Don't mind comparing cultures, but I can't stand it when some westerners immediately assumed superiority and have the moral high ground. They are quite happy to automatically apply the "god standard" on China always judging no matter what.
I do not agree with #5 , that people in China do not say "thank you". When you say thank you, they will reply "不 谢" or "不 客气" which in English would mean "you are welcome" or "no problem".
I'll never forget the first time I arrived in Shanghai. It was the first time I experienced 'culture shock' I guess. The first thing that shocked me was the sheer size of SH, omg, after growing up in the UK and living in London for 20 years I just wasn't prepared for how big SH is, and how built up it is. Someone can tell you there are 25 million people there but you have to see it. Upon arriving at my future mother in laws house she gave me a glass of orange juice as she'd seen me drink it on QQ so many times, and it was HOT!!! She just assumed we would have it that way bless her :)
@@Tortuosit SH makes London look like a town for the most part, with no traffic you can drive across London in 30 minutes, but it takes 1.5 hours just to drive fro the airport to central Sh.
In our house, we boil the water and pour it to a large thermos to keep the hot temperature of the water, and we also keep a bottle where we let some of the boiled water sit and cool down... when we drink the water we mix both the cooled down water with the water on the thermos so that it is at a drinkable temperature...
A nurse from the Islands told me to never put my purse on the floor and I've wondered why from then to now. Thank you for answering that question. These rules make good sense. Thank you for the video.
#2 Floorboards and carpets are a new thing in Chinese homes. When I grew up in China in the 90s, I lived in a typical Chinese apartment block with concrete floors, which were often damp and filthy. You wouldn’t dream of putting anything clean on the floor. #5 谢谢 (thank you) is overly polite for people close to you, Chinese people tend to say 辛苦了 (You’ve worked hard) or 麻烦了 (I’ve troubled you) as a more casual thank you.
Lol, I have been using carpets since I grew up, never did I put anything clean on the carpet. carpets are very very dirty even though you vacuumed it everyday.
I boil my drinking water because it tastes better, it has killed any gems and i don't buy and throw away thousands of plastic water bottles that end up in the oceans.
You need an osmosis water filter, preferably with remineralization at last stage. This kind of water filter removes all the bacteria, particles, dirt, chemicals, insecticide, herbicide, heavy metals and whatever. What you get is water quite pure, so pure it should have remineralized at last stage to put good minerals back in.
@@billinsf88 There are many brands of osmosis water filter system, what you don't want is one with water storage tank, because the tank inside has a rubber air bag which puts harmful chemicals into the filtered water, also the rubber may make the water tastes weird. I use a countertop osmosis water filter that outputs water directly without use of tank, I save the filtered water in a 5-gallon size nickle-free steel pot, I don't like plastic for storing drinking water. Regular steel container is fine too if it's high quality steel, because most steel cookware have unknown quality steel that may contain junk metal, even heavy metal! Almost all regular steel cookware have nickel which is not healthy. Because all osmosis water filters are very slow, produce only about 2 gallons per hour, so need a water storage container. My filter is good for about 500 gallons water before replacing the filter cartridges, that's about one and half gallon for everyday of the year, enough for drinking and use in cooking for one person. Filters effective time depends on local water quality, the dirtier the water the sooner the filter cartridges need to be replaced. I don't want to give a brand name here, here is a hint "Exp.... Wat.." and I bought it for around US$225 from "Ama...". Replacement cartridges cost about US$100. Can buy directly from the company website, it's in USA. It's a good filter system and price is less than most other brands. It's NSF certified. Here are the things it can remove from water: 1st stage is a Sediment Filter that targets dirt, dust, sand, and rust. The 2nd stage is a Granular Activated Carbon Filter which focuses on pollutants like chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, and odor-causing compounds. These early stages help extend the life of the 3rd stage, the Reverse Osmosis Membrane. The membrane focuses on the most difficult impurities like lead, arsenic, chromium, fluoride, TDS, radium and others. The 4th stage is a Post Activated Carbon Filter which does a final pass on your water, right before it comes through the faucet, removing any possible taste or odor.
Though I am not a mainland Chinese, I too do all the 5 things you mentioned and more. I often asked my Australian husband to carry my bag out of convenience because my right hand is paralyzed but he would tell me that he will carry as long as the bag is not too girly! And when my Asian friends visit us, they will always politely asked if they should remove their shoes. My husband would jokingly say ‘you can but only one shoe’ and I would add ‘and only the right side cos the wife is always right!’.
Great info. Who would have though that a "thank you" may be rude. More of these culture nuance vids please. Like the protocals when working, talking to the elderly, the police,
Point #2 is also very common in other Asian countries - not placing clean clothes on the floor, not wearing shoes into the house (definitely not onto bed), etc. Some may have different sets of sandals for indoor use.
Pls, by all means, do more stuff like this, as it's always interesting to learn more about these "little things", too. BTW, I remember when I went to USA for the 1st time: I was appalled by the custom of not taking shoes off as soon as you get in the house. That's something we also do in Finland. It's very rude if you just walk in wearing your shoes. We also tend to change clothes when we come in after spending time outdoors - especially during the colder seasons or after doing some work, like gardening - but also after coming home from work. I might be wrong but I have this feeling that also in Russia men carry the women's handbags and stuff...
0 seconds ago Men or boys carrying their girlfriend, wife or mother’s bag and other things are displaying of consideration, politeness, care etc…. It’s a little similar some men in the US hold the door open for women.
Ha ha! So true! I still remember the first time I came to the US, someone working at the air port asked me "how are you", I was shocked. I thought I didn't know him, why does he talk to me? Should I honestly tell him all my troubles? How much should I tell or not tell? Just as I was trying to give him an honest but brief anwser, he was already talking to the next person! Then I tried to tell him how I felt and I realized he didn't really didn't expect any of that!)l
Westerners' "How are you?" is only a casual social opening statement, like "Hi". They don't really mean to care for your well being or try to know you.
Haha yes this also happened to me when I started working, and everyone would greet me with "how are you?". I soon learned that they didn't want to hear how I truly was feeling, and that a simple "I'm good thanks" was a sufficient reply
Being British, saying thank you is like a national tic. 😉 I spent a lot of time in China biting my lip and trying to show appreciation in a different way.
There is another thing to note, if you plan to stay for a bit of time, and if you are a Rh negative blood type, go to the local hospital or red cross donate a bag or two of your own blood, it may save your lives, because in Asia RH negative is extremely rare, if you are getting some kind of problem require blood transfusion, this action will help a lot.
You can say thanks normally people will get used to it. I do it to my friends and family due to growing up abroad, they're not going to find it offensive.
Well, there you go. Now I know why my Chinese neighbours were sometimes a little funny with me, I thanked them way too much for someone as close as I was to them. Thanks Andy, I actually learned a lot. My respect for Chinese culture grows
Thanks so much for sharing Andy!!! When I tell a new friend that he or she is handsome/beautiful, I truly want to express my appreciation, not once because I want to start a conversation. It might be correct for those who just want to say that as a ritual but definitely not applicable to all.
My theory about the benefits of drinking hot water is that energy is used to heat the water, so when drinking hot water the energy is transferred to your body.
I think the primary reason is to kill any germs by boiling the water first. The second reason is the believe that when you mix cold water with your warm stomach, it will produce a negative side effect, slowly ruining your stomach and intestines.
