Popular Post LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted February 15, 2013 I am opening up an invitation to those who have always been curious about politics, business in china and the cultural aspects if you would like to meet up. There are obviously a lot of ranters out there who may have a real interest and if this takes off , next July when I return I may organize a virgin trip for a small group to see china for the first time flying direct into kunming from chiang mai so that all can have an opportunity to inspect the toilets, taste the cuisine and interact with friendly locals who are neither anti west or communist in thinking ... Interacting with the next generation in china will reveal some startling thought processes I am thinking of an afternoon next week where we can chat over a cup of coffee / tea. I have had the opportunity to do business in many regions of china and having grown in a western environment has helped me see things from both spectrums 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanbirder Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Great effort, Lawrence! I don't live in Chiangmai any longer, though. I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong for 30 years, had two long-term Chinese boyfriends, one for 6 years, the other for 19 (he came with me to Thailand and died here).... and I still don't understand you people. I love Cantonese food, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Would You Like To Understand China And The Chinese Better? Not particularly, but nice sentiment, though how about introducing Chinese to Thailand and a different culture, starting with how to not piss on the sidewalk? There seems this pervasive notion that the rest of the world should know about, and respect, China. It is one country from scores and is as worthy--not higher nor lower--as Tuvalu. Bring your buddies over and have them mingle with the locals as opposed to gawking at them from the comfort of a tour bus with their own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 15, 2013 Well when the world where most of the Aussies, American, British and Europeans have cultures where you already know so much about through TV programs, books and films Would it not pique your curiosity to see what a sleeping giant looks like ? Remember in the world of ratios for every Chinese you find pissing at the street I can show you a western pub street where you have someone puking next to the guy pissing .... Forget about the pissing and spitting ...it's disgusting we all agree. The government is telling them to use tissues instead however it's a long education process . The country of Singapore with its draconian laws and with 5.5 million cannot stop the folks from littering spitting or urinating in public lifts .... ...ignore those and explore the rest that may not disgust you and you will be pleasantly surprised Have a look at the campuses built by ten cent co (qq.com) speak to the locals uni grads who are exploring our western culture with a lot of interest and thinking of how to make the best of the cultures together for the best of improvements Case in point ...there is a Chinese entrepreneur curious why his company makes $$$ but not as much ...he sent his son to Harvard to study marketing having understood from his network the Americans are great at creating marketing campaigns, he sent his execs to a Japanese car company to learn about the refinements of an assembly line, time and motion studies and his financial team to the UK to review financial charters and ACCA. Fast forward to 2012, his company is one of the biggest and fastest growing in his sector. He did not stay closed minded he didn't think his country was the best or size mattered. He allowed his opinion to be swayed and took the best of practices around the world to build things up ...sadly not all are that open....stay this close minded and your next generation will sadly follow your lead 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedghog Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Very interesting. When I travel I prefer to do so on my own,at my pace. Without someone who feels the need to lecture me. Will be visiting Taiwan later this year. That will make it 14 countries,visited as an independent traveller. With many more years in me yet. Travel as they say,broadens the mind. Unfortunately OP you seem wear blinkers. With a focus only on China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellodolly Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I for one would like to learn more about the culture. I feel that it would be an interesting subject. It is to easy to fall into a closed mind and not even realize it. On the lighter side are you trying to unscrutable the inscrutable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millwall_fan Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Would You Like To Understand China And The Chinese Better? Not particularly, but nice sentiment, though how about introducing Chinese to Thailand and a different culture, starting with how to not piss on the sidewalk? There seems this pervasive notion that the rest of the world should know about, and respect, China. It is one country from scores and is as worthy--not higher nor lower--as Tuvalu. Bring your buddies over and have them mingle with the locals as opposed to gawking at them from the comfort of a tour bus with their own. that is probably the kind of attitude that Lawrence is trying to teach us to overcome! China is much more important to all our futures than Tuvalu -which if Global Warming proceeds apace, may not even have a future. 