The Duality of a Man

I really do not like going on and on about myself in blog posts or other content that I create. I prefer to write about things that may help people, or at least commentary on different occurrences or patterns. However, I am probably the subject that I know the most about, and I will attempt to analyze one crucial aspect of my existence on this Earth. Hopefully, this analysis will be of some value to some of you readers.

I am a heterosexual Black man with Yellow Fever, as we have discussed time and time again. I am only attracted to Japanese (not Okinawan), Taiwanese, and Korean (with the occasional Vietnamese) 6/10 or better, weighing under 130 pounds (58.967 kg). Those that do not meet these criteria are not on my radar, regardless of how many Brothas tell me that I should "try Filipinas or Brazillians mayne".

I like what I like, unfortunately, she does too and it ain't me.

Of course, I understand that not many women that meet my criteria would choose me, given that I am a Black man. In fact, it is this reality that was the primarily catalyst to my becoming more racially aware. Becoming more racially aware, acknowledging my position in the world as a Black man, and cross-referencing this reality with other information that I have ingested (from so-called "redpill" blogs and forums, to personal development books, to philosophical books, and so on) has led me to believe that complete racial separation of Black people from non-Blacks would be the best solution to our problems, and mutual inability to coexist peacefully and freely.

This leads to an internal conflict. Do I pursue my desires, and likely end up losing, or do I devote myself to the service of my race and live a life of misery, with celibacy or companionship with women that I am not attracted to? Given that I am really only against the current system of racial hierarchy since it prevents Black men from pursuing our goals and our pleasures, it would almost be self-defeating to do so, although it would be in the better interests of my race.

On an individual level, I cannot live a life deprived of pleasure, but given my race in this system, this will likely be the outcome either way. The internal conflict rages on, and I am unable to commit myself fully to either side. Thus, I seem wishy-washy. I say and do things that are contradictory, such as tweeting about how Black men should not waste time pursuing relationships with members of other races, while moments later showing my dick on WeChat to a topless Chinese woman, telling her how I am going to cover her face with my seed when I return to her country.

I have come to the realization that for the betterment of the Black race, people like me are going to have to be written off or liquidated eventually. Either our "overlords" of other races are going to do us in, or we are going to be left behind if and when Black people finally decide to have our own as a collective. Our exposure to and dealings with other races may be useful temporarily, and occasionally, some of us may get a pat on the head or better yet some head from a non-Black woman (let us hope that she is not one of the grotesque ones that Black men are generally relegated to), but in the end, Black people that feel the need to integrate in any way are likely going to go the way of the dodo. The only outcome of integration for the Black man is "Triple D's" - Disappointment, Depression, and Death.

I am what I am. I have no shame in wanting what I want and going for it. The only shame, in my opinion, is that it is nigh impossible to attain. I made my bed, so I will have to lie on it. Hopefully, before I depart this plane of existence, a few more Northeast Asians that are to my liking will share it with me. Beyond that, at the very least, I hope that some of my philosophical tidbits can provide some measure of value to Black folks that wish to truly forge their own destinies.

My advice for Black men is to give up all hope of integration, and strive to build your own with your own. If you are like me and do not see yourself living the life that you desire under these circumstances, then try to get what you want without completely selling yourself or your people out, but prepare yourself to live a life of misery, then die.

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My book should be out by the end of this year. Be on the lookout for it. The link will be added once it is up and published.

Brony Weirdo Taxman Has a Point (Kind Of)

One of the YouTube users that I have been watching as of late is yourFriendtheTaxman. While not entirely educational, at least not in the fields that I am trying to dig into, his rants are often entertaining, in a "lulzy" sort of way. Essentially, Taxman is a racialist (as a surprising number of online nerds and weebs are) and a Brony that has become disillusioned with the madness of the real world, and believes that he will develop a portal into the My Little Pony world of Equestria.

