Idiots guide to Chinese women

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

"Don't drink cold things."

 

And for goodness sake, don't use beer to take that pill. Water only. Room temperature. Be sure to serve hot water to your guests.

This gets lost in translation and understanding...

 

Drinking something cold is bad for the stomach... which historically is the 'second brain'... where a persons truest intuition arises and where the martial and alchemy spiritual practices discovered that this area is best kept warm.... On it's own, it is naturally warm from digestive processes. I have meet some chinese who get sick if they drink something cold. Cold shocks the system but in the west we train it to accept this shock... but ultimately it is actually not good for the body in most cases.

 

Taking alcohol with medicine is actually historically good... Anciently, chinese brewed 'medicine jiu' (medically beneficial alcohol)... it is home brewed all over china (and dare I say in some US homes)... Alcohol gets the medicine into the blood stream faster and more efficiently... later generations have lost this understanding.

 

Chinese people are not thinking about history when they drink hot water. They just drink hot water, and tend to freak out if you use anything but water to take a pill; especially alcohol.

Edited March 11, 2012 by JiangsuExpat (see edit history)

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

It seems you misunderstood my post. I used the phrase, "I do not understand" as a colloquial expression. Let me clarify. One of the things that attracts me most to China is the strong sense of family and the support they offer one another. Yet, even in China, there are members of family who are treated as outsiders. Perhaps because they borrow money and spend it wildly and without considering the hard work and kindness of those who provided it. Maybe the family members are selfish, and only think of themselves.

You are a westerner.... always an outsider... consider their history of outside rule... some families may be outlier exceptions... find them if you can.

 

 

 

I took a moment to look up the word, "avarice." Nice word. I wouldn't use it personally, but it describes greed, and a strong desire to obtain and keep money. Anyway, I was responding to Larry's post about his wife's brother continually borrowing money and putting pressure on his wife to get Larry to give him money; a lot of it. Family support is a wonderful thing, but there are some people who will take advantage of you if you let them. People will like you a lot if you give them money, but, is it just because of the money, or is it because they care about you and just need your help right now. Only your gut can tell you the answer to that. I have been asked for money several times in China. People who want me to buy them gifts, or give them money to start a business. I think a couple of them even knew my name, but that's about all.

Good enough... but your gut could be manipulated by their avarice....

 

So could yours. Be careful!

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/34hfczm.gif

Edited March 11, 2012 by JiangsuExpat (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

"Don't drink cold things."

 

And for goodness sake, don't use beer to take that pill. Water only. Room temperature. Be sure to serve hot water to your guests.

This gets lost in translation and understanding...

 

Drinking something cold is bad for the stomach... which historically is the 'second brain'... where a persons truest intuition arises and where the martial and alchemy spiritual practices discovered that this area is best kept warm.... On it's own, it is naturally warm from digestive processes. I have meet some chinese who get sick if they drink something cold. Cold shocks the system but in the west we train it to accept this shock... but ultimately it is actually not good for the body in most cases.

 

Taking alcohol with medicine is actually historically good... Anciently, chinese brewed 'medicine jiu' (medically beneficial alcohol)... it is home brewed all over china (and dare I say in some US homes)... Alcohol gets the medicine into the blood stream faster and more efficiently... later generations have lost this understanding.

 

Chinese people are not thinking about history when they drink hot water. They just drink hot water, and tend to freak out if you use anything but water to take a pill; especially alcohol.

THAT IS MY POINT.... they have lost the historical understanding... CASE CLOSED

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

THAT IS MY POINT.... they have lost the historical understanding... CASE CLOSED

 

Really very hard to know whether Chinese people in general, think about their history and culture before they do things. They just seem to do like most people do, like their family and peers.

[david_dawei]

THAT IS MY POINT.... they have lost the historical understanding... CASE CLOSED

 

Really very hard to know whether Chinese people in general, think about their history and culture before they do things. They just seem to do like most people do, like their family and peers.

That is cultural conditioning... It has existed for thousands of years in Chinese... THey look to the past as an answer to the present. The history museum is part of the clue... The philosophical movement during the Warring States Periods is another clue... The all-defining Confucius thought is another clue... The West really has not clue about the east... even if living there...

