Post: #1

Visiting China made me and my friends racist. I knew it would be different than the United States, but I was not prepared for manipulative and dishonest nature of 90% of my interactions. From "tour guides" who would take places completely different then where we asked, "university students" who wanted to "go out to tea", taxi drivers who took suspiciously long to reach destinations, resturaunts "mistakenly" overbilling, beggers who would plead for money just seconds after attempting to pickpocket, I'm concinced the majority of China has no respect for other cultures. Then I look at their newspapers and wow. I saw a letter to the editor saying that people who spit on the streets should be jailed. And don't get me started on their coverage of America.

(To be fair, there were some Chinese people were incredibly friendly and didn't ask for any money. They were exclusively old people, which makes me wonder what has happened to China's youth.)

Post: #2

I am not sure that is racist.

Racism is prejudice but you are talking about negatives opinions based on personal experience.

Post: #3

Different country different rules.

Beijing Art Student Scam: http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2009/10/bei...-scam.html

-MPM
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Post: #4

These same things could be experienced in any country with a lot of poor people. I don't think it has anything to do with race.

Post: #5

(10-14-2009 04:26 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  These same things could be experienced in any country with a lot of poor people. I don't think it has anything to do with race.

Exactly.

Welcome to poverty.

You would do the same if the situation was reversed.

Would you hustle a "rich American" or let your little brother starve?

-MPM
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Post: #6

(10-14-2009 04:26 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  These same things could be experienced in any country with a lot of poor people. I don't think it has anything to do with race.

A lot of these people aren't poor, at least by Chinese standards. At any rate, I meet homeless people every day and they have never treated me as bad as the Chinese. Hell, even the Mexican poor have better manners.

Post: #7

Quote:which makes me wonder what has happened to China's youth

they learned about capitalism!

Post: #8

Check out Thailand next time instead if you want to visit an Asian country. People are super friendly there. Hospitality is part of their culture. You will still find tour guides and cabbies that will try to hustle you but like I said, you'll find that anywhere.

The Chinese have a worldwide reputation for being some of the rudest tourist in the world. Even other Asian countries complain about Chinese tourists. I know the Thais I spoke too complained about them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/busine...rists.html

Post: #9

(10-14-2009 04:03 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Different country different rules.

Beijing Art Student Scam: http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2009/10/bei...-scam.html

This Tim Ferris/Kevin Rose video on G's link describes it well. In case you don't want to bother watching it, although I do recommend it, it brings up a philosophy that exists, I suppose, in China where if you can trick someone, it's game. From what I get out of it, it basically means if you're dumb enough to fall for it, then you deserve to be scammed. At least that's what it seems like after listening to Tim Ferris.

The video is great because I know so many guys who would fall for it just like Kevin Rose, and in so many situations I feel like I'm in Tim Ferris' shoes where I'm just wondering how my friends can fall for this kind of shit. Check out the video, it's worth it.

Post: #10

(10-14-2009 06:13 PM)kerouac Wrote:  

(10-14-2009 04:03 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Different country different rules.

Beijing Art Student Scam: http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2009/10/bei...-scam.html

This Tim Ferris/Kevin Rose video on G's link describes it well. In case you don't want to bother watching it, although I do recommend it, it brings up a philosophy that exists, I suppose, in China where if you can trick someone, it's game. From what I get out of it, it basically means if you're dumb enough to fall for it, then you deserve to be scammed. At least that's what it seems like after listening to Tim Ferris.

The video is great because I know so many guys who would fall for it just like Kevin Rose, and in so many situations I feel like I'm in Tim Ferris' shoes where I'm just wondering how my friends can fall for this kind of shit. Check out the video, it's worth it.

I remember this kid I knew fell for the "shell game" on las ramblas in Barcelona.

I was laughing so hard I almost puked up tortilla espanola.

-MPM
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Post: #11

(10-14-2009 10:26 AM)klasik Wrote:  And don't get me started on their coverage of America.

You do have to realize that you're in a country that has not had the best relations with the US for quite a few decades right? In a sense, it makes sense that they would want to take advantage of you, because they are a fairly homogeneous society, and when you're from a country that is against their country, the people there could take it as an attack to their nation/people, so by taking a few extra dollars out of your pocket, it brings a certain delight to them. Or at least I can imagine it. Maybe I'm just not a very good person?

Post: #12

(10-14-2009 04:39 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  You would do the same if the situation was reversed.

Not buying it. I've been in poor places where the people take pride and are orderly and I've been in middle-income places where everybody is out to scam.

Poor places are generally poor because the people suck and can't trust each other. They don't scam because they're poor, they're poor because they scam.