I have lived outside in northern European winter conditions a bit and in my experience there is a real risk of dehydration unless you are doing a lot of physical activity because every time you drink a glass of water you feel cold for a while afterwards, regardless of how warmly you are dressed. It's not so much a problem when moving around but if not and it's also really cold then a sort of Pavlovian aversion to water can set in. I would imagine that it's the same if you wake up in a traditional northern Chinese house in winter.
Lol i am currently in the states. Its the same culture practice with diaspora too for quite some time. Its a huge culture shock already for Western folk here.
Worked in Huawei before and all the guys I know keep calling me “美女 (mei nü - pretty girl) ” or “妹妹 (mei mei - lil' sister)” first time I was like why all of you are flirtatious? 😅😅 Also I just know Chinese don't say lots of thank you..as a South East Asian, thank you is like automatically said to whoever "help" us. So that is why my team mate always say "what to be thanks?!!" when I said "thank you" everytime they bring me bao for breakie almost every morning" but I thank them like sister thanking brother in anime..😅 Like “kyaaaaa 谢谢” 🤩
wow you dont work at Huawei anymore??? like working at the equivalent of Google?? i heard its a nice place to work? i watched Hezhimengs documentaries i love that guy and his channel... are you natively Chinese? Its the same mannerisms when the Chinese call everyone Aunties Ah Yees and Uncles Ah Sook or in fact alot of other countries call out ''Heeey Preety Lady come come i have beautiful watch for you cheap cheap'' Or when people say brother, bruv, mate, dude..... its the same with the Chinese, you greet normal everyday people with Brother Sister.... handsome brother..... cute little sister..... its 2 for 1 XDDD it is flirtatious.... and it also smooths over faux pas that may happen XDDD If you score and bag a preety lady or a handsome boy along with extra i dont know groceries for example its a bonus!! XDDD
Interesting about the Chines view of the floor. The Koreans sit on the floor all the time , they sleep on the floor , they eat their meals sitting on the floor, even in restaurants, they practically live on the floor at home , true they do have heated floors, but I have seen Korean people (in Korea) take off their shoes much more and leave them outside then put on special socks (Korean love socks) or shoes inside, than I have seen Chinese people take off their shoes inside (in fact when I was in china I never noticed any Chinese people taking off their shoes inside ,while Korean people did it every time they went indoors.) Interesting!
Hi Andy: I have lived overseas for several decades and am so used to drinking cold ice water. However, I have started to drink hot water or tea recently. I guess that we all are back to the root when grow older, LOL. I enjoy your channel and glad to explore into more diverse topics about China and living in China. I remember that you touched gay topic before. I would like you to explore that topic like gay/lesbian living in China and also the pressure they face like marriage by their parents.
If I'm not mistaken there is a bit of cultural differences amongst the Chinese, people in some regions especially in the North they wear outside shoes inside the house whilst their counterparts in the South do not. So, that will depend on how clean the floors are.
It depends on the house and how the interior is decorated. Wooden for wooden floors and appartments usually people take their shoes off. For rural and concrete/some tile floors, people wear shoes inside.
Awesome in-depth vlog of "China culture shocks from a foreigner living in Shanghai" I'm Still culture shock in New Zealand after coming back from Hong Kong SAR .....
Actually, thanks and pleases are not that polite, but they tend to express some distance or a society ever on the edge and you have have to handle every person like egg shells. Thanks Andy for noticing some very nuanced stuff. What you done is really philosophy stuff without being abstract, bringing to fore whats lies underneath. Brilliant.
Why should Asians in their own countries follow Anglo-Saxon societal norms? These aren't Western countries. Looking at Europe, Southern Europe is Western, but not Anglo-Saxon. Countries like Spain, Portugal, and Italy practice their own norms. Somehow North American and British cultural expectations are seen as the norm for all of Western culture. The problem with YT is that it shoves this kind of Anglo cultural hegemony down everyone's throat. As an example, imagine how different the situation would be if TH-cam was a Spanish language centered app/ social media platform.
But a certain country in Asia, think and uses their old colonial master language and costumes and are proud of it. They even use their old Colon-nial map to claim territory of their neighbors.
Our normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, imagine pouring a cup of icy water into your body and how constricted your organs would suddenly be from the shock. On the other hand a glass of warm water going down would be very agreeable to your inside.
That was fun to watch, please do another one! Growing up in Australia, I used to find it strange seeing my Chinese parents and elders drinking hot water all the time, but once I turned 25 I loved drinking hot/warm water! Another culture shock for me is you have to show modesty - if I told my parents I did really well in my exam for example, they would correct me and say that I did "not too bad/不错". I think it's to not appear arrogant to others?
It would never occur to me to let Helen carry a bag of shopping or anything like that. She however would never let me carry her handbag, I think she sees it as her symbol of authority. whereas I would never offer to carry it as it weighs a ton!
The warm water culture are actually from mao era's patriotic health movement. Before founding of the country, the peasants usually drink water directly from the river or the well, only rich household boil hot water for tea to drink. The campaign has greatly improved the health of the Chinese people and prevented the spread of many digestive tract diseases.
Nah, way back before Mao era. Because my grandfather and grandmother go to Indonesia since before Mao was a big person in China. And they always say drink more hot water
@@hanmi1216 I am talking about general case that doesn't mean there is no exception. Just because your grand drink hot water doesn't mean all people at time drink hot water.
the funny thing is, after studied abroad, I somehow got used to drink ice cold water even in winter. and now everyone around me sees that as a super weird habit
Dear Andy, please make more video. 😂 Honestly i miss ur video, i feel it like too long waiting for your next video.. i wish u can make new video daily, but i understand u might not have that time. Anyway, love from Indonesia. Love all your content. ❤️❤️
I lived in China for only 6 months. Landed in Shanghai moved on to Beijing and flew back from Shanghai. Personally I never felt any culture shock upon landing in Shanghai China, it surprised me because I expected to experience it as I had experienced it elsewhere. However there are some things you mentioned here that culturally perhaps I didn't experience as much as you after 10 years.
#4, my experience of 帅哥 is a generally a derogatory term to make fun of someone, e.g. Rico Suave. Taiwanese soap operas in the 80s & 90s was full of it (probably still going). #5 is opposite for my family. My parents made me give thanks before every meal to the person who prepared the meal (mostly my mom and it wasn't christian thing, we are agnostic). There's a huge difference between different regions of China. I remember the first time we went to China in the 90s and found out the term 小姐 that we normally used in Taiwan and in the US as "miss", a polite term to address an unknown female, was a term for prostitutes.
That was a fun conversation. About saying thank you, people do say it much more than they did even ten years ago. You wouldn't say it family members, but when somebody delivers food to the door, for example, they seem happy when I thank them -- but they won't thank me. BTW, even after 30 years I still throw dirty clothes on the floor -- it is not really welcomed, but ....
That’s a direct translation. In Chinese to boil water you say “煮開水” that literally means to cook the water until it opens (boiling), so “開水” is short form for hot water.
the reason why chinese people think the floor is dirty even in your own home is that it is really dirty, cuz china is mainly an inland country where the air is often dry and dusty and it's often windy, so it results in dusts continuously settling down on the floor. it is still dirty even you mop it every day.
