VideoTapir posted:

You're not going to see your breath at 55, WTF.

MeramJert posted:

I know what you guys mean. I grew up in Maine, which is far colder than Shenzhen. But my first winter in Shenzhen felt like the coldest winter I ever experienced, because literally everywhere was 40 degrees, no exceptions, for months. It doesn't get cold enough here for there to be heating at all, and of course there's no insulation and the windows in my first apartment didn't even close (and there was a big hole in the wall for an AC unit that was never installed).


Maybe he smokes?

Almond Crunch posted:

I'm reading 6 degrees in Kunming RIGHT NOW and i see my breath. Maybe i've found a new oregon vortex

gwrtheyrn posted:

Just drink more hot water

ZombieParts posted:

Wear more clothes.

Buy a hot water bottle.

Almond Crunch posted:

But I DO get a weekend; Monday and Tuesday is my weekend! But really what should I be looking for?

I don't know what to write; this is my first so i have no real basis for comparison. It's nice to have spicy food again, but it seems like most of the chinese with whom I interact use their appreciation of spicy food as an consolation for being unable to appreciate any subtlety in other tastes whatsoever.

I was much warmer in Russia. This no heating thing is loving stupid. Riding a goddamned electric scooter to class everyday before the sun is up is an absurd form of torture; going from moderately warm blanket pile to cold house to FREEZING COLD bike trip makes me just skip class more than once a week, and lord if it is raining then there is no respite because its freezing even under a pile of blankets, and btw haven't these people ever heard of a loving mattress?

Living with a chinese guy and his brother is a daily exercise in madness; to what extent can i judge social and cultural niceties as simply 'different' and when can I acknowledge them as stupid and childish? I've gotten e-mails about my transgressions which include: not wearing shoes around the house, sitting on the floor in the living room, drinking drinks at the table during mealtime, offering others food i'd made from the bowl from which i was eating, not offering others food from the bowl from which i had been eating, etc.

For my total inability to speak chinese, I can't say I've really experienced Kunming; moreso just the ex-pat Kunming lifestyle. I don't like most expats here; it seems to be mainly contemptibly puerile international-relations majors on their study abroad trips who are consistently SO AMAZED at the exoticism of china (WHOA THESE PEOPLE POOP OUTSIDE I AM SO JAZZED), fourty-to-fifty-something weird guys whose conversations tend to revolve around some craft-turned small business (this is not necessarily a bad thing but man if you don't share that interest these guys are seemingly otherwise difficult to relate to for me; i mean the only hobby that we seem to share is oggling cute chinagirls which isn't really an hotbed of conversational fecundity), irresponsible twenty-somethings who do nothing at work all week and then party friday, saturday, and sunday night, only to skid into their desk monday morning. I myself cannot condemn that sort of indolence but it makes a person very hard to interact with in any way more meaningful than clinking glasses and sharing cigarettes, and the group which I can only really describe by stealing a demographic identity from the turks; that is the Agabeyler: the hitherto farmboys who somehow (whiteskin) landed a white-collar job and are desperately looking to at once display their newfound success in a bid for the respect they never saw as children while asskissing people who actually have a decent share of social grace and charisma. The chinese girls have not been as welcoming as i'd heard. I am tall, blond, young, and healthy. I never had problems (not significant problems; I don't claim to be able to snap my fingers and have bitches on my dick) getting laid in America or Russia, but here it seems that I'm exoticized to inhumanity; i can spend a whole night having girls coming up to me asking for photos with me but any advance or invitation on my part is met with shock and hushed dismissal.

I mainly spend my time studying; I take classes at two different schools and after class I'll go listen to podcasts for another two hours while drinking coffee and watching chinese people. It feels hopelessly debilitating to physically exist in a place while being totally unable to interact with any of the people there besides being continually stared at as if you were suspected of shoplifting.

Work is OK. My students are exceedingly diverse in their ability to speak english; I can help the few who are actually suited to the class they are in, but it's draining to have to teach 20 people who have no hope of understanding what you're teaching and who are humiliated by the prospect their comprehension of a currently-taught lesson being checked.

THE WEED IS P GOOD THOUGH

SB35 posted:

Those oil filled bottles that you plug in for a few minutes are great. Until they burn your house down.

But college students seem to buy them up and they don't die, so risk it?

The Worst Muslim posted:

You sound like you can't handle it. Go home. Or somewhere else where there'll be more "bitches" for you to date rape. Also drugs in China, nice one man. Good to see you using big words too, so we don't mistake you for some kind of creepy dumb goon.

Choice quote:

"The chinese girls have not been as welcoming as i'd heard. I am tall, blond, young, and healthy. I never had problems...getting laid in America or Russia, but here it seems that I'm exotcized to inhumanity; i can spend a whole night having girls coming up to me asking for photos with me but any advance or invitation on my part is met with shock and hushed dismissal"

Here's a spoiler Because you're a loving creepy rear end in a top hat

[Fedora'ing intensifies]
[M'lady'ing intensifies]

edit: Oh yeah and look at you distancing yourself from 'undesirable' expats. You are one of those undesirable expats because you don't have a good personality. You're confused from seeking approval from different social groups. So sometimes you post as though you're some kind of jock "hell yeah loving nerds and their businesses, amirite?" and on the other hand you post like some guy who just crawled out of reddit "conversational fecundity, m'goon sire".

