How do you explain Dashan's popularity?

[cdn_in_bj]

However she differs from Dashan in that she grew up in China.

Actually, it is alleged that the same is true for Dashan.

[cdn_in_bj]

OK, how about Celine Dion?

I think that Dr. Norman Bethune will give all of these other Canadians (including Dashan) a run for their money.

[imron]

Actually, it is alleged that the same is true for Dashan.

Usually by people bitter at how good his Chinese is, and who can't accept that he worked hard for it. When I was studying at Beida back in 2002, one my teachers regularly mentioned that when Dashan was first at Beida, his Chinese wasn't that good at all, which would be at odds with growing up in China. Besides, why go to great lengths to construct such an elaborate ruse?

[cdn_in_bj]

Thanks for setting the record straight, Imron. There sure are a lot of bitter people out here.

[heifeng]

that's right, down with the haters!

Dashan raises the bar for all foreigners learning Chinese, which is a very good thing! You don't have to luv him but you gotta respect him! fair is fair!

[Meng Lelan]

That would be Charlotte MacInnis. See her website here. However she differs from Dashan in that she grew up in China.

Wow she looks great. Isn't she married to a Chinese guy?

[Outofin]

The foreigner in entertainment industry I like most is 杜可风, an Australian. He is one of 2 best cinematographers in China, so-called 北顾南杜 (Northern Gu & Southern Du). Northern Gu is 顾长卫; Southern Du is this 杜可风. The name is so Chinese, and he joked himself of being “a Chinese with albinism”.

[roddy]

杜可风 is Christopher Doyle, for anyone who doesn't recognize the name.

[geraldc]

There are 2 theories to explain his popularity:

• There's a super secret pact between China & Canada that requires 1 Canadian each generation to become super famous in China. First there was Dr Bethune, now it's Dashan.
  
• People just kind of like Dashan.
  

[renzhe]

Oh my god! Is she not the white girl doing 林娜 on the NPCR DVDs (my Chinese teacher forces us to watch these every class!)... she looks very similar! I always thought she was dubbed!

Yeah, that's definitely her. I've always thought that her pronunciation was quite good

[studymandrn]

When I mention the desire to go over there and get an asian wife, i.e. “conquer” asian women, I think this is THE major reason most white males want to settle abroad, especially in asia. If “learning the culture” or “adventure in a remote part of the world” were the ONLY reasons white expats settled in a asia, then why don’t they become expats in a REALLY exotic location like the Islamic middle east or Africa? Because most asian women in asia are easier for a white American to catch than a cold, that’s why.

Sorry, but you have to be kidding. Have you read the security reports for the middle east or Africa?

Even regaridng Asia, I chose China over some other countries because of the safety issue. Just do a search for travel advisory or whatever. It shouldn't be too hard to find.

And to be honest, my motiviation to settle abroad is more about 1- getting out of an obnoxious culture, 2- seeing the rest of the world, and 3- because I can live for about 1/4th the cost.

Cheers

[renzhe]

People go to Asia because people can earn money as foreigners there. Many western companies pay gold to make people go there and help them do business.

There aren't that many expats in Vietnam, Burma, North Korea or Mongolia either. But Dubai and Cape Town are choking full of expats.

It's a money issue. Dubai has more expats per capita than Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Tokyo. It's not even close.

[Stefani]

Oh my god! Is she not the white girl doing 林娜 on the NPCR DVDs (my Chinese teacher forces us to watch these every class!)... she looks very similar! I always thought she was dubbed!

Wow! I have the NPCR DVD, and I thought when I saw her I was trying to figure out if she was dubbed or not :-) I thought, wow, if I can speak as well as that that will be good! (Especially considering that I look Chinese, not American!).

[renzhe]

My girlfriend said that she sounded like a foreigner Or at least that she had a detectable accent on the NPCR DVDs. But she IS pretending to be an intermediate level student, so she is probably speaking differently than she would in a normal situation (exaggerated tones, etc.)