What do you like about China/Chinese culture?

[Lu]

One other thing: I think three months is about the time the first phase of culture shock, when you love everything about the country, has really come to an end, and you're now in the second phase, when the novelty wears off and you see all the bad things. You seem optimistic and are really trying to like the place and the time you're having in it. Just keep that up, and I think you'll feel better in a while. (Occasional ranting to other foreigners can help. Don't rant to locals though, they won't like it.)

[BrandeX]

Thats a common forumula I have seen online in regards to adapting here. I wonder how someone like myself who thought "What a dump" from the moment I got off the plane, yet still like it here anyways fits in to the old progression

[Scoobyqueen]

If you had come to my country and had a catalogue of criticisms like the ones you outline here, I would be offended and I would ask myself why you had come in the first place and would probably question your cultural flexibility.

In all the countries I have ever lived in, I have encountered Chinese and none of them ever complained about the host country's habits, values, moral code etc. It is probably impolite to do so. If you invite people to your home, you dont expect them to criticise your habits.

Part of going abroad, studying and working, is experiencing the culture, good as well as bad. It is not appropriate to criticise the host in the way you do. There are things in every culture that may be considered abonimable to some. Understanding and accepting that other cultures have different values and a different moral code than yours, without being offended, is an important quality to possess.

[adrianlondon]

have encountered Chinese and none of them ever complained about the host country's habits

You're joking, right? Loads of the new mainland Chinese who've come to London to study moan about it here. They, like this thread, often moan amongst themselves, but nowhere is perfect and everyone likes a good moan.

[muyongshi]

Thats a common forumula I have seen online in regards to adapting here. I wonder how someone like myself who thought "What a dump" from the moment I got off the plane, yet still like it here anyways fits in to the old progression

But there is always that love/hate that goes on with everyone everywhere. I love my home state and would never change it...except for the migrant Californians, the stupid hippies, and the tree huggers, and the bloody hot weather in the eastern point, and ..... I think you get my point...

have encountered Chinese and none of them ever complained about the host country's habits

Agreed....this statement is a load of doggie doodoo

[Yiwan]

It took me 5 years to get used to living in Australia. I think it was stupid of me to realise the moral so late - love it or leave it. Since I have to stay here, why don't I just try to be happy by any means? And about your problems, they're all simply a matter of cultural differences. Learn the language, understand the culture, and integrate with the locals. I'm sure there must be a way to cure your depression about people being different. And the Chinese can be creative too, in some ways. It's too early for you to judge based on your students' papers. I also have to say we Chinese do complain about the foreign countries we live. But hey, after the rant online, we would go back to our regular routines happily. So ranting sure is a good thing. But just don't do it to the locals, cos you will likely get very negative responses from what I know of the Chinese.

[dan ni er]

Yes Adrian is right...the Chinese students in London regularly complain about the UK. However, nearly every single one I have met wants to find a job in the UK after they graduate.....funny that

[adrianlondon]

I guess that's the same all over.

I met loads of moany ex-pats in Beijing, but ... they're all still there, taking the money (and spending it in Chaoyang).

I guess it depends why you're in a country.

I went to BNU and I didn't meet any moany Westerners, apart from one and she quit the course and went back home anyway. The rest of us, of course we know it's no utopia, but we were there for the experience and, positives with negatives, we got exactly that. I loved it.

I think quite a few of the Chinese students in London aren't here to study European languages and culture (some are, than they're blissfully happy), they're mainly here so they can burn through some of their parents' guanxi funds and hopefully get an edge over the millions of Chinese graduates who won't have studied abroad. They tend to be the moany ones. And they fit right in. Us Brits like a good (light hearted) moan.

I'm a bit of an exception; I'm very cynical but also optimistic. A couple of people at BNU kept telling me I was enjoying myself too much! I put that down to buying a bicycle and going out exploring all the time. We each have our own ways.

[imron]

However, nearly every single one I have met wants to find a job in the UK after they graduate.

