Asian Comparisons

[The Gentleman Scamp]

As I see more of Asia I notice a difference in skin colour and even more so, skin health.

Thai skin generally is very healthy looking and the Thai's look wonderful in it, even if they don't think so themselves and constantly devise new ways to bleach it, but would they really want to look like the Chinese, who despite having a much bigger variety of face and body shapes generally appear to be less healthy than the Thai's?

I don't know why this is and I have not known China long enough to study the difference in diet.

I have not seen as many obese Chinese as I expected but the Chinese I have seen on a daily basis look unnaturally pale but more due to lack of good health than cosmetic influence from a desire to be pale - which I was told is something that, like many Thai's, they do strive for which I find difficult to believe.

Acne seems far more rife here than it does in LOS and since being here my own skin condition is not as healthy as it is usually, on the whole body as well as the face - yet the polloution in Beijing is surely not at a higher level than Bangkok.

That said, the climate is different and the mugginess and humidity is not the same as it is in Bangkok.

There's just something about the Chinese that doesn't quite look right, maybe it's because I am used to Thai's being my image of the Asian being and the reputation of Thai beauty certainly rings true once you are out of Thailand and in Korea, Malaysia or in my case, Beijing.

From what I have heard Chinese women are very hairy and as I said above, I find it difficult to believe what I was told which is that one of the reasons for this was that they believe hair keeps out the sun which is a rediculous statement and would not explain the mass of hair in places which are not on public display.

Other differences I have noticed is that although the Chinese are as polite as the Thai's their standard of ettiquette toward each other is not as it is in Thailand.

One thing that has always charmed me about Thai people is how they interact with each other and I particularly enjoy introducing two Thai aquaintances and being surprised at how polite they are to each other, giving little nods and endless 'ka's and 'khrap's whereas the Chinese seem friendly yet more informal toward each other... It is only in cases where jealousy is involved that Thai's are not polite but they are not impolite, they just make it very clear with their body language they do not like that person.

Anyway, I like China, really I do but there is something a little odd about the whole atmosphere here, and although I'm in no desperate rush to leave, I am looking forward to returning to Thailand later in the year, because unlike everything here which makes me curious and perplexed, there is no feeling of love like the smell of the inside of a Don Muang taxi as it cruises past those huge roadside billboards to the sound of Carabao on a Bangkok car radio followed by an interview in Thai I only half understand and complimented only by the 'beep beep' of the meter every couple of minutes and the driver asking me if I support Liverpool or Manchester.

To me, that takes some beating.

[seonai]

I agree with some of the things you said Scamp. The Chiese, even here in Thailand, often have a pastey sort of unhealthy look. For the healthiest looking Thais I suggest you visit south Thailand, rugged brown good looking and hairy, curly hair at that.

Seonai

[The Gentleman Scamp]

For the healthiest looking Thais I suggest you visit south Thailand.

Is that where you're from? ...My best Thai friend is from Lamai so I get to Samui quite a bit and they do look healthy and tend to care less about the cosmetic whiteness down south.

rugged brown good looking and hairy, curly hair at that.

Rugged?

Hairy and curly?

Where?

[Pink Mist]

Scampy, what does Chinese skin have to do with Thailand ?

Show me the connection and it stays.

[RamdomChances]

He's comparing it to "Thai" skin mabye ?

[Totster]

And the Chinese do have a connection with Thailand...

totster

[Curt]

Scampy, what does Chinese skin have to do with Thailand ?

Show me the connection and it stays.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

they both talk funny?

[boris]

Scampy, what does Chinese skin have to do with Thailand ?

Show me the connection and it stays.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Read the post like everyone else for heavens sake.The Thai connection is very clear.

[Jai Dee]

Scampy, what does Chinese skin have to do with Thailand ?

Show me the connection and it stays.

He's really missing the place Bloncs...