1/4 of humanity in an unrelenting rush for development and an economy set to overtake that of the United States in 30 years time. 'The China Factor' is already feature of our daily lives. We'd better get used to it! OK I have an even greater reason: my son is 1/8 Chinese from Shantou, 400KM east of Hong Kong. I'm listening Lawrence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellodolly Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Very interesting. When I travel I prefer to do so on my own,at my pace. Without someone who feels the need to lecture me. Will be visiting Taiwan later this year. That will make it 14 countries,visited as an independent traveller. With many more years in me yet. Travel as they say,broadens the mind. Unfortunately OP you seem wear blinkers. With a focus only on China. It is a wonderful thing to travel it truly broadens the mind. Let me give you a tip on visiting Taiwan. When you are there focus on Taiwan it will make your stay there more enjoyable. On the other hand if you don't like it you can take the blinkers off and think about all the other countries you have been to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MESmith Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Quote: "I may organize a virgin trip for a small group to see china for the first time flying direct into kunming from chiang mai" Could work out a bit expensive for you Backpacked in China, back in 1991. Enjoyed the bits I went to, apart from being poked in the ribs by waitress wanting to know if I wanted another beer. Beijing, that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in the sky Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I am interested in learning more about the Chinese culture, history, etc. As a couch surfer (couchsurfing.org) I take in quite a few Chinese people. Curretly have a mother and son making dumplings for my dinner:-). I will hope that your forum will not be on a Mon or Wed eve when I teach, and will hope that you don't have competition with your stories from other attendees. Did you know there is a Travel Club in town and they might like to have you as a speaker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I wish I could but my health would not let me. I may get too much of an insight into the Chinese hospital system if I went. A trip with someone who actually can tell about things from a standard perspective and not that of a tour guide would be invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Heya Hedgehog Glad to hear you are heading off to china ...when you are there make it a point to visit the Taiwan national museum ...it's one of the most stunning treasure pieces in the world if you like history ...the exhibits there will take a lifetime to rotate :-) and you may understand better the inter-politics between china and Taiwan better Keep traveling it broadens the mind and lifts the blinker , I have knocked off 234 city as of last month and have not been on a tour bus yet ... Everyone is an expert in something or has an interest in something ...for now as I have traveled and worked in Asia for so long , I have that experience to share in china with anyone that is keen ...I hate lectures, am humble and don't like to make people feel silly I just like to explore opinions and share ideas ...some in the forum may have visited shanghai 15 years ago and remember the site where the entire new CBD area is sited was marsh crap And give them due credit for the fast growth ...some are crap and environmentally unsound some actually take your breathe away and u give credit when credit is due Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_Elaine Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Nice thought... We really liked the Yunnan area. Food was delicious. We went to Kunming, Lijiang and up in the mountains. Some areas remind me of Vietnam. Anyway, Yunnan area has a better feel to it than Beijing and Shanghai. We like to travel on our own also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Heya Elaine Glad to hear u enjoyed it...I love lijiang as well for the remoteness of the mountains and I am site you enjoyed all the tea drinking sessions Yunnan is very close to the hill tribes in SEA and are more tribal than Chinese in every way... It's a beautiful remote area...did you get to the tiger gorge ? That's a hefty hike but the views were gorgeous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 We will share pictures Harry ..swing by for a chat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 In the sky ...did not know about the travel club ..thanks for sharing ! ...I like an informal setting like in duke , oh no can I say this maybe even river market kkkkk where we can chat rather than a lecture style talk .