Why do Chinese people turn into nutbar lunatics when you put a camera in their hands?
I can think of a million examples, that I have experienced personally... but the most recent one that sticks out, was while I was vacationing overseas earlier this year.
While waiting for the sun to set a bit more, so I could photograph a very small historic church, set on a lake with a stunning mountain backdrop... a bus full of chinese tourists pulls up. They run out, screaming and having a mental breakdown, similar to teenage Beiber fans (essentially killing the serenity of the remoteness of the location). They proceed to take over the site of the church. They CLIMBED the church, clung to the stone walls, clung to the windows and smeared their hands all over the stained glass... they stood in front of it giving peace signs and flexing their scrawny biceps.
I didn't really care, as the spectacle only lasted about 8 minutes before they packed themselves back onto the bus and on to another arena in which to act like headless chickens. But... how in the **** are any of their photos good? Given the setting the church was in, having 30+ people clinging to the stone walls and making stupid poses seems like a sad composition... even more confusing that they all seemed to have Canon 5D's with L lenses to shoot such lunacy.
What's up with that?
I'd ask one of my many chinese friends, but they are all jacked up juice pigs who don't really fit into any of the typical stereotypes, so they don't quite understand it.
LOL
That is a great and I'm sure extremely accurate account of what happened.
I will not venture to explain it other than that it's the product of coming from really different social environments.
What makes young western guys get all drunk and act like fools when they're on vacation over here in China?
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"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
What makes young western guys get all drunk and act like fools when they're on vacation over here in China?
That's easy... they're trying work up the nerve to solicit sex from a 2 out of 10 because all of the 10 out of 10 chinese girls are scattered across Canada's biggest cities.
If they were smart, they'd spend that liquor money and foreign hangover experience on a good hooker and a foreign STD experience.
Nearly all the Chinese people I know who are working in professional positions have English names, and many actually use their English names when communicating with colleagues even though they're speaking Chinese. Also, pretty much all Chinese kids get English names when they start learning English. You'd have a hard time finding a high school student in a major urban centre of mainland China who has an economic/educational standing that might see them capable of emigrating and who doesn't have an English name. Really, you'd be hard to find any with an education that involved any English learning who doesn't have an English name.
The fact that the names are often kind of weird shouldn't really be that surprising though. What would you be called if you were allowed to choose your name when you were 10?
I got my Chinese name as an adult, and it's pretty weird in China.
That's odd. Maybe its the younger generation because all the mainlanders I meet here in Calgary from ages 20-60 in University and in professional jobs all use their Chinese first names "Wei, Jiao, Yi, etc." It's the ones with Cantonese last names that have English first names.
That's easy... they're trying work up the nerve to solicit sex from a 2 out of 10 because all of the 10 out of 10 chinese girls are scattered across Canada's biggest cities.
If they were smart, they'd spend that liquor money and foreign hangover experience on a good hooker and a foreign STD experience.
These views stem from World War 2 when the Japanese military at the time commited many atrocities against the Chinese in China. There is still anger in today's generation of the Chinese, but mostly due to the unwillingness of Japan to admit the crimes and apologize. However, the Japanese did apologize, I believe 3 or 4 years ago for the things they did.
I don't hate Japanese people for crimes their ancestors commited. Having said that, I'm sure you could find other 20-something year olds or even 30 year olds who weren't around to witness said crimes, but will hate the Japanese anyway.
A story:
I was watching DragonBall-Z once with my bestfriend back when I still lived in Calgary when we were around 14 years old. His Grandma came upstairs, saw what we were watching on TV, and proceeded to throw a glass at the TV, breaking the TV and the glass, and screaming at us for watching a Japanese-produced TV show. She was in China during the Japanese occupation so I don't blame her at all.
I'd like to chime in, the Japanese never apologize EVER! They attempted to change their school book to say whatever happened in China during WWWII never happened. Imagine, if the German now deny holocaust ever happen and it's just a myth, what kind of uproar it would be. If you have a chance, go get this book "The Rape of Nanking", it's written by a lady who was born in US, Iris Chang.
For Hellohockeyfans and Bruce, cos I don't think anybody else would understand this. This song was written in response to Japan officially changed their school book on history of the war in the early 90's
I don't hate the Japanese here, I've met a lot of nice Japanese. But I hate what they did, and I hate it more for not admit to it. I apologize if my post sounded like I'm out swinging. Just want to set the history straight, I was raised by my grandparents, and they lived through that horror.
I'd like to chime in, the Japanese never apologize EVER! They attempted to change their school book to say whatever happened in China during WWWII never happened. Imagine, if the German now deny holocaust ever happen and it's just a myth, what kind of uproar it would be.
The Japanese didn't apologize for a lot of things. I think the official terms of the treaty were to apologize for pre-war activity mostly. That means the Rape of Nanking and Unit 731 were never apologized for. I also think both aren't covered in most Japanese textbooks (though I'm going purely by what friends raised in Japan tell me).
Well that may be sad then. The elderly lady I mentioned I have not seen out and about recently. She dresses/dressed quite distinctively and is a well known sight on our main street, where she walked daily.
After visiting China for one month in 2008 a few random questions:
Why does no one read and obey signs? No walking on grass, people on grass. No throwing coins in the fountain, fountain full of coins. No climbing, people climbing on it. In the panda sanctuary, please whisper to not frighten the pandas, grown men yelling at them, children screaming at them.
Why do parents let their toddlers piss and crap in the street? Saw this on numerous occasions.
