Winston in China! Updates and Photos

[Yohan]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/ ... cmpid=yhoo

Interesting article about VERY rich young people in China.

A few sentences out of the report

As portrayed in the local press, fuerdai are to China what Paris Hilton was to the U.S. a decade ago, only less tasteful. Every few months there’s a fuerdai scandal, whether it’s a photo of a woman about to set fire to a pile of 100-yuan ($16) notes; members of the much derided Sports Car Club posing beside their Lamborghinis; or someone pulling a gun during a street race. In 2013 reports of a fuerdai sex party at the beach resort of Sanya provoked a nationwide finger-wag. Two prominent rich kids got into a public arms race over who had the bigger stash: The widely despised socialite Guo Meimei posted photos online of herself with 5 million yuan worth of casino chips; her rival responded with a screen shot of his bank statement, which appeared to contain 3.7 billion yuan. (Guo was sentenced to five years in prison for running a gambling den.) Recently, the son of Wang Jianlin, a real estate mogul and the richest man in China, trolled the nation by posting a photo of his dog wearing two gold Apple Watches, one on each forepaw. Fuerdai outrages occasionally feature government intrigue, such as a 2012 Ferrari crash in Beijing involving two young women and the son of a high-level official, all of whom were at least partially naked when they were thrown from the car. The man’s father, a top aide to then-president Hu Jintao, was later arrested and charged with corruption.

No question about, but some Chinese live in a paradise, but only some of them.

According to World Bank, China is now # 100 out of 213 countries regarding income per person = China USD 7,380 per year/ USD 615,- per month. China is # 105 with USD 13,130,- per year considering purchasing power = USD 1094,- per month.

http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/GNIPC.pdf
World Development Indicators database, World Bank, 18 September 2015

[momopi]

I read that article earlier today. The most striking part to me was the last paragraph:

"Not everyone has discovered a purpose. Zhang, the Uber driver, said his job at the TV production company is hardly his ideal career. But he’s not sure what is. “As a kid, I had a lot of dreams,” he said when we met up at the cafe near his office. “I wanted to be a golfer or a race car driver or a doctor, something like that. … But when you get older, you see more, and you see that some goals are just a dream.” He lit up a cigarette—now illegal indoors in Beijing—barely casting a glance to see if a waiter would stop him. Zhang never had any limitations, which was perhaps itself a limitation. “I don’t really have a plan,” he said. “Probably it’s a sad thing, but it’s the truth.” When I asked him if he’s happy, he said it’s all a question of attitude. “You can find a million reasons to be sad,” he said, “but you only have to find one reason to be happy. Every day I find one.” I asked him what today’s reason was. “Today, I meet you,” he said. “It’s a happy thing.”


Over on this side of the ocean, this was published today:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/w ... -la-827975

Though I think with the stock market situation, more people will be holding on to their money than splurging it, at least for now.

[Winston]

Two interesting experiences and observations I had in Guangzhou, China last week:

1. On the way back to my hotel late one night to meet Zboy1, I saw a guy passed out on the sidewalk floor who seemed unconscious. Two policemen were standing over him and their parked car was flashing blue and red lights. I watched for a long time as the policemen politely nudged the unconscious man on the floor and patiently waited for him to get up. They must have been there for an hour at least, politely waiting for the guy to get up or trying to help him. Zboy1 and I watched from the window of the 7-11 we were in.

I've never seen cops who were that patient before. In the US, the cops would have been a lot meaner and impatient for sure. How can that be, since we are told that China is a communist dictatorship and tyranny with no freedom? How can the cops in China be a lot more polite and laid back and non-confrontational than the a-hole badass bully cops n the US?

2. I walked into a hospital in Guangzhou to try to get medication for my high blood pressure, which had ran out. They did not have the same drug I use called Atenolol, so they gave me another one instead. But the thing is, I only waited 5 minutes to see the doctor and it only cost me a registration fee of 8 RMB, which is a little over ONE DOLLAR! And the drugs they prescribed for me to pick up at the hospital pharmacy only cost 34 RMB, which is almost 6 dollars! Wow. That's the cheapest hospital visit I ever experienced. It was virtually free, even though I didn't have any health insurance.

