Living in China Need to know

Living in China - Staying in China

News, Anecdotes, Topical Information and Articles on most aspects regarding China.
China Nanning Living, Visa, Tours, Travel, Retirement, Marriage, Business, Teaching, Adoption information
Is the Culture Shock real in China?

Don't forget, it's not where you are from, it is where you are that is important.

Er Nai - 二奶 - Concubines - Green hat - Booming luxury product sales in China

What do all of these have in common? - Er Nai - 二奶 - Concubines - Green hat - A bit on the side - A bit of how's your father - Rumpy Pumpy - Booming luxury product sales in China.
To the best of my knowledge an Er Nai is a woman (mistress) who allows herself to be the mistress of a married man ( a sponsor) for personal gain.
Normally money, property or basically anything nice in the luxury product range is acceptable.
She may or may not argue she is doing it for love.
The man provides these gifts in secret (but not always) from his family, especially his wife.
This relationship can and often does, go on for years or until his desire for the Er Nai disappears or as is sometimes the case, a younger Er Nai appears on the scene.
Er Nai are mostly always young women but not always, around the age of 20-30 years old, sometimes younger.
Being an Er Nai is basically a paid job, that is one justification.
Er Nai who meet their sponsor through work will usually resign before officially becoming  his Er Nai.
They tend to be hidden away from normal life only coming out to be paraded about by the married man as his 'trophy'.
Many Er Nai lie to their parents and past friends about where the sudden influx of wealth has arrived from. Normally boasting a well paid non existent job.
The social status of an Er Nai is very low and can bring shame on their family and former friends.
How does it come about in the first place? - Because love is not the moral core of marriage here in China, as it is in the West, it is not socially frowned upon for a Chinese man to have his 'cake and eat it'.
The argument here is this - An Er Nai does not interfere with the marriage in any way because the man does not necessarily expect sexual satisfaction from his wife in the first place.
An Er Nai is often young with no social status other than 'beautiful trophy'.
She does not threaten the parenting skills or the social status of the wife and has no real desire to replace her.

The Green Cap is worn by the man, contrary to popular belief.
It is worn by him when he suspects or has proof that his wife is 'playing away'.
It is my understanding that it was originally used to show others that his wife had either gone or been thrown out by him because of her infidelity.
Concubines of ancient China
http://www.beijingmadeeasy.com/beijing-history/concubines-of-ancient-china
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concubine

China’s top court appears poised to side with wronged wives against philandering husbands and greedy mistresses in 2011.
Court Considers Revising China’s Marriage Law 
This contentious consumer group must be viewed in light of a deep-rooted set of Chinese cultural values, including the distinction between marriage and sex and the practical rather than romantic nature of the relationship 'transaction'.
Second wives and China's booming luxury market

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Long Life in Bama - Bama Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi China 巴马瑶族自治县

The secret of Longevity, have they have found it in Bama?
A bus ride of a few hours from Nanning taking you to a place of mystery, interest, wonderment and well worth a visit.
Bama is not a village, contrary to popular western belief, it's a county!
Bama Yao Autonomous County 巴马瑶族自治县 is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Southwest China.
Location Map
It is the home of around 70+ centenarians. 
Bama county, population approaching 240,000 has more than 74 people who are 100 years old or more and 230+ residents aged between 90 and 99 years old.
Bama has one of the highest per-capita concentrations of old people in the world.

The main food of the Bama people is yellow corn, beans, potatoes, vegetables and Tea Seed Oil. Further info: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-222.html

The plants and food of the area have many trace elements and more vitamins, carotene, and mineral elements than the plants and food produced in other places, considered to be a contributory factor in the longevity of the people.
Bama is also called Wangang, meaning hundreds of mountains.
Bama is surrounded by green mountains, helping to make the Panyang River pollution-free.
Most of the population live among the mountains and valleys. They have to climb mountains or walk for a long time to go shopping and also get to their fields for work, often several kilometers distant.
This has given the people strong muscles and bones, which is another reason for their long life span. Bama centenarians think that the secret of longevity is to do good deeds, help others, be kind, have confidence and never give up.

More sites:
http://www.chinavista.com/travel/bama/bama.html
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ruthbarz/6/1269127294/tpod.html
http://www.chinahighlights.com/community/video/bama-longevity-village.asp
http://www.chinaexpat.com/2010/03/25/the-secret-of-bama-county.html/
Many You tube China related video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/chinesecivilization

English teachers in Nanning and China? Wanted - Business Managers

First published in 2008, has anything changed?

English teachers in Nanning and China? Wanted - Business Managers
Are they any good and do they need more?
Just recently I seem to have been over burdened with western English teachers
Some already here - Some hoping to get here and Teach English in China  ...Mmmm

Well, first, let me say for the record.
Those that I have met so far, online TESOL in hand, here in Nanning and China, most I would not let teach English to a budgerigar let alone college students or children.
Those that have written to me, asking, and sometimes demanding information I would not let near a classroom at all with the exception of maybe, for a little light cleaning, mop and bucket provided.

The standards, for want of a better description, are sadly lacking.
The Americans and Australians appear to be the worst, although it is fair to say most British also fall way short of what I would call, an acceptable, indeed, expected standard of English.

To my mind, anyone that intends Teaching English in China needs at the very least, way above the average oral and written English skills, including grammar, not to mention excellent communication and presentation abilities and of course the main stay of any real, talented teacher, the desire to carry on learning themselves.

Sadly for Nanning and China, so far, many of the English teachers teaching English as a foreign language I have communicated with are lacking in most, if not all of these aspects.
They appear in the main to think that a quick, relatively cheap Internet course and the ability to 'speak' makes them prime candidates for teaching 'English' to the ever growing numbers of Chinese that believe they, or their children need to speak it.

For the potential teacher, Teaching English as a foreign Language the rewards are considered high, a visa, maybe an apartment, a wage and of course that old favourite - When asked, "What they are doing in China?" - I'm teaching English…Yeah Right !!!

Why is the standard so low? - Because all the good ones are employed in the west - Most that land on these shores are doing it for all the wrong reasons.
They are teaching English in order to stay, very few set sail with the sole intention to teach English.
Most of the young teachers are here for the experience and it will look good on the CV later on when back in the west.
And some of the worst candidates, are not teachers at all in any way, shape or form and should not be allowed any where near a school.

China doesn't need any more second, third and sixth rate English Teachers, it needs business managers, good ones.
All levels of managers for all levels of business.
Preferably Chinese speaking and a few years experience.
Vast opportunities in this area now and in the coming years here in Nanning and China.

Three old people in a village - Chinese respect old age

Three old people in a village are better than a treasure ! - Chinese respect old age

Custom of Longevity Ceremony
"Three old men in a village are better than a treasure"
"An old man is the treasure of a family"
These sayings popular in Guangxi China reflect the vogue of respecting the aged.
If a man or woman is 50 years old, a birthday party is held and people congratulate him or her on his or her birthday.
If he or she is ill, they try their best to "add more grain" so as to "prolong life span".
Different ethnic groups have interesting customs to pray for health and longevity for the aged.

More detailed info... http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=106&catid=4&subcatid=21