Only 4 Types of Foreigners go to China!
TLDRThe speaker categorizes foreigners in China into four groups: 1) Sinophiles fascinated by Chinese culture, 2) 'Player-abouts' drawn by cheap living and nightlife, 3) Criminals and 'clean-slaters' escaping their past, and 4) Corporate expatriates. He shares candid anecdotes and observations about each group's motivations and experiences, offering an insider's perspective. The discussion delves into sensitive topics like China's media censorship, sociopolitical climate, and treatment of foreigners, providing thought-provoking insights while maintaining an engaging, humorous tone.
Takeaways
- 👥 The speaker categorizes foreigners in China into 4 main groups: Sinophiles, Playabouts, Criminals/Clean-slaters, and Corporate types.
- 🧘 Sinophiles are fascinated by Chinese culture, often studying martial arts, traditional medicine, etc. However, many get disillusioned upon experiencing the reality in China.
- 🍻 Playabouts are those who live a carefree lifestyle in China due to low living costs, often teaching English while spending time drinking and engaging in debauchery.
- 🚓 Criminals and Clean-slaters are those with shady pasts or seeking a fresh start, taking advantage of China's lax visa requirements for tourists.
- 💼 Corporate types are usually employees sent by their companies to work in China, often disliking the experience due to the stark cultural differences.
- 🇨🇳 The speaker emphasizes that China's perceived safety and stability is an illusion created by the government's control over media and information.
- 🔍 He suggests looking beyond the mainstream narratives to understand the realities of poverty, violence, and injustice present in China.
- 🗽 The speaker contrasts the transparency of issues in the US with the suppression of information in China, arguing that the latter gives an false impression of safety.
- 🤔 He advises against moving to China with a Chinese spouse, citing difficulties in adjusting to the cultural differences and inadequate healthcare for foreigners.
- 🌍 The speaker touches on various topics, including geopolitics, personal experiences, and the diversity of foreigners attracted to China for different reasons.
Q & A
What are the four categories of foreigners that the speaker discusses in relation to China?
-The four categories mentioned are: 1) Sinophiles - those fascinated by Chinese culture like kung-fu or traditional medicine, 2) Layabouts or 'player bouts' - those attracted to the cheap lifestyle and women in China, 3) Criminals and clean-slaters - people running away from issues in their home countries, and 4) Corporate types - those working for companies with offices in China.
Why does the speaker say that many foreigners in China seem to have 'a screw loose'?
-The speaker suggests that many of the foreigners he encountered in China were strange, criminals, or 'batty losers' leading unconventional lifestyles, possibly due to the lack of stringent background checks for visas like tourist visas.
What is the speaker's view on the layabouts or 'player bouts' category?
-The speaker has a negative view of this category, describing them as scumbags who only have teaching jobs to fuel their lifestyle of drinking, womanizing, and doing drugs. He recounts incidents of them showing up to teach children in unacceptable conditions.
Why do some criminals choose to live in China according to the speaker?
-The speaker suggests that some criminals can easily get tourist or business visas for China without stringent background checks. Living in China allows them a fresh start since no one knows their criminal past, as long as they don't disclose it on the visa application.
What does the speaker say about China's perceived safety compared to the reality?
-The speaker argues that China only appears safe because the government controls the media and suppresses information about riots, violence, and other incidents. He suggests that there is a lot of poverty, death, and chaos that goes unreported.
How does the speaker view the current attitude towards foreigners in China?
-The speaker believes that the attitude towards foreigners in China has been on a downward spiral lately, with the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing being blamed on imported goods and foreigners allegedly illegally crossing borders.
What advice does the speaker give about studying in China?
-The speaker suggests that studying the Chinese language or something related to Chinese culture holds more weight and value than studying other subjects like science at a Chinese university.
What is the speaker's opinion on the tensions between China and India?
-The speaker does not explicitly state an opinion on the China-India border tensions but mentions that he plans to dedicate the next podcast episode to researching and discussing the issue.
What category does the speaker place himself in?
-The speaker categorizes himself as a 'clean-slater', someone who went to China to start a fresh slate and escape issues in his home country of South Africa.
How does the speaker view the prospect of visiting China with family in the current climate?
-While the speaker believes it is generally safe for an average person to visit China with family, he suggests waiting and seeing how things play out due to the current attitude towards foreigners and the shutdowns happening in the country.
Outlines
🤗 Welcome and Introduction
The host warmly welcomes the audience and introduces the topic of the stream: the four types of foreigners attracted to China. He mentions that many foreigners in China seem to have a 'screw loose,' including himself, and promises to explain the reasons behind this observation during the video. He also mentions a foreigner who recently passed away from a drug overdose, which prompted him to reflect on this topic.
🍻 The Player Bouts
The second category of foreigners in China is described as the 'player bouts,' individuals who are attracted by the cheap lifestyle, alcohol, and women. The host shares a personal experience of being temporarily homeless in China and how an agent helped him find a teaching job, revealing the shady practices of some agents in hiring foreigners illegally. He portrays these 'player bouts' as often being drunks, drug users, and visiting prostitutes, while still being allowed to teach children due to the lack of background checks. The host expresses disdain for their behavior and recounts some tragic outcomes.
🌐 Criminals and Clean Slaters
The third category consists of criminals and 'clean slaters,' individuals running away from their pasts or seeking a fresh start in China. The host explains how China's visa policies allow criminals to easily enter and stay in the country without rigorous background checks. He describes China as a 'breath of fresh air' for these individuals, where they can start anew without their criminal histories being known. However, he notes that their addictions and associations often catch up with them eventually. The host also touches on the phenomenon of foreigners receiving attention in China simply for being different.