Why don't people let you off the bus/train? You think the LRT is bad, I had to physically push people out of the way to get off the bus. People were boarding the bus by the rear door (probably to avoid paying fare).
Why does no one form an organized line? McD's for example in Beijing for example. It was similar to trying to get a drink order at a busy bar in Calgary. However, McD's in Hong Kong was more civilized. Maybe the British influence?
Don't get me wrong, I had a great time in China. These are just some funny observations.
Why do Chinese people turn into nutbar lunatics when you put a camera in their hands?
I can think of a million examples, that I have experienced personally... but the most recent one that sticks out, was while I was vacationing overseas earlier this year.
While waiting for the sun to set a bit more, so I could photograph a very small historic church, set on a lake with a stunning mountain backdrop... a bus full of chinese tourists pulls up. They run out, screaming and having a mental breakdown, similar to teenage Beiber fans (essentially killing the serenity of the remoteness of the location). They proceed to take over the site of the church. They CLIMBED the church, clung to the stone walls, clung to the windows and smeared their hands all over the stained glass... they stood in front of it giving peace signs and flexing their scrawny biceps.
I didn't really care, as the spectacle only lasted about 8 minutes before they packed themselves back onto the bus and on to another arena in which to act like headless chickens. But... how in the **** are any of their photos good? Given the setting the church was in, having 30+ people clinging to the stone walls and making stupid poses seems like a sad composition... even more confusing that they all seemed to have Canon 5D's with L lenses to shoot such lunacy.
What's up with that?
I'd ask one of my many chinese friends, but they are all jacked up juice pigs who don't really fit into any of the typical stereotypes, so they don't quite understand it.
I also witnessed a lot of human tripod syndrom in China...
Also the men dress up in suites and the woman in heels and formal wear while they are on vacation. This is at places like a hike up a scenic mountain in the sweltering heat while all non mainland tourist wore more suitable clothing...blew my mind.
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My commute takes me down the path by Chinatown. I often see older Chinese people walking backwards down the pathway. I think they might be facing the direction of the sun? What's the deal with this?
Older Chinese woman with two younger people (boy and girl) come to the pharmacy counter. In very broken English they ask for help to find something. They show me an iPhone screen that has a whole bunch of Chinese writing on it and the English name of a drug. I inform them that it is only available by prescription from a doctor. Like many people from other countries they were first upset with me as they do not need prescriptions for this drug in their country so I should give it to them. Then they beg. I'm trying to explain they could simply go to a walk in clinic nearby, but they are not understanding. I have had quite a bit of success using the google translate app on my Android phone, so I get my phone and start the app. The girl is doing the talking, but the boy is speaking loudly to her in Chinese and seems quite agitated. When I put the phone near her for her to speak, it caught his voice instead as she hadn't spoken yet and the following came up:
"What the #### is the problem? Tell him to do his job"
To which I replied
"goodbye"
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The Maneki-neko (招き猫?, literally "Beckoning Cat"; also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money Cat, or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman), usually made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calicoJapanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning.
Maneki-neko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to ceramic figurines, maneki-neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, and miscellaneous ornaments.
Due to its popular presence within Chinese communities it is frequently mistaken for being Chinese in origin rather than Japanese and is mistakenly referred to as a Chinese Lucky Cat or jīnmāo (Golden Cat).
Thanks kirant. That's funny about it really being Japanese. I know these people are Chinese as I have met their daughter (away at college now) and she told me her parents speak Cantonese .Otherwise, unless they spoke English or I recognize words in the language, how the heck would I know?
Oh, and right paw up means luck and good fortune, while left paw up means money. Just checked out a few online-dang they're so adorable.
Why does no one form an organized line? McD's for example in Beijing for example. It was similar to trying to get a drink order at a busy bar in Calgary. However, McD's in Hong Kong was more civilized. Maybe the British influence?
I noticed this in Canada too. One time in particular, it was uncanny. It was at the airport trying to board a plane. Every non-Chinese person formed a line and every Chinese person clamoured in a big group at the front. The airline worker tried in vain to get them to line-up, but eventually just let the chaos in.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
I noticed this in Canada too. One time in particular, it was uncanny. It was at the airport trying to board a plane. Every non-Chinese person formed a line and every Chinese person clamoured in a big group at the front. The airline worker tried in vain to get them to line-up, but eventually just let the chaos in.
I experienced this all through Asia, not just in China. Typically 10 minutes before boarding, someone will stand up near the gate, then all hell will break loose. Stampede to the front. One flight in Vietnam, they would wave their tickets at the gate agent, like it's a lottery to get on the plane first.
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I experienced this all through Asia, not just in China. Typically 10 minutes before boarding, someone will stand up near the gate, then all hell will break loose. Stampede to the front. One flight in Vietnam, they would wave their tickets at the gate agent, like it's a lottery to get on the plane first.
This happens a lot with Haitians here. For example, everyone else is lined up to get a train ticket (in my case at the TriRail commuter train) from the machine. We leave a polite space behind the person in front of us. The Haitians think that this is an empty space that no one has taken , so blam they just jump right in, sometimes 3 or 4 of them. Makes you feel like a loser for being polite.
I experienced this all through Asia, not just in China. Typically 10 minutes before boarding, someone will stand up near the gate, then all hell will break loose. Stampede to the front. One flight in Vietnam, they would wave their tickets at the gate agent, like it's a lottery to get on the plane first.
In China if you are orderly you will never get on a bus..it's everyone for themselves pushing over kids and seniors is fair game. I had to specifically tell my coworkers that letting women and children go first is actually the norm here and considered polite. They use to storm onto elevators before people got off as well.