In one of Taxman's latest videos (embedded below), he discusses themes from Don Quioxte de la Mancha (a classic that I will have to get around to reading one day, by the way), and focuses on how the titular character was happier when he was realizing his dreams of being a knight after years of taking on his responsibilities as a landowner. This boils down to one realizing their dreams rather than doing what society tells them to do and fitting the mainstream mold of success. 

Of course, in Taxman's mind, like in the minds of many other gamer geeks, online nerds, and other basement-dwelling types, this means escaping to the worlds of anime, cartoon bestiality, and vidya. I have firsthand experience with this since my specific attraction to Japanese women (as opposed to my general attraction to Northeast Asian women that I harbor today) was at one stage partially influenced by my childhood obsession with the Evangelion character Misato Katsuragi. I have also at one point in my life, embraced the L337 (or rather, NEET) gamer lifestyle, believing that there was no point to pursuing anything in real life, since I would always be rejected (in my mind). I cannot agree with this method of living, since it is just as empty as desperately seeking the approval of mainstream society and casting off our real dreams. At least in my case, gaming was a form of escapism from the real world, just as drugs are for dope fiends.

I do agree with Taxman's point of pursuing our dreams and defining success for ourselves, however. There must be a balance, and we must adhere to reality, of course. We will have pitfalls. We will have obstacles. We may have to take jobs that we don't want to work in order to eat before our big business, record deal, or whatever takes off, but ultimately, if our dreams are attainable, we should not give up on them for the sake of others that will bring nothing into our lives. If anything kills our dreams, it should be us, if we decide that we want to dream of something else.

The powers that be on both sides of the political aisle tend to have it against the heterosexual Black man. Whether it is the SJW that labels masculinity as "problematic", or the White supremacist that wishes to stifle Black masculinity to keep the playing field under his rule, both sides would rather people like me work under them, pay taxes, maybe hook up with an unattractive female (or tranny), and die, accomplishing few if any of my goals, and working to prop up their systems (for those that do not outright want me to be incarcerated or annihilated). It would not behoove me to march in line with either side, or take on their definitions of success for myself (which if followed, would likely bring them success and only misery to myself).

Keep after your dreams. Sometimes, we may have to take a break, and sometimes, the harsh reality is that our dreams will never come to pass, but you owe it to yourself to continue pursuing them (assuming that they are possible and somewhat based in reality, of course). To work, die, and get no pleasure out of life could be likened to slavery, and is mere existence, not life, at least in my opinion. China, here I come.

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Speaking of accomplishing dreams, be on the lookout for my eBook, coming when it comes like Duke Nukem Forever did (but likely in December).

Chinese Women vs. Japanese Women: On Money

It is often said that money cannot buy love, but is this really the case, especially in Japan and China? Asian women are often stereotyped as being some of the worst gold diggers on the planet. Based on some of the stories that I have heard, I would think that Asian women can indeed be gold digging, or at least status digging (ask any White boy that travels to Asian with only the shirt on his back) but this characteristic can be found in just about any race. In my personal experience, Asian women have not been particularly gold digging (maybe that would change if I married one of the women that I dated; things often change once the ring is on the finger). In this post, I will talk about the issue of money when dating Japanese and Chinese women from my anecdotal experience.

Japanese Girls:

Japanese girls that I dated did not seem to make a big deal about money, whether they were on the lower or higher end of the economic standing (well, middle class, at least; I've never dated a super rich girl, although I did date one that ran a juku). On the other hand, I did encounter "Eigo bandits", girls that would date me just to learn English and get a meal, and then would never be heard from again.

Chinese Girls:

Chinese girls get a bad rep for being the biggest gold diggers on the planet, with money being the god of their country. There does seem to be some truth to this, but in my experience, I did not encounter any gold diggers. I was told by a good friend of mine that Chinese girls expect men to pay on dates, but I have had Chinese women pay for me, or we'd take turns paying for things. Sometimes, it seemed as if Chinese women were making an initial investment though, with the expectation that yours truly would be paying them off in the future like a 401K. Let's just say that the taxing [of that ass] was not deferred. Chinese women also seemed to have more respect for money and my time, and would have the courtesy of at least paying for dinner when it came to "English meetups". Perhaps things would be different if I went to Shanghai and dealt with the "princess syndrome" women that the city is known for.