🏢 The Corporate Types
The fourth category covers corporate types, foreigners who come to China for work assignments or company operations. The host describes them as often being unhappy and eager to return home, as they struggle with the chaos, pollution, and cultural differences in China. He empathizes with these individuals, acknowledging the challenges they face in adapting to the Chinese lifestyle, especially as they grow older.
🎤 Addressing Comments and Questions
In this section, the host responds to various comments and questions from the audience. Topics covered include his travels across China, the differences between teaching English in China versus Japan or Korea, the potential for Hong Kong's independence, the perception of safety in China versus the US, and advice for learning Mandarin. He also shares insights into the motivations behind some foreign vloggers' criticisms of the US President and their attempts to curry favor with the Chinese government.
💰 Appreciating Support and Addressing More Questions
The host expresses gratitude for the support received from patrons and Super Chats. He continues to address audience questions, covering topics such as the impact of the US-China trade war, his wife's desire to return to China, the India-China border situation, and the safety concerns of a potential road trip from Egypt to South Africa. He also discusses the potential for visiting China with family amidst the current political climate.
🎓 Foreign Students and Study Abroad
The host discusses foreign students and those studying abroad in China, categorizing them as 'sinophiles' – individuals fascinated by Chinese culture and language. He explains that a degree from a Chinese university in subjects like Chinese language or culture holds more weight and recognition than other fields of study. He also touches on the value of learning to read and write Chinese in addition to speaking it.
🎥 Favorite 80s Action Movies and Appreciating Support
In response to a question, the host shares his thoughts on favorite 80s action movies and action heroes, mentioning classics like Big Trouble in Little China and icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kurt Russell. He also expresses appreciation for the ongoing support and donations from viewers.
🚘 Trans Am and Haircut Funds
The host excitedly mentions acquiring his dream car, a 1978 Trans Am (the iconic vehicle from Smokey and the Bandit), by trading his previously restored Corvette. He also humorously acknowledges a donation towards a much-needed haircut, as his wife's clippers provide an unsatisfactory result.
🌍 Travel Safety and Precautions
In response to a question about a potential road trip from Egypt to South Africa, the host advises against it due to safety concerns. He draws from his own experience with motorcycle road trips in Africa, emphasizing the treacherous road conditions, remoteness, and potential dangers. While not discouraging the adventure entirely, he recommends taking extra precautions like carrying a satellite phone and carefully planning the routes.
✈️ Visiting China with Family
The host addresses a question about visiting China with family amidst the current political climate. He acknowledges that while it may be generally safe for the average visitor, the environment is becoming less hospitable for foreigners. He cites examples of China's recent efforts to blame foreigners for COVID-19 outbreaks and the spread of misinformation about illegal border crossings. He suggests postponing a family visit until the situation stabilizes.
🚲 Nomadic Travel Channels and Closing Remarks
In response to a recommendation to check out nomadic travel channels within the US, the host expresses interest and plans to explore more domestic travel content in the future. He wraps up the stream by thanking the audience for the engaging conversation and questions, and reminds them of the upcoming content schedule, including the next ATV China episode on Monday.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Foreigners
💡Sinophiles
💡Playabouts
💡Criminals and Clean Slaters
💡Corporate types
💡Visa runs
💡White monkey
💡Lavish lifestyle
💡Culture shock
💡Media control
Highlights
The speaker categorizes foreigners in China into four types: 1) Sino-philes interested in Chinese culture and traditions, 2) Player-bouts who are there for the cheap lifestyle, women, and booze, 3) Criminals and 'clean-slaters' seeking a fresh start away from their pasts, and 4) Corporate employees sent by their companies.
The speaker shares his personal experience of initially being homeless in China and getting help from an American drug dealer to find accommodation and an illegal teaching job through a Taiwanese agent who would take a cut of his salary.
He describes the player-bouts as people who would show up to teach kindergarten classes hungover or still high from the previous night, fueling their lifestyle of drinking, drugs, and prostitutes while doing the bare minimum work required.
The speaker admits to briefly indulging in the player-bout lifestyle himself, but eventually dissociating from those circles after witnessing the extreme depravity of some individuals.
He explains that criminals and clean-slaters are able to live in China and start fresh because the country does not thoroughly check the backgrounds of tourists and business visa holders, only those seeking work or spousal visas.
The speaker suggests that some foreigners in China criticize Trump online to curry favor with the Chinese government and nationalists, as any anti-China sentiment can lead to being warned, deported, or disappeared.
He argues that China only appears safe because the government controls the media narrative and suppresses information about riots, murders, kidnappings, and other violent incidents that do occur.
The speaker advises against marrying a Chinese woman and moving to China, as the culture shock, lack of adequate healthcare, constant noise, and difficulties can be overwhelming, especially for older individuals.
He recommends learning to read and write Chinese characters, as it helps bring everything together and understand the language better, rather than just focusing on spoken phrases.
The speaker shares a story about initially thinking learning 100 Chinese characters was impossible, but later realizing they had learned all of them through a university course.
He suggests trying Taiwan first for those interested in traveling to the mountains of southern China, as it is easier to navigate with more English speakers and the ability to rent vehicles legally.
The speaker cautions against doing a road trip from Egypt to South Africa due to the rough conditions, lack of infrastructure, and potential dangers, unless taking proper precautions like a satellite phone.
He believes it is currently safe for families to visit China, but warns that the attitude towards foreigners has been on a downward spiral, and things may become less hospitable in the future.
The speaker mentions a recent COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, which the Chinese government blamed on imported salmon from Europe, highlighting their tendency to deflect blame onto foreigners.
He advises those who don't fit into the four categories to do some soul-searching, as everyone falls into one of them, whether they realize it or not.
Transcripts
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: