Chinese-speaking American about his 40 years in Asia

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This is Karl. He's from the US, but he has been working in Asia since the eighties. He studied Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan, worked in China, and now resides in Singapore. He shared his experiences in Asia and explained why expats will never truly be a part of Singaporean society. Enjoy!
Karl on LinkedIn: / karljweaver
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 INTRO
00:23 First Impressions of Asia
01:15 Singapore in the 90's
02:47 Do foreigners steal jobs from locals?
04:15 The Most Important Career Advice
05:31 How to overcome biases about Asia
08:18 About languages (Mandarin Chinese, Malay)
10:00 Favorite food in Hawker centre
10:47 How to communicate with Chinese people
12:02 Why foreigners will never truly be a part of the East World
WATCH NEXT:
► What is it like to live in Singapore since 1989: • What is it like to liv...
► Why this American decided to live in Singapore: • Why this American deci...
► Pros & Cons of Living in Singapore as a Foreigner: • Pros & Cons of Living ...
LET'S BE FRIENDS:
► My Instagram (use the translate button to read the posts 😇): / chernov_networking
► Sponsorship-related requests: [e-mail]
Hey! This channel bridges the gap between locals and foreigners in Singapore. Join Max as he interviews expats, unraveling their unique stories and providing valuable insights into their lives in this vibrant city-state. Through engaging conversations, Max fosters understanding and appreciation between Singaporeans and the global community with a focus on cultural exchange.
If you're a company seeking sponsorship opportunities to engage our upscale audience, contact us at [e-mail]. With over 50% Singaporean viewers and a substantial number of foreign professionals (US, EU, Australia), our mature audience (35-54 years) boasts strong purchasing power and interests in an above-average lifestyle, travel, investment, and personal finance.
If you have a guest suggestion for an interview, please reach out to us at [e-mail].
#ExpatLife #MaxChernov #Singapore

[@MaxChernov]

👨‍💻 Elevate your career to the next level with upGrad x Golden Gate University's Doctor in Business Administration program! Gain the skills needed to earn the prestigious 'Dr' title and stand out as a leader in your industry. Check out the program now: bit.ly/3GRPA0u 👍

[@PatriciaFreddy]

As a Chinese American living in the US I feel the same was as being an "american" cause I will always be viewed as a foreigner here. It goes both ways.

[@a1lyhall]

The only way to be a foreigner is to speak the asian language, which is silence.

[@matpk]

RACIST RACIST ASIAN COUNTRIES NOT ALLOW FOREIGNERS TO BECOME CITIZENS😂😂😂

[@dongshengdi773]

​@@a1lyhall Filipino invasion of Singapore

[@The_Gallowglass]

This guy seems totally foreign to me and yet we're both Americans.

[@Rexfinity]

This guy, is the most civically informed and culturally appropriate gentleman I have ever seen. He has integrated his knowledge into Asian society so much it superseedes some of the apathetic locals living here.

[@TheVineOfChristLives]

Apathetic is very lightly put

[@vidx9]

Karl is so humble. He understood that he is a guest in the countries he's been to and to assimilate, he learns the different cultures and the languages. Well done, Karl!

[@peteryang8991]

Some of the Asian breakfast food he is talking about, they got English word for it now. They didn't have an English word for it in the 90s and it is interesting to see how he went into detail to describe what it is for western audiences.

[@train_xc]

Who’s Karl ?

[@toblerone9047]

i wish ppl taht come to sweden could be the same lol u should see some asians here zero respect and act like sweden is asia

[@tkrdg7885]

So he is real smart man ♂️🤓😂😎😀😁😺

[@kuyaChrischan]

@@peteryang8991 For real!! I've heard stuff like "Chinese donut" and such. So much changes within the past few decades!

[@garywoodgrw]

'You're always gonna be a foreigner' - After living in China over 10 years and speaking Mandarin, I love the freedom this gives me. I can always get away with cultural 'Faux pas' that a local could only dream about i.e. Disagreeing with someone in a position of authority, or calling someone out for wrong doing.

[@Neo-uh7hp]

we Chinese usually give foreigners superior to all kinds of stuff, if you call the police, police will give you more respect than natives.

[@eggbeater1682]

Thanks for actually admitting what a privilege this actually can be! So many Chinese born outside of China don’t get to experience this even though they’re visiting the country for the first time

[@dannnsss8034]

Try being Asian in the US. Any 'faux pas' invites ridicule and even harassment and violence.

[@eslgurucalif]

​@@dannnsss8034 Would love to hear some actual examples.

[@garywoodgrw]

@@eggbeater1682 Yep, mainlanders do not really grasp that concept and have very little understanding that someone born and raised in another country to Chinese immigrants can actually have a different mindset to Chinese people born and raised in the mainland. China was a hermit kingdom for many years so any knowledge of non-Han culture is generally limited.

[@Panzmind]

As a Taiwanese who studied in both Singapore and the U.S.A. previously, I did take showers in the morning when I was in the U.S.. However, when I was in Singapore or Taiwan, I will only take shower at night. The reason is simple, the weather in TW and SG are hotter and more humid than in the U.S.. Such tropical weather makes people sweat like hell almost everyday. I cannot image go to bed with such amount of sweat remained on my skin over night. That's why people tend to take shower at night in Asia. ^_^

[@TitB1199]

Depends where you are in the US. How do you live in a country and learn so little?

[@TheRDMagee]

I’m from US and living in Thailand, here we shower morning and night here plus whenever it just gets too hot.

[@nasiltan9044]

I have many foreign friends. No one speaks as much truth as Karl. Stay humble, respect the culture and understand the local traditions. Thank you!!! Appreciate his effort to learn the local languages and being so positive.

[@rabbitazteca23]

This politeness, respect, and learning the local language will make u feel more welcomed wherever u go

[@earlysda]

He has many good ideas and comments, but the one to "never criticize or complain" is incorrect.

[@Ozzianman]

​@@earlysda I think it is more "There is a place and time for criticism, read the room".