Yes it's more like lukewarm water that the Chinese drink. Most large facilities like railway stations, airports, hospitals, etc will have hot water machines for drinking and for pot noodles.
I believe the warm water has to do with mouth temperature being slightly higher. And life long matching temperature will preserve nerves on the tongue life long sensitivity for better appetite at old age. The Japanese germ warfare was also in play from ww2 on with boiling water.
I'm a Chinese Malaysian but westernised. I don't give too much value in just following any culture blindly. I'm usually sensitive to people of other cultures (Malaysia being multi-cultural), making sure they're not offended intentionally. But culture is a social construct. So my philosophy is to pick up whatever "habits" that I consider good, and vice versa. When I was growing up my mum would ask me to bring her a cup of water and she'd say thank you. I was impressed. She didn't have to, I thought. After all I'm her son and it's my duty (sounds Chinese. Lol). Just some thoughts.
Shoes... I can safely say it's an Asian thing to remove shoes b4 entering any house. It's just good sense n respectful not to bring dirt into them. Same goes for places of worship too.
Great video! Sorry I've left several comments! Being older, I don't get the 帅哥 so much, lol, but I am often asked my age and am then told that I look very young. And unfortunately I can't stop saying thank you. The key, I think, is not being offended when close family or friends don't say thank you to me. There's an unspoken protocol here, if you receive a gift or a favour, that you will at some point reciprocate and pay it back. So people will give often gifts with an agenda or a motive. If I give a gift I don't expect anything back, so a thank you will suffice. International relations would improve massively if the west took the time to understand some of these weird Chinese ways. To them it's not weird. To them we're acting weird!
Depends, you are supposed to say thanks even if you pay back. Also some gifts are like favours you need to pay back some are genuine appreciations, either one, a thank you is required. Usually you can tell when someone is giving pure gift of appreciation or asking for small favour.
Ah but I frequently notice in Chinese (especially costume ) dramas people often go to bed in their clothes and then get up put something over the top and off they go. Going to bed in the stuff they are wearing all day seems to be very common.
I noticed people in China usually did not say thank you, but instead made a low pitched Mmmm sound instead. I haven’t visited China for several years, but I’m curious if the Mmm sound is similar to thank you?
As a person of Chinese descent currently living somewhere in ASEAN, I hate drinking non-cold water, I drop my clothes on the floor to annoy my cleanliness obsessed Caucasian wife and to see her bend over to pick them up if you get what I mean, we have indoors only and outdoors only footwear which we maintain almost with religious zeal, I’ve held my mom and GFs handbags even during my time living in the West (I’ve mainly dated white or Latina women my entire life), I hate getting called 帥哥 and would actually respond back with I’m ugly or some other self deprecating way but in the West we get called Honey, Dear, etc which is similar. Saying thank you one is new to me, damn I’m an embarrassment to my ancestors to have a white man teach me something new in Chinese culture. For me, saying thank you once and move on is the typical way, also amongst my besties we don’t say TY or XX to each other, more commonly we would use some profanity when taken in context is the same as thank you but isn’t this kinda universal amongst besties in every culture?
I think the custom is to nod or other type of very subtile gesture instead of THANK YOU everytime someone get you a new dish or refill. But no idea , havent been to any dinning place here or in china for many years. Would be nice if you can observe and report it back to us?
Just imagine, with the same shoes they just used on dirty street or in a nasty public restroom and walking allover their houses, dinning room, bed room, closet etc... or even jump on bed with those same nasty shoes. blargh...
My mum is old fashioned, when I was young she would not permit me to be like other kids whom drank bottle or cold water, she boils the water and when it cooled there you go bottle cold water (distilled) insist it’s better than bought bottle water. Note that I older I still continue the trend. Also about the handsome guy or beautiful girl, when I worked in Asia that in found strange until I gotten use to it. Especially when in a restaurant or shop you call a shop assistant handsome guy or beautiful girl can you help me with something etc. I found it strange also they call me that when I was working also but like you said you get use to it but I don’t think it is wise if you say this in the west you probably end up in facebook been criticised as been creepy 😅
What is the correct way, when someone is filling your tea cup? I am used to use my 2 fingers to tap on the table. Is it 1 or 2 fingers? What is the history behind this? And the otherway around, when you are filling the tea cups of your guest, where or who to begin?
I don’t think it really matters. Growing up half of this kind of situation I say thank you, the other half I say that’s enough for me 😅 those were what I heard most as well if I’m the one filling other’s tea cups
Culture are borne out of habits, one can be divisive in good ones and discard the not so cool ones, my take on this topic. Thanks for the narrative, another learning curve for some.
I don’t drink cold/ice water after 30+; for health beliefs as per TCM. I in Singapore, water from tap here is very safe with constant tests/enforcement ~ but I would still boiled the water. Being overseas, I would drink only bottled water from brands from “respectable” vendors ~ never ice, as I do not know the water/ice is from. A lesser option would be canned drinks. Floor/footwear ~ typical also in Singapore, bedroom slippers n no outside footwear within the home. Food on tables only n floor is considered “dirty”. Handbags/Homesome ~ same as per China Chinese too. Sometimes, my wife being so tired, I carry her handbag 4 her(I don’t bother what other thinks ~ ain’t their biz. Do what u believe is right n proper). But thank you is practised here ~ probably Singaporeans r not so closely knitted(everyone is busy,their own space/time). U r expected to say “thank you” to show appreciation vs China beliefs of being “too distance” in relationship/friendship.
I am an oversea Chinese and started to drink warm water after I turned 35 and I will never ask my husband to carry my bag as it's too girly for my eyes.
Has anyone wondered why two New Zealand youtubers (both former scholarship students in China) - Andy Boreham of Reports on China and Tony Fiddis of China Update - show such wildly differing perspectives, when both are allegedly based in and actually reporting locally from China? As a viewer from the UK seeking impartial perspectives and not biased opinions, I am deeply puzzled. Can someone enlighten me after checking out both channels? Maybe fellow Kiwis do socialise within China as well and perhaps Andy himself can enlighten me, if he is friends with Tony.
Tony Fiddis mainly socialises with Westerners in the Financial Markets in China - he is more of a "China Watcher" ie an outsider looking in who retains a ideological, cultural distance. Andy is more integrated into Chinese society and uses this vantage point to look at the West and clearly sees problems that Tony is blind too.
@@Siempre1978 Andy Boreham immerses himself in the Chinese culture. He not only learnt how to speak Mandarin, but also learns the Shanghai dialect. Don't know anything about Tony Fiddis.