[Pink Mist]

lets just see how it develops then

[Khutan]

Scampy;

Although its all good stuff you are posting and has interest to people, do you think you would be better blogging this rather than putting it in the forum, then you can keep a timeline context as well.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

This is absolutely incredible.

Perhaps I should stick to playing the clown in HKK and Bedlam instead of attempting a serious discussion, something which usualy results in a conversation stopper or sinks within ours but this is the first time I've been ushered out of the big boys room like a child who's stayed up way past his bedtime.

*Cue a barrage of comments containing words such as 'boy', 'cried' and 'wolf'.*

Please don't derail the topic - use the PM function if you must.

Edited August 10, 2005 by The Gentleman Scamp

[Pink Mist]

come on mate it's not a case of the big boys coming down on you, just a suggestion that your diatribes are better suited to the blogs.

[Wolfie]

This is absolutely incredible.

Perhaps I should stick to playing the clown in HKK and Bedlam instead of attempting a serious discussion, something which usualy results in a conversation stopper or sinks within ours but this is the first time I've been ushered out of the big boys room like a child who's stayed up way past his bedtime.

*Cue a barrage of comments containing words such as 'boy', 'cried' and 'wolf'.*

Please don't derail the topic - use the PM function if you must.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With an attitude like it, its hardly supprising now.

[bangbuathongben]

WAFFLE!!!!

[boris]

come on mate it's not a case of the big boys coming down on you, just a suggestion that your diatribes are better suited to the blogs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come off it and just admit your initial reaction was inappropriate.Scamp's post was a quite reasonable and interesting China/Thailand comparison.It was not a diatribe.Very many posts on TV.com are probably better suited to blogs, but that's not really the point.You screwed up.Lots of us do.Get over it.

[bkkmadness]

come on mate it's not a case of the big boys coming down on you, just a suggestion that your diatribes are better suited to the blogs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come off it and just admit your initial reaction was inappropriate.Scamp's post was a quite reasonable and interesting China/Thailand comparison.It was not a diatribe.Very many posts on TV.com are probably better suited to blogs, but that's not really the point.You screwed up.Lots of us do.Get over it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fully agree. His post is in connection with Thailand, breaks no forum rules, he does not need to justify why it is here. Mods, if someone else posted it there would be no problem, it wouldn't even be questioned, let it stand please unless it breaks forum rules.

[Blake7]

Yes the OP was fine - quite interesting as I have lived in both China and Thailand. We really don't need mods behaving like this.

Anyway it should be noted that the scamp is in beijing and the Northern Chinese are quite different to those in, say, Hunan or Guangzhou. Those in the SW are very closely related to Thais for example.

[mrbojangles]

Anyway it should be noted that the scamp is in beijing and the Northern Chinese are quite different to those in, say, Hunan or Guangzhou. Those in the SW are very closely related to Thais for example.

I concur. I have spent alot of time in China and was amazed at the "facial" differences. In Beijing they have more of a "Mongul" look as opposed to say Shanghai, Huangzhou etc and they differ again in say, Maccau. Mind you there is a big Portugese influence in Maccau. My best friend lives near Shanghai and is married to a nice Chinese lady but overall they can't hold a candle to Thai's (generally speaking)

Edited August 10, 2005 by mrbojangles

[Thomas_Merton]

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[cdnvic]

Ok, lets stop bickering. I'll just move it down to HKK where it can be a bit OT if need be.

cv

[kat]

Actually, you're not alone in your observation Scampy. I had a friend who lived/worked in mainland China for 2 years and was of Chinese descent (born and raised in HK, but educated in the states) and she stated the same thing. In fact, while she was there her complexion and general look deteriorated to the point where it was noticeable to both her friends and family. She now lives and works in the UK and is looking much more like herself.

Maybe it's the water, among other things.