[@areitu]

I feel like I could hang out with Karl all day and listen to the stories he has to tell! He's right about drinking etiquette too--my father did business in Mainland China for 20 years, and he didn't drink at all--not even beer--with anyone there. He knew if he drank with one person, word would get out and he'd have to drink with everyone because the next person would say "You drink with him, are you too good to drink with me?"

[@DaGoook]

"You'll never be Chinese," he's right but that has always bothered me to some extent living in Shanghai for 13 years as I'm literally half Chinese by blood and was born in Taiwan, grew up in a cultural Chinese household etc. They will always see me and consider me as a foreigner no matter what. Whereas back in the US, I've never felt that I wasn't accepted as being an American.

[@derekeano]

Thank you. As a foreigner in China who married a single mom who worries they won’t be accepted in America, I’m so glad to hear this.

[@h.o.j2375]

@@derekeano As a Chinese person who grew up in Australia and speak with an Australian accent I was still being told to go back to my own country after living half my life there. Your wife is sound in worrying she won’t be accepted in US.

[@peterlee2555]

First of all, all North Americans are foreigners other than the indigenous people. We don't need to be accepted by other foreigners. Second, I lived in North America for the last 50 years, worked for multi nationals my whole life. When people met me, They still see a Chinese first. But that's fine by me, I am proud of my Chinese background and enjoying life anywhere I go, not worrying about "acceptance" by anybody. I have friends of different culture, different skin color, from different continents. Be respectful and you will be respected.

[@eggbeater1682]

Don’t worry. China won’t accept you even if you look Chinese. When you’re American or any other nationality born Chinese it’s even worse, as you wont ever feel completely accepted anywhere.

[@derekeano]

@@h.o.j2375 ok, I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sure racism exists everywhere to varying degrees.

[@dodo-nz6xt]

When I was in the US, I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people. Random strangers would greet you and I learned to do so. I returned to Singapore and I would do that and stop after half a day because very few people greeted me and I felt silly. I think in Singapore, it’s because we are culturally more reserved and most of the times when strangers greet you, they usually have an agenda to sell you something. So most of the times, Singaporeans will ignore you because they don’t want to waste their time dealing with salespeople and get annoyed when these people kept pestering you when if you acknowledge them.

[@daveevad3524]

As an introvert, I was extremely overwhelmed by those friendly people back in the US during my study trip. I would either give a single word reply such as "ok, thanks, yeah" or simply smile and nod my head if a single word isn't sufficient to convey the message

[@capy222b]

Yeah me too. As an introvert, I would rather even retail sales people leave me alone unless I ask for help. Much less expect me return a greeting to a random stranger.

[@se7enzee444]

US is a big country. Where were you in the US?

[@SuccessforLifester]

Hi how is it going ?

[@Theoby36183]

Same happened with me in New-zealand, and it's rude to not to say hi , hello to anyone to cross paths with there , but when i came to Singapore I did the same thing I stopped after few days cuz some people in Singapore 😂 will look through your soul if you say hi to them

[@notmyname8527]

I came here 30 years back. The service standard has improved tremendously after the Philippinos came. Now after many visits to Philippines I can understand why.

[@ReizePrimus]

I really respect this man's humility. It is something that is becoming scarcer and scarcer even among Asian societies where humility is supposed to be a virtue to aspire to.

[@Ian-hn8ty]

in front of the camera? who doesnt? all the vid i see are amazing and good people but in front of camera dude. stop being so naiive.

[@ReizePrimus]

@@Ian-hn8ty and that is good enough, because it is so damn common for people to act high and mighty while blowing out hot air on their very own social media for all to see.

[@rinky_dinky]

@@Ian-hn8ty 3 key things would highly suggest that he is more humble than many people , first he opens his eyes and observe differences , 2. look at his body language , open and humble never he crossed his arms or lean back , and most importantly 3. he learns the local language ,that is the true mark of cultural humility .

[@anchored555]

He speaks more Chinese than the average westerner, so kudos to him for making the effort to learn local languages (which most westerners don’t bother to do), but frankly, his Mandarin has a heavy American accent. I’ve heard westerners on KZbin that speak such flawless Mandarin that if you didn’t see them, you would think you were listening to native Chinese speakers. So the locals who said he spoke better Chinese than them were probably just being polite or encouraging, but he actually believed them? Haha😜

[@skychaos87]

@@Ian-hn8ty Pretty sure more and more people these days in front of camera tries to act mighty and important than humble.

[@theachilles96]

Between Singaporeans and Singaporeans, we speak Singlish generally without even noticing. We add the la, leh into our sentences. When we speak to foreigners, especially towards British/Americans, we tend to code switch and mind our 'Singlishness'. It's very obvious. But if we know them as friends, we would revert back to our Singlish.

[@bibirkering1720]

This is VERY TRUEE! 😂

[@jivvyjack7723]

Yes, I agree.

[@MathTidbits]

just like the Filipinos would add a "no" at the end of a sentence-short for "ano" and the famous "ya" added after the word "the",as a pause,to think about the next English word to say. The former Philippine strongman Marcos is very famous for this.

[@yohanapereira1629]

It's bad when you can't speak fluently.

[@chua2237]

Colonizer used religion and colonial tongue to colonize and subjugate their subject,are we their subject?

[@jm7578]

I lived for many years in Taiwan and China. Being a foreigner sometimes was a good thing and a bad thing. It depends on who you were dealing with. My first year in Taiwan I learned how to speak Chinese.Later when I lived in mainland China, I lived in my wife’s countryside Village they got so used to seeing me and dealing with me I was treated somewhat like a local

[@joeroganpodfantasy42]

Of course if you live in a rural area you become a local. In the cities it's different cause people form weaker connections with neighbours and such.