You're a stain, Almond Crunch. You're the sexpats that we talk about here. You're the creepy, balding 40 year old who goes to clubs every weekend to try to force some poor girl on your lap. Give it a rest.

The Worst Muslim posted:

You sound like you can't handle it. Go home. Or somewhere else where there'll be more "bitches" for you to date rape. Also drugs in China, nice one man. Good to see you using big words too, so we don't mistake you for some kind of creepy dumb goon.

Choice quote:

"The chinese girls have not been as welcoming as i'd heard. I am tall, blond, young, and healthy. I never had problems...getting laid in America or Russia, but here it seems that I'm exotcized to inhumanity; i can spend a whole night having girls coming up to me asking for photos with me but any advance or invitation on my part is met with shock and hushed dismissal"

Here's a spoiler Because you're a loving creepy rear end in a top hat

[Fedora'ing intensifies]
[M'lady'ing intensifies]

edit: Oh yeah and look at you distancing yourself from 'undesirable' expats. You are one of those undesirable expats because you don't have a good personality. You're confused from seeking approval from different social groups. So sometimes you post as though you're some kind of jock "hell yeah loving nerds and their businesses, amirite?" and on the other hand you post like some guy who just crawled out of reddit "conversational fecundity, m'goon sire".

You're a stain, Almond Crunch. You're the sexpats that we talk about here. You're the creepy, balding 40 year old who goes to clubs every weekend to try to force some poor girl on your lap. Give it a rest.

The Worst Muslim posted:

You're the sexpats that we talk about here. You're the creepy, balding 40 year old who goes to clubs every weekend to try to force some poor girl on your lap. Give it a rest.

SB35 posted:

Jesus TWM, give the guy you never met a break.

SB35 posted:

Jesus TWM, give the guy you never met a break.

Almond Crunch posted:

YF19pilot posted:

Just had an interview this evening with EF in Hohhot. Another interview next week with a different organization in Tianjin.

EF rep said, regarding housing, I'd be sharing a flat with another teacher, no rent, but probably paying about 270 Yuan a month for utilities going into winter.

Also, I finally get why the Mongolian grill I saw in Oklahoma City was named Huhot. Not sure why I didn't get the connection before (besides there not being a Huhot here in NE Ohio).

The Worst Muslim posted:

You sound like you can't handle it. Go home. Or somewhere else where there'll be more "bitches" for you to date rape. Also drugs in China, nice one man. Good to see you using big words too, so we don't mistake you for some kind of creepy dumb goon.

Choice quote:

"The chinese girls have not been as welcoming as i'd heard. I am tall, blond, young, and healthy. I never had problems...getting laid in America or Russia, but here it seems that I'm exotcized to inhumanity; i can spend a whole night having girls coming up to me asking for photos with me but any advance or invitation on my part is met with shock and hushed dismissal"

Here's a spoiler Because you're a loving creepy rear end in a top hat

[Fedora'ing intensifies]
[M'lady'ing intensifies]

edit: Oh yeah and look at you distancing yourself from 'undesirable' expats. You are one of those undesirable expats because you don't have a good personality. You're confused from seeking approval from different social groups. So sometimes you post as though you're some kind of jock "hell yeah loving nerds and their businesses, amirite?" and on the other hand you post like some guy who just crawled out of reddit "conversational fecundity, m'goon sire".

You're a stain, Almond Crunch. You're the sexpats that we talk about here. You're the creepy, balding 40 year old who goes to clubs every weekend to try to force some poor girl on your lap. Give it a rest.

B-Rad posted:

Almond, why the gently caress did you move to Kunming at 40 years old? Or am I missing something?

You should probably learn the language and exercise daily. Join a football club or something. You kind of sound like you have Aspergers and a superiority complex, and probably lack social skills. Work on that.

Arglebargle III posted:

People are replying to TWM unironically?

caberham posted:

The utilities thing might be a scam. I know EF Hangzhou use to charge 300 kuai per person when the bill was only 100 ish. Yeah, really dodgy. Have you tried PMing other goons here your resume? I think a few people here might have a lead or two.

Arglebargle III posted:

People are replying to TWM unironically?

B-Rad posted:

You're a dick head. Are you on your period or something? Guy is just trying to express how he feels alienated in a new environment. We aren't all CHINA EXPERTS with mad skills.

Almond, why the gently caress did you move to Kunming at 40 years old? Or am I missing something?

You should probably learn the language and exercise daily. Join a football club or something. You kind of sound like you have Aspergers and a superiority complex, and probably lack social skills. Work on that.

ZombieParts posted:

I don't think it matters if someone is loving 50 and wants to live overseas. Can any of you explain what would be the problem with that? besides thinking it's hip to call people creepy for no reason.

BadAstronaut posted:

No - because a lot of the people here are loving juvenile in their outlook on a number of things.

I recently turned 34

synertia posted:

How does it feel to be close to death, Bad Astronaut?

ZombieFarts posted:

Can any of you explain what would be the problem with that? Besides thinking it's hip to call people creepy for no reason.

B-Rad posted:

Almond we like your bitching about China. I usually keep most of my moaning to the Goonchat, though. I say inappropriate things in public situations and don't like most expats either.

You have the advantage of living in a cool city that is sub-tropical and having access to weed that isn't awful. I haven't smoked since my last visit to Canada. Count your blessings!