<![CDATA[Comments on: Surviving Winter and Singles Scene for Expat Girls]]> Dear Amber gives you some tips on braving the elements in your unheated China apartment. Also, a hot topic. What's it like being a expat single gal in China? You may be surprised! Educate yourself here, and share your experiences with us too!]]> 2008-12-12 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: light487]]> The last part of the show is quite interesting. I would definitely not have thought single expat women in China would have as much trouble finding "dates" as highlighted here. As we know from western psychology men are very visual, women are very emotional when it comes to relationships. Is this the same from the Chinese cultural perspective? I wonder if this has anything to do with this phenomenon.

I know for myself that I find women attractive not only because of how they look but also how they portray themselves publicly. That's still a visual thing of course but it's not just a matter of photogenic beauty. I wonder if it is this also that puts the stereotypical (I used this term because obviously not everyone falls into the same boat) Chinese man off because the portrayal, mannerisms, attitudes of the western girls they have come into contact with are not what they are looking for. Past experience plays a big part in the decision making process for both genders.

 

]]> The last part of the show is quite interesting. I would definitely not have thought single expat women in China would have as much trouble finding "dates" as highlighted here. As we know from western psychology men are very visual, women are very emotional when it comes to relationships. Is this the same from the Chinese cultural perspective? I wonder if this has anything to do with this phenomenon.

I know for myself that I find women attractive not only because of how they look but also how they portray themselves publicly. That's still a visual thing of course but it's not just a matter of photogenic beauty. I wonder if it is this also that puts the stereotypical (I used this term because obviously not everyone falls into the same boat) Chinese man off because the portrayal, mannerisms, attitudes of the western girls they have come into contact with are not what they are looking for. Past experience plays a big part in the decision making process for both genders.

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> One of my wife's friends asked us what our impressions of China were while we were living there. He was considering moving to China because of career reasons.  But one thing that came out of the dinner he had with us to get the details of expat life in central China was that he was also hoping to get a girlfriend.  It was clear that he was not dating a lot of women here in the US.  I later found out he ended up dating a local girl.  So maybe Amber is right about expat guys/local girls. Certainly, a couple of data points is all we need for statistical validity with a high confidence level.

]]> One of my wife's friends asked us what our impressions of China were while we were living there. He was considering moving to China because of career reasons.  But one thing that came out of the dinner he had with us to get the details of expat life in central China was that he was also hoping to get a girlfriend.  It was clear that he was not dating a lot of women here in the US.  I later found out he ended up dating a local girl.  So maybe Amber is right about expat guys/local girls. Certainly, a couple of data points is all we need for statistical validity with a high confidence level.

]]> <![CDATA[By: calkins]]> Was it a coincidence that these two topics were in the same DA?! 

Maybe it would have been better titled:  "How to Survive the China Winter as an Expat Girl"...it's obvious you need something to keep you warm at night, other than an electric blanket and some "caulk" ;-)

]]> Was it a coincidence that these two topics were in the same DA?! 

Maybe it would have been better titled:  "How to Survive the China Winter as an Expat Girl"...it's obvious you need something to keep you warm at night, other than an electric blanket and some "caulk" ;-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: light487]]> @calkins
Where's my bucket! :)

]]> @calkins
Where's my bucket! :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: antony73]]> Nice one calkins "All you need is love"

http://peltonator.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!184A2363AD187F54!3540.entry

]]> Nice one calkins "All you need is love"

http://peltonator.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!184A2363AD187F54!3540.entry

]]> <![CDATA[By: kesirui]]> Haha, I'm engaged to a local Shanghainese guy. We've been dating for well over a year. And (if I remember correctly) I talked to him first, I think they expect you to talk to them if you are interested, and they are a lot more shy than the guys in the U.S.

One thing I did notice was most Chinese guys really worry about hight. Thats one thing I have heard from more than one local guy when talking about this subject... (I'm 5'3...) there is an idea that all "western" women are very tall.