[@anchored555]

Karl says that westerners shower in the morning whereas Chinese shower at night. Don’t westerners here shower at night before bed as well as in the morning? In this tropical heat, I can’t imagine anyone going to bed without showering after a sweaty day. As for women here carrying umbrellas when it’s not raining, it’s not a social status thing but a cultural thing. Most Asian women are not into sunbathing. Personally, I’m not as concerned about getting darker as I am about too much UV exposure and skin damage, and getting some reprieve from the scorching heat of direct sunlight on your skin.

[@Ian-hn8ty]

yea hes so wrong about this being a cultural thing? maybe yes in the past? but its more like common sense thing to bath at night in tropical area. We do bath in the morning too, just that sometimes we got lazy.

[@goolooggg9005]

Most Asians bath at least 2X, morning before work & evening after work

[@nasiltan9044]

Ditto. We all shower twice a day. Once before heading out and shower after sweat bath during the day.

[@pinkymoon5039]

The reality is most Asian woman have a preference for pale skin, especially in Chinese culture. There's a saying that pale skin overrides ugly features or soemthing like that. That's how valued pale skin is. Also, in my home country, pale skin is also seen as preetier to look at. Women are held to that standard more. Men, not so much. I'm from India. It's basically a side effect of colonisation mixed with the " grass is greener on the other side" mentality ( pale skin is rarer compared to brown skin). It's sad that many people don't love themselves and accept their natural selves but that's the reality...but of course there are plenty of asians / Indians and Chinese who are comfortable in their own skin and have self confidence and self love ❤

[@daveevad3524]

No wonder I shower both in the morning and at night. I'm a westernised Chinese lol

[@calwinlol]

I fully appreciate Karl's stance on embracing life and maintaining an open and positive mind to accept new experiences. Its a shame about the whole "stealing our jobs" message that is out there but i'd like to its more of a loud minority than anything else. Singaporeans are by default more likely to voice complaints than to compliment on what is good, which is just a part of asian culture. With that being said, to have maintained that hunger for learning and humble nature for 40 years is a massive achievement in my book.

[@earlysda]

His comment about "never criticize or complain" is ridiculous.

[@jasonlee3508]

This is a great conversation. I appreciate the perspective from a expat living in Asia that has inspired us here expat living the states. Not only he has the right attitude, but a great perspective to live in Asia. He is truly a westerner that has learned and benefited from being in another culture. Really impressed!

[@howardtjh5082]

As a Singaporean Chinese, i understand and agree with everything Karl has said, except for the shower part, in Singapore, the weather is so hot that since the early days, all Singaporean aim to shower 3 times a day.

[@geoff9858]

Minimum twice a day, according to my friend. Once in the morning and once before bedtime

[@bboysjb]

yeah and native malay shower in the morning , we did not have any cultural hindering us from bath

[@nutzhazel]

​@@yoominbi Yeah, it's more common in Malaysia I think for people who's rushing for work in the morning so they only take shower at night and just rush out to beat the early mad traffic jam. One of my work colleagues was like that, and I did that sometimes too when I was late for work 😆

[@flatearthsteve]

water bill mus tbe really high lol

[@denisek1593]

I think he’s emmm trying too hard to fit in. Like what does he mean his fav hawker food is Kung Pao chicken?! It’s not even sold in most hawkers centre. And the shower thing. His perception is so flawed. He must have mixed up his experiences he had in china with here. Sorry he is wrong most parts.The “smartest” part he said is foreign talents but that isn’t a secret. Come on!

[@thaiphra2183]

I enjoy your videos alot Max, but Karl's honesty about us Singaporeans; but human nature in general is on point. And he has such a positive yet objective approach to cultural differences. 👍 Great interview.

[@apocyn]

Karl has such amazing points that I completely agree with. I spent a chunk of my childhood in Singapore and I'm now studying in Japan, and my life has been so much easier after realising that I'll always be a foreigner.

[@AirIntakeR]

Best interview so far. Thanks Karl for a valuable sharing and Max for this video. I am appreciating everyday and hopefully can enjoy everyday! Two thumbs and two big toes up!

[@Dizi_Princess]

Karl is such a blessing! I love the way he talks about life and people. Such a wise person.

[@SenseiKenji369]

Karl may be more Singaporean than he suspected he let slip the singlish "more better" phrase. 😂

[@BelloBudo007]

This was a great interview. I found Carl so interesting & so informative. He was generous with little gems that I will try to utilise in my everyday interaction with people.

[@SgForeverSg]

I think Karl has tried to be open minded, proactive. But in his pursuit of his own assimilation strategy for lack of a better word, his playbook for going global, he missed really assimilating. It’s totally possible if he was not on his guard so much or didn’t try too hard, but instead, went with the flow. Don't look at others through a lens. Be like water lol. Singaporeans can accept foreigners, we can accept differences, hack, we have Chinese, Malays, Indians, Caucasians…since forever. But don’t expect us to except everything. I may be wrong and I apologise for that but when he talks about Chinese, he was talking about China Chinese, PRCs. Singaporean Chinese consider themselves Singaporean first and Chinese is a race, very different from PRCs. Perhaps besides the 1st generation Singaporean Chinese, the rest of us would consider ourselves very disparate. When anyone visits a foreign country, it is my opinion that they should be genuinely humble, not draw attention, try to be part of society, understand it for what it is. And when someone doesn’t behave, breaks the peace, the natives may get upset, Singapore is no different. But maybe we won’t show it too obviously. Often, like the Japanese, we try to tolerate first. Natives here don’t say “哪里“， 四季豆that he likes is likely干煸四季豆, not native to Singapore but from China. Local Chinese ladies do not use umbrellas for status, to be white. They sometimes use it because it’s hot with the glaring sun beating down on and then still not often. Those who usually do are PRCs. Maybe he has been to so many countries, with so many adopted homes that he has mixed them up. Drinking hard white liquor is not Singaporean either. We have our Coke, our kopi gao and our Tiger (ok I'm old). Yes, the "lower level" Singaporeans are disgruntled because they are not the cream of the crop, as he put it, same as in the US. Actually it’s the same everywhere isn't it? We all want to have better lives, more comforts. But it’s not as simplistic as Karl puts it. Resentment comes from many areas, at many levels. Bad behaviour, cultural differences, government policies and more, all play a part. The rich probably have fewer things/areas to be disgruntled about and the extra comforts they can afford make other areas more tolerable, that’s it. And it doesn't make it right nor the end game. While we learn to settle for less, to accept things, society and government have to do more too. It's the role each of us have to play. No excuses. My 2cents worth.

