Things Asians find weird / gross about Westerners

FURET

I work with a myriad of people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Middle East, and SE Asia. Over more than two years, here are the things that fascinate them for better or worse about Westerners (and when they say "westerners", they just as often say "whites", meaning people generally indigenous to Europe and people of European ancestry...because they tend to see the west as monolithic):

1. Western individualism and the quest for self-sufficiency. This is a huge differentiator. Most Asians are not individualists - the community and family should come before the wishes of the individual always. Charity and handouts and intertwined finances; permission to marry someone; what career you pursue; any significant decision you ever make requires familial approval first. I have had Indians say to me that because westerners are individualists, it must follow that we don't feel emotions such as love as strongly as they do.
   
2. Informalism of English and equality - westerners often put themselves on a first name basis with in-laws, the wealthy, and the highly qualified. Equality in general baffles many Asians.
   
3. Female emancipation - OK, this doesn't apply very much to E and SE Asian countries...but for subcontinental and middle eastern folks, this is a big no-no.
   
4. Sexual liberalism...unthinkable for many Asians.
   
5. Hygiene...seriously, the number of Asians who assume that westerners walk around all day with our butts caked in shight is huge. Their main question: Why don't you people use bidets or toilet hoses??? Disgusting!!"
   
6. Sitting positions...most Asians can squat and sit in positions for hours that westerners find excruciating, as seen here.
   
7. Alcohol and social occasions: Most Asians play games and or sing when adults get together while sipping tea or fruit drinks. No or very limited alcohol.

padd b1975

Find yourself a job where your co - workers aren't racist.

Banjo String

3 in 1s, spice bags, and vindaloos.

Ever wonder why you don't see any Chinese walking around eating 3 in 1s, or Pakistani or Indians picking up a curry from the local take away?

I reckon they think what we're so fond off is junk tbh.

Fr_Dougal

Apparently we have a weird sour smell to a lot of Asians, due to the amount of dairy we consume.

yipeeeee

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Apparently we have a weird sour smell to a lot of Asians, due to the amount of dairy we consume.

That's how the Vietcong knew the Yanks were nearby, the stink of dairy.

El Horseboxo

The 3 Asian girls I've been with were terrified by my endowment. The Japanese one shouted godzilla when he popped out.

The Backwards Man

Quite fascinating how four billion people spread over a third of the Earth's land area think pretty much the same thing.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Apparently,they are also jealous of our yellow sticky earwax.

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/what-your-earwax-says-about-your-ancestry

Baggy Trousers

Many Asians think western food is exceptionally boring and bland. Some thought we only ate sandwiches!
I lived in Malaysia for over a year and I could understand why even though they are a little obsessed by food over there.

(By the way, great thread OP)

hfallada

Well if the only thing you see about Westerners in Asia is either a Hollywood film/tv or reality shows. Asians would probably find it weird that there is European people that arent all blue eyed, blonde hair and muscular or big chested. Asians dont have the most reliable info about Westerners.

FURET

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

Many Asians think western food is exceptionally boring and bland. Some thought we only ate sandwiches!
I lived in Malaysia for over a year and I could understand why even though they are a little obsessed by food over there.

(By the way, great thread OP)

Fully agree. Twice I've been to see my wife's family in the Philippines. They stocked up on nutella and bread for me thinking it was a big part of what I'd need. Mind you, when they rolled out the balut, lard cubes and grilled chicken intestines, the nutella and bread was just what I needed.

Baggy Trousers

hfallada wrote: »

Well if the only thing you see about Westerners in Asia is either a Hollywood film/tv or reality shows. Asians would probably find it weird that there is European people that arent all blue eyed, blonde hair and muscular or big chested. Asians dont have the most reliable info about Westerners.

Huh? What Hollywood films or TV shows only have blue eyed, blonde hair and muscular actors?

qt3.14

Don't know about the squatting thing. Slavs love squatting. Google "slav squatting" and you'll see, instead of standing around talking they do that instead.
Also bidets are, or used to be, pretty common on the continent too.
I think by westerner you mean anglophone.

Sheep Lover

Them Asian lads have squinty eyes due to the amount of lemon they consume in their diet.

Teyla Emmagan

Interesting OP. I remember doing a course in college years ago that looked at individualism vs collectivism. Really fascinating stuff. Societies such as the Spanish have a collectivist mentality too tho. Or basically anywhere where standing really close in a crowd of people and shouting to communicate is par for the course.

