Funny things I've heard Anglo people say about China

[Bao3niang]

1. One time an American tourist that was staying in Beijing for 1 week told me: "I don't mean to offend you, but this country sucks. I went to a few restaurants, and everything was in Chinese! The menu, the people, the food, it was all Chinese!" (and what country are you in?)


2. Another American tourist said to me: "Wow! I can't believe China even has cities! I thought Chinese people still lived in villages and huts!" (speechless.....)


3. A British tourist said to me: "how in the world did you learn to speak English?" (Uh....)



4. An American kid that was walking on the street with his parents came up to me and asked: "Hi, my family and I just want to know where we can eat the best kung pao chicken and fortune cookies in town." I told them to go back to New York, to which they sneered at me.



5. A fat and ugly Canadian woman said to me: "Wow! Chinese people are not robbers and scammers after all! You are so nice!" (I hope something happens to you next time.....)

[Rock]

1. One time an American tourist that was staying in Beijing for 1 week told me: "I don't mean to offend you, but this country sucks. I went to a few restaurants, and everything was in Chinese! The menu, the people, the food, it was all Chinese!" (and what country are you in?)


2. Another American tourist said to me: "Wow! I can't believe China even has cities! I thought Chinese people still lived in villages and huts!" (speechless.....)


3. A British tourist said to me: "how in the world did you learn to speak English?" (Uh....)



4. An American kid that was walking on the street with his parents came up to me and asked: "Hi, my family and I just want to know where we can eat the best kung pao chicken and fortune cookies in town." I told them to go back to New York, to which they sneered at me.



5. A fat and ugly Canadian woman said to me: "Wow! Chinese people are not robbers and scammers after all! You are so nice!" (I hope something happens to you next time.....)

Nothing wrong with No. 3. It's a fair question. As a westerner who speaks Mandarin, I probably get that even more about my Chinese. I think Anglos take it a lot more for granted that foreigners will know how to speak English than Chinese do about westerners speaking Mandarin.

In fact, a few even may even refuse to speak their language to foreigners. I met a Russian girl here in Taiwan who had grown-up in China so spoke Mandarin just like a local mainlander from her region. But once in awhile, certain locals would just speak to her in English. Fortunately, her English is fluent too. I told her she should have just barked back to them in Chinese, I'm Russian so either speak to me in Russian or Chinese. English is foreign to me."

Truth is, mainland Chinese and a lot of other Asians are a lot 'weirder' about their languages and non-Asians learning them than Anglos are about foreigners learning English. I'm sure Ladislav who speaks 4 East Asian languages fluently would agree with me on all this.

As for No. 4, it's true I've never seen fortune cookies. But kung-pao chicken is one of my favorite Chinese dishes and I found it to be widely available in parts of China at least (Chengdu and Chongqing had it very cheap in so many eateries) as well as Taiwan. If someone asked me where I had the best kung-pao chicken, I would direct them to certain restaurants in Taipei rather than any Chinatown stateside.

I guess my larger point is don't take it so badly the way some westerners perceive and react to Chinese. Because many Chinese, especially on the mainland, have very bizarre ideas and perceptions about non-Asian and even Asian foreigners as well as smaller sub-groups such as blacks, Americans, whites, etc.

[zboy1]

Well...I think both sides are guilty; one side guilty of falling into stereotypes (Westerners), and the other believing in 'bizarre ideas' about different ethnicities and groups (The Chinese).

I will agree that the Chinese quite often have weird notions about race; for example, they quite often 'white worship' but also resent White foreigners at the same time; they're quite often racist against Blacks--but like certain aspects of Black culture like the NBA and R/B and rap music. But don't you think America is pretty messed-up in regards to race-relations, too, Rock? I think so...

[Rock]

Well...I think both sides are guilty; one side guilty of falling into stereotypes (Westerners), and the other believing in 'bizarre ideas' about different ethnicities and groups (The Chinese).

I will agree that the Chinese quite often have weird notions about race; for example, they quite often 'white worship' but also resent White foreigners at the same time; they're quite often racist against Blacks--but like certain aspects of Black culture like the NBA and R/B and rap music. But don't you think America is pretty messed-up in regards to race-relations, too, Rock? I think so...

That was kinda my point. If both sides are guilty, than neither side is in a good position to put down the other.

And I find it quite ironic coming from a mainland Chinese person. Cus many there are still deeply ignorant about the outside world. Those types can still take what they are fed by the State run media at face value when it comes to 'foreign people and affairs'. It's worse than the USA in that regard I believe.

America is heavily multi-cultural, China is not. China has fringe ethnic minority groups but it's very much on the mono-ethnic/mono-cultural end of the spectrum. So you're comparing apples to oranges here when it comes to race relations.

At least I would say the main races/ethnicities in the States have a basic common sense understanding of the other groups. If China's propaganda machine claimed that Latinos have green blood, a lot of citizens would probably take that at face value. I mean after all, the reason why some foreigners are so hairy is that they evolved directly from apes, right?

[Rock]

Well...I think both sides are guilty; one side guilty of falling into stereotypes (Westerners), and the other believing in 'bizarre ideas' about different ethnicities and groups (The Chinese).

Also, I don't get the distinction you are trying to make here. Westerners 'fall into stereotypes' but Chinese don't? What do you mean exactly. Clarify. Examples?

[xiongmao]

Ah, Asian food. That is relevant to my interests.

While I was living in China my family kept asking me how many prawn crackers I was eating.

The answer was... Chinese people don't seem to eat prawn crackers at all.

But food is an oddity in Asia. In the UK we get these brilliant Japanese Wasabi peas... but I've never seen the brand on sale in Japan. And in China I found some tremendous Thai chocolate coated pumpkin seeds, but I never saw them in Thailand.

[skateboardstephen]

I guess my larger point is don't take it so badly the way some westerners perceive and react to Chinese. Because many Chinese, especially on the mainland, have very bizarre ideas and perceptions about non-Asian and even Asian foreigners as well as smaller sub-groups such as blacks, Americans, whites, etc.

Hugh? Blacks,Americans,and White????

[Rock]

I guess my larger point is don't take it so badly the way some westerners perceive and react to Chinese. Because many Chinese, especially on the mainland, have very bizarre ideas and perceptions about non-Asian and even Asian foreigners as well as smaller sub-groups such as blacks, Americans, whites, etc.

Hugh? Blacks,Americans,and White????

They're not mutually exclusive groups! That was never implied here. Of course there's a lot of overlap.

Point is, Chinese will sometimes lump together all foreigners (non-Chinese) but will also sometimes single out certain groups - Japanese, blacks (whether they be from Africa, USA, or elsewhere), whites (whether they be from Europe, USA, or elsewhere), Americans (whether they be white, black, or something else and especially when there is some government level problem, say States is selling airplanes to Taiwan, etc.).

NE Asians more often than not get singled out as a specific group (Koreans, Japanese, Mongolians). The most general words for foreigner often conjure up images of white people in the minds of many so when the foreigner in question is something different (say black or perhaps Filippino) they might use a more specific terms when referring to them. That's my impression anyway. Not sure whether or not Bao3niaing or other mainlanders will agree or not.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

I guess my larger point is don't take it so badly the way some westerners perceive and react to Chinese. Because many Chinese, especially on the mainland, have very bizarre ideas and perceptions about non-Asian and even Asian foreigners as well as smaller sub-groups such as blacks, Americans, whites, etc.

Hugh? Blacks,Americans,and White????

LOL @ "Hugh?" #KanyeWestVoice