[@andyc9902]

I haven't been to sng. But I went to Kuala Lumpur. I felt accepted there. Brown Indian.

[@technomantizzz]

I agree with you. Karl seems very typical to his demographic (older white American man) who thinks he knows and understands Asia, but still probably not fully comprehend everything. Its very normal, he sees the culture from a different perspective based on his own biases and views and probably miss alot of other nuanses.

[@earlysda]

Sg, your post has the ring of truth. Thank you. But I would like to add that "assimilating" is on everyone's own terms - in what manner do you want to assimilate? What does assimilation mean to each person? For example, living nearly 3 decades in Japan, I don't talk to hardly anybody, don't make eye contact much, keep to myself, and basically live like the surrounding Japanese that I know in my age and social status. But is that really living like I should, or like people around me think I should live? . At the end of the life, what matters is whether you've made the world a better place or not, and whether you've believing in Jesus as the Son of God and followed what He said to do. If so, you receive eternal life. If not, you receive eternal death.

[@vincentcheng5709]

The morning hello to a stranger is seen as an intrusion (or bothering someone's private moment) across MAJOR cities across Asia. Country side could be an exception. Karl's comment about the the Filipino community is very true and it should be remembered by everyone having them as colleagues. As more American travel and study abroad, their outlook of the rest of the woeld will change.

[@-whackd]

Oh wow, I lived in a lot of countries in Asia and people greeted me, asked where I'm going, or asked if I ate yet (another Asian greeting) all the time. I guess they were expressing their rudeness.

[@PavillonNoirParis]

@@-whackd He's right and you're right, it all depends on the context and your image, your status, your relationship to people in general, they can be too rude or too obsequious.

[@earlysda]

He has many good ideas and comments, but the one to "never criticize or complain" is not correct.

[@morphkogan8627]

@@earlysda I agree. I think there's nuance and balance, where he somes gungho of full acceptance and assimilation of every cultural detail. I do not think that is correct. You but strike a balance

[@earlysda]

@@morphkogan8627 Spot-on, Morph. Sometimes it is not good to "assimilate", and sometimes, it's not what the native people want either.

[@sgmei]

Let's go to Farrer Road MRT and wait for Karl just to say hello 🤣

[@MaxChernov]

hahahaha

[@soehian]

If we could only shower once a day, I think most Singaporeans would choose to shower in the night because it is after a day's work. Also, because it keeps us cool, comfortable and relaxed so that we can get a good night's sleep. Culture has very little to do with it, at least I've never heard of it mentioned in these parts.

[@maldova]

I always take shower before bed, because I like to feel clean when I go to bed

[@mrantonylam]

I agree! I think having shower in the evening before bed make sense. Why would you want to go to bed sweaty? Saying shower was a luxury back in the days in Asia..... I think he is reading too much into it. I personally would have shower before bed and a quick shower in the morning to wake me up. I can skip shower in the morning if I'm in a rush but definitely can't skip shower before bed.

[@areitu]

@@mrantonylam he's not entirely wrong, but it depends on when and where. When my father ran a business in Mainland China in the 90s, he'd sometimes see people using the warm water that cooled factory equipment (it was clean water) to wash themselves

[@hyzerknight]

I disagree that this has nothing to do with culture. Climate shapes culture. It make sense to bath at night after a long sweaty day because of our hot humid climate and over time it become part of our culture. I bet many Singaporeans still bath at night when they are in temperature countries even though it is not practical to do so on cold dry climate - you don't sweat whole day and its really cold to bath at night even with hot shower. In dry climate, its make sense to bath in the morning after a cold dry night to warm and re-moisturise yourself before a day begin.

[@RarebitFiends]

This guy is awesome! Thank you both for taking the time to record this!

[@jaames]

I could listen to this guy all day. Is there a way for us to watch the whole whole video, uncut? I feel that he has said so much more.

[@lotuseletre8724]

Good advice from Karl to discover something new everyday here in SG and take advantage because our time is limited here.

[@md9121]

The guy who is being interviewed is very American centric. In East Asian cities people just don’t wanna bother with strangers with random chit chat. Kids were taught not to speak with strangers and strangers don’t engage with you unless either they want directions or they have ill intentions. It’s perfectly ok to talk to strangers when you have a genuine question, and they will usually be happy to help. But by chit chatting with them you are imposing yourself to the stranger and that’s considered rude or weird. The same attitude also holds true in Denmark.

[@marknolan2799]

What an incredibly interesting man. I love how open he is to new people and experiences. Great conversation!

[@SuccessforLifester]

Actually people here spoke better English in the 70s and 80s. You either is good in English or almost couldn't speak English. I think Singlish starts to be a norm after local shows like Phua Chua Kang and Under One Roof sort of steered locals to speak in a Singlish manner. But nowadays, most probably speak much better and could switch between Singlish and proper English based on the situation.

[@alyssum8902]

Wow 😮, max is so productive, churning out so many videos these few days!! Impressive Kudos

[@MaxChernov]

thanks so much! we pushed our production process to 3 videos per week

[@ziyu8061]

as a Chinese who had been lived in Taiwan I think it's ok to say to say "oh thank you" when you receive compliment nowadays, especially for young people. (for my opinion Taiwanese can accept compliment more directly than Chinese) But in Taiwan when you ask somebody to do something, you would say like "please help me..." when it is not really for asking help. Taiwanese express many things in a very nice way.

[@dr.gaosclassroom]

Karl is wonderful. He respects and appreciate the differences. That is why he is so successful!! He is so lovely!!

