What's it like living in China for the past 6 years without going back home ? Ask me! PART 1

reply to post by crackerjack


hey, crackerjack
I'm a Chinese, and your post gets my attention for sure. It's interesting to read your views of China according to your near 6 years' experience. I agree with you on the large part of it.
Generally speaking, Chinese are utilitarian, caring much for reputation and profits, not only in business-circles but also in scholar-circles,and that's nowadays why there are so few achievements of Chinese researchers in the world;
Chinese society is very complex, but on the other hand, it's also simple, for you can handle almost everything with money and power and relationship, except what can arouse popular indignation or threaten the sustainability of the communist regime.
However, there are still some overlooks I can point out.
Wines do play an important part in building social relationships in China, including business. Because we Chinese show trust, respect and friendship through drinking. However all behaviors and words are just external form,
which can be sincere or hypocritical, and in Chinese culture, the internal part is the most important and hard to pretend for a long time. So it's pity not having drunk with a sincere Chinese friend, and the language does build a wall between westerner and Chinese.
If you can make Chinese friends who are still learning and practicing Chinese traditional culture, having a faith like Confucianist, Buddhist,Taoists etc.., you'll get more insights of the other part of Chinese people.

Looking forward for your other parts & Best wishes for you in China~

So nice, I am used to do business in Japan... It is completely different to the chinese business. Chinese always want to cheat on you and you have to be direct, but in Japan it is the other way round. They always feel sorry on an honest level, because they are scared to lose their face in front of another business man, even though drinking is common too.

Interesting thread with interesting insights.

My father spent about two years in Beijing about 4 years ago. Sounds like what you've stated falls in line to his experiences. A real shock to the system for a westerner.

thats kind of sad, the part where you get old. In the US, at least they have several options, social security
pays for you, even free health care at that age, help with housing as well. Theres lot of options out there, the problem is actually knowing what they are, some options are hidden actually, just need to search. Social security actually
pays off in the end, if you worked your life in the US though. My uncle still recieves SS ( around 2000$ monthly)and works still, kinda sad. Considering living conditions around here, its actually cheap, unlike New york housing.

Even if you become disabled, the US will send checks monthly as well, this can easily be abused by many
and I do many, most people that dont want to work min wage jobs, they take advantage of this route.

I'm glad my parents live here in the US.

reply to post by crackerjack


Great post and much in line with my observations. I did not spend nearly as long as you did there, and I was a student so I understand the difference between the foreign face and the real China.

I have to admit that l struggled to adjust for a while, the constant attempts to rip foreigners (me) off were getting frustrating and I got into some big arguments over blatant rip offs which drew large crowds. Inevitably it is pointless arguing when that happens and you just have to walk away.

My dawning moment of understanding came when I was waiting for a bus and I saw a bunch of peasants arrive on a bus from the country. They had no idea what was going on and they were swarmed by opportunists looking for some easy marks. It crystallised in my mind that it wasn't about me being a foreigner, China is a hard place to survive, let alone get ahead, and they will walk over anyone that they can in business.

reply to post by crackerjack


what a load of jingoistic rubbish from an aussie of all people so, let's get this straight 'crackerjack', all chinese businessmen are out to use you and all market sellers want to fleece you? maybe they just don't like you and your paranoid xenophobic generalising way. ever thought of that?

reply to post by crackerjack


What baggage? If you don't mind me asking...

You are right about business with a person in China. They will come off and be "your friend". I currently do business with a manufacturer there and they surely do like to treat you nice and yes relationships are important to them only because they want your money. Long story short i got somethings made from the first China supplier and it was nice. 2nd time i wanted to shop around for a better price so i found another supplier who can make the same things for $175 less.. so i went with him. So i told the 1st supplier that i found a cheaper manufacturer then him and that i went with him instead. So i let him know and let him know that his prices are cheaper then him. So the 1st supplier asked me how much am i getting things made from the 2nd supplier? So i low balled the price a lil bit more so at the end the 1st supplier agreed he can make it for the low ball price i gave him. Now after my business is done with the 2nd supplier i will go back to my 1st supplier for a lower price then the last LoL. I Win. sofar

btw: yes i keep in contacts thru my emails and be very direct about everything and it works.

A few years ago I was doing business with a company in China. I had about 100 Chinese employees that were dedicated to producing a product for us and providing related services. Their representative maintained a office in the states and was always at our beck and call. I remember calling him one day about a major problem. He immediately told me that he would set up a conference call with his office in Beijing. Mind you it was 2 pm here in Central Florida so it was about 2 am there. I expressed my concern about waking up the team there and he said, "No Problem, they sleep at the office".
Well, we got the problem solved but I was very concerned about the working conditions for the Chinese team we were using. After some investigation I found out that they worked and slept at the office and traveled home for 1 month a year. When I talked to others in the same business I found out that this is quite common.

