Living in China

[HelloHockeyFans]

I think the expat community is great for single people who at first, want to find people they have something in common with. All my friends who work in China are expats and they all socialize mostly (probably 80%) with other expats.

It's kind of a neat thing though - to be all the way on the other side of the world and meet people from North America or even the same city. Bonds are formed quickly and it helped a lot of my friends get settled into a new country and maybe ease some of those feelings of being homesick.

My friends there actually have local friends who only socialize with expats.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Last one for tonight.

I haven't had to shell out anything to my wife's parents to marry her, though we do give her parents money every month for right now. Part of that is helping to pay a mortgage on an apartment they bought which is actually in my wife's name.

The communication issues and differences in relationship styles between cultures can cause major issues though. I often think we are coming at things from totally different worlds, and a lot of patience is absolutely necessary to maintain good family relations.

On the other hand, the Chinese family is one of the most wonderful things about the culture. Family is very close and is really the center of life. Lots of dinners together, feeling very close and always emphasis on family first. There is a closeness and warmth in Chinese family culture that feels very human.

Are you are lucky then because typically when you get married the groom's family (aka the groom) usually has to pay the bride's family a dowry. (8888 or 9999 RMB)

I totally agree about the family thing, although I know a lot of Chinese kids who hate their parents hassling them so much. Some can take it too far.

[no_joke]

Being born-and-raised in Canada, I have always wondered about the feelings that people in China had about the Communist Party and the government.

Is there a perceptible amount of dissidence or malcontent in the general population (locals, not ex-pats or foreigners) against the Communist Party? How is the Party and the government in general perceived? Are people more apathetic (like most people in Canada) than proactive about the government? Do people feel repressed? Is there any "legacy" left from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests or has money/modernization made people forget about all that jazz?

I have seen reports about unrest in Xinjiang and protests by farmers who have had their land taken away from them. But aside from this "extreme," how does the general population feel? Do people want change? And if so, do they feel powerless to do anything about it or do they take up action? Is there any desire or push towards a democratic system?

My questions are all over the place, but basically how does "Joe the Plumber" in China feel about the way the country and its people are governed? I have formed my own opinions about this subject and I don't want to turn your good thread idea into something political. I would like to know what you see as someone living there.

[4X4]

Do they use chopsticks for everything, or do they sometimes use forks and spoons?

[Shazam]

Need spoons for soup.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by no_joke

Being born-and-raised in Canada, I have always wondered about the feelings that people in China had about the Communist Party and the government.

Is there a perceptible amount of dissidence or malcontent in the general population (locals, not ex-pats or foreigners) against the Communist Party? How is the Party and the government in general perceived? Are people more apathetic (like most people in Canada) than proactive about the government? Do people feel repressed? Is there any "legacy" left from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests or has money/modernization made people forget about all that jazz?

I have seen reports about unrest in Xinjiang and protests by farmers who have had their land taken away from them. But aside from this "extreme," how does the general population feel? Do people want change? And if so, do they feel powerless to do anything about it or do they take up action? Is there any desire or push towards a democratic system?

My questions are all over the place, but basically how does "Joe the Plumber" in China feel about the way the country and its people are governed? I have formed my own opinions about this subject and I don't want to turn your good thread idea into something political. I would like to know what you see as someone living there.

'Joe the Plumber' of China is not against the government. Many people seem to realize that the government is corrupt, but not the extent to which it is corrupt. Also, Chinese culture has a vein of strongly nationalistic temperament. This is supported by the recent development of China, and by a system of education and media that reinforces it. Most Chinese people I know say that they don't really think a democratic system would work in the country.

It may surprise you to know that many young people don't even know about the events at Tiananmen Square. They're not mentioned in any Chinese history and any media regarding events like that is strictly controlled. The things which go on in China on a daily basis that never even make it into the mainstream media in China or outside China are mind-boggling. Events which would shake the country in Canada are simply swept under the rug in China and most people never even know about them. There are some horrifying things that go on this country on a daily basis as a result of corruption, but nonetheless, the average Joe Plumber doesn't know, would find the suggestion of it dubious and continues to support the government.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Do they use chopsticks for everything, or do they sometimes use forks and spoons?

Chopsticks and spoons are the way to go here. I actually find using a fork kind of clumsy now as I am so out of practice. My wife can't even really use a fork and knife very well. Watching her eat with a fork and knife is like watching someone who hasn't used chopsticks before trying to eat with them.