[@gothakane]

I've lived in Japan for over 8 years and many of the things he said apply here also. I relate to it so much! Great video, thanks.

[@Alex_Gordon]

very relatable for Thailand too!

[@gardencity3558]

Yep even foreign born Japanese are not proper Japanese.

[@tpt8476]

totally nice and agreeable guy. he had such a good attitude

[@jaywu7078]

This guest speak the truth nothing but the truth, be a guest and be a humble one not arrogant one

[@ct9245]

He means knew your host / boss

[@viennaong1976]

I've learnt a lot from Karl. He is optimistic, accepting and learning about different customs and cultures from different countries.

[@chua2237]

Jane Elliott said most white are racist, his ancestors gave them smallpox blankets after white man killed the native, white man gave thank to god for allowing them to slaughter the" savages ", don't be a snow flake, George Washington boots was made from human skin.

[@zackzou1441]

I really admire this man, wise and humble and always choose to not stay within comfortable zone. He offered many thoughtful prospectives here after adapting to Asia culture for 40years.

[@henryhe5142]

This is the best interview I had ever seen.

[@MaxChernov]

for real? :)

[@loco8]

They were just being courteous when they said your mandarin is better.🤣

[@30803080308030803081]

I think he was talking about older Chinese Singaporeans who aren’t native speakers of Mandarin.

[@rggu-tk7ed]

Thank you for the interview! That was very interesting and inspiring to watch!

[@airplane1831]

Interesting what he says about non Chinese people not being accepted as one of them, and always being a foreigner. In almost any western country, such a thought or suggestion is lambasted as being 'racist'. People from all corners of the world are allowed to become westerners, but the opposite is almost never accepted..

[@MyAmazingUsername]

Yep, only we should be erased. Everyne else is worth protecting. /s

[@giantlabs]

Funny. The west colonized and destroyed hundreds of cultures. The entire continent of South America is speaking Spanish and Portuguese. You want homogeneity like Japan and China? Shoulda thought twice before leaving your homeland to take others.

[@chrisblack6258]

​@@samuelung2397 Which country are those Chinese immigrants live in? I wouldn't be surprised if it happened in Europe, but not in US or Australia

[@earlysda]

He has many good ideas and comments, but the one to "never criticize or complain" is completely mistken.

[@matthewackermanaski9687]

​@@samuelung2397 Sounds like you're upset from personal experiences

[@jennylim1558]

Singapore Chinese here. It's ABSOLUTELY not true Chinese people take baths at night and not in the morning. We take shower at night AND in the morning, twice a day! My family and my circle of friends in Singapore will not leave home in the morning without taking a shower! Perhaps this guy's wife doesn't take bath in the morning!

[@shirobuta]

Sg chinese here. I don't bath in the morning as I don't really sweat overnight. Bathing at night is a must because of daytime activities.

[@impopquiz]

@@Buttercookies0 or Taiwanese.

[@TheRealAsahi]

Japanese-Australian here. We take showers every morning and every evening. It’s not a cultural thing, it’s a personal habit.

[@SuccessforLifester]

@@shirobuta You sleep in air conditioned room ?

[@shirobuta]

@@SuccessforLifester no, fan

[@cronypal7972]

If he had his own youtube or podcast, I would follow and keep listening to him all day long with no iota of boredom. Besides his linguistic finesses & richness, his larger-than-life experience & wisdom are worth listening to & learning from❤

[@kevina2907]

Not true. Depends on which Asia country you in. This man just came to Singapore. Do not comparr Taiwan Chinese with Singapire Ethnic Chinese. Is a 2 different world. Is just like UK and US Saxons are different. Btw we shower day and night everyday due to our climate.

[@jeffreylee1891]

Max, you are doing great to present the views of so many and a blesing to learn so much from all your interviewees. And Karl is such a wise man! Blessed to have him here in Sg. :)

[@MaxChernov]

I'm glad it helps:)

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

I see Singapore as a shopping building. The building itself are own by the locals. The units in it are leased out to the anchor tenants and the workers are from the international hiring market. You just need to know your roles in this structure in order to live there.

[@josephyeo6966]

Best advice I have heard so far Karl. One correction from an Ex-Singaporean. People living in hot humid parts of the world tend to take showers in the evening after a sweaty and sometimes dirty day at work. In the morning you have just woken up from your nice clean bed and you need to brush teeth and wash the privates, but not really needing a bath or shower. In Singapore when you just step out of your airconditioned condo and walked downstairs and back and you will be sweating like a pig. Not in this temperate country where I now live, but I will still shower at the end of the day. Don't forget, we do not shower in the morning, but we do wash face and privates, and brush teeth BEFORE breakfast and after.

[@marg8315]

Agreed. Another thing I noticed is that, kung pao chicken and general tso are two different dishes/flavors, even in the west.

[@emirin8044]

Another correction: It's NOT a "social status" thing for women to carry umbrellas when it's not raining. It's just hot as hell in Singapore, so many ladies use umbrellas as shade to stay cooler. Saying that Singaporean ladies use umbrellas in hot weather in order to be perceived as a higher class is plain wrong.

[@als8627]

How do you wash privates withou taking a shower ?

[@EasternKalogeros]

Simply amazing... i love this video . Great job.

[@newstar346]

If more people think like Carl, the world will be a better place

[@fredletel7276]

What a treasure, this man has an amazing personality and perspective. I always have respect for the OGs who went to Asia really early on and stayed there and adapted with a constant evolving mindset and respect for the native ways and culture

[@upGradInternational]

Agreed! Karl is indeed a treasure, with an extraordinary personality and a unique perspective. It's admirable to see their early exploration of Asia and their commitment to staying there, embracing the constant evolution of the region with an open and adaptable mindset. His deep respect for the native ways and culture is something to be commended.

[@anchored555]

Karl is spot on in saying that foreigners should remember they are guests here, and refrain from criticising or complaining. Good advice. Nothing irritates Singaporeans more than to hear foreigners nitpick about SG.