]]> Haha, I'm engaged to a local Shanghainese guy. We've been dating for well over a year. And (if I remember correctly) I talked to him first, I think they expect you to talk to them if you are interested, and they are a lot more shy than the guys in the U.S.

One thing I did notice was most Chinese guys really worry about hight. Thats one thing I have heard from more than one local guy when talking about this subject... (I'm 5'3...) there is an idea that all "western" women are very tall.

]]> <![CDATA[By: supergood]]> I would like to note that you should be saying "straight foreign women," because the lesbian scene in China is 很不错－especially if you are under 30.

]]> I would like to note that you should be saying "straight foreign women," because the lesbian scene in China is 很不错－especially if you are under 30.

]]> <![CDATA[By: xuchen]]> Supergood,

I noticed that aswell, it seems the more westerized cities in China such as Wuxi, Nanjing and Shanghai have booming gay communities. I once had a friend who got a date offer from two different co-workers at the same time in the same room!!! I witnessed it!!

Kesuirui,

I've heard of the height issue aswell. My girlfriend (Chinese) is both TALLER than me and OLDER than me by alot. All her friends think it's funny but it doesn't bother me a bit. I've read "personal ads" here that have VERY strict height requirements for girls. It's a tough world!

Also, please note I wasn't reading the personals for myself. Most of them are scams, I was just doing it for language practice! HONEST!!

]]> Supergood,

I noticed that aswell, it seems the more westerized cities in China such as Wuxi, Nanjing and Shanghai have booming gay communities. I once had a friend who got a date offer from two different co-workers at the same time in the same room!!! I witnessed it!!

Kesuirui,

I've heard of the height issue aswell. My girlfriend (Chinese) is both TALLER than me and OLDER than me by alot. All her friends think it's funny but it doesn't bother me a bit. I've read "personal ads" here that have VERY strict height requirements for girls. It's a tough world!

Also, please note I wasn't reading the personals for myself. Most of them are scams, I was just doing it for language practice! HONEST!!

]]> <![CDATA[By: henning]]> Last year I visited Beijing in winter and it was unbearable hot inside - way above 30 degrees. The air is gruesomely dry due to that unhealthy heater warmth. And there just was no way to turn down the heat - except opening a window (which was no option either with my kids around - don't want them to jump out of the 7th floor).

I learned that this was necessary because the method of heating was geothermal: closer to the source everybody needs to sweat so that the more distant zones can get at least some remaining traces of warmth. And regarding the environment: "It doesn't make a difference because it comes out of the ground whether you heat or not".

So take your beach gear before you come to the north in winter. But change clothes when leaving home...

]]> Last year I visited Beijing in winter and it was unbearable hot inside - way above 30 degrees. The air is gruesomely dry due to that unhealthy heater warmth. And there just was no way to turn down the heat - except opening a window (which was no option either with my kids around - don't want them to jump out of the 7th floor).

I learned that this was necessary because the method of heating was geothermal: closer to the source everybody needs to sweat so that the more distant zones can get at least some remaining traces of warmth. And regarding the environment: "It doesn't make a difference because it comes out of the ground whether you heat or not".

So take your beach gear before you come to the north in winter. But change clothes when leaving home...

]]> <![CDATA[By: baifameizhong]]> That's the same problem I had in Shijiazhuang during winter...if you wanted it to be a pleasant 25 degrees you had to open the window (luckily for me that was an option because I don't have kids...).

In Switzerland I would have got told off for leaving the window open for more than 10 minutes (in my last apartment building there were even notices saying "no matter how long you keep the window open, it won't get warmer outside"). There I got told off if I didn't...

We all know the saying: when in China...

]]> That's the same problem I had in Shijiazhuang during winter...if you wanted it to be a pleasant 25 degrees you had to open the window (luckily for me that was an option because I don't have kids...).

In Switzerland I would have got told off for leaving the window open for more than 10 minutes (in my last apartment building there were even notices saying "no matter how long you keep the window open, it won't get warmer outside"). There I got told off if I didn't...

We all know the saying: when in China...

]]>