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Post by Mick on Apr 25, 2006 0:41:20 GMT 7
Any word on foreign devils who have relocated permanently to the PRC? bar/gallery owners, anything like that?
also, i was wondering what happens on the china side if i mention the Tianamen Square massacre, Falun Gong suppression, or harvesting organs of executed prisoners. New Yawk Times Mag. had an article yesterday about the trials of Google in China, and the difficulties of not being evil in a place where that doesn't translate. Apparently routers in the Great Firewall of China stop any sites on that getting in. I was quite shocked to hear that Yahoo gave up personal info about some email clients, who the PRC promptly jailed (one journalist got 10 years for leaking some info the gov. didn't want leaked). Apparently one has to mind one's Ps and Qs in the PRC.
And anyone who replies to this has to mention something about the original question (re:relocated expats) too,'kay?
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Post by Raoul Duke on Apr 25, 2006 4:00:47 GMT 7
I've known some westreners who have settled here and opened restaurants, bars, other businesses. Don't think I know any foreign gallery owners.
It's a hard road frought with peril and frustration, but it can be done. You'll have to contend with insane and sometimes punitive regulations, dishonest business partners, greedy and corrupt bureaucrats and police, and much more. One of the hardest things is getting and keeping a good staff. Language is a big hurdle; getting your staff to understand the cultural aspects of your business is an ENORMOUS hurdle.
Again, it's tough. But it's possible.
As for talking about the matters you listed: Don't. Certainly not in public, and DEFINITELY not in your workplace or with your students or coworkers. Best advice is to simply not let yourself get sucked into such a conversation at all.
Even if it doesn't get you deported or fired or something, it will not win you nearly as many friends as you might think it will.
Don't go there.
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nolefan
Barfly
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Post by nolefan on Apr 25, 2006 11:03:19 GMT 7
" That's Beijing " had a whole section of last month's issue devoted to foreigners who own art galleries in Beijing. Apparently, there's quite a few of them around here and it seems to be getting easier for them to do so.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Apr 25, 2006 12:55:55 GMT 7
Cool. Might try their online edition; I think you can read selected archive articles there.
Take a look...link is in our Links page.
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woza17
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Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Apr 25, 2006 13:08:46 GMT 7
Mick there is a bar in Dongguan looking for a partner or buy her out. I think bar owning is a difficult business anywhere. We have this German guy here who has a factory and has branched out to a bar and a restaurant, he keeps his head above water.
He has a lot of capitol behind him and good business sense.
I think you would like Yangshou., I have never been there myself
but it has an art and bar scene very popular and laidback
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Post by Mick on Apr 26, 2006 3:55:07 GMT 7
Thanks for that, everyone. A round for the house on me.
Woza, are people teaching English in Yangshou? You're in Dongyuan or something like that, and that's where the bar is? What's that like? Yangshou looks lovely, is it more than a tourist place?
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woza17
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Post by woza17 on Apr 26, 2006 5:04:44 GMT 7
Mick, buggered if I know if people are teaching English there. It is a very popular tourist destination though.
I am in Dongguan, not really for the culturally sensitive, unless you are into industrial sites.
But saying that we have a new theatre, library and a science museum. A square, bigger than Tianamen.
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Post by Mick on Apr 26, 2006 8:39:00 GMT 7
So Yangshou primarily exists for tourism? that can be a dodgy proposition, bit of a mixed blessing. A lot of places i saw like that in Brazil, very beautiful,but the local culture was totally screwed. Poor and isolated peasants don't tend to take well to a sudden influx of relatively wealthy tourists.
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motis
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Post by motis on Apr 26, 2006 19:06:05 GMT 7
There is some English teachee going on in Yangshuo (and more in nearby Guilin), but it doesn't pay well. Might be worth it anyway, if you just want to live somewhere flat-out beautiful and relatively clean. I spent some vacation time there a little over a year ago; it's a truly must-see destination in spite of the obnoxious tourist industry, which may induce eye-rolling in more seasoned travelers.
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Post by icebear on Apr 26, 2006 22:20:51 GMT 7
I wonder how they take to relatively wealthy foreigners owning their bars, galleries, etc.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 27, 2006 0:28:16 GMT 7
Yangshuo English teaching is usually for backpackers passing though - they teach for a few weeks for board and lodging. There was a CCTV program a while ago about Chinese/Foreign couples that featured a bar owner in Yangshuo. Oz guy from memory with Chinese wife. This probably gets around some of the gov't red tape issues.