I can vouch for how important the social element is for Chinese businessmen. While we were doing business with them I was getting a box of Omaha Steaks delivered to my office every month. I can't tell you how many times I heard the expression, "We become good friends!" The US rep would take great pride in bringing his family members from China to the US for a visit to our company and tell them what great friends we were.

Thanks for your post. It was interesting and refreshing.

When did you learn the language? Did you learn while living in China or did you study before?

Also have you ever become suspect of being a spy? Are you concerned about it?

And one more for now, since you said your family is Chinese, when you do come home will you be able to get a visa for them? How easy/hard is it to get one?

Opps one more, you said that much of the junk that they manufacture is slated to go to the EU, so what countries specifically do they send to the most? You know Americans have this idea that most of their business is with the American consumers and that they owe us a debt of gratitude for it, that if we just boycotted buying Chinese made goods that it would sink the Chinese economy.

Also what do the Chinese people think of westerners and how safe is travel to the country now verses 6 years ago?

reply to post by


1ness

Wines do play an important part in building social relationships in China, including business. Because we Chinese show trust, respect and friendship through drinking. However all behaviors and words are just external form, which can be sincere or hypocritical, and in Chinese culture, the internal part is the most important and hard to pretend for a long time. So it's pity not having drunk with a sincere Chinese friend, and the language does build a wall between westerner and Chinese.

A Very True Statement, Yes, Wine and Beer in the North are a very strong factor in socializing and business in China.

What about the political and religious aspects of the culture do you see that differs from America?

Is everything as oppressed and controlled as people are always saying?

I even heard there were mobile death vans for dissidents and abortions.

What do you say of all this?

reply to post by crackerjack


And this is different from the post crash US how?

Originally posted by sdocpublishing
What about the political and religious aspects of the culture do you see that differs from America?

Is everything as oppressed and controlled as people are always saying?

I even heard there were mobile death vans for dissidents and abortions.

What do you say of all this?

it is all true 'sdocpublishing'. death vans are very much like ice cream vans in america but instead of ice creams they deal out death. every night they play their disney-inspired jingles and then when someone approaches them masked men jump out and shoot them. it is all so common that people are not even suprised when they get killed. however, on the down side not that many people buy ice creams anymore in china

reply to post by crackerjack


Why so many exclamation points! After a while, it gets in the way of your story! Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine adds them to a book she is editing and gets in trouble...for it!

reply to post by aLLeKs


Haha, thats a good one, from your post I gather you have no experience with Japanese culture at all.
Honne & Tatemae, anybody? Lots of generalizing here... from my experience, it usually depends on oneself.
This thread seems a bit frustrated^^

I went to Beijing on a business trip a little while ago. The people I met at the office there are employed by the same European company that I work for.

I was very well received. They all seemed like honest and nice people to me. Really nice and honest, actually. They took me to lunch every day, to a Karaoke bar, and more. However, they never told me "we are so good friend", and never asked for anything back.

They were genuinely nice and honest. I'm the first to discover if someone is being dishonest, or treating you nice to gain something of their own. But no.

So, my experience is the opposite of yours.

Originally posted by sweetooth

Originally posted by sdocpublishing
What about the political and religious aspects of the culture do you see that differs from America?

Is everything as oppressed and controlled as people are always saying?

I even heard there were mobile death vans for dissidents and abortions.

What do you say of all this?

it is all true 'sdocpublishing'. death vans are very much like ice cream vans in america but instead of ice creams they deal out death. every night they play their disney-inspired jingles and then when someone approaches them masked men jump out and shoot them. it is all so common that people are not even suprised when they get killed. however, on the down side not that many people buy ice creams anymore in china

edit on 9-10-2012 by sweetooth because: i am dyselxic

Hey Sweetooth, you are cracking me up

Some Americans need to get out more, really! Their idea of the world outside America is so hilarious, the questions I have been asked like 'where do you come from?' London, England 'oh and what language do they speak there?' and now I read, do they follow you in China? If only they knew!

For everyone, there is good and bad in China like everywhere else. It has some of the most beautiful and disgusting sites you will ever see. It has some of the most beautiful and disgusting people you will ever see.

Personally, I love China, I prefer the North to the South but beware there are pretty girls that will wait outside your hotels in many cities just waiting to fleece you! I saw one businessman crying his eyes out a few months ago because he went out for a drink with a pretty girl he met outside his hotel and it had cost him $5,000, he was forced to put it on his credit card and now had to face his wife, when he went home after his trip!

However, I have also, on the other hand, met some wonderful Chinese people who will stay in my heart and memories forever!

Oh and only eat the rice that is white, never eat the yellow rice or taste the yellow ice in Harbin, you have been warned!