I told our HA Wechat group about this and Zboy said he was treated at a hospital in China for dirt cheap too, and that in the US messed up healthcare system, it would have cost hundreds of dollars at least.

Btw, to all you critics of China: You gotta understand that I don't give a shit about your news reports and statistics about China, because as Einstein said:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quote ... 48778.html

"The only source of knowledge is experience." - Albert Einstein

http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01 ... world.html

9. Knowledge Comes From Experience “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”

[Yohan]

If you compare China with USA, you are right. Police in USA has a very bad reputation - often compared with gangsters - and healthcare in USA is horribly overpriced and badly regulated.

Most Western countries are NOT like that however. Police in general is quite OK and respected in EU and most people have national health insurance cover and do not pay anything for medical care.

[zboy1]

I should know about healthcare costs in the U.S.--I was involved in the healthcare profession before I moved to China, so I'm an expert on the cost of healthcare. It would've cost me hundreds of dollars--even with insurance!--for the treatment of my tonsillitis and antibiotics and drugs, which cost under 100RMB (basically 15-20 dollars) in China. LOL!

But, some hospitals in China look filthy, so I'm glad there's some private hospitals and clinics staffed by foreign doctors in most Chinese cities.

[Yohan]

http://qz.com/524817/chinas-government- ... source=YPL

Full article link above.
Not only in USA, in China too....

Around 220,000 investors in China stand to lose billions of dollars following the mysterious suspension six months ago of all trading at the Fanya Metal Exchange, a trading platform-turned-asset manager.

One of them is Zhou, a 30-year-old urban planner from Hangzhou, in the southeastern Zhejiang province. She and her husband, Chen, invested 90% of her family’s savings, or about 2 million yuan, in Fanya. Their account has been frozen since Fanya said in April it had run into liquidity problems. To add insult to injury, their income, which totaled around 40,000 yuan ($6,327) a month, has halved because China’s property market is cooling. The couple has decided to put their home on the market and move in with her in-laws to make ends meet.

Equally distressing for Zhou and other investors who Quartz interviewed for this story is the near total absence of any official action. The police have not arrested anyone, and the national institutions that are supposed to protect investors have been silent.

In fact, in extensive conversations with eight of these investors among dozens we contacted, a deeply troubling picture emerges of the limits of China’s government’s push to cultivate its emerging middle class. How, as it encourages its citizens to speculate and consume more, will the state ensure they’re fairly treated and fulfill its self-anointed role of protector?

[AsiaHand]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but some people here are in dire need of a few red pills. Maybe a handful. I like China as much as the next guy, and I'll put my knowledge about the country up against anybody. But you guys are in serious delusional states if you can't recognize the serious problems China has. It's an ecological basket case. There are no places in China today that do not have serious pollution, be it air, water or soil. None. China has passed the point of no return; its leaders over the last 25 years really screwed the pooch. Food and product safety are non-existent, as are safe construction standards. Build it cheaper and faster is the MO of Chinese companies. The only consideration is as much profit, quickly as possible.

What I find most incomprehensible are the guys (particularly Asian Americans) on here prattling on about how Chinese should realize how 'great' they have it, and should not think about ever leaving. Spoken like someone with a foreign passport safely in hand, who enjoys a life of privilege abroad, but can leave at anytime when the shit hits the fan. Believe me, the Chinese understand their country WAY better than you guys do-they know all too well the endemic corruption that permeates every level of society, and the environmental problems I pointed out above.

If any of you can read Chinese, I suggest you take a look at Chinese social media sites and other publications. There have been many polls that reveal some very telling facts about Chinese and how they feel about the state of China. Some highlights: 80% of people who consider themselves wealthy or middle class above are seriously considering immigration to the West. Another poll asked Chinese women if they wanted to give birth overseas: 70% said yes. Of course for Chinese, this invariably means the US, because they all know that children born in the US are automatic citizens, and can petition for their family when they reach adulthood.

So while China can be a fascinating, enjoyable place to live, keep it reality-based, folks.