While I did not encounter any gold diggers, I did not come off as if I was a hobo. Being dressed relatively well may have put the thought in their minds that I at least have some money. Also, the fact that money didn't seem all-important does not mean that Asian women are seeking broke dudes, especially not broke Black dudes. By all means make, invest, and save your money, but don't do it just to let a woman (of any race) take it all.

Chinese Women vs. Japanese Women: Race and Objectification

As many of you may know, I am a Black American man, and I have spent time living in both Japan and China. The dating scenes in both countries are much different for Black men than they are for other races, as I have mentioned before, and I would like to talk about some generalities that I have noticed in both types of women. For this first post, I will be talking about race and objectification, on both ends of the relationship. Most of this is going to be based on my personal experiences, so others may or may not experience these same things.

Japanese Girls

Black men who have traveled to Asia often say that Japanese women like Black men. I would say that compared to other countries in the region, there are more Japanese women that fantasize about and actively seek out Black men as their first choice, but this is still a minority within a minority of women, and based on what I have been hearing, a dwindling minority.

I must also add that most Japanese girls that like Black men want a particular type of Black man. They tend to either want the stereotype from hip-hop videos, or they want a guy that looks like the Black men that most often appear on advertisements there: tall, cleanly-shaven head, and muscular. Granted, I had very little game and certainly did not have a physique that I could be proud of when I was in Japan (a trio of Japanese girls that I met at Hong Kong International seemed more receptive of me after my development), the way that some Black men talked about how it was easy made it seem like we were doing as well as white guys out there; this simply was and is not the case. I still say that it is the best place to find Northeast Asian women that specifically have a Black fetish, but most of those girls are not my style.

I was objectified as the "Black boyfriend" of some of the Japanese girls that I dated. I was treated almost like a new piece of clothing or jewelry that they would show off to their friends, on top of being a bestial living dildo and entertainer (the latter which I failed at).

On the other hand, Japanese women would also play up to their stereotypes in a bid to turn me on (not talking about the hardcore "B-Style" girls that would try to act like Black stereotypes and coax that behavior out of me). Japanese girls that I have been with were indeed "ladies on the streets and freaks in the bed" that would squeal just like your favorite JAV star upon penetration. They also spoke Japanese during the act, and if I told them a few things in Japanese, it would drive them over the edge. They almost universally liked it fast, rough, and hard, and one of my buddies out there claims that he found plenty of girls that were into cosplaying with their high school uniforms, which they kept just for the occasion. One thing that I also found odd about Japanese women was that many of them wanted to be my first Japanese girl.

Chinese Girls

China is a harder nut to crack (or bust), and just being Black is more likely to be a turnoff than a turn-on for Chinese women. However, with adequate effort and a bit of luck, it is possible for a Black man to succeed with the local women. If you are targeting bigger cities, you may also find a few Black-fetishists, but the general population will likely be harder to click with due to the cosmopolitan image of whites and greater competition due to the higher number of foreigners. Most of the Chinese women that I dealt with probably did not go to bed with fantasies of Black men, but when we happened upon each other, they were intrigued by me (being an American and being able to teach them English and offer a green card in the back of their mind probably helped to be honest).

Given the exposure that China has had to Black people in the media, I'd guess that most Chinese girls that specifically like Black men would want a taller man that looks like he could play for the NBA in their eyes. However, some everyday Chinese girls were open to me (maybe they heard of Muggsy Bogues), and not fitting all Black stereotypes did not seem to be a negative out there at all. That is not to say that they don't have stereotypes (athletic, savage in the sack, and the ubiquitous big dick), but those along with speaking English and being an American citizen are things that are at least somewhat true of me, rather than stereotypical ideas of "swag" and what-have-you. This is one of the reasons why I have begun preferring Chinese women to Japanese women.

