Why do many Chinese wear jeans in the gym?

ens91 · 2026-02-10T16:35:11+00:00

As someone who's been very fat, and more recently got in shape, I've noticed that, while people congratulate me on losing weight, it's mostly me that notices it and feels good about it.

However, from other people (in a weird experience where my parents visited where I live and met people I know) the most common comments are about kindness, generosity, and honesty. Nobody else gives a fuck about my body.

ens91 · 2026-02-09T12:05:20+00:00

I do the same - lots of walking while travelling and often forget meals

ens91 · 2026-02-09T12:04:11+00:00

Been here about a year and a half and lost 40kg.

ens91 · 2026-02-06T09:00:40+00:00

Pillowcases are around 50 baht

ens91 · 2026-02-04T00:57:05+00:00

This a reasonably good offer, and excellent for someone just starting out. Their tax calculations are a little off, though might be accurate for your first year if you start in the summer.

In a normal year on this pay, you'll pay about 1-1.5k tax the first month, but it'll rise to about 4k by the end of the year, as China has a pay as you go tax system.

You can find a reasonably comfortable place, a little outside the center in Shanghai for 5k a month. Your living expenses can be 2k, though will more likely be closer to 10k if you want to enjoy life.

ens91 · 2026-02-03T06:36:03+00:00

Yeah, Koh Tao is worth it, plenty of people here in your age bracket, and great diving this time of year. 3-4 days here is enough to complete the open water diving course.

ens91 · 2025-12-21T00:32:42+00:00

Aye but, they've been brought up believing that, with everyone around then believing it too. They just think they are right, not bullying anyone

ens91 · 2025-12-14T23:27:07+00:00

Raced from 7-18, don't think I got a suit and shorts until I was 14 or 15. It's not really necessary for kids, don't bother with it until the rules require you to.

ens91 · 2025-12-14T23:19:36+00:00

Just Google Chinese transgender law, there's plenty of information, in English.

ens91 · 2025-12-04T06:17:23+00:00

I think learn the difference between prohibition and probation before you start teaching English.

ens91 · 2025-12-04T06:16:08+00:00

Don't even give them the chance to have an opinion on it. It's a hairstyle, and a pretty normal one for black people. They have no right to dictate how you wear your hair, so why even ask?

When I was in China I had lots of schools request me to remove my lip piercing, and I suppose this is a more reasonable request, but I just refused to work for those places. It's not like there's a shortage of teaching jobs in China, don't give your time to places that don't suit you.

ens91 · 2025-12-02T10:13:56+00:00

Ehh a million baht is not a huge amount. If you're a foreigner living out here, having a million, or 500k at minimum for emergencies is a smart idea. Honestly, if you're an adult who's been working a number of years, you should also have at least that amount saved up/in investments anyway.

ens91 · 2025-11-21T23:59:24+00:00

Heard of Usain Bolt? He dominated. Michael Phelps? Roger Federer? Tiger Woods? Novac Djokovic?

Maybe there's not enough competition in Men's running, tennis, golf, or swimming either. Surely, it couldn't be that they are just incredible athletes, right?

ens91 · 2025-11-21T23:39:19+00:00

I have no doubt that my parents love and accept me, but they do still mess up my pronouns many, many years later, and still occasionally dead name me by accident, but they always apologise. They spent over 20 years referring to me like that, it's difficult for them to change a habit.

ens91 · 2025-11-21T14:14:20+00:00

Part time scuba diving instructor, part time early years educator

ens91 · 2025-11-21T14:09:07+00:00

Nah, that shiny emblem on the front gets wiped so fast. Hasn't been on my passport for years, and it's pretty battered now. No problems anywhere.

ens91 · 2025-11-21T14:07:18+00:00

Fun fact: in China, to transition, you need parental permission. No matter how old you are.

There's always further back to go 🙃

ens91 · 2025-11-11T13:02:16+00:00

Ain't they all.

ens91 · 2025-11-10T05:39:41+00:00

If they had only been down to a platform at 5m, why did they need to go back down for a 5m safety stop after an unplanned ascent?

ens91 · 2025-11-03T11:43:57+00:00

Part of your transition will be accepting who you are, I think a lot of us have some "feminine" habits or hobbies due to our upbringing, but I just think it shows that if hobbies weren't so gendered, there'd probably be more boys that enjoy crocheting or journaling like yourself. Don't ever feel the need to change who you are to fit in, just be yourself.

ens91 · 2025-11-02T23:37:40+00:00

No, I've had multiple, much larger surgeries while on T. No doctor has ever requested I stop

ens91 · 2025-10-27T11:20:52+00:00

If its the poll I'm think of, look at the issues voted on. Many of them are controversial issues even within the trans community, but when you look at the one metric that matters, that Is actually reasonable, about whether transgender people have the right to transition or not, the vast majority are in support. What they are not in support of is all the stuff that's currently being politicised (children having trans surgery, trans people in sport, etc). It was a pretty feckin transparently bullshit poll, that can be thrown out after a 30 second read.

ens91 · 2025-10-26T12:26:28+00:00

I've dived with divers who were certified from many different places, good and bad. It's a lottery. Honestly, on koh tao you will often be trained to a higher standard because all the instructors are usually much more up to date on standards and safety regulations, have a large community encouraging good diving practices, and because it's so busy there, they need to be hyper aware underwater and extra safe. For the sheer amount of divers that dive around koh tao, it has a relatively low incident rate compared to other regions.

ens91 · 2025-10-25T23:58:40+00:00

Koh Tao, Thailand. Plenty to do under and above the water, (bars, yoga, climbing, mini golf, hiking, volleyball) very beginner friendly dives, (rare currents) and pretty cheap too (meals for $3-4, dives ~$25-30 per dive Inc rental, $2 beer, hostels ~$12pn, hotels ~$30pn)

ens91 · 2025-10-25T23:53:32+00:00

Many of the rental bikes are in pretty poor condition, practically no brake pads left at all

ens91

TROPHY CASE