[Rock]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but some people here are in dire need of a few red pills. Maybe a handful. I like China as much as the next guy, and I'll put my knowledge about the country up against anybody. But you guys are in serious delusional states if you can't recognize the serious problems China has. It's an ecological basket case. There are no places in China today that do not have serious pollution, be it air, water or soil. None. China has passed the point of no return; its leaders over the last 25 years really screwed the pooch. Food and product safety are non-existent, as are safe construction standards. Build it cheaper and faster is the MO of Chinese companies. The only consideration is as much profit, quickly as possible.

What I find most incomprehensible are the guys (particularly Asian Americans) on here prattling on about how Chinese should realize how 'great' they have it, and should not think about ever leaving. Spoken like someone with a foreign passport safely in hand, who enjoys a life of privilege abroad, but can leave at anytime when the shit hits the fan. Believe me, the Chinese understand their country WAY better than you guys do-they know all too well the endemic corruption that permeates every level of society, and the environmental problems I pointed out above.

If any of you can read Chinese, I suggest you take a look at Chinese social media sites and other publications. There have been many polls that reveal some very telling facts about Chinese and how they feel about the state of China. Some highlights: 80% of people who consider themselves wealthy or middle class above are seriously considering immigration to the West. Another poll asked Chinese women if they wanted to give birth overseas: 70% said yes. Of course for Chinese, this invariably means the US, because they all know that children born in the US are automatic citizens, and can petition for their family when they reach adulthood.

So while China can be a fascinating, enjoyable place to live, keep it reality-based, folks.

China has a population density of almost 5 times that of USA. Much of the architecture and structures you see are hideous and depressing. It's very telling that many of the rich in China invest huge portions of their assets outside of China and/or emigrate to other countries. And I was very surprised to find that in spite of China's amazing economic development over last 1-2 decades, it seems if anything, a higher percentage of people are keen to move to west than before.

I guess 10 years ago during the super high growth phase, people were seeing nothing but improvement and believed China was going to become a better place than the west. But at this point, they are left with super inflated property prices, a slowing economy, and an increasingly challenging job market.

The real value in China vis-a-vis Anglo countries for guys like zboy and Winston is simply the dating and even marriage opportunities. Girls back in USA including Asian Americans don't even take them seriously. But in China, they can still date attractive young women and even find love. That's a critical life changing difference right there!

Also, people like zboy who probably felt abused by the broader society in USA are much more at home in China. The Chinese will generally welcome them and treat them with respect, especially if they learn good Mandarin and adopt local habits and customs.

If someone really wants a better quality of life with much less of the social toxins prevalent in USA, I would suggest Taiwan. Taiwan society has developed under strong influences from both Japan and the USA. The people are both polite and also quality conscious. Things in Taiwan are efficient, straightforward, and user friendly. Corruption is very low. It's super cheap too, much cheaper than Japan or even Korea. And medical care is also almost free with the National Health Service system which covers basic dental needs as well.

[The_Adventurer]

Look, I've done my time in China and I could certainly consider moving on, but wrong is wrong. Since you said to keep it reality based, I have to comment on some of your statement.

It's an ecological basket case. There are no places in China today that do not have serious pollution, be it air, water or soil. None.

BS. I live in such a place. I have travelled to a few others. Despite what they have done to the majority of the country, there are still pristine, beautiful places full of natural scenery, gorgeous mountain villages, river towns and lush forests. These are places where you could drink from the river and the air is as clean as the best natural spots on earth.

Read stories about all the people escaping Beijing or other big city hells. Where are they going? They are going to places such as those I mention.

Of course, there's no chance of getting a job there, so few people have any reason to concern themselves with such locations.

Food and product safety are non-existent, as are safe construction standards. Build it cheaper and faster is the MO of Chinese companies. The only consideration is as much profit, quickly as possible.

Build it cheaper and faster is the MO of ALL companies. That's just business today. Still, food and product safety have improved immeasurably in the last five years. The Chinese systems works on precedent. This means that something bad happens first, and then they fix it.