I'm here sort of semi- permanently. As of the 30th of last month I resigned from my job back in Oz that was expecting me to return in January 07. I have no idea what will happen in the future. It is going to be a wild ride.
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Post by DollyODear on Apr 27, 2006 2:42:55 GMT 7
Good news, Lotus! I admire your courage and sense of adventure. Long may you trek! I have a picture in my mind of the saloon turned home for Elderly English Teachers: Lotus in the garden spinning, Jade cooking up remedies, woza poking at children with her cane, me standing at the top of the stairs laughing strangely, cheeky, well we know what she is doing  and Motzie carving little lime helmets for the most recent generation of kittens. I hesitate to include any of the gentlemen because, well, even when they're young they can't remember where to put their dirty socks so you can imagine what would happen when dementia sets in. I guess they would finally get their own Lounge. By the way ... strangest thing here in Philadelphia: there are billboards that say "06.06.06" (except instead of periods it has upside-down crosses) then underneath, ominously: "The signs are everywhere" Which is true' they are all over town. This also happens to be the day Loops and I graduate from Boland. |
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Post by Steiner on Apr 27, 2006 3:03:16 GMT 7
What are those signs for? I just assume they're for a movie but nothing comes up on Google.
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Post by Steiner on Apr 27, 2006 3:07:29 GMT 7
Okay, and a little more googling reveals it's for the new Omen film, which comes out on 6/6/6.
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Post by DollyODear on Apr 27, 2006 4:13:26 GMT 7
Thanks, Steiner. I didn't even think of googling it.
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Post by Mick on Apr 27, 2006 5:51:16 GMT 7
Icebear wrote: "I wonder how they take to relatively wealthy foreigners owning their bars, galleries, etc."
Well, i guess that tends to be a lot less common than tourists just passing through. The latter would be in the millions, the former in the tens? hundreds? at least in smaller areas. Also, it is a rather different proposition to try to become a part of a community than to just get drunk and take some snaps there. Not that getting drunk and taking snaps is necessarily a bad thing, just that a lot of local yokels (in the places i've been, not china) look at backpackers as strange, unruly and spoiled sheep in need of fleecing. which they promptly remedy, while swearing at them in the local language.
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woza17
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Post by woza17 on Apr 27, 2006 12:07:07 GMT 7
I like that Mick "unruly, spoiled sheep in need of fleecing"
Is that yours?
Dollydear. I love that, I think a cane looks sosphisticated like an eye patch.
Two sleeps to go and I just bought my ticket picked up my pay and tomorrow to Metro to buy the herbs.
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gengrant
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Post by gengrant on Apr 27, 2006 12:55:39 GMT 7
I'm guessing that by the time most of you ladies are off in the garden poking cats with canes, us guys will be either dead or have at least one foot in the grave. but what a ride!  I'm with LE...while I haven't been in China nearly as long as some of y'all...I plan to make it my home for quite a while...maybe I'll open a bar/restaurant some day...who knows...  |
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Post by Norbert Radd on Apr 27, 2006 15:20:17 GMT 7
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 27, 2006 17:56:16 GMT 7
That is spinning in time to music isn't it?? As in whirling dervish type spinning?  |
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Post by cheekygal on Apr 28, 2006 2:00:27 GMT 7
hey, I AM YOUNG!!!!!!  |
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Post by icebear on Apr 28, 2006 2:07:26 GMT 7
Mick, I agree. If a investor/business owner plans to really trench into a community and contribute to it they will be received with open arms. What I'm curious about is who will be attracted to a "New Bohemia" style bar or gallery in China? Locals? Expats? Tourists? I'm not trying to bait you, I really don't know the extent of artistic appreciation in the country and have heard conflicting stories.
I've also heard the opinion along the lines of "More American dollars coming to exploit us," but mind you that was in Colombia, a fairly trampled upon country. I'm certainly not trying to imply that as you're intent.
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Post by Mick on Apr 28, 2006 2:36:12 GMT 7
hey, i'm just a poor migrant artist/ESL teacher here. I wish i was some rich gringo with the means to exploit.  Then you would all be my worker drones, i wouldn't have to consult any of you about plans for my survival. Mickland Uber Alles! All Heil Mick! Also, I'm Canadian, so inherently less evil than you Mr. Bear  Sorry, i have to go now. The foreman whips us if we spend too long on coffee breaks. |
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