Found this classified on a Guangzhou social networking website, and found it a little confusing.
What exactly is a Westerner?
Does it mean Physical Location?
Countries west of China? If we go west from China, and keep going at it, we’ll land in Japan some day, although all the while we headed west.
Does it mean Skin Colour?
But what about ABCs like Jay? He looks Chinese, is an ethnic Chinese currently residing in the land of ethnic Chinese, but holds American citizenship
Does it mean Nationality?
But my passport does not print for a matter of Nationality, whether I’m a easterner or westerner or South-Easterner.
So who really qualifies for this invite to free wine? I’ve heard of ladies drinking for free on Ladies’ Night. But Westerners? I’m confused!
How disappointing that political correctness has made its way to China as well. Clearly, the writers of this advertisement felt they had to censor themselves from writing what they *really* meant, “Wine-tasting for gwailos.”
I believe Westerns in that context are all the people who like to drink red wine for free.
Anyway, we can spot this kind of talk everywhere. Like past weekend I travelled to a small but decent village. While walking through, a lot children just shouted “gwailo gwailo gwailo” - with a big smile.
While this maybe is just by habit for the childs, still many people here have traditional and sometime unbalanced thinking about foreigners from different countries.
No better way to find out than to ask them.
Pretty obviously they mean white or obviously western folks, to give them some face… funny ad tho
I think they meant “we want white people because we think it will make our bar look sophisticated.”
Meanwhile, where’s the contact info?
Thanks guys. By the look of your email addresses and names, I think most of you qualify.
Bar contact is available upon request.
does “ANG MOH” have red hairs to qualify as well?
The common men are under the impression that big noses have a fine discrimination in choosing wine. It is just to forge a bar of international fame…. “See there are so many big nose-white skin westerners drinking there, it must be a good place….”. Ppl say so, and then more ppl come for the fame… so, it might be a good economical way to flack the bar…
Generally, only big nose-white skin ppl speaking foreign language will be regarded as westerners here.. So Jay and Junde are not qualified for the free wine because they don’t have a big nose- white skin appearance You looked so CHINESE.. Don’t say that there must be no discrimination, because some ppl do judge people with their appearance.. They really worship everything foreign (I mean Western countries).
Junde, dont confuse.. Japan still lies to the east of China, our neighbour whose ppl dont have big noses either.. so Japanese are not “westerners” to this bar….hee..hee..
Who cares! Free drinks!
You guys think to hard about this and confuse yourself. Simply a Westerner is someone FROM a Western culture. If they mean something else then show up and make them loose face and explain their prejudice. Anyway, I agree with “Who cares! Free drinks!”
I think they expect “westerners” to show up in suits or nice clothes… Let’s just go there in flip-flop, short pants, torn jeans and t-shirts with no sleeve
To Heath,
I’ll have you know, that I make a point to never think!
Pensively,
Jay
They definitely mean white people with big noses and preferably blonde hair. Sorry, no fatties allowed.
I like free drinks! I’ll go to this. Who can I call/email?
i always thought “ABC” meant “american-born chinese” in which case jay would not qualify as one. he’s more of a “TBA” (taiwanese-born american). sorry, i know that was totally off the subject but i just felt some clarification was necessary there…
aah, free european wine… wish i could qualify. hey, people have said i have white skin and my nose is pretty big. plus i sound like an american. alas, my single eyelids give it away… come to think of it, jay’s skin is whiter than mine, his nose is big enough, he speaks perfect americanized english, AND has double eyelids. he should get in, no problem. jay, go for it and DARE them to refuse you! then tell me how that wine is… although, i have tried some european wine here and i must say that it wasn’t as good as great wall 1998 which is a pretty decent wine, in my opinion.
sorry, dear jay, i talked too much again…
You see this in the West, too - vapid people fascinated by Asian cultures because they’re different. Let’s not criticize the Chinese for this, Westerners are just as bad if not worse when it comes to racism.
7 days no update…..ummm….
i second Jojo….she is right.
As English teachers in china,you don’t really need to have qualification,you just need to LOOK LIKE a white ppl.
(No offense.I believe that those teachers surely can speak fluent English. )
Anyway,even Junde wants to be an English teacher,and he has a competent knowledge of English,he may not get the job when his rival is a White.
So why should we have to define what the “Westerners ” they refer to? We all have the answer already.
@Carol, we were waiting for your comment before we put up the next post.
Every post is not complete without your input
Im really pleased to see this posted, notions like Westerner seem really out-dated and anything but politcally correct.
In a strange sense I would prefer to see gwailo/laowai written!
In terms of a Westerner coming from a Western culture, what does that mean? Are urban Tokyoites Westerners? Are people from the rural parts of Eastern Europe Westerners?
Clearly “Western” in terms of describing people or culture do not really hold any real meaning.
If Jay is a TBA or an ABT, what about Americans and Brits with ancestory from Hong Kong or Singapore, what are they? following the same abreviations I am BBYILU..(British Born Yemeni-Israeli Lithuanian-Ukranian)…a bit crazy really…..at the end of the day does it all matter?
Ethnicity? (no such thing anymore..at least not how we think we understand it)
Nationality?
Culture? (what ever that means)
Great topic to bring up guys