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Isanbirder yummy Cantonese food ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancid Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Hope you will also deal with a rancid level of corruption that makes even Thailand look like a rule of law country. Personally I had a Singapore Chinese girlfriend for many years and had discussions with her dad, a former judge, almost every night, toss in an ex Thai-Chinese wife and I have a reasonable idea of how things go down. I like the Chinese, hell even my long term Kung <deleted> master was Chinese, but certainly not planning on getting over there into what is often a sewer for less than multinational foreigners though. That aside there are problems emerging in their economy, hopefully they can stall that off till later. If lecturing, please make it warts and all as our natural propensity is to put our native culture in a good light. And you would know that China is a minefield even for overseas born Chinese, quite a few Aussie Chinese are now rotting in jails after their "partners" screwed them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasseru Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I commend your effort, LawrenceChee. I am undecided about whether I would want to participate, but it is not without interest to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 My family lived in Shanghai from 1924 to 1937 and they had to flee when the Japanese invaded. My grandfather spoke about 4 or 5 different dialects fluently. Life for foreigners living in China was amazing during that time in history. They had incredible stories. I have some great photos somewhere. I'd like to get to China in the near future and have a look myself. My partner is 1/2 Chinese (which makes my son 25% Chinese) and she wants to go too, not only to travel but to import into Thailand. The trouble is -- where do you begin? It's such a huge country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I,m off to beijing next week for an exhibition but its been a few years since i have been in mainland china, I used to own a shop in a small village called shuhe just outside lijiang, years ago i loved that area but it was changing very fast, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microwave Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Although I won't be attending, I think that Lawrence has a good idea and is kind to donate his time so that others can learn about China. I've lived and worked in a number of Chinese cities. Nothing's perfect, and China's no exception. But it's a fast growing economy of 1.4 billion people (or so) and is now the world's second largest economy, so learning more about China and traveling (I prefer smaller cities and countryside) in China can't hurt anyone, especially with a knowledgable guide such as Lawrence claims to be. Even though my Mandarin is still good, I prefer Thailand (I speak, read and write fluent Thai) as I find the people in Thailand more easy-going, although outside of the big cities the Chinese people are also quite friendly. The other thing that Thailand has going for it in my book is the year-round tropical weather, I don't do cold anymore! Enough said. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Hi Lawrence, We love China and go to different parts every year,next trip in Sept. Recently launched a China related social network that is slowly attracting attention,pm'd a link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Where are u off to in September ? ....I'm still trying to get used to the chillies they use in Szechuan and chongqing ...it's insane there hahahhahahah I like the quiet towns once I am off the work grid ...u learn a lot from the simple farmers on being positive staying hopeful and being happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_Elaine Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Heya Elaine Glad to hear u enjoyed it...I love lijiang as well for the remoteness of the mountains and I am site you enjoyed all the tea drinking sessions Yunnan is very close to the hill tribes in SEA and are more tribal than Chinese in every way... It's a beautiful remote area...did you get to the tiger gorge ? That's a hefty hike but the views were gorgeous Yes. It felt like a big drop-off point. Kind of scary, but beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genericnic Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 (edited) There is not much Henry Kissinger and I agree on but I would highly recommend his book "On China" for a broad historical and political look at China. I think it will provide a good framework for understanding the government of China today. Note, I said the government of China, not the Chinese people. As with every country, the government is not a true reflection of the individuals that live under it. That is probably more true under oppressive regimes such as China. David Edited February 16, 2013 by Genericnic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Have a look at the campuses built by ten cent co (qq.com) speak to the locals uni grads who are exploring our western culture with a lot of interest and thinking of how to make the best of the cultures together for the best of improvements Case in point ...there is a Chinese entrepreneur curious why his company makes $$$ but not as much ...he sent his son to Harvard to study marketing having understood from his network the Americans are great at creating marketing campaigns, he sent his execs to a Japanese car company to learn about the refinements of an assembly line, time and motion studies and his financial team to the UK to review financial charters and ACCA. Fast forward to 2012, his company is one of the biggest and fastest growing in his sector. He did not stay closed minded he didn't think his country was the best or size mattered. He allowed his opinion to be swayed and took the best of practices around the world to build things up ...sadly not all are that open....stay this close minded and your next generation will sadly follow your lead I don't doubt that, they are industrious, though that was clearly for financial gain as opposed to wanting to absorb another culture. There is little genuine respect for anything outside China and they typically stick together in groups. The gov is belligerent and unyielding in the extreme, though that's another story I guess. To take nothing away from the country itself, I bet it's stunning and would love to do the Chengdu-Lhasa route and spend time in Dali and the water towns. I don't have a closed mind--have travelled around the world--I just cannot abide this 'we are the shit', expecting people to automatically fawn over it. However, what you plan on doing for those interested is commendable and though traveling by oneself is the surest way to get the most out of a place, I guess China is a different kettle of fish and would need some insider knowledge. