Fens view of America

[weiaijiayou]

We have also had similar conversations and also about the xchange rate of the Chinese currency.

 

Two things I have learnt:

 

If I say anything negative about China she does not like it and gets angry and defends it to the core.

 

She is also very scared about me saying bad things about China on here. She thinks the Chinese government will find out and she will never be able to go back to China.

 

Sam,

 

I think we all have wives who think the way Fen does.

My wife and I often gripe about something or other in China, however there is no doubt we both want to go back to China in the future .. but ...

 

My wife is back in China for 2 months after living in America for 2 years. She told me that now that she has lived in America for a while, she can see some things she likes better in America than in China.

 

From my view, this is a huge step as I know many things are bad in America, but I also know good things. Same for China, there are bad things and good things about living in China.

 

Being able to look at each, and appreciate the good parts takes time, but I think most of our wives will get there.

 

As for our wives defending China, well that is just expected. You can talk bad about your own family/country/whatever, but if someone ELSE says something bad about those same things, you defend them to the end.. It is just human nature.

All very well said, Credzba, and especially the last part about it being natural to defend the people/place you come from. It's just a lot easier to recognize and perceive this as irrational in others. (not that this is what Sam is doing at all, though!) And it's harder to take when you know how little direct experience such generalizations are often coming from.

 

I think over time Fen will become less defensive about China with Sam. I think this comes with building mutual understanding, shared experiences, and trust.

[Sam and Fen]

We have also had similar conversations and also about the xchange rate of the Chinese currency.

 

Two things I have learnt:

 

If I say anything negative about China she does not like it and gets angry and defends it to the core.

 

She is also very scared about me saying bad things about China on here. She thinks the Chinese government will find out and she will never be able to go back to China.

 

Sam,

 

I think we all have wives who think the way Fen does.

My wife and I often gripe about something or other in China, however there is no doubt we both want to go back to China in the future .. but ...

 

My wife is back in China for 2 months after living in America for 2 years. She told me that now that she has lived in America for a while, she can see some things she likes better in America than in China.

 

From my view, this is a huge step as I know many things are bad in America, but I also know good things. Same for China, there are bad things and good things about living in China.

 

Being able to look at each, and appreciate the good parts takes time, but I think most of our wives will get there.

 

As for our wives defending China, well that is just expected. You can talk bad about your own family/country/whatever, but if someone ELSE says something bad about those same things, you defend them to the end.. It is just human nature.

All very well said, Credzba, and especially the last part about it being natural to defend the people/place you come from. It's just a lot easier to recognize and perceive this as irrational in others. (not that this is what Sam is doing at all, though!) And it's harder to take when you know how little direct experience such generalizations are often coming from.

 

I think over time Fen will become less defensive about China with Sam. I think this comes with building mutual understanding, shared experiences, and trust.

 

 

Its like a 360 turn. When I was in China in Oct for her interview I was praising China for the progress that it had made and she was pointing out all the flaws.

I guess you guys are right only she can critic China not me.

 

Oh well when I take her to India to visit my family the tables are going to be turned.

[slw268]

It's all about Face, fellas.

[Minister]

 

So, she decided she is going to make sandwiches for the customers at the store. Shoot me now.

 

I can imagine subway sandwiches made by a Chinese fresh from China.

 

6" bread cut to 5"

 

1 piece of cheese, corners trimmed

1 slice of ham, corners trimmed

LETTUCE LETTUCE LETTUCE

1 slice tomato

3 drops mayonnaise

 

Include only one napkin per sandwich

Use only one piece of sandwich paper

Do you really need a bag?

 

What? No tip????

 

You should have seen the nonsense my wife tried to pull at her store.

 

ALSO...

 

Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Minister (see edit history)

[Sam and Fen]

She is a 3C a woman allright but in this case it means Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest.

 

She makes us breakfast every morning and we bring it to the store with us. Well she started eating the store bread with the egg instead of the sliced bread at home becoz I was going to throw it out. So why waste it.

 

She washes and reuses disposable silverware.

 

She even reuses the plastic containers that Chinese take out comes in.

 

I have to keep an eye on how many cookies she bakes in the morning, becoz apparently I make too much and throw whats not sold the next day.

 

Last year we hired a new girl to work the summer at Carvel. She was trained at another Carvel owned by, you guessed it Chinese people.

Never had so many customer complaints about how the quantity being given had declined.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Sam and Fen (see edit history)

[shenzhen]

She is a 3C a woman allright but in this case it means Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest.

 

She makes us breakfast every morning and we bring it to the store with us. Well she started eating the store bread with the egg instead of the sliced bread at home becoz I was going to throw it out. So why waste it.