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

"Don't mess with my friend, my man, my companion, my husband"

 

I have been very fortunate to see the good side of Chinese people when it comes to friendship, love and companionship. As a foreigner who now lives in China, I have seen just how deep love and affection run in their culture. Most Chinese people know just how difficult life can be for a foreigner who visits China. We have a hard time finding our way, talking to others, or even managing to find what we need and buy it. If I am alone in a taxi, I may notice the driver taking an indirect route to my destination. I do not speak Chinese well enough to tell him that I know what he's up to and knock it the hell off. And furthermore, turn the damned taxi around and take the turn you just passed. Taxi drivers typically don't try that kind of thing if a Chinese person is in the car, but if they do, watch carefully as the driver finds he just got ripped a new one. Getting charged too much while out buying things? Happens all day long to foreign tourists. They happily pay double and triple the amount and waddle along like happy campers. Don't let a Chinese friend witness this, or the fireworks begin. This does not begin and end there. It seems to carry over into a general sense of protecting.

Edited March 13, 2012 by JiangsuExpat (see edit history)

[Mick]

"Don't mess with my friend, my man, my companion, my husband"

 

I have been very fortunate to see the good side of Chinese people when it comes to friendship, love and companionship. As a foreigner who now lives in China, I have seen just how deep love and affection run in their culture. Most Chinese people know just how difficult life can be for a foreigner who visits China. We have a hard time finding our way, talking to others, or even managing to find what we need and buy it. If I am alone in a taxi, I may notice the driver taking an indirect route to my destination. I do not speak Chinese well enough to tell him that I know what he's up to and knock it the hell off. And furthermore, turn the damned taxi around and take the turn you just passed. Taxi drivers typically don't try that kind of thing if a Chinese person is in the car, but if they do, watch carefully as the driver finds he just got ripped a new one. Getting charged too much while out buying things? Happens all day long to foreign tourists. They happily pay double and triple the amount and waddle along like happy campers. Don't let a Chinese friend witness this, or the fireworks begin. This does not begin and end there. It seems to carry over into a general sense of protecting.

I noticed this, and experienced it many times during my five-year stay in China. When out with friends, they often protected me from various price-gouging shemes. And heaven help anyone who tried this when Li was with me. She would explode on them in a heartbeat. I recall one incident where a cab driver tried to charge me triple because he ran the air conditioner (it was July in Shantou, which is located on the Tropic of Cancer - same latitude as Havana). By the time she was finished I swear the guy would have been happy to pay us, just to get away from her.

[knloregon]

My wife is notoriously ruthless with cab drivers----and I've related several time here about the time we bailed out on one---on the freeway.

 

But in GZ, at least, I found (years before meeting my wife) ---that once you realize they are taking you astray, you whip out your note pad, and make a point of examining their picture ID license on the visor---write down his number and details---and at the next red light---stick it in his face.

 

I've found that you will get to your destination, and you can pay pretty much whatever you want, without complaint.

[DennisLeiqin]

My wife is notoriously ruthless with cab drivers----and I've related several time here about the time we bailed out on one---on the freeway.

 

But in GZ, at least, I found (years before meeting my wife) ---that once you realize they are taking you astray, you whip out your note pad, and make a point of examining their picture ID license on the visor---write down his number and details---and at the next red light---stick it in his face.

 

I've found that you will get to your destination, and you can pay pretty much whatever you want, without complaint.

That is such good information! Wish I knew of this way back when my interpreter arranged for his "special" taxi service to drive me back to the Nanning airport. He drove me in a way roundabout route that I instantly knew wasn't the most direct route. And, then he got pissed that I refused to give him a tip. At least the interpreter canned his taxi service.

 

Kim's post ought to be put somewhere in How to not be taken for a ride while in China for new persons starting out on this venture.

[chilton747]

My wife is notoriously ruthless with cab drivers----and I've related several time here about the time we bailed out on one---on the freeway.

 

But in GZ, at least, I found (years before meeting my wife) ---that once you realize they are taking you astray, you whip out your note pad, and make a point of examining their picture ID license on the visor---write down his number and details---and at the next red light---stick it in his face.

 

I've found that you will get to your destination, and you can pay pretty much whatever you want, without complaint.

That is such good information! Wish I knew of this way back when my interpreter arranged for his "special" taxi service to drive me back to the Nanning airport. He drove me in a way roundabout route that I instantly knew wasn't the most direct route. And, then he got pissed that I refused to give him a tip. At least the interpreter canned his taxi service.

