Author Topic: My Observations  (Read 1817 times)

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Offline MadeinAmerica

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My Observations
« on: December 15, 2010, 04:06:32 pm »
OK.  I came across this site today and wow, it brings back memories.  I did three years as an expat in Thailand listening to all the things that go wrong and have spent eight years now with a Chinese lady.  In reading the posts here, I see a lot of naive guys, undoubtedly lonely and looking for love.  Nothing wrong with that, but I also see a lot of mistakes being made.

Here are some tips from an old hand.

1.  Do not fall in love online.  You do not know the woman yet.
2.  Language problems are a real issue.  If you cannot communicate well, then it is more than whether or not you care about deep communication.   It is also whether you can really know each other or not yet.
3.  What is her education and occupation.  If she did not work hard in China, she will not work hard with you. Working hard is normal in China.  Look for evidence of that.
4.  If she does not have a decent career in China, she will not in your country.  It is better to have a woman who is a partner than is a pretty pet.
5.  If she is not attentive to you online and you do not see her in chats, etc., then maybe she is not real or is too busy with all the other guys she is chatting to.
6. Visit at least three times.  Meet the parents on the third trip.  Pay close attention to her background.  Learn about her and her friends.

In short, take time.  Do not be impulsive.  Get to know her and her family.  There are a lot of women online that will not be good for you.

And why not try to meet an Asian woman at home?  I dated and had frustrations living in Asia.  I met my wife when she was visiting America.  She and a few of her friends here make very good money because they have always worked hard.  And, being here for a fellowship, I had time to get to know her before we married.  That is the most important thing - you really need to get to know her.

And, NEVER move to China for a woman unless you have known her for a really long time.  Not matter what you think , if you have a god job in the West, it is unlikely you will every do as well there!!



Offline Neil

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2010, 07:30:29 pm »
1 - OK, obviously.
2 - Obviously, language problems are a real issue. 
3 - depends what you're looking for - even an educated and successful doctor will have a difficult time becoming a doctor in the west.  Working hard as an observation of character, I can understand. 
4 - see 3 - depends on what you're looking for in a relationship.  happiness in retirement, a wife who will care for you as you grow old, a partner in a business venture - pretty broad range of choices.
5 - ties in with 1 - pretty obvious
6 - is it ok if I meet the parents on the second visit? 

Should just name yourself MrObviousInAmerica.  I don't like your tone.  I won't be reading any more of your "advice".  /ignored.
...as irresistible as chocolate

Offline maxx

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2010, 11:15:50 pm »
Neil It is ok for you to meet your ladies parents on the second visit.I met my wife's parents on my first visit.After being in China only four days

Offline mustfocus

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2010, 11:39:17 pm »
Neil,

I think you're being a bit harsh.  He's a newguy.  Give him some time to adjust.  There will always be emails which bug you (trust me, I've seen quite a few that I don't like in the last few weeks)... Which is why I've been trying to ignore quite a few (those that I found offensive) and posting in only a few threads.

梦醒时分 - Meng Xing Shi Fen

Offline Philip

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2010, 07:46:42 am »
He's not a newguy. He's an old hand, remember.
Having a master's degree in the bleedin' obvious, I wonder what his idea of deep communication is.
He doesn't endear himself to anyone by prefacing his pearls of wisdom with  "I see a lot of naive guys, undoubtedly lonely and looking for love." Does this represent other people's picture of this forum?
I have taken one piece of his advice though. I haven't moved to China to live with a woman I haven't known for a VERY long time. I moved to Hong Kong.
My advice to him: Write a book. Call it "Chinese/Western relationships - take it from someone who knows - no really. It happened to me."

Vince G

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2010, 09:43:45 am »
MadeinAmerica or MIA, You do come across a little harsh and commanding. Some of your points are good ones but have been discussed here before and some of your points can vary depending upon the individual people involved. But you are entitled to your opinion. You just need to work on the delivery.

Offline shaun

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2010, 11:19:38 am »
Gee Phillip, I'm lost.  Who is it?  He says he is in Atlanta, Ga.   I only know of 3 people from Georgia on this site.  The first shall remain a secret but I know beyond a shadow of doubt it isn't him.  ;)  The writing doesn't read like any of the remaining two.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2010, 11:23:49 am by shaun »

Offline MadeinAmerica

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2010, 11:35:53 am »
Sorry if I sounded condescending.  My comments are not really intended for those of you (e.g., the names I see here that replied) who have been more judicious in your approach, but to the ones who seem to race into a train wreck with someone that they do not really know.  I think you can imagine some of the posts I am referring to.

I have met dozens, if not hundreds, of guys who have gone too far, too fast, and are left with little more than an amusing tale to tell in the end.

Just cautioning those starting out to take their time and get to know the woman and her family, friends and not to rush into anything based on chatting through translators and building things up too much before you even meet the person.

As to Atlanta, yes, near there.  As are several million others, so there may be more than three or four of us who peruse the site from time to time.

