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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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 Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:14 am Post subject: |
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And related to the taxi thing, no they don't do it in the UK because it's well regulated. If you take a black taxi to an airport the airport worker will look at the price and the starting location and will query the driver if it's too expensive.
If you have that kind of regulation in the UK, it's for a reason.
In Tunisia, our driver inquired about renting a car for the day. He quoted us 200 dinar for the day, based upon what he was told by the car rental place. When we got to the rental place, the price increased to 200 dinar not including the driver plus 2 dinar per kilometer.
Ever taken a cab trip in New York, Las Vegas, Paris, or Rome?
In defense of your argument, it does seem as though the rip off factor is high. Chinese friends and students always warn me about shopping alone. It seems that my Chinese friends are hyperaware of cultural propensity for dishonesty. |
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Larry Legend
Joined: 12 May 2014
Posts: 172
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| What are the odds that every girl that I've met in China is between ages 20-23? Amazing! |
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Larry Legend
Joined: 12 May 2014
Posts: 172
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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This isn't taking a stab at China...at least in my mind. I've met more nice and helpful people than I ever would/have in the U.S. It's just calling a spade a spade...at least from my viewpoint/experiences.
You may disagree with me and that's fine. I can never be sure if I'm right or wrong myself. But regardless of this example, if a spade is a spade and someone calls it racism...it's typically that person that is subconsciously, a little more racist than they may want to admit to themselves. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 12:07 am Post subject: |
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| Larry Legend wrote: |
This isn't taking a stab at China...at least in my mind. I've met more nice and helpful people than I ever would/have in the U.S. It's just calling a spade a spade...at least from my viewpoint/experiences.
You may disagree with me and that's fine. I can never be sure if I'm right or wrong myself. But regardless of this example, if a spade is a spade and someone calls it racism...it's typically that person that is subconsciously, a little more racist than they may want to admit to themselves. |
It could also be that some people forget each person is an individual, even in a collectivist society. To call a spade a spade is to label people with characteristics you perceive them to have based on where they are from, or the color of their skin. I never once implied Chinese don't cheat/scam/steal, I just doubted the logic that they all do it because it is part of them. People everywhere do it (does that mean they all have Chinese in them?). When individuals ruthlessly pursue gain they will fall on any vulnerable prey.
People seem to believe that in their home country's no person from another country, without language and cultural understanding, would ever be scammed. This to me is calling a spade a shovel.
Problem I see is, most FTs come to China with an expectation of what the culture should be and what they should be able to get from China, and to boot, most have no ability with the language. Yes, you can get fair pay, etc, do your research and accept only the position you are comfortable with. However, without the ability to speak the language (lets be clear, I am not Chinese, but it was my major in university) you will stumble at every turn. Even being able to speak, it will be hard. Many find a significant other to help them. That is only a patch to the fact that you are not going to blend in, ever. When people try to scam you call them on it. If a taxi driver rips you off, report him. It happens very rarely for me, but when it does I call it out. Usually, when someone tries to scam me it is because they think I just go here and don't know how to speak Chinese, and therefore, cannot put up a fight. |
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The Voice Of Reason
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 492
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:11 am Post subject: |
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...
Last edited by The Voice Of Reason on Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:17 am; edited 2 times in total |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:39 am Post subject: |
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Does your wife (and I hate to bring that in) speak English?
If yes, you missed my point by a mile. I know the UK has a well regulated cab service. Would a foreigner abroad know that, with no English to boot, think of college kids sent abroad willing to pay. Maybe Euro visitors, but what about those other peoples?
I want to make clear, I am happy for you and your wife I mean absolutely no disrespect her. |
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LarssonCrew
Joined: 06 Jun 2009
Posts: 1308
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:56 am Post subject: |
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Wang you're stooping too low to defend.
Why would a taxi driver rip off someone for 2-300 RMB and risk losing their entire license?
Reason is entirely correct. If my wife went into the bar on a weekend and the bartender tried to overcharge her [impossible, the prices are written everywhere, you'd know that if you'd been to the UK], then locals would certainly question it. As a Chinese you don't understand the concept of people not accepting the discrimination as ok. |
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Riff Raff
Joined: 09 Jun 2014
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:10 am Post subject: |
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In regards to Chinese abroad, my FOB Chinese friends tell me stories about getting ripped off by other Chinese abroad... within the Chinese communities. I rarely hear about it happening by non-Chinese to Chinese... unless it is armed robbery in a bad neighborhood.
