Plenty of people nurse a healthy loathing of the “expat in Asia,” and in some instances, that antipathy is understandable, if not justified. (The image you want is of a mustachioed former mill owner, old and white, in Thailand. If you’d like to see some of these fellas here, try the bar Maggie’s.) Yet I’ve always thought the expat community in Beijing was just fine, no Lost Generation by any means but not lacking in personality and charm, comprising foreigners who want to be here as opposed to foreigners who seek to game the system for a few bucks or an easy bang.
But if I ever see an ad like the above, which was spotted in Hong Kong, I’ll know I’ve been proven wrong. And that’ll be the day I hate the world a little more.
The Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese (Bad Canto) uncovered an ad for a speed dating event — probably happening as we speak — organized by a company called HK Speed Dating. Ladies pay 4,800 HKD to get in, while foreigners — assuming they are between the ages of 35 and 48 and well-monied — get in free, dinner included.
A lot of netizens have predictably called out this company for its bullshit event, but this one comment from Fiona, translated by Bad Canto, is perhaps the best:
This advertisement is not speed dating at all. This is human flesh trading, humiliating Asian women. The website doesn’t have traditional Chinese, and it is only in simplified Chinese. Basically, it targets Mainland Chinese women, helping them to use an alternative way to get foreign residencies and passports legally. It profits from Mainland Chinese longing desire to leave Strong Country (*China).
It shifts the focus. Never mind, for a second, the sleazy first-world man out to play the white knight in the third-world country. What about the girl, tired of waiting for her savior, deciding to actively seek that passable facsimile of a modern prince? Isn’t there something to be said about her initiative, or ambition, or broader gender issues?
Alas, I’m not a rich Chinese female, so I have little more to add. But I am an expat, and I have enough white friends to be able to throw this out there: white men reap the benefits of their skin color in China as much as they do elsewhere in the world, I get that, but must the Chinese make it so obvious?
In the interest of fairness, at least one foreigner (so he says) who posted on this story seemed to be fully aware of the absurdity of these high-end speed dating events targeted at rich Chinese woman (as in, they’re the ones paying big money). We’ll leave you with his comment thread:
I must admit, this kind of thing really doesn’t help Chinese/expat relations.
The ‘free for foreigners’ thing is often played upon in China. The idea being that get the foreigners in, and you attract the Chinese as they think it must be ‘high class’. Problem is, it works, if it didn’t they’d be no ‘free for foreigners’ deals initiated continually.
Yet on the other hand, why can’t men benefit from something free for a change? Do women in western countries not on occasion get into nightclubs for free on ‘ladies night’, for the simple reason that it’ll attract lots of paying male customers?
If men finally get some ‘equality’ because they live in China, then ‘why not?’ is what I say. And if a Chinese female particularly wants to meet a western male for whatever reason, then perhaps it’s the ideal way. Who knows.
Four word for u, Chong yang mei wai, mostly the Chinese female
Can’t see why this would make you genuinely angry as a woman or whatever. I guess there’s a strong drive to pretend things are somehow other than they are. As for the men who partake in this fake soiree they probably get their money’s worth, but unfortunately it can come with a teaser rate.
I know middle-aged and rich Chinese mainlanders who would easily throw down the 4800 for this event. Women go for marriage, a ticket out of this country and better opportunites in Canada, the USA or Europe. Yes, the flier a bit retarded looking and should be redesigned but the organizer is actually correct and events like should thrive and will continue. Oh please white dude, rich women do not go to this because of a naive fascination with white skin. (“One has to wonder if an ABC, a BBC or a non-white male would be welcome at the gathering advertised.”) Yes, any foreigner should be welcomed if his is willing to marry the woman and include her in a lifestyle that meets her Western standards. The “left-overs” are left with no mainland options who meet up to their standards. All Chinese men their age are married and have mistresses. If you do not realize what the event is for and if you are looking for true love, then don’t attend.
hk women will take young poor foreign men too, given how brain washed hongers are. i dont think it will take much convincing for even the hk boys to take a rich old foreign man as his bride
If you don’t like it then don’t participate in it. Simple.
This is the truth. Foreign men will never pay for such event, simply because there are so many women available. It’s like a market. I also believe these beautiful single Hong Kongies ladies are still single, because they are missing something. They can meet 1000s of men, pay a lot of money to matchmakers, but if there is something missing inside nothing is going to help. Men are not looking for beautiful and rich wives, men are looking for smart, sexy and soulful wives. Women forgot that couple is a team not competitors. Also there is obvious lack of dating skills. They don’t know where to find a single guy? How to talk to him? How to understand if he is serious… Ladies, check coaches directory on hkdatecoach.com, and better hire one. It will be eacher and more efficient than spending thousands matchmakers and singles event like the one in this article.