SerpentZA and Other Vloggers

[Randy W]

On 6/22/2021 at 2:15 PM, Randy W said:

Amy Blondie in China gets off the plane in Guangzhou

Amy is her standard smiley, bubbly self while raving about her balcony and pillows. I was bored to death about six minutes into it, but you may want to watch, if you're interested in a VERY detailed description of what it's like to arrive in China these days.

Edit: After watching the rest of it, it's both mundane and fairly entertaining at the same time. A good video.

 

This is the rest of her "coming back" story (it actually precedes the one I posted earlier). It's unclear what her "job" is that allowed her to get a visa, but she and her German boyfriend are back - neither of them have family in China.

Her boyfriend is a fairly big wig with Audi - they were visiting in Germany when the pandemic hit and Australian citizens were "told to go back to Australia". I assumed at the time that they were breaking up - apparently that isn't the case.

 

[Randy W]

A spectacular video from these two

 

Fragrant Mandarin 香橘子
Why We Travel | Featuring the epic scenery of Baijiaozhai, Ziyuan

Bajiaozhai is a less visited part of Guangxi, but absolutely stunning nonetheless. Paved stone steps skirt the dome-shaped, Danxia landforms leading you on a journey through utterly unique scenery.

We had the whole place virtually to ourselves. A true rarity in modern China!

 

[Randy W]

A bit over the top, but Winston makes some good points here.

The YouTubers should be aware of the minefield they are walking over, and China should be aware that maybe these guys aren't the way to push out propaganda. 

 

 CGTN would do MUCH better by emphasizing videos such as this one than by trying to use the silly YouTubers

Click here to see - Fighting terrorism in Xinjiang

CFL topic - http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/48880-xinjiang-residents-under-tight-control/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-643597

 

46,961 views

•Dec 11, 2019

Between 1990 and 2016, thousands of terrorist attacks shook the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, killing large numbers of innocent people and hundreds of police officers. Horrific stabbings and bombings rocked the land once known as a commercial hub on China's ancient Silk Road.
The damage to local communities was incalculable while stability in the region quickly deteriorated. Authorities have been trying hard to restore peace to this land.
In this exclusive CGTN exposé, we show you never-before-seen footage documenting the frightening tragedies in Xinjiang and the resilience of its people.

Edited July 6, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Japanese director went deep into one of the poorest area in China丨Beyond the Mountain

"I am Japanese" "Japanese are bad"

revisiting Liangshan prefecture - a fascinating look at life in a (now former) cliff village

十年前的大凉山是贫穷落后的川西秘境，十年后日本导演再度启程，寻路凉山。从悬崖村到昭觉县城，从山里的足球队到双河小学的日文科，当梦想照进现实，大凉山如今又是怎样的面孔？让我们一起走近大凉山，倾听来自大山的声音！#日本导演镜头下另一个大凉山#

Ten years ago, Daliang Mountain was a secret place in the poor and backward western Sichuan. Ten years later, the Japanese director set off again to find his way to Liangshan. From Cliff Village to Zhaojue County, from the football team in the mountains to the Japanese subjects of Shuanghe Elementary School, when dreams are reflected in reality, what kind of face is Daliang Mountain now? Let us walk closer to Daliang Mountain and listen to the sound from the mountain! #日本 Director’s lens under another 大凉山#

Edited July 10, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

A dupe from the 'Beauty of Hong Kong" thread

A good one from Taylor R

I Spent a Day in a HIDDEN Beautiful Village in Hong Kong | 大澳 Tai O Vlog

 

 

[Martin B]

Looks like our favorite YouTubers Barrett and Jason Lightfoot (Living in China) got the full treatment by BBC and The Times: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57780023

Very interesting articles. The younger shills should beware - if/when they head back to England, that article will follow them around for life. Dangerous games they're playing.

 

[Randy W]

[Martin B]

5 hours ago, Randy W said:

 

Whatever happens, he can't say he wasn't warned. Ultimately I can't stand Gweilo60 but I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him. Oddly enough my wife also wonders why he and the other YouTubers so riled up and constantly bashing the west.

Despite living in China for so many years, he doesn't seemed to have learned the golden rule: keep a low profile and keep your mouth shut. Things can change overnight and you don't want to find yourself on the wrong side of of the party line.

At least Gweilo60 is retired and financially set, so he doesn't have much to lose if things go wrong, but some of the younger guys with Chinese wives and kids who are Chinese citizens (JaYoe, Jason Living in China, etc.).... what the honk are they thinking?!