When dating and hooking up with Chinese women, yes, it was acknowledged that I was a Black man/foreigner, and that they were Chinese, but I was "Admiral", a person, at least to some of the girls. To others, I was just a living dildo, a guilty pleasure that they would dare not tell their friends about, unlike the Japanese girls that saw me as their new fashion accessory. I have also been their free English teacher, window to the world, and a specimen to be studied.

Chinese women did not play up their "Chinese-ness" for the most part during any part of the relationships, aside from usual things that might come up such as the cultural significance of an image, language, and other little tidbits of culture. When making love, they actually preferred to speak English if at all, and their moans did not sound like squeaking toys. I would say that compared to Japanese, Chinese women are more likely to be crass in public, but prudish in bed, that is unless you get them going or they really like you, then they can be freakier than Japanese (although easier to tire out, it seems). They would also tell me to go slow, and we would build up a tempo together rather than going straight to the hard-pumping action (that is not to say that I didn't put the ramma-jamma on those walls, or that there weren't Chinese girls that could slam themselves on my pelvis though). Ultimately, sex with Chinese women has been more passionate than with Japanese women, as odd as this may sound. Chinese women also seemed relieved when they found out that they were not my first Chinese sex partner, even if they hinted at exclusivity.

At the end of the day, races and cultures can be lumped together as groups, and there are many times where it may feel like you are dealing with clones, but individuals are indeed individuals, so your mileage may vary. 

Racial Divide: The Need for a Black Manosphere

Anyone with any senses knows that Black men and White men (as well as other non-Black men) face very different issues when it comes to dealing with women. For the average White man, all that they have to do is fall off of a plane somewhere in Asia to go from zero to hero overnight. In the case of Black men, yes, we can have some success, but that success is not guaranteed. Perhaps there is Brazil, the Caribbean, or Africa, but even then, there are other issues that Black men must face that other races can skate around.

It is no secret that a great deal of the manosphere is geared towards White men or other races that can pass for White or can say "at least I'm not Black". With that being said, Black men are often met with hostility, or stories of White men conquering places and women that a Black man could not even dream of. If a Black man were to even think of succeeding, he is discouraged. If a Black man finds even a scant amount of success, he is demonized from his so-called redpill "brothers" just as he would be from an SJW. What we must realize is that this is competition, and from the White man's perspective, the Black man is their adversary, or at best, pawns.

Remember that time that I told you to only fight battles that benefit you? This is the time to put that advice to good use. What does it matter if a White guy gets banned from Australia for feeling up Japanese girls? I am a Black man that likes Japanese girls, and he is only out for White men to enjoy them. Of course, the SJWs would not want heterosexual Black men to get full enjoyment out of our trips to Asia either, so why not just sit back and let them fight each other while building our own resources, media, and other solutions so that we may stroll to our prizes? Why should we do battle for White men to be able to have orgies in China like in Marco Polo (while calling us nigger) when we cannot even get a drop of tang, and will not be rewarded with a single concubine for our efforts? Why should we even offer them support or give them props when we are torn down by these very same people for even being seen in China?

Brothers, and I'm talking to my Black Brothers that have any sense, it is time for us to really go our own way. Realistically speaking, we won't be setting up colonies or nations overnight, and sadly, we'll probably still have to go to their grocery stores for water, but at the very least, can we have our own forums? Can we have our own videos on YouTube for Black men addressing our issues? Can we at least ask a Black man that has been to Chengdu if we can get women there instead of asking the White guy that brags about how he can get chicks on the merit of being White?

The divide is here, people, and it is time for us to accept it. Time for us to stop trying to integrate (or be recruited) by movements, left or right of the political spectrum, that benefit us in no way. Time for us to form our own league, go for our own goals, and protect ourselves and our interests from our adversaries, just as they have done time and again. Let us strive for our own magnificence instead of praising that of others, or worse yet, attempting to contribute to it.

