That's like saying someone driving a "plebian run-about" and living in a very mediocre apartment/area is a bum, a loser. Way too much of a generalisation. If you drive a Bentley and someone asks what sort of car you drive, should you say you drive a Bentley? or should you BS and say you drive a 10 year old Toyota so you're not perceived as a "dork"?

The reason why you'd see the most nerdy, out of shape social outcasts having to have the flashiest cars is the same as the reason you see cool people driving flashy cars... they can afford it!

I'm very anti resentment of successful people, good luck to people who do well, I'd love to drive a Bentley one day... why would I dislike someone who drives one now?

Ahhhh.... yes, if someone actually asks you what you drive - but to actually proclaim, unprompted, on an open internet forum - THAT....is just crass.

Whatever car I drive, whatever material possession I own - I don't need to parade it or "Show it  Off" to anybody; it's just what I own and anybody can make out of this fact in whatever way they want to make out of it. In fact, I get embarrassed anytime anybody asks me ANYTHING resembling trying to establish what my net worth is - and would NOT answer directly.

Noveau riche and gauche; class shows, it don't need to be flashed.  

SEAJ

a lot of people say that "some" of the fake Louis Vuitton bags available in China are so good, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the fakes and the real ones... I think it is actually quite easy and it has nothing to do with the bag itself...

meaning you don't need to look at the bag, looking at the person holding the bag will usually tell you if the bag is real or not... a person with a Louis Vuitton bag in the fruit and vegetable department of Wellcome Mart is either someone who can't afford one with a fake OR someone who can afford one who's desperate to be noticed... the type of people you're talking about. Either way it's relatively easy to differentiate.

Depends on how well done they are. Even the managers at LV sometimes have a difficult time telling them apart. As for looking at the person... While it works in most cases, I've been surprised many times.
1. Gift from a wealthy relative. Carries it EVERYWHERE they go.
2. Shopaholic. Lives at home, works 2 jobs, just to support her habit.
3. Bag Ladies. Scrimps and saves on EVERYTHING else...just so she can buy bags

A few others also...but these are just off the top of my head.


~UD

[ Last edited by  UncleDad at 15-4-2011 22:31 ]

Sorry, but that don't even make sense the way you say it.  My SO goes shopping at Welcome all the time!!

If you're saying that it doesn't matter what "adornments" one put on him/herself, its easy to discern what he/she actually is - yes I agree with that/what I AM saying too.

And its of course worse when it's the very first instance that one is able to afford anything - and that certain somebody then goes ahead and proclaim such fact to all and sundry. Liike I said, how very nouveau riche.

///////////

Reply #1205 UncleDad's post

Yes!!!

I brought back a wallet as it had loose stitching etc after I used it a few months - and the manager had to actually look at INSIDE the wallet under the lining to determine that it was a genuine product.
//////////


LOL!  Guilty as charged... guilty like all hell!!

I just ain't got no class when it comes to lassies!

Yowich!!
And again LOL!!

SEAJ

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 15-4-2011 23:11 ]

You may claim that you don't have to "show off" to let ppl know how successful you are, but in a way you still show off by posting all those pics of the ktv girls you see in HK. Some of the most popular bros' popularity is based largely on the 'real' pics they have taken and posted in this forum.

We are guys and guys love to show their buds that they have done well, be it a hottie wife/gf, nice cars, homes, gadgets, great 'real' pics of all the wgs/civie girls they shagged, etc...

I can understand playing low-key not because one doesn't want to be perceived as nouveau riche but for practical reasons like not want to attract too much attention from tax authorities, govt, thieves, jealous x-wife, paparazzi, or jealous friends/relatives.

It must make sense because that's exactly what I'm saying...


but does your SO fumble through the apples and oranges with a US$10,000 bag awkwardly over her shoulder that actually makes it more difficult to select what she wants?

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 15-4-2011 22:59 ]

Like I said above - I'm just a real pig with no class whatsoever when it comes to lassies.  But this IS what this whole forum is all about.

This forum's got nothing to do with ones' socio-economic standing - and if one actually needs to proclaim such....on sex forum....wellll.....!!


Sorry - this part I totally don't agree with.
It's only insecure little twerps who needs to do this.
(I guess I AM insecure sexually - ouch!)

