A long time member checking back in

[Winston]

Welcome back zboy1. We missed you. How is China? Anything improve there? We always talk about the negatives here, but never the positives.

How is your relationship going? Do you wanna talk about it or is it confidential?

It's going well, Winston. We're thinking whether to have a child or not, but honestly, I don't really want to bring a child into this world. The world is kinda fu*ked up now, so we'll wait and see.

Chinese mainland girls are way better than American women, hands down! From what my younger brother has told me, and what HA members that have returned to the States have said, American women have gotten worse than before (if that's even possible).

I'm about to get my U.S. teachers license so that means I can teach at any international school out here in Asia. I'm already doing so but this certification means my paycheck will double in the future.

I've enjoyed China but the recent crackdowns and closing up of China has me a bit worried. I'm looking to teach at an international school in Korea, Taiwan or Japan for a change of pace.

This whole Covid situation is unfortunate, moreso that I haven't been able to travel outside of China in a while. I do miss visiting other parts of Asia. I have traveled a fair bit inside China, though.

Can your wife move abroad with you? Well no place is perfect, but the thing is, SE Asia is a lot more fun and open, but the pay there is gonna be a lot less. There's tradeoffs.

What about Shanghai? I would imagine that the regulation there is less, because it's a major business hub so they wouldn't want to interfere with it.

If you went to NE Asia I think Japan would be the most interesting culture but it's also very repressed and expensive. Korea may mistreat people from what I heard. And Taiwan is just too empty and soulless and has a very shallow vibe that doesn't resonate with your soul if you're not shallow too.

Is your wife not very materialistic or demanding? Or is she different in private? I heard that in public, men are the boss in China but in private women are the boss. Is that true?

[publicduende]

Hi @zboy1

Welcome back to the forum! I, too, have timidly started to post here again. Mainly out of boredom...or, who knows, maybe because you can take a man off HA but you can't take HA off the man!

@Winston these are the kinds of posters whose return (or permanence) you should be cherishing.

[Winston]

Hi @zboy1

Welcome back to the forum! I, too, have timidly started to post here again. Mainly out of boredom...or, who knows, maybe because you can take a man off HA but you can't take HA off the man!

@Winston these are the kinds of posters whose return (or permanence) you should be cherishing.

True. I cherish him and you. However keep in mind that zboy1 has a job and a wife to take care of, so he doesn't have much time to be here. So we are lucky that he is posting at all. Most working people who have a wife don't have time for forums.

I don't think you are here out of boredom. Probably because you resonate with it and enjoy the freedom to speak your mind which you cannot do on most forums.

[publicduende]

True. I cherish him and you. However keep in mind that zboy1 has a job and a wife to take care of, so he doesn't have much time to be here. So we are lucky that he is posting at all. Most working people who have a wife don't have time for forums.

Me too, Winston, me too. So does MarcosZ and several others...

I don't think you are here out of boredom. Probably because you resonate with it and enjoy the freedom to speak your mind which you cannot do on most forums.

Let's say that keeping HA so open to any kind of contribution, from deep philosophical discussions on the origins of spirituality to "professional" trolling, is one of the reasons why nobody feels intimidated about posting here. No topic too dense or too light, no judgment passed, no matter how controversial and "nutty" every and each post might sound. Be it 5 times a day or once a year, anybody can check in and add their 2 cents to the pot.

This is, quite honestly, something harder and harder to find anywhere on what's left of the "free" (i.e. non-monetisable) Internet.

[zboy1]

I've been abroad now for almost 10 years and haven't regretted my decision at all. During the same time, it's been shocking to see the decline of the U.S. and Western culture to the morass it is now. I think the Anglosphere is f***ed--but that's just my opinion.

As for China, yeah, not a fan of Emperor Xitler. A lot of expats in China have rightfully fled but it's still a decent place to live and work. Xi's stupid Covid and economic crackdowns have really slowed the economy. Plus, a lot of anti-foreign xenophobia has been encouraged by Xi's thugs in the CCP, so unless you look Asian, I'd consider going somewhere else in Asia.

The new hotspot is actually Vietnam (where a lot of the factories that were formally in China have moved to). I also have explored other parts of Asia, out of which I liked Japan, Philippines and Thailand the most. Taiwan is a decent place but it's got its share of problems (as Winston has shared many times on the forum). The problem might be that Chinese culture is just too materialistic and unwelcoming to non-Chinese, but I have heard foreigners really like it there, so it might just come down to personal preferences in the end.

I almost married a Filipina a while back but that relationship ended, and as most people know on the forum, I married a Chinese women in 2019. It's been great and I'm very happy to be with her.

Overall, I'm so glad to be in this side of the world and not in the U.S.

[WilliamSmith]

I've been abroad now for almost 10 years and haven't regretted my decision at all. During the same time, it's been shocking to see the decline of the U.S. and Western culture to the morass it is now. I think the Anglosphere is f***ed--but that's just my opinion.