Dating Chinese Women: Xi'an

After spending some time in Guangzhou and Changsha, I reported to work in Xi'an. Xi'an was not really as open as the other two cities in terms of social life from my perspective, and my "daygame" methods, which consisted of being spotted by a curious or intrigued female, or using the WeChat to find language exchange partners did not work well there. It seemed like the wall around the city was not the only wall, as most of the ladies that I encountered would stare at me, then put up a shield when I tried to make eye contact in return.

It was not until I started hitting the clubs that things turned around for me in terms of meeting approachable women. I only had two experiences that could actually be called "dates" in Xi'an, and neither of them ended with intimacy. I still had a decent time in the city overall, aside from the stares, filth, and shouts of hei gway, but I cannot say that it was a great place for me in terms of dating Chinese women (although it was a decent place for casual hookups in the club).

One of the clubs that I went to was relatively close to my job, so I would usually hang out in the area, then show up at the club about an hour after it opened. This club was relatively tame compared to some of the other venues that I would peruse in Xi'an, but I would still get free drinks, and occasionally, see a girl that I liked.

One night when I was doing my usual "be the only foreigner/person that dances normal in the club" routine, I was approached by a gentleman that wanted me to drink with him and his buddies at his table. They had a bottle of whiskey and a few bottles of iced tea, which seemed to be the favored drink at this particular establishment. I had a few drinks, after which, everyone wanted to take pictures with me. One of the girls in the group, we'll call her "D^2", coerced me to sit next to her. When I did not move quickly enough for her liking, she began yelling at me in Chinese, grabbed me, and tried to force me into the seat adjacent to her. Feisty; I liked it, despite feeling a bit uncomfortable.

After the pictures were taken, what D^2 did made me feel even more uncomfortable. She slipped her hand in my pants and began frigging me, yelling furiously at me in Chinese. At this point, I did not know what to do, but her friends took her away, apologized (like I needed an apology), and went on their way. Noticing that the spot was mostly a sausage-fest, I decided to retire for the night.

I ran into D^2 about a week later after coming home from a successful night at a different club, walking home with a couple of roses from a sweet young thing that refused to utilize KTV rooms for the singing that they were made for. She recognized me and we had a small conversation, exchanging WeChat information. Another week passes by, and we are setting up a night out going clubbing and having dinner.

Long story short, all that I got out of this "date" was a few more free drinks and some dancing. I had a good time, but I did not seal the deal, nor did I even get the dinner. D^2 bid farewell and entered her taxi. I had a fun night out and I still chat to her from time to time though.

Dating Chinese Women: Changsha

The city of Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province, the city where Chairman Mao converted to communism, and home of many prestigious universities among other things. The food is delicious, and the ladies are even more so! Going to Changsha during the summer was a real treat for me, and I ended up spending five days there rather than the three days that I had initially planned due to a train ticket mistake. Looking back at my experiences in that city, I certainly cannot complain.

My most memorable date in Changsha was with a girl that we will call "V". I met her on WeChat using the "Look Around" function one evening when I was bored. To my surprise, I had several greetings from people in my area; hers was the one that stood out the most. We chatted for a bit, and I learned that she was a senior at one of the city's universities. I tried to set up a language exchange that night, but since she was busy, she agreed to meet me the next day.

She did not flake on our meeting, and showed up at the nearby McDonald's just as we had planned. McDonald's is not the kind of food to have a language exchange over, despite cultural imperialism and all of that rot, so "V" took me to a restaurant that specialized in Hunan cuisine. We shared an incredibly spicy dish (paid for by "V") while holding a conversation about life, travel, and music. It occurred to me that "V" had a particular interest in Black men, but unlike Japanese women that I have dated in the past, she seemed more interested in me as a person than what entertaining stereotypes I could live up to.

It started to rain hard that night, and "V" did not want to stay out too late, though she wanted to spend more time with me. I suggested for us to continue our language exchange (or rather English lesson, since I only learned how to properly pronounce the number 6 in Chinese) in my hotel room. "V" lost her interest in studying English, and wanted to study something else.