[@ct9245]

There is the awareness of who are the host / house owner and who are the guests , 主客有別， even if you are visiting your relative house , you must still remember in proper behaviour / manners as you are still the guest

[@jeny7177]

Especially more so for newly arrived Singaporeans!

[@None38389]

I disagree as a Taiwanese, if you are a foreigner and you have some problem with Taiwan, speak it, so we can try to help. The worst thing to do is when you have a problem and you don't let us know, that's more rude in my opinion.

[@Secretname807]

I'm an American living in Malaysia, but I'm not sure I agree with you. I've settled here in Malaysia, my wife is Malaysian and my daughter is a dual citizen. I've been here for 13 years - am I ever allowed to criticize?

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

​@@Secretname807 singapore is where the pricks gather in asia.

[@Yadobler]

4th gen singaporean here (indian) - people still ask me if I'm a foreigner. I speak english and tamil, and then learnt mandarin, and picked up malay during conscription. Folks here really don't realise how secluded they are when all they need to speak is mandarin and hokkien, or even just english. I find myself sometimes having to codeswitch to mandarin, or hokkien, or sometimes malay (for older folks). It's weird. My own boss asked me if im singaporean or not. She couldn't speak english properly and mainly spoke mandarin / hokkien with my managers and whatnot. Our office is 2 indians, 3 malays and 1 chinese. (You can kinda guess where I got placed for my conscription based on this description) - yet my manager speaks to us in broken singlish, and just sometimes give up and talk to the one chinese dude and gets him to brief us instead. I think i can relate slightly to dudes who lived here longer than I've been alive, and have all rights to be "more singaporean" than I am, yet treated as a foreigner - your life and culture has been here in SG, but you don't feel belonged. You don't fit in abroad because that's not where you grew up and not your culture. Same as an Singaporean Tamil - south india tamils are not really very similar in culture and language. I think the closest would be malaysian tamils. and DONT GET ME STARTED ON "you speak INDIAN" omg. That's like asking a chinese if they spoke Asian. you'd think the folks in sg would have learnt this. but no.

[@_zenprogrammer]

What a humble and an amazing man. Love his monologue at the end.

[@clementng7718]

Thanks for sharing, what an interesting guest ❤👌🥰🥂

[@reinerwilhelms-tricarico344]

What else would you expect? As a German having lived for ~30 years in the US I'm often seen a bit as a foreigner, and I'm pretty much "Americanized". Lived for 2 years in France, and people told me that I have an American accent, even though I learned French while living in Germany. I lived for 2 years in Japan, and there I felt very welcome and I loved it, but of course I was a foreigner. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a foreigner. Now I would feel even in Germany like a foreigner. For instance, I didn't adopt all the silly politically correct "new speech", just like I won't have any special pronouns here in the US. Just be yourself and without pretending, and you can be a foreigner anywhere at home.

[@30803080308030803081]

Something I realized is that being a foreigner doesn’t mean that you’re inferior to the natives. You could be a talented, likable foreigner whom people think is really excellent and admire.

[@derekeano]

Dude, if you speak English fluently you will be seen by Americans as an American. Especially with your German heritage. It’s miles apart from being a foreigner in China. Every day I walk home I see kids pointing at me and shouting ”外国人 (foreigner)!”And pointing at me with excitement, like they just spotted a panda in a zoo. That’s a bit different 😂

[@reinerwilhelms-tricarico344]

@@derekeano yeah you may be right. Sure, it’s different with Asian vs Western cultures. And I can confirm this for Japan. One time (late 1990ties) a school class of 12 year olds sent their teacher to ask me if I wanted to be in their class photo in front of some temple in Nara :-) And they wanted to touch my blond hair. And it’s true that most don’t expect a foreigner to speak Japanese. So as a beginner it’s hard to practice because they will praise your half-baked attempts at Japanese and then immediately continue in English. :-)

[@JDushime]

@@reinerwilhelms-tricarico344It’s impossible if Americans see you "a little bit" as a foreigner if you speak English just like you never left the US since birth. The country was built by immigrants so you should 100% blend in. And by the way, the big majority of White Americans are of German descent.

[@skirtrunning]

Wow. This guy is amazing. Everything he says shows how much he observed and understood the asian culture

[@hannahstella]

This is my favorite interview of expat so far. Karl is really wise.

[@davidfrank5227]

I like this man. He's well versed in being able to speak about the negatives and the positives while making it sound enjoyable to listen to which is hard to find people who can do that these days. No country is 100% perfect. In the West so many things are currently broken or failing and yet westerners are the first to dump on an Asian or 3rd country (perceived) when they experience the most smallest and mundane things that cause discomfort. Having lived in Asia myself for 6 years and have been back in the U.S. for a year and a half, I can tell you that countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, etc. are going to be the last ones standing within the next decade while the U.S., UK, and Canada are going to be in the 3rd world category. It's already happening. Crime, education, university completion, etc. are all more or less respectively than these countries we like to term "3rd world".

[@marg8315]

lol im not sure if I can agree with your last comment. Violent crime has always been better in East Asia or SE Asia due to the influence of Confucius culture in my view. Education/university completion and whatnot, I cannot imagine any of the asian countries you mentioned, except Singapore which is a city state, are comparable to what the US, UK and Canada have. East Asians are more hard working, yes. And colleges are cheap. But too many college graduates can be a bad thing too you have to keep that in mind.

[@davidfrank5227]

@@marg8315 Also going to disagree with you. You must be very out of the know about what's happening within the American education system. Students out of HS are scoring so low they can't even meet basic entry level scores. Removal of the SAT/ACT tests which is starting to gain traction is just one example of that. In Illinois there were 60 public schools which had 0, ZERO proficiency for their students at their respective grade levels. If it's happening there it's happening elsewhere as well. Why do you think all of the major universities are chock full of international students? Because the regular population can't score high enough to get in because they lack drive, work ethic, and prefer to have everything handed to them on a platter without needing to work for it. Something that comes standard these days with people outside of the West it seems. It's sink or swim. The West would prefer to sink and rely on others to do the swimming for them but expect being "saved" and reap the benefits in the process. Too many graduates is a bad thing? Yeah if you live in countries with extremely dense populations but we're talking about the U.S.. Plenty of jobs to go around at the upper level but since only internationals/immigrants are qualified educationally you have everyone else complaining about how unfair their hiring practices are.