[donx]

Although the comparisons mentioned here between Thai and Chinese are mostly behavioral or physical, I have a comment regarding surnames. I was talking to one of my wife's friends yesterday who is Thai-Chinese. Her father was Chinese and her mother's father was also Chinese. She said that her last name is five syllabols long which indicates that she is Thai-Chinese. She said that 100% Thais will have last names of 1 or 2 syllabols. Although I could not completely understand her, I believe she said that Chinese are forced to change their last names to be 3 or more syllabols long. Has anyone else heard of such a thing? Can anyone tell me if this is true and why this is done?

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I'm still a novice regarding China, but last night was interesting.

I went out last night with a load of people from work including the two Thai's who work in the canteen and we arrived at the most cavernous black and red underground discotheque I have ever been to, no room on the dancefloor which had springs underneath it, all the stools were giant springs with a circular cusion on top - a sea of heads at tables bobbing and bouncing up and down, and a gigantic skeleton on the ceiling of a fictional creature looking like a cross between a T-Rex and an Anaconda which was about 60ft long.

Anyway, Mint, the Thai, was telling me how some of the Chinese girls had told her she was beautiful and I thought it strange that she would comment on this above all else though it could have simply been her fishing for compliments or showing her insecurities as thay often cutely do.

I did see some very attractive Chinese girls but they appeared to have Triad boyfriends though I was not out for a shag like many of the guys there, I was merely an observer and only came along out of curiosity and to see a bit more of China than the hotel and work site.

In the car on the way there I Mint, along with us in the back, was asking the driver where the hel he was going as he was rather reckless, spake nae English and generally didn't have a clue what he was doing and I experienced a new feeling of solidarity for the first time, Thai's and English were the same - both foreigners in a new country, something I pointed out to her later on but she didn't really take this great conversational oppertunity and went off to find some of the English girls and have a dance and get shitfaced.

I had three beers and then two green teas and after a few people shouting in my ear asking me if I was okay and telling me to get pissed and come and have a dance I slipped out of the club like a party pooper and up on to the street where I waited for a man covered in and lying in a thick puddle of his own semi congealed blood coming from a split in his skull to be carried into an ambulance and got a taxi back to my hotel.

Edited August 11, 2005 by The Gentleman Scamp

[Totster]

So... have you shagged Mint yet... or if not, is it on the cards....?

totster

[The Gentleman Scamp]

So... have you shagged Mint yet... or if not, is it on the cards....? 

totster 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would I want to shag somebody just because they are drunk and I like them?

I don't want to have sex with ANYONE unless...

A: It is a woman I could have a serious relationship with.

B: It is a female friend who I can have a roll in the hay with.

C: It is a very attractive woman indeed who has no heart or soul and couldn't care less if she saw me again or not.

Mint is just a nice Issan girl who does good mince and mash for hungry game supervisors and ride operators.

[Totster]

Why would I want to shag somebody just because they are drunk and I like them?

ermmmm..

Mint is just a nice Issan girl who does good mince and mash for hungry game supervisors and ride operators.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Seems like reason enough for me...

totster

[Blake7]

So... have you shagged Mint yet... or if not, is it on the cards....? 

totster 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would I want to shag somebody just because they are drunk and I like them?

I don't want to have sex with ANYONE unless...

A: It is a woman I could have a serious relationship with.

B: It is a female friend who I can have a roll in the hay with.

C: It is a very attractive woman indeed who has no heart or soul and couldn't care less if she saw me again or not.

Mint is just a nice Issan girl who does good mince and mash for hungry game supervisors and ride operators.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So where does that katoey from Soi 4 fit into this?

[Khutan]

<snip>So where does that katoey from Soi 4 fit into this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A fair question.

[The_Moog]

So where does that katoey from Soi 4 fit into this?

Blake you aren't supposed to make witty asides about katoeys and TGS

I did once, but unbeknown to me, Scamp was showing his girlfriend a medley of his favourite posts, only to find my ribald reference to his penchant for the 'love that dare not speak its name'

....and I was only trying to be iconoclastic.

The road to h<ll is paved with good intentions

Edited August 11, 2005 by The_Moog