After my last post…one of my old Chinese colleagues pointed out to me via e-mail that Westerners complaining about finding the “right person” in China strikes him as absurd (Does one really go abroad to find love?) especially when (in his mind) it’s getting more and more difficult for Chinese men (highly educated) to find Ms. Goodbar (Do they love me or my position, or my money dengdeng?) He pointed me to a China Daily list that ranks the top ten magazines for men that he agrees are quite accessible in China (from friends abroad of finding the right means through China’s firewall) and that affect much of what he thinks a “proper” relationship should be but that oftentimes comes into conflict in interactions not only with potential Chinese girlfriends but also potential Western girlfriends. He admits that since China lacks a very open/developed attitude towards discussing “dating” among Chinese…he is often stuck with either consulting these magazines or listening to advice from his Western friends that like the magazines create loggerheads with Chinese women (Do you mean that you want us to go 50-50 in supporting our household if we get married?) and misunderstandings with Western women (No…not every Western girl is just out to have fun!)

Looking over the list myself…I’m not really sure if it was calculated for the world outside of China or within…however…I am a bit concerned that if it is calculated for the world within China there would be a very big disconnect between the information provided within and the lifestyle of the average Chinese that might have access to such info and their individual lifestyle…indeed there is a huge disconnect between my lifestyle and what advice/info is found in such magazines (yeah, like I’ll spend $250 on a new watch that according to one magazine is di rigeur for lawyers). Naturally, I consider them as a sort of “eye-candy” to be enjoyed to waste time but not to base my life decisions (especially in terms of relations with women) on and as I pointed out to my colleague he should approach them in the same way. But as he reiterated…the problem is…what choice does he have not to consult them.

Top 10 magazines for men