OP, the reason why some posters here defend it is because they want to curry favor. It's a mindset of self preservation, a common occurrence among foreign nationals. They know that being too outspoken may disrupt their life abroad. Others just don't give a crap. Most people reading can empathize with someone having gone abroad and being swindled. It sucks when that happens. |
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Riff Raff
Joined: 09 Jun 2014
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:12 am Post subject: |
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| The Voice Of Reason wrote: |
| ...Chinese counterparts brag about how much they ripped off the foreigner... |
I've seen that too. It's popular to do in some schools that hire foreigners. "I pretend to be their friend, but they're so stupid, so trusting."
| The Voice Of Reason wrote: |
I think China's great in many ways. Many people here are wonderful, but business practice is often dodgy. |
Yes. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:01 am Post subject: |
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The UK has strict laws regarding taxis, but the UK is not the world.
My discontent here is not because I want to kiss someones butt. The problem is that people are scammed when they allow themselves to be scammed. Whining about it is not solving anything. Been dealing with this all my life, and sorry Senor Crew, not in China because I am not from here. People pull crap all over the place. If you do not pay attention and be strong people will see that and you will be a target.
Outside of well regulated industries, people will pull one over when they get a chance. Check out how the black market works. Same amount of product, but your attitude, connections, etc will determine what you get and for how much. You might say the illegal drug trade brings out the worst people, but I think the same is true for the EFL market.
I feel some pity for people who get scammed, but if you let it happen it happens. Take care of yourself boys and girls. |
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LarssonCrew
Joined: 06 Jun 2009
Posts: 1308
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:06 am Post subject: |
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| Sorry wang but every regular poster knows you are Chinese. Try not to be so obvious in the future. |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:42 am Post subject: |
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| LarssonCrew wrote: |
| Sorry wang but every regular poster knows you are Chinese. Try not to be so obvious in the future. |
And again LarssonCrew decides to speak for the rest of the world! The arrogance of your posts beggars belief, almost as much the ignorance and bitterness therein. I am a regular poster here sunshine, and I think no such thing about Wangdaning. I seriously doubt that there are any Chinese posting on here. Some of us are grown up enough to have experience and happy enough within ourselves to have moved beyond blaming the rest of the world for our unhappiness. The idea that the Chinese government or it's citizens care enough about the opinions of a bunch of foreign teachers to post 'positive' replies strikes me as fairly ludicrous. Sure, they no doubt monitor this site and read the posts therein within their limited capacity to understand the language, but to suggest they pay people to contribute is just sad. That they do these things on Chinese language forums to influence the knowledge and thinking of their own citizens is beyond doubt and common knowledge, but to believe that they care enough about you or I is faintly ridiculous. But then you do seem to believe you are among the most important people in the world, or at least your regular posts telling the rest of us what we think and how the world really works leads me to believe so.
The sheer amount of time and energy some people spend on this site criticizing China while pretending that everything, or as near as matters everything, in their own countries is perfect, is amazing. What they all seem to have conveniently forgotten is how rotten and corrupt every single country in the West was in the past. Slavery, concentration camps, the Atom bomb. Made in China? Nope. Let's all take off our rose tinted spectacles shall we, not just while looking at China, but looking at Human history as a whole. Yes things have improved in the West, so let's hope things improve here in China. Even better, instead of spending time and energy whining and criticising, why not help China to move toward that goal. Be better than them. Lead by example, or is that too much effort?
Maybe so, since those people bragging about how much better their home countries are seem to forget that as individuals, not one of them has made any significant contribution to the societies they hold so dear. Not only that, but they've chosen to leave those countries behind in the selfish pursuit of material gain, and now that it's not happening, or someone is getting in the way of it, all they can do is stamp their feet and name call like children in the playground. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:07 am Post subject: |
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| LarssonCrew wrote: |
| Sorry wang but every regular poster knows you are Chinese. Try not to be so obvious in the future. |
If you find calling me Chinese some kind of put down, I don't get it. Who are these regular posters? |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:35 am Post subject: |
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What gets me more is no one has addressed the idea of a foreign language teacher in their home country who speaks no English.
Instead of saying unknown, it is claimed that this never happens. Stories of people you've talked to implies they can speak English. What about those that can't? You ever even thought about going to an outreach center. Wait, no need for those, our home countries are pure an clean.
My brother works outreach in Aus. It is not so great. (sorry to any aussies, not trying to single you out, just what I know). |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:10 am Post subject: |
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| wangdaning wrote: |
What gets me more is no one has addressed the idea of a foreign language teacher in their home country who speaks no English.
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You have a good point there. Most resident foreigners that I know in the States speak at least some English. It may be survival English, but it's English. They're more functional in their English in the U.S. than I am with my Chinese in China. My Chinese is so bad that my students and Chinese friends beg me to stop trying to speak Chinese!
I think that the one-way street of speaking English in China will change. More and more western high schools and universities offer Chinese in their curricula, so I think that in time, the Chinese government will require Chinese proficiency. |
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