While hanging out with some of Lianyungang's expats last week, it dawned on me that the foreign population in any Chinese city is relatively easy to pigeonhole. I'm sure that everyone here decided to come to China for highly personal reasons, but I'm finding it exceptionally easy these days to recognize the "type" of the foreigner a certain person is. Here, then, are a few of the major species of the "China expat" genus:
The China Snob- This type of foreigner has been living in China for quite a while and keeps a wide berth from the fresh arrivals. They tend to cultivate only Chinese friends, eat in "authentic" Chinese restaurants, and devote countless hours perfecting their tones and grasp of excellent grammatical points. They usually react in horror and indignation of a guest wears shoes in their house or if a Chinese person attempts to reply to them in English.
The Dirty Old Man- These guys are everywhere. Having burned through a couple of marriages or having struck merely out with love in life, these men tend to be moderately affluent middle-aged gentlemen who seek nothing more than nubile, submissive Oriental female(s). Most are pretty harmless, and aside from a lucky few most end up resorting to China's vast network of brothels for satisfaction.
The Barfly- These expats know only three things- their work, their home, and their bar. The bar is their sanctuary from the madness of China, but unlike most of the others who keep their visits occasional, the barflies cannot survive unless aided by an alcoholic fog. Their knowledge of the Chinese language is limited to vocabulary associated with beer, waitresses, and cigarettes. They have mastered a wide variety of Chinese drinking games, and have a massive backlog of drinking-related anecdotes that they share whether anyone is listening or not. When a bar shuts down or relocates, the barfly endures severe withdrawal symptoms until a suitable replacement can be found.
The Misanthrope- This species of the foreigner has, for whatever reason, turned sour on China. Their speech is littered with complaints about every little aspect of Chinese life, from the apparent annoyances like spitting to obscure ones like the lack of indoor carpeting. Most retreat into a bit of cocoon, limiting their public appearances to trips to McDonalds and KFC or one of the expat bars. Their only Chinese friends, if any, are fluent in English because the misanthrope will make no effort to learn the local language.
The Vagabonds- Vagabonds have an endless thirst for travel and view their host city as merely a base from which to explore China. They tend to keep a rather low profile during the "off hours," working hard and saving their money for the next big trip. Vagabonds tend only to stay a year or two in China before moving on to their next adventure, having accumulated little bit good memories and many photographs.
The Lost Generationalists- These characters are usually in their early to mid-20s and have found themselves stuck in limbo between college and a "real job." Unlike the misanthropes, lost generation a lists tend to travel a lot, but unlike the vagabonds, they cultivate roots into their particular home base. The lost generation alists tend to be quite social and keep regular touch with a group of like-minded expats. Nearly all are teaching English, though few see themselves doing this for the rest of their lives. Most lost generation a lists come to China planning to stay a year but usually, end up staying longer.
I'm a lost generation a list, as are most of my friends here. I do know, however, at least one person in Fuzhou that fits neatly into one of the groups above. Nearly all of them are good people, despite my caustic commentary, and it's been exciting meeting foreigners whose perspective, to say the least, differs widely from mine. I suspect foreigners in other Chinese cities will recognize these types and could perhaps add a few of their own.
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