@@tonytube9211 yup. Tony Fiddis runs a TH-cam channel called China Update - mostly China Business/Economic focus and has a default position "critical" towards Chinese Society - this approach by Westerners on TH-cam has proved profitable for some. Channels like ADV China have built up a huge following based on openly racist hostility towards everything Chinese - Andy's Channel is a necessary corrective to the sinophobia prevalent on Western Social Media Platforms
To add on to Mark France comments. The difference here is there is proof that Andy interacts very often directly with the Chinese people while Tony seems to me as one of those who go to a foreign country but keeps social circles to foreign people. Andy speaks Mandarin, Tony does not or at least I’m unsure if he does. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. I spent 15 years in US, 3 years in Germany and UK, 20 years in ASEAN and Taiwan and I see this quite often. An example is my high school in US, 4 year seniors from Asia still could not speak English fluently and it’s mainly because outside of class, those 4 year seniors only interacted with other students from their home country speaking in their native language. Can those 4 year seniors claim they have lived in America? yes. Can they claim they understand or know America? No. I believe this is the difference between Andy and Tony. As for impartial, you won’t find it in either of them. Pretty much my only pet peeve about Andy, I know he knows China is not perfect and he never points those out. Other than that, I find Andy’s reporting more in line with what I’ve seen with my own eyes while I’ve stopped watching Tony’s videos are they are more click bait and anti China biased talking points. For example Tony has many videos about the imminent collapse of the Chinese economy, none of that has been true. Chinese exports increased 14% so far this year, the real estate crisis is pretty much under control (Tony seems to have forgotten that the 2008-09 sub prime crisis which resulted in a global crisis is US real estate and wiped out almost 8 trillion in the US alone and he’s reporting that 300 billion is going to kill China economy? I think he doesn’t know 1 trillion is 1000 billion) One thing that sometimes even Andy falls into the trap of is when making a statement about the “world,” it really doesn’t include almost all of the global south and Eurasia. I suggest you come see for yourself and make a conclusion for yourself at some point, that is the only way to verify. See for yourself. I have the same complain about Cyrus Jansen as well, I would like to see some commentary on the negatives of China to see if another person’s perspective differs from mine.
The handbag thing is very true. I'll carry my wife's hand bag or a pretty looking shopping bag in China. In Britain where I come from, there are guys who have handbags who I want to disassociate myself with, because I wouldn't want to send them the wrong message. In China men are still men and women are still women. There are more and more gays, but it's not the norm.
It’s common things in the past. As time passes by, the restaurant owners wanted to reduce costs, some stopped offering free hot tea but some are still offering free tea or hot water in their restaurants.
I agree with 1st two shock. 3rd one men carry women handbag? 呃😓 Last one, I always say thank you, ya, it seems I never say thankyou to my parents despite they did so much for me😭
“bukeqi”, the response to “xiexie”, literally seems to mean “don’t be polite”. That is to say, “it’s not necessary for you to be polite by saying ‘thank you’, to me because we are THAT close, respectful, and loving to each other that ‘thank you’ becomes so unnecessary.
I do not agree with #5 , that people in China do not say "thank you". When you say thank you, they will reply "不 谢" or "不 客气" which in English would mean "you are welcome" or "no problem".
Do you two carry the handbag of your “Lady” ??? I have never carried my wife’s handbag and I won’t do it in the future. There are limits to adapting. 😅
I wonder whether guys carrying their girlfriend’s bag is unique to Chinese mainland, as here in Malaysia I don’t see Chinese Malaysian men carrying their wife’s or girlfriend’s bag. I don’t think my father would do that! Nor my grandfather (on both sides). It may be the influence of Communism, which has done a lot to promote gender equality. Whereas traditional Chinese culture is patriarchal. Also, while I would carry shopping bags, etc., a person’s handbag seems too personal. I don’t think my mother would let me (or my sister) carry her handbag. So I suspect it’s the influence of Communism, and something more common with the younger generation.
Haha neither handsome or pretty refers to its semantic meaning when used to address strangers. Interpersonal relationships are important in China so people give compliments to strangers to sound pleasant. Therefore people just take those addresses easy knowing that they don't mean anything. But it was also a surprise to me hearing that guys in NZ wouldn't usually carry their girlfriends handbags concerning that would compromise their masculinity. I think it explains why many gay people in Australia would stay discreet despite the fact that social environment seems quite open towards it. Might just be a polarised gender stereotype thing...
Animal waste can be on ground, parasites Can be picked up on feet anywhere, same with bags ... It is probably an AGE OLD practice for hygiene that the WEST threw out. Modern Western Medicine has committed attrocoties in the name of progress. So I am not to say Thank You at the end of comments?
you omit the way that Chinese call foo yen in Restaurants , hotels , it always seems rude. so does the way the waitress/ waiter stands so close and hovers rather than let you peruse. it is not invasive being called handsome but but its being asked how your day was?
People also won't let their bare feet touch the floor. You'll never see a Chinese person walking barefoot inside or outside, except maybe on the beach. Some even provide special flip flops for the shower! My theory about the dirty floor idea is that public toilets, which are mostly squat toilets are usually splattered with pee and poop and are once you have used one, you definitely consider your shoes dirty. Not all Chinese public facilities are like that, but many are. And, it seems, most Chinese men can't hit the urinal.
Yes, I agree! Just today, my mum told me to wear slippers in the house (when she saw me barefoot) and said the health of my feet influences the rest of the body
i walkabout in the uk with a pink handbag no gf!!!! lol XDDDD naah i did this with my exs bag voluntarily.... didnt think about it for a second.... also dont care what other people think.....
It's a laugh when it comes to carrying your gf or wife's handbag/purchases, especially when you are with them. One would actually think that it would be a "western" thing. Isn't that a gentleman thing to do?
I love to watch programs where people compare cultural differences. So please give us more!
Don't mind comparing cultures, but I can't stand it when some westerners immediately assumed superiority and have the moral high ground.
They are quite happy to automatically apply the "god standard" on China always judging no matter what.
I'm hoping to visit China later this year so this is really helpful!
I do not agree with #5 , that people in China do not say "thank you". When you say thank you, they will reply "不 谢" or "不 客气" which in English would mean "you are welcome" or "no problem".
This was fun. Do more. Can’t get enough of Chinese customs and characteristics.
I'll never forget the first time I arrived in Shanghai. It was the first time I experienced 'culture shock' I guess. The first thing that shocked me was the sheer size of SH, omg, after growing up in the UK and living in London for 20 years I just wasn't prepared for how big SH is, and how built up it is. Someone can tell you there are 25 million people there but you have to see it.
Upon arriving at my future mother in laws house she gave me a glass of orange juice as she'd seen me drink it on QQ so many times, and it was HOT!!! She just assumed we would have it that way bless her :)
hot orange juice!🤣🤣🤣
I'm not even prepared for how big London is :D
@@fannybirot2362 I know! It was funny but now I totally understand why she did it :)
@@Tortuosit SH makes London look like a town for the most part, with no traffic you can drive across London in 30 minutes, but it takes 1.5 hours just to drive fro the airport to central Sh.
Maybe it was boiled orange soup. 😊
In our house, we boil the water and pour it to a large thermos to keep the hot temperature of the water, and we also keep a bottle where we let some of the boiled water sit and cool down... when we drink the water we mix both the cooled down water with the water on the thermos so that it is at a drinkable temperature...
A nurse from the Islands told me to never put my purse on the floor and I've wondered why from then to now. Thank you for answering that question. These rules make good sense. Thank you for the video.
#2 Floorboards and carpets are a new thing in Chinese homes. When I grew up in China in the 90s, I lived in a typical Chinese apartment block with concrete floors, which were often damp and filthy. You wouldn’t dream of putting anything clean on the floor.
#5 谢谢 (thank you) is overly polite for people close to you, Chinese people tend to say 辛苦了 (You’ve worked hard) or 麻烦了 (I’ve troubled you) as a more casual thank you.