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

​@@marg8315 not confucius culture, but rather hindu and buddhism. modern thailand, myanmar, laos, and cambodia are majority buddhist. malaysia, indonesia, and singapore converted to islam a few centuries later.

[@earlysda]

David, you need to think a little broader.

[@bboykrins]

The enthusiasm when he mentioned 'GONG BAO JI DING' , melts my heart

[@xlben10]

Love the speech behind , was really eye opening

[@choikluivertchoi4635]

what's a man with lots of wisdom...kudos Karl!

[@just_me-cc4lv]

"listen 80% , speak 20%"...well said. Hope to know more foreigners with this habit.

[@titanicisshit1647]

You think you belong to some superiorr race?

[@u2ooby]

This is the most humble American I have ever heard. He really gets it when it comes to Asian culture.

[@rafaelcayenne]

Wonderful interview and interviewee. Such an inspiring, humble and honest man. Could learn lots of good stuff with him for sure

[@upGradInternational]

We completely agree with you. It's truly remarkable how inspiring, down-to-earth, and genuine this individual is. Their insights are invaluable, and there's a wealth of knowledge to be gained from engaging with them.

[@peppergirlrocks]

About the greeting "hello" to everyone, it has nothing to do with us feeling entitled or what not or not seizing the opportunity to get to know people, we just mind our own business and we don't want to make others feel weirded out when a stranger suddenly say something to them. We Singaporeans are completely alright and not offended at all when strangers do not greet us and we actually prefer that. We are slow-burn kind of people, just like we take time to get to know our neighbours. This is our normal. When it comes to accents, I think British Accents are way better but it is too much work. Our English teachers don't speak with a westerners accent either. You really have to make effort to sound like one. The abundant American TV shows and also the push to speak proper English, I believe, is also a factor why the younger generation Sgeans have the accent but we do not want to be Americans. Personally, I find singlish can be rough on the ears only if I heard it being spoken to foreigners/tourists. But when I spoke it with my fellow sgeans, I can feel a sense of connection between us, in some ways, better then a stranger's 'hello'.

[@khairiaris]

Older generations with English education would be more exposed to British English.. Like if you watch LKY old videos, the people had an RP twang when they spoke English.. British media was also dominant then.. Post independance, our teachers although taught us to spell in British English, our pronunciation was not stressed.. So we developed our own way of speaking English naturally... By the way.. There is not 1 Singlish but several.. Yes, the most popular one is the one spoken by Chinese.. But the Malays and Indians too have their own variations of Singlish with influences from their mother tongue. I like to use these figures to demonstrate how Singlish are spoken across the races.. 1. Glenn Ong (High education Chinese) 2. Phua Chu Kang (Low education Chinese) 3. Sujadi Siswo (High Education Malay) 4. Jojo Joget (Low Education Malay) 5. JB Jeyaratnem (High Education Indian) 6. Uncle Muthu (Low education Indian)

[@derekeano]

British accents are inferior for ESL unless you live there. All my ESL students use American (neutral) accent Even among UK’s 70 mill population, accents vary more widely than in America’s 330 million. (You can also add another 30 million or so for Canadians which are like identical accent-wise to Americans.) Watch the clip of two men not understanding each other in UK parliament. You’d never see that in America

[@allantankl]

The shower part is not accurate. We shower in the evening before going to bed because we don’t want to dirty our beds. And we actually shower in the morning before going to work to smell good and feel good especially in hot and humid Singapore. That makes 2 x showering per day. But we do hear Chinese from northern hemisphere puzzled about the extra showering. It’s due to the weather and for hygiene basically.

[@shadowboxer2747]

I am malaysian and i always think most Malaysian and Singaporean take shower before going to work

[@irfanana7368]

Love his humble words '' Listen 80% and talk 20%''. Thanks Karl

[@vnquoctru]

Nice to find such a humble and understanding guy

[@keyvleon]

I think he’s painting with a wide brush here regarding the Chinese culture in Singapore with respect to China &Taiwan. While I agree there’s shared cultural similarities, South East Asian Chinese are still vastly different than the East Asian counterpart. Especially the shower part as many have mentioned, behaviors and even drinking culture as well. Heck there’s even a big difference when you compare between 2 chinese neighbor from Taiwan & China

[@nutzhazel]

Yes, that's what I noticed xD and he's also generalized all Asians into one - the East, despite all the different races and ethnicities. I think he gets it. If there's ever a war between US vs China, he's fully aware that the Asians will always sides with the East instead of the West, doesn't matter what religions, races and ethnicities.

[@laocheebye]

​@@nutzhazel that is simply not true. Most Singaporeans would side with the American we don't want nothing to do with communism.

[@tlee9615]

Not anymore. Whole world knows America's bullying, hypocrisy and lies !!!

[@qwerty123czy]

@@nutzhazel Don’t you forget the war between Japan and US? And last time Asian neighbors were with the US army.

[@nutzhazel]

@@laocheebye Have you actually looks at the degenerative states of the Western world especially the US? Do you really wanna support war lords and their weapon elitist criminals? XD

[@vincentleow670]

Wish there were more details about Karl. Like what is his occupation and why he decided to leave America and be stationed in Asia.

[@ERWIN1218]

He is our regular customer nearby that area and really very friendly..

[@MaxChernov]

good point! next time will include

[@vivianidelacerda9708]

Thanks for the content. Very informative. 👊🌟

[@perrytsalakh1941]

Very interesting person who is absolutely integrated... thank u Max.