 

She washes and reuses disposable silverware.

 

She even reuses the plastic containers that Chinese take out comes in.

 

I have to keep an eye on how many cookies she bakes in the morning, becoz apparently I make too much and throw whats not sold the next day.

 

Last year we hired a new girl to work the summer at Carvel. She was trained at another Carvel owned by, you guessed it Chinese people.

Never had so many customer complaints about how the quantity being given had declined.

I went through five years of college with only disposal silverware. Never considered it as being cheap but as being practical --- left more money for beer.

[Kwyjibo]

... Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

 

It's funny how Chinese and Americans can be so a like sometimes. Both love their countries, warts and all.

 

Try having a rational discussion with your Chinese spouse about Taiwan or Tibet.

[Mike62356]

... Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

 

It's funny how Chinese and Americans can be so a like sometimes. Both love their countries, warts and all.

 

Try having a rational discussion with your Chinese spouse about Taiwan or Tibet.

 

Now your just looking for a fight so you can go hang with the boys ( it works well to)

 

edited for spacing

Edited April 15, 2010 by Mike62356 (see edit history)

[Sam and Fen]

... Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

 

It's funny how Chinese and Americans can be so a like sometimes. Both love their countries, warts and all.

 

Try having a rational discussion with your Chinese spouse about Taiwan or Tibet.

 

Now your just looking for a fight so you can go hang with the boys ( it works well to)

 

edited for spacing

 

 

Lets just say we have different opinions on Tiawan and Tibet.

We have already had fights about hanging with the boys.

[Guest jin979]

... Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

 

It's funny how Chinese and Americans can be so a like sometimes. Both love their countries, warts and all.

 

Try having a rational discussion with your Chinese spouse about Taiwan or Tibet.

 

or Cuba,Panama, Mexico, PRVN,Guam,Okinawa and Texas.

[Guest jin979]

She is a 3C a woman allright but in this case it means Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest.

 

She makes us breakfast every morning and we bring it to the store with us. Well she started eating the store bread with the egg instead of the sliced bread at home becoz I was going to throw it out. So why waste it.

 

She washes and reuses disposable silverware.

 

She even reuses the plastic containers that Chinese take out comes in.

 

I have to keep an eye on how many cookies she bakes in the morning, becoz apparently I make too much and throw whats not sold the next day.

 

Last year we hired a new girl to work the summer at Carvel. She was trained at another Carvel owned by, you guessed it Chinese people.

Never had so many customer complaints about how the quantity being given had declined.

I went through five years of college with only disposal silverware. Never considered it as being cheap but as being practical --- left more money for beer.

very sensible, A clever man.

[dnoblett]

She even reuses the plastic containers that Chinese take out comes in.

I know this well!

[Kwyjibo]

... Yeah. Everything in America is bad. China is also bad, but God help me if I say that.

 

It's cute how her nationalism also sparks up when she's been watching Chinese TV on the internet. She recently watched a series of shows about Bruce Lee (produced by CCTV). It essentially portrayed Bruce Lee as a Chinese mystic who came to America and taught American college professors about the glories of Chinese thinking and culture. Which is slightly different from the story I remember about a guy who came here fleeing the Hong Kong mob and then sold out his religion to make money in Hollywood finally dying of a prolonged drug overdose. I suppose those were particularly esoteric Raybans he used to wear? My girl was spikey with pro-China feeling for a week.

 

I find the "love-hate" relationship that most Chinese have with China fascinating...

 

and slightly annoying.

 

It's funny how Chinese and Americans can be so a like sometimes. Both love their countries, warts and all.

 

Try having a rational discussion with your Chinese spouse about Taiwan or Tibet.

 

or Cuba,Panama, Mexico, PRVN,Guam,Okinawa and Texas.

 

I'm probably opening up a can of worms by doing this, but for intellectual reasons.

 

Cuba - Castro?

Panama - ?

Mexico - ?

PRVN - Is this Vietnam? If it is, then I assume the Vietnam war?

Guam - ?

Okinawa - ?

Texas - ?

[Sam and Fen]

 

I'm probably opening up a can of worms by doing this, but for intellectual reasons.

 

Cuba - Castro? or Communist

Panama - ? General Noreaga?

Mexico - ?

PRVN - Is this Vietnam? If it is, then I assume the Vietnam war?

Guam - ?

Okinawa - ? US Base?

Texas - ? Got it from Mexico?

[Ant & Lu]

totally agree with the first one, the same shoes my husband got from he states worn out much faster because he didn't get to do that much walking back homeas he does now here in China