When I arrived here in 2010 there was some kind of food scandal, or construction related accident, every week. Dirty oil, fake eggs, cat meat, shoe products in food, poisonous substances, you name it. Buildings were catching fire, falling over for no reason, or people got asbestos poisoning. In the time since, they have shut down many operations, made many arrests and cleaned a lot of this stuff up. This stuff simply doesn't happen as much as it used to. Things have improved greatly.

What I find most incomprehensible are the guys (particularly Asian Americans) on here prattling on about how Chinese should realize how 'great' they have it, and should not think about ever leaving. Spoken like someone with a foreign passport safely in hand, who enjoys a life of privilege abroad, but can leave at anytime when the shit hits the fan. Believe me, the Chinese understand their country WAY better than you guys do-they know all too well the endemic corruption that permeates every level of society, and the environmental problems I pointed out above.

In the time that I have been here, my wife has changed from wanting to be the first out the door to thinking China is the future and desiring to stay here. I don't necessarily agree, but I can see why. Things have improved a lot in her country over the years.

From what I have seen and heard, more Chinese with money go to Singapore than the US. They also go the Europe, Australia, basically [v]everywhere[/b]. Only American arrogance thinks everybody still wants to go to USA.

[AsiaHand]

The 'pristine' places you speak of are so remote that it is impractical for anyone to live there so those are largely beside the point. And even many of those places have severe levels of soil and water pollution--the air quality is better only because no one lives there.

As far as food scandals, I read about them every week. The reason why you may think things have gotten better is only because the authorities cracked down on reporting of those events in a big way.

Your wife is a pretty small sample size. People are voting with their feet in droves. Most of them are in fact going to North America, mainly the US--this is not arrogance, it's statistics, which are readily available. Are you really going to argue that Singapore, a small island, is taking more Chinese immigrants than the US? There are close to 300k Chinese students alone in the US. At least 90% remain and adjust status. And many of those who do go back to work in China only do so after they have procured a foreign passport, US or otherwise.

You like living in China. Great. I spend a good part of the year there myself. I just don't kid myself about certain unpleasant realities.

[Ghost]

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[AsiaHand]

Now that I'm working on my second year in China, I find it hard to consider this country as a long term home. Definitely a lot of good things here, though some of is subjective. If you like the language, food, urban life, then yeah, you'll probably be fine as a long-termer here. But people are friendly, white foreigners are usually like (especially the positive ones - good thing for me it's easier to be positive when abroad), and there are lots of teaching jobs and some other opportunities here. Those are facts and not subjective.

For me, those things are dwindling fast, which might be cured if I give China one more chance and move to a first tier international city. Winston is doing so well because that's where he is. It's a legitimate strategy of course, and seems to work very well. Whereas I ended up in a shithole(ish) place twice, but at least it is a learning experience for me. If I failed a third time I would probably give up on China for good. Too many countries out there to keep failing in one, no matter how big it is.

And China does have a lot of problems, as does the U.S. or virtually every other country. But the people are better generally than Americans from what I've seen. Too pliable, but friendlier and more often and inclusive. And anyway, they've been around for 5000 years. I doubt they are going anywhere soon. Can't say the same for the U.S.

I agree on practically all points, for the same reasons. If it weren't for its abysmal pollution and food/product safety issues, I would probably live there full time. I like Taiwan, and have spent years there, but China is just intrinsically more interesting to me. I wish Taiwan had a retirement visa scheme like Malaysia, Thailand and the Phils. I could easily see myself in a city like Tainan or Taitung. Taipei as well, but decent real estate is just too damn expensive...

[Ghost]

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[The_Adventurer]

I think a good way to decide how much you really like a country is to ask yourself if you would still want to be there if it wasn't for women.

I think that's putting women in too high a place in life. I think a better question to ask is would you still want to be there if you had $10 million in the bank.

[AsiaHand]

I think a good way to decide how much you really like a country is to ask yourself if you would still want to be there if it wasn't for women.

I think that's putting women in too high a place in life. I think a better question to ask is would you still want to be there if you had $10 million in the bank.

Yes and no. If you had $10 million in the bank, life anywhere would be pretty damn sweet, with the possible exception of a place like Saudi Arabia. So at that point, the women may become the tipping factor.