As for China, yeah, not a fan of Emperor Xitler. A lot of expats in China have rightfully fled but it's still a decent place to live and work. Xi's stupid Covid and economic crackdowns have really slowed the economy. Plus, a lot of anti-foreign xenophobia has been encouraged by Xi's thugs in the CCP, so unless you look Asian, I'd consider going somewhere else in Asia.

The new hotspot is actually Vietnam (where a lot of the factories that were formally in China have moved to). I also have explored other parts of Asia, out of which I liked Japan, Philippines and Thailand the most. Taiwan is a decent place but it's got its share of problems (as Winston has shared many times on the forum). The problem might be that Chinese culture is just too materialistic and unwelcoming to non-Chinese, but I have heard foreigners really like it there, so it might just come down to personal preferences in the end.

I almost married a Filipina a while back but that relationship ended, and as most people know on the forum, I married a Chinese women in 2019. It's been great and I'm very happy to be with her.

Overall, I'm so glad to be in this side of the world and not in the U.S.

Thanks @zboy1 , interesting stuff! I agree, the Anglosphere's screwed (at least as far as the ZOG Anglosphere countries, it's not as bad in English speaking Caribbean and African countries IMO).

Vietnam is a wonderful country though. While I have other plans myself, if I picked only one country in SE Asia I think that's my favorite choice.

Beautiful country, traditional culture (of course influenced heavily by the beauty of ancient Chinese cultural influences, even if they have more than a bit of "friction" with China past and present), beautiful natural scenery, awesome food.

Last I heard it was gratifyingly inexpensive to live in many places in Vietnam vs 'Western' standards too, and there's interesting prospects for entrepreneurial types because they're still developing, despite having a strong culture and nation-state and healthy people as far as I've seen/learned.

There's too many homosexuals there, but it's still not as bad as Thailand, Japan, etc., or close to as bad as 'the West' for that.

Getting run down by a swarm of friendly people blazing through the streets on motorbikes might be my only major concern, LOL.

[Winston]

China may be authoritarian, but the everyday vibe there still feels freer than Taiwan or America, because the cold wall between strangers isn't as negative or paranoid or strict. People make eye contact freely without inhibition. So you don't feel like a creep or freak if you try to talk to strangers or chat up women, etc. You definitely can't say that about Taiwan or USA where it feels taboo and inappropriate to talk to strangers and people look VERY closed off. Everyone ignores you and expects you to ignore them too. So if you see a cute girl you can't do anything about it. In China strangers are more hospitable and not as close off as in Taiwan. Also in China the police are very polite and leave people alone and do not pick fights with people. It is not a police state like the US is.

So why does everyone in the West, both mainstream and truther, say that that China is completely unfree and has zero freedom? What's the basis of that? Am I missing something or is everyone lying and insane, including the truthers who are supposed to be freethinkers? I was never bothered by any policemen or government in China, and I never felt unfree. So what's the basis of the "China is unfree" statement that everyone spouts, including freethinkers and truthers?

Moreover, why doesn't the Chinese government or media ever put out any articles or videos debunking the myth that "China is totally unfree"? It's as if they are happy to play the role of the boogieman because that's the script assigned to them. As if they are just actors playing a role. That means we live in a one world system controlled by the puppetmasters and everything is just a show and charade?

In addition, I never saw any soldiers with machine guns or starving people screaming for democracy or "people living on top of each other" like Matt McKinley says. Anyone can go to China and see this and expose this right away. So why doesn't anyone do it?

[Moretorque]

China may be authoritarian, but the everyday vibe there still feels freer than Taiwan or America, because the cold wall between strangers isn't as negative or paranoid or strict. People make eye contact freely without inhibition. So you don't feel like a creep or freak if you try to talk to strangers or chat up women, etc. You definitely can't say that about Taiwan or USA where it feels taboo and inappropriate to talk to strangers and people look VERY closed off. Everyone ignores you and expects you to ignore them too. So if you see a cute girl you can't do anything about it. In China strangers are more hospitable and not as close off as in Taiwan. Also in China the police are very polite and leave people alone and do not pick fights with people. It is not a police state like the US is.

So why does everyone in the West, both mainstream and truther, say that that China is completely unfree and has zero freedom? What's the basis of that? Am I missing something or is everyone lying and insane, including the truthers who are supposed to be freethinkers? I was never bothered by any policemen or government in China, and I never felt unfree. So what's the basis of the "China is unfree" statement that everyone spouts, including freethinkers and truthers?

Moreover, why doesn't the Chinese government or media ever put out any articles or videos debunking the myth that "China is totally unfree"? It's as if they are happy to play the role of the boogieman because that's the script assigned to them. As if they are just actors playing a role. That means we live in a one world system controlled by the puppetmasters and everything is just a show and charade?

In addition, I never saw any soldiers with machine guns or starving people screaming for democracy or "people living on top of each other" like Matt McKinley says. Anyone can go to China and see this and expose this right away. So why doesn't anyone do it?