I have marvelled at the squatting as well before. Loads of societies are very comfortable sitting for hours like that, not just Asians. But it just seems amazing to me. I would be screaming in agony if I had to sit on my hunkers for more than a minute. They must end up with great core strength/flexibility in old age. And not with crappy knees like me. Maybe that should be my 2015 resolution - to try a little hunkering.

Baggy Trousers

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Maybe that should be my 2015 resolution - to try a little hunkering.

I was forced into trying the squatting technique and using the cleaning hose a few times...didn't work out overly well, takes practice.

kneemos

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Interesting OP. I remember doing a course in college years ago that looked at individualism vs collectivism. Really fascinating stuff. Societies such as the Spanish have a collectivist mentality too tho. Or basically anywhere where standing really close in a crowd of people and shouting to communicate is par for the course.

I have marvelled at the squatting as well before. Loads of societies are very comfortable sitting for hours like that, not just Asians. But it just seems amazing to me. I would be screaming in agony if I had to sit on my hunkers for more than a minute. They must end up with great core strength/flexibility in old age. And not with crappy knees like me. Maybe that should be my 2015 resolution - to try a little hunkering.

Comes from sitting down a lot.Shortens the tendons or something I think.

Icepick

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Interesting OP. I remember doing a course in college years ago that looked at individualism vs collectivism. Really fascinating stuff. Societies such as the Spanish have a collectivist mentality too tho. Or basically anywhere where standing really close in a crowd of people and shouting to communicate is par for the course.

I have marvelled at the squatting as well before. Loads of societies are very comfortable sitting for hours like that, not just Asians. But it just seems amazing to me. I would be screaming in agony if I had to sit on my hunkers for more than a minute. They must end up with great core strength/flexibility in old age. And not with crappy knees like me. Maybe that should be my 2015 resolution - to try a little hunkering.

don't

It actually causes health problems in older age.

The Lotus position on the other hand...

bjork

How long can they sit on a chair for? <<Has research been done in to this to compare and contrast the length of time Westerns can squat?

coffee_cake

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Interesting OP. I remember doing a course in college years ago that looked at individualism vs collectivism. Really fascinating stuff. Societies such as the Spanish have a collectivist mentality too tho. Or basically anywhere where standing really close in a crowd of people and shouting to communicate is par for the course.

I have marvelled at the squatting as well before. Loads of societies are very comfortable sitting for hours like that, not just Asians. But it just seems amazing to me. I would be screaming in agony if I had to sit on my hunkers for more than a minute. They must end up with great core strength/flexibility in old age. And not with crappy knees like me. Maybe that should be my 2015 resolution - to try a little hunkering.

Bit of flexibility work and you'll get there

Menas

FURET wrote: »

[*]Sexual liberalism...unthinkable for many Asians.


[*]Alcohol and social occasions: Most Asians play games and or sing when adults get together while sipping tea or fruit drinks. No or very limited alcohol.
[/LIST]

I suppose there are exceptions to every rule but I have found that the lobbies of hotels I have stayed in in India, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia tend to be populated with hookers most evenings.
And in Malaysia, Singapore, China and Japan males are quite open about getting a massage with a happy ending etc and those massage parlours are not hidden away.
So there are stereo types but when you look a little deeper you find there are a bunch of contradictions too.
Just like here.

Red Kev

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

Huh? What Hollywood films or TV shows only have blue eyed, blonde hair and muscular actors?

All the shexy ones have dem kind of people in dem.

JJayoo

I love Asian girls, but I have never found one in real life

Sheep Lover

JJayoo wrote: »

I love Asian girls, but I have never found one in real life

Try Asia

anncoates

So essentially we should promote mindless forelock tugging to the wealthy and qualified, limit women's rights, live with our parents until we're 50 and clean our arses more to achieve our true potential as a civilization?

Supercell

Its a cliche but westerners all look the same to Asians (who haven't traveled about here much, or my wife who has!)
Westerners all think they look the same (who haven't traveled there in general, my wife has Philippine and Japanese friends, people here are always saying ni hao to them thinking they are clever).

syklops

JJayoo wrote: »

I love Asian girls, but I have never found one in real life

Head down to Moore Street.

GalwayGuitar

JJayoo wrote: »

I love Asian girls, but I have never found one in real life

Go to Thailand and buy a wife.

My name is URL

Alcohol and social occasions: Most Asians play games and or sing when adults get together while sipping tea or fruit drinks. No or very limited alcohol.

The Japanese and Koreans would give most Irish people a run for their money when it comes to drinking!

StormWarrior

Something I find weird about Asians: Yoko Ono.

Dyr

Is one of the things that they find weird not that us westerners took over their continent fairly handy?