Sad, really sad!

SEAJ

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 15-4-2011 23:24 ]

There are many ways to "infer" one's socio-economic standing, and I agree that it's never necessary, especially in a forum such as this. I don't know that it's "really sad" though. It's unnecessary, but at the end of the day it's no big deal, one's socio-economic standing doesn't provide privileges here, neither does it effect a members value to this forum... for example, I'm sure there are Bros here with lots of resources who never report... and Bros with limited resources who report regularly. No big deal.

Ever heard of the term "$30,000 millionaire"? In short, it's "relatively" unsuccessful people who blow every bit of cash they got to show off in public such that more successful (but are more realistic with their spending) seem like a bunch of bums in the public eye. It's a bit like an arms race of spending to impress girls.

Here's the original article from a few years ago that talks about it (it's long, but the first 2 pages should give you the idea of things):
http://www.dallasobserver.com/20 ... hebags-in-the-mist/

There is definitely a "nouveau riche" trend in Hong Kong, especially since Mainlanders started getting rich. You could see some of those ladies with Italian and French brand names from head to toe, with absolutely no taste, as long as it was recognizable (Prada, LV monograms all over the place). Many of those people were very poor only a few years back (i.e. villagers and farmers) but got rich because the government bought their land for development or because their once useless factory suddenly got a lot of orders etc...

The older money in HK are usually more low key, and you wouldn't know they were rich unless they showed you their bank accounts. The term "invisible billionaire" is often used. They would own a building in Central but would dine in Cafe De Coral.

Then again Hong Kong is also a city of excess, and I think there are more Ferraris and Porsches than anywhere in the world... to a point where owning a luxury car isn't even "showing off", but just average...

if me and my gf don't have sex.. we argue a lot.
so it encourages us to fuck

Agree - this phenomenom happens everywhere - just that it seems to be the case so much more in Hong Kong.  And yes, the newly minted millionaires/billionaires from across the border certainly contributes to this.

I was strolling around in Shanghai with my local friend when we came across an ice cream parlour selling RMB 180 Valentine's day ice cream sampler - and the place was packed w/people ordering this.  RMB 180 is practically a whole week's salary for the majority of China's populace and yet - here it was, young people all thinking nothing about spending that much on just a platter of Ice cream. And of course this phenomenom became a topic of our conversation.

My friend opines its that most Mainland Chinese not only just recently made a lot of money but their immediate past had been one of utter deprivation that they now savour such freedom to spend money.

Also, a lot of them have seen the various past upheavels when fortunes, reputation and even lives were also just as easily lost - that they figure that they may as well enjoy it while they can - for tomorrow brings another challenge. Very much UN-Chinese way of thinking I remarked - but my friend tells me that the new generation is much more practical and fatalistic - enjoy it today - and if they need to go back to eating gruel, no big deal - they're used to it and would not have too much problems doing so again.  An Eye opener to me - that POV!
////////
And drunkmunky - Just a heads up - realize you're a newbie wanting to get posting credits - but really, all these irrelevant one liners of yours all over the forum - please consider that it makes it harder reading for everybody else. Do yourself a favour and start really participating in discussions, make actual reports, make friends here - and stop posting just for the sake of posting credits. This tactic WILL back-fire!
Please read through the getting started section to learn what it is that will reward you with a good, enjoyable and long lasting membership here.
You may also want to read the following posts on this thread - # 1069, 1075, 1077, 1089, 1121, 1124Thanks

SEAJ
Ps - good read for a lazy Saturday - [Bangkok] The Red Ant's SISTERS

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 16-4-2011 12:09 ]

even the average Mainlander has more money now. 10 years ago a factory worker in the PRD area made 450RMB a month. Jobs were precious. 5 Years ago that same worker made 650RMB a month. Now that same worker can make 1,500 - 2,000 / month and it's hard to get people to accept that.

With new found wealth comes the "need" to demonstrate that wealth. Factory workers now wear Giordano, Administration and low level management staff wear Nike, and the factory owner... he wears a Rolex and drives a Mercedes.