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Jackr I know a lot of westerners are always asking why the Chinese enjoy traveling in a group vs what an independent westerner would deem as the worse way to travel and experience it first hand If u pop down this week I promise to share the reason why and maybe create a chuckle the next time u see a group of them together The joke's actually on us westerners trust me ...heheheheh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 As for the other views that china feels the need to be the world dominant power in years to come, I stem this from a fear of a relay race that most can see coming. Most Chinese are not keen to be the world leaders, they see the press and media and ask is it worth the troubles. I don't necessarily think they fear the media more the efforts it takes to voice out an opinion and not get taken out of context. Most Chinese entrepreneurs are very low profile . If you review the business news and see the amount of coverage on businessman / woman it will be rather thin. I believe with the exception for Li Ka Shing whose son Richard Li with a drop deadpdel wife creates all the buzz ( like Murdoch family) most don't get even a mention in Bloomberg / CNBC annually Many on this forum like to rant against companies / individuals who make their fortunes...I really cannot defend the irresponsible ones out there as there are aplenty worldwide and not limited to Chinese ones. However as a entrepreneur myself, I would only ask for the other possibility if one day everyone works on a non profit basis ...gasp it would turn communistic in a way would it be ? If the business exist only for community purposes ? I would say a balanced model works well in the world now. Let those who have a higher level of ideals continue their efforts in serving the community and niche markets and the rest be served by companies with the scale. Governments are engaging business owners as you look at the world population and realize that only with these big boys working together may have enough resources to do it at the right scale and price. I remember a few years back there was a lot of hula in congress over Chinese toy makers who have 'tainted' their toys and it had high levels of lead and was dangerous level. One of the manufacturers was someone I networked with in Dong Guan and he called me and asked for my advice ...they were being threatened by lawsuits and factory visits. I told him to lay low as this hubbrish will die its natural cause. The thing that got him really upset was the pricing set by his western customers were the reason why these toys were so cheaply made He was prepared to throw in the towel and walk away after all he has enough money to retire comfortably. I adviced him against it ...as his toys bring joy to lots of children around the world. I bought some of the unwanted "dangerous" toys and carted them across the border in 10 trucks to Laos and Vietnam where the joy on the kids faces on getting their first blue eye dolls was closet to heaven as I say it I grew up like many playing on the dirt and believe this makes u tough ...if my nephew complains to me the boys are bullying him in school I ask if he has bitten them back....if we treat our kids as nillies ...I am sorry they will not be mentally tough enough for what life throws at them. Later scientists and other experts told us you have to swallow or suck these toys for years before there is any more damage than eating fish right these days with high levels of lead and mercury. I highlight this only as an example what will happen if most of the big boys get sick of the lawsuits and media attention and walk away with their millions/ billions I fear that day happening and then the environmentalist will really get what they want ...the world will become nothing as there is nothing. A balances viewpoint and consumption pattern is the right way forward. Mutual respect is all they want. Head off to the next networking with the Chinese CEOs and you will see they have a lot of respect for western business practices ...they want to learn, combine things up and create a better model Imagine a day when that will happen...it will be nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Where are u off to in September ? ....I'm still trying to get used to the chillies they use in Szechuan and chongqing ...it's insane there hahahhahahah I like the quiet towns once I am off the work grid ...u learn a lot from the simple farmers on being positive staying hopeful and being happy Yet to decide,flying in to Macao,first night in Shenzhen,so train,plane to wherever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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