I think you are missing something Mr. Wu, it is quite apparent as of late to anybody with 1/2 a brain why the Bill of Rights for America has the 2nd amendment. In China there is no such thing, you are out to lunch Winston...

[WilliamSmith]

@Winston good questions: I'm not anti-China (far from it) and am not buying any jewmedia smears on China, but I think that what @zboy1 cautioned about for anyone who doesn't look Asian is well worth considering at this particular time, because even though I agree Chinese tend to be friendlier in peacetime, the political situation has heated up because of the ZOGs anti-China campaigning, and is leading to some justified intense suspicion of anti-Chinese foreigners. And obviously that suspicion could spill over on you even if you're not anti-Chinese, even if the problem wasn't coming from the Chinese police or authorities. (More on that in a minute...)

China may be authoritarian, but the everyday vibe there still feels freer than Taiwan or America, because the cold wall between strangers isn't as negative or paranoid or strict. People make eye contact freely without inhibition. So you don't feel like a creep or freak if you try to talk to strangers or chat up women, etc. You definitely can't say that about Taiwan or USA where it feels taboo and inappropriate to talk to strangers and people look VERY closed off. Everyone ignores you and expects you to ignore them too. So if you see a cute girl you can't do anything about it. In China strangers are more hospitable and not as close off as in Taiwan. Also in China the police are very polite and leave people alone and do not pick fights with people. It is not a police state like the US is.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but China definitely is even more authoritarian and controlling police state than even the USSA is at this time, even if it's arguably a much better sovereign nation since it's still (as far as I know) ruled by authoritarian nationalistic Chinese, rather than sociopathic jews. (Of course the jews are trying to make the USA and 'West' into much worse technocratic neo-bolshevik police states than China is now, true, but they haven't actually gone as far as the CCP has yet in maintaining rigid control over the population and police state action suppressing the public.)

I wrote a whole bunch more on this responding to other things you brought up, but think I'll respond to some other stuff Winston mentioned in a new thread instead of posting another giant text wall in zboy's thread...

[xiongmao]

Wow my last post in this thread was spot on with inflation.

China continues to decline too and even Apple is starting to realise being a Xi fanboy isn't gonna work no more.

A guy I used to work with just left China and I told him to switch the lights off. He's actually gone to Jeju (Korean island) which could be a pretty sweet place to work.

I've been reading and watching a lot of Peter Zeihan. Check him out. He's into demographics and geopolitics and explains where the world is going in the long term. I've largely based my investing on his macro themes. So I've been putting cash into the USA (largely self sufficient), taken it out of Europe and left some in the UK (one of the few places in the world where renewable energy is cost effective). I've also hoarded a tonne of investment grade Lego sets and highly collectible anime dolls. Physical metals are next. I've been working on reviving my career too because he's right - us Gen X'ers are gonna make a stack of fiat money in the next decade.

Oh and I work in IT doing web dev. I work from home as my company is a long way from me. I've decided to become semi-retired and just work when the economy is good. The UK economy is pretty decent right now. Covid accelerated the retirement plans of the last of the boomers so the job market is in an especially sweet spot for us Gen X'ers. Gen Z did not spend the lockdown advancing their employability skills so that will help too. Also there is covid around but maybe <5% of the population are bothering with masks now. All that money spent on lockdowns and vaccines has failed and we just have to learn to live with it.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

I've been abroad now for almost 10 years and haven't regretted my decision at all. During the same time, it's been shocking to see the decline of the U.S. and Western culture to the morass it is now. I think the Anglosphere is f***ed--but that's just my opinion.

As for China, yeah, not a fan of Emperor Xitler. A lot of expats in China have rightfully fled but it's still a decent place to live and work. Xi's stupid Covid and economic crackdowns have really slowed the economy. Plus, a lot of anti-foreign xenophobia has been encouraged by Xi's thugs in the CCP, so unless you look Asian, I'd consider going somewhere else in Asia.

The new hotspot is actually Vietnam (where a lot of the factories that were formally in China have moved to). I also have explored other parts of Asia, out of which I liked Japan, Philippines and Thailand the most. Taiwan is a decent place but it's got its share of problems (as Winston has shared many times on the forum). The problem might be that Chinese culture is just too materialistic and unwelcoming to non-Chinese, but I have heard foreigners really like it there, so it might just come down to personal preferences in the end.

I almost married a Filipina a while back but that relationship ended, and as most people know on the forum, I married a Chinese women in 2019. It's been great and I'm very happy to be with her.

Overall, I'm so glad to be in this side of the world and not in the U.S.

Congrats my AZN ex-Queens guy! I just wish you didn't stand me up when we were supposed to meet at the Hong Kong-SAR-China border back in the mid 2010s. In any event, have fun in this thing called life.

[Yohan]

@E Irizarry R&amp;B Singer

Nice to hear from you again. How are you?
You have been away for about 2 years I think, where have you been?
Welcome back!

Greeting from Yohan

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

@Yohan why thank you very, very, very much!! :smiles:
I don't have much to say. However, thank you for the warm re-welcome.