I like what I have seen so far (though these windoes do not scroll well after you type a few lines).  Not much out thers for China.  More for other Asian countries.

Offline David E

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2010, 05:00:41 pm »
WOW.....It must be a full-moon or something...we are getting a bit testy this week  ;D ;D

To Mr Madeinamerica I would respond by saying that it is not a crime to be lonely, I believe all of us here have struck this "wall" and we try to do something about it to the best of our ability.

As for naieve.........maybe so, because we tended to accept what Organisations like CHNLove told us, and paid good money to explore the options they presented to us...all gift wrapped up in pretty paper and basically irresistable....and largely fraudulent. But it is a learning curve (a bitter one) that we try here to make less risky with our collective experience to share around.

Thus this Forum grew out of the need to get a like-minded bunch of guys to share experiences, get back on track and avoid getting burned again.

It matters little how or where you meet a woman and want to pursue a relationship...always there is a risk. To minimise risk, you would think that we should all choose a woman from our own culture and background and steer clear of any liasons that stepped a fraction outside this apparent comfort zone..........well we most of us tried that and it is an excercise in futility and heartbreak. Thus we are prepared to accept some level of risk to try to find a Lady who more closely matches some of the "ideals" that most Men have in their psyche !!

Sure, if we can find a Chinese (or other) Lady close to home, that meets all the criteria...well and good. But that is a rare occurrence, Chinese people here in Aus tend not to mix in the general social scene...especially single, mature women and there are not many of them around anyway...maybe a more frequent occurrence of teenagers and/or second generation Chinese who are basically Australians already.

There are not many women who are eligible for Men of my age (50 plus) who are students here on Student Visas...and for us, this would be an extremely difficult proposition to convince the Aus Immigration Dept that the relationship is genuine...the vast majority of Students here from overseas have only one way of staying here when their course is complete...and that is to marry an Australian.....in that scenario there is HUGE risk that it is a mariage of convenience. Our Immig Dept would regard such an outcome with extreme suspicion.

By definition, we cannot spend masses of time with our contact Ladies in China...only brief visits as far as time and money will allow. Sure, in a perfect World it would be better to be close to your prospective partner for long periods of time, in the real world, we cant do that. So we do the best we can under these circumstances. Again, it increases the risk of ultimate failure.

If we all wanted to play it totally safe...we should stay at home, alone and lonely and take up creative Macrame or somesuch....but thats not our target is it ??

You were fortunate, you found your Chinese Lady close to home...but that (in my experience) is a rare and lucky outcome. It is not that way for the great majority of us who "do it the hard way"...with all the attendant risks.

Arnold

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2010, 05:16:21 pm »
Tell you the Truth , none of the six points you warned us about .. applied to myself and my LaoPo . I obsolutely did not have to worry about any and number Six .. I met the Parent's on the first day there and received one of the greatest Dinner's that was ever made for my sake . I was in Love , was loved not only by my Wife .. but also by her whole Family . All that before I ever stepped on Chinese Soil . Yes , all this through writing ( EMF's & E-Mail ) . Call me Lucky , but I think I had the "Right" approach . This of course does not work for everybody ( I would never claim this ) , but it is possible .
« Last Edit: December 16, 2010, 05:18:11 pm by Arnold »

Offline MadeinAmerica

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2010, 05:34:48 pm »
There seems to be a core group of you on here for whom things have worked out well and you are providing a very valuable site for those going through a similar process.

I was not aware the site was an outgrowth of dealing with that particular china meeting site, so that certainly puts things I have read here in context.  Much different than the expat sites in China and elsewhere.

I gather this is a fairly "new" site as even the old timers here do not appear to have been with their partners for very long and many are still in the process.

I have been an expat in a few places, including Australia, so have been through the visa process myself and for my wife.  I also once ran a serviced apartment building in Bangkok, so have seen what it is like for others from many countries.   It is much easier for Westerners to get residency elsewhere and bringing back a wife you married overseas seems to be among the most diffucult routes.

As to me, I met my wife when she was doing a research fellowship in the States.  Her research group moved to New York City where I was a the time.  In New York City, as in LA, San Fran, Vancouver, Toronto and a number of other places, there are a lot of Asian women.

Anyway, good luck to all of you on your journey.  Almost every genuine relationship I have seen eventually got immigration approval.  Do not know why one or two did not, but was not comfortable probing too much to find out.  Have seen some people have to jump through a lot of hoops along the way (and suspect this was intentional to see if they were really serious).

Offline Martin

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Re: My Observations
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2010, 09:17:02 pm »

I gather this is a fairly "new" site as even the old timers here do not appear to have been with their partners for very long and many are still in the process.

Two years now...we started on Facebook, and have grown rapidly since.  As for me, my story is similar to Arnold.  I met the parents on my first trip, and stayed in their home for around 2 weeks on that first trip.  I married the first trip as well.  We spent countless hours on webcam before my trip, and had met some of her family this way as well.  What works for one, does not necessarily work for all...your list is a good suggestion, but should not be taken as a strict guideline.