Lol, I have been using carpets since I grew up, never did I put anything clean on the carpet. carpets are very very dirty even though you vacuumed it everyday.
Very good points!
I boil my drinking water because it tastes better, it has killed any gems and i don't buy and throw away thousands of plastic water bottles that end up in the oceans.
You need an osmosis water filter, preferably with remineralization at last stage. This kind of water filter removes all the bacteria, particles, dirt, chemicals, insecticide, herbicide, heavy metals and whatever. What you get is water quite pure, so pure it should have remineralized at last stage to put good minerals back in.
@@Anonymous------ is there a brand you would recommend? I use water filter but this sounds more healthy!
You quit shilling 😂?!
@@billinsf88
There are many brands of osmosis water filter system, what you don't want is one with water storage tank, because the tank inside has a rubber air bag which puts harmful chemicals into the filtered water, also the rubber may make the water tastes weird.
I use a countertop osmosis water filter that outputs water directly without use of tank, I save the filtered water in a 5-gallon size nickle-free steel pot, I don't like plastic for storing drinking water.
Regular steel container is fine too if it's high quality steel, because most steel cookware have unknown quality steel that may contain junk metal, even heavy metal! Almost all regular steel cookware have nickel which is not healthy. Because all osmosis water filters are very slow, produce only about 2 gallons per hour, so need a water storage container.
My filter is good for about 500 gallons water before replacing the filter cartridges, that's about one and half gallon for everyday of the year, enough for drinking and use in cooking for one person.
Filters effective time depends on local water quality, the dirtier the water the sooner the filter cartridges need to be replaced.
I don't want to give a brand name here, here is a hint "Exp.... Wat.." and I bought it for around US$225 from "Ama...". Replacement cartridges cost about US$100. Can buy directly from the company website, it's in USA.
It's a good filter system and price is less than most other brands. It's NSF certified. Here are the things it can remove from water:
1st stage is a Sediment Filter that targets dirt, dust, sand, and rust.
The 2nd stage is a Granular Activated Carbon Filter which focuses on pollutants like chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, and odor-causing compounds.
These early stages help extend the life of the 3rd stage, the Reverse Osmosis Membrane. The membrane focuses on the most difficult impurities like lead, arsenic, chromium, fluoride, TDS, radium and others.
The 4th stage is a Post Activated Carbon Filter which does a final pass on your water, right before it comes through the faucet, removing any possible taste or odor.
@@Anonymous------ thank you for that very useful information, I will definitely look into that right away 👍
Though I am not a mainland Chinese, I too do all the 5 things you mentioned and more. I often asked my Australian husband to carry my bag out of convenience because my right hand is paralyzed but he would tell me that he will carry as long as the bag is not too girly! And when my Asian friends visit us, they will always politely asked if they should remove their shoes. My husband would jokingly say ‘you can but only one shoe’ and I would add ‘and only the right side cos the wife is always right!’.
Absolutely so true, had exactly the same experiences. Even after 10 years I still have problems. with "Thank You".
Great info.
Who would have though that a "thank you" may be rude.
More of these culture nuance vids please.
Like the protocals when working, talking to the elderly, the police,
Point #2 is also very common in other Asian countries - not placing clean clothes on the floor, not wearing shoes into the house (definitely not onto bed), etc. Some may have different sets of sandals for indoor use.
Lots of differences but the main ones is everything is very convenient and cheap!
Pls, by all means, do more stuff like this, as it's always interesting to learn more about these "little things", too.
BTW, I remember when I went to USA for the 1st time: I was appalled by the custom of not taking shoes off as soon as you get in the house. That's something we also do in Finland. It's very rude if you just walk in wearing your shoes. We also tend to change clothes when we come in after spending time outdoors - especially during the colder seasons or after doing some work, like gardening - but also after coming home from work. I might be wrong but I have this feeling that also in Russia men carry the women's handbags and stuff...
0 seconds ago
Men or boys carrying their girlfriend, wife or mother’s bag and other things are displaying of consideration, politeness, care etc…. It’s a little similar some men in the US hold the door open for women.
Ha ha! So true! I still remember the first time I came to the US, someone working at the air port asked me "how are you", I was shocked. I thought I didn't know him, why does he talk to me? Should I honestly tell him all my troubles? How much should I tell or not tell? Just as I was trying to give him an honest but brief anwser, he was already talking to the next person! Then I tried to tell him how I felt and I realized he didn't really didn't expect any of that!)l
😂😂😂 White men are not sincere? It is just something that comes out of their mouths routinely, they do not mean it.
Westerners' "How are you?" is only a casual social opening statement, like "Hi". They don't really mean to care for your well being or try to know you.
Haha yes this also happened to me when I started working, and everyone would greet me with "how are you?". I soon learned that they didn't want to hear how I truly was feeling, and that a simple "I'm good thanks" was a sufficient reply
I'm very annoyed that people use it as a greeting when they don't really care.
Being British, saying thank you is like a national tic. 😉 I spent a lot of time in China biting my lip and trying to show appreciation in a different way.
There is another thing to note, if you plan to stay for a bit of time, and if you are a Rh negative blood type, go to the local hospital or red cross donate a bag or two of your own blood, it may save your lives, because in Asia RH negative is extremely rare, if you are getting some kind of problem require blood transfusion, this action will help a lot.
You can say thanks normally people will get used to it. I do it to my friends and family due to growing up abroad, they're not going to find it offensive.
A great one, thank you for this video!
Looking forward to visiting china some time in the near future.
Well, there you go. Now I know why my Chinese neighbours were sometimes a little funny with me, I thanked them way too much for someone as close as I was to them. Thanks Andy, I actually learned a lot. My respect for Chinese culture grows
Thanks so much for sharing Andy!!! When I tell a new friend that he or she is handsome/beautiful, I truly want to express my appreciation, not once because I want to start a conversation. It might be correct for those who just want to say that as a ritual but definitely not applicable to all.
My theory about the benefits of drinking hot water is that energy is used to
heat the water, so when drinking hot water the energy is transferred to your
body.
I think the primary reason is to kill any germs by boiling the water first. The second reason is the believe that when you mix cold water with your warm stomach, it will produce a negative side effect, slowly ruining your stomach and intestines.
I have lived outside in northern European winter conditions a bit and in my experience there is a real risk of dehydration unless you are doing a lot of physical activity because every time you drink a glass of water you feel cold for a while afterwards, regardless of how warmly you are dressed. It's not so much a problem when moving around but if not and it's also really cold then a sort of Pavlovian aversion to water can set in. I would imagine that it's the same if you wake up in a traditional northern Chinese house in winter.
🙏Thank you for sharing the interesting chat/discussion🙂
I don't know about elsewhere but in Beijing we say thanks and pardon all the time
In Cantonese there are different kind of thanks you use in different circumstances.
Definitely thumbs up for another video!👍
Lol i am currently in the states. Its the same culture practice with diaspora too for quite some time. Its a huge culture shock already for Western folk here.