[@vantruong8495]

7:01 This speaks to me personally because I'm also a foreigner in the place I'm living and no matter how long I live there, there's always a barrier between me and the locals. In the beginning, I was always afraid and questioned myself every time I do something if it was wrong. Slowly over time, I learn to accept myself and my origin and stop trying to fit in because I know no matter how much I try, I will never truly be one of them. I also learn that there will always be someone who doesn't like me but there will also always be someone who is willing to give me a chance, and I only need to focus on that. Thanks to Carl for your wonderful story and lessons, as a young person still trying to learn my way in this world, what you share means a lot to me. 13:07 This part I think is an American thing 😂 I live in Europe and where I live, people don't talk to strangers and most definitely don't say hello to them either. I also don't like to say Hi to strangers because I don't know them, but after hearing Carl's point of view, it shows me a different light on this matter and I guess doing so might not be so bad after all

[@ohhi5237]

youre still part of 'america' dont worry

[@earlysda]

Saying "Hello" to people is a great thing, but most adults are so cynical, they think you want something from them.

[@hilda45]

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[@victorLiam4473]

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[@MiloTinCan]

Very candid interview!

[@norabatungbacal6636]

I enjoy this interview so much.

[@shootsir]

I was born and raised in Hong Kong and I have been working in Taiwan for about a year. I agree everything with Karl. Even an Asian like me working in another Asian country do feel like I will always be a "foreigner" to a Taiwanese.

[@js4058]

Singapore weather is so warm most people take showers twice a day at least once in the morning once in the evening . It is sticky and unhygienic to not shower and get into the bed ...unthinkable 😅

[@stefanschneider3681]

Great principles he is standing up for! Thanks for sharing!

[@josephchai5423]

Impressed with Karl. Well said. Well done.

[@TaipanTex]

Really great interview! I've travelled around Asia for 40 years and he's absolutely correct - you're always going to be a foreigner so keep yourself anchored in the middle of which ever society you find yourself in Asia. Don't try to be one of them, it will never happen, even if you marry one of them like I have! Just be your humble foreigner self!

[@samirkotecha9481]

I shower 🚿 two or three times per day & that is in my home country of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. So I would do that in Singapore 🇸🇬 as well. I love Singapore 🇸🇬. It’s an amazing place.

[@walkinginsingapore8548]

I like it,very raw ,honest review of Singapore

[@ptg01]

Great perspectives ! Well done !

[@huangec]

Goodness, we always shower both in the morning and in the evening for as long as I remember. Good interview nonetheless.

[@lionelwong5842]

Women carrying umbrellas in Singapore are ethnic Chinese. Indian and Malay don't carry umbrella eventhough they' have darker complexion. Chinese are very conscious about the harmful effects of intense tropical sun uv light. Risks. Sunburn is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging and skin cancer are side effects of prolonged UV exposure. UV exposure increases the risk of potentially blinding eye diseases, if eye protection is not used. Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health issues, including cancer.

[@nasiltan9044]

I am the classic Singaporean woman who is carrying my umbrella when it is not raining. Not because of getting tanned or cultural, it is simply because it is TOO HOT! Very simple reason!

[@capy222b]

Agree... I am still offended that he thinks I carry an umbrella under the hot sun is to not get dark cos it shows low status! How mistaken is this thinking!

[@js4058]

Yaaaa. Spreading false info

[@js4058]

Yaaaa...feel insulted that don't apply to anyone or I would think most people staying in this hot place regardless o local or expat . It is practical and comfortable to use an umbrella for the sun

[@lionelwong5842]

@@capy222b They still think all non whites aspire to become white. That's not true. Although East Asians are non whites, but they have natural fair skin and don't need to whiten their skin further. A few minutes under the hot sun daily wouldn't darken them too much. In fact extreme white is not attractive at all. That's why most white people like to go for suntan.

[@emmanuelwilliamquinton9152]

Funny how this person seems both so humble and wise, and at the same time so american in some of his understanding (saying hello to everyone expecting a hello back, loving kungpaojiding(cliché), or the shower) I am quite impressed he choose to learn hokkien. Would love yo see his fluency. For the shower i think the reason some people prefer at night (or multiple time during the day) is to ensure the bed is kept clean.

[@theluxuryminimalistraveler]

he needs a podcast asap! loved his perspectives ❤❤

[@maxdc988]

Your guest is a marvelous speaker and he was spot on regarding many things in Asia especially pertaining to Chinese. Cheers from Malaysia. 😂

[@yl1101]

His mandarin is heavily accented still. But kudos to him to learn and blend into the culture. He understands cultural differences very well

[@Wazzup1991]

Of course you'll have accent when you speak mandarin. Like chinese singaporeans have different accent from taiwanese or mainland chinese.

[@edusimamorajw]

Such an inspiring person. Thank you!

[@hollygibson1801]

I appreciate Karl's Outlook on culture, being an expat, life and more. He is honest and respectful, good interview

[@alekdaniels]

I feel like Americans who have lived a considerable amount of time outside the US have very sharp observations about the countries they lived in. They have a very different air around them than the Americans who lived just in the US. I mean, I guess this applies to most people, not just Americans. It's just that Americans who haven't lived long enough in other countries tend to have a sense of arrogance on them. I could be wrong but that's how I see it. I guess that's what people call American exceptionalism.

[@MaxChernov]

its true for anyone who lived abroad

[@adnyc82]

I lived in China for three years and agree with a lot of what this guy said. Small correction, though: 宫保鸡丁 in the US is called kung pao chicken - General Tso’s chicken is a distinct dish and an American invention :)

[@pepsino12000]

Actually General Tsao’s chicken was invented in Taiwan and promoted in the US. Kung Pao chicken and general Tsao’s chicken are attributed to two separate historical figures: Ding Baozhen and Zuo Zongtang, respectively.

[@30803080308030803081]

One of my Chinese cookbooks says that General Tso’s Chicken was invented by a chef in Taiwan.

[@panama-canada]

Very knowledgeable and observant gentleman. Listen 80 percent. Talk 80 percent.

[@gster109]

Very humble speaking man, love this.