[Rifleman]

My question:

Is Shark Fin Soup really popular in China? They seem pretty passionate about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im7W1AnDmgA

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Byrns

Are you are lucky then because typically when you get married the groom's family (aka the groom) usually has to pay the bride's family a dowry. (8888 or 9999 RMB)

I totally agree about the family thing, although I know a lot of Chinese kids who hate their parents hassling them so much. Some can take it too far.

Isn't a dowry the other way around? The bride's family pays money to the groom? Is it the opposite in China?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Chopsticks and spoons are the way to go here. I actually find using a fork kind of clumsy now as I am so out of practice. My wife can't even really use a fork and knife very well. Watching her eat with a fork and knife is like watching someone who hasn't used chopsticks before trying to eat with them.

So how the heck to they eat steak? Chop it up into bite size portions before serving it?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by 4X4

So how the heck to they eat steak? Chop it up into bite size portions before serving it?

hahahaha i just have to laugh at all the whiteghosts in restaurants using chopsticks to eat rice off a plate.

A chinese person uses a fork! haha.

Beef is really expensive over in HK. You don't really get good steaks unless you are paying through the nose. I cant' believe my aunt took me to an alberta beef steak place. It was more expensive than Caesars. haha

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Beef is really expensive over in HK. You don't really get good steaks unless you are paying through the nose. I cant' believe my aunt took me to an alberta beef steak place. It was more expensive than Caesars. haha

I was once told that a steak for one person in Canada is enough meat to feed a whole family in China.

I read a story once about how it was practice in one area of China that people would lead a cow into a leech filled pond and they'd keep the cow in the pond until the leeches bled the cow to death. Then they'd remove the leeches and boil them. After that, they take the leeches, slice them open, and eat the congealed blood noodles inside. This was supposed to have some kind of supernatural benefit to the person eating it.

I asked a girl I worked with who was from China about this, and although she wasn't surprised, she didn't know about this particular practice. She basically said that their version of "hillbillies" have weird dietary practices.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

Isn't a dowry the other way around? The bride's family pays money to the groom? Is it the opposite in China?

Yep, it's opposite in China. Imagine my surprise.

http://www.chcp.org/wedding.html

First both sets of parents exchanged family credentials as tokens of intention. Then, after extensive bargaining, the two families would arrive at the amount of money and goods that would make up the gift to the girl’s family. After presenting engagement tokens, the go-between would ask the bride’s family to chose among severalauspicious wedding dates suggested by the boy’s family and also set a date for presenting betrothal gifts.

[PIMking]

I have never been to china or even the far east and I'm kinda scared to go even if I had the means to go.

I dont like asian food whatsoever. Its not like german or spanish or french were they use a normal (to me) alphabet. I would feel like such a huge outcast and wouldn't know what to do. The family thing kinda scares me because my family isn't really close. Yes we get together when someone dies or holidays but thats about it.

When my uncle stuart and aunt sonja came here from germany I took katie to my mums house and she freaked out because she doesn't know german and it was way tough for her. I get upset with katie sometimes because her dad is 100% swede and her mom is 100% german and moved here to the states in the early 80's but she knows nothing about her heritage. something like western people I am accustom to and I just couldn't fathum being in china or japan. i would be scared out of my mind.

[DrJ]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

hahahaha i just have to laugh at all the whiteghosts in restaurants using chopsticks to eat rice off a plate.

A chinese person uses a fork! haha.

Rice is not served on the plate - it's in a bowl! Chopsticks all the way for me.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I have never been to china or even the far east and I'm kinda scared to go even if I had the means to go.

I dont like asian food whatsoever. Its not like german or spanish or french were they use a normal (to me) alphabet. I would feel like such a huge outcast and wouldn't know what to do. The family thing kinda scares me because my family isn't really close. Yes we get together when someone dies or holidays but thats about it.

When my uncle stuart and aunt sonja came here from germany I took katie to my mums house and she freaked out because she doesn't know german and it was way tough for her. I get upset with katie sometimes because her dad is 100% swede and her mom is 100% german and moved here to the states in the early 80's but she knows nothing about her heritage. something like western people I am accustom to and I just couldn't fathum being in china or japan. i would be scared out of my mind.

It's too bad that you feel that way. I think China is a really amazing country. You could spend a lifetime here exploring all the variety of cultures, landscapes and history that the place has. It's a phenomenal landmass with a great diversity of culture and tradition in it.

Going to places like Beijing of Shanghai would be good for you to start. They're just big international cities. They're Chinese, but you could get along in them just fine without English. Once you started getting used to it you would realize there is a huge, fascinating world of wonderful things inside China that people in the West are never exposed to.