Worked in Huawei before and all the guys I know keep calling me “美女 (mei nü - pretty girl) ” or “妹妹 (mei mei - lil' sister)” first time I was like why all of you are flirtatious? 😅😅
Also I just know Chinese don't say lots of thank you..as a South East Asian, thank you is like automatically said to whoever "help" us. So that is why my team mate always say "what to be thanks?!!" when I said "thank you" everytime they bring me bao for breakie almost every morning" but I thank them like sister thanking brother in anime..😅
Like “kyaaaaa 谢谢” 🤩
wow you dont work at Huawei anymore??? like working at the equivalent of Google?? i heard its a nice place to work? i watched Hezhimengs documentaries i love that guy and his channel... are you natively Chinese?
Its the same mannerisms when the Chinese call everyone Aunties Ah Yees and Uncles Ah Sook or in fact alot of other countries call out ''Heeey Preety Lady come come i have beautiful watch for you cheap cheap''
Or when people say brother, bruv, mate, dude..... its the same with the Chinese, you greet normal everyday people with Brother Sister.... handsome brother..... cute little sister..... its 2 for 1 XDDD it is flirtatious.... and it also smooths over faux pas that may happen XDDD
If you score and bag a preety lady or a handsome boy along with extra i dont know groceries for example its a bonus!!
XDDD
@antwango that's the HQ..it's so world class company now..hahahaha I am working outside China..hahaha
Thanks for sharing. Awesome channel.
Interesting about the Chines view of the floor. The Koreans sit on the floor all the time , they sleep on the floor , they eat their meals sitting on the floor, even in restaurants, they practically live on the floor at home , true they do have heated floors, but I have seen Korean people (in Korea) take off their shoes much more and leave them outside then put on special socks (Korean love socks) or shoes inside, than I have seen Chinese people take off their shoes inside (in fact when I was in china I never noticed any Chinese people taking off their shoes inside ,while Korean people did it every time they went indoors.) Interesting!
Hi Andy: I have lived overseas for several decades and am so used to drinking cold ice water. However, I have started to drink hot water or tea recently. I guess that we all are back to the root when grow older, LOL. I enjoy your channel and glad to explore into more diverse topics about China and living in China. I remember that you touched gay topic before. I would like you to explore that topic like gay/lesbian living in China and also the pressure they face like marriage by their parents.
Publicly, I think sorry, thank you, and please are the most important words we have. I'm from Canada
If I'm not mistaken there is a bit of cultural differences amongst the Chinese, people in some regions especially in the North they wear outside shoes inside the house whilst their counterparts in the South do not. So, that will depend on how clean the floors are.
I don't think so, I'm from the north, we always take off Our shoes at the entrance.
It depends on the house and how the interior is decorated. Wooden for wooden floors and appartments usually people take their shoes off. For rural and concrete/some tile floors, people wear shoes inside.
Thank you! Very interesting! 🥰
This is the best one yet :)
Awesome in-depth vlog of "China culture shocks from a foreigner living in Shanghai" I'm Still culture shock in New Zealand after coming back from Hong Kong SAR .....
Actually, thanks and pleases are not that polite, but they tend to express some distance or a society ever on the edge and you have have to handle every person like egg shells. Thanks Andy for noticing some very nuanced stuff. What you done is really philosophy stuff without being abstract, bringing to fore whats lies underneath. Brilliant.
Very interesting discussion.
Why should Asians in their own countries follow Anglo-Saxon societal norms? These aren't Western countries.
Looking at Europe, Southern Europe is Western, but not Anglo-Saxon. Countries like Spain, Portugal, and Italy practice their own norms. Somehow North American and British cultural expectations are seen as the norm for all of Western culture. The problem with YT is that it shoves this kind of Anglo cultural hegemony down everyone's throat.
As an example, imagine how different the situation would be if TH-cam was a Spanish language centered app/ social media platform.
But a certain country in Asia, think and uses their old colonial master language and costumes and are proud of it.
They even use their old Colon-nial map to claim territory of their neighbors.
This is a fact, I’ve been saying “western” (when applied to culture) when it really probably only applies to the USA and/or the UK
@@taiwanstillisntacountry they become banana and coconut? 😂
More cow-dung festival crazy🤢🤢🤢
@@taiwanstillisntacountry just in comments section here. a malaysian proudly claimed he is westernised 😅
Our normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, imagine pouring a cup of icy water into your body and how constricted your organs would suddenly be from the shock. On the other hand a glass of warm water going down would be very agreeable to your inside.
Yeah, I wish they can say thank you more often.
Hey handsome and hey pretty is not just a Chinese thing, the Mexicans said hey Bonita all the time. Lol
That was fun to watch, please do another one!
Growing up in Australia, I used to find it strange seeing my Chinese parents and elders drinking hot water all the time, but once I turned 25 I loved drinking hot/warm water!
Another culture shock for me is you have to show modesty - if I told my parents I did really well in my exam for example, they would correct me and say that I did "not too bad/不错". I think it's to not appear arrogant to others?
It would never occur to me to let Helen carry a bag of shopping or anything like that. She however would never let me carry her handbag, I think she sees it as her symbol of authority. whereas I would never offer to carry it as it weighs a ton!
The warm water culture are actually from mao era's patriotic health movement. Before founding of the country, the peasants usually drink water directly from the river or the well, only rich household boil hot water for tea to drink. The campaign has greatly improved the health of the Chinese people and prevented the spread of many digestive tract diseases.
Nah, way back before Mao era. Because my grandfather and grandmother go to Indonesia since before Mao was a big person in China. And they always say drink more hot water
@@hanmi1216 I am talking about general case that doesn't mean there is no exception. Just because your grand drink hot water doesn't mean all people at time drink hot water.
They drink hot tea and warm water ( that had been boiled).
No one drink hot water.
the funny thing is, after studied abroad, I somehow got used to drink ice cold water even in winter. and now everyone around me sees that as a super weird habit
😂😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent QA session 👍👍👍👍
Dear Andy, please make more video. 😂
Honestly i miss ur video, i feel it like too long waiting for your next video.. i wish u can make new video daily, but i understand u might not have that time.
Anyway, love from Indonesia. Love all your content. ❤️❤️
Sorry, so busy lately and I’m actually in New Zealand right now. Will try to do more when we get back to Shanghai. Thanks so much for your support!
I would think that in any culture, he would be told he’s handsome quite often.
I lived in China for only 6 months. Landed in Shanghai moved on to Beijing and flew back from Shanghai. Personally I never felt any culture shock upon landing in Shanghai China, it surprised me because I expected to experience it as I had experienced it elsewhere. However there are some things you mentioned here that culturally perhaps I didn't experience as much as you after 10 years.
Interesting content!
#4, my experience of 帅哥 is a generally a derogatory term to make fun of someone, e.g. Rico Suave. Taiwanese soap operas in the 80s & 90s was full of it (probably still going). #5 is opposite for my family. My parents made me give thanks before every meal to the person who prepared the meal (mostly my mom and it wasn't christian thing, we are agnostic). There's a huge difference between different regions of China. I remember the first time we went to China in the 90s and found out the term 小姐 that we normally used in Taiwan and in the US as "miss", a polite term to address an unknown female, was a term for prostitutes.
That was a fun conversation. About saying thank you, people do say it much more than they did even ten years ago. You wouldn't say it family members, but when somebody delivers food to the door, for example, they seem happy when I thank them -- but they won't thank me. BTW, even after 30 years I still throw dirty clothes on the floor -- it is not really welcomed, but ....
