Matthew Tye, better known as laowhy86, is an American YouTuber and Internet personality best known for producing entertainingly insightful video content on his time as an expatriate in China. His videos cover a range of different topics like the cultural differences that exist between the United States and China, what it means to be a foreigner in China, tips for expats residing in the country, and pretty much everything in between! The nature of his videos is both candid and comical in equal measure, and here's a list of some of our absolute favorites from his YouTube channel.
From the diversity of its languages and cuisine to the sheer humility and kindness shared by its people, China is a truly remarkable country, and this video highlights some of the things that make it so different yet so welcoming to foreigners.
Is it easy to make friends in China? Is it not? How hard could it be? In this video, laowhy86 shares his experiences on what it takes to initiate and forge meaningful friendships with locals, and the challenges that may arise along the way.
China is simply too big and too beautiful a country with way too many places worth visiting and exploring! While selecting just 5 places from a huge list of possible options is hard, it's interesting to see which places laowhy86 recommends his viewers visit during their time in China. A somewhat subjective list, the video does leave one wondering: how has the gorgeous Guangxi landscape not made its way onto this list?
Watch as Tye and his Chinese wife make each other try snacks from their respective childhoods in this amusing video!
You know what makes an extremely relaxed yet insightful video? Discussing some of the misconceptions about, and stereotypes associated with, being a foreigner in China over dinner and drinks. Tye joins his friend Prozzie in this hilarious undertaking!
A good watch for foreigners in the country, this video goes over some of the things any and every visitor in China should avoid doing if they don't want to (mistakenly) stand out and embarrass themselves!
七 How Hard is Learning CHINESE?
Is Chinese really the hardest language on the planet? In this video, laowhy86 discusses why that's simply not true, along with other misconceptions that are usually associated with learning the language.
Did you know that you cannot use puns – yes, puns – in China? This is especially true for advertisements and anything else in the media. Weird right? Check this video out if you're interested in learning about other weird laws that exist in the country.
九 Are You Fat In China?
Beauty standards are different in different countries. In this video, Chinese women talk about their ideal body types, pressures they've faced to lose weight, and body shaming experiences they've endured.
The older the country or culture, the more superstitions it has, and China is a very old country with many different superstitions and unique beliefs. How do these beliefs differ from those in the west? Watch the video to find out!
It's common knowledge that befriending locals (in any country) is a good thing. But how far can having local connections actually help you if or when you find yourself in a sticky situation in China? As it turns out, really, really far!
Okay, so everyone knows of Pokémon GO by now, but the important question for those of us in China is whether or not the game is indeed playable here. The answer to that question is a resounding "no." While one can certainly download the application without any problems, China has blocked GPS signals, thereby making the game essentially pointless. Are there other versions of the game? Sure! Are they any good? As we find out in this video, not quite.
十三 What's it Like Being a FOREIGNER in China?
If you're an expat in China, you may have wondered what the locals think of you. If you're not, you've probably wondered what life living in China as an expat is like. In this video Prozzie and laowhy86 go over these and other important questions.
Tye has been in China for over 7 years now and has been producing videos for a good portion of that time. You can watch more of his videos by clicking on this link and subscribing to his channel.
We hope to study Mandarin in China together some day soon. Don't forget to follow CLI on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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