With 15 RMB to the pound, who could blame them

[Yiwan]

It's not just because of the pound, the dollar, or whatever. Some who have been in China for long enough should know that without connection in the Government or your desired firm, an overseas qualification doesn't secure you a decent job. As a matter of fact, studying abroad means no more than you are good at a foreign language and in some cases this association even isn't true. Besides, already too many graduates who are skilled in languages. It's naturally not wise to go back for a job that you don't know if there is, and can't pay off your parents for your enormous expense of years. What do you think about living in a country where you will always be a stranger, being looked down and lacking a sense of belonging? Sorry, sure you know, hence that laowai thread. Pretty strange for me to say this after talking about cultural integration above. In a more realistic aspect, people complain about living here mainly for the cultural difference and stuff rather than discrimination, the shop closing early, boring TV programs, bad Chinese food, flys, communication problems, transport (subjective matter), the list goes on. Most people I know are happy to work harder than the locals for less pay, and that's still better than what they will have if go back. There're ups and downs living in where you don't belong. But I don't think there is necessarily anything you can't bear with.

[Senzhi]

Some people are really nice and helpful, and will go out of their way to accomodate you and make you feel welcome. While you don't encounter as many rude people back home, you don't often meet such nice people either.

Finally happy to see someone see the things the way I feel.

Isn't this what we all see when we're visiting another country? Isn't this WHY we visit another country (unless you're one of these forced expats on extinguishment survival?)

All I can say is I have also all the above complaints and negative feelings/experiences about China. What the heck, I have comlaints and negative feelings about any foreign countries I've visited/worked at, incl. neighbouring countries.

But damn, the few good, loyal, and trusty people I've met in this country, can beat all! And they're friends for life!

and I'm simply learning ...

[davidzq]

Realize that if you had grown up in china, that experience would be "normal"; instead, you lived in a different social and cultural soup, and the current taste is not what you expected. We are all 'programmed' on some level by our culture and another culture challenges everything we thought we knew and expected about life.

I recommend to people going to china to drop all their preconceived ideas about life and do a 'reboot' of their brain; try to suppress judgements and values; treat it like a sociological study; watch the people interact, the children, the girls holding hands, smell the food and see how everyone devours it with gusto and drinks together.

In one trip, I recall the children taking a piss in the wide open public... others would come over to join... Never seen that in the US for sure.. then once in the western province of Yunnan, maybe Dali, the public bathrooms were so bad that your eyes would water as you got near the doors... Suddenly, pissing in the wide open public didn't seem so bad.. and a guy might come over and join you.. .offer you a cigarette without speaking a word. No inhibitions going on.. just two guys doing nature's call.

There's a simplicity and pragmatism that has created great resilence in the people.. And as Bertnard Russell once said during his year in china, they are the most "laughter loving" people he ever meet...

You will still find these types out there.... ready to stand by you in the road and read to push past you on the train door... but ready to laugh and drink with you too... Your sociological study has to turn just social at some point and be a little more among them. Just watch out for the strong drinks like Er Gou Tou... socially, they like to drink and it can be impolite to stop.... just explain it's more impolite in the US to hurl during lunch... or just go along for the ride..

[flameproof]

My advise would be: adjust your expectations to zero. Forget that 5000 year blablabla, that's history and over. Start from zero.

For those who say "you need to adapt....". We have to have to adapt in certain ways, and not adapt in other ways. For those who are here to work, we are expected to work in a western efficient way and NOT adapt. That's why expats are in China.

[Lu]

But just don't do it to the locals, cos you will likely get very negative responses from what I know of the Chinese.

Exactly. If you feel the need to rant, rant to other foreigners, they're more likely to sympathize. I think it's not just the Chinese who don't like people saying bad things about their home country, I wouldn't like it either. I'd get defensive, and instead of sympathizing I'd end up saying Love it or leave it.

[cdn_in_bj]

It's not just because of the pound, the dollar, or whatever. Some who have been in China for long enough should know that without connection in the Government or your desired firm, an overseas qualification doesn't secure you a decent job. As a matter of fact, studying abroad means no more than you are good at a foreign language and in some cases this association even isn't true. Besides, already too many graduates who are skilled in languages. It's naturally not wise to go back for a job that you don't know if there is, and can't pay off your parents for your enormous expense of years.

Yiwan, you bring up an interesting point. I think that most Chinese who choose to study abroad do so with the intent of finding work and settling there as well. However, due to circumstances with work/career path or life some of them end up returning to China (the so-called "海龟"). I think that those who go abroad solely for education and from the start have planned to come back immediately after graduation to find a job would be in the minority. Do you agree?