industry, I would be very interested to hear them.
Cheers SPV
Aerodriver,
Most things you said are truth, and it is nice to hear from a western who live in China. But I do have different opinions about somethings you said, don't take it as offense.
1. Yes, I do think a lot of cities are dirty, and sky is cover by pollution espeacially in the industrial cities in North. But I do not think shanghai, HK, macau are best, I would say that Dalian, chengdu, wuhan, Qingdao, Hangzhou and Xiamen are just as good or even better. I love Hk, but I would say the pollution there is worse off than most chinese cities.
2.Spitting is disgusting but China is not the only country have this problem.
3.Agree, but they do not only cheats White, my dad is native of Fuzchou but also was cheated few times when he was there few months ago. I think it is whether common pratices to take advantages from people who did not lived in the area.
5. A lot of Chinese hate Japan, but I don't think these will be going out of hand. The relationship between China and Japan are very complicate, these kind of dislike increased after Japan PM visited to the shrine.
6. No nationalists will take critising easy, I have friends who will jump to defend their coutries(Russia, Koera, Japan vietnam, British and others), and I do not think chinese is the best whether we are one of the bests .
7. Well, I do agree the Chinese history education policy is not perfect, but since I have the prestige to have education from China, HK and US. I would conclude that every one of them are bias. When you said that Chinese should accept facts from Western history book, I would strongly disagree. Because the western history books are also tried to hide many facts from their people, and they also promoted their own national ideaology. Why should Chinese took the western point of views about their history as facts, I doubt you could say that the Westen history book is unbias.
Most things you said are truth, and it is nice to hear from a western who live in China. But I do have different opinions about somethings you said, don't take it as offense.
1. Yes, I do think a lot of cities are dirty, and sky is cover by pollution espeacially in the industrial cities in North. But I do not think shanghai, HK, macau are best, I would say that Dalian, chengdu, wuhan, Qingdao, Hangzhou and Xiamen are just as good or even better. I love Hk, but I would say the pollution there is worse off than most chinese cities.
2.Spitting is disgusting but China is not the only country have this problem.
3.Agree, but they do not only cheats White, my dad is native of Fuzchou but also was cheated few times when he was there few months ago. I think it is whether common pratices to take advantages from people who did not lived in the area.
5. A lot of Chinese hate Japan, but I don't think these will be going out of hand. The relationship between China and Japan are very complicate, these kind of dislike increased after Japan PM visited to the shrine.
6. No nationalists will take critising easy, I have friends who will jump to defend their coutries(Russia, Koera, Japan vietnam, British and others), and I do not think chinese is the best whether we are one of the bests
.7. Well, I do agree the Chinese history education policy is not perfect, but since I have the prestige to have education from China, HK and US. I would conclude that every one of them are bias. When you said that Chinese should accept facts from Western history book, I would strongly disagree. Because the western history books are also tried to hide many facts from their people, and they also promoted their own national ideaology. Why should Chinese took the western point of views about their history as facts, I doubt you could say that the Westen history book is unbias.
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Baibar of Jalat said:
Short answer: "Do whatever that seems to work"
Long answer: IMO the PRC government still follows Deng-era's "Socialism with Chinese charactertistics", to look for practical solution rather than political ideology. Quote:
"There are nearly 200 countries in the world with a population of more than 5 billion. There should not and cannot be only one mode of development, one concept of values and only one type of social system in the world due to differences in historical conditions, social systems, development levels, cultural traditions and concepts of values."
So rather than banging your head on Marxism, Deng believed that everyone should develop their own solutions based on what works. The purpose of socialism is to eliminate poverty, and staying poor ("pauperism") is not socialism.
KYli said:
You can have 2 persons agree to a "historical fact", and have completely opposite views on it. This kind of debate is impossible to resolve, except maybe agreeing to disagree.
In the US, the education/academia tends to lean to the left ("liberal bias"). I attended HS in the US and can only think of 1 teacher who was a "right winger". Most of the others are definately on the left and pro-socialist/government subsidies. As matter of fact I just had an e-mail exchange with my old HS teacher on the importance of "money management education" to HS students. This was her comment:
As far as "personal money management" goes, this is a great idea, as long as you are indeed upper-middle class, 5-6 figure income, well-educated, and have the requisite "personal money" to manage! Unfortunately, this is NOT the description of the majority of our country, urban, suburban and rural citizens. You need to get out of Orange County for a while and see how the real world lives!
@_@ I'm sure most of you would realize teaching money management skills to HS students is to prepare them for the future, and definately not intended as a solution to ADULTS that are already in poverty. Yet she rabidly shift toward the urban/rural poor and calling them the "majority of our country" as the "real world" like a starved seagull diving after a clam on the beach.
Now imagine what kind of "history" education she gives to her students. LoL. You can give 2 teachers the EXACT SAME textbook, and get completely different teachings from them.
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Aerodriver said:
Although I am a chinese, I have to agree with you on these. Most northern
Chinese cities are dirty and dusty, especially Beijing. I remembered when I first came from Wuhan (a southern city) to Beijing, I felt so disapointed. In about half a month, I could not see a blue sky. I had to wipe off my desks and computers almost every day in Fall because of the dusts.
The spitting, huh, I hate this. It is so disgusting. I once read some articles
saying it is actually related to the heavy air pollution in northern china. Breathing such air will quickly make your throat feel dry and uncomfortable, and the result is spitting. I once met a guy who is a regular racer at Seattle. He told me he once lived in Beijing for a short time and he just could not run over there because of the air pollution. He resumed his regular practices only after he moved out of Beijing.
I really wish our government could do something effective to the environment pollution.
One thing to learn is Bargain. Always bargain unless you shop at mall. Cut to half at least, or quater sometimes. Bargain is one thing a person have to learn if he lives out of western countries. It is NOT unique to China.Aerodriver said:
Personally, I do not think they are really cheaters. They just assume you will negotiate on prices. They know nobody will buy at the price they ask.
I have mixed feelings about this. Sometimes I think United States has more paper work and bearacrusey than China. In China, sometimes the government can be very efficient, I guess that is one advantage of "non-democracy"? If you know the right people, sometimes a phone call can solve all problems instanteiously. In U.S, everything has to go to the normal procedure, tons of paperwork and then wait for three years without a word. Anyone here has dealed with USCIS before? I guess you know what I mean.Aerodriver said:
However, I do feel fairness in U.S though, maybe that's the good thing.