Changsha was probably the best city for me when it came to dating Chinese women, and all of the delicious restaurants there give plenty of options for setting up restaurant dates. Changsha would certainly be a place that I would want to work when I go back to China if I can find a good gym there. Next week, I will talk about one of my experiences dating in Xi'an. You may also want to go back and read about my experience dating in Guangzhou.

Dating Chinese Women: Guangzhou

In this series, I will post about various dates that I have had with Chinese women during my stay in China over the summer. To be precise, I am going to talk about the three most memorable girls, one from each of the three cities that I visited. I will not be using full names, nor will I get into all of the nitty-gritty details. Without further ado, let's talk about my dating experiences with "L", a sweet Chinese girl that I met on QQ prior to embarking on my trip.

I contacted "L" on my third day into my trip. She was free and eager to meet me, though she ran a bit late. Why was she late? She had to bring me flowers and candy. She also paid for half of the night's hotel fee. After dropping off her presents in the hotel room, it was my turn to pay for things. We went to a nearby Japanese restaurant for some food, and I was able to show off some of my Japanese language abilities, which made up for my embarrassing lack of Mandarin. Luckily," L" was not one of the Chinese people that vehemently despise the Japanese. After our dinner, the skies opened up with rain, and we rushed back to the hotel. Success.

The next day, "L", her friend, and I went to Chimelong Water Park. Once again, she came out of pocket to pay for my admission. We had a wonderful time beating the heat, and my did she look luscious in her bathing suit. That night, I had the privilege of having two Chinese women sleeping in my bed (only sleeping, nothing dirty went down that night kids).

We woke up, and I was treated to breakfast at a nearby restaurant. Unfortunately, it was time for us to say goodbye, but "L" would visit me many times during my stay in Guangzhou. Not to sound like a simping bluepill mangina, but I have never experienced such devotion from a woman as I have from "L". I still keep in contact with her to this day, and I plan on seeing her again when I return to the Middle Kingdom.

In the next episode, I will talk about dating a Chinese woman in Changsha, a city known for having the hottest college girls. Stay tuned.

Excerpts from Xi'an: Up in the Club

This is yet another semi-response to a post found on VoyageToAsia. The author there talks about things that he does in China that he does not do in the United States. One of the items on his list is clubbing, which is a commonality since I only go clubbing in China (and Japan; I hope to hit the club at least once in Taiwan too in the future).

Of course, the most obvious reason why I like to go to the clubs in Asia, and seldom go in America is the women. I have a penchant for Northeast Asian girls, and really do not find American women of any race to be attractive. Also, despite anti-Black racism in the Asian dating scene, I find Asian women much easier to vibe with than Western women. There are a few other reasons why I prefer clubbing in Asia to clubbing in America though:

Free Drinks for the Foreigner

There was a stint in Xi'an where I was going to the club every night, in part just to get free drinks. Just about every night I went out I would get free drinks just for showing up and doing a few dance moves. If I just wanted to get buzzed for free, I could hit the club, drink on someone else's tab, and maybe make a few friends.

Nobody's Throwing Bows

In America, we always hear about people getting beaten, shot up, or stabbed in the club. There is no way I'm going to come out of pocket to have a slim chance to dance with women I'm not attracted to and risk being the victim of violence by some faux-Alpha that wants to impress his girl. Yes, violence has happened in Asian clubs, but is is far less common. Usually, the only holes I have to worry about going home with are those of a pretty young thang, not a 9mm.

Relaxed Dress Codes

With regards to foreigners, at least, we can show up looking like slobs and still get VIP treatment. Of course, this applies mainly to White guys, and there are clubs where Black guys or foreigners aren't even allowed in (although I never encountered that), but I got away dressing down when hitting the clubs. It felt good to stroll into the club for free with shorts and a plain white tee, whereas in America I'd probably be ushered away due to the dress codes. This probably varies from club-to-club, but in general, dress codes have never been an issue in my observation.