 

Kim's post ought to be put somewhere in How to not be taken for a ride while in China for new persons starting out on this venture.

 

That gives me an idea. Why not start the first honest Taxi Service in China? Ya reackon we would get many riders?

[knloregon]

"...Kim's post ought to be put somewhere in How to not be taken for a ride while in China for new persons starting out on this venture."

 

Thanks Dennis, but I'm not sure other cities have a taxi commission, like GZ does ---or did when I first visited in '97'

 

And as a guest at the White Swan, they made clear that if there were any problem---they would act on their guest's behalf. And the White Swan, at that time had huge political influence, and I believe, still does today.

[Randy W]

"...Kim's post ought to be put somewhere in How to not be taken for a ride while in China for new persons starting out on this venture."

 

Thanks Dennis, but I'm not sure other cities have a taxi commission, like GZ does ---or did when I first visited in '97'

 

And as a guest at the White Swan, they made clear that if there were any problem---they would act on their guest's behalf. And the White Swan, at that time had huge political influence, and I believe, still does today.

 

I'm pretty sure all cab drivers buy their cabs from the city and are licensed in the same way - I've never had a problem since I've never taken a cab except with my wife.

[tsap seui]

I ain't never been in no Chinertuckian cab by my lonesome. If'n I wuz in sech a sitchiation I'd dang well expect ol' Won Hung Low to drive me all over tarnation jes to get me across the street. Isn't that what he or she is "supposed" to do to hapless idgets?

 

On my 7th trip to Chinertucky I found out by surprise that I had married into a taxi cab family. Zhang Ex is a cab driver and he n' lil' Brer Rabbit picked me up at the airport in Shenyang. He wanted to meet this hear white guy who wuz gonna take his son to America. We became good friends and he took us on many trips all over the place. No peter in the meter neither.

 

It wuz funny, I never knew he wuz the ex until we got back to our crib and he had helped me take my bags upstairs. He was very shy but you know me, I broked that ice berg real damn quick. We became buddys lickety split and laugh like old friends anytime we meet.

 

If'n we ever move back to Chiner after the boy gets into university, I ain't gonna need to buy no dang car for me to drive in fear of my very life...hell, I'll buy my new brother Da Ex a car...LOL...let him put it in his name and anytime I wants to take a day trip up into the boonies or to the airport we'll have our very own taxi, and he'll have his own business with no boss to answer to.

 

Spread the loot, make friends, relax in the backseat with momma. I wanna look at the scenery, not other cars.

 

tsap seui

[Zhou Zhou]

That's perdy good, Tsap...my Tiger Wife's family have dumpling restaurants and they are, "slap yo grandma good, jaozi", ya hear?

 

Many years ago I was taking a taxi back to my hotel in Dalian. I noticed that I saw the same things twice on his second lap around town...I gave him the fish eye along with some ass chewing...when we got to the hotel I gave him the money he asked for, knowing that he shorted himself by 10 rmb...about ten minutes later he knocked on my door crying to me...I put him off until he got pissed at me and then gave him the money. I still laugh about it.

[knloregon]

Tsap, one of the reassuring themes of your great, long thread: "Going Home" has been your personal generosity to not only to your family in China but a wide following of people.

 

But no one likes to be cheated, and I'm no sure how relationships----on the ground in China or---the flip side---Chinese in America, contribute to cross-cultural understanding----and trust---if someone is taking advantage of your basic lack of understandings about your surroundings.

 

An example I have posted here on that subject-- was about my arrival in Zhongdian very late in the evening after about 10 hours on a local bus, and, finding a Han restaurant open---Tibetans were closed. The wait staff saw an easy mark, and it was obvious to me from the get-go, but I was hungry , very tired and probably suffering some altitude sickness, since in the last half day had gone from a low elevation to about 12.000 feet.

 

The one staff member (a young woman) that spoke some English offered several dishes that were clearly, marked up by at least 400%. , and it was a big joke with the kitchen staff. I chose the silky in vegetables, and got the absolute last of what the kitchen had to offer --- bones and sinew.

 

When she presented me the bill, I paid, and then asked her: "Would you like to visit America some day?" She said yes, and I told her: "Well, I hope if you do, you get treated just as well in America as you have treated me here this evening..." ---and left, as she burst into tears.