"Flashing one's wealth" is a bit like the "performance" one occasionally sees at a restaurant in China. I have been to dinner on occasion, say a group of 10 in a private room. My host hears a familiar voice next door and slides the door back to see a friend also hosting a group. Several times during the evening the door slides open and both hosts make a big deal about wanting to pay the other's bill. Reaching for a wallet that never comes out. It's all about "face". This is quite a contrast to enjoying dinner with someone who has serious money, the bill is never even mentioned, it doesn't enter the room. You arrive, eat, leave... the paying of the bill, it all happens behind the scenes.

I guess that's the difference between new money and old money.

Yes there is definitely a "spend it all while you can" mindset from mainlanders. Also they are not afraid to be poor again, because that's how they lived most of their lives. For someone who has worked hard to earn money his entire life it would be heartbreaking and probably very difficult to handle if he was suddenly poor. For these overnight millionaires being poor is just normal, and the riches and luxuries are something that wasn't expected.

I also noticed that the mainland nouveau riche do not really know how much things are supposed to cost. They don't have a good grasp on the value of things. To them a $50,000 Vertu phone may be a "nice phone", ignoring the fact that there are $100 phones out there. They also can't really tell the difference between $100 and $50,000.

An example of this is the real estate market, especially the high end market. Houses in Repulse Bay or at the Peak are selling for $200-300 million $HK up to even 1 billion $HK (120M $US). This is a ridiculous price bracket of course, considering the size and quality of those houses. $200 million will get you a 5000 sq/ft house at the peak with a small garden, maybe a small pool. That's 25M $US... that will buy you a 30,000 sq/ft mansion with freaking huge gardens, tennis courts etc... in Beverly Hills. You could get the Playboy Mansion for that price.

Apartments in the Mid-Levels go for 40M-100M, sizes between 2000 sq.ft and 4000sq/ft. That's 6M-12M $US for crying out loud! Locals can't even afford a regular apartment now, because of this price surge.

That is all because mainlanders buy these ridiculously overpriced properties like they were a cup of coffee. They pay cash, no need for mortgage. They buy in bulk, 10-20 apartments at a time, without even visiting them. And they think those prices are ok because they don't know better.

Many PRD factory owners ignore what their actual production cost is and focus more on what the market can afford to pay. I'm not saying that is right or wrong, I am highlighting a fact. So when something costs $10 in the West to make, and $1 in China, the typical PRD factory owner will charge $5 - $7.

In the West, that would bring about aggressive price cutting simply because the profit margin is so high. However in the PRD area it doesn't. Several years ago Beijing decided it was going to enforce certain labor laws, specifically those involving the entitlements of 10 year + employees. As a result, many factories either dramatically reduced their workforce or closed down all together to avoid having to pay extra employee benefits. Now with such high domestic demand (which has more than made up for the decline in US business) and less production capacity because so many factories closed or downsized, why would a factory ever discount a price?

Although wages have increased dramatically they only represent about 5% of the production cost (a major difference compared to the West). The point is, I know some brilliant business people in the PRD area, clever and insightful, they earned their position and their wealth. However... there are also some very average factory owners in the PRD who have made fortunes in the PRD that social compliance and human rights laws in Western countries would not allow them to make... they tend to be the guys who like to "show off" their relatively sudden wealth. When one of these Mainlanders buys "10-20 apartments at a time, without even visiting them" it may seem they are making uncharacteristic bad business decisions. They're not... they're just doing things the way they always do... no rules.

I'm sure mynext question has been asked a million times but illbe transiting in HK. Total transit time before mynext flight out is about 5hrs. Where can I punt successfullyin that time? I'm asking because this will be my first punt in HK. Not too familiar with the place. Should I take a taxi or the airport express down to the city centre. And where is a good venue to punt. Cheers.

Actually, whenever somebody proclaims they have this or that on an anonymous forum, I take it with a grain of salt - who the hell knows.

5 hours lay-over?

Realistically - with clearing immigration and customs, security check etc both ways plus travelling time you've only got 2 to 3 hours max.

And in that period of time, you need to go for fast, reliable providers - which to most of us only spells 37D or K Pressure. And before you ask about them - please do a search of the forum - tons of info on these 2 places here.

Just get on the Airport express to Kowloon station - which is closest to the Mongkok area where these 2 places are.  Also, buy an octopus card i/o using the single journey ticket - as you get a bit of price break using this card for same day return trip.

Good Punting...Just hurry!! LOL
SEAJ