[Randy W]

"I tried the wine waterfall for first time,the rice wine is sweet, it's a special way to welcome the guest in Guangxi"

from Hannah Lin and Mexicanos en China
https://www.facebook.com/100046512591488/posts/392692118957871/

[Randy W]

Yanjin, Yunnan Province, Tier 1 City. China. 雲南省延津

Valeriy Blank
730 subscribers
Walk in Yanjin.

One of the comments explains it's actually a Tier 1 Town

[Martin B]

Very recent development - JaYoe is back in the US, taking one year to make videos on living the "van life" while his wife and daughter stay back in China. Terrible decision, IMO: 

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Now THAT's a surprise! I didn't see that coming.

Sounds like he's got the wanderlust, and is planning on the pandemic to go away. If it doesn't, he may have trouble getting back to China, especially if his residence permit expires.

It's NOT a good time to be traveling. I have a 50 year high school reunion coming up this year that there is no way I would travel to. He's talking about triking his way back, but that may be a little optimistic.

I can't see that "Van Life in the U.S." would be an interesting topic, but kudos to him if he makes it interesting.

[Randy W]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2hfm7HIlk/?utm_medium=copy_link

jayoelife For those of you that don’t know.  I got a van. I also flew back to USA for a bit. Until the pandemic normalizes cross country border travel I am going to try to roam North America in my self contained van studio, sharing amazing stories from the people and places I encounter along the way. Bought the beast yesterday, driving it home to convert it into a home/studio on wheels. New chapter of the journey commences. JaYoe!

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Matthew Galat (@jayoelife)

 

[Martin B]

10 hours ago, Randy W said:

Now THAT's a surprise! I didn't see that coming.

Sounds like he's got the wanderlust, and is planning on the pandemic to go away. If it doesn't, he may have trouble getting back to China, especially if his residence permit expires.

It's NOT a good time to be traveling. I have a 50 year high school reunion coming up this year that there is no way I would travel to. He's talking about triking his way back, but that may be a little optimistic.

I can't see that "Van Life in the U.S." would be an interesting topic, but kudos to him if he makes it interesting.

He is catching a lot of heat in the comments section for traveling and leaving his family behind for non-urgent/non-work reasons at the worst possible time. He keeps saying "one year" but how can anyone be certain that travel will be easier then? Unless he has a resident permit that was issued after COVID and will be valid next year, but even then, why risk it?? Rules changes overnight and he could potentially find himself with a useless piece of paper unable to re-enter. 

The van life is certainly a niche in the US but it's already a saturated market covered by a ton of US YouTubers. I think if he did something like "Foreigner Van Life in China" it'd be much more interesting and unique. And remember, his YouTube channel was at about 40-50k subscribers, it wasn't until COVID that his popularity shot up due to his pro-China/anti-US stuff he started putting out.

There are also rumors going around that him and his wife split, which would be unfortunate and who knows what really happened there.

[Randy W]

26 minutes ago, Barfus said:

He is catching a lot of heat in the comments section for traveling and leaving his family behind for non-urgent/non-work reasons at the worst possible time. He keeps saying "one year" but how can anyone be certain that travel will be easier then? Unless he has a resident permit that was issued after COVID and will be valid next year, but even then, why risk it?? Rules changes overnight and he could potentially find himself with a useless piece of paper unable to re-enter. 

The van life is certainly a niche in the US but it's already a saturated market covered by a ton of US YouTubers. I think if he did something like "Foreigner Van Life in China" it'd be much more interesting and unique. And remember, his YouTube channel was at about 40-50k subscribers, it wasn't until COVID that his popularity shot up due to his pro-China/anti-US stuff he started putting out.

There are also rumors going around that him and his wife split, which would be unfortunate and who knows what really happened there.

He's still posting videos from his Xinjiang trip in June. He says he's got 2 months of videos to catch up with, from when he entered Xinjiang to now.

He seems OK,  like he just HAD  to get out somewhere and travel, and that the U.S. is the only place he can do that.

As of now, his residence permit is supposed to still get him back in China. Even if it expires, he should be able to get a new visa by showing the old one. Of course, that CAN change.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjbxw/t1817370.shtml

"Effective from 0 a m., 28 September 2020, foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion are allowed to enter China with no need for applying for new visas. If the above three categories of residence permits held by foreign nationals expired after 0 a.m., 28 March 2020, the holders may apply for relevant visas by presenting the expired residence permits and relevant materials to the Chinese embassies or consulates on the condition that the purpose of the holders' visit to China remains unchanged. The above-mentioned personnel shall strictly abide by the Chinese regulations on epidemic prevention and control."