I am from Thailand , Do you like Thailand ? Welcome to Bangkok Thailand
About the water thing, someone told me that hot water can also be referred as "open water" in Chinese. Do you know why?
That’s a direct translation. In Chinese to boil water you say “煮開水” that literally means to cook the water until it opens (boiling), so “開水” is short form for hot water.
The person who translated hot water to “open water” are those people who know very little Chinese or who are still learning Chinese.
the reason why chinese people think the floor is dirty even in your own home is that it is really dirty, cuz china is mainly an inland country where the air is often dry and dusty and it's often windy, so it results in dusts continuously settling down on the floor. it is still dirty even you mop it every day.
Hi Andy! All these culture shock are common in Malaysia Chinese society too. Its quite the same.
Interesting!
Yes it's more like lukewarm water that the Chinese drink. Most large facilities like railway stations, airports, hospitals, etc will have hot water machines for drinking and for pot noodles.
I believe the warm water has to do with mouth temperature being slightly higher. And life long matching temperature will preserve nerves on the tongue life long sensitivity for better appetite at old age.
The Japanese germ warfare was also in play from ww2 on with boiling water.
Please do more!
The food- why Chinese food are amazing???!!!
I can't believe after all that Andy said, Eric thank-you. What a slow learner.
Culture switches as language does - I wouldn’t say “thanks” in Mandarin. 😅
I'm a Chinese Malaysian but westernised. I don't give too much value in just following any culture blindly. I'm usually sensitive to people of other cultures (Malaysia being multi-cultural), making sure they're not offended intentionally.
But culture is a social construct. So my philosophy is to pick up whatever "habits" that I consider good, and vice versa.
When I was growing up my mum would ask me to bring her a cup of water and she'd say thank you. I was impressed. She didn't have to, I thought. After all I'm her son and it's my duty (sounds Chinese. Lol). Just some thoughts.
Shoes... I can safely say it's an Asian thing to remove shoes b4 entering any house. It's just good sense n respectful not to bring dirt into them. Same goes for places of worship too.
Great video! Sorry I've left several comments!
Being older, I don't get the 帅哥 so much, lol, but I am often asked my age and am then told that I look very young. And unfortunately I can't stop saying thank you. The key, I think, is not being offended when close family or friends don't say thank you to me.
There's an unspoken protocol here, if you receive a gift or a favour, that you will at some point reciprocate and pay it back. So people will give often gifts with an agenda or a motive. If I give a gift I don't expect anything back, so a thank you will suffice.
International relations would improve massively if the west took the time to understand some of these weird Chinese ways. To them it's not weird. To them we're acting weird!
Depends, you are supposed to say thanks even if you pay back. Also some gifts are like favours you need to pay back some are genuine appreciations, either one, a thank you is required.
Usually you can tell when someone is giving pure gift of appreciation or asking for small favour.
@@flysmask No, you shouldn’t say thanks in these occasions. You should say 太客气了, which I didn’t know how to translate.
Ah but I frequently notice in Chinese (especially costume ) dramas people often go to bed in their clothes and then get up put something over the top and off they go. Going to bed in the stuff they are wearing all day seems to be very common.
I noticed people in China usually did not say thank you, but instead made a low pitched Mmmm sound instead.
I haven’t visited China for several years, but I’m curious if the Mmm sound is similar to thank you?
I guess you mean 嗯嗯, yeah it’s okay! They often end phone calls that way… instead of saying “bye” they just say “嗯嗯嗯 好的 嗯嗯”😂
As a person of Chinese descent currently living somewhere in ASEAN,
I hate drinking non-cold water,
I drop my clothes on the floor to annoy my cleanliness obsessed Caucasian wife and to see her bend over to pick them up if you get what I mean,
we have indoors only and outdoors only footwear which we maintain almost with religious zeal, I’ve held my mom and GFs handbags even during my time living in the West (I’ve mainly dated white or Latina women my entire life),
I hate getting called 帥哥 and would actually respond back with I’m ugly or some other self deprecating way but in the West we get called Honey, Dear, etc which is similar.
Saying thank you one is new to me, damn I’m an embarrassment to my ancestors to have a white man teach me something new in Chinese culture. For me, saying thank you once and move on is the typical way, also amongst my besties we don’t say TY or XX to each other, more commonly we would use some profanity when taken in context is the same as thank you but isn’t this kinda universal amongst besties in every culture?
In Canada, we change our outdoor shoes into indoor shoes at home, and in school.
I think the custom is to nod or other type of very subtile gesture instead of THANK YOU everytime someone get you a new dish or refill. But no idea , havent been to any dinning place here or in china for many years. Would be nice if you can observe and report it back to us?
Instead of 'Thank you' (Shay Shay?) would it be OK to say "You are a kind person" or something similar?
I do hard labor, drink all my water and tea warm/room temp, cold is a bad shock
Just imagine, with the same shoes they just used on dirty street or in a nasty public restroom and walking allover their houses, dinning room, bed room, closet etc... or even jump on bed with those same nasty shoes. blargh...
My mum is old fashioned, when I was young she would not permit me to be like other kids whom drank bottle or cold water, she boils the water and when it cooled there you go bottle cold water (distilled) insist it’s better than bought bottle water. Note that I older I still continue the trend.
Also about the handsome guy or beautiful girl, when I worked in Asia that in found strange until I gotten use to it. Especially when in a restaurant or shop you call a shop assistant handsome guy or beautiful girl can you help me with something etc. I found it strange also they call me that when I was working also but like you said you get use to it but I don’t think it is wise if you say this in the west you probably end up in facebook been criticised as been creepy 😅
What is the correct way, when someone is filling your tea cup? I am used to use my 2 fingers to tap on the table. Is it 1 or 2 fingers? What is the history behind this?
And the otherway around, when you are filling the tea cups of your guest, where or who to begin?
I don’t think it really matters. Growing up half of this kind of situation I say thank you, the other half I say that’s enough for me 😅 those were what I heard most as well if I’m the one filling other’s tea cups
Culture are borne out of habits, one can be divisive in good ones and discard the not so cool ones, my take on this topic. Thanks for the narrative, another learning curve for some.
I don’t drink cold/ice water after 30+; for health beliefs as per TCM. I in Singapore, water from tap here is very safe with constant tests/enforcement ~ but I would still boiled the water. Being overseas, I would drink only bottled water from brands from “respectable” vendors ~ never ice, as I do not know the water/ice is from. A lesser option would be canned drinks.
Floor/footwear ~ typical also in Singapore, bedroom slippers n no outside footwear within the home. Food on tables only n floor is considered “dirty”. Handbags/Homesome ~ same as per China Chinese too. Sometimes, my wife being so tired, I carry her handbag 4 her(I don’t bother what other thinks ~ ain’t their biz. Do what u believe is right n proper). But thank you is practised here ~ probably Singaporeans r not so closely knitted(everyone is busy,their own space/time). U r expected to say “thank you” to show appreciation vs China beliefs of being “too distance” in relationship/friendship.
Shanghai = xiao-lung-bao 😋😋😋👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I am an oversea Chinese and started to drink warm water after I turned 35 and I will never ask my husband to carry my bag as it's too girly for my eyes.