People Still Like to Have Fun

There are quite a few clubs in China where people will only interact with their own group of friends, and clubs where people are indulged in taking selfies, but there seems to be a higher ratio of people that just want to have a good time. In the States, people just seem to want to look cool or act tough, but in Asia club-goers seem to be a lot friendlier.

As always, your mileage may vary, but those are my reasons.

Excerpts from Xi'an (Abridged): Living

I'm going to be posting some memoirs from my time in Xi'an, China this summer. In order to avoid becoming the next ChinaBounder, I'll be leaving out some of the good parts, at least on this public blog. I also don't want to bore you too much with rambling, so I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

I arrived in Xi'an on July 12th, two days later than I had anticipated since I didn't get the right date on my train ticket from Changsha. I was initially impressed by the layout of the city, as well as the cleaner appearance compared to the cities that I had visited in southern China. I would later find out that this wasn't the case, but the initial grandeur gave me a good impression of the city to begin from.

The honeymoon ended the very next day when I realized that people were staring at me. In retrospect, some of it probably was curiosity, but everything that I had read about racism in China, as well as the hostile facial expressions worn by the denizens of Xi'an in comparison to the milder facial expressions and smiles of Guangzhou and Changsha residents made me feel like I wasn't welcome. To make matters worse, there was constant spitting, and given how close my hosts' nasty projectiles landed to my feet made me realize that many people indeed wanted me to leave their city.

This treatment led me to hunkering down in my filthy apartment while avoiding contact with others, aside from work. Work itself was enjoyable. Interactions with my students and coworkers were the high points of my time in Xi'an until I decided to take more chances. I appreciated my students and coworkers, and they will always have a place in my memories, but outside of work, I was a loner. This is partially due to my position in the social dynamic, but I realize now that it truly is my nature. That isn't to say that I do not like to interact with others (especially beautiful women), but I do enjoy my time to myself.

What else did I learn?

Bring More Money than You Think You'll Need

It's not a good thing to go broke in a foreign country. I made the mistake of taking a local friend's word when it came to prices. As a foreigner getting set up, things are going to be more expensive than they would be for an established local (especially an established local that does not seem to value cleanliness). Also, a lot of the information that one may read online is old and prices have increased since then. Assume that things are going to be expensive, and if you find things to be cheaper than expected, at least you have savings to fall back on.

Use the Environment to Your Advantage

This could be the physical environment or the social environment. Down in Changsha, being an English speaker made me more valuable. People seemed to be more curious and open-minded about foreigners, including Black Americans. I was able to segue language exchanges into dinners and more. In Xi'an, this was not the case. However, when I didn't have enough money to get food, I was able to survive off of free samples at the local supermarket. The ladies there warmed up to me after seeing me every day, and would essentially give me full meals as "samples" in exchange for the chance to practice English on a foreigner.

If I needed to get hydrated, I'd have to wait until the night. Going to the club became a regular part of my daily schedule, and I would always meet a group of Chinese people that wanted to welcome me to their country, found me interesting, or just wanted to get a foreigner drunk. Just about every time I went out, I'd get free drinks, and occasionally I would get lucky with a Chinese girl (or two). I found Xi'an to be a lot friendlier at night than during the day.

Deal with Discomfort

I am the type of person that likes comfort, security, and luxury, but these things are not always guaranteed. I wouldn't want to live in harsh or filthy conditions indefinitely, but if it pays off, it might be worth dealing with. I learned that I can live without many of the comforts that I indulged myself with in America, and I have found myself being more efficient with my time and money. Looking back on it, I probably should have stayed for a year, then worked my way up to more comfortable living conditions. At least I have learned things that will help me the next time that I go to China, as well as with life in general.

I'll talk about some of my other experiences when I get around to it. Right now, I'm trying to build my funds, muscles, and skillset back up so that I can be a better person next time I visit the Middle Kingdom.