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I’m leaving China

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Re: I’m leaving China

#111

Post by seanmcdirmid »

sumedh wrote: post #100
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A kid chasing a ball out into a crowded street is more likely to survive in China Han the USA. They aren’t expecting it in the USA, they are expecting everything in China, and the more orderly traffic in the USA causes it to move faster and hence be more dangerous if something exceptional happens.

> A kid chasing a ball out into a crowded street is more likely to survive in China Han the USA. That sounds nice but the fact is more people per 100,000 are killed in China than the US.

Yes, there aren’t many kids chasing balls in the states anymore.

Re: I’m leaving China

#112

Post by [deleted] »

sumedh wrote: post #100
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A kid chasing a ball out into a crowded street is more likely to survive in China Han the USA. They aren’t expecting it in the USA, they are expecting everything in China, and the more orderly traffic in the USA causes it to move faster and hence be more dangerous if something exceptional happens.

> A kid chasing a ball out into a crowded street is more likely to survive in China Han the USA. That sounds nice but the fact is more people per 100,000 are killed in China than the US.

[deleted]

Re: I’m leaving China

#113

Post by pmarreck »

sophistication wrote: post #35
pmarreck wrote: post #14

Speaking as someone essentially atheist (or at least, secular humanist), this entire piece is IMHO the strongest [secular] argument that can be made for Christianity's positive effect on Western values.

To the downvoters, there is actually some historic and sociological evidence supporting this notion: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3201031 > Recent research not only confirms the existence of substantial psychological variation around the globe but also highlights the peculiarity of populations that are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD). We propose that much of this…

Thank you. My worldview is, far more often than not, based on evidence I’ve read. I hope HN does not turn into Reddit and “downvote for disagreeing with what is in fact true upon further examination”

Re: I’m leaving China

#114

Post by ebalit »

nambit wrote: post #94
pascalxus wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to france and try going to a restaurant. You'll see what i mean, right away. It's a world of a difference.

I've been to france and restaurants there and trust me, other than the lack of free water, everything is better. The food is better, you order from the menu and it comes out and turns out you don't have to pay the waiter's wage on top of that! It also results in waiters not being overly/fake friendly and constantly checking on you which I much prefer. There is no change in the amount of time between your order and th…

French restaurants serve free water if you ask "une carafe d'eau". They will bring tap water instead of a bottle of mineral water. According to the law, prices should include the service, tap water, bread and other "basics": https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/Publications/Vie-pratiqu...

Re: I’m leaving China

#116

Post by ajross »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #80
adventured wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's certainly the case, China is a country of vast differences between people. To the extent China has seen arguably the fastest dash of economic development in history, imagine what the corresponding, linked cultural & educational development has looked like. In the span of several decades, half a billion people shifted from an almost zero traditional education environment in rural, very poor third-world…

This isn’t true: at various periods during world history, China has been one of the richest and educated countries in the world. The potential of its people was already there and all that was needed was a peaceful environment with an enabling government.

That's true, but not in the 20th century. For lots of reasons, China broadly missed the industrial revolution. By the time of the communist revolution, they had... basically nothing indigenous. There was no export industry, most people were at a subsistence level, and essentially the entirety of the social elite were foreign-educated aristocracy simply living off of assets worked by a staggeringly large underclass. I mean, sure, "the potential of its people was already there", but you can say that about anyone. Objecvtively, it was a mess.

And now their grandkids are almost as rich as Americans.

Re: I’m leaving China

#117

Post by chj »

robotkdick wrote: post #107

The experiences the OP has had are priceless, and read something like a novel if someone like John Kennedy Toole had he written about living in China (comic in some respects, but also surreal). The Snow White episode in the elevator is delightful: the father having to explain to his daughter that being associated with Snow White is a good thing, and she being upset at being labeled. The world is shrinking and being s…

> the father having to explain to his daughter that being associated with Snow White is a good thing

How can that be a bad thing? I honestly don't understand(I'm from China).

Re: I’m leaving China

#118

Post by basica »

peterwwillis wrote: post #93
pascalxus wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to france and try going to a restaurant. You'll see what i mean, right away. It's a world of a difference.

In France, if you want a waiter, you call them over. When they have time, they'll get to you. They leave you alone because most French people don't want to be bothered a lot while they're talking and eating, or reading the paper (a sentiment I can get down with). If something is screwed up with the food, they would first probably wonder why this American tourist thinks that the French chef screwed up the dish that th…

I'm not an American, but I am used to being able to modify an order. I don't think of this as being entitled as I am after all paying for the meal and depending on the restaurant it's not exactly a cheap meal. That being the case I don't see any reason for negotiation if I'm not happy with the meal. The only thing I'd agree with is that it'd be absurd to request another meal for free simply because the one you chose wasn't to your fancy.

The customer is always right attitude is one that I appreciate Americans having. While not as bad in Australia as some parts of Europe, the attitude here is definitely closer to "give me your money and and leave" than "what can I do to ensure you leave happy?"

Re: I’m leaving China

#119

Post by basica »

chj wrote: post #117
robotkdick wrote: post #107

The experiences the OP has had are priceless, and read something like a novel if someone like John Kennedy Toole had he written about living in China (comic in some respects, but also surreal). The Snow White episode in the elevator is delightful: the father having to explain to his daughter that being associated with Snow White is a good thing, and she being upset at being labeled. The world is shrinking and being s…

> the father having to explain to his daughter that being associated with Snow White is a good thing How can that be a bad thing? I honestly don't understand(I'm from China).

Children like to blend in and not be noticed as different (adults too of course, but to a lesser degree than children). The label itself is inoffensive, she just didn't like the fact she wasn't seen as just another kid.

Re: I’m leaving China

#120

Post by packrat8 »

ajross wrote: post #116
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t true: at various periods during world history, China has been one of the richest and educated countries in the world. The potential of its people was already there and all that was needed was a peaceful environment with an enabling government.

That's true, but not in the 20th century. For lots of reasons, China broadly missed the industrial revolution. By the time of the communist revolution, they had... basically nothing indigenous. There was no export industry, most people were at a subsistence level, and essentially the entirety of the social elite were foreign-educated aristocracy simply living off of assets worked by a staggeringly large underclass. I…

> And now their grandkids are almost as rich as Americans.

False.

US: mean wealth $388,000. medium wealth $55,000. gdp per capita: $60000.

China: mean wealth $26,000. medium wealth $6,000. gdp per capita: $8000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_wealth_pe...

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