Thankyou Andy 🤣
Has anyone wondered why two New Zealand youtubers (both former scholarship students in China) - Andy Boreham of Reports on China and Tony Fiddis of China Update - show such wildly differing perspectives, when both are allegedly based in and actually reporting locally from China? As a viewer from the UK seeking impartial perspectives and not biased opinions, I am deeply puzzled. Can someone enlighten me after checking out both channels? Maybe fellow Kiwis do socialise within China as well and perhaps Andy himself can enlighten me, if he is friends with Tony.
Tony Fiddis mainly socialises with Westerners in the Financial Markets in China - he is more of a "China Watcher" ie an outsider looking in who retains a ideological, cultural distance.
Andy is more integrated into Chinese society and uses this vantage point to look at the West and clearly sees problems that Tony is blind too.
@@Siempre1978 Andy Boreham immerses himself in the Chinese culture. He not only learnt how to speak Mandarin, but also learns the Shanghai dialect.
Don't know anything about Tony Fiddis.
@@tonytube9211 yup. Tony Fiddis runs a TH-cam channel called China Update - mostly China Business/Economic focus and has a default position "critical" towards Chinese Society - this approach by Westerners on TH-cam has proved profitable for some. Channels like ADV China have built up a huge following based on openly racist hostility towards everything Chinese - Andy's Channel is a necessary corrective to the sinophobia prevalent on Western Social Media Platforms
To add on to Mark France comments. The difference here is there is proof that Andy interacts very often directly with the Chinese people while Tony seems to me as one of those who go to a foreign country but keeps social circles to foreign people. Andy speaks Mandarin, Tony does not or at least I’m unsure if he does. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. I spent 15 years in US, 3 years in Germany and UK, 20 years in ASEAN and Taiwan and I see this quite often. An example is my high school in US, 4 year seniors from Asia still could not speak English fluently and it’s mainly because outside of class, those 4 year seniors only interacted with other students from their home country speaking in their native language. Can those 4 year seniors claim they have lived in America? yes. Can they claim they understand or know America? No. I believe this is the difference between Andy and Tony.
As for impartial, you won’t find it in either of them. Pretty much my only pet peeve about Andy, I know he knows China is not perfect and he never points those out. Other than that, I find Andy’s reporting more in line with what I’ve seen with my own eyes while I’ve stopped watching Tony’s videos are they are more click bait and anti China biased talking points. For example Tony has many videos about the imminent collapse of the Chinese economy, none of that has been true. Chinese exports increased 14% so far this year, the real estate crisis is pretty much under control (Tony seems to have forgotten that the 2008-09 sub prime crisis which resulted in a global crisis is US real estate and wiped out almost 8 trillion in the US alone and he’s reporting that 300 billion is going to kill China economy? I think he doesn’t know 1 trillion is 1000 billion)
One thing that sometimes even Andy falls into the trap of is when making a statement about the “world,” it really doesn’t include almost all of the global south and Eurasia.
I suggest you come see for yourself and make a conclusion for yourself at some point, that is the only way to verify. See for yourself.
I have the same complain about Cyrus Jansen as well, I would like to see some commentary on the negatives of China to see if another person’s perspective differs from mine.
@@WarrenKLiu if you looking for a perfect person' it never exists
👍👍👍
The handbag thing is very true. I'll carry my wife's hand bag or a pretty looking shopping bag in China. In Britain where I come from, there are guys who have handbags who I want to disassociate myself with, because I wouldn't want to send them the wrong message. In China men are still men and women are still women. There are more and more gays, but it's not the norm.
Hot tea is not commonly available in restaurants in Northern China.
@@SKaiM-mk3zu No idea. They will give you hot water if you ask but don’t serve hot tea.
It’s common things in the past. As time passes by, the restaurant owners wanted to reduce costs, some stopped offering free hot tea but some are still offering free tea or hot water in their restaurants.
Kewl Andy
I agree with 1st two shock. 3rd one men carry women handbag? 呃😓 Last one, I always say thank you, ya, it seems I never say thankyou to my parents despite they did so much for me😭
Wooooo..... how many girlfriends do you have, 安柏然?? Hee hee hee hee 😁😁😁😁
he bats for the other team.
“bukeqi”, the response to “xiexie”, literally seems to mean “don’t be polite”. That is to say, “it’s not necessary for you to be polite by saying ‘thank you’, to me because we are THAT close, respectful, and loving to each other that ‘thank you’ becomes so unnecessary.
I do not agree with #5 , that people in China do not say "thank you". When you say thank you, they will reply "不 谢" or "不 客气" which in English would mean "you are welcome" or "no problem".
You have to wait a couple seconds to see if you're handsome guy 😂
Do you two carry the handbag of your “Lady” ??? I have never carried my wife’s handbag and I won’t do it in the future. There are limits to adapting. 😅
I wonder whether guys carrying their girlfriend’s bag is unique to Chinese mainland, as here in Malaysia I don’t see Chinese Malaysian men carrying their wife’s or girlfriend’s bag. I don’t think my father would do that! Nor my grandfather (on both sides).
It may be the influence of Communism, which has done a lot to promote gender equality. Whereas traditional Chinese culture is patriarchal.
Also, while I would carry shopping bags, etc., a person’s handbag seems too personal. I don’t think my mother would let me (or my sister) carry her handbag.
So I suspect it’s the influence of Communism, and something more common with the younger generation.
Don't they sleep on mats on the floor?
Haha neither handsome or pretty refers to its semantic meaning when used to address strangers. Interpersonal relationships are important in China so people give compliments to strangers to sound pleasant. Therefore people just take those addresses easy knowing that they don't mean anything. But it was also a surprise to me hearing that guys in NZ wouldn't usually carry their girlfriends handbags concerning that would compromise their masculinity. I think it explains why many gay people in Australia would stay discreet despite the fact that social environment seems quite open towards it. Might just be a polarised gender stereotype thing...
Animal waste can be on ground, parasites Can be picked up on feet anywhere, same with bags ... It is probably an AGE OLD practice for hygiene that the WEST threw out. Modern Western Medicine has committed attrocoties in the name of progress. So I am not to say Thank You at the end of comments?
Chinese diasporas in SEA frown upon those who do not leave their dirty footwear outside.
How about opening all the windows to let in the cold air in winter and all the bugs in summer?
you omit the way that Chinese call foo yen in Restaurants , hotels , it always seems rude.
so does the way the waitress/ waiter stands so close and hovers rather than let you peruse.
it is not invasive being called handsome but but its being asked how your day was?
People also won't let their bare feet touch the floor. You'll never see a Chinese person walking barefoot inside or outside, except maybe on the beach. Some even provide special flip flops for the shower!
My theory about the dirty floor idea is that public toilets, which are mostly squat toilets are usually splattered with pee and poop and are once you have used one, you definitely consider your shoes dirty. Not all Chinese public facilities are like that, but many are. And, it seems, most Chinese men can't hit the urinal.
Yes, I agree! Just today, my mum told me to wear slippers in the house (when she saw me barefoot) and said the health of my feet influences the rest of the body
i walkabout in the uk with a pink handbag no gf!!!! lol XDDDD
naah i did this with my exs bag voluntarily.... didnt think about it for a second.... also dont care what other people think.....
It's a laugh when it comes to carrying your gf or wife's handbag/purchases, especially when you are with them. One would actually think that it would be a